Bird Ahoy!

I'm moving to www.birdahoy.blogspot.com

2010-01-22T12:34:00.001Z

Hello, yes, this is just to say that I think it's time I moved so that the name of my blog matches my URL...

...so I will posting at www.birdahoy.blogspot.com from now on.

This blog will stay up for a while but I will remove it at some point in the not too distant future. Please update your bookmarks etc. Thanks for following me to my new home :-)

salt and mist

2010-01-21T11:52:00.000Z

There was a magical mist that shrouded the sea in mystery at the weekend. It seemed to suck the colour from the land.

Floss loves the freedom of the wide open space to chase balls and sniff at seaweed.

Where as some of us like to be chased by waves, I'm usually to be found beach combing.

The mainland was peeping through the sea mist.

After such a beautiful but monochrome day it was such a contrast and surprise to see these colours. We found a comfy spot on a rock and cozied together to watch the sunset. Does it get anymore beautiful?

Ah bliss!

Bye for now.

birds and berries and leafy sprigs

2010-01-18T11:58:00.000Z

Inspired by scenes in the garden recently, watching the birds looking for food, I engraved this little beach pebble with a little robin and some berries. The snow has finally melted here but I heard a rumour that more is on the way! To be honest I think I've had enough for this year now. Roll on spring!

Yes, definitely dreaming of spring. I've started making leafy sprig designs. I'm really enjoying pebbling recently as my friend likes to call it. Click on the pictures if you'd like to find out more.

I'll be back soon with a salt laden tale from the weekend. Bye for now!

snowy loveliness

2010-01-14T17:40:00.000Z

I must confess that all this snow might be my fault.

You see, back in the Autumn I made a wish...

... for my pup, Floss, to see snow for the first time.

And it has certainly come true with bells on!

Recently, Crystal from Bead Happily Ever After contacted me to ask if I would do an interview for her blog about creativity and pebbles. Of course I jumped at the opportunity! I feel very honoured. She asked some fun questions and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I never thought I would have so much to say. If you would like a look it's here.

Well I think it's time to make myself a hot chocolate and get cozy by the fire. Bye for now.

do you remember seeing snow for the first time?

2010-01-08T16:59:00.001Z

What's all this white stuff?
5 minutes later...

Floss looked so cute trying to catch snowflakes. She's been out there every second she can this week playing in the snow and trying to eat ice! I swear it looked like she was trying to build a snowman at one point.

Have a lovely weekend :-)

bursting with winter beauty

2010-01-06T23:26:00.000Z

I can't remember having this much snow since one winter when I was little and I rolled snowballs down the street to make a giant snowman.

I'm so glad we ventured out today. Everywhere was completely transformed.

Like a breath of fresh air, like visiting a brand new place.

All sparkling and pristine in the sunlight.

Floss and I walked until we were completely caked in snow. Sometimes it is so worth making the effort.

Happy new year everyone! May it be a wonderful year full of love, joy, inspiration, creativity and happiness!

new discoveries

2009-12-12T11:42:00.003Z

I was thrilled to find out this morning that I'd been included in this gorgeous treasury by illusio and that my beloved acorn necklace has sold.

As I've always been quite shy I've never been one for shouting from the rooftops for people to look at what I do, but recently I've been thinking that I should try and increase the views of my work. Just by chance and coincidentally I recently discovered project wonderful. Am I the last to know about it? It's an amazing way to increase exposure for your shop or website although it's a little bit addictive. You bid for advertising spaces on websites of your choice so you can experiment with who is the best audience. You can track the number of clicks and views for your placements. It's an exciting and interesting way to go about it and you don't have to spend a lot of money. It really does make it fun!

Have a lovely weekend x

Free shipping!

2009-11-27T17:51:00.006Z

Please forgive me for this blatant self advertising but I'd like everyone to know that there will be free shipping at bird ahoy etsy shop from now until Tuesday 1st December to anywhere in the world so if you've had your eye on anything now might be a good time to sort out those Christmas presents or treat yourself. I also love to do commissions so if something you like has sold or you have your own ideas please get in touch. Have a lovely weekend! Bye for now.

something i'd forgotten

2009-11-12T13:25:00.000Z

Not far from me is a beautiful forest. It has been waiting for me to rediscover it all this time. It is full of childhood memories, of sampling sweet chestnuts and kicking leaves.

How could I have forgotten how much I loved it here? Somewhere my imagination can run riot with an endless source of inspiration.

And now in it's magnificent Autumn clothes soon to be shed. I had forgotten just how comforting it could be to walk everyday submerged in nature, soaking in all the goodness.

I used to be under the impression that all the forest looked the same and I'm gladly mistaken. The different places, nooks and wide spaces, lakes and streams, hills and winding paths take me by surprise.
With the ever changing light it appears different each time I wander, always trying to lose myself. It's getting increasing difficult as the paths start to fit together like a jigsaw in my mind. But I love it here, it feeds my soul. The gorgeous earthy smells make me happy, walking in the rain is surprisingly good. All thanks to my pup who is becoming a lovely companion.

I have started making earrings again thanks to a lovely customer who made a special request. After our wedding last year when I made all the female guests a pair of earrings as a favour in the final hour, I fell out of love with the process. I'm grateful for the little push, something else I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed. I've also been experimenting with leaves, inspired by the forest, pushing them into polymer clay to capture the texture. What I'd really like to try is PMC, I like the idea of recycled silver. Maybe I will treat myself to a pack and have a play.

Bye for now, have a lovely weekend.

i've finally found it!

2009-10-22T16:55:00.000+01:00

Some of you may already know just how much I love the scent of lichen...

... it reminds me of places like this. I've often wished I could bottle it.

Well somebody has already done it for me! I'm currently sitting here typing getting wafts of lichen every now and again. I bought a set of mini perfume oil samples from etsy shop For Strange Women after being seduced by the natural ingredients and beautiful packaging, and yesterday I tried Moss & Ivy for the first time. After the first burst of powerful fragrance had faded I was left with my favourite scent! Lichen!!!! Total bliss!!! I just can't believe that after all this time I've come across it. Happiness in a bottle!

set in stone

2009-10-14T22:26:00.000+01:00

Here are a couple of custom orders I have done for people as keepsakes for their dearest ones. I think it's really sweet to add initials on the back. I like the significance of setting your love in stone. It reminds me of names carved into the bark of tree trunks.

most romantic place

2009-10-06T19:50:00.001+01:00

Voted the most romantic place in Wales it certainly lives up to its accolades.

Llanddwyn Island off Newborough Warren is the sort of place where you can feel a million miles away from home.

I had one of those moments, when you feel completely present and at one with the world, all my cares just faded away.

As we watched the sunset and the birds flying home to roost I found a couple of lovely unusual pebbles and some sea glass. One of the best kind of days. Smiles all round.

I'd really love to hear about your most favourite romantic place, please feel free to leave a comment.

a little bit retro

2009-09-26T10:24:00.000+01:00

Now it's past the event I can show you this pebble necklace I made for a friend's birthday. I thought she'd like a retro inspired design and this stem pattern was the result. I've decided to make another like this but next time remove the centre of the leaves for a simpler look.

Have a lovely weekend... we're off to the beach!

fresh air

2009-09-21T17:54:00.000+01:00

Autumn days are definitely here. I love the contrast of the slight chill in the air with the hot sun upon my skin.

Is there a more lovely place than the lake district to see the changing of the seasons? The bracken is glowing orange on the mountains now and the clouds mist the top of the peaks.

Floss enjoyed her paddle and thought it most unladylike to go in any deeper than her belly. She is 18 weeks old now and her character grows by the day.

I have another lino print in the works. I had finished one but decided that I didn't like it so it will stay hidden for now. Let's just say that the new one's inspired by one of the furry creatures that visits our garden. Which reminds me, we discovered a hedgehog last night! There seems to be more and more wildlife since we got Floss. I wonder why?

Wishing you lots of cosy Autumn nights with woodburning fires, hot chocolate and cinnamon apple pie. I feel a list coming on!

a little surprise

2009-09-06T12:50:00.000+01:00

Look what was swimming around in our pink trug which had a couple of inches of rain water in it!

A cute little newt! I think it's a common newt but I've never seen one before so I'm not 100% sure. There's no pond in our garden so it was a nice surprise. It has now been moved to safety away from puppy eyes!

Major excitement!!!

2009-08-23T11:40:00.002+01:00

I've just had a lovely surprise... I was on the front page of etsy again!!!!!! Hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are all the lovely picks chosen by Fern of The Wellington Boot. Thanks Fern for including me!! You made my day!!

hand pulled prints

2009-08-19T16:18:00.001+01:00

What do you think? Please excuse the wonky camera angle... the image is a proper rectangle in real life. Rather than the usual white I chose some gorgeous coloured paper with a slight texture to print my carved lino on this morning as a bit of an experiment. The different colours go beautifully with each other. I'm thinking it would be lovely to have a set of different carvings on toning papers as a series.

The ink is still drying on this one... I love this olive green paper. I used the back of a wooden spoon as a brayer. I do have a fancy baren but my spoon is so much better! I don't know why that is, maybe it's because it's how I learned to do it. Maybe one day I will have a proper press... something to dream about. Or should I say, never lose hope ;-)

a new lino print in the works

2009-08-17T16:00:00.001+01:00

This is what I've been up to over the last couple of days or so, planning and carving a new block print. I think it's almost finished. I had designed it in my journal/sketchbook, it's basically a notebook I bought which has all different blue and turquoise pages and I tend to use it for everything... list making, rubber stamp thinking, to do lists, ideas when they strike me, designs for cards, prints, brainstorming... etc. This time when I was re-drawing my design onto the lino I completely changed everything except the bird about 5 times until I was happy, remembering to put the text so it read backwards. What I do is carve to a point where I can't bear it and have to make a print to see how it's looking, then carve a bit more. This is waiting for a test print to see if it's finished after I carved the top section away. Hope so!

floss goes to the pub

2009-08-06T14:12:00.000+01:00

I read that it's important to get your puppy used to everything you like to do!

We took her into town as well and can I just say that if you happen to be a single man looking for a partner then the best thing you could do is get a puppy! Every time I went into a shop I'd come back out to find Mr P surrounded by women!! Seriously, I've never met or talked to so many people since we got Floss, it's completely changed our lives! Not just that, but the world in general seems so different now we've got a dog. I look at everything in a different light. And going for walks is a real joy now we know we can let her off the lead and she won't just run away. She trots along merrily, stopping to sniff this and that and then runs to catch us up. Now we go for a walk every evening we realise what we were missing before when we just flopped down on the sofa. We never thought to go for a short walk. It was always about long walks at the weekend. Short walks just never entered into it. But we've found out it's so relaxing to go out before tea and discuss our days, get some fresh air and see Floss enjoying herself. It's fab!

I know this blog has been all about Floss for the last few posts and I hope you're not getting bored of it. My life really is centred around her at the moment but hopefully I'll have some other things to post about soon! Bye for now!

puppy's first walk

2009-07-28T11:27:00.000+01:00

So yesterday evening, a week after her final vaccination, Floss had her very first walk. It was a very exciting affair with so much to sniff and explore as we walked down the road to the park. Near the end Floss met an adult dog for the first time (other than her mother of course). It was enormous compared to her, a St Bernard I think! And she rolled over on her back and waved her legs around. I think I would have done the same!! :-)

Do you think she's grown? Each morning she seems to have got longer! I'm sure she's turning into a sausage dog!

In other news I've just discovered spotify. What a revelation! Love it! Currently listening to the first of a million kisses by fairground attraction. Have a good day. Bye for now!

Remember this?

2009-07-23T10:29:00.001+01:00

It has turned into this:

If you'd like to see what we're growing please click on the photo.

Before the weekend we'd only eaten 1 courgette and a few broad beans and someone said 1 courgette doesn't make a harvest! Well I'm pleased to announce that we've now eaten a beautiful head of broccoli, 1 very tasty rainbow carrot and 4 equally tasty round carrots. The round ones are called parmex I think and are marketed for kids so I couldn't resist ;-) They're beautifully sweet and softer than the rainbow carrot raw so good for salads I think, but cooked the rainbow carrot had stronger flavour. Really delicious! I know it's a small thing but we felt great walking into the garden to get them instead of getting in the car to go to the supermarket. Very convenient!!

As for the bed with the courgettes, this has failed slightly. It was supposed to be the 3 sisters method where the runner beans provide nitrogen for the maize and courgettes, the maize provides a support for the beans to grow up and the courgettes shade the roots of the other plants. The courgettes are doing fantastically well, but I'm afraid the maize hasn't grown fast enough for the beans so I think I will have to start it off sooner next year inside. We're really pleased with the courgettes so not all is lost and the broad beans are doing really well too.

Look what Leanne did!!!

2009-07-14T16:11:00.003+01:00

How wonderful is this drawing?!!!! I am so excited to have won Leanne Wildermuth's weekly giveaway !!! I now have a beautiful reminder of how Floss looked the first week we brought her home. It's only been 7 days since the photo was taken and already she has grown. I will be able to look back on this time and remember it fondly! The likeness is spot on don't you think? If you've never seen Leanne's work before go and have a look at her amazing paintings of animals with their gorgeous intricate detail. I've been a fan for years now and I'm really chuffed to have had a pet captured by her!

Floss is doing great. We went to a puppy party last night at the vets which is supposed to give them a positive experience before they have to go and have anything unpleasant happen there. Floss had a lovely time playing although she did get pinned down by her ears at one point by a jack russell puppy. One of the disadvantages of having big ears I suppose!! :-D

Well I'm off to give Floss her tea, so bye for now!

Pleased to meet you!

2009-07-08T11:04:00.003+01:00

This little puppy is the new member of our family! Her name is Floss and she is an absolute joy (with a bit of mischief mixed in!). I can't take my eyes off her for a minute when she's awake she's into everything!! I couldn't believe it when she climbed into this flowerpot, she makes me laugh so much and she's clever too. Floss has already learned how to stay and come in only one day!! I'm so proud of her. I think we're starting to understand each other!

Anyway, must go as nap time is almost over and I must take her outside. Bye for now!!

Just me, mr P and a load of wildlife

2009-07-05T16:57:00.011+01:00

10 things I love about Pembrokeshire (Wales)

the beautiful coast path makes for exhilarating walks, like Cornwall but quieter
the colour of the sea when the sun shines (my favourite colour as you might already know!)
Morgans in St Davids for fab food that tastes as beautiful as it looks, embellished with flowers
the artist Chris Neale, a lovely chap, you can visit his gallery on Thursdays
the abundance of wildlife... more about that in a later post
peace and quiet if you want it
naps on beaches and great places to settle down with a book
incredibly friendly and helpful locals
campsites that allow campfires (a long held dream of mine... simple pleasures)
the Druidstone Hotel... the most eccentric place I've ever eaten!

The most exciting thing ever is happening tomorrow!!!!!! I can't wait to post up about it!!! Until then, have a good start to the week. Bye for now!
p.s. I'm a bit behind with my shop update, apologies if anyone has been to look.

set sail with me

2009-06-22T17:14:00.000+01:00

A lovely day was spent with my friend who has a narrowboat. It is a work in progress, a labour of love. It's dusty and smokey and full of spiders, nooks and crannies. Chugging down the canal I watched out for canalware art, little floating gardens and enticing names like Margarite and Midnight. Feeling myself being sucked into this other nomadic world of friendly words, folk art and music, nature playing out everywhere. Walking along the towpath we passed a beautiful boat, the owner smiled and halfway down the side was open, displaying her wares. I gasped when I saw it all, painted in traditional patterns, castles and roses and handmade rope fenders. A floating studio, what could be more romantic? They were on their way to the folk and boat festival in Middlewich to see what they could sell. I wish I'd asked to take a photo. With the boat moored up by the pub (in the last photo) we sat on one of the benches while we waited for lunch watching the sparrows and robins hunting for scraps around the beer garden. Good times!

I will be back soon with tales of the camping trip we took to celebrate our anniversary (with a lovely stay in a country house for the day itself) so until then... have a good week!

One year ago today

2009-06-14T14:30:00.003+01:00

It all seems like a dream now.

And I still feel nervous when I think about it.

But we really did it.

Happy anniversary my gorgeous husband! You are the most kind, funny, generous and intelligent person and I'm so proud to be your wife xxxxx

drilled pebbles

2009-06-10T12:57:00.001+01:00

Some pebble pendants in progress. I've engraved a little wild strawberry flower on one of them since I took these photos. Sitting on the bench in the garden waiting for inspiration to strike, I looked down at all the tiny wild strawberries and white flowers and went to get my tools. Working on the bench in the sunshine was lovely. You can't beat this time of year.

salt laden tales

2009-06-05T12:50:00.000+01:00

So many things made our holiday in Cornwall special and memorable so in no particular order... a list!

Turquoise ocean on the Penwith peninsula and beautiful white sandy beaches.
Spotting the naked man on the beach from high up on the clifftop at Treen ;-)
Gorgeous fishing villages, full of quirkiness.
The powerfully evocative (and heart wrenching) atmosphere of 'the dry' where the minors would get showered and changed at Geevor Tin Mine. It's preserved just as it was left when the mine closed down in 1990.
My most favourite smell in the world - the white lichen which grows on the rocks all over the coast - please smell it next time you see any! It's especially fragrant when the sun's shining. I would love to know if anyone else shares my passion!!
Browsing through the galleries in Marazion, St Ives and Mousehole, oh and Fowey!
The arty souvenirs we've brought home with us... we fell in love with this Pure 3 Design lamp in the Porthgwidden Cafe in St Ives and decided it was too expensive but then found it for 50 pounds less in a gallery in Fowey and snapped it up!
Hooper and Shaw in Port Isaac - full of arty crafty handmade things (photo from their press site).
The view from the apartment over Porthmeor beach in St Ives - we could watch the surfers and there were two old ladies who went belly boarding together very early in the mornings - very inspiring!
Listening to the waves crashing on the beach whilst falling asleep - bliss!
Mr P getting stuck in a wetsuit whilst trying it on in a shop - I had tears streaming down my face I was laughing so much! We thought we were going to have to ask for assistance to remove it because it was so tight and it just wasn't budging. The image of him with it round his ankles will stay with me for evermore!
Watching the 'ansome Seth Lakeman perform at the M inack Theatre!!!!! We were running very late after eating fish and chips by the harbour in Mousehole and thought we'd have to perch ourselves on a rock somewhere right at the back but on handing our tickets to the usher she got on her two way radio and said "Have you got room for 2 more on the front row?"(!!!!!!!) Must have been our lucky day!! It was excellent and a fantastic atmosphere made all the more compelling by the songs which were written about the west country, the sun setting over the ocean and of course the theatre itself, cut into the rocks of the cliff and exposed to the elements.
Eating fish every night for tea! Lemon sole, dover sole, sea bass, megrim, john dory, cod, hake, mackerel, oh and a bit of crab too.
Lots of lovely walks along the coast path and the coconut scent of the gorse wafting through the air.
Cornish hedges so high and full of spring flowers, and the clifftops full of pink sea thrift, wild garlic and the like.
Catching the passenger ferry from Polruan to Fowey (and back!). It's not a proper holiday without some kind of boat ride!
Seeing Show of Hands at the Daphne du Maurier festival in Fowey - just completely fab live. Especially Phil Beer with his fiddle.
The lovebods we found in Marazion at the Avalon gallery (loads of gorgeous art and craft!!). We only discovered later that they were filled with lavender, what a lovely surprise! We picked up a lovely Ken Eardley jug here too.
Some scary reversing manoeuvres in the narrow country lanes - poor Mr P!
Spotting lizards, slow worms and even a snake on the coast paths! I don't think I've ever seen a lizard in this country before.
Drinking cider in my favourite pub in all of England, the Blue Peter in Polperro, last pub before France! Tucked away by the harbour this place has brilliant live music, is filled with characters (especially in the winter) and is very cosy.

If you've made it to the end of the list then thanks for sticking with me!!! I'm sure there are lots more that I've forgotten but I think I'll stop there before blogger has a tantrum!

Please share any of your loves of Cornwall, I would definitely keep them for next time... fave beaches, villages, things to do, boat trips, coast walks, gardens... please list them in the comments. All welcome! Thanks!

Can you guess where I've been the last couple of weeks?

2009-05-28T16:59:00.008+01:00

I'll give you a few clues...

Mmmmmmm!!

There's a naked man on this one if you look closely!! ;-)

Finally... a white cross on a black flag.

Have you guessed?

little onion pot

2009-05-12T11:38:00.007+01:00

A birthday present from my mum and dad. I fell in love with him when we visited an antique centre months and months ago, and they remembered and went back for him :-) I have a thing about making objects into little characters. I really want to play with some of these from paperchase. I am always seeing faces in things.

Tomorrow I am off on an adventure. So I'm signing off for a while but I will be back with tales to tell hopefully. Bye for now!

another year older

2009-05-08T08:31:00.000+01:00

Definitely more wrinkles than last year but no point obsessing over them! I had a lovely time on my birthday. For the first time in years we went to pizza hut for lunch where we had the tastiest pizza ever. Now usually I prefer thin base pizzas but this time we had a deep pan and ohhhhhhh it was delicious! I interrogated the waitress as to how they make them so tasty but she wouldn't tell me! Said it was a secret. I think it would be worth getting a job there just to find out!

The other real high point of the day was this amazing place. Tell me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure this is where they filmed the recent newspaper advert with the little boy pressing his hand up against the glass as a shark swims past. I tried to get Mr P to reenact it but he was too shy!

The tunnel where you can stand on the conveyor belt is amazing to go through. I loved seeing the fish swimming in shoals around us.

Mr P kept pretending to be eaten by the sharks. Can't take him anywhere ;-)

I laugh every time I look at this!

In the evening Mr P had booked a table at a swanky restaurant not far from where we live but we both admitted later that it hadn't been half as good as pizza hut! I know pizza is very calorific, but after eating onion soup which was literally a bowlful of cream with onion flavouring and gruyere I thought I would have to spend 3 hours on the dance mat the next day to burn it off!

So here I am, a little bit older. More comfortable in my own skin, more aware of who I am and that's it's ok not to be perfect and perfectly fine to make mistakes. It's all just a series of experiences, good and bad. I like to think when something bad happens that to balance things up something good will happen at a later date, especially when you have a run of bad luck. Like yin and yang. My french teacher used to say you make your own luck and I suppose that's true to a certain extent but you can't control everything. So that's how I deal with it. Incidentally I don't spend my life worrying that if things are great something will go wrong! That wouldn't work at all! Hopefully this will be a great year. There are some exciting things planned already!

Listen to me rambling on! Anyway, have a lovely weekend everyone whatever you're up to. :-)

a long weekend

2009-05-06T10:30:00.000+01:00

Well the weather was a bit pants for the bank holiday weekend but we decided to ignore it and make the best of it which resulted in us getting a bit wet but didn't stop us from having fun.

We've driven past the cotebrook shire horse centre loads of times and put it on the list of things to do one day... well that day was bank holiday monday.

We were expecting to see lots of shire horses but there was so much more there and the setting was so lovely. Like a rural idyll.

We were lucky to see the farriers in action. When they were putting the new shoes on the horse the smell of burning hoof was intense. Of course the horse didn't seem to mind but the poor lad with the horse's foot between his legs kept getting a facefull of steamy smoke. Bleurghh!!! The photo below makes me laugh... he probably needed a very long shower before his girlfriend would go near him!

Lots of different characters in the hen house. I would love to keep some hens! Definitely one day!

Lots of cute baby birds and bunnies.

And of course, lots of shire horses! Shire horses are such gentle giants. This one was having a bit of a stretch like a dog does and it made us giggle.

The pub next door has a lovely atmosphere and there was a cozy fire crackling away to keep us warm. It's a proper old traditional country pub, just how I love them the most. I giggled at the photos on the wall of shire horses waiting to be served at the bar!! I think we'll have to go back here for tea sometime.

As I love making lists, some other things we did over the weekend:

a day out in chester... window shopping mostly
a bit of gardening
feeling really really lucky to have a pair of redpolls visiting the bird feeders again
cake baking
drinking cider and dancing around to a great local band called the cheeky monkeys
chatting with friends
a spot of decorating
watching amelie... again!
planning a camping trip for the summer
getting excited about my birthday, more about this later!!

Bye for now!

my little friend

2009-04-23T19:06:00.004+01:00

This little robin has been keeping me company recently while I've been digging holes in the garden and then he enchants me as the sun goes down with his beautiful song from the sycamore tree.

show of hands

2009-04-21T11:29:00.006+01:00

I had the most amazing musical experience at the weekend at the Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays. I lost all sense of space and time, found tears in my eyes and tingles from my scalp, across my shoulders and down my spine. The talent from the band we had gone to see was just incredible. How can three people be so talented to play so many instruments AND have perfect voices too? Not to mention funny as well. So.. show of hands are now officially my favourite band ever!

Thanks to David for the use of this great picture. Show of hands were originally just Steve Knightley and Phil Beer (what a great name!!) but for now they have Miranda Sykes playing with them.

We're off on a folk train tomorrow night... that should be an experience!
Bye for now!

tulips and teacups

2009-04-20T10:07:00.000+01:00

Happy monday to you all. Some flowers to brighten your day.

buried treasure

2009-04-17T13:12:00.000+01:00

Look what Mr P dug up in the garden!!!

I always hoped we'd find some interesting things when we started transforming the garden. Where we live there used to be parkland to a big house which survived until just before the second world war when the estate was turned into a British army transit base. Later on it was occupied by thousands of American soldiers prior to the D-Day invasion. We have worked out by looking at the old map that our house was built on the site of the old mess hut. I like to think that's why we have found this amazing old milk bottle. It's so old that the phone number has only 4 digits.

I find it hard to explain why I'm so in love with this bottle. Before this I could never see the appeal of archaeological digs, but now I think I understand the excitement of finding something hidden for years, waiting to give up its secrets. It's the mystery of how it ended up there in our garden, who drank the milk it held, who was the last person to touch it before we did, how long had it been buried there, how old is it, where exactly was the dairy??? What I can't understand is how a milk bottle from Timperley has found its way here. It's about half an hour by car. Why would they have been using a dairy so far away? Maybe somebody was visiting and brought it with them? Does anyone have any other ideas? Perhaps that is how it found its way into the ground here... because it was from a different dairy it wasn't rinsed and returned like the others. Well it's a mystery to me but such a lovely one. It's a very chunky bottle with a very wide neck. Perfect for flowers. And it makes me feel all warm inside that we have such a beautiful piece of history belonging to this place sitting on the dining room table.

I would love to hear about any treasures you have found. Wishing you a lovely weekend!

bird and branch pebble pendant

2009-04-15T18:50:00.001+01:00

A crafty post is long overdue so here is my latest carved pebble.

I've been making these for a number of months now and I think it is the natural simplicity of them that appeals to me and that I know their entire journey from start to finish. I love to make jewellery and for a while I was getting frustrated that the things I was making weren't as unique to me as they could be and I wanted to make something more original that would have a strong identity. I suppose I got the idea through carving lino prints and rubber stamps. I started to think about how could I use that process in my jewellery making that would allow me to use my drawings and designs to create something unique. I've been refining my technique and I think and hope I get better with each pebble.

Happy Wednesday to you!

susan boyle

2009-04-15T11:41:00.004+01:00

For anyone who missed this amazing performance from a woman on Britain's Got Talent, you must watch it! The audience had already judged her before she'd sang a note... well see for yourself. It's great. Go Susan!!!

yesterday...

2009-04-08T11:00:00.001+01:00

I spent the day making little cakes for Mr P but don't tell him! It's his birthday you see. Well they're more like muffins than little cakes really. And there were originally 6 and now there are 4 but, well, I had to try one when they came out of the oven to check they were baked enough (they were), then I had to try another one after I put the melted chocolate on to make sure that they still tasted alright (they did). Oh and did I mention that I licked the spoon and the bowl?! I'm just a big kid really! I feel sick now! Should know better really :-)

The mini cake stand is from a lovely lady on etsy. I love etsy!!

recipe for major muscle ache

2009-04-07T10:10:00.001+01:00

Take some scaffolding planks:

and a heap of stinky soil:

then mix in 4 people, 2 wheelbarrows, lots of hard work and add to this:

to make this:

and four very sore backs!!

I'm very pleased! It turned out that we had about 2 tonnes extra topsoil than we needed but the garden has never looked better. It's been completely transformed by it. All the borders look amazing now the weeds have been covered up! Only joking, we pulled them out first, honest. Now I just need to start sowing veg seeds, oh and a massage! Bye for now!

a thousand words

2009-04-04T19:44:00.001+01:00

If you have a moment please watch this short film. It's lovely and heart warming.
A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo.
(found via swissmiss)

Eeek!

2009-04-03T17:35:00.000+01:00

When I looked out of the window I just stared in bewilderment and thought someone must have miscalculated!! Then I had a massive fit of giggles which lasted about 5 minutes. Guess what we'll be doing tomorrow! Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

sometimes i need to tell myself...

2009-04-01T18:26:00.000+01:00

It seems to be the hardest part.

postcard from sunny wales

2009-03-30T23:10:00.000+01:00

Hello! How is everyone? Thanks for all the lovely comments you've been writing. I love to read them. I really didn't think anyone would realise that I'd started the blog back up so I'm really thrilled!

I don't think I've ever posted a picture of Mr P on here before... well he said it was ok... this was us this weekend on the beach at Abersoch. Ahhhh the beach huts! Look at the lovely textures.

In contrast, the freshly painted huts at Llanbedrog which are all waiting patiently at the top of the hill to be put back on the beach again. They look strange on the grass, like something out of a kid's tv programme. Even more so when Mr P was hiding, sticking his head out from behind different ones and running around to make me laugh. But those colours! So pretty.

A good time was had and I found a few lovely pebbles that will probably be turned into necklaces. I have more photos to show you later in the week.

I'm so happy that British Summertime has begun here as now we have lighter evenings to look forward to! Yay!! It makes such a difference to life in general. So happy Monday everyone! Hope you all have a good start to the week.

all about books

2009-03-23T17:05:00.001Z

This lovely little wren, happily perched on my shelf reminds me of a weekend we spent in Hay-on-Wye a couple of months ago.

Whenever I visit somewhere new it's always a joy to discover a new art or craft gallery and I was delighted to find The Hay Makers. Exactly my kind of place! Full of lino prints and etchings and some totally gorgeous wire sculpture work of birds and animals. We bought the little wren because it had so much character but there were also beautiful hens and hares. Unfortunately I can't find the name of the maker.

Have you ever been to Hay-on-Wye? It's a unique little place on the England/Wales border famous for it's secondhand bookshops... For it's small size there are 30 bookshops to browse your way through!! That's a lot of browsing.

I think it drove Mr P a bit mad when we spent the weekend there a couple of months ago! He seemed a bit happier with a steaming hot chocolate in his hand!

Wishing you a lovely start to the week!

*Edit* A bit of digging around on the internet has revealed the maker of the wren to be Helen Kahan from Cardiff. I wish she had a website.

here i am...

2009-03-19T14:26:00.001Z

Hello people!!!

I have finally returned to this place which I used to love so much and it's about time I showed it some attention I think! I have missed all my blogging pals so much! My cunning plan was to leave it until the beginning of May and then it might have looked like there was no break given a short glance!!! Except for all that has happened in the space of a year... things that now seem as though I could have dreamt them. But that's for another time.

I had the best day yesterday.

The sun was shining and it felt so warm against my skin. I wasn't the only one enjoying it, the birds were singing and a lovely friend sat with me for a while and we had a cup of tea and shared some chocolate. I spent part of the day in the garden painting some old bookshelves a nice new colour for my workroom. I'll show you a before and after sometime soon.

Major excitement!!! I found out that one of my necklaces had been featured on the front page of etsy!!! That's never happened to me before and it was so exciting. It was this one.

Anyway, I will leave you with a link to a program on the bbc iplayer which had me totally engrossed yesterday. Oh how I'd love to go to Japan on a quest to find the meaning of wabi sabi... it's available for the next 4 days... take a look if you have chance.

Bye for now :-)

Taking a breather

2008-04-30T13:04:00.005+01:00

I have treated myself to an early birthday present. I am very lucky to already own a platter made by Diana Fayt and have been a huge fan of hers for quite a while now. When I read that one of her plates which had broken in transit had been transformed into lots of individual pendants by Juliet at The Broken Plate I thought 2 things... what a genius idea... and how can i get my mitts on one! I know I'm naughty wearing it before my birthday but it's just so beautiful. I really love it! There are more pendants available here and, even better, some of the proceeds go to an art charity. I'm planning on celebrating my birthday with a bbq over the bank holiday weekend. We've even bought some garden furniture for the occasion so please, please let the sun shine on us!!!!

In other news... The invitations are all made for the wedding with not a moment left to spare! Thank goodness that's over with!! Never again!!!! ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Escaping for a day

2008-04-15T20:25:00.001+01:00

Last week it was Mr P's birthday so we got in the car and drove all the way to the island of Anglesey in Wales where we walked miles down a beautiful sandy beach backed with pine trees to the tiny island called Llanddwyn. It's known as lover's island and is one of my favourite places.

We got lashed with rain but as soon as we set foot on the island the sun came out which was just so stunning because everything was illuminated against the dark sky. Soon, as the clouds cleared, we could see Snowdonia across the Menai Straits. Snowdon was covered in snow like you'd expect.

As you can see we took TONS of photos and now I'm having trouble deciding which ones to show you!

Yes that's me taking a photo of Mr P!

We had hoped to make it to this lovely lady's gallery in Beaumaris but ran out of time which was a shame. Hopefully next time.

I know we only went for the day but it really felt as if we'd been on holiday for a couple of days. A change of scenery really does you good sometimes, especially when you're behind on making wedding invitations and they're driving you up the wall!

Anyway, better get back to it! Bye for now.

snow in april

2008-04-11T12:10:00.000+01:00

Didn't prince write a song about snow in april? I could tell the light looked different in the bedroom when I opened my eyes on Sunday morning so I sprang out of bed to look out of the window. Such a surprise to wake up and see such a gorgeous change of view. Anyway, these gorgeous photos were taken by Mr P on Sunday morning. I love how the light reflects and bounces off the snow, illuminating everything. It was only there a few hours before it melted but it was beautiful while it lasted. Well worth getting up for!

Have a great weekend whatever you're up to! Bye for now!

pay - it - forward

2008-04-09T12:58:00.005+01:00

Here I am modeling (badly!) the fab bag that Ms Nà sent from Italy as part of the pay-it-forward handmade craft swap thingy. As you can see it already has some things in it and is sooo handy. I'm looking forward to taking it shopping with me so I can refuse plastic bags and it's great for taking all the bits and bobs I need to my guitar lessons. LOVE IT!!!!! There was also one of those brilliant lino prints of the bird and the star which I will post up here when I find a nice frame. Thank you Na!! You are very lovely indeed!! And very good at sewing too!!

new best friend

2008-03-18T16:10:00.004Z

Hello, can you believe that it's almost Easter?! I haven't bought a guitar yet but a friend has been kind enough to lend me the first guitar he saved his paper round money up for 36 years ago! I'm terrified of damaging it as it has a lot of sentimental value. In the 7 days it's been in my possession I've quickly made friends with it and have learned enough chords to be able to play raspberry beret by prince (apart from the bridge - need a few more for that bit). So I have my second lesson tonight and I'm really looking forward to it. I can see how this could easily become an obsession with guitar tabs for lots of songs being widely available on the web. It's great fun trying to play and sing along. I think I'm driving Mr P round the bend a bit! As for my fingers, they are completely numb on the ends! And my fingerprints have gone!!! I can now commit the perfect crime with my left hand!!! I've had a few blisters but it's not as bad as I thought it might be. You know what they say... no pain, no gain!!

We have the long weekend to look forward to this week with the Friday and Monday bank holidays! Yay! Hope you're all having a good week! :-)

A new discovery (for me)

2008-03-05T14:29:00.004Z

How gorgeous is Seth Lakeman?!!! I love the really fast bit where his arm is a total blur!

He's doing an outdoor gig at Arley Hall this summer with The Levellers. I'd never heard of him before so thought I would check him out and with my recent new toy, my beloved ipod (which is now surgically attached to me!!), I ended up downloading one of his albums called Freedom Fields. It's brilliant! What a talented man he is!!

On the subject of music, I've yet to get my guitar. Hopefully this weekend. Thanks for all the great advice!! You're all stars! I have printed it out and made notes and I've been doing my research and I feel much more confident about getting the right one now. Thanks! Can't wait to get started!

I've also sold 3 more pairs of earrings!!! It's so exciting. Thank you to 2 readers of this blog! :-) (You know who you are!!)

Have a great day everyone, whatever you're up to!

my first etsy customer

2008-02-29T09:41:00.007Z

Yipppeeeeee! I have something to celebrate! A lovely lady has made my week by being my first birdahoy etsy customer!! I am so excited!! At first we had a problem with paypal refusing to let her make the payment but I sorted it out quickly with help from the forums on etsy. It was basically a box that needed unchecking somewhere in the deep dark depths of my paypal account. The forums are brilliant on etsy! Makes the learning curve far less steep! So now the earrings are somewhere in the postal system on their way to their destination. Fingers crossed that it goes smoothly and they arrive safe and sound.

I wondered which (if any! yes I know, more confidence please!) would be sold first and I thought it might be either these or their blue equivalents. Now I will make some more for the shop. I also have some more silvery coloured crystals that I'll be using too. It's so much fun this jewelry making lark!! :-)

Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I'm off to buy myself a guitar!!!! I am slightly scared at the prospect of the music shop and trying one out when I don't have a clue what I'm looking for or how to know if one is right for me but hopefully my guitar will find me!! I'm definitely going for one with all metal strings, that much I do know, and maybe a sexy cutaway bit but that's just for aesthetic reasons at the moment!! Anyone got any tips on choosing a guitar?

Songs that are poems, poems that are songs – Meme

2008-02-25T16:37:00.008Z

Thanks for tagging me Ms Gromit! I've just had so much fun trying to decide which songs to choose for this game. There were just so many I could have chosen.

First up is Rosé by The Feeling. I just love the lyrics in this song, they're so clever. When I first heard it I thought it was called Rosie and was about a girl and I think in a way it is. I love this song, plus I don't mind a glass of rosé either!

Rosé by The Feeling

You and your friends
In boxes of ten
Cool to the touch
You warn me so much
The white to your left
The red to your right
Were all that I'd seen
Till I realised the love that I seek
Lies right in-between

Rosé
I love ya
Especially today
Rosé
I love your delicate way

The chill in my veins
Relieves me from pain
Again and again
I lose all control
Your taking your toll
And I'm no longer sane
Don't be afraid
The love that I show
is the love that you made
So don't be afraid
'Cos your in control
I'm just your slave

Rosé,
I love ya,
Especially today,
Rosé,
I love your delicate way.

Don't let him put you down
I won't let him put you down
'Cos your as good as the rest
And you're much better dressed
I think pink is my colour
I wont drink from no other
Never!

Oh I love ya
Especially today
Especially this way
Oh Rosé
I want ya
Believe me this way
Rosé
I love your delicate way.

The next song I chose is Folk Song by The Sundays because it transports me to another place when I hear it and this is definitely like a poem. One of my favourite songs too.

Folk Song by The Sundays

summer sky and a throat bone dry
and the fields are all gold
dusty lane with a song in my brain
and it stoned me to my soul

I climb higher move towards the fire
.....blaze sun

silver trees and a whispering breeze
are my sight and my sound
the thought of heaven
couldn’t drag me from the path
when I’m wandering here alone

I climb higher move towards the fire
.... so blaze sun
watch until it dies
slow falling from the sky
pale fading sun

Last one although I could play this game all day! The Boatman by The Levellers. This song fills me with warmth every time I hear it. Would love to be able to play this on the guitar. Hopefully going to be learning how soon if I can persuade a friend to teach me! I think I may have to resort to using John Smiths as bribery! It's a long held ambition. :-)

The Boatman by The Levellers

If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a boatman
On the canals and the rivers free
No hasty words are spoken
My only law is the river breeze
That takes me to the open seas
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a boatman

If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover
And if the road was not for me
Then I would choose another
Cross mountains and the valleys deep
Where I would take these weary feet
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover
But these things they're so hard for me
I cannot choose my own destiny
And all the things that I want to see
Are so unclean

Well I wish I could choose the life I please
But I am not a free man
Others rule my destiny
But my will's never broken
I know someday I will be
Everything that I dreamed I'd be
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.

I know someday I will be
Everything that I dreamed I'd be
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.

So I hope you all had a good weekend. Mine was filled with trying to re-live my youth by playing on the swings and slides at the local park but don't tell anybody!! ;-) Don't want to be told off in the local newsletter! See you all soon.

Edit*** Completely forgot to pass the tag on so I will just tag anyone reading who wants to play. Go on! It's fun!

Warm and toasty!

2008-02-20T18:15:00.000Z

Look what I received in the post!!! The naughty cyclist gloves!! Thanks Gromit!!! You are most lovely!! They are the softest, warmest gloves I've ever had the joy of wearing and just in time for this cold snap that we're currently having. I think it was -8 degrees c last night! As you can see I haven't wanted to take them off! They have even come in very useful for keeping my hand warm whilst enjoying a nice glass of g&t in the bar the other night! I am showing them off everywhere. I know they are called cyclist gloves but I haven't actually used them for that yet or for showing my feelings towards other drivers but all in good time!! ;-) Your swap package is almost on it's way gromit. Thanks so much once again. I do love them!

I know I haven't been around for a bit, sorry for that. I kept meaning to post and then something got in the way. Will hopefully be back before the end of the week. Hope you're all having fun! See you again soon. :-)

Wishwoos

2008-02-08T14:45:00.000Z

My silly name for fish! I'm still driving myself crazy looking at the number of views of my earrings on etsy!!! Thanks to everyone who's added me as a favourite seller or favourited one of my items!! Cheers!! You're all lovely!! I'm thinking of adding a linoprint later. I've figured out that the best time to add items is in the early evening here when most of the usa has woken up and we're still awake over here. That's my theory anyway.

Now, please would you go over and see gromit and tell her she must sell her cyclist gloves on etsy. They are just so funny! You will see why when you click on the link. ;-)

Have a wonderful weekend people!! :-D

I did it!!!

2008-02-06T22:08:00.000Z

After much deliberation, pondering, wondering, encouragement from lovely people, photo taking, supply gathering and now nervous anxiety I have set up a proper etsy shop!!! I decided to call it birdahoy just like the blog and my username on etsy. Etsy's such a great place. I've been a member for a couple of years now and have bought lots of lovely things from some very creative people. It's a great place to shop for presents too and you can use paypal which is so convenient.

In my shop there are a few pairs of earrings so far and I will keep adding to them along with maybe some lino prints. It's very exciting and scary at the same time! I have to keep stopping myself from going to my shop to see if anything is happening!! It's terrible!!!

The fun bit is naming things... I've been using song titles as inspiration for some of them. These ones are called Ready or Not Earrings!! They're amethyst and glass on sterling silver earwires that I've oxidised again. I just love that rich purple... it seems so long since purple was in vogue, it's nice to see popping up again everywhere.

I went for a beautiful walk at lunchtime to try to stop thinking about etsy for a while. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and everyone I met had a big smile. The sun does that to people doesn't it? Ahhh... I feel so alive at the moment!!

Anyway, I think I will be back here again before the week is up. Bye for now! :-)

spring breeze earrings

2008-01-31T13:45:00.000Z

Inspired by my findings in the garden I've been feeling as though spring is on it's way and celebrated by making some earrings with some freshwater pearls and Czech glass beads. I've got the jewelry-making bug really bad! You should see how my bead collection has grown. :-O

I might have to start selling things to justify it!!

I've also been having a bit of a spring clean including here on the blog and I decided to change my banner. Can't get enough of turquoise at the moment. What am I talking about... I've never been able to get enough of turquoise! It's all to do with holidays in Cornwall, gazing at the Atlantic ocean. Bliss!

Have a good weekend everyone!! :-)

mr sparrow lino print

2008-01-29T16:28:00.000Z

I thought I'd share this lino print with you that I did a while ago but never got around to posting. It's called Mr Sparrow and is inspired by the house sparrows that nest in next door's roof! There is a little gap by the drain pipe and they happily raise their young in there. Then they spend the rest of their time in the spiky berberis bush keeping an eye on what's going on and the local cat before eating seeds from the feeder.

Look what I found in the garden!!!

2008-01-28T15:27:00.000Z

Isn't it a bit early for this? But such a breath of fresh air and so cheerful. It's been very warm here the last few days (14 degrees c yesterday). The birds have even started singing.

The winter flowering heather is still going strong too.

Hope you all had a good weekend. Bye for now :-)

mushrooms

2008-01-23T13:30:00.000Z

I was just about to make myself some lunch when I had to stop and take a photo of these mushrooms because they were just so delightful. I wish I'd stopped before I'd cut the white ones off the base but too late! Oh well, there's an excuse to buy some more next week.

That last photo makes me think of Clarence Cliff. I think it must be the shapes.

Anyway, is it just me or is January flying by. I feel totally out of control this month! So many things to organise and get done that I feel as though I'm running round in circles. I got some fabric samples in the post yesterday from the lady who's making my wedding dress. I only tried the dress on once and since then the memory of it has started to fade. But holding the fabric in my hand, it has finally hit me that I'm getting married!! Mr P chose the suits last weekend too. He looked amazing, so elegant when he came out of the dressing room. I have a big smile on my face whenever I think about it. It's all coming together slowly.

I've been busy making lots of earrings and sorting out my pay-it-forward giveaway from a couple of months ago and I'm almost there with it I think. Hope you're having a good week. Bye for now!

a little experiment

2008-01-16T13:01:00.000Z

Every day with my lunch I treat myself to something a bit naughty. Most days it's a chocolate brownie from the gluten free section of the supermarket but I've been worried about the extra ingredients in there that are possibly not that good for you so was keen to find an alternative. Yesterday I had a go at making some gluten and lactose free chocolate cakes by adapting a recipe and look... they've risen (yay!!!) and are lovely, moist and light and not too rich. This is only the second time I've tried to bake cakes since my diet changed so I was a bit nervous about how they'd turn out. Mr P was my guinea pig last night and thought the cake was great and couldn't tell it was any different to a normal one so I'm going to share the recipe here for anyone who's on a similar diet and might like to try them.

chocolate cakes (gluten and lactose free)

Makes 9 muffin sized cakes

2oz (50g) plain chocolate (I used green & blacks organic cooking chocolate - melts easily)
5oz (150g) plain gluten-free flour (I used Dove Farm)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp zanthan gum (to replace the gluten)
pinch of salt
5oz (150g) soft brown sugar
3oz (85g) dairy-free margarine (I used Pure)
1/4 pint (150ml) unsweetened soya milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degree C / Gas 4. Line 9 deep muffin tins with paper cases.

2. Chop up about 1 oz / 25g of the chocolate into small chunks.

3. Melt the rest of the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water until smooth.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, zanthan gum, salt and sugar into a large bowl.

5. Add the chocolate, vanilla essence, margarine and soya milk and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until blended. *Edit - Add the chopped up chocolate to the mixture and mix.

6. Fill the cases about 2/3 full.

7. Bake until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. 20 - 25 minutes should do it but our oven took 40 mins because it's old and we need a new one. Transfer to a rack to cool or eat one straight away like I did!

Speaking of which it's lunch time. Might just have to go and eat another! See you later! :-)

a bit of sparkle

2008-01-11T17:48:00.001Z

I have a secret that I can't tell and it's killing me!!! More about that in months to come! Heehee I bet your mind's boggling now!

What do you think of my new earrings? They took me a while to make but I'm really pleased with them and they're dangling from my earlobes as I type. Wrapping the wire around was really fiddly and wow it took a lot of silver wire, in fact it took all of the wire I'd just oxidised so I was lucky that I didn't run short right halfway through the second earring. I think I might make something similar for the wedding. Has anyone ever tried to make a tiara?

The birds finished the fat blocks off a couple of days ago. The favourite so far is definitely the oat, niger seed and raspberry block. I will have to put the last one out tomorrow and make some more. I counted approx 50 siskins all eating sunflower seeds on the patio yesterday. They are chomping through them like there's no tomorrow!

Anyway, have a lovely weekend. More wedding things for us. I'm worried I'm turning into one of those people who talks about nothing else! Have fun!

cooking for birds

2008-01-08T16:05:00.000Z

It's a bit chilly out there and our feathered friends need our help! We've been feeding the birds here with suet blocks from the garden centre that fit into the flat holders. So after my dad gave me the idea I decided that I would try to make some like he does instead of buying them. I have no idea if this worked out cheaper or if they're more nutritious but it was fun!

I had lots of ideas for different flavours and in the end decided on different combinations of veggie fat, niger seed, sunflower seed, tinned raspberries and oats.

It's not rocket science but this is how I did it...

I saved the plastic packaging that the original blocks came in and lined one with tinfoil and left the others naked as a bit of an experiment to see which would come out better. Then in this particular one I piled in some oats and niger seed and mixed it up a bit. You can really heap it in.

In an old pan I melted about 125g of vegetable fat for each block I was making (I used Trex), then I thought seeing as the birds seemed to like the old berry flavoured blocks I would add some tinned raspberries. Of course the mixture separates a bit in the pan but as long as you don't put too much juice in it all works out ok in the end.

Next I poured the fat mixture into the container and gave it a stir. In the background are two I made earlier (in true blue peter style!!): One with oats & raspberries and the other with oats, sunflower, niger seed and raspberries (yes, went a bit mad with that one!).

Then I left them to cool before putting them in the fridge.

A couple of hours later and I turned them out. I don't think you really need the tinfoil as they came out easily without breaking.

Dah dah!! I waited to see which bird would be first on there and it was a blue tit which didn't seem overly impressed but I'm glad to say that since then the siskins have been devouring the one with the niger seed and the starlings seem to really love both. I still have the 'everything' block waiting in the fridge.

Do you do anything to help the wildlife where you live?

hello 2008!

2008-01-03T15:11:00.000Z

Have you made any resolutions?

I haven't made any this year but I feel all inspired to get on with things and make some plans of things I'd like to achieve. More about that at a later date.

Christmas was a lovely, relaxed affair at my parents' house. The first time in a few years so all the more fabulous for it! We had roast turkey with all the trimmings and it was delicious. Nobody would have known it was all gluten and dairy free! Fantastic!

Something funny happened... unbeknown to either of us, Mr P and I both bought each other a camera for christmas! But not only that, it was exactly the same model!* Mr P looked horrified when he opened his present which wasn't the reaction I was hoping for, but we had a good laugh about it afterwards. I think we are turning into each other! You know how couples start to wear his and hers matching jackets, etc.

*and I didn't even drop any hints Andrew!!

warmest wishes

2007-12-24T11:52:00.001Z

Just a quick post (no pun intended!) to say merry christmas to you all. I hope you have a lovely day tomorrow. It's been a wonderful year of blogging for me and I feel like I've met so many great people through writing here. You've made it a pleasure with your lovely comments and emails! I'll probably be back here in the new year if not before.

Warmest festive wishes to you and a happy new year! x

Mr Whippy

2007-12-20T20:38:00.000Z

Not very seasonal unless you live in the southern hemisphere! This was a special request of an ice cream van rubber stamp for my beloved. It is one of the little gifts that I have put in the wooden advent calendar in the run up to christmas. Ah yes, I think I forgot to mention those. I meant to write a post about them because they've been so much fun to do. It all started because usually we have a chocolate advent calendar each and this year with my diet changing and having to exclude dairy I couldn't have one. So I decided to embrace that and go one better instead of feeling bad about it and now we have one each because Mr P thought it would be unfair if only he had to think of little gifts each day which is fine by me... i've really enjoyed the challenge! So rubber stamps have found their way into a couple of Mr P's drawers. I just can't get enough of making rubber stamps. It's so addictive. In my calendar I have found lots of lovely things like little ink pads and beads. He knows me so well!!

A thank you goes out to nà who very kindly passed me the true blue blogging award (and helped me to think of a couple of things to put in the calendar - thanks!). I'd like to pass the award on to all the lovely readers of this blog who leave me comments. It makes my day reading them and I appreciate each and every one of them. Thanks everybody! :-)

sugar frosting

2007-12-18T14:39:00.000Z

I woke up yesterday to a world dusted in crystals. So after feeding the birds I grabbed my camera and this is my favourite of the bunch. Pretty, no?

I thought I'd share a few pics of one of the presents I've been making as I don't think the intended recipient reads my blog. I really enjoyed making this bracelet and have finally figured out how to oxidise the sterling silver to a lovely antique finish. You can see it on the clasp. The photos don't get across quite how lovely the colours are with the red being toned down by the mossy green-grey and subtle lilac-grey beads, you'll just have to take my word for it!

the brilliant crowded house

2007-12-17T18:30:00.000Z

I meant to write about this a week ago but we couldn't get the photo off P's phone. Anyway, now I have it!

Crowded House at the MEN in Manchester. They were absolutely brilliant!! One of the best concerts I've been to I think. They played a great mix of new and old songs. There were some really fun bits where they had the audience singing and it sounded amazing! My favourite part was a slow song when they turned all the lights off in the arena and it was filled with the twinkling lights of people's phones. Who'd have thought mobile phones could be so magical? It looked like thousands of stars.

I hope they come back again.

Have you been to see any live bands recently?

The siskins have returned!

2007-12-13T16:20:00.001Z

I've been so excited this week because one of my favourite birds is finally back. The siskins flew in at the weekend. A flock of about 40 landed in the alder trees behind the garden. We are so lucky to see so many. They are very small compared to the other birds. They even make the goldfinches look big. The flock seems to have left a couple of pairs behind and gone on it's merry way. For a better illustration and to see the colours have a look on the RSPB site.

Have you seen any where you are?

making christmas

2007-12-07T13:15:00.000Z

I've been wondering what to post about because while I have been making lots of things recently as crimble presents I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone! It is so difficult to keep things a secret!! I have to try extra hard because I'm rubbish at it!

I have been carving lots of rubber stamps and P cut me some little blocks of wood for the very thin rubber sheets I have. I wasn't sure what glue to use so I chose superglue. I was slightly worried that it might dissolve the stamps or something but it seems to have worked fine and makes life sooo much easier. I no longer have ink all over my fingers. ;-) I thought I would have to turn up to the christmas parties covered in ink! :-)

Starting to feel very festive and I've bought a cd with classic christmas songs on like White Christmas by Bing Crosby and Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt. It's great! There are a few dodgy ones on there like All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth but I just skip over those ones!

I love seeing what everyone's up to on their blogs... pics of christmas trees, handmade cards and baking. Hope you're enjoying the build up to christmas as much as I am.

I love surprises!!

2007-11-28T16:57:00.000Z

I'm pleased to announce that the first 3 people to comment on this post (and say that they'd like to participate in the game) will receive a handmade gift from me sometime in the next couple of months. There is a catch though... you have to pay it forward too by sending handmade surprises to 3 people on your own blog.

I was really chuffed to join the game at shadowsandclouds where I was commenter No. 2!! Hurray! Thanks Nà! So I'll be sending you something too to say thanks! (Again!!)

How great is this idea?!! I just love the idea of spreading a little handmade happiness around the world. I have lots of ideas for things I can make for this so bring it on!! Comment away!!

mountains and lakes

2007-11-26T19:30:00.000Z

Have you ever been to the Lake District in Cumbria? It's such an awe inspiring place full of water and mountains which seem somehow friendlier and less bleak than other similar places and now is my favourite time to visit when the bracken has turned it's glorious rust colour to contrast with the bright, luscious greens brought about by all the rain. Yes, it's famous for the amount of rain but we never let that put us off.

You probably can't tell that it was raining really hard when we climbed onto the fells. The rain was horizontal in the strong wind! It was the first time that I have ever been able to lean back into the wind and let it take all my weight. What a crazy feeling that was. Exhilarating!

Coincidentally, we watched the film Miss Potter recently, all about Beatrix Potter and her beloved Lake District. It was fun to see all her characters come to life. What a lovely film but so sad in one part that it made me want to cry.

Who has written better about the Lakes than Mr Wordsworth?

The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth

Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?

The sun, above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your Teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:
We murder to dissect.

Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.

8 random things

2007-11-21T17:41:00.000Z

Oh blimey, the lovely gina has tagged me to reveal 8 random things about myself.

The rules are:
*link to the person who tagged you
*post the rules
*name 8 things others don't know about you
*link to 8 other bloggers

Ok, here goes...

I don't drink tea or coffee. Instead I enjoy a lovely steaming mug of boiled water, yep, plain!! Not even a slice of lemon. I like it!! Most people think I'm a bit mad I think. Oh and when I'm at home it's often in a massive, stripy mug that a friend bought me for christmas one year.
When my head hits the pillow I often get a flashback of the dream I had the previous night which I couldn't remember until that moment. Does that happen to anyone else?
I always wonder who the people are who read my blog. I know lots more people read it than comment. I would love it if you said hello. Now's your chance! My email address is in my profile if you don't have a blogger account. I also wonder if people who know me in 'real life' read it and don't let on! ;-)
There are 9 bird feeders in our garden. It is like the bird world equivalent of the food hall at the trafford centre. I actually look forward to the leaves falling off the trees so I can get a better view of the birds fluttering around and now the squirrels too.
I had braces on my teeth from age 15 until I was 19. The week I had them fitted 3 different boys asked me out!
I can't kill anything. I always imagine that if I were to kill a fly then he might have a wife and kids waiting for him at home. I also try to rescue things. I fed a bee some honey in the summer as it was struggling to pull itself across the lawn. It finally flew away after about half an hour of sipping at the honey. People killing things for pleasure or entertainment make me want to be sick.
I am very shy (especially in groups of people) until you get to know me. I find it much easier to write than to talk, and worry that the things I say are sometimes misconstrued. I hate to think I might offend people without meaning to. I am a good listener, I think. Always look on the bright side!!
When I went away I left little notes all over the house for my other half to find. I tried to think of funny places like in a tube of pringles, in the shower, stuck to a door knob.
(An extra one because I'm on a roll...) I hardly ever watch films rated 18 because I can't stand violence. One of my fav films we rented this year was The Chorus (Les Choristes), an uplifting story about a teacher defying authority to make a difference. Have you seen it?

That was easier than I thought it would be!

If you'd like to play along (no pressure, just if you feel like it)... I tag:

Na, andrew, tania, Murray, Janet, Gennine, Penelope and Astrid.

treasure hunting

2007-11-19T18:25:00.000Z

Have you ever been out treasure hunting for something only to come home with something completely different? We went out searching for a second hand dresser to do up at this amazing place near Manchester where all the profits go to the homeless. The prices are incredibly reasonable with big pieces of wooden furniture like chests of drawers and tables going for around 30 pounds.

As soon as I spied this little tin I fell in love with it and so the mystery began. What on earth had been kept in it? Ring travellers? What are they? So I did a bit of research on the internet and found out that Cook & Co were in the textile business in Manchester at the beginning of the 1900's. I got excited because the timing fit in with the art nouveau design on the tin. A bit more delving and it seems that ring travellers are something that are/were used in weaving fabric. Fascinating to find a little bit of history and a fun mystery solved.

committing to memory

2007-11-16T11:08:00.000Z

I did this sketch of P before I went away as an excuse to study his face and remember all the details whilst I was gone. It makes him look as though he has a beard which he doesn't. Oops! But it was fun to do and very comforting too.

Whilst at my sister's we have chosen some bridesmaid dresses in a lovely colour. Yay! Thanks for the good luck! And I think I forgot to mention that I've found my wedding dress too. It's gorgeous! Just what I was subconsciously looking for.

Have a great weekend!!

hurray for blog friends!

2007-11-15T12:17:00.001Z

Look what the postman delivered before I went away...! Can I just say that it was very difficult to contain myself long enough to pause and take photos whilst I was unwrapping this parcel!!

Lots of italian newspaper...

and some persimons!! Look how beautiful they are! They're such a gorgeous shiny orange. I can't wait for these to ripen so I can eat them!! :-D

I have made some amazing friends through this world of blogging and none more so than the wonderful nà who picked these especially for me because I'd never tried them before and then sent them all the way from italy to the uk! How amazingly kind is that?!! Nà's life is a complete inspiration to me and if you've never been to her blog then you're missing out big time! Nà takes fantastic photos, is completely in tune with the beautiful part of Italy in which she lives, is incredibly creative, friendly and kind, and is my environmentally-friendly heroine! Anyone who can live without a fridge, especially in a hot country like Italy deserves to be celebrated!

Thanks Nà!! You're a complete star and you totally made my day! I am listening to radio dervish (for the 7th time in a row!!) whilst I am writing this. I am completely in love with it. I haven't even started on the other cd yet! You have completely spoiled me! What an amazing surprise! Thank you!!!

mr robin

2007-11-12T18:37:00.000Z

I was going to post the sketch of the blue tit but decided that this one was better. Hope you like it. I'm writing this at my sister's house and we're off to look for bridesmaid dresses tomorrow. Wish us luck!

last leg...

2007-11-09T11:45:00.000Z

he's very friendly...

almost there now...

... and that's lucky because the mist is really coming down now...

...but I think that left the best photos for last! Thanks for walking with me!! Have a good day!

come on... keep up...

2007-11-08T18:13:00.000Z

Oh good, we're going the right way...

love this bit... it's like a green tunnel...

...anything to post while we're passing?...

I know... let's go for a walk!

2007-11-07T17:09:00.000Z

Up for it anyone?

Some leaves to shuffle through...

don't forget to look up...

Down the path dappled in light...

to the open countryside...

down the hill...

looking very wintry already...

pause for a glimpse of the view...

duck!
... more to follow...

webcraft

2007-11-05T16:30:00.000Z

As much as I hate spiders (although I'd never kill one, they have as much right to live on this planet as we have) I can't help but admire the amazing cobwebs that I found covered in tiny, sparkling drops of water yesterday morning. They're incredible when you think about it.

little bird stamp

2007-11-02T15:54:00.000Z

You know it's very satisfying making stamps, knowing you can use them again and again when you've finished carving them. This one is based on a sketch I made of a blue tit.

I really want to draw the squirrel but it just won't keep still or come close enough! Great opportunity today when it scampered onto the patio but couldn't find my sketchbook. Really annoying!

What are you up to this weekend? Anything fun? Have a good one!

mr pumpkin head pie

2007-11-01T21:49:00.000Z

Didn't want to make mr jack o'lantern angry by letting his brains go to waste so I attempted a gluten & lactose free pie from a new recipe book I picked up. Now I've never had pumpkin pie before so I haven't got anything to compare it to but it turned out really well I think! The filling's very creamy and silky smooth. Unfortunately it reminded P of egg custard (which he hates) a little bit too much so one slice was enough for him. Oh well, somebody's got to eat it!

The book's called Sweet Alternative by Ariana Bundy.

happy hallowe'en!

2007-10-31T10:58:00.001Z

Whatever you're doing... have a great night!

stampy goodness

2007-10-30T19:19:00.000Z

How's this for a first time attempt at creating a rubber stamp? My niece designed and carved it. I'm so proud of her! Isn't it great?! I think she's a natural.

A couple of people have asked how you go about making a rubber stamp. It's similar to making a lino print really. I've got a block of speedystamp that I use or you can use a normal eraser. Then using lino cutting tools or a craft knife you carve your design remembering that you carve away the bits you don't want to print and that your design will print as a mirror image. We used a Brilliance pigment ink pad from the local craft shop to make the print.

brights

2007-10-29T13:55:00.000Z

I picked some beads out that I thought my niece would like and made her some earrings. She wears lots of bright colours so I thought these would suit her. Not my usual style but I really enjoyed making them.

crafty fun with salt dough

2007-10-25T16:15:00.000+01:00

I've been having lots of fun with my niece over the last few days. Yesterday we made a big bowlful of salt dough and spent a few hours using it all up. We created wall hangings, mobiles and ornaments with the sun streaming through the window and the radio playing in the background. It was a lovely morning.

The recipe we used was:
2 mugs of flour
1 mug of salt
approx 12 fl oz lukewarm water

You mix the ingredients together adding just enough of the water to make a supple but not too sticky dough. Then you knead the mixture for 10 minutes.

To stick bits together we made a 'slip' with a bit of dough and some water.

We used skewers to make holes through which wire could be passed. We also used bits of wire with the ends curled into little loops and pushed into the dough to make hangers, and pieces of scrunched up tinfoil as armatures.

Then the whole lot goes into the oven at 150 degrees c for a few hours until it makes a ringing sound like pottery when tapped. When it's cool you can paint it (preferably with acrylic paint) and with a couple of coats of varnish it can last for many, many years.

**Edit** Nà , You can find a couple of photos of salt dough christmas decos I made here and here and here.

vapour trails...

2007-10-18T13:23:00.001+01:00

in the sky this morning. A crisp start to the day.

cornish dream

2007-10-17T16:33:00.000+01:00

Can you see the little window behind the bed? The owner of this thatched cottage put it there to enable you to see the SECRET ROOM(!!!!) where centuries ago they would have hidden contraband and sometimes people. Downstairs there was a beautiful inglenook fireplace and on one side of it there was a hatch leading up to the room. I loved it! The whole place was beautiful. In Cadgwith Cove there is a fish cellar where we bought fresh brill and turbot and everyone is very friendly. The roads are very steep and narrow, most of the cottages are thatched. Fishermen still drag their boats down the shingle beach to fish for crab, mackerel, shark, mullet and lobster. There's folk music in the pub every Tuesday and on Friday's the fishermen sing songs. Such a lovely place. I'd like to go back in January to see the daffodil crops growing on the cliff tops.

a wedding to plan

2007-10-16T12:55:00.000+01:00

Did I tell you I was getting married? Heehee! There's sooo much still to organise and there's about 8 months to go. I've been dress shopping about 3 times now and still haven't found 'the one' so my aim this month is to find my dream dress and also the bridesmaid's dresses.

The best part for me about planning the wedding is putting my mark on all the little details like the stationery and trying to add personal touches here and there. So I've been designing and carving little rubber stamps and trying to brush up on my calligraphy skills. We did a little bit of calligraphy at uni and I wish that I had appreciated it more at the time.

I was cleaning my work room yesterday and found some old tapes. Now I'm listening to hothouse flowers and prince's lovesexy and reminiscing about being 18. It's so good!

seasonal shades

2007-10-12T12:05:00.000+01:00

Thought I'd share these earrings with you that I made for a friend's birthday. I couldn't help myself and made some for myself too. They're my favourites so far. I adore those beads, they have a lovely antique quality.

feeling autumnal

2007-10-10T14:29:00.000+01:00

I just want to start by saying thanks to everyone for leaving supportive comments and emails after my last two posts. It helped me greatly and meant a lot so thank you!

Autumn is in full swing here now. Nà wrote a fantastic list a while ago and it was so inspiring I've been thinking about my own. Apologies if I repeat any (I'm purposefully not looking at it!)

Things I love about Autumn and why it's my second favourite season (after Spring):

leaves changing to beautiful shades of colours
warm, low sunlight casting long shadows
glowing reds, oranges, browns, golds, yellows and pinks
seeing our resident squirrel gracefully leap around, burying conkers in the garden, patting the grass and leaves down with it's tiny paws
wearing a jacket again
woodsmoke
comfort food
scarves
halloween
seeing birds back on the feeders and hearing them chattering away to each other (goldfinches, nuthatches, blackbirds, sparrows, robin, chaffinches, dunnocks, collared doves, blue tits, great tits, wrens and a woodpecker so far)
the feeling of wanting to buy new pens, pencils, notepads
bramley apples from my mum & dad's garden and the apple pie that will be made
latest series of 24 out on dvd (been glued to this for the last week!)
snuggling up on the sofa
trying to catch leaves as they flutter down to the ground (it's supposed to be good luck!)
misty mornings and seeing things in a whole new perspective
bonfires and fireworks on November 5th
butternut squash soup
the earthy woodland smell of leaves decaying
mushroom hunting
carving pumpkins
watching P run down the garden with a water sprayer after the squirrel when it tries to steal the bird food
the anticipation of the siskins arriving (I know, I'm a bird nerd!)
crisp mornings and warm afternoons
seeing your breath in the cool air
berries in the hedgerows
the feeling of change

Gluten-free and lactose free baking mission

2007-10-04T17:43:00.000+01:00

I was so excited when I opened the door of the oven after 20 minutes to see that my gluten-free banana muffins had risen that I actually said out loud to myself, 'Oh my god!! They've risen!!' Not only that but they don't taste any different to the ones I made a few months back with the wheat based flour. I was so pleased that I immediately took loads of photos. Well, after eating one that is.

So, it is my pleasure to give any other poor afflicted souls the recipe:

GLUTEN & LACTOSE FREE BANANA MUFFINS

Makes 10
9 oz (250g) gluten free flour (I used Doves Farm)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp zanthan gum (this replaces the gluten)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 ripe bananas
1 egg
2&1/2 oz (70g) soft brown sugar
2 fl oz (50ml) vegetable oil
1 oz (30g) raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F / 190 degree C / Gas 5. Line 10 deep muffin tins with paper cases.

2. Mash the bananas with a fork.

3. Beat in the eggs, sugar and oil.

4. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, zanthan gum, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until blended then stir in the raisins.

5. Fill the cases about 3/4 full.

6. Bake until risen(!) and golden. 20 - 25 minutes should do it. Transfer to a rack to cool if you can bear not to try one first!

I'm finding the challenge to be fun now and the dread of asking about gluten and lactose free food in restaurants was completely unfounded. The couple of times we've eaten out I've been treated like a VIP.

At Couch's Restaurant in Polperro (yep, we've been to Cornwall again) Richard the chef made me something completely different that wasn't on the menu. He'd got some monkfish in and he made a lovely herby sauce to go with it especially for me! P was very jealous!!

new obsessions, new challenges

2007-09-05T16:32:00.000+01:00

So here we are in Autumn, a time for new beginnings and I have a new addiction... to beads. For a long time I have wanted to have a go at making a few pieces for myself and I'm so pleased with my first attempt. It's so much fun and sooo relaxing, plus you can do it while you're watching the tv. So now I've ordered some more things because I have some gorgeous crystals that deserve some silver findings.

I think it's all subconsciously to reward myself for something that has happened. Something that I have found incredibly tough to start with but thanks to my sister who took me in hand and showed me the way despite having no experience with it herself, is now starting to get easier. It's the biggest challenge I have faced in a long while. I have been put on a gluten and lactose free diet. That means anything with wheat or similar in such as pasta, bread, cakes, biscuits, anything with a small amount of wheat flour such as spicy coatings, breadcrumbs, soy sauce(!), even sausages are off limits unless they're specially made. Then there's the lactose, or anything dairy, that has had to be replaced with soya milk or rice milk products. This is the toughest thing because I miss cheese SO MUCH people! The vegan cheese that is made from tofu is just no compensation. I also miss proper creamy sauces, butter and ice cream. Bad times.

Actually, the worst thing about it right now is going out to eat or being in a social situation where there's food because I feel like a freak and so awkward that people have to cater specially for me. I've never liked being centre of attention. There has been one occasion at a family party where I've just burst into tears because of the massive spread of food that I couldn't touch. I know that sounds ridiculous but it's a weird, lonely feeling of being different to everyone else. People are being so nice though and really going out of their way to help me but I feel so awful that I'm making extra work for people. It's hard to pick up food to eat when you're out and about, shopping or something. It takes some planning ahead. I've yet to go into a restaurant and ask if they can cater for me. That makes me want the floor to open up and swallow me.

I'm sorry for moaning on and feeling sorry for myself because the truth is that it is starting to get easier, at home anyway. I'm not starving like some people in this world. I can still eat fruit, veg, meat, fish, corn, rice and potatoes. Most of the supermarkets sell 'free from' ranges which include things like pasta made from rice and even naan bread which is lovely. I have found some gluten and dairy free jaffa cakes so it's not all bad. The plus side of all this is that I'm feeling a lot better because of the change in diet. I don't want to go into too many details but let's just say the horrendous pain every month is gone and I would have done anything for that so this is a small price to pay. Plus my skin is clearer, I'm not bloated anymore and I think I might have lost a bit of weight. Good times! If you're still reading and stuck with me through this post then thanks. I try to stay away from writing posts like this but this has been so life changing for me. If there's anyone out there who has a similar diet I would LOVE to hear from you.

Now to end on a lighter note I made some Jedi costumes recently for a Star Wars party we were invited to. They took me ages and I thought I was never going to finish them but luckily half an hour before the party I finally switched the sewing machine off! It wasn't long before P was having to feel the force when he was confronted by a mini Darth Vader who was blimmin' scary. Those light sabres are fun though. They make a noise when you hit something.

Right, I'm off to play with some beads! Have a good week and thanks for reading.

**Edit** Remember those tomato plants I grew... those are some of the results on my plate! They are called Sungold and are lovely and sweet. I heartily recommend them!

**Edit again!** I've turned the comment validation off so anybody can leave their thoughts on this post. Thanks.

Isles of Scilly... part two!

2007-08-10T14:17:00.001+01:00

Ok, so it did rain a lot when we were there but I quite like drifting off to sleep listening to the pitter patter of the rain on the tent.

The weather changes sooo fast in Scilly. You could see the rain coming most of the time when it was sunny. It made for some dramatic views.

I fulfilled a dream while we were in Scilly. I rode a horse through the water and across the beach on St. Mary's, then through the bracken on the clifftop. That was exciting!

We also went on a RIB when a force 8 was brewing. That I will never forget. I don't think I have ever screamed so much. I really feared for my life at one point as we headed out to sea and the waves were almost knocking me out of the boat. I had full wet weather gear on and was still soaked to the skin when we finished. It was the most exhilarating experience of my life. We were supposed to be wildlife watching but we didn't see much, just a couple of seals and a few puffins. I think the fella who owned it had a wicked streak and just liked to scare people!

Sparrows are very naughty on Scilly.

This one was particularly amusing. It definitely had a love of lemon cheesecake. It actually LICKED the plate!!! It wasn't at all interested in my toasted teacake.

We escaped another few hours of torrential rain in this gorgeous vintage bus called Katie and went on a guided tour of the island. It had been a bit of a crappy day and for some reason I started laughing hysterically to myself when the driver struggled to get the bus into 2nd gear and we chugged up the hill at probably no more than 5 miles an hour.

P couldn't understand why I had tears rolling down my cheeks. I think at this point the whole camping in the rain and being constantly cold and wet was really getting to me and the hilarity of being packed like sardines into an old bus with the windows all steamed up so nobody could see anything anyway struck me as the funniest thing since I don't know what.

Finally the sun came out again and we took a boat to St. Agnes where the best pub, well ok, the only pub, is called The Turks Head and it is a lovely place with great food and one of the best views ever from the beer garden.

St. Agnes has a wild feel about it compared to the other islands and we were really surprised when we stumbled upon this beach that was just one mass of pebble stacks. I couldn't help but giggle when I spotted that someone had even built one on a rock out in the water. They covered the entire shore! It reminded me of Andy Goldsworthy (Nà - I thought of you and how you would have loved it). We couldn't resist building our own stacks and found that it's harder than it looks to make them balance. Bet they won't be there after the winter storms!

Ironically it was the day after we got the ferry back to the mainland that I found the best turquoise colour I'd been hunting for!

This is my favourite beach of all time... Porthcurno near Lands End. In the winter you can pick up exquisite miniature shells here and you can often spot seals here too. Also there's the famous Minack Theatre which is carved into the rock in the clifftop near where I'm sitting in this photo. It's an unforgettable experience wrapping up all warm and cosy and watching a play while the sun's setting over the sea behind the stage.

I think this will be the last of my posts about Scilly but we are off to Cornwall again soon. I haven't been around much this summer with one thing and another but things will get back to normal around here in a month or so. I still have a lot of posts to catch up on.

Have a good day whatever you're up to.

Isles of Scilly... part one!

2007-07-27T14:44:00.000+01:00

Well I really don't know where to start with this post so I'm starting with the birds. On the campsite where we stayed we quickly made friends with the local birds who were very bold indeed. They even ventured inside the tent! At one point we had at least 30 sparrows around us waiting for us to finish cooking! Very cute watching them feed the babies. Birds in general are a lot tamer on Scilly than the mainland. They will take food from your hand.

I did have a bad bird experience in the first 5 minutes of arriving. We were starving so bought ourselves a couple of pasties and sat on the beach. The seagulls started circling and I swear one aimed right at my pasty and dropped a bomb. It missed and hit me on the arm. Now, some people would say that was lucky.

The isles of scilly are about 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall but they have such a different feel to them. For a start, there are hardly any cars there. If you want to visit you have to leave your car on the mainland and either get the ferry which takes 3 hours or the helicopter or skybus which take something like 15 minutes. We got the ferry and were very lucky to have a smooth crossing. The week afterwards we were told that a man had to take his little girl out on the deck to be sick and then proceeded to throw up himself over his child. Even the dogs were being sick! The ferry isn't nicknamed the great white stomach pump for no reason!!
The inter-island boats are much more fun! You can spend each day on a different island if you want to and they all have very different characters.

You see lots of semi tropical plants growing in the warm climate on the islands. These were in the famous abbey gardens on Tresco which I loved. So many beautiful views there.

It's safe to safe that we didn't have the best of weather and survived a couple of force 8 gales in our tent. You don't get much sleep when that's going on! We became masters at making guy ropes out of parcel string but the tent still rocked from side to side in a very alarming way. I realised after a few nights that earplugs were the answer. Ignorance is bliss!

The whole time we were there I was on the look out for turquoise water. I have an obsession! The beaches were really beautiful with sparkling white sand. When it was hot (a couple of times) it seemed like we were far, far away from the uk.

You have to be extra careful with the sun lotion. The man in the campsite shop told us that because there's no pollution the uv light is 10 times stronger so you can burn even when it's cloudy. I spent the whole time wearing factor 20 and still looked pink. Can I just say that Johnson's lotion for kids is lovely! The smell of peaches will forever remind me of Scilly now.

The only way to get around after you've got off the boat is by walking. We must have clocked up a few miles. There is a bus service on St. Mary's but the girl in the tourist info centre told us the bus driver had been done for drink driving and when someone had tried to fill in for him, he'd ran them off the road!

You see that light on the top of the hill? That's the star castle hotel. Our campsite was beyond there. We saw a couple of great sunsets walking up the very steep hill but they're for another post I think.

Come back summer!!

2007-07-17T17:18:00.001+01:00

Summer seems to have gone downhill here. It's all grey clouds and rain. I'm sure you've heard about the awful flooding there's been recently. We escaped luckily but reading the headlines while we were away was really shocking. Those poor people.

I've given up sun dancing and have decided to get on with my latest lino print, hoping it will inject a bit of summer back into my life. Not sure if I've made it a bit too intricate but I'll soon find out when I start carving. It's one of the old fashioned ice cream vans. A Bedford van I think.

My blog break was... mmm... refreshing? ...different? ... definitely a challenge. We had a break from life in general and went to the Isles of Scilly for a couple of weeks. In a tent. Not the best choice in this weather.
:-o
But that's a whole separate post!

Hope the sun's shining on you wherever you are.

The Little Blue Potting Shed

2007-06-19T16:59:00.000+01:00

This place is so beautiful. It's a magical hotch potch of veggie plot, greenhouse, ducks, a shed, baskets, bathtubs, wine boxes, tea cups and cottagey type things all put together in a really imaginative way. The owners have used all sorts of interesting old things as containers for plants and flowers. It gave me so many great ideas. They have a lovely honesty stall in the lane at the front and I often see people stopped there buying their veg and eggs. Everything is labelled in chalk with little pieces of slate. It's so idyllic! Even better, I've discovered that they deliver veg boxes so I'm currently investigating further.

For the next couple of weeks I'm going dark (in the words of Jack Bauer!). I'm going to be taking a short break from the blog but will hopefully be back with lots to tell you.

Happy summer solstice everyone!

Tagged!

2007-06-18T16:42:00.000+01:00

I've been tagged! Thanks Nà. Now I'm sitting here with my nice hot drink I'll make a start...

Three jobs I’ve had:

1. Chamber maid

2. Graphic artist

3. Graphic designer

Three places I’ve lived:

1. Cheshire

2. Exeter, Devon

3. Back to Cheshire again!

Three places I’d like to visit which I’ve never been:
1. Isles of Scilly.... soon to be rectified!!

2. Brittany, France

3. West coast of Scotland with it's islands.

Three most unforgettable places I’ve been on holiday:

1. That's easy... Pembrokeshire, Wales!!

2. Paris

3. Rome

Can I have 2 more??!!
4. Prague
5. Cornwall, England

Three things that bring me comfort:

1. My family and friends

2. Peace and quiet

3. Nature

Three of the most memorable books I read last year:

1. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

2. The Food of Love by Antoni Capella

3. She's come undone by Wally Lamb

Three books that I started because I felt I ought to, but didn’t finish:
(I second Nà when when she says in honesty she's never read a book because she feels she ought to, but always because she feels she wants to.)

1. The God of Small Things... just couldn't get into this one. Was it good?

2. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway... still might finish this one.

3. The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart... Really didn't like this book. Found it disturbing!

Three songs that give me goosebumps:

1. Little Red Corvette by Prince

2. Find My Love by Fairground Attraction

3. Aidia by Sarah Mclachlan... I could list so many more!

Three loved films from my childhood:

1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
2. Stand by Me
3. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (watched this again a few months ago and it's still good!)

The last three films I saw are:

1. American Splendor (was really enjoying this until the DVD decided to stop halfway through)

2. Angel-A

3. Walk the Line

Three things I didn’t do as a child that I wish I had:

1. Realised that you really can be whoever you want to be

2. Been nicer to my parents!!

3. Joined the rowing club at an earlier age

Three things I’d like to do that I haven’t done yet:

1. Travel round the world

2. Make a fantastic veggie garden

3. Live by the sea with a lovely studio to work in.

The three people I’m going to tag with this meme:

I'm not going to tag anyone this time but please feel free to join in and leave me a message to let me know.