Hey! I had a Birthday...

 Not just one, but 2 stunning Fish Women... that is my baby sister folks!

 3 too many Mojitos clearly gave me the powers to eat burning candles...

 The morning after, the morning after and Birthday breakfast with the girls...

 There was, naturally, a great deal more to the festivities than this - but i'd only bore you with all those cakes, gifts, nice food, champagne and prosecco, friends and frolics.

THANKYOU!!!!

Listen, i really do have to go out for a bit now but

i will be back later to tell you about other *new* bits.

I have theeeee most tremendous fun in my life ya know x

It's like a massive Shopping Spree.... but Thrifty...

 Contrary to how it can seem... i am not 'Big' on the shopping thing.

I like nice stuff and i love a bargain, but my patience for actual shopping, is limited.

This is Bicester Village - Oxfordshire.

A Designer Outlet Village for people who like Designer Clothes...

It is stuffed with overpriced, overdesigned, clothing BUT it can harbour a few Gems.

 The place itself is satisfying scenic, like a Coastal Town on the facade. It has a holiday feel to it.

Even on a wet windy day though, it is packed with people.

 Of course, here is the Jewel in the Crown.

And if i sit in a certain Coffee Shop i can see the store door with a cappucino in hand.

Cath Kidston.

lovely, lovely, lovely - massive discounts on lots of old designs and styles.

Today, they even had an extra 25% the already discounted products!!

 I only bought one small thing, though.

I may love a bargain but i am still fairly thrifty. I don't like to buy stuff just for the sake of parting with my money. The joy of being here and *mooching* was really what i needed for myself on this day.

 Treating myself to time away from the chaos...

 So, i'm not going to show n tell everything i bought BUT

2 Leather bracelets reduced from £59.00 to £4.00 - 1 for me and 1 gifted to my Sister.

 This bargain crazy cotton top / dress thing. £10.00 and worth every penny for it's bright cheeriness.

And i bought 6 giant teacups as i'm desperate for Cereal Bowls!

They are a usefully hewge size and polka dotty....

and were 50% off.

I came to the conclusion today that:

Days off are good.

Bargains are also good, and necessary

Pretty clothes make me happy.

KkkeerrrrrPpppoWWwwww!

 Egad.... byJinks.... crikey love...

Laptop broke - Enforced Cyber break! but that is a story for another day.

Child has a birthday disco tomorrow. It has been chaos!

But listen, MrsB arrives in about an hour so all will be well.

 The sun has been shining, neigh.... burning for days / weeks even, and life seems somewhat sleepy right now. Maybe that's the exhaustion talking?

 Felt flowers - yes sireeee.

Available in Strawberry & Lime at present - FuzzyFish.etsy.com

They will find their way into LovePaperFish, maybe, when the Little Ones get back to school and the sun gives in to the inevitable pregnant rain clouds.
I popped the first few FELTY FLOWERS into my new webshop:
http://www.mrsite.co.uk/usersitesv30/LovePaperFish.com/wwwroot/userimages/procart26.htm

 More importantly, i have been having fun making them into brooches and into stems for a felty, floral bouquet. So quick and easy. Cheating really. Taking the skill out of crafting. But not the fun! As i am someone who does not feel the need to SLAVE hours over a handmade project - i can feel quite satisfied with a quick n easy too.

Cannot wait to get back to blogging - to putting lots of new things into the shops - to tell you all about the crafty plans i have in my pocket.

It is allll good people.

Happy Eggs! and Happy Sunshine!

More Flora and a Rudolph...

A few more of the *all new* singing and dancing Flora Brooches - into the PaperFish shop today. I think i enjoy making these because they are all a little different and it can get tedious sewing the same designs over again. I love discovering a new colour scheme and thinking "why haven't i mixed these colours before?" (i do talk to myself alot, i am terribly fascinating...)

Some are pastel-y, some are BrIgHt as can be and others are all muted and subtle.

I think i need to photograph a big batch of them and make the piccy into postcards... i might have to wait till slightly sunnier weather tho - anyone seen the sun of late? or has it gone on a small vacation?

And.... a Rudolph. A silly little something that might find its way into the SmallFish's Advent Calender - it has little pockets and i put a gift in for each day. HEY, she's my child and i will spoil her if i want to :)

Felt fancies do you good x

Teal, Claret, Lime and Flora....

Just updating on what's *new* in the shops.....
Deliciously rich CLARET polka dot buttons. 1cm - very berry x Me, in a strange, clandestine "you've not seen me right?" *might be a spy* sort of a pose...

wearing a new FLORA brooch. So in love with these babies.
There are more of these being listed in PaperFish tomorrow. I listed 4 on Friday and sold 2 in the space of about 20 minutes so that was a lovely feeling :) They are about 2.5" across 5.5cm and made out of yummy soft felt but backed by a metal badge so sturdy enough for any coat or bag.

I'm thinking gifts for friends or a fun teacher (or yourself! you know who you are shopper x)
They are about £4.90 each in the etsy shop. I might put them in the Folksy shop but that seems so crowded at the moment... i might wait till Spring? Well, you know where i am if you want any in GBP

And then... LIME and PINK PinPot - be still my zinging heart, J'love this fella!

Oh, and TEAL polka dot 1cm buttons too - these are a beautiful colour and i will wait till the Spring to play with these as i have enough on my Christmassy plate right now, but they are in BigFish if you want to play.

Gotta go - keep crafty x

COLOUR me happy :)

The SUN is out today - i'm wearing pink and grey (which, quite frankly, makes me happy) I had my hair COLOURED last night - meh, you might not see what i can see, or rather what i can't see: no nasty orange. no nasty re-growth. no greys.... just honied brown - colour me hair proud!

New buttons. Cool free bookmark from the library. Blackcurrant cordial = colour me cool!

Awesome *new* GIANT spotty buttons arrived - colour me excited... (what to do with them now?)

yumtastic lollies from the Traditional Sweet Shop down the road - colour me delicious (slurp)

Lunch out with my sunshine girl! Colour me sunny and fed.

Blooms hanging good in the sunshine - colour me *loving* that Victorian red brick work x

Buttony brooch. Spotty shower curtain - colour me happy to be in the world today :)

.......... Yippee x x x

Ebay Joy...

Ebay is truly Love / Hate for me...
There are items that take a month to arrive - clothes that aren't what they seemed - furniture not fit for use - dvd's that don't work... (the mistake buys go on and on)

And THEN you find a gem **BLING** >>>>>>> Oh Yummy Yummy 1970's dress.
You can see i had trouble photographing it to it's full effect!

It is much brighter than it seems here and sets off a gentle tan with it's neon pink.

Fits very snuggly (especially after a gentle handwash - i was scared i'd have to sew myself into it after it met warm water)

It is floor length with a sort of fish tail at the back.

£12.00 ebay treasure - i wore it on Saturday night... (and well in to Sunday morning... for which I am still paying the price with a soft head averse to noise) for a "Summer of 1969" party. You know me, i'd wear it for a non-themed event, vintage clothing gives me so much pleasure.

And i had to share with you: ManFish and MotherFish who threw themselves into the idea of a 1970's Festival Theme with such enthusiasm... i don't know where i get my sense of colour and fun from.....?

Colour and Fun!! (remind me to show the photos of us all dressed as the AntHill Mob)

I love sharing my world with you x enjoy the sunshine my friends!

HA! look at me...!

Whew.... what a week (or two ) that i've been having!
My mobile phone has long since been on it's 'way out'...
Then my camera broke :( - you know how sad that makes me...
THEN my sewing machine broke.... What's a girl to do? Sit and cry or get shopping?

Well, i started with a fruity new phone - and THESE photos have been uploaded from my mobile! "You're kidding!?" - pretty cool huh? Then i got myself a fantastic sewing machine £100 - it's been 're-conditioned, so i figured i'd have a better chance that this baby works like a dream. It arrived about 2 hours ago and i'm just getting comfortable on it.

It arrived with a million free threads in gorgeous colours, which is always nice!

BUT, before the machine arrived, i was getting on with these Brooches which are all part of the Christmas Collection for my travelling Craft Stall. Yummy Woolly Flower button brooches.

I adore these colours and the chunky buttons.

I am thinking these photos are quite good, considering they are from a mobile phone!?

Was also working on some new Badge Party Packs.

I haven't worked up the courage to buy my new camera yet. It is alot of pretty pennies and i have a small hope my engineering dad can fix my old faithful???

I am E X H A U S T E D!! - techno stress. Life in the fast lane.

Did i prefer my life 3 years ago when i couldn't even turn a computer on without written instructions...... ? x

CRAFT CAFE....

Calling all local crafters with children aged 3 - 13yrs...

The next Craft Cafe is organised for this School Easter Break! Thursday 16th April

10am - 12pm

Dress to get MESSY!

Theme is Flowers and Fishes

maybe making fish and fishing rods and doing a spot of indoor gardening....

All great fun...

Boddington Village Hall, Northants

halfway between Banbury and Southam

Hope to see all my locals and regulars there x x x