Once upon a time there was a girl who just loved to paint……

This is what it says on the card of artist Marnie Maurri, who I discovered through facebook a couple of weeks ago. She went to the Slade school of fine art and now paints away all day doing private commissions, murals etc. I have put her in touch with a friend of mine who needs some illustrations for a childrens book which she has written and I am now the proud owner of one of her pictures. She has a unique, retro style. Check out her work at www.marniemakes.com

gorgeous new picture, hanging in my studio!

It’s been a busy old week on the candle front. The evening at The Coffee Rush went well and I met some new customers, also returning customers brought back their jelly moulds to be refilled.  I have just arranged a new Vintage Fair in South Molton on April 14/15th from 10am-4pm at The Assembly Rooms. For information on this fair, and others visit www.countryhousevintage.com

Anyway, best get cracking with my coconut candles which I have on the go today! I need to make sure all my crates are full to bursting in preparation for “All things Vintage & Lovely” on March 31st and The Craft Hub’s “Birdsong & Blossom” fair on April 1st which are fast approaching….

Don’t forget you can purchase candles through my Etsy shop if you can’t make it to any of the fairs I’m doing in the SouthWest this year (PeagreenFurnitureCo) and you can follow me on facebook too….

Whilst fulfilling an order for my friends yurts I decided to add some citronella candles to my range as they look cute and make practical pressies for gardeners, BBQ-ers, campers & all those who love to be in the great outdoors!

And I’ve only just recovered from last weekend which we spent in London, catching up with friends & family, taking the kids to see The Wanted at the O2 (bearable because I got to see my lovely pal Lucy and stare at the one with the shaved head – who I think is called Max?) Sad, I know!

Have spent this week doing orders, filling up my crates ready for the craft fair chaos that lies ahead, listening to Jagwar Ma (a new discovery) and today I’m supposed to be doing housework, but I can’t be bothered!

Don’t forget the Coffee Rush evening this Thursday at 7pm, all you peeps who need Mothers Day presents, I’ll see you there…..

My friend Nikki has just become an Auntie…again! So have spent some of today making this garland for her new neice in Australia.  I love a little project!

Blimey what a busy week this is turning out to be! Whilst doing my voluntary shift in our village shop yesterday I was asked to supply some little wrapped candles for them to sell – great for Mothers Day and less calories than an egg for Easter!  A few minutes later in walks Peter Hunt, a local organic farmer, who opened his new venture Rocombe Valley Retreat last year. He has put yurts, bell tents and a shepherds hut on his beautiful farm, you can even fish in the well stocked lakes! To add a bit of local “ambience” he has asked me to make some candles for his visitors to enjoy whilst chilling out in the evening, nice relaxing scents for the accomodation and some citronella ones to use outside whilst wining and dining! How exciting!

love, love, love this house...wish it was mine!

I’ve just found out that due to a cancellation I am able to do the fantastic Portscatho Homespun Fair on Easter Monday. I love The Roseland Peninsula and what a great excuse to have a few days away with the family. My partner’s cousin has a beautiful house by the sea in Downderry and fortunately we are able to stay there from time to time – turns out this is one of those times…YIPPEE!

It will be the first craft/vintage fair that I have  taken my candles to outside of Devon, so I’m very excited to see how it works out. It is from 10am – 3pm at The Memorial Hall on April 9th. Let’s hope this lush weather holds…

I had a lovely lunch in the sun with my Mum today at “Hannahs” in the old Seale Hayne Agricultural College on the Ashburton Road. What a fab place it is with a reasonable  restaurant, local Sharpham wine,  loads of seating outside and in and such beautiful surroundings. There is a gallery, a retro shop, a new hydro swimming pool (open to the public) and artists studios – all owned and run by a local charity  – make sure you check it out. They need volunteers too…

my lovely Mum, in the sun at Hannahs, Seale Hayne

It is the first day of the new Exminster market this Saturday, it will then take place on the first Saturday of every month (apart from December when due to prior hall commitments it will be on the 15th) Unfortunately I will not be there until next month as I’m off to the O2 to take my girls to see The Wanted (yawn) Good luck guys!

This is Ethel and Gertie, they sit by my monitor and keep me company while I mess around on facebook, spotify, email, asos, ebay and various other random things which I like to call “work” !!! I don’t know why I ever considered myself capable of working from home when every year my school report said “Samantha is too easily distracted” no change there then! At least I was consistent.  Anyway, it’s too late now and with 21 fairs booked for 2012 so far I’d better start applying myself quite frankly!

My lovely pal Helene has just returned from Wales with loads of vintage glass goodies for me. Unfortunately for her the weather was crap, this however was fortunate for me as she sought refuge in the welcoming bosom of the local charity shops! I’ve got a bit of a thing for vintage coloured glass at the mo. and she managed to find loads. It looks great with candles in, especially “Key Lime Pie” in green cut glass vases, yum! Fall in love with your old tat all over again at Peagreen Furniture – that should be my strapline!

gorgeous glass...

I have finally got myself on Etsy this week, although I’ve only got jelly moulds in the shop at the moment I will endeavour to add my new line of vintage knickerbockerglory glasses (which burn for about 80 hours) A bargain at £10 me thinks! They hold half a pint of wax so you know what that means…..half a pint of ice cream when the candle has finished!

The lovely ladies who run the Shaldon Business  Forum have decided to take advantage of the extra day off in June and run a Jubilee Craft Market on the 5th. What a great idea! I did one of the Christmas markets they ran and it was a real success, even though it was a pretty miserable evening weather-wise, our marquee was lit by LED bike lights and there wasn’t much space as three of us were sharing a pitch, loyal locals still turned up to do their Christmaas shopping, bless them! It will run from 10am until 2pm and hopefully the sun will shine for us….

I pinched this photo from The Craft Hub blog as I don't seem to have a good one of my stall. This was at the Christmas Fair in Topsham

I just love not having to get up in the mornings don’t you? We are BIG on sleeping in our house and nobody has made it downstairs before 9am the last few days (I’m proud to say!) We had a lovely day yesterday walking from Totnes to Sharpham with our friends then back for a pub lunch at The Dartbridge Inn near Buckfastleigh. Valentines day is a bit of a non-event in our house but we managed a picnic at Mothecombe beach in the South Hamms and practically had our very own beach for the day! Of course I had to stop off in Modbury to check out the charity shop, where I found a beautiful old teaset and two jelly moulds – yippee! Last week in Torquay I found a really unusual Midwinter set with matt blue plates, in perfect condition (I’m thinking Hyacinth, Bluebells?)                                                          

Pip’s 40th party was fantastic, I have to admit that I actually enjoyed listening to the gypsy band and Paul managed to get through the evening without knocking anyone out..! We even toyed with the idea of attending The Greenman Festival in Wales in August (after meeting a cool couple called Matt & Sara who told us all about it) but it’s expensive and I’m not sure I can part with all that dosh to listen to folk and gypsy….? And now we’ve got something wrong with our septic tank which is going to cost a fortune! Priorities – such a bummer!

Finally……                                                                                                                                     

I have been asked to sell my candles at a charity bash on Feb 25th from 1-4pm at The Highweek Inn, Highweek Village, Newton Abbot so that is where I will be next, then The Coffee Rush, Shaldon on March 15th, then “All Things Vintage” at The Imperial on March 31st.