unique handmade art jewellery designed & assembled
by
Jennifer Dangerfield
The Treats, Tips & Temptations Scrapbook
This page has evolved out of the compartment devoted to 'A Few of My Favourite Things', which has proved to be a very
popular section. Here you will find droplets of luxury, pampering ideas & introductions to things to savour. I've got lots of
pretty things to share so this page is going to get longer & longer. I want it to be a tall order!
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Lula is almost a local gal. Her parents live just over there (try to imagine me leaning out of a window & pointing over to the north east) & she recently
judged the Best Hat competition in the fete held in the village where I used to live.
I'm not going to twitter for too long about Lulu - I don't need to. Just head straight for her website and ENJOY.....
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China doesn't last long in the humble hovel we call home. i cannot blame the brood for this. I've been to known to throw the odd plate or twelve
at walls ( I blame this on the little dose of Mediterranean genes I've inherited) & OMD prefers them to saucepan lids, but if you do this, the central disc
of the plate eventually falls out. This is quite a neat trick. Show your friends the disc & the unbroken china hoop & they will be reasonably impressed.
Ummm. I did say 'reasonably'. We're old - we don't get out much. Things such as this pass for amusement Chez Hovel.
Were it not for the high level of our china consumption, our tables would be graced by Emma Bridgewater's delightful wares. Mugs & tea pots - yes.
Plates & bowls - sadly no. Do check out the personalised page - if I slip them the money, I wonder if I can persuade the brood to buy me a 'You Are
Amazing' mug? Doubtful. Any cash that goes their way is spent on 'Transformers' merchandise. I'll have to order an 'I am Amazing' mug instead.
Please don't leave this site before checking out the tins. I store my semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, wire & so on in a wide assortment of these.
I don't see why a work space can't be cute or whimsical, so now that I'm a confirmed, dyed-in-the -wool, will-do-this-to-the-day-I-die beader, I've
treated myself to a collection of these tins. I'm delighted to report that, unlike a number of chi-chi tins I've seen for sale, these are sturdy & capacious.
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Oh Penhaligon's, Penhaligon's - if you love perfume, then this heavenly shop is for you!
Kate Moss is reputed to be a fan of 'Bluebell' - me too! I'm also devoted to 'Malabar' - it's my evening wear.
I was able to make my informed choices because I treated myself (& my husband) to the Scent Library. These phials aren't teeny-tiny - they
give you plenty of time to make your mind up.
Penhaligon's is also renowned for its luxurious gifts. I moon over them, but to tell the truth, once I've satisfied my perfume lust, I prefer to spend my
money on art beads. I suspect that you've worked that one out already ;-)
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Funky Drawing
I may be able to help you if you hit a school summer holiday hump - the' what to do' question. If you're prepared to arm yourself with the following
weapons, I think I may be able to promise you some relief.
Step one - pay Amazon a visit.
Step two - search for 'Drawing For the Artistically Challenged' by the wonderful illustrator Quentin Blake & John Cassidy. This may sound
like a no-no, but it's a source of some of the best artistic fun you will ever experience. Don't forget to buy yourself a copy - if the world is going mad around
you, spend a few minutes immersed in the pages of this workbook & you will begin to feel better. I also recommend 'Watercolour' - you'll love it.
Step three - this is another book which will bring relief from holidayitus or when you yourself are feeling overwhelmed. Now that I've discovered the
'Don't Get Caught Doodle Notebook' , I consider it an essential. To give you just one example, the noise generated by the brood lowers
dramatically. Once again, I recommend treating yourself to a copy. It's completely & utterly wonderful - I've even begun to doodle designs!
Step four - the following is a long term project & depending upon the age & impetus of your child, it may require your support & input.
'Drawing with Children' & 'Drawing for Older Children & Teens' by Mona Brookes will introduce you to the Monart method of teaching children
to draw. i heartily recommend these books - the brood beg me for lessons & the results are impressive. My son has dyspraxia & this has helped to
improve his fine motor skills . This course will also improve your child's ability to concentrate - Lula can now sit on a chair for longer than five minutes.
Ellie laps it up - she longs to be an artist & would draw all day, every day if she could. Her already impressive talent has blossomed further. Monart is
better than good - it's fantastic!
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I owe an immense debt of gratitude to Winnie the Pooh & his friends - indeed I would go so far as to say that I owe my sanity to them. Were it not
for the books, bears to take to bed, Winnie the Pooh mobiles, videos, bedclothes, pyjamas, toothbrushes, cutlery, mugs, etc, etc, etc, I would have
emerged from the brood's early years with none of my faculties intact. Teeth cannot be brushed with a normal toothbrush, but produce one with a
picture of Pooh & hey presto, teeth are presented to be cleaned! Winnie the Pooh is a very special bear, but if Pooh doesn't appeal to you, you
can always rely on Tigger's natural charisma to charm you instead!
Winnie the Pooh's influence has spread far & wide. Take the works of John T.Williams & Benjamin Hoff for example - the former's book, 'Pooh and the
Philosophers' was a breath of fresh air after the rigours of studying nineteenth & early twentieth century philosophy. I still have the bruises from
bashing my head against various brick walls! Check out Winnie the Pooh - Philosophical Genius!
Let's get back to the important matter of shopping. If you're as besotted with Pooh Bear as I am, this shop will have answers to your dreams. The
real ife shop is situated in the village of Hartfield where A.A.Milne lived. It's Pooh Country - take the tour & see!
Now that I've explained my devotion to Winnie the Pooh (& Tigger too!) perhaps you will see why I relish Lula's reply when I asked her what she'd
been doing at school.
'Finking mostly and then doing fings.'
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Do you yearn for a dressing table decorated with lace & ribbons, pretty posies & expensive perfume bottles? If so, I can take you to a place where
you can start the search for things to grace your dream. Can you resist a Cream Rose keyring? Will crystal bobby pins, carved barettes or a
Forget-me-Knot & Poppy Corsage tempt you?
Maryrose Monroe named her company after her parents, Johnny & Rosie. What a beautiful tribute!
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I'm having THE most wonderful time making friends in America. I love them - a deep, sincere love. One day James ( Old Man Dickson - hence the
nickname OMD) and I dream of moving to Italy where several members of our families live or of going 'home' to Cornwall. I've now begun to talk
about the USA too. I mention this because I'm beginning to tune in to the various time zones . As I'm an owl & not a lark, I'm getting close to living
on New York tiime!
Given these reasons, I spend a fair amount of time comparing GMT to the various time zones in Europe & the States. As well as being a fascinating place
to visit, the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich & the Royal Observatory are swell places to visit during the school holidays. These are
reasons enough to organise an outing, but from 25th July on, there's a further attraction to enjoy - Sailor Chic!
25 July - 2 December 2007
FASHION'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE SEA
An exhibition celebrating the
enduring influence of
nautical styles on fashion
Dress designed by Catherine Bell
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I could love this site for its logo alone, but it's a cool dude & worthy of greater relish. I am trying to justify the need for the Roxy Ltd Edition Wonton
watch. I don't wear a watch - I'm Bracelet Woman - I haven't found an excuse thus far! Do I also need the Wonder Woman Lunch Box, a Posh Pig
Money Box or a Bobbypin Funky Wallet? No, but I still WANT them. If you've run out of gift ideas, stroll around Hiccup - something will grab you!
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CouvertureIf you're visiting London or you're based there, you're in for a treat! Drop by & savour Couverture's cute fest. A few things are available by mail
order including a knitted Bambi which I have my eye on. Sadly I haven't managed to persuade either Ellie or Lula that they need a pair of the
red spotted Flamenco shoes. Ellie is a 'dyed in the wool' pink girl & Lula won't touch anything with girly things like heels. I now understand how
frustrated my mother must have been by having a daughter who wouldn't wear a dress without sedation!
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The pictures of the melamine plates on the art of curiosity blog are a just a small taste of the fun & funky things designed by Jackie Shapiro
for French Bull. My brood love them & use them outside or inside as snack plates. I love them because I don't have to clear up the debris that flies
hither & yon when a plate breaks. The French Bull site gives details of stockists in the USA. ICTC's website lists the various shops which stock
French Bull here.
I bought mine last year by mail order from Purves and Purves but guess what - they're having a sale so I'm unable to confirm whether they're
going to continue stocking French Bull products. Do check out the sale though - I LOVE the Joseph Joseph work top savers!
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If like me, you're addicted to colour, you will love the fabrics in Gudrun's collections. Her summer collections make one feel full of zingy joie de vivre! Her
autumn collection is just as beautiful - savour the warmth & richness of the blend of colours on display. If you're a Lagenlook devotee, Gudren's designs
will fit perfectly into your wardrobe.
It's cheeky, but If you're a scrapbook or collage artist, may I suggest that you order a copy of Gudren's catalogue? It's printed on a lovely thick matt
paper. The colours are dazzling & the catalogue is free so what have you got to lose? You'll end up buying something so I'm sure Gudren won't mind
me sharing this tip with you!
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This is another site whose design has had a hatchet taken to it by the sale genie. If like me, you are also addicted to neutrals - as long as they're not
the shy & retiring types - then this shop is worh a visit. To get the full effect, drop by once the sale is over, because Wall clothes fit into a slot akin to
Donna Karan's. They remind me of the Issey Miyake of my youth - is this a good recomendation, I ask myself? Well it is to me. Wall's clothes are
ageless, effortless, but with a nice line in sharp detail. Browse & buy after the sale is over & you will look like as if you own an art gallery.
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Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic & Eyebright Soothing Lotion
Now that summer is here with the prospect of the occasional sweltering day, may I suggest that you buy the little spray bottle of toner plus a larger
bottle for refills & keep this and the Eyebright Lotion in the fridge. Spray the toner as & when required. I can't begin to describe how good this simple
treat feels. It smells divine & your skin will feel radiant rather than roasted.
As soon as I get out of bed in the morning, I apply two pads soaked in Eyebright Lotion to the sockets where my eyes are meant to be. Thirty seconds
is all it takes to unpuff, brighten & revive eyes which are still lingering in Dream Land. I find that they can sometimes ward off the occasional headache
so it might be an idea to buy a smaller bottle to carry around with you, provided of course that you are not wearing mascara. If you are, fold a soaked
cotton pad in half and press lightly on the place where other women have bags. You don't have these - you just need a little refreshment!
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art_of_curiosity@btinternet.com
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Photography by Jennifer Dangerfield. All designs, contents & images are the property of the designer Jennifer Dangerfield and are copyrighted. None of the aforementioned items may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of Jennifer Dangerfield. Please note that any breech of copyright may result in legal action.