Swing Tickets and Price Tags

One of the problems I have here, is that I don't know where to get things that I had no problem finding in the UK.  This, I think, is because of the greater distances between places out here.  I may get what I want in Limoges - but if not I might have to go to Lyon or Paris and, even then, it would not be easy to find what I want.


I'm not talking clothes here, or yarn, or fabric, but things that I would like for the shop, such as pretty tissue paper, nice paper bags, pretty price tickets...


Take price tickets as an example.  I know there is an outlet on the Industrial Estate just north of Limoges, that sells bags and paper, but I can't find them on the Net and it takes 45 minutes to get there (and another 45 minutes to get back) so I am reluctant to go just to find they don't have what I want.  I don't want your plain, brown tickets, or those little white ones with string.  So - I decided to make my own.


I bought a tag cutter, which stamps out (manually) tags from card...

...and then I punch a hole in the top with a Victorian sewing tool meant to make Broderie Anglaise and thread some organza ribbon through them.

They look very pretty when they're done, and I think I may sell them in packs of 6 for a euro, as well as use them as price tickets in the shop!

Shop Sign

Some time ago I decided that I could make my own shop name sign.  I can't signwrite, nor was I going to knit or crochet one!  I was going to print out the letters, cut them out and stick them on the signboard above the shop window.


Not such a stupid idea - I have done this before, with my staircase back in England.  With my daughter's help I printed out the words of Ruby Tuesday on to heavy A4 tracing paper, cut them out, stuck them on the risers of the stairs and varnished over them  It worked a treat!


Of course - I couldn't find the pad of tracing paper, but I printed out a letter and tried it on the board for size, and it was just right.


Today I came across the tracing paper, so the letters are printed!

Here they are on my floor, at home.


I'm not sure how to manage sticking them on the board above the shop window - maybe I'll have to cut them out, put them on another board, and varnish them and then attach that board at the shop.  I can't see how I could cut out, stick and varnish from the top of a stepladder, with the traffic driving up and down the street!


It'll be good to have the name up - I'm surprised at how many people look in the window then take a step back and look up at where the name should be!

It was nice to have a few days off, but today I was back in the shop. I was worried that the geraniums might have expired, but they were fine.


Before I left home I cut 16 bunches of lavender from my garden, to hang in the shop.  It looked like rain, so I thought I'd better do this early!


When I got to Le Dorat, I hammered in nails along the beams and hung the lavender alternately with my little Victoria bags.  It smelt divine and looked pretty good too!

I also hung up the copper pans I'd cleaned over the weekend.

Overall the shop was looking great!

But the weather was against me - it was cold and started to rain soon after I got to the shop and didn't stop until nearly 5 o'clock!


So I carried on with my granny blanket, and got lots done...

... I think I'm about halfway through, but it's difficult to assess as I'm simply going to finish when I've run out of yarn!

Anyway - it kept me warm!

Chez Penny Video

Sunday was the Journee Artisanale at Le Dorat; Chez Penny was open and Jason came down from Paris to help.  It was a great day and Jason made this fantastic video...





You may need to click on this youtube link to see it fully... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU5_Kb6_Yrg

Shop Window Painted!

I went in early again, and had the last coat finished by 10.30 am!

While waiting for it to dry I finished off the blue and cream bag I was making and made the handles and some flowers for embellishment.  I still have 2 flowers to make and a lining to put in, but I'm rather pleased with it.

Sussex Pond Pudding (all over again!)

On Tuesday night I slept at the shop.  Not for any experimental purpose, but because, when I got home that evening, I remembered I had left all the windows open on the top two floors - and there was rumour of a storm...  So I packed an overnight bag and went back to Le Dorat.  It wasn't very comfortable, sleeping on a thin quilt and a sleeping bag on the floor, and the night was very hot, but I did get some sleep and woke up refreshed.


Now here's the interesting part...  after breakfast I walked down to the market, down my street, through Place Charles de Gaulle, 

down the Grande Rue (a tiny, twisty street) 

(seen here with the town band marching up)

and into the Place de la Collégiale, which I don't have a picture of! 


And it felt so French!  I loved it!  I never thought I could live in a town - and always told everyone that I could definitely not live without a garden - but now I am beginning to wonder.


So - Sussex Pond Pudding?

In the sixth form, at school, we went on a field trip (for Geography) to Dorset, and stayed with the geography teacher, Miss Lester, in her tiny cottage.  She cooked for us and packed up sandwiches for the expeditions AND did the teaching/leading too!  Amazing.  One day she cooked this dessert - Sussex Pond Pudding, and when she told us what it consisted of I was very loud in declaring that I would not have any of it - I would hate it. (I was an obnoxious teenager). Well, she gave me a little to try, and it was DELICIOUS!!!! I had an extra helping (I was fat as well as obnoxious) and everyone laughed at me.


So once again I have to climb down off my high horse!