SUMMER SWAP!

I have got my act together, right at the last minute - it must be said - and signed up for this Crafty Swap!

I do hope you all are joining in too -

it will be fun seeing all the crafty ideas, of who does what, where and when!

Cant wait to see who I am swapped with!

DAMP - BUT FRUITFUL WEEKEND!!

Hi, hope you all had a good weekend!

My hands are not too good today (I have a problem with numbness, just something I have to live with!) so - lots of pics, but not too hot on the typing I am afraid - see how I go on. If its short and sweet you know why - its not that I don't love you any more!

First things first - Saturday morning a Lovely little gift from Twiggypeasticks! so unexpected and exciting - even a special little bookmark created by Twiglet!

So very kind! Lots of goodies from Twiggy - just the right colour for my 'Primitive' type crafts. Thank You so much Twiggy!

As you can see the bookmark is in good use with the present Bedtime reading. Something Hubby P found for me in the Charity shop (he does all his shopping there!). The Author is American and I think this version was altered slightly for the English market, first published in 1963! Entertaining and an insight into attitudes of 'keeping Hubby happy' (a good laugh!)and society in general.

Just thought the fresh yellow of these Marsh Marigolds were nice and cheery in this miserable rain!
At least the fish don't mind the rain!

This is probably why my hands are not so hot! Too much gardening - even in the drizzle!

Following on from the theme of rising food prices, and me banging on about how we should grow as much of our own veg as possible - Hubby P just happened to mention we could grow salad-y things in window boxes! Well! - not a girl to let the grass grow under her feet - I had to have them - like now!! And I knew he had some ideal wood (salvaged from some old pallets) in the shed, so rain or not we set to.

As you can see we (well - I did a lot of holding screws and pointing! -site supervisor!) managed to make 3 window boxes out of the wood we had. I stained them, Hubby P put them up, and I filled them with compost and sowed them with mixed Salad Leaves, Spring Onions, Rocket, baby Carrots and a few nasturtiums.

We just need a bit of sun now - I am hoping they grow well in the black boxes (they should hold the heat) - it will be a bit like a self serve salad bar!!

Its amazing what Hubby P has made from odds and sods of recycled wood over the years, we started off as a couple with 4 ready made children and no money! Needs must then, but now its become a way of life and apparently very 'Green' - about the only thing I am in fashion with!!

I managed to put up a wigwam of sticks and get my Runner Beans in - we always seem to do well with beans - at the end of summer I begin to think I never want to see another bean! I pickled some last year - they were nice for a change with salad.

Bit of Crafting news!

Here are some little padded Hearts made from the scraps of fabric leftover from the 'Primitive' Bags. I think they look quite pretty - a change from the usual floral fabric I would perhaps use for this sort of thing.

This on has a hand embroidered Willow Tree - I quite like the Tree effect.

And a couple more!

I think I will try them on Etsy, it will be nice to find a new home for them!

Ta Ta for now!

N.B. just a word about the Bramble Port - I forgot to mention in the last Post - dont wash the Blackberries! You can pick them over removing any stalks and other undesirables - but you need the natural fruit yeasts to ferment the Port.

RECESSION ~ CREDIT CRUNCH!! DONT PANIC!!

Lucky, lucky Me! A lovely Award from Twiggy, at The World of Twiggypeasticks - Thank you so much!

Its nice to know there are those of you who read - and enjoy? my witterings.

I think I can now pass this on to others with interesting Blogs that brighten my day! There are so many - I will have a think and get back to you on that.

Anyone else get a huge shock when they got to the supermarket checkout this week? The cost of my weekly shop must of gone up by nearly £8!

Time to take stock I thought - get into the thrifty mindset of my Gran, and all she taught me. Nothing is new - what goes around comes around. I can remember when food was relatively expensive - a large portion of the weekly wage went on food - chicken was a luxury, a weekend roast ( and you used every scrap!).

I do think this is only the beginning and prices are going to go up and up. News in the paper says the US is rationing rice to the wholesale merchants, whats next!

Needless to say I thought I ought to go through my cupboards and be more organised with this whole food/meals thing - I have got so lazy - looking in the cupboards I have all the beans pulses and other wholesome things, to make good nourishing thrifty meals - its just sometimes easier to buy a ready cooked chicken from Tesco!

Feeling all 'Green' and virtuous I started going through the cupboards - it took me most of the day!

Its sad but I just loved arranging all the jars of beans and pulses - such colours and textures!

I even got as far as sorting out my pan cupboard - polish Halo!!





And best of all!!!!!!!!! along with all the out of date tins - I found this! Right at the back of a cupboard, a little dusty, but 'the real thing'!
Has anyone else made Bramble Port - it is soooooooooo delicious!
This was dates 2004 - so nice and mature. It tastes like warm slightly spicy juicy blackberries, and warms your tummy in the nicest possible way!





I decanted it (out of the dusty old bottle ) into a more gracious and fitting decanter, we all 'tested' it - just to make sure it was Ok for other people of course! - extensive tests!!




I think it may need further 'testing' this evening!
And roll on autumn so I can make some more, it is the easiest thing to make. Basically pick your Blackberries and layer them with sugar in a bucket, cover loosely, and leave the fruit to ferment. After fermentation ( when it has stopped bubbling and frothing) strain, put fruit mush on compost ( not to chickens - although they like it and its the funniest thing - a drunk chicken! But seriously, not a nice thing to do.) Bottle the juice and leave to mature for a few weeks/years! The longer the better.
It is like a heavy sweet sherry/but blackberry-ish!

Ta Ta for now xxx

LITTLE FLOWERS - SWEET MEMORIES!

The sun is shining and its a joy to be out in the garden! This little flower greeted me today, I must say I think it is one of the most precious flowers I have in my little piece of earth!

The photo is not terribly good, but what I am trying to show you is this little 'Lady Smock' flower. I have only this one small clump in an old belfast sink water garden, I treasure it - for the memories it brings each spring.

When I was a girl, growing up in Lancashire, this flower grew in great swathes in the damp springing turf of the moorland. We gathered it in great handfuls as we ran wild - no worries then of being abducted or lost. No matter where we 'adventured' someone , usually some farmer (someones Dad) had seen us, we grew up safe and strong. The flowers of my younger days hold strong fond memories for me. I believe this Lady Smock is now an endangered species, such a shame, so dainty and pretty!

I managed to get the 'Primitive' style bags finished, I really enjoyed having a go at something different. I just hope the lady at the shop ( Lynne at Patchwork Island) likes them. One features a Sheep design, and one a Willow Tree, these are designs familiar to an area in the U States, Pennsylvania I think. They are given the descriptive name of 'Primitive'.

I made a couple of little (with no padding) bags - possibly little gift bags or similar. They were just run up from bits and pieces of fabric that I had left over. No doubt they will find a use/home somewhere!



Just a little pic of the vegetable beds, I think it looks so pretty with the big/tall spires of yellow flowers - its the 'pac choi' gone to flower - and I suppose seed is on its way! Not I suppose very correct - gardening wise! But it looks pretty and we are still eating the leaves.

Not to be out done by Lucy Locket - she has been posting pics of her Allotment soil - Very sexy soil, but soil all the same - so here is some of mine!!
Admittedly its in tubs, but hopefully it will grow wonderful vegetables in the tubs - potatoes, peas, broad beans and lots of other goodies!




Ooops got the photos and text
a bit mixed up - but you get the gist of it!



Ta Ta for now xx

A NICE DAY FOR DRYING 'PRETTY' WASHING!

What a glorious day today! Surely spring must be on its way! I took the opportunity to do bits of mending and wash the vintage goodies I found at the weekend. Much to my luck a lady had emptied her mothers cupboard and was doing a car boot to try and make a few pennies! I found lots of old pinnies (aprons!) and beautiful green Afternoon Tea tablecloths. All in remarkably good condition for their age.

I have been trying to take some photos of them - well I cant keep them all! - so I shall Ebay them, or maybe try them in the vintage section of Etsy. I have a terrible problem when selling - I don't just want to sell them, I want to re-home them with nice people who will appreciate their vintage-ness, wonderful age, history and often uniqueness - Is that Sad!

Here are some of the pinnies on the washing line - Oh! if only every wash day looked like this - its more like ink stained work trousers and holey knickers!!

I particularly like this one, I love the purple and mauve colours - may just have to keep this one!

Its hard to show the tablecloths in all their prettyness, but can you see the refreshing green satiny colour. One is wholly green satin cotton with a kind of paisley design, and the other id white with a broad green border.

A more unusual find that some of you Paper craft people might be interested in! I think it dates from the1950/60s from the packaging. I know its only crepe paper but the vintage-y feel and look of the packaging appealed to me. I bought the whole lot! - what I will do with all of it I don't quite know! But its pretty - maybe try some on Ebay, share it around a bit. Unfortunately there were only two colours, a blue (Sapphire) and a nice green, but the colours are as bright and fresh as ever.
On the back of the packaging it 'talks' of making blinds for windows using wire, and decorating shelves and dressing windows, and of course making wonderful Christmas decorations!
Another time - another era!





I just couldn't resist this - Hubby just raised his eyebrows! (cant turn the picture round - sorry)
Remember when you were a child, and it rained - all those little old ladies getting out their plastic concertinaed little rain hoods! They all had them, tucked away in their handbags - must protect the perm!
I bought two of these - so I could share one, there must be someone out there, who like me gets excited about this sort of thing! I have mine on display - just brings fond memories I suppose.
It amazes me that something like these rain hoods were so 'everyday' and taken for granted, yet now very rarely seen.
I know - I know I am very Sad!!





Back to the crafty side of things - just finishing another Toadstool fantasy, this is a Little pillow/pincushion. I think I am getting the Toadstool thing out of my system - ready to move on to something a bit different.
This will probably end up on Etsy, or in the 'Present Box'- how many other people have such a thing as a Emergency Present Box?



I had a nice visit yesterday to a new shop in a local village - it opened up a whole new world to me! The shop is called Patchwork Island (www.patchworkisland.co.uk) and a nice lady - Lynne, stocks all this nice ( different for me anyway) 'Primitive' ware. I think she mostly imports it from America, I would think some of you know all about it - a lot of it is Patchwork type things - but it was a refreshing change for me to druel over different crafty things.
Anyway - talking to Lynne, as you do about crafting and whatnot, she suggested I make up some bags - in this Primitive style, so I thought I would give it a go.
I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas on this - anyone who collects this sort of thing!
This is what I have started - its Sheep and Willow ( some of the typical designs used). I will keep you posted on this, lets hope its not a total disaster!
Take a look at the shops web site - she has some nice things!




Ta Ta for now! Back out to the sunshine!

GIFTS TO CHEER A GIRL!

Look what greeted me this morning - all pretty and pink!

This is my wonderful PIF gift from Josie at Sykesssillysite.Blogspot.com/

I knew she made Pegbags - Oh what wonderfully pretty pegbags, I am so thrilled - Thankyou Josie Ssoo much! Of course it is far too pretty for mere pegs - and it might get grubby if its taken outside, so I think I might keep my Vintage lace in it, hang it somewhere where it can look pretty!

And the little heart pomander smells Davine - now we know what you did with all that scrummy lavender you grew last year. I do so love lavender - its so Lavender and Lace-y if you know what I mean.

I have put the pretty little watering can amongst my orchids - so cute, You really have spoiled me!

Phew - what a day! - before I even start my daily doings!

The sun was shining - a bit so I thought I would take the camera with me as I did my outside chores, the garden is awakening and profusion of the different shades of green always refreshes my senses.

This is my little outdoors fireplace I built it from some random stone we had lying around, I banked the soil up around the back, so the big garden bed backs right on to it. It is part of a sort of sunken circle in which I have my lounger - in summer - to sit in the sun, and in the evening we can light the fire and enjoy a glass of wine, toasting our toes!

We had a little fire to Bring in the New Year - we needed coats on as well but it was a nice quiet, special time to share with my loved one.

On an ordinary boring day I use the fireplace (as today) to burn all the stuff that can't go in the Recycling - old bank statements, anything with addresses on and whatnot. It seems its so easy to get caught out and ripped off with these fraudsters. Only last week someone had a free holiday on Hubbys credit card - somehow they had used his details to book a holiday - He nearly fell off his chair when he saw his Statement (Quite funny really! - him having a rant! - and the air was blue!). Its sorted now and he got his money back, but it just shows how easy it is. So needless to say I am more vigilant than ever - many bonfires!!

This purple broccoli is almost too pretty to eat, and I love the baby blue of the Forget me Nots!

The first Bluebells in a damp woody part of the garden - I always think there is something magical about them - truly faerie flowers!

Meet the 'Ladies' a motley crew of misfits! Who eat me out of house and home!

We have a gang of seven at the moment, they come to us from allsorts of people and places, some have just wandered into the garden, or been an unwanted nuisance.

They live happily (I think!) with us - producing an egg when they are in the mood! Untill they fall off their perch - literally and we bury them in the garden. Not a bad life! If they have any worries its got to be - not getting enough Chinese Take-a-ways ! They absolutely love Chinese food! ( maybe its all the additives - I've just thought Hyperactive Chickens!!)

They have 'obliged' with a few eggs today!

PAY IT FORWARD ~ AND THE WINNERS ARE!!

I picked the winners of the 'Pay It Forward' out of a hat on Wednesday ~ sorry I'm a a bit late posting the winners, I am just having a bit of trouble with my hands ( an on going problem that comes and goes - more a nuisance than anything, makes typing, sewing and whatnot difficult -boring!), anyway I'm here now :-----

Winners are:-

Twiggy at ~ The World Of Twiggypeasticks.Blogspot.com/

Lucy at ~ Lucy Locket Recycled Her Pocket.Blogspot.com/

April at ~ Cake Makes The World A Better Place.Blogspot.Com/

CONGRATULATIONS!!

If you would like to Email me your address I can send off your little goodies!

~ A New Member of the Household ~

I found this little Darling abandoned in am old rusting 'Quality Street' tin, at the Car Boot Sale ~ just had to bring her home.
She must be quite old, but in remarkably good condition. She has a china head, and her arms are pipe cleaners holding a bell (it even rings!) and a little stick to chime the bell.
I know she is supposed to be Christmassy ~ but I will keep her around for a bit and giving her a bit of Loving!



I think she is so pretty! I wonder how old she is? anyone got anything similar, or know about dating things like this?