Challenges!

The first challenge being the April Challenge from the Stitch and Stash forum. This month we had to choose from complimentary designs from A Mon Ami Pierre. I chose this Stitchers Heart, worked on 36 count linen in flax using DMC 115. It was a struggle to control the variegation the way I wanted (I was trying to avoid stripes), but I think it came out mostly OK. I mounted the stitched piece on the top of a heart shaped tin and finished it with dark red braid. As usual there are some super finishes in the album

You may remember a post earlier this year about amaryllis bulbs and how when the first one was in full flower the second hadn't even begun to grow, so my second challenge was to the amaryllis bulb. "Beat that!" Well it took its own sweet time, but I think maybe it has done:-

Balloons, birds and bluebells

This is a bit of a crafty post. First up, by special request (Hi Sharon), we have King Harold, as made from a papier mache balloon, by Naomi.

Second, over the Easter break the girls saw some funky, but pricey, bird tables, so we came home, had a rumage about, and half an old pallet, reconstruced by David and painted by me, is now a new bird table.

And finally, some bluebells, in the woods at Boscastle, just because I love them

Bulbmania

We went to the Eden Project yesterday, because Naomi wanted to see "Bulbmania". The place was packed, but we had a lovely day out. The first picture shows some of the bulbs. The next one shows Eloise and David, and I have captioned it "You look through this bit".
The girls got to plant some lettuce seed to bring away, and we all had a go at an art activity called "The Big Picture", where there was this big picture (you'd guessed that bit, hadn't you?) cut into little numbered pieces about the size of a matchbox, and you took one and reproduced it, using the crayons/ felt pens etc provided, onto a bit of card about the size of paperback book, and they put it in the right place on the mural.

Finally LOL at me today! I've been rushing around all day today, convinced we were going to a party tonight, and I've just looked at the invitation and realised its tomorrow! Good job I noticed before we went there I suppose!

Happy Easter!

We've got wonderful weather for the Easter weekend. I'm off outside in a minute to do some gardening and help Naomi with her homework ie make a papier mache King Harold (complete "wi' 'is eyeful of arrow", but not "on 'is 'orse wi' 'is 'awk in 'is 'and - and don't ask me where that comes from, because I've no idea, but my Grandad used to quote it).

To set the Easter mood, here are the lovely Easter cakes Naomi made yesterday, and our easter tree (sorry about the picture, too much light from the window behind).

HAPPY EASTER!

You've seen it all now!

I just finished stitching this for Naomi - the World's Greatest Whovian.
Took a lot more stuffing than I imagined, but then, it is bigger on the inside...

Good Morning!

Its a beautiful sunny Saturday here. I spent yesterday at The Eden Project at a conference (the school sent me, it was to do with healthy eating, growing your own food, and The Big Lunch).

I have come back all inspired (I'm a bit of a green old hippy at heart, and this sort of thing is so me).

One of the workshops I did was on foraging for wild food (the other was street art), and apparently you can blanch dandelions like chicory and eat them as salad leaves (you are all going to tell me you knew that now, aren't you?), plus the flowers are good for making marmalade -I totally need to google that and find a recipe. Anyway today, instead of madly grubbing all the dandelions out of the garden I am going to go round an pop inverted plantpots over them all instead. I'm also going to tie little rag-flags onto all my beanpoles to make them pretty. David will HATE that ;D

I heard from Gaynor that she had recieved the prize she won in my blogoversary draw, so I can show it on here now. Gaynor grows a lot of veggies, so I designed this tiny vegetable garden sampler for her, and finished it as a pinkeep (its backed with the fabric its photographed on, which is a leftover bit from a dress I made Eloise when she was a toddler).

This is my 100th post on this blog, so I'm off to reward myself with a nice cup of tea and a bun.
Have a great weekend everyone