like the built-in bench

Dualit retro radios cost abut £150 new. I couldn't find any on eBay.

Bush radios cost abut £60 new or about a tenner on eBay

Roberts radios cost about £100 new or £40 used on eBay

Retro fridge freezers such as Smeg and Gorenje cost upwards of £1000 new, but can be had on eBay for the region of £400.

From The Steampunk Home, where it describes how they were made:

I had to laugh at these drawer pulls -- I've been searching around for a "bin pull + label" handle for a while, and have only found one, which wasn't quite right. Jen just used her existing bin pulls and added label holders meant for scrapbooking -- 5 for $3! The labels themselves with their spidery writing are with a free font called Schoon.

From Willow & Stone

From Budget Hardware

A selection from many sketches of figures I have been doing lately, trying to get a better understanding of the underlying anatomy, so that postures and gestures look more natural.

When I get started I can really surprise myself. This in 4' square, the biggest thing I have ever done, and I finished it in about 90 minutes, on a whim.

My sister Lindsey (of Paraphernalia fame) has come up with some ingenious ideas for turning inchies into wearable/usable items. So today I have been producing dozens of inchie backgrounds, and also making prototypes of some of the product ideas. Tomorrow I'll make some more backgrounds and also glue some toppers on some of today's inchies. By the end of the week I should have lots of inchies ready to be made into keyrings, brooches, fridge magnets and so on.

the photo that inspired the collage bear, and a pastel study of the same bear.

Bear collage

Popped into one of the galleries today. The first thing the owner said after she saw me was to start moaning about how quiet things had been (gallery owner's code for "none of your paintings have sold"). But she asked me for anything with hares or ducks. Part of me bristled at being told (well, asked) what to create. But then another part of my brain ran off with the idea of mixed media hares and by the time I got home I was keen to get started.

I saw my doctor on Tuesday and got some more dried frog pills. As usual I feel better for having taken a positive step, even though the pills can't possibly have kicked in yet. I still don't want to see people but I have more motivtion to do things at home.

I'll put up pictures of the hares soon.

I've not been so very well lately again. My dried frog pills (antidepressant tablets) ran out over Christmas and I was just too busy to make an appointment to get more. And anyway, I was feeling so much better I thought I didn't really need them anyway. Big mistake.

My husband handed me the phone the other day and insisted I make an appointment there and then to go and get more pills. So that will be on Tuesday. In the meantime I am not too bad as long as I keep busy but as soon as I sit down with nothing much to do (including driving in my car, or lie down to go to sleep) I feel fucking wretched. I have spent whole days just lying on the bed feeling awful.

It's ok though, I have a plan. I need to start making art again. So tomorrow morning that's what I'll do. Watch this space for the results.