Marmaduke and Stanley

Today I thought I'd introduce you to two friends, one old and one new. First of all, meet Marmaduke.

As you can see, Marmaduke is a mouse troll with orange fur and he's a very old friend that I thought I'd lost. He turned up in a box of various small toys when we were sorting through a cupboard last weekend and, after a clean up, he really looks good, considering he's over fifty years old. I'd forgotten his name but, as soon as I picked him up, it came back to me. I suspect I named him after Marmaduke Stanley, the cook / housekeeper in one of my favourite books, The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge.

Marmaduke is special because he brings back a nice memory of Mum and me having 'spendies' on a shopping trip when I was little. I remember being very excited at being able to choose things, just like that. This is where we went - Andover High Street in the 1960s.

I have no idea what Mum got for herself but I do remember choosing a red bouncy ball and then spotting Marmaduke. He was in a clear plastic box with a hole in so you could feel the fur and I can still remember how soft he felt; I thought I'd never seen anything so wonderful. Mum and I would have fun shopping together for many years but this was the first time that I remember.

Moving on, I bet you're wondering what sort of toy Stanley is going to turn out to be. Meet Stanley the Vice ...

Stanley the Vice - isn't that a great name? He only arrived yesterday and is already proving to be a very useful sort of friend. And no, he didn't come with the eyes already fitted; I have to say, I think the manufacturers are missing a trick there. This is what he was helping me with this morning ...

... drilling holes in lots of little wooden shapes. My daughter Rose and I bought a big bag of wooden shapes for £1 at Orinoco, our new scrap shop. It's full of donated and recycled craft supplies and yes, it's named after the Womble of the same name. All together now:

                                            'Underground, overground, wombling free,

                                            The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we.

                                            Making good use of the things that we find,                                                                                     Things that the everyday folk leave behind.' 

I think these wooden shapes will make great gift tags or decorations, they just needed holes to hang them up by - hence Stanley's involvement. 

I predict a happy future for Stanley and me. I think he's going to be very useful for all sorts of crafts.

Before I go, look what else I bought from Orinoco.

Don't get too excited - they're empty (although they do sell old knitting patterns too). These three files would have come from a yarn shop and cost me £1. I'm planning to fill them with some of my collection of old knitting patterns. Isn't that a fitting use for them? In fact, I may go and do that now.