Blankety blank

 

Am supposed to be doing an assignment today!

 

That is before I pop into college for a class later and inbetween making all my stock for this weekend at Wimpole Hall!

 

Notice the blank pages - lined and plain paper, it doesn't seem to matter which one I start with my mind is a little blank.

 

I've been out for a walk in the rain with George but still nothing as yet.

 

Ah well, back to it, am sure that inspiration will strike soon.  Just going to go and write something, anything and then see what happens!

 

Take care all

sarah x

We will remember.

The birds

 

Yesterday evening, just as I was busy pottering around the workshop my friend who has been here for a few days looked out the window and exclaimed at the sight of hundreds of birds flocking to the trees.

 

Sadly the pictures don't do the event justice, it was phenominal!

After the birds had all gathered on the tree at the back of the house they flew right over us before swooping around the bay and then congregating on the tree in front of the house.

The noise was amazing and the sight as they flew overhead was like nothing I have ever seen before.

I did manage to get some video of them as they all flew into this tree but it goes on a bit as they appeared from nowhere and continued to arrive, thousands and thousands of them, I have no idea how they even fitted into the tree!

 

I am going to set my alarm and try to get outside again tomorrow at the same time to see if they come back and I'll get the camera on the right setting and hopefully capture it more clearly.  Even if I don't, I think I want to experience the sight again!

 

Take care all, til next time

Sarah x

Buttons and friends

 

 Wimpole Hall annuall Craft and Gift fair is fast approaching (November 17th and 18th to be precise!) and here in Land Cuckoo work has been fast and furious to prepare the stock for the show.

Even friends who visit are not left out, being given a collection of buttons to 'play' with and turn into the button fridge magnets that have been so popular recently. It turns out that I am not the only one who likes buttons!!

 

My lovely friend Debs has been down here with me in Devon this weekend for a proper catch up and regular excursions to the beach with the dogs.  It seemed only right that she should get in on the act and have a play at making things, so just when she thought she could relax with a cuppa low and behold a box of buttons appears!

 

In amongst the buttons I have also been busy painting and sewing.  The spiced mats are back for the autumn and winter and the workshop smells divine with the oils from the room fragrances.

 

Right now it is time to get the dogs out to the beach, then it is back to the production centre for more, well, production!!

 

Take care all, til the next time

Sarah x

Back on the beach

Hurry UP!

October means the doggy beach ban is lifted, great news for George and me! I love walking on the beach being gainfully employed as a ball flinger for George. I'm sure that just a half hour on the beach equates to 2 hours relaxation and fresh air!

 

The weather may not have been the best on this day but we weren't going to let that stop us!

We were treated to a flying display too.  Not sure what type of plane it was but there were two of them flying circuits around the bay, apparently using the neighbouring beach (which is huge) for some sort of take off and landing practice, although we couldn't see that from our beach.

 

I only lived in my house for a month before the doggy beach ban came into force this year so this will be the first winter I shall have with a sandy, soggy dog.  I have a feeling that there will be a constant layer of sand across everything in my home!  Amazing how much sand and water one dog can carry in his coat.

 

You wouldn't believe this was also taken in October, just a few days later!  Bare feet and paddling too, think it was a better day than most of the summer holidays!

 

Righto, off to find food, as usual

Take care all

Sarah x

Deep breaths

Deep breaths of good sea air is what is required.  Managed to get struck down with a shocking cold yesterday, add to that the ever increasing shopping list of things I don't really want to have to buy but am going to have to and I could get rather down!

However, I have just managed to get a great deal on a washing machine which has cheered me up somewhat!  Lets face it, buying a washing machine is not something that I really wanted to do but seems as mine fell apart noisily mid spin yesterday, I have to!  So the best way to counteract the disappointment of spending money on something that isn't fun is to get a good deal!

Next good deal I need is on a car so here's hoping the tide of fortune has turned in my favour.

Must go and make a lemsip.......

take care all

Sarah x

Croyde Market

One of the reasons I've not been blogging much lately, well the main reason really, is time.  There just isn't enough of it in a day!  However, I may have just found out something that is going to make life a bit easier.  Its nothing amazing to most folk but I've just discovered a super quick way to resize my pictures for the blog!  Such a simple thing and discovered completely by mistake - aren't all the best discoveries by accident!

So, now, I said I would get some pictures of the market from the village so here they are!  My stall which looks rather bland at present, need to work on the set up but that will have to wait for the time being, I'm too busy making the stock to go on it!!

Gorgeous George helping out!

Oh, the market is held in Croyde Village Hall on Mondays and Thursdays, thats in North Devon and hopefully in the sunshine!

I am very lucky as I get to be next to Caroline and her vintage candles.

These are all hand poured just down the lane from where I live.

She uses vegetable wax so that you can use the cups and glasses after you have burned the candles.

Every candle is scented, some floral and some with citrus flavours - perfect for the kitchen. So not only do you have to choose your favourite piece you also have to choose your favourite scent, I am there for hours!

Now I am going to be really bad as I have forgotten this lady's name.  Only met her the other week, she has used beautiful colours and textures of fabric for her bags.

Together with her artwork.

And lovely little handmade tags!

These are Sandy's Devon Sheep!  All hand felted and then oversewn to make a fab picture.

Other pieces of felted art have been turned into photograph albums and books.

Or even beads for a truely unique necklace.

This collection of surfers have been made from recycled wood and items found on the beach.

Ian (I C Design) comes and stays in Croyde so he can go surfing, in the time between waves he gathers all sorts of flotsom and jetsom and creates these pieces.

When the candles are lit they will cast a shadow of the surfers

 and these will send the 'angel' flying!

These are the sweetpeas from Caroline's garden which she very kindly gave me at the end of the market where they brightened up my hall beautifully!

Well it is market day again on Thursday, will have to check in the workshop to see what I need to be making and get cracking with that later.  Only a few more weeks to go before the market finishes for the season this year.  It has been a hard one this year with the weather not playing fair, but I hope that those people who have been here on holiday have still had a good time.

Take care all, til next time

Sarah x

Quick post

George looking out to Woolacombe

Flying past once more!!

Just checking in as I shall be back to pop some pictures up of the market from today but I have to go and find food and then go to work (another work) again so don't have time to sort out the photos right now.

Hope you are all keeping well and will be back soon

Take care

Sarah x

Oh mist rolling in from the sea

Mull of Kintyre, oh mist rolling in from the sea la la laaaa la la la la la la la............

Guess what I was singing all morning!

Couldn't help it after seeing this.  It really was quite amazing how the mist just stopped and reversed once it hit the land, you could see it swirling back on itself.  Now a few hours later it is all disappeared and we are back to a sunny day with just a bank of mist out at sea so you can't see the other coastline.

Once again, I must dash off and find food to fuel my afternoon's work making up some orders.

Take care all

Sarah x

Sun in July

Beautiful sunset from Baggy's on Saturday night looking out to Lundy Island.  We have been treated to sunsets like these for the past few nights and its even better now that it is warm enough to be outside to appreciate them!!

And now that the sun is here the beach is packed 

So is the water.

Not that clear to see in the photos I grant you, but take my word for it - there are people everywhere now!!

The field is still recovering from the shocking weather we had over the Oceanfest weekend, it will take time but it will back in great condition ready to be the winter lodgings for the Baggy's sheep next year.

Spot the difference!

My commute to work one taken in February, one in July (as in now the sun is out July rather than the soggy July we were having!) - guess which one is which!

Righto, must go and find food!

Take care all

Sarah x

Life

Saw this and thought it was just right.

Hope you are all ok

Take care

Sarah x

Windows of opportunity

This is George's favourite place to sit when I am working.

This isn't my house!!  Wish it was but I would need a much larger bank account than I currently have!  This is the view from Baggy's surf lodge which is my second home really since I moved here.  Downstairs is a cafe and then upstairs there are a selection of bedrooms with bunk bed accommodation and the best views.

An more importantly than even the views are the people who are just lovely and have made me feel very welcome.  Once I am back into regular blogging then no doubt there will be much more all about Baggy's.

Found this fab specimen when George and I were out walking the other day (before the rains came).  Such a great colour and wonderfuly striking with it's spikey leaves and petals.

Right at the top of Baggy Point where you can see across (on a clear day) to Woolacombe one way, Lundy Island out to sea and Croyde, Saunton and onto Westward Ho! in the other direction, along the coastline all the way to Hartland.

This just about shows Croyde Bay with Saunton Sands in the background.

Well, lots to be getting on with today, still got lots to tell but lacking in the time to sit and type it all up!  Must go and find that time management for Dummies book again.........

Take care all

Til next time

Sarah x

Smile

I really haven't got into any routine with blogging lately, even now I am about to fly out the door to go to work!  However, whilst I was looking for a clip to send to a friend of mine just now I remembered this clip and how much it makes me smile, so thought I would just quickly share it with you now. 

You have probably seen it before but have another watch anyway!

Hope you are all ok and have a good day

Sarah x



What a weekend!

This weekend has been a fantastic one!

George had a friend over to stay - Charlie the chocolate lab.

He didn't drive over himself as you can tell, (the pair of them are clearly sitting in the boot and paws just wouldn't reach the pedals) I had a visitor too, my friend Debs.

Looking over to Woolacombe

Before they arrived the weather was amazing and George and I went for a wander up Baggy Point in the sunshine.  However the weather turned.........

Plenty of muddy boots outside doors, all because there was a music festival!  I think it is part of the British way that outdoor music can only be heard if you are knee deep in mud!  More of that another day though.

We all went over to Putsborough beach to get sandblasted in the wind and rain.  These two ran all the way there and back and then some inbetween!

Charlie has discovered that he rather likes playing in the sand dunes but when the tide is out it does mean that we are walking quite a way away from them!

Trying to frame him for something he didn't do!

 Last week we popped into Barnstaple to the collectors and antiques market where I found this picture frame, nothing in it well, apart from the dog!  Haven't yet decided whether to make a chalk board, memo board or maybe I'll use it for a photo collage which I can change around.

Back soon with more on the weekend just gone.

Take care all, hope you have not got to washed away with the recent rains

Sarah x