Rural Life

 There hasn't been much rural life on this blog for a long time.

 It looks lovely . . .

 . . .a duck pond or a fishing loch?

 No, it's a big puddle at the bottom of the field and it's leaked on to the road in front of our houses. The rain stopped some time after 4 am today and the level in these pix is much lower than it was during the night and early morning. 

This is a load of road crush to contain the water nearer the field and away from the houses.

You can see the road today,

which you couldn't have done yesterday afternoon or at 4am today,

 so we are pumping some of the water down past my garden on the gable end. 

I hope it goes past and doesn't run back to the conservatory, as it was doing when the rain was at its heaviest.

 Fingers crossed and thanks to Stuart and Sandy Breckenridge for road crush and 'irrigation services', Carl and Leah for labouring and Angus Council Roads dept for delivering sandbags on Friday and late Saturday night - in the rain!

Pop Up in Newburgh Steeple Arts Centre

Not sure why the little stand looks as if it's going to fall over! 

 A quiet day, but I was lucky to make some good sales.

 A lesson in stall 'dressing' from two lovely neighbours

 who seem to have bought a range of toning stoneware crockery from somewhere . . .

 It fits the sea washed nature of their own craft -

 crockery fragments picked up on the shore, mounted on silver rings, bangles and pendants.

 Such a lot of work in these dolls and mermaids

The second mum and daughter team at the event - and a cake stall!

Organiser Chloe Brown dreaming of a felt Christmas.

 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Newburgh Handmade Pop Up

Rural Reads &thReads is preparing now and furiously making for this event in a venue with a great reputation. Seeya there!

Dundee Christmas Funk Fair

Another great Funk Fair in the Queen's Hotel - all the better for the festive spirit.

Another good mix of stalls - cakes, cakestands, vintage bric a brac and clothes.

Lots of familiar faces

and some new ones

 and some new products.

 Something for everyone, from the fashion conscious ladies, to their little boy and his granddads.

Merry Christmas to all and to all - a good night's sleep!

Cupar indoor Market

Cupar indoor market is lovely place for traders and shoppers. The Gin in Teacups gals organised a fair within a fair which was successful but it wasn't as busy as it could have been, but is a new venue and it deserves to build up a good, big following.  

 There was a good mix of stalls - arty, crafty handmade one off creations, quite a few vintage stalls - I fancied a two tone 'trad' 1970s phone, but I bought a painting, a small picnic basket, some crockery and a jumper with big sparkly 'diamonds' round the neck. I also bought a beautiful pair of new, with tags - certainly not vintage - sheepskin boots. That made my day . . . before I sold anything.

These lovely ladies from the Phillipines bought some lovely crockery and my stall looked quite bare when they left. I hope their friends enjoy their Christmas presents.

See what I mean - bare or what? You can just see the corner of one of Cupar Indoor Market's cart units. I didn't think of photographing one, but I should have done, they're cute and practical, too. And next day, the Funk Fair!



Current Fairs - and a Fete

A very quick update and 'Hello' to lots of nice people I met at the weekend. A busy day at the Carnaby Market in the Salutation at Perth. Slower but interesting day at the Scores in St Andrews.
Now, looking forward to Saturday in Cupar, as above (link below) and Funk Fair in Dundee, next day.

Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea posted in CUPAR INDOOR XMAS FETE - featuring GIN IN TEACUPS - Vintage/fashion/craft market

Rural Reads & thReads will be part of Gin in Teacups vintage market, within Cupar Indoor Market's Christmas Fete - got that?!! 

I will get round to contacting people and sending pix I said I would, AFTER I have collected some firewood for the stove, because it needs to be burning bright, day and night in this weather.
Keep cosy!

Just caught a Samson!

We've seen Delilah dressed by Rural Reads & thReads, now Robbie, one of the Samsons in a RR&tR shirt. Bring on the rest of the Samsons - RR&tR will be at the Gin in Teacups at Cupar Indoor Market on Saturday, 8th Dec and the Funk Fair, Queen's Hotel, Dundee next day, 9th Dec.

Be there or - you'll kick yourself when you see the bargains that the well dressed people 'in the know' picked up from Rural Reads & thReads.

I hopw Mr Drew is happy for me to share his photo and acknowledge his talent.

Dapple Grey needs a Stable Home . . .

My decluttering  has crossed a major threshold this week. I have burned rubbish and, as well as uncovering boxes of china undisturbed for many years (more to come on that when I've had time to look at it all), I have made clear ground and I'm enjoying the space. 

Dapple Grey is looking for a new home. He's definitely shabby but he's chic; he's lost his tail and his corduroy coat is dappled with the effects of age, but he is structurally sound with a good bone structure and he's certainly not off his rockers.

He would love to star in a Christmas window, shine a light in Santa's grotto or stand by the nativity manger. His naturally aged appearance makes Dapple the dream horse (rather than a nightmare) to put a sparkle into any stylist's Christmas.

Currently residing in a North East potting shed, Dapple has access to transport to Huntly, Aberdeen or as far as Angus and Dundee if there's an empty stable and a warm heart waiting for him there. Dapple is is saddled, bridled and ready to go.

Gin in Teacups in Dundee!

A great day out in Dundee, Gin in Teacups' first Dundee fair, in the lovely Queens Hotel, catering for so many tastes, from the Mohican to my Mother's handmade 1970s jacket,

modelled by Dundee's own Martha, AKA Delilah of Delilah and the Samsons.

The fair had been very well publicised on the streets of the city for weeks in advance 

- arranged by Laurie (red sleeved T shirt)

and Sarah -

and it was worth it, because the place was hoatching, but at peak times stallholders were too busy to take photos.

These were taken at 4.30, half an hour before closing time, so apologies to everyone in the other two rooms, because I took these very quickly and didn't even think to go next door. 

Usually I forget to take the camera out of its case, but I wanted to get a pic of Martha in Mama's jacket, just to let her see.

 As Little Richard sang, The Girl Can't Help It - can she?
AND . . .
Just for the crockery fans,

You know what you like, don't you?

I 'll have some more pix for you people, later! 

Muddy, Wet, Miserable Day

It is a nasty day today. The fire is on and I've made vegetable soup with lentils and that's cheered me up.

Here is a memory of warmer days.

A 1960s /70s picnic table and deck? chairs.

They're bright enough to cheer up a miserable day.

I'm looking forward to the Gin in Teacups fair in Dundee this weekend and in the process of sorting out clothes to take with me, but I don't think it's the right weather to take the picnic set!