Reasons to rejoice ......

.... which makes a very welcome change and, what's more, there are two of them!  But first a picture for my readers with short attention spans.

 

A suitably blurry image of the back view of a little lavender bag I made for my new friend.  To show the front would give the game and the identity away and I don't want to do either.  What a little tease I am.  However I will reveal my first reason to rejoice - this morning at first light a flat bed lorry rocked up at my door disgorging not only two ouvriers (French workmen) but equipment which looked like the industrial version of something gynaecological - it was the dredded ramoneurs!  They'd come to sweep my chimney and there was no escape.  I feel another picture coming on.

 

 

Well done Mary-Sue of Wyoming, it's a vintage coat hanger and quite a posh one at that.  Nicked no doubt by a distant relative in the late 1930's.  And what am I going to do with it?  Nothing illegal or that would bring tears to your eyes.  I'm going to festoon it with little home-made hearts to brighten up an otherwise dull corner of my bathroom and turn these grotty pipes into a must-have statement of chavvy-chic.  It's an Essex thing. 

 

Back with the ramoneurs - in France it's obligatory to have the chimney swept every year otherwise the household insurance is not valid.  While the dogs and I cowered in the bedroom they stomped all over the roof and made noises up the flue that I'd prefer to leave to the imagination then after relieving me of a cheque for 65 euros they vanished into the morning mist.  Quick roll on the drums, fanfare of trumpet,and a huge sigh of relief - they left the place spotless. 

 

 

 

Here's one I made earlier and the first of many little "heartlets" I intend making today.  The clapped out old box thing behind I found at our local tip.  I must stop going there as I always end up coming home with more old nonesense than I took.  Reason two - hot on the heels of the sweeps I had a return visit of the heating engineers with the final radiator - and about bloody time too!

 

 

 

I came across this the other day while rummaging in a dark corner (no, they can't touch you for it) and decided to give it a bit of an airing.  It's a Long Dog freebie from 2006 and before you ask, I can't even find my copy of the chart.

 

The demon twosome managed to fit the radiator, a task which involved even more drilling of holes in walls, and get everything done and tidied away before lunch without so much as even a slight dredging of dust.  I'm feeling a little faint.  I'll just sit down for a moment while you try and guess which Long Dog design this snippet comes from:

 

 

 

While my luck seems to be holding I think I shall nip down to the tabac in the village and buy a couple of scratch cards and in the meantime I want more of you lot to become my followers and friends.  No Mary-Sue of Wyoming to the ends of the earth won't be necessary.  How can I possibly plan exciting give-aways, freebie downloads or competitions for just five of you - oh come on, you can do the maths.  It's like talking to myself so just think on.  Now where did I put those van keys?