miss-frugality

Sewing ...don't you just love it?!

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:51:10 PDT

Been taking a bit of time out to work on a couple of personal projects...with varying degrees of success! Yesterday I finished a smock dress made from new look pattern 6775. I don't always get on too well with pattern instructions, so I was pleasantly surprised how easy this was. Although I worked on it over a few days, I reckon it could probably be made in one full day,which is a bonus if you're desperate for something new to wear. I really like the style too - nice and simple. Having put on rather a lot of weight (and not wanting to go to the bother of diet & exercise) I wanted something I could just fling on over jeans, and feel comfortable in...well so far so good...

I love the fabric too. Difficult to tell from the picture - its linen, with a metallic thread running through it. I almost never buy new material any more, but I saw this and had to have it.

So where did it all go wrong?

When buying fabric :

Do not buy fabric which matches your Scottish pale blue/pink complexion!
Do not buy fabric with a shiny surface, which from a distance may resemble flesh tone wet look PVC, especially if you are trying to cover up a spare tyre or two around your middle!
Do not buy fabric which has a funny whiff to it, admittedly this was n't apparent until I ironed it...but nobody wants to smell of cat pee.
Do not choose a pattern that accentuates your faults...like short wide sleeves at the widest part of your body!

Having said that... I'm going to give it another wash and leave it outside to air (its definitely NOT cat pee BTW) I might be able to wear it with a dark brown scarf...and may be gather the sleeves...or just make another one , to save myself from looking like a giant clanger.

Thankfully the cushion I made for the bedroom was much more successful :-)

I found this (much too small for me) top in a charity shop - just £2 .

Quickly cut it too bits.

Had fun choosing coordinating fabrics and arranging buttons. Made a cushion!

...about which, I have no complaints!

Torment, turmoil, dread and fragile hearts

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:47:33 PDT

Been craving chocolate so badly all day... the rain has been too heavy to think about going out though. Can't concentrate on what I should be doing so its a good time to blog instead.

These silk brooches are what I've been working on most recently. They're kind of 50% serious and 50% silly. I am guilty of taking things a bit too seriously sometimes...so I thought why not just own up to it ;-)

Albeit in a slightly melodramatic fashion! Its a lot of fun writing with the sewing machine although it requires a lot of concentration...a couple of these were second attempts. There are also some tiny hand stitches on each one . But its not all doom and gloom - I made some happy ones too! That's all of these, for just now anyway!

...and a couple of new cat purses. Although they feature the same little cat, these are slightly bigger and have free motion machine embroidered details. Both are one-of-a-kind.

On Sunday I was in Edinburgh, for a visit to the National Galleries of Scotland. I enjoyed Discovery of SPAIN but loved the exhibition of drawings Raphael to Renoir, which is on until Sunday. Drawings seem much more timeless, as if they could have been made yesterday, and not 500 years ago in Italy (or wherever!). They bring history alive for me.

The rain seems to have calmed down for a bit so I'm off to satisfy my chocolate needs!

Mosaic Monday

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:48:06 PDT

Mosaic Monday, originally uploaded by Julia Laing.

Just a few of my recent favourite images found on flickr. I'm so grateful to all the artists for sharing their work there...even if it does lead to hours and hours of browsing, when I should be doing other stuff!

Find links to the individual images and find out who made them by clicking the picture.

Love is...

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:25:02 PDT

Embroidered hearts in progress, originally uploaded by Julia Laing.

Love is...playing with silk , linen and embroidery thread! I'm making brooches , not quite finished yet - still the backing and fasteners to attach. Ideas floating around for more...

Highland Pilgrimage

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:07:21 PDT

This time last week I was organising cat sitters, and packing bags - getting ready to make a pilgrimage to the Scottish Highlands. The first trip in our newly restored 1972 (?) Volkswagen campervan. It's been a long term project for Robb - a labour of love. It's comfortable to amble along in and has an easy to operate rock'n'roll bed, a cooker, sink even a fridge...luxurious indeed!

We watched films in this mobile cinema.
The festival was organised by Tilda Swinton and Mark Cousins, who were our hosts .They had put together a great programme of road movies, with a difference.Their suggestion - The road movie wasn't invented with (or is exclusive to) the birth of the freeways in the USA, but encompasses so much more. And they took this message to the people in towns and villages across the Scottish Highlands by means of a giant mobile cinema , which was ceremonially pulled by the film goers at various stages along the journey.
And a great time was had by all!

We also enjoyed the scenery...

And had to come home all too soon.
The rest of my holiday snaps are here ... if you're interested ;-)

New Purses!

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:31:07 PDT

I've been busy working on new purses this week. Lately, I've been too hung up thinking 'what will sell', which has to be a concern when every penny counts, but inhibiting what comes naturally leads to dissatisfaction and eventually complete creative paralysis (for me anyway)
So its time to just have some fun with fabric again!

I've been trying very hard not to think about it too much - just playing with the shapes, textures and colours and see what happens. I've raided my scrap bag , and my button jars...

and am using a mix of new and recycled fabrics - just whatever feels right.There's less enjoyment for me in repeating the same thing twice, so each of these is a one of a kind. More to come soon...In the meantime I'm previewing the latest work over on my newly set up facebook page...come over and say hello :-)

Oh and there's a Shopping List Saturday post here.

Mosaic Monday

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 05:21:57 PDT

Mosaic Monday, originally uploaded by Julia Laing.

A few of my recent favourite images from flickr.com
Find out more about the artists and their work by clicking the picture.

Blogging !

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:26:39 PDT

When its been so long inbetween posts its very hard to know where to start. Let's just say I was questioning why I was blogging...spending a lot of time worrying about not blogging...and worrying about everything else too. But some time away has given me the space I needed to make decisions about the direction of this blog.

Writing about my personal feelings in the same space as the more blatant plugging of my wares (which I have to do to earn a crust) made me feel increasingly uncomfortable. For that reason I'm glad to say I've just written my first post on my new dedicated shop blog, which is hosted on my own website materialised.co.uk
Of course its a work in progress , but I'll enjoy tinkering until it takes a proper shape .

I do feel attached to this little blog , and feel a renewed sense of enthusiasm for it now I can define more clearly what its for - That is - work in progress, personal projects, home improvements and gardening, every day life and other general nonsense, as I see fit.

This week I've been mainly...

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:49:25 PDT

Hope you are having a lovely Easter weekend! (if that's something you celebrate...if not, hope you are also having a lovely weekend!)

Not too much sewing been going on around here over the past week , although I seem to have found lots to keep me busy. My home decorating programme has been carrying on , albeit at a snail's pace! I love the amazing before and after transformations on design sponge ...wish I could do that! but the only way I've managed to make any progress all all is by stealing the odd couple of hours every week or two.This week I gave the kitchen shelves a lick of grey paint , mixed up from left over black board paint and white emulsion. This is how it looked before I just love how little things like a change in colour can make somewhere feel so much more like home.

After saying I needed to spend less time online ... it hasn't worked out like that! I've been filling up a new online shop. Can't remember if I mentioned I'm now selling on ArtFire ... My store is now open and ready for browsers...and buyers ;-)

ArtFire is a new handmade market place , similar to Etsy , although it has some features Etsy doesn't have , including currency conversion! Sellers are also able to get help and support by joining the Artisan Guilds on the site. I have joined the ArtFire Europe Guild, which is very active and now has a blog I wrote my 1st post for it yesterday. I enjoyed looking through the latest listings and chose some lovely cheerful items influenced by Spring.

Over the next week my plans are to have a clear out in my work room. There are a lot of supplies not being used and taking up valuable space, so I'm going to try making some available in my new shop. I'm also going to make sure that everything I have made is available to buy online ...and I'm still tinkering with my new dedicated shop blog site , which will be ready very soon.

Spring Celebration - embroidered Cuff

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:36:37 PDT

To celebrate Spring I made this romantic embroidered cuff. Lately, I've been concentrating on purses...and I'll be making more , but it's been ages since I did any embroidery... and I miss it!

Nothing is more relaxing for me than working with fabric and thread, especially when I don't have it all planned out.Then I get completely absorbed with choosing the colours and deciding on the stitches...just choosing each piece as I come to it. There's a good few hours work in this , and also a few imperfections but I like it's pretty colour scheme and I think I managed to convey a bit of how good the arrival of Spring makes me feel :-)

I started with some hand dyed felt , did some free motion embroidery and added more fabric strips and a little hand-embroidery. Next I added the frills ,which were a mixture of silks and hand painted cotton.

It's got a button closure and the back has been lined with felt.

But its slightly big for me...my wrist is 6.5 inches and it would be more suitable for 7-7.5 inches so it'll be available on etsy tomorrow.

And the winner is....

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:36:15 PDT

The winner of my March Give-away has been chosen using the random.org number generator. It's not very clear from the picture but that's an 8 and the eighth commenter was Urban Craft, who I'm just waiting to hear back from so I can send off her prize package...all the way to Oregon!

I was delighted that so many people took the time to leave really helpful and very lovely comments...56 in all.I feel a bit guilty that I can't send everyone a prize - but thank you all so much ! It's great to know which things you like best (and worst) and although it seems like different people are drawn to different types of work there were a few things which came out as clear favourites...probably the bunnies purses and birdie brooches.

Both have been featured recently in treasuries that made it to the front page on Etsy , which was very exciting...even if I was asleep at the time! Luckily there's a flickr group where you can find screenshots of FP treasuries.I'm so grateful for these features and am overdue with my thankyous...so here goes.
The items in this one were chosen by etsy admin , which feels like a great compliment :-) The same bunnies purse was featured yesterday on the Autonomous Artisans blog in an article written by Rose of feltgiraffe .Thank you so much Rose!

It was also lovely seeing my birdie brooch cropping up in this stunning turquoise and red ensemble chosen by the very lovely and talented Emily Moss AKA Ravenhill (I am the very lucky owner of one of her sweet dolls)

Alison , who makes stunning contemporary silver jewellery Ali Bali Jewellery - wrote about Etsy's shop local tool on her blog yesterday , and as I live near her Edinburgh home town, she featured one of my new silk cat purses.Thanks Alison!

I've taken a bit of time away from the computer this week. The previous week I'd been making at least two things a day, photographing them , editing the pictures , listing them in my shops , twittering, blogging, flickering, you name it, for hours a day...and guess what? I ended wiped out and somewhat agitated.I guess I just don't have that kind of stamina...anyone else feel like that sometimes? So I'm back to limiting computer time for a while , and looking for balance - but it's difficult.

Mosaic Monday

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:06:17 PDT

A few of my recent favourite images by the wonderful artists who share their work on flickr
You can find links to the individual images and find out more about the artists here
Thanks for looking :-)

Shopping List (Sunday) - Folksy Goes International!

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 07:15:40 PDT

This is my second attempt at a shopping list . I started writing it yesterday but blogger was playing up, so I ended up digging in the garden instead.Anyway , better late than never!

To celebrate the fact that the UK online craft selling venue folksy have introduced worldwide shipping I thought I'd share a few of my folksy favourites with you.

This is just gorgeous! Made from hand dyed merino yarn and very reasonable at only £7
Soft cotton or merino bracelet by Eastern Sky

These bright pinks and olive greens together are adorable...one of my favourite colour combos, and I love the exciting expressive style .
Bright Young Thing - Original Fine Art Small Work On Paper by mossmottle

The milomade shop is overflowing with creatively recycled button accessories.This beautiful cloud brooch also features recycled leather.
Vintage Button Cloud Brooch by milomade

This is a print of an original mixed media collage. It's so cheerful and refreshing...just perfect for Spring!
In Full Bloom - A3 Art Print by Sascalia

Hope you liked my choices. You can find out who else is writing shopping lists, or join in over at fancypicnic

Fun in the Sun

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:06:34 PDT

Spring is definitely here at last! First there were Snowdrops...

Then a single daffodil...

Now the Camelia is blooming!
I'm feeling a whole lot better...and today's sunshine improved my mood no end.

...Spent a while this afternoon tidying the garden and found this hydrangea flower... left over from last year.I can't help marvelling at how amazing nature is...How can this look so delicate when its strong enough to survive snow, frost, hailstones , and gale force winds? Bloomin' marvellous it is!

But it hasn't all been playing in the sunshine...there's been playing with the sewing machine too!
A new cat purse , similar but different to this one... and available now ;-)

Yellow Bunnies!

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:35:41 PDT

I'm so glad to finally have another purse finished! The last week I've been feeling pretty awful ,with some sort of bug that made me feel dizzy , queasy and exhausted, so no sewing...and not much time spent at the computer either! I'll admit it was really getting me down but I was lucky to have your comments here to perk me up :-) Thanks so much to everyone who has taken the time to visit my etsy shop and enter my give away
Thanks also to Charlotte and Emily for spreading the word!

Something that was mentioned a couple of times in the comments was that my blog has a different name from my shop which makes no sense from a marketing point of view! When I started blogging , it was a novelty ; mostly just a way to keep in touch with people I knew and let them know what I was up to . I was poking fun at myself when I chose 'Miss Frugality' , because I'm probably more known more for frugal ways than congeniality...anyway I wasn't thinking long term or even that it could reflect negatively on me or my work .

The upshot is, I'm working on another blog ,which will be a portfolio site and shop blog combined.I did try (and fail) to do it once before but I'm using wordpress this time, which I'm pretty excited about because it seems easy to customise...could take a while til its ready.
I won't be giving up on this blog though - I'm quite fond of it really .There may be a shift in focus here , to more personal projects , work in progress, and the small stuff that life consists of...well, that's the plan!

Something new - traditional embroidery

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:37:51 PDT

I'm just back from Borders books and somehow managed not to buy anything new,which is most odd! Craft books are my main indulgence, but my shelves are full to the brim and I made a promise not to buy any more until I'd weeded a few out.Might have a bit of a tidy out tomorrow ;-)

I dyed some silk today - gold - not sure about the colour but it's not completely dry - it'll be easier to tell tomorrow in natural light .The zips I was waiting for arrived in the post, so my plan for this week is purses, purses, purses!

But in the meantime here's something I made last week - a ring pillow for a friend's wedding. It was lovely to be involved in making such a personal item, although I was out of my comfort zone, as I've never done much traditional embroidery and the colours needed to be very restrained! It was a challenge , however a rewarding one. The most difficult part was the decision about which font to use for the initials.I'm no good at decisions!

I used photoshop to make the basic design and position the lettering ,then printed it out and transferred the letters using a disappearing marker and a makeshift lightbox ( an anglepoise light shining up through the design to the fabric above)

These disappearing markers are such a brilliant idea ...wish I'd known about them much sooner ! The sewing of course took ages , but I just love stitching away like that . It takes up all your concentration and hours go by but you don't mind at all.

I can't help but find it nerve racking working on commissions , I'm always worried the recipient won't like what I've made, so I was happy on Saturday when this one was handed over and it seemed to be very well received.

Before I go I want to thank every one who's left a comment on my March give away. It means so much to me that you've taken the time to give me feedback. I appreciate each and every comment you've left ! The give away will be drawn at the end of the month so there's plenty more time to join in - I've added a banner to my sidebar to make it easy to find ;-)

March Giveaway - Handmade Pouch, Pincushion and Brooches to Win !

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:29:55 PDT

So, it's about time for a give away! I've put together a selection of handmade goodies , including a pin cushion (top) , a small pouch , and two fuzzy hand felted brooches all in fresh coordinating colours.

When I designed these pouches I was intending them to be used for mobile phones , but I know people have also used them for storing business cards, scissors, feminine products...you name it they're pretty handy!

...Has this got any other uses?...probably not, but it makes a pretty good pin cushion!

Now, for your chance to win - I hope you don't think it's too cheeky if I ask you to help me out with a little market research. I need to make more items for my online shops, but it's so important for me to make the things people actually want to own , not just because I need to make ends meet, but it's also incredibly flattering when someone chooses to spend their hard earned cash on something you have taken time over making ! - your advice would be invaluable!

Here's what I'd like you to do :

* Visit either my etsy or folksy shops

* Pick an item that you like or loath (or both)

*Leave a comment on this post stating which item you chose and briefly explain why (It would be helpful if you were quite specific - i.e. the fabric, the colour, or the design, etc)

* please make sure I'm able to contact you .If you don't have a blog leave your email (or send me it at julialaing at materialised.co.uk if you don't want it to be public)

*Each comment will be assigned a number , and I'll use a random number generator to choose the winner.

*The draw will take place on the 31st March

*The winner will be announced here as soon as they have been notified

Good luck and thanks for taking part!

The Comments on the giveaway are now closed.The winner has been chosen and will be notified shortly.Thanks to everyone who took part!

Birdie...and a blog post...

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:22:48 PST

birdie-brooch, originally uploaded by Julia Laing.

Its been ages since I blogged - not on purpose ,but time has seemed scarce.So here's how I've been spending it,in no particular order:
1.In semi hibernation - but Spring is on its way :-)
2.Sorting out webby tech stuff ( that hurts my brain )
3.Trying to teach myself photoshop - Pleased with myself because I made a new banner for my shop.
4.Slowly carrying on with home improvements (instead of wishing my home was improved)
5.Tidying the garden and watching stuff grow
6.Sewing (but not a lot)
7.Tickling my cats
8.Thinking about blogging...

There's more to tell, and for anyone still reading - there's a give-away coming up next time...see you then :-)

Mosaic Monday

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:36:00 PST

Mosaic Monday, originally uploaded by Julia Laing.

Some inspiring images which caught my eye this week on flickr.com

Clicking the image will take you to a page with information about the individual artists,and you'll be able to see more of their amazing work!

This is for you...

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:48:35 PST

...just because.

Shopping List Saturday

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:47:09 PST

It's Saturday ...so it's time for a new' shopping list'.Here's three shops I would love to recommend!

One of the best things about blogging is being introduced to new artists and their work.So it was lovely when I was introduced to Sylvie Van Hulle after she left a comment here. Her paintings are full of atmosphere - They are landscapes, influenced by her walks in Belgium and her travels in Morroco and Spain. Sometimes they verge on abstract.I love the mix of earthy tones and dashes of more vibrant colour.This one especially, and yesterday I couldn't resist buying a print from her shop... can't wait till it arrives!

This adorable Owl is from Skini-bears shop on the uk handmade crafts site folksy.com .
Sam Leonard is the designer behind skini-bears .Her current range of woodland creature toys were inspired by nostalgia for her childhood and feature reclaimed fabrics, as well as wool and felt, decorated with hand sitching . You can tell just how carefully the elements of this have been chosen...look at the gorgeous button eyes!

And finally... A shop which opened just this week!
I am so pleased that Carina has decided to open a new shop - Polka and bloom on Etsy .It's already stocked with one-of-a-kind crochet brooches like the one below, and beautiful baby blankets , made from cotton in glorious rainbow colours! It's a happy place to spent some time...go on take a look!

Super Minx Last Day Out...

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:58:24 PST

We didn't know it at the time but on Monday we had the last day trip in Robb's 1963 Hillman Superminx....and what a beautiful day it was - very snowy, but bright.We went for a drive through the Borders to Peebles.The roads were quiet , so every couple of miles we stopped and I took a few pictures...

Here's himself,waiting patiently.Don't know if this shows how deep the snow was on the verge.I got out the car and stepped in up to my calves...cold but fun!

These woollie folks were walking in front of the car.No need to get out to take the picture, I just opened the door - they were so close!

Every so often the sun came out and everything dazzled.

Yes, it was a good day.

The car is being retired...possibly going to a new home and we will be travelling in a mini for the foreseeable future - a change is as good as a rest , so they say but I'll be a bit sad to see it go...

The rest of the week has been spent:
*eating too much bread and butter
*making this etsy treasury

* and making a few new purses.

available here

available here

available here

I'm really enjoying working on these purses just now. As I work I'm thinking of what I could do on the next....

Cool Cats in the Pink Sunshine

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:33:56 PST

Yesterday's disappointment turned out to be a blessing in disguise.I had a rethink on the fabric.Silk seemed a much better choice.The crispness of the edges was more what I imagined and it was a pleasure to sew with the machine.To give the silk some stability, first I sewed it onto a lightweight cotton before adding the applique details.

The pink and green silks were hand dyed by myself and all are recycled (never used , but saved from the bin at my previous employment)

I remembered today that I'd seen a cat with the piercing green/blue eyes I don't know if that's why I chose the colours for these guys but thanks anyway to Jude for the ongoing visual enrichment!

Cat purses...not finished yet

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:46:51 PST

I've been working on some designs for cat purses.Today, I made a start at putting them together.All went well this morning so after I'd finished a couple I had a good look at them.I'd used velvet for one of the applique cats.The colour was just what I wanted and I liked the texture but it it looked very soft around the edges (all wrong) and I didn't want to risk the possibility of it fraying...
So the seem ripper was needed.

I have a love/hate relationship with this little tool.I hate to have to use it but when I do I love how easily it slices into those little stitches.

Tomorrow...cat purse #2

Until I have any finished cat purses to show here are a selection of fabulous handmade cats by artists on flickr
Claude cats with softie from Betty Jo designs
Happy Cat Pillow by Junker jane
Cat by Mimi K
cat in underpants charm by Kale handmade
Alley cat girl doll by Caroline Inckle
Katkin Rattle Group by Florence Forrest
Untitled by Jenny M
Kitties by Penguin & Fish

Quite a Week!

julialaing@materialised.co.uk (Julia) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:48:51 PST

It's been quite a week...full of ups and downs! I'll tackle the downs first...so I can move swiftly along to subjects more pleasant.
My humble abode has been echoing with the sounds of coughs, splutters ,sniffs, not to mention general grumpiness and foul temper - first from Robb, then it was my turn! Midweek, I was stuck in bed for a couple of days just feeling sorry for myself.The additional trouble was that with the tax self assessment online deadline being today...I should have been doing that instead!Yesterday, I felt well enough to get my head round all those numbers and it was a fantastic feeling to finally press submit! I will not leave it to the last minute again...ever...I promise (trying to convince myself here!)

But things certainly haven't been all bad...no not at all.Sales in my etsy shop are improving.The new bunnies purses I made all sold and I even had a custom order for one a smaller size (there's a story to that...I'll write about it soon).I'll be making more of those this week and I've got an idea for a cat design too.

Something else to be pleased about is my hand felted bag being featured on www.craftstylish.com .The materials used to make the bag included reclaimed bicycle chain links and Jennifer Stern,who wrote the article thought it fitted in well with their monthly theme of recycle/reuse.She wrote nice words about the blog too ,which was lovely...Huge heartfelt thanks are due to Jennifer and also...

...To Emily. Emily and I had been meaning to do a crafty swap for ages,In fact I was embarrassed I'd left her waiting so long. Eventually, in December I finally finished the embroidery I was making her and sent it off. A few weeks on,and my memory being what it is - I'd almost forgotten what it looked like.I'm an avid reader of Emily's delightful Ravenhill blog and on Sunday there was a sweet reminder...talk about being gobsmacked! I am absolutely delighted she liked it and also with the very flattering pictures she took!

Next week I'm hoping I might actually make something.Then I can use a crafty picture in the post, instead of one I took when I locked myself out the house on Tuesday (and had to take a nice but inconvenient 30 min walk to Robb's new work to collect his keys)