25.7.13

Beth Sprouts Purchases; Everybody's gone surfin'

Today is a special day. I am celebrating 27 years on the planet. YIPPEE!

These 1970s platforms are a small gift to myself. I saw them last week in a charity shop window display - and thought 'Holy Moly!' this piece of history must be mine! And luckily no one else had had such an epiphany and they were still in the shop - Phew!

More importantly they are in excellent condition and very comfortable, still there is room for twisted ankles, oh yes there is.

Around my neck like a medal commemorating my 27 years, is a wonderful carved apple wood pineapple. Pineapples being my new obsession. Not to eat of course. This was lovingly worked on by my hubby. Cheers Darl'.

Whilst in said charity shop this shirt called out to me. It has been darned a little here and there, and I am quite convinced it would have been a surfer dude's, playing his uke on the sand.







24.7.13

Beth Sprouts Homemade; Mediterranean summer

Ahh glorious sunshine. Oh how we missed thee. So much so that we chucked all our old summer clothes out!
(and by chucked I mean donated)

Sadly a shop in Bristol which has sold Fairtrade Cotton for the last 30 years or so is closing down. Even online. And more sadly I have only recently found the shop (or at least that they sold fabric), so have not had enough time to make the most of them. So in my last visit I picked up a heavy stripey cotton, in the style of Dolce and Gabbana SS13, and a funny shade of peach light cotton.

Playing with shapes here a little, so it isn't what you'd normally expect for an arm hole. Here's my new summer dress.





17.7.13

Beth Sprouts Handmade/Purchases; We have lift off


I wanted to show you my new piece of jewelry. But scrap the jewels, it's a little porcelain space shuttle! I do have a penchant for sci-fi, so here is my nod to it - I just couldn't help that the tiny astronauts wanted to land there, what was I to do!


I am also wearing a stretchy skirt I quickly put together the other day from scraps. In this case it is a nod to J.W. Anderson's SS13 neoprene skirts.


Do have a look at Hannah Zakari an Edinburgh based jewelers, who I somehow stumbled across. It is now my favourite.  The shuttle was launched from Eclectic Eccentricity.


14.7.13

Beth Sprouts; grunge bla bla kurt bla bla

Hmm. So grunge returns. I guess it all does! But now I am old enough to remember a style which is inspiring high end and street style. But you can't do new grunge. Really, you can't! We are consumers now, we don't wear our dad's shirts till they die, or second hand till that dies too. We wear our dad's shirt whilst it's 'in' and use charity shops to buy vintage representing the new trend of the season. Then it goes back where it came from. Or that's my experience at least.

Grunge wasn't for clean tidy people working in high flying jobs. It's all lies now!!!

Anyway. I found myself in a vintage summer dress, supporting hot weather since 2007. And my garden clogs, whilst I watered the plants. And then noticed if I put on my hand knitted cardie that was lying around in the kitchen, hey presto I am nu-grunge! Funnily enough the man of the house said, 'Ooph you look really hipster'.

It's not for me but here is my chance deviation into nu-grunge





Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent AW 13

10.7.13

Beth Sprouts Handmade; i do like a little bit of butter on my bread

We had a lovely hayfever inducing sunday carving greenwood butter knives. I lept at the chance as they are a very swedish phenomena.

So here is my first attempt at wood carving. I had to break the first timer rules by incorporating a 'knot' into the handle, they are hard to carve but add interest. Was also a little but naughty and sanded it when it had dried, a big no no in greenwood working.

Then it is coated in linseed oil to seal it. Happy buttering.



Beth Sprouts Veg; le jardin

Last year, i'll say no more about it, the apple tree failed to blossom. But this year, wowee, very excited for the harvest.

I'm growing little radishes, purple sprouting, onions, shallots, courgettes, strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes. And attempting mange tout and cucumber. We shall see!