A little trip to Devon

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrggghhhhhhhh!

Slow time down!

How can it be Janurary 26th already?

I had such great plans for doing so many of my so called January Jobs and once again I seem to be paralysed by my time management!  Or have I?  When I break it down - I was poorly, that took up way too much time for my liking and we have been away on holiday for 10 days, so that doesn't seem quite so bad.

So I shall not dwell on my apparent lack of achievements so far, I am going back to my holiday!

We returned to North Devon with fingers crossed that the snow wouldn't come this time.  Last year we had the most lovely and relaxed but enforced staying in holiday due to the quantity of snow that fell.  This time we were spared the snow and instead we had some fantastic days out in the sunshine.

It just was not possible to capture this amazing sunset on my camera whilst driving (Hubby driving, not me).  The sky was golden, it was absolutely beautiful.  At the same time, the moon was rising behind us so brightly too.  At one point of the journey you could see both sun and moon and I did try to capture a panoramic video on my phone but as we were driving up and down the hills the views changed too quickly!

There was enough moonlight to go for a little walk just as the last of the sun was dipping out of sight behind the hills 

We spent everyday outside in the fresh air, most of it at the beach or along the cliffs.  Oh how much do I want to pack up and move to the coast now!!

Once we had made the final purchase of waterproof trousers (one soggy trip out was enough to remind us that these were very necessary) we were fully epuiped to picnic in all terrains.  There is most definately an art to getting dressed when you have to layer up, making sure that if you do venture into one of the very friendly, dog friendly pubs, you have put your clothes on in the correct order so that you can dismantle your attire enough to sit down with other people and still look realatively civilised!

This was the main activity of the holiday - beach and ball!

We took this picture just a few days into the holiday as it had been quite dull and raining for those few days and we did think it may be the only patch of blue sky we were going to see.  How wrong were we?  From that point onwards we had cloudless blue skies every day for the rest of our holiday.  I'd like to think that I may have even picked up a little suntan on my face - it was the only bit of skin that was not under thermals!

We came home with one very tired doggins!  Plus two very happy and relaxed us's.

Now it is back to work, back to building, back to sorting out house and generally getting declutterd and just getting things done! 

Take care all, til tomorrow

Sarah x

Space to fill

Look - its my table!

And the only things on it are the pin cushions!

This is probably the only time for the rest of 2011 this will be the case.  It has been cleared, sorted and thoroughly cleaned ready to be filled with all those projects that I am planning on finishing off.

An here are a few of those projects.  Two wall hangings/quilts and a larger quilt to be finished with binding and bits!

If I get these done then I shall have made more in this year than I managed last year in total which is either very impressive or rather poor depending upon how you wish to look at it!  I think I shall take it as a great achievement, after all, I did make a lot of other stuff last year that isn't photographed!

Well if you'll excuse me I have some more buttons to sew on that quilt so I can get an other progress picture for tomorrow!

Take care all

Sarah x

Onwards

Happy New Year to you all!

I am a little late in my greeting but then I am playing catch up due to having spent over a week fighting the flu.  I am now considerably behind in my consumption of turkey dinners and planning to rectify that throughout January (sorry Rosemary Conley but I'll do my best to make them low fat!).

Consequently I am also a little lacking in news and photos having only managed to read a book and drink lots of honey and lemon drinks!  So I had a little look back over last year whilst I was sorting out my computer files and thought I'd just share a little with you and as I am back to almost normal now I can get on with all the January Jobs I have planned!

Last January we headed off to Devon and got snowed in!  Planning to go back again this year so hopefully the weather will hold off for us this time, although it was beautiful.

Can never have enough buttons!  Spring cleaning my button jars.

Feels like a lot longer but it was only last March that Maggie and I went off to the Country Living show in London.

The first of many trips to the beach!  New frisby worked brilliantly and is the best thing to chase in the snow too!

Some my new cushions and hearts from Handmade at Home in the summertime

And plenty of villagers enjoying tea and cake in the glorious sunshine and open garden day (not my garden!)

Back at Scald End Farm this year for their summer fair and my lovely neighbours the donkeys!

The lovely Molly who had a lovely reportoire of tunes to wake us up in the morning!

All the way into October we were still having some fabulous weather, beautiful sunshine just perfect for a muddy walk!  Clearly the previous weeks had been rather wet!

Racing into November and full swing into the Christmas craft fairs, this was my lovely view from my stand at Wrest Park this year.

And full circle back to December and it snowed again, as if we can forget!

So my January Jobs are kicking off with a jolly good tidy up in the workshop so I can get back to making things for the new year.  Lots of planning to do and maybe this year I can maintain a tidy and organised workshop, hmmmmm we'll see!

Take care all

Sarah x



It's cold outside

But inside it is roasting!

Guess who left the heater on overnight in the workshop?

You know what it is like when you go on holiday to sunnier climes and you step out of the plane into a wall of heat which we are so unused to in Blighty - well that is just what I walked into in here this morning!

Oops, I did try to just manage but had to open the window in the end as it was just too hot to work!  How criminal is that?  Opening a window and letting all that lovely lovely warmth out, mind you I think the tree above the workshop has now lost most of its snow on the branches and there seems to be a lot of birds on the roof, most likely having a little rest on their new found heated floor!

Most of the Christmas decorations are now up, seems to have taken me a while to get the house into some semblence of 'normality' after the markets and events over the past few weeks.

So here are the pics of the decor so far:

We have to have two trees in our house as both Hubby and I already had one each before we got together and we both think ours is the best!!  This is the thinner of the two so it goes in the snug and dining room so we can still walk past it!  Saying that, there will be quite a bare gap at the bottom by the time it is put away in January where George has wagged his way past and Missy has chased her catnip mouse underneath! 

This year I decorated without using tinsel as apparently it is the way to do it this year!  Still threw everything else at it mind you.  This little mouse has been on my Christmas tree for more years than I can remember, it came from home, don't know what my Mum has in it's place now!  The long legged angel was a present from my Auntie last year.

A ceramic tree made by another crafter and a woven heart from my Mum

Another pressie from my Mum, I like having gifts to hang on the tree, lots of nice memories to see.

This one was made by my Cousin in Australia

I bought this one for Hubby a few years ago, we had polar bears on our wedding cake!

Missy's stocking

Hubby's knitted Santa from his childhood and a cute little knitted mouse I bought from another fellow crafter who I had a stand next to last year.

The basket has 24 advent pressies which I put together for Hubby, feel like I have been buying presents for months!!  Just hope I remembered to get him one to open on Christmas Day!

And this is the other tree in the Man Cave.  This year I went for silver and blue and lots and lots of sparkles! 

I know the snow is a pain for so many of people who are trying to get home or away at this time but it does look so very festive and has been included in this years decorations in the Land of Cuckoo.

I treated us to some outside lights seems as we have a tree which has grown into the perfect Christmas tree shape just outside our window.

It looked so pretty when the snow was coming down, glowing through the overladen branches.

I hope you are all in the right places you need to be, keeping warm and on track for your present shopping etc!

Take care

Sarah x

And there's more

Ok so it is hardly the next day but here are the next frosty pictures!

It beats the scene this morning which is just grey and muddy with a nice helping of rain thrown in!

The ivy under the trees with it's dusting of frost, gleaming like jewels with the sun behind the leaves

Another picture of  St Peters church at the top of the lane

I'm a little obsessed with big sky!  Just find it amazing how some days it appears so much more imposing than others.  Admitedly today it is so misty and bleak that you can't tell if there is any sky up there at all!

I am pleased the blue of the sky has come out in the pictures, it was so vivid 

The frost appears to have been travelling in one particular direction as all the leaves and twigs were covered on one side only 

The poplar trees behind the foreground were shining bright against the sky, not quite come out in the picture.  I am so lucky as this is the view at the bottom of my garden.  A couple of days ago there was a heron on the fence as there is a natural pond between the trees, a pretty magnificent bird to see.

I'm a little closer to getting the house decorated, the boxes are all out of the loft, hope to get on to the fun stuff later today.

Take care all, hope you are all keeping well and warm

Til next time

Sarah x

About time

About time I got these pictures of the frosty morning we had last week.  Actually this frost lasted a few days as the temperatures never rose enough to lose the white covering we found ourselves under.

The track that George and I usually take in the mornings, beware of very icy puddles that lurk under the snow (when we have some) as they don't half make you jump once you have regained your balance from the rather ungainly skid! 

Our church at the top of the lane beautifully lit by the winter sun.

The red berries of the rosehips, like little rubies in the hedgerow

The frosted grasses along the edge of the brook

This is the wire on the chook run after Jack Frost has been at work

I guess that because it was a freezing fog during the night that would explain why there was even frost under the trees

George just demonstrating that he apparently feels no cold!

Only one more market to go til Christmas!  Will be able to turn my attention to my own home this week and start to tidy up and decorate for Christmas.  Looking forward to getting all the decorations out the loft, such a great box of memories.  I try to buy just a couple of special new decorations each year to add to the collection, each with their own story.

Take care all, til next time

Sarah xx



Handmade at Home

Last weekend was the second installment of Handmade at Home.

This year I held the event on two different dates as the general concensus from last year was that an earlier date would be good for those who are super organised with their Christmas shopping!

So these are the pictures from October.

The dining room was filled with tables laden with goodies

Linda had a lovely collection of beautiful glass decorations

The Deckchair collection of plates and coasters, squashed bottles and jewellery

Pushpa's beautiful paintings and cards were a big hit.  Have a look at her website for more pictures of her work.

She also paints cats, using her own cat as a model in the picture on the left.

This is no model though - Missy found the catnip and made herself at home!

  

Ruth's bags added a delightful splash of colour along with her gorgeous quilts which I sadly did not get a photograph of.

For some it was just too much and a siesta had to be had!

And then it was December!

Sheena's jewellery, my favourite colours green and pink together 

And blues and purples and sparkes!

Sue from Rustic Wreaths brought a delightful collection of wreaths and natural decorations which made my house look so beautiful and festive I was quite loathed to sell them! 

The flash went off on this photo but it has shown up the sparkly berries brilliantly.

So this is how I am going to have to decorate my fireplace now!

I could have taken a lot more pictures on both Handmade events but was busy with customers which is the best distraction possible!

Not many markets and events now before the big day, so I am just finishing up making Christmas stock and finalising orders.

Hope you are all keeping well and warm.

Take care

Sarah x