Handmade at Home

I was so thankful for the glorious weather this weekend as we had a Handmade at Home event here.  I organised one last year just before Christmas and the vicar suggested that I might like to hold one again this year when the church flower festival was on.  So out went the invites to clever, crafty friends to bring their products for sale and we set about filling the house with lovely lovliness for folk to come and see.

The dining room was unrecognisable once all the tables were put up and stocked up.

Furniture was moved around and covered in more products, thankfully we didn't need the fire on this time!

In the front room there was a lovely display from The Horse Diva with great gifts for those people that just love horses - gloves and socks, notepads and organisers.

Also great gifts from Garden Divas colourful and bright and very very useful

Back in the handmade part of the house we had some lovely handmade products for sale, cute little quilted bags and tissue pockets

Some great Liberty fabrics and pretty jars of buttons (lovely lovely buttons!) from Maggie at Sunflower Fabrics

How delightful are these little cuties!  Made by Sonja (Sew Sonja)  they all have thier own little handmade outfits.

Delicious summer cupcakes with great flavours like Eaton Mess and Chocolate Fudge from Helen at Tea and Cupcakes

Quilts and cushions made by the rather talented Ruth of Ruth Designs, there were more goodies on the chair but I didn't manage to get the camera out in time before they sold!

Some delicately fragranced handtied Hitchin Lavender (now open to the public for the summer) bunches and a little chalk board from me at Land Cuckoo

Beautiful glass coasters, angels and jewellery made by Linda Boy.  The best way to see these are in person, the pictures just don't capture the colours as well as they look in real life!

I thought I should take on some staff for the weekend, so I decided to employ an inhouse demonstrator.

In actual fact, Missy took it upon herself to demonstrate the catnip cushions and the catbed, funnily enough I didn't have to pay her, she took her exceedingly comfy catnap as payment enough!

And once everyone had gone it was time to put our feet up and have a well deserved rest.

I'll onto the pictures of the flower festival from the church for tomorrow.  Hope you are all enjoying this glorious weather. looks like it is going to stay right up to and including this weekend's market in Welwyn Garden, not holding onto the gazebo in the wind this week!

Take care, til tomorrow

Sarah x

Fly Past

Sorry this is not a title for a piece about some magnificent flying machines taking to the air - it is what I am doing right now!

That doesn't really make it any clearer, I am not wing walking!

Just rushing past the computer on my way to get some dinner after a good day with the Handmade at Home event.  There'll be enough time to eat and then off for an early night ready to do it all again tomorrow.  Have taken pictures this time and more up at the church where they have a flower festival on this weekend too.  Once I have sorted them I shall post them here for you to see too.

Have a great weekend in the lovely sunshine, take care all,
Sarah x

Summer colours

Just finished running up some lavender hearts and cushions in preparation for the Handmade at Home this weekend.

The colours of the fabric just match perfectly with the blue that I used a few weeks ago when I was painting these hangers.

I didn't even have the fabric when I was playing around with the paint for these but I think they work well together.

Also got onto using the fabric you can see at the back of the picture which I have been just appreciating having for some time but thought it was right to use it to make up some cushions.  They are only simple envelope opening ones but I just love the fabrics, I hope someone else thinks the same!

Great summer colours altogether, coupled with the glorious scent of the roses outside my window and the sunshine still streaming through the door, it is most definately a summers evening!

Hope you are all ok, til tomorrow

Take care, Sarah x

Getting Ready

Aside from the distraction that will be occuring this afternoon at about 2.30pm I shall be spending the day getting ready for the Handmade at Home day I am hosting here this weekend

Planning on making some lovely (hopefully) bits with this fabulous fabric collection

You can find them for sale at Sunflower Fabrics, my favourite fabric shopping place!

Maggie from Sunflower Fabrics has been busy setting up her own blog A Patchwork Life.  Catch up on all the goings on in her garden, workshop, shop and the beautiful quilts that Maggie creates, along with the delightful pictures of some seriously gorgeous fabrics!

I must get back to work which no doubt will be interspersed with chasing chooks off the flowerbed - maybe more about that another day!

Take care all

Sarah xx

Its a Beautiful Day

Went out over the fields with George this morning in the opposite direction to normal.  Sometimes it is nice to get a different view on things isn't it!

Took this picture, not brilliant as it is looking towards the sun, but our village is in amongst all those trees.  Although our house is near the top of a hill, there are so many trees and the village actually lies in quite a dip that you can't see any of the buildings, only just the top of the church tower, and this is the case from most angles, our village becomes almost invisible from the surrounding countryside!

At present there is an abundance of roses in the hedgerows, their scent is delightful.

We are also experiencing 'snow'

Collections of fluffy seeds are gathering along the footpaths and in the garden.  I don't know what they are from but if you are busy talking and not paying attention, you can end up with a mouthfull!

Although it is hard to see, you may just be able to make out the specks of white in the sky, there are more than that when you are out in it!

Spotted this brightly coloured butterfly, I have not seen one like this before, from a quick research it looks like a Cinnabar Moth, so not a butterfly at all!

This I do recognise, however, the greater spotted George Doggins taking his morning excercise!

The fields look glorious bathed in sunshine with the blue-est of skys.

I'm off to do some sewng and wotnot, have a good day folks, take care, til next time

Sarah x

Fat Friday, on Saturday!

This weekend I discovered the best way to kick back and relax after a days work.

Having spent Saturday on the market in less than June-like conditions, gazeboes being re-located with every passing gust of wind and wishing I had brought more layers to wear and resorting to hugging George Doggins for warmth (although he is such a huggable dog I'd do that anyway!) it was with some dismay that I had to get changed out of my pyjamas, which had gone on as soon as I got home for the warmth and comfort they provide, when Hubby came home and decided that we would be off to the pub for a drink and some dinner.

Not only was the chilli the best I have had in a long time, the rather large glass of wine that came with it went down a treat! 

And an even bigger plus point - live music!  Fat Friday were just brilliant, fantastic musicians and I have not felt that chilled out and relaxed for a long time.

But the best point of the evening was catching up with friends who have been busy working and travelling abroad.  Looking forward to more evenings to catch up and enjoy the summer in our gardens.

I hope you all had a great weekend, good Fathers Day and I'll not mention the footie.

Take care all
Sarah xx

Til Tomorrow?

Hmmm, that is what I said at the end of the last post, clearly in Sarah Speak that means 'until the next time I get 15 minutes to sit at the computer and write'  Well here is that 15 minutes and here is the writing.

Since I have totally missed the month of May on my blog I should have lots to tell you, but isn't it strange when you try to remember what you have been doing, you don't seem to have enough memories for the time they should be filling? 

I mean, if and when I write here everyday as I'd like to, I can read back and realise just how full life is.  Part of my thinking behind writing a blog was to document times and events so I don't forget what I have been doing, what I have achieved and how much fun I have had in doing so.  When I am in the habbit of writing daily I notice so much more, take note of what is going on around me, find much more amusement in a lot of things that I would probably just discount if I was not on the lookout for a little snippet to share with you.

It is becoming clear, just thinking out load as I write this, that blogging or maybe just writing a diary is a very beneficial thing to do.  Take time to smell the roses, is the phrase isn't it?  Well that is what I shall aim to get back to doing.  In the meantime, here are some roses for smelling:

Hope you all have a good day today and you get the time to smell some real roses too.  I'm off to Welwyn Garden City craft and farmers market tomorrow, George Doggins will be coming again to keep me company.

And just as a little footnote - what has happened to blogger?  Whilst I am sure there are improvements that I have not yet discovered, what I have just found out is that it seems a lot harder than before to put my photos where I want them!  Sure it will become easier the more I use it!

So there we have it, not much of a catch up I know but it is a pretty long post and there are pictures!  So back on the blogging waggon I get, it is good to be back and I am now off to start catching up with all of you from the last month, may have to go and put the kettle on............

Take care all, til next time (ha - that's the way to cover that one!!)

Sarah xx

What's occurring?

So what's been happening then?

Oh yes, that's right, I am supposed to tell you that!  It has been a while, but now with the internet apparently properly installed and not going anywhere I can at last communicate with you all again.  Whether that is a good thing or not is not my decision to make but I am here and that's that!

Going to be a short post here today as I am off to cook dinner - some things never change, it's all about the food!  Meanwhile I shall be perusing the new look blogger and figuring out what to do and where to do it to make it all work for me.

Take care all, til tomorrow
Sarah x