New Lampshade

I had this glass lampshade in my hall, and I really dislike it.

So I decided to buy a plain shade, and trim it. This is what I bought, for only R40

 

Being a crochet fanatic, I decided to make a crochet cover.

 

I used Vinnis Bamboo yarn in many colours.

What a great way to use up the odd balls!

This is the half-way stage

 

Finished at last, and fitted to the plain shade.

You can clearly see the beaded tassels that I put on the triangles that I worked around the bottom of the shade.

This picture more clearly shows the beaded tassels.

 

 

 In place at last!

 

How good it looks with the light on!

 

 

I'm really pleased with my new lampshade.

 

Christmas 2013

Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas. Here are a few pictures of my Christmas.

 I hang this on my door every Christmas. I bought it in Norway many years ago.

 

 This Christmas Crib came from Bavaria. It belonged to my late in-laws, and is very old (and just a little damaged!)

 

This is my other Christmas Crib, It comes from Peru, and was bought from an Oxfam shop. 

Our Christmas tree is all its glory.  At night the lights shine through the window, and can be seen from the street.

 Sushi the rescued Peke, wearing his Christmas ribbon.

 

 This is my friend Laverne, with her Weimaraner Lincoln, getting into the festive spirit.

 

 My Christmas table, set with a Christmas cloth that was a present from Norway. The crystal candle lantern was a gift over thirty years ago, and has survived three moves to different countries!

 My dinner table, with the tree in the background.

 

I use these lovely Coalport dinner plates on special occasions, such as Christmas. The lace-edged linen napkins are a charity shop find.

 

Fabric Handbags

I've not posted to my blog for quite some time, as I have been busy with markets.
The first was Talana Creations in late October/early November, and I did very well there.
I spent some time after that making crochet angels for the Christmas Tree at the Talana shop, as the ones I made for Creations all sold out.
Then I shared a table with my friend Marilyn at the Bon Appetit Café Market on 29 November. The day started out cold and drizzly, but warmed up in the afternoon, as did the sales. Luckily, we were in a marquee, so we didn't get wet.
Tomorrow were are again sharing a table at the Lennox Farmers' Market, and we are inside their barn.
As I bought a bargain bundle of furnishing remnants, I decided to make bags. Here they are:

 

This is a pretty green and beige striped fabric, lined with ecru cotton. The flap is trimmed with a beige pearl button. I bought the bamboo handle some time ago, and think it looks well on this bag.

 

 

This 'lion' bag is made in a beige fabric with ribs,, rather like corduroy, and is lined in ecru cotton. There is a flop-over tab to close the bag, weighted down with two huge beads.

 

 

I trimmed this bag with printed cotton ribbon. It is lined with cotton, and the tab is fastened with a magnetic button.

 

 

The last bag is in beige fabric has shiny bronze-coloured handles.  It is lined in Shweshwe. The flop-over tab has a large bead to weight it down.

These will all be in sale tomorrow, here's hoping it will be a good day for me!

No crafting, so I took a walk around the garden

I've not been crafting lately, probably because I wore myself out preparing for Creations at Talana! I have been having a clear out and a tidy up, though, and I also took a walk around my garden. This is what I found:

While rummaging in the garage some time ago, I found this old birdcage. I decided to put  a plant in it, and I decided on the lovely burgundy ivy geranium. It looks pretty good, I think.

 

I planted foxgloves last year, and now some are blooming again.

 

 

I bought an old wheelbarrow at an auction. A man said to me "You do know it's got holes in the bottom, don't you?" "Yes." I replied. "That's why I want it." So here it is, all planted up and blooming, That's Tyson in the background.

 

These dietes, the South African wild Iris, have blooms that last for only one day. I like them as I am fond of white flowers. It is said that when the dietes bloom, it is going to rain, So far this year they have been telling lies!

 

 

 

This jasmine is so rewarding. Every so often it is covered in beautiful star-shaped white flowers. They are scented, and they perfume the whole garden.

 

Now I moved indoors with my camera.

 

 

I love orchids, and have bought several from time to time. When they stop blooming, I put them in my dining room, and nurse them. This is the result! I now have three in full bloom.

 

 

Somehow I managed to cut the top off this one when I took the picture.

 

 

 

This is quite a small plant, but there are at least six flower stems coming from the main stem. It will probably stay in bloom for the next six weeks or so.

 

 

Happy Birthday, flowers and knitting

Caspar, the daxie that I gave to my God-daughter Shanay for Christmas in 2005 when she was six, is eight years old today. Happy Birthday, Caspar!

 

We planted a Natal Wild Banana in the garden about eight or nine years ago. Every winter, the frost burns the leaves, but it still survives. This year, it has rewarded us with a flower. It looks just like a white strelitzia.

 

 





Every year the wisteria amazes me by bursting into blossom. The ground is very dry, and it gets no water from one rainy season to the next. It is cut back hard in the autumn, and this is our reward!



I bought a lot of yarn from Talana Museum, among my purchase was some lovely soft chenille. I am making Aran sweaters for my two great-grand-daughters. This is the welt and first twelve rows of the first one.
 



Our two orange trees have surpassed themselves this year. The fruit is now ripening, so each morning I pick a bowl full, and juice them for breakfast. Nothing nicer!

 



 

Cheers!



Lots of vegetables

I have a large shade house where I grow my vegetables. There is overhead mist irrigation, which makes watering very easy.
This is what I have at the moment:

 

The spitz cabbages are starting to make heads.

 

Spinach

 



 

A patch of healthy-looking carrots

 

 

We're enjoying peas at the moment

 

Just seconds before I at them!

 

I pulled this carrot just to see how big they are getting. It tasted good.

 

 

The broccoli is coming on fast.

A tree full of birds, and Mucky Pups.

I heard a lot of chattering birds one afternoon this week, and I saw this tree in a neighbour's garden.

 

I've been making these for Creations at Talana. I call them Mucky Pups.

They are beadwork chains on which you hang your serviette.

This is how I plan to display them.

 

This is a close-up of the beadwork.

 

I like the little pegs on the ends. They could be used to hold your specs as well.