From my bookshelf...loved by so many... and a GIVEAWAY!!

One grey morning, the first snow began to fall in the valley of the Moomins. It fell softly and quietly and in a few hours, everything was white.

Moomintroll stood on his doorstep and watched the valley nestle beneath its winter blanket.

'Tonight,' he thought, 'we shall settle down for our long winter's sleep'....

(Now there's a thought!)

Thankfully, although sleeping for a hundred days and a hundred nights, the Moomins emerge and Tove Jansson pens the most wonderful adventures, which have since been loved by children and adults alike.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1410323.stm

And so...

For my first giveaway of 2009, all you have to do is post a comment on here to say which is your favourite children's book....easy innit ?! ;-)

Oh and here's the prize..

A little bit of Cath...mixed with...

a little bit of Amy Butler and Heather Bailey

A smidgen of K&Co

Little extras ;-)

All put together to make a kitchen clipboard..

Competition closes next Thursday evening.
Good Luck everyone..!

Fabrics old and new ;-)

I have always loved fabric.

From the day that I learnt to sew on my Grandma's old Singer Sewing Machine, through to my 'Needlework' classes at Newton Abbot Grammar School, I loved to find gorgeous fabrics, with which to work and create.

Yesterday, I was thinking back to the 1970s when I had my first little house, with very little to put in it!

But I had a sewing machine, so there really was no stopping me.. and there were some excellent shops in Camberley,where I lived, which supplied some beautiful fabrics..(no Cath in those days!)..so I bought this for the bedroom..a gorgeous Liberty print called, 'Cottage Garden'.

I bought this next one in Tyrrell and Green in Southampton (Now John Lewis)

This was sold under the Jonelle label and was called 'Daisy'....I made curtains for two large lounge windows with this print...

And in my kitchen ...I had a William Morris 'Chrysanthemum' print..it was a darker,richer blue than this but the same design..it looked gorgeous against my old, painted, wooden cupboards!

'Salad Days' by Sanderson was another of my purchases...

I may not have had much in those days but I had a house with lovely curtains, made with quality fabric!!

The sad thing is that I didn't keep any of these curtains...but I would love some tiny pieces just for reminiscing purposes!

Of course, nowadays, the choice of fabrics available to us, is huge.

A couple of weeks ago, I started using fabrics for my clipboards..A bit of Amy Butler's Midwest and Modern 2 for this one...

And a bit of Michael Miller, mixed with Kaffe Fassett for the this one..

I'm making one for a grand giveaway soon...so watch this space for a Sal's Snippets Competition;-)

Meanwhile, if you have any fave fabrics from your past...do tell ;-)

Back to school ;-)

It's back to school for many, today!

Including me..here's my little schoolroom...and I'm up early, preparing my evening lessons.

Which might include..

Or...

With a little help from...

To get their imaginations working...

And if I can throw in a little bit of History..

Geography...

Nature studies...!

But most of all...


If the children in your house are back to school today, I hope the day goes well for them..!

;-)

Dear All....Hamsters and Puccini...and slush ;-)

I have a terrible, terrible confession to make.
This year, I sent no Christmas cards in the post.

I feel quite bad about it but I was unwell before Christmas and simply didn't get around to it..and being unwell after Christmas too, has meant that my good intentions of knocking up some good old hand made 'Happy New Year' cards , did not happen either.

Anyway,to try and lift my spirits, I have just summoned up the courage and energy... and I've started to read the many letters, which I have received from friends far and wide; letters which they always include with their Christmas cards; letters which always bring a smile to my face; letters that sometimes have me rolling around the floor in an uncontrollable state. And letters that make me feel that I am totally lacking (not really) ;-)
I give you.... drum roll...

The self congratulatory Christmas letter

It's a gem.

Now then, if you do this , I am sorry if I offend you but I have a thing about those sort of letters. Always have.

I don't mean the quick note which includes normal 'newsy stuff' which you might include when you send your Christmas card to your friends.

I mean the letter that has been photocopied a thousand times, with just your name at the top and their signature at the bottom....and the 'slush' in between ! ;-)

The one that tells you about the many skiing holidays ; the second or third home that has been purchased ; the endless list of material things that have been acquired during the year... and so much more thrilling stuff that you can't wait to hear.

You know, the letter (or should I say 'book' ) that really is not personal to you at all.

The letter that makes you feel a really special friend....NOT!

And that's my beef.

But hey...you could keep those letters... and publish them. It has been known...and here they are..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Letters-Ultimate-Collection-Robins/dp/1843546671/ref=pd_sim_b_2

And here :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-That-Could-Open-Fridge/dp/1843543575/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Not forgetting here...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamster-That-Loved-Puccini-Round-robin/dp/1843544741/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231139138&sr=1-1

And finally here,the cover of which says it all:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dear-All-Collection-Round-Robins/dp/1840466316/ref=pd_sim_b_4

However, I suppose if you think about it, a blog can be a bit of a boast too, can't it?

And we all like to do that from time to time ;-)

So what are your views on all of this?

I'd love to know.

;-)