April Challenge and a day out

Today is reveal day for the April Challenge at Jayne's Attic. This time we stitched the Caron Collection's "Caron Keeper". Mine is stitched on 32ct raw linen using Vicki Clayton silks in Verdigris, Dark Mauve, Grasses, and Colonial Blue, with Kreinik Silk Mori in 7054 for the birds' legs and beaks. I finished mine as a bookmark. This one was an absolute joy to stitch, and there are lots of great finishes in the album so it is well worth a look.

It is beginning to feel a lot like spring round here, and yesterday we went to Newquay Zoo for the day (we won a family ticket in a raffle at Christmas). Isn't this little chap splendid? I absolutely love penguins. "Cute and cuddly boys, cute and cuddly". The other picture is of two of the rather more ferocious animals ;)

Calorie-free cakes, Carnival Queens and the return of spring!

The weather has obviously been reading this blog and has decided to behave itself! Today is a glorius spring day. Here are some miniature tulips in my "seaside garden", and the blackthorn in my hedge.

As for Carnival Queens, as of July, Naomi will "retire" as Fairy Queen for the village, but Eloise has been chosen as the in-coming Senior Queen. Another Summer of Carnivals looms! (I love it really). Photos to follow shortly.

And what of the calorie free cakes I hear you ask! I made some of these for my friend in the village who runs a cake shop, she put them on display and I have started getting orders! Here is a plate of them that I made at the weekend.

Of buttons, bonnets and bad weather

I can't share my most recent stitching finish as it is for publication, but I've been busy this weekend making lots of other things. Here are some button necklaces and bracelets (I love buttons, I can't walk past a charity shop without going in to see if they have any), the Spring Pastel set is mine and I made the purple and black one for Naomi, purple and black is VERY "her".

The bonnets in the title are more hats really, but that didn't sound so snappy ;) I've been knitting these for Save The Children, (thanks to Clare for telling me about it). They knit up really quickly and don't use too much wool. I did these ones whilst watching the telly last night.

As to the bad weather, look at this! The spring flowers are out, the birds are nesting, the pond is full of big fat tadpoles, someone has stolen all the fat sheep from the field next door and replaced them with an equal number of skinny sheep and some lambs, and its snowing.

In Cornwall.

In.

Bloody.

April.