I've some lovely blue in the front garden 
I got all nostalgic with Suzanne from Number 38 about string art kits we got for Christmas as kids. Mine was a peacock, hers was an owl. I couldn't find my exact one, despite a good hour and a half lost in Google! Mine had its full tail up in a big fan. The board was large. It had silver nails banged in and I must have followed a paper pattern. The thread was all sparkly. It took me hours but then my mum hung it on the chimney breast in the dining room and it was there for years.
( photo off google images )
People are flogging these on eBay!!!
It put me in mind of another favourite that I played with for years. Spirograph. My luxury set had 5 coloured biros. Cerise pink, lime green, burnt orange and vivid purple and my favourite deep turquoise. I spiralled for hours and hours!
My last photo I wanted to share was a screenshot of some of the comments I'd got in my spam folder. They made me howl with laughter!!!
Sadly I can't have screenshotted it properly because I can't find it. But one called me Dear Mark, and proceeded to tell me at length how I could increase girth and length! It didn't involve expensive medication or equipment apparently- there was a link I could click so I could input my bank details to buy their secret. Hahahahaha!!!
0_o
Delete!!
Lots of love from
Rachel *or is it Mark?* Radiostar xxx
Love your peacock. I made a big gold circle on a purple board. Very '70s. If my mum still has it in her loft do you think that I could sell it for squillions? xx
ReplyDeleteOh most definitely! Go hunt it out!!
DeleteOh yes, I get some interesting spam too, mostly offering me dating services and dental work lately... not sure what they are trying to tell me! The peacock is rather fabulous isn't it although I am not sure that I would buy one now. Hope you are over the man flu soon! xx
ReplyDeleteI recovered very quickly and thank goodness it didn't amount to much! Xx I'd love to have another go at some string art, but not sure I'd want it hanging on my wall either!
DeleteWe used to have string and nail art at home. I think one was a yacht and we had an owl too. I was reminded of it the other day after seeing a young artist doing an amazing portrait with nails and black thread which from a distance you would have thought was drawn -x-
ReplyDeleteThe things that artists can do is amazing. I love looking at the 3D pavement art one man does.
DeleteI had a spirograph too & I'm pretty sure my boys were bought something similar. I don't think they had the same sort of love for it. I hope you have a lovely Easter break Mark xx
ReplyDeleteWe pretty much replicated our childhood through our two! They had Spirograph and an etch a sketch!
DeleteMy brother did pin art. He did a bronze circle and a sliver boat and was on the living room wall for years. I, however, had the Spirograph and I still have most of it. Some got broke and no pens.
ReplyDeleteCarolx
I'm loving that all our Mothers happily put our creations up for all to see! I think my tapestry owl lived in an alcove too
DeleteOoer! Have you still got that link? Love Rob!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry Rob!!! I deleted it!!!
DeleteI remember Spirograph. It must have belonged to an older sibling, the original pens were run out by then, so you always had to look around for a pen with a long enough "nib" to go down through the holes. So how much could you get for your string art, if you'd hung onto it? -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI saw one for sixty quid!! Call anything vintage these days and folks'll buy it!
DeleteWe made a brown, yellow and orange double circle on dark brown material-very on trend in 1972! My DH likes your school stories as he spent the last 4 very happy years of his working life as a school support assistant. He liked playground duty although the children seemed to treat him like a giant playmate who could run, skip and hop better than they could! Enjoy your hols when they come. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI much prefer outdoor playground duty to indoor wet play duty! I'm glad he's enjoying them!! There's quite a few throughout this blog!
DeleteThat picture certainly has a unique quality. I'm a bit speechless actually. I too have received such an email. X
ReplyDeleteI feel less special now...thought I was the only one to receive such an offer!!!
DeleteHaha, reading through the comments it seems string art and spirograph were the things to have back in the day. Then we went all modern and got one of those tennis games that you played on the TV. We spent hours pinging the ball backwards and forward to each other in between playing 'real' table tennis on the dining room table. Wish kids were so easily pleased these days. xx
ReplyDeleteWe never got one of those but I do remember the year my little sister got a commodore64 computer. It came with a cassette recorder that you loaded the games on with.mtook like 4 hours! I'm sure one was a shoot the duck game!
DeleteI thought I'd commented on this - so sorry. It's been a great year for hyacinths. Some of mine are still looking lovely and the first ones were in flower in January.
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling totally better now.
J x