Results, a trip and two small finishes - warning, picture heavy post

Lots to write about this week.

On Tuesday Eloise got her GCSE results. An A* in Maths, 4As, 6Bs and 2Cs, we are so proud of her. She is off to Truro College, starting next week, to do A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics. It is a 45 mile bus journey each way which makes it a long day, but it is a really good college.

Sometimes you just have to forget you live here and do the whole tourist thing, so on Friday we went to Marazion and St Michael's Mount for the day.
When we got there the tide was just far enough out to walk across the causeway.

And here is the view from the bottom of the island, looking up at the castle....

.....and from the castle looking down!

A couple of pictures inside the castle and church

When we got back to  the mainland we wandered round Marazion for a while then sat with a drink and enjoyed the view. OOOPS! Looks like these people made a minor miscalculation on the causway front!

And I did promise you a couple of small finishes, the first is the Monthly Challenge piece. This one is from Penelopis. I made mine into a little "pretty" to hang from a cupboard door. (One very well known designer calls these "Knob-knockers", which pretty much goes to show she's not British if you ask me). This month's album with all the finishes is here.

And finally (insert sigh of relief from readers) a Christmas Ornament. I've fallen a bit lot behind with the monthly ornament SAL this year, but I've just managed to squeeze one in for August. This one is "Pear Tree" from LHN. I noticed after I'd made it up that I'd forgotten to add the little beads to the branches, but I think it looks OK without them.

Showtime!

It was the Horticultural Society annual show yesterday. Miserable drizzly wet day, but we still had quite a good turn out.

Look at these wonderful veggies, no surprise that they won the "best in show" (No, I didn't grow them, wish I had though)

And here is a little corner of the floral art and cookery sections.

Eloise won the cup for "Best in Show Floral Art" and a prize for her painting, and Naomi got "Most points - Cookery" and a gold medal for her Mini Tray of Flowers and Vegetables.
I picked up a couple of firsts with various handcrafted items, but I'll save them for another post.

Exchange gift arrived

Been very busy here this week as its the annual Village Show at the weekend. (I'm secretary, so there is a lot of paperwork to do for entries in the week or so before it)

This means there has not been too much time for stitching lately, but the exchange gift I sent to Clare has arrived so I can post pictures of that now.

This is a free design from Blackbird Designs finished as a standup scissor/thread keep.

I just love the sampler fabric I found to back it with, I ended up buying a full yard, so expect to see much more of it in the future ;)

Flowers, a carnival and a very late challenge

We've had a busy weekend here. First it was the Chapel Flower Festival. The theme was "AGood Read", and I chose a book about the kitchen garden at Heligan

Then it was off to Tintagel for the Carnival. A beautiful evening, a fabulous carnival, and Naomi won the cup for Best Queen.

Finally here (embarassingly late) is my finish for the Stitch and stash July Challenge. We did a penguin design from The Workbasket. The reason he took me so long is that I stitched him over 1 on 32 count, he's done in a single shade of very dark purple overdyed thread, and finished as a Christmas ornament, backed with the fabric in the picture.

A Gift Recieved and Another Carnival

Look at this beautiful exchange gift I recieved from Donna (no blog). 
How pretty is that?
Those strawberries look so real you could almost pick them!


And nestled inside the tin was the lovely mother of pearl strawberry thread keep.

There was another carnival on Saturday night. This one was at St Teath. The weather was a touch drizzly, but nevertheless a good time was had by all, and the girls came home with armfuls of trophies.

Some pictures from the Carnival

Another carnival has come and gone, but here are some photos to prove that it happened:-

Warning: Dr Who reference ahead

"I'm the bloody Queen, and basically I rule"

The Queen with her attendants

and on the float waiting for the parade to begin

Let the Carnival begin!

Its official! Carnival week has started. Since this is the 10th Carnival since it restarted in 2001 they kicked off with a birthday party, and what birthday party is complete without a birthday cake?

As I may have droned on about interminably mentioned, Naomi is Queen this year, and to our surprise here she is immortalised in cake!!! You have no idea how hard it was to stop her from eating this entire slab of icing (and slipping into a sugar induced coma) before I got this photo

now she has taken the photo I'm eating it mwahahaha haha   ha Naomi :)