Back on the road again....

I'm not sure whether it makes any kind of economic sense, especially considering the price of fuel, but planning a holiday around standing at a vintage fair is a lot more fun than slogging up and down the M1.
I had a lovely time at Lucy's lovely Sussex Brocante in the very pretty West Sussex village of Wisborough Green. How I wish I could be there every month and many thanks to all the enthusiastic customers who funded my break. It was a long time since I had last visited Sussex and I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the Bloomsbury group's farmhouse, Charleston, and to Virginia Woolf's house in nearby Rodmell. I also enjoyed visiting Igigi, mentioned in the last post, which satisfied needs corporeal (great Welsh rarebit) and ethereal.
And so off again at the end of the week to lovely, lovely Cornwall and most especially the Roseland penisula with tiny Porthscatho almost at the end. Oh will the weather behave? It was so lovely in Sussex to stroll around in a sundress and sit on a beach but tremendous thunderstorms saw us hurtling back to reality on Tuesday evening here in Nottingham.

This though is the perfect weather to escape to my greenhouse, although the level in the water tank is becoming dangerously high; a greenhouse which nurtures my soul more than it ever did plants and truth be told is an extremely useful stock cupboard.

I'm storing some pots on the printer's shelves and stone bottles on the table

I've made these floral barkcloth cushions for the Homespun fair in Porthscatho; their soft greens and yellows are the colour of the roadside banks and possibly the greys are the colour of the skies but lets not be pessimistic, perfect for a country cottage bed.

The best seller at Wisborough Green was undoubtedly my lampshades, and thanks to their bulky nature this made a pleasant difference when repacking the car. Just time then between fairs to restock in the hope that Cornwall likes them. This Vichy check is usually popular, oh to find some bigger affordable pieces with which to make larger shades
I am no photographer but at least taking lots of digital shots helps; I thought I had understood that it is best to snap with the sun behind you but in my workroom the reverse seems to be the case. Generally I find items placed on the table below the south facing window are shown in their true colours.

Anyway it allows me to show how warm and golden the light is through this white linen shade thanks to its cream lining and yet how white it is when unlit, like the rain dashed windows on the edge of the shot

I like making these wide banded shades with something of the prom dress about them

This floral has been so popular for shades but this is the last, or possibly there's enough for a teeny one; a very pretty shade

Beautiful blue, I've placed this tiny shade on my favourite indigo tablecloth; again the last scrap of a favourite lampshade fabric

If you live in Cornwall or are lucky enough to be holidaying there, don't miss Jane and Gertie's lovely fair next Sunday or indeed a visit to their shop in Porthscatho..The Sea Garden
And if you go buying at Kempton racecourse.tomorrow..I'll be there on my stall  come rain or shine...slogging up and down the motorway in a day