A New Year Giveaway.

I'm busy making some new designs for the coming year and have been playing with some velvet flowers.
These are so pretty and in such beautiful vintage colours.
Here's a pretty pocket which I have made to give away in January.

 It's just the right size for a small camera, your plastic cards or even a few of your favourite sweeties.
It is decorated with my velvet flowers, some ribbon roses and hand embroidery.
You can buy some velvet flowers in my etsy shop to try for yourself.
Meanwhile to enter my giveaway all you need to do is;

                              Leave me a comment.
                              Be a follower  and
                              mention my giveaway on your blog.

I'll be drawing the winner on the 15th of January. Good Luck everyone and don't forget to visit http://www.theenglishromantic.blogspot.com/ for another giveaway.

xox Angela.

Thoughts.

I found this on my grandsons facebook page, I don't know where it originally came from but I found it very moving.

' Remember this Christmas when you are eating your dinner,smiling and laughing, that in another house there's an empty chair where a hero should be sitting.
They gave up there lives so you could sit with your family, so light a candle for the heros who did not make it back and for those still serving out in Afghanistan and Iraq.'

I leave you with this, best wishes,
xox Angela.

A White Christmas inside and out.

I promised you a tour of my Christmas home but first just look what happened outside.
I woke up to a winter wonderland (along with the rest of the UK).

         This is the view from my window. It's so beautiful especially from my cosy warm home looking out!

                                                               Now for that tour!

                                         Come in through the front door and look inside.

              My hallway is warm and cosy with just a peek at my white Christmas inside.

          This little quilt always goes up at Halloween to welcome the festive winter season.

                        This is Mr Gander to welcome you, his wife will meet you later

                                                 Another little quilt covers the picture.
                              Come on in and see my favourite room.  
                                                                     

                             A cosy space to sit and relax with a good book and a cup of coffee.

                                           A comfy chair with some of my favourite  things

                                 I just love my white Christmas tree, I'll give you a closer look.
                                                                            

                                        Lots of white baubles and vintage cream makes.                                                              

                                           A peaceful display on a tarnished silver platter.

                                                   Here she is  Mrs Goose watching over us.       

                                                            A glass of winter cheer.

                                              Lovely white cyclamen, a promise of Spring.

                                                          A pretty chair to rest awhile.
       My home is dressed and ready for Christmas, my shoppings nearly done and all is well in my world .

                                                      Hope you enjoyed the tour,

                                                     Merry Christmas everyone.

                                                            XoX   Angela.
                             PS. Do you know why I'm Angela, I was born on Christmas Day!



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                            

To paint or not to paint?

Well I ummed and ahhed. should I or shouldn't I, shall I paint or not?

This is the duet stool that I have re-covered,  I just can't decid whether I like the contrast of this dark wood against the creamy whites or should I paint it to match the blanket box behind?

These are the two little Edwardian Bedroom chairs that have had there seats covered, again shall I paint or shall I not?

I won't be painting this chair, it's too pretty with those inlaid legs and back.

Please let me know whay you think about the painting. Meanwhile I'm going to dress my room for Christmas ready to give you a tour.

It's crazy in the shops but I need to be brave and face the crowds to do some shopping. Wish me luck!!!

xox Angela.

Room makeover. Day Two.

It's absolutely freezing here today!
 I walked along the sea front this morning watching the sea pounding in on an easterly wind coming straight from Siberia, I was warm as I was walking so fast but my face was so numb it felt as if I'd been in the dentists.
 Still it was a great walk and I really enjoyed my coffee when I got home.

I've spent the rest of the day sewing, lucky me!

I'm giving my sitting room a new look with some beautiful Japanese fabric from a company called quiltgate. Check out the link and find some divine vintage rose fabrics. You will have to click on the English site when you get there.

Today I made cushions.

I used some vintage French linen along with the jacquard roses as the colours were so lovely together. This linen is very a very heavy weight so it has given a lovely firm feel. Just to finish I made some rolled roses and added a tassel.

On the next one I've added some free machine embroidery and three covered buttons.

This is the last one and it's reversable . I'd run short of the darker linen so used a lighter piece as well as this pretty lace.

That was a good days work and I enjoyed every minute.

Tomorrow I'm starting on an old piano stool that badly needs some loving care. It's going to get a lick of paint and a new seat. Can't wait to start!

Don't forget to drop by and see the results.

I'll give you a tour of the new room when I'm all done.

Hugs, Angela.

Box makeover.

I've been waiting to spend some time on my sitting room and am working on it now before those Christmas decorations come out so I'm showing you as I go along.

I love anything that I can makeover to make a sewing box so when I found this little round stool in a charity shop for only £1.50 I was really excited.  It was covered in green velvet, not very nice so just the thing to play with.

I've just searched for my' before' pictures but it seems that the laptop gremlins have been up to their tricks and my pics have '''gone....'''

So here is the finished thing you'll have to imagine how it was.

I've added a handle so that it is easy to pick up, this is upholstery webbing which is stapled underneath and on the sides. I've added some blue velvet delphiniums to cover the staples on the side.

The sides of the box I have covered in linen and inside there are pretty pockets to hold my bits and pieces.

                                                                               

         The top is padded in the beautiful fabric which I am using on lots of other things in my sitting room.

                                              I love the look of these vintage style blue roses.

                                                    Tomorrow I shall be making cushions.
                                                                                  
     xox
    Angela.                                                                               

White roses for White Wednesday.

I love roses, you can tell from my blogs. I especially love white roses so when I collected some lichen covered branches and twigs whilst walking I knew that they would look so pretty  together.

These branches are covered in silvery blue lichens. Lots of branches here in Devon are covered in these amazing colours, I think its our damp clean air. that encourages them to grow.
                        

                                         These were my inspiration.

                                         So I bought these.

            Found these baskets, lined them with cellophane and added wet floral foam.

                               I arranged the roses and the twigs into this little display.

                                                 White roses for White Wednesday.
                                                            Enjoy, xox Angela.

A tour of The Dartington Estate

I promised you all a walk around the gardens of The Dartington Estate near Totnes in Devon.

It's a calm and peaceful place which I love.

This is the entrance to the gardens. The arch leads to a beautiful quadrangle with The Great Hall at the end.

                               I love this building, it looks like something from a Harry Potter film.

This is the long border as you walk into the garden. Those conifers are kept well clipped I think there are twelve. They look like a row of fat ladies sitting on the grass. The colour scheme on the herbacious border is yellow and blue. It is a really nice place to sit when the sun is shining.

The colours on trees are so pretty, the leaves made a wonderful frilly carpet underfoot.

            Aren't Cyclamen great, they start to flower when all around is starting to sleep for the winter.

                                                                                 

There are even signs of some things waking up, amongst the lichens are the buds of the witchhazel waiting to open and send out there amazing perfume on those bare winter branches.

                                                                                  

This hydrangea flower is a gorgeous shade of lilac, I so wanted to bring it home.

The last bit of the walk takes you past these fabulous old trees, hollow inside but carefully maintained and still majestic.  They stand next to a Henry Moore sculpture.

This lady has her back to those twelve fat ladies sitting on the grass.

I collected some lichen covered branches and twigs on my walk. Check in on White Wednesday and I'll show you how I used them.

Best of all there's a pub in the grounds, it's a good place to sit and enjoy a coffee before the drive home.

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse of autumn in Devon!

xox Angela.

Autumn Smiles.

I love Autumn. the colours, the leaves crunchy underfoot, walks along the coast with chiily winds and sunshine. Yes that's all for me!

I had a heart attack 16 months ago and since then have really discovered the pleasures of walking.
Every morning I walk along the 'Downs' which is only a couple of minutes from my apartment.

Heres the view, it looks different everyday depending on the light.

You can see there was a big cliff fall last summer the house above is very precarious. Our soil is this amazing red, it even gives us 'pink' sheep.
The trees here are quite late changing colour as we had plenty of rain in the summer and a mild October without many frosts.
I saw this tree on my way home, isn't it just glorious, looks like butter melting on hot toast. Can't eat that nowadays. never mind this is better.

I'm nearly home now ready to enjoy a Latte, skimmed milk of course.
 These leaves covered in rain drops were shining on the path.

Aren't they beautiful, I have an idea for a necklace based on these. I'll start it in the New Year!

The weather is great for walking today so I'm going to the Dartington Estate to walk around there gardens. I'll take my camera and give you a tour.

Have a great day,
xox Angela.

My Wednesday Whites.

I'm joining Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

I found this chippy enamel shovel at our local recycling centre. People were rummaging around looking for bargains and not giving this a second look. I picked it up and smiled, what a treasure!

I have had this exquisite ladies handkerchief in my drawer wondering whether to use it in my work.  I have decided it's much too beautiful to cut up or sew with.

These Roses are really white and look so lovely alongside the Alstomerias with their centres that almost look as if they've been painted on by a clever artist.

Finally in todays tablescape is this rather ornate Grand Piano. My brother is a piano tuner and restorer trained by Steinway in London. He has spent over forty years looking after the pianos of famous musicians, pop stars and even Royalty. My mother was very proud of him and had a big collection of decorative pianos, this was her favourite. I don't know anything about it but maybe someone out there in blog land can tell me.
Meanwhile if you have a piano that needs a little 'Magic' working on it , I know just the man.

Have a great White Wednesday everyone.  
xox Angela.