Flying visit to Chichester

Good evening,
Well last week I got the train up to see Ashley Ray and Rose, sometimes I fly up, but at this time of year the cost of flights tends to be a little steep, so therefore I took the train option, as it takes so long it is a good time to catch up with some Christmas WIP's.

It seems so long since I had seen them all, and Rose is growing so quickly, she has gone from being a little baby to a proper little girl.  The problem with living so far away is that I cannot just 'pop' in for a coffee and catch up.  I couldn't resist plonking my hat on Rose, she did look cute, and not quite like 'Frank Spencer'.

Rose has decided that  she wanted to be part of the Iphone generation, though she seems to be more taken with the Cath Kidson cover than the actual phone.  Talk about starting young with the 'can I have a mobile phone Mum!'.

                                               

While I was visiting we took a walk down to the park and Rose loved being pushed on the swing, with big smiles on her face.

While I was there Ashley managed to finnish one of her Christmas presents, sort out Rose's clothes into age groups and also to plant all her bulbs for the spring.  While Ashley was in the garden I got the chance to give Rose her lunch, she found it highly amusing to throw things on the floor from her highchair, giving the biggest smile as if to say 'look what  I can do'.

I cannot wait for Christmas day to seem them again, and I have done Rose her first 'Christmas pillowcase', as this is something I have always done for Ashley (she still gets one now) and it is a tradition that I wanted to continue for Rose.  By the way the pillowcase is full of presents (like a stocking, if you get my drift).


Oh well all for now
Thanks for stopping by xx

The move!

Good evening, and huge apologies for the huge gap in blog entries.

Since moving to Cornwall, I have moved three times, which is not that much of a big thing apart from when you consider that I have only been here less than two years.  The thing with moving is that  it involves huge changes, they do say that  one of the most stressful things in life is moving house, I seem to be a glutton for punishment.  

When I moved to Cornwall I moved into a lovely little cottage right on the harbour, and thought that I would have been there for a long time, but the lady who owned the cottage decided that she wanted to move back in for a while, while work was being done to the next door property.  I couldn't believe it, my little cottage was so perfect and couldn't believe that I had to move, and also where would I move?



As mentioned in previous posts I have a delinquent pony called Copper who was totally settled where she was, so therefore the search for another property close to where she is stabled was commenced.  The only property that was available was more expensive, but I thought well, I will take it even if it is only for six months.  The only snag was that the owner of the cottage lived directly behind the cottage, so it was a little like being in the big brother house, or a goldfish bowl.

I started looking again for somewhere else to live that was more affordable, and this resulted in relocating to a mobile home, I worried at first as to 'what  had I done', but I can honestly say that this is the best thing that I could have done, I have a definate feeling of being 'settled'.

This was the morning of the move the the little Tin Cottage, organised chaos, but once I has packed everything, at least I could relax.

My sister came to visit for a few days, which was lovely as I don't see enough of her, and we got to watch several DVD's and do lots of craft type stuff.  Colette said she felt very lazy sitting down during the day.  But as I said to her, this visit was about her having some time 'out'.

This picture was taken by her one morning, and this is half a mile down the road from my little Tin Cottage, quite a spectacular view don't you think? (I was sneaky and pinched the photo from her blog - sorry Colette).



I have named my new home the 'Little Tin Cottage', and she is situated on a farm, and I have six chickens that seem to have taken up residence under the caravan, and can even be cheeky enough to wander in.  It is disconcerting when you go into the bathroom, and find that one of the chickens has sneaked in and is watching you!

The photo below is rather messy, but as you can see it is mid craft session as Christmas is approaching.  I am doing the classic for my family, in having so much on the go that I cannot seem to actually finnish anything!

I will have to put some better pictures of my new little home on here, but haven't got any to hand at the moment.

This is the view out of one of the lounge windows, totally peaceful, very restful environment.

Now you have to use your imagination with this one, as this is my garden, with the decking all ready to be put up.  I am going to plant lots and lots of bulbs, so the garden is a mass of colour in the spring.

Sometimes you just have to treat yourself, and while I was in the supermarket I spotted these carnations in the reduced bin, they are so bright and cheerful and brighten up the most dull of days.  Considering they were in the reduced bin, they are still going strong over a week later.

Oh well all for now, thank you for stopping by to my little corner of Cornwall

xxxx

Granny Square Cushion

Good afternoon,

I have been thinking about making a granny square cushion for a while but have had so many things on the go that I never seemed to get round to it.  But the other day I thought I would make a start on it, I wasnt sure what colours to use, do I go for pastels or something a little brighter.  As I has a lot of Stylecraft yarn in various amounts I thought I would go for a little randomness.  I wanted it to be bright but not so bright that you would need to pick up a pair of sunglasses to look at it. 

As I have been working nights this week it seemed an ideal opportunity to get on with making lots of little granny squares.  The squares were easy to do, but I still struggle with the whole joining on the go thing, sometimes I get it right and sometimes they end up all bunched up, I think the term is less haste more speed!!!  

Once I had finished all the granny squares I had the task of deciding which colour to use as the background for joining them all together.  I couldn't make a decision between the beige or the olive green, but after much thought I went for the beige........ and I think I made the right choice as the beige sets off the colours of the granny squares really well.

Below is the picture of the first two squares joined together, this is always the easy bit, it is when you have to add another one into the mix that I tend to get confused.

Well, eventually I succeeded in joining all squares together.  I wanted to have a contrasting colour for the back of the cushion, and settled on a rich red, for the large granny square, the only trouble was that I ran out of red before I reached the end...... don't you hate it when that happens, so for the last few rounds I used some more of the beige, but also used the olive green.

And there you have it, my first granny square cushion, and I can honestly say that I am really chuffed with it and it now has pride of place on the sofa.

Oh well, thanks for stopping by for my ramble of the day.
Take care
xxxxx

Copper

Hi and good evening,

I thought I would pop in a post about four legged person that I spend alot of time with. 

Meet Cooper, she would like to think that she is a horse, but due to being only 14.2 she falls into the pony catagory.  She is not impressed with this, as she feels that inside she is a willowy model, but in reality she is like a naughty chubby teenager.

I have had her for about three years now and we have sort of grown with each other.  She was previously owned by a teenager who thought nothing of feeding her Cadbury creme eggs...... so conciquently when she came to me she went on a diet or three, she is definately the type of pony that just needs to look at grass and it goes straight on her hips!!

She is very inquisitive and nosey, always looking for a polo (sugar free of course).

This is how she spends most of her time, 'naked' apart from hair, as she doesnt like rugs, and has been known to lay on the floor and wriggle her way out of any that you put on her....... a bit like a equine version of Houdini.

The photo below shows the view from her field, and what  an amazing view, I cant stop pausing to look on the way down to the field every day, as the scenery is breath taking.

Copper and I have had some intersting scrapes over the last few months, firstly she decided it would be a good idea to put me face down on the wet sand of the beach, so she could take off and explore on her own. Then a couple of weeks ago we fell down a drain (she was not too impressed with being in the gutter!!), and we both ended up with cuts and bruises.

So that is a little about my naughty but funny pony.
Take care, and thanks for stopping by
xxxx

Scarves and Craft Fayres

Good afternoon,

I have been busy doing craft fayres at the moment, and with it being the summer holidays there have been lots of people visiting Cornwall.  I do two craft fayres a week, one on a wednesday at Mevagissey, and the other on a friday at Fowey.

Below are a selection of my slate pendants, which did look a little neater earlier in the day but once small people desend they they tend to get mixed up, as they are just the right size for little fingers to grab hold of.


I have been making lots of stuff with slate and driftwood and sea glass.  But then I thought it would be nice to do something that was a bit different, and as I am always crocheting while at the fayres, one of the other stall holders suggested that I have a go at making some scarves and incorporating some of my hand made slate buttons.

I must admit that it has been fun to do something a bit different, and I have played around with some different ideas.  As you can see from the photos I have been having fun experimenting, I kept looking at different patterns on the internet, but couldnt find anything I really liked.  Therefore I kept thinking that maybe I should see if I could come up with an idea of my own.   Although it is not a very good picture the picture shows both my new scarves and also the crochet hangings that  I make.

This is my favourite scarf, it is so so soft, but I cannot find some similar yarn to make some more, so the hunt goes on.  I love the way that  the slate buttons go so well with the soft cream yarn..... just makes you want to snuggle up with it on a blustery day.

The picture below is one of my slate signs that I make, incorporating all the things that you would find on the beach.



The two following pictures are of two of the other stalls at the craft fayre, the glass jewellery is beautiful, though my heart is always in my mouth that someone will knock some of it over.



The following stall is lovely, the girl that runs it makes all her stuff from vintage fabric and materials.  The red gingham chicken door stop is great, and I am so tempted to buy it....... but I have restrained myself so far.  She also makes mackerel cushions from cream fabric and screen prints on their markings, incorporating the word 'Cornwall'.



I really enjoy doing the craft fayres, as I always come away with so many new ideas, also I am making some lovely like-minded friends.  Cornwall has such a rich variety of crafters, and I am always coming across different ideas and concepts.

Oh well all for now as I have to finnish a crochet cowl for one of the girls from the craft fayre, we are doing a swap as I really want one of her beautiful necklaces.  So therefore I have been busily making the cowl so we can do the swap and I can have the necklace.

Take care
Thank you for stopping by
xx

The Visit

Good Evening,

I am sorry that  it has taken me so long to publish this post, but I had put all the pictures in, but needed to have time to sit and write the post, otherwise it would have only contained lots of pictures and no explanations.

I had decided to take a trip up to see my daughter, granddaughter and son in law.  Usually I would have flown but with it being the summer holidays the price of flights had rocketed, so I looked into other ways of getting there........ and one of the cheapest options was to take the train.  I thought it would be lovely to take time out and spend the journey (all five and a half hours) either reading or crocheting, this was a nice idea, but I had not factored in the two changes..... now as you have gathered from the previous post I am not the greatest with directions.  So I spent the whole time worrying that I would either sleep through the changes or get on the wrong train!!  Luckily I had the forethought to book my seat, otherwise it would have been a case of trying to plonk myself down, and then having to spend time standing as the train was so busy.  

I arrived at the station in plenty of time, with all my bags including the hamper that I had spent time assembling for my daughter Ashley, as she had my granddaughter Rose six months ago and everyone gets bits for Rose, so I thought it would be nice to get some bits for Ashley........ a bit like the 'pillow case' that I used to do for her Christmas...... nothing in it cost a lot but they were all things that I knew that she would like.  

I finally arrived at Chichester and met Ashley and Rose at the station, it was so busy as my arrival had also coincided with the Goodwood Festival, lots of posh people, the women looked lovely, and I felt like the country bumpkin in flip flops and cargo trousers.

Here is a picture of Ashley and Rose, rose has definitely decided that she wants to be upright and loves nothing better than to have a little help to totter on her little feet.

Such a beautiful smiley girl, I dont think I have ever seen her really really grumpy, she is definitely going to break some hearts when she grows up.

This is such a lovely photo, two of the most special ladies in my life.

I hate the fact that I am so far away from them, and when I get to see them I tend to take so many pictures, as Rose changes so much and in between visits, she seems to develop in leaps and bounds.  there is nothing that  she likes better than to get stripped down to her nappy and roll around on the floor....... it will not be long until she is crawling......... Ashley is then worrying about where to put all her yarns and books and other crafting things!!!!  My son in law Ray was going round the lounge looking at all the things that will have to be moved, covered, protected for when small person is mobile!!!

Hello everyone my name is Rose and I have the most infectious giggle.

The visit was fantastic, as you can see it was definitely worth the long train journey.  Ashley loved her hamper, and watching her open all the little gifts was priceless, and I couldnt resist buying Rose a new outfit, a little summer dress with matching knickerbockers and hat.  Also i have decided to give Slimming World a go, as Ashley has done so amazingly well, and I have been gradually putting on weight, so seeing how well Ashley has done has given me the motivation, so I will keep you up to date with my progress.

I am aiming to go up to see Ashley, Rose and Ray very soon, as I miss them dearly, though next time I will definitely be flying from Newquay, much quicker 40 minutes from Newquay to Gatwick and then 50 minutes down to Chichester................. much better than 5 and a half hours.  

Thank you so much for stopping by, take care xxxx

Glastonbury 2011

Hello there, well I am back,
Sorry it has been a while but have been without my beloved laptop, and although I can access the internet through my phone it is not the best idea to try and write a post on it!!

I have been working at Glastonbury festival for a number of years now as a nurse, and this year I had a request from my niece, to come as my guest..................... there was a hidden agenda though as she is the biggest Beyonce fan and had heard that she would be playing at Glastonbury this year.  So could she possibly come with me....... my heart was in my mouth, as that would mean that I was totally responsible for a 17 year old at her first festival!  Though I no cause to worry as I think she was a lot more sensible than I am, and with an altogether better sense of direction........... everyone who knows me, knows that I have absolutely no sense of direction.  Though my sister Colette 'poppycottage18', humours me and says that  my way of driving is a lot more scenic than going straight to a destination!!!

Everyone just sitting and chilling out in the sun, they kept bringing loads and loads of wood shavings onto the site to soak up the mud.  At one point I made Josie sit down for half an hour with me on a huge pile of these wood shaving, heaven.... warm and dry.  Though we didn't sit for too long as Josie has this inability to just sit and chill.

I love this photo, to me it totally sums up the whole Glastonbury experience, bare feet, wellies, socks and mud...... though in this case the dry variety.

Where else could you see a pink sheep in wellies!!

I took these photos as these mirrors were so pretty and unique, and the heart one with the wood border was my favourite, thank goodness it was sold, otherwise I could see myself making an unnecessary purchase and then trying to negotiate the mud carrying a mirror back to the tent!!

This one was the favourite of my niece Josie, though I can see a very unflattering image in it of my legs complete with flowery wellies (well, I would not lose those wellies in a hurry).

 This was an image of the walk from out camp site up to the main path, the mud was really hard to negotiate when it started to dry and it became like glue, very good for toning up your thigh muscles, but it was much easier to walk in the mud when it was like slurry, not pleasant but much much easier.

This is a photo of my niece Josie, complete with her camera, i think i worried so much about her losing it whilst being pushed around in the crowds.
The funniest thing is that Josie doesn't do mud and bad smells....... welcome to Glastonbury !!  She would wait until she was desperate for the loo, before attempting to use the famous Glastonbury drops (toilets), and she had loo roll, antibacterial spray, and would wait until she could follow after a woman...... less mess and smell!!

As I said Josie went everywhere with her camera, she must have taken hundreds of photos while she was there.  She was totally in awe of the amount of people, especially this image of all the tents, it is definitely like a sea of canvas.

Each time I go to Glastonbury I always take pictures of the flags, they  are so bright and cheerful, and there are so many different ones all around the site.

I had to put this one in the the post as it shows her mum that she did the mud and coped, and even smiled.

 I couldn't resist these flowers, even with all the mud under foot, to be able to look up and see these amazing creations was fantastic, and with them framed by the beautiful blue sky you could almost forget about the mud.

 This picture is so lovely, there were two of these caravans, and they were so beautifully restored.

 I put this photo in to show what  it was like before the mud arrived!!

Josie I think had a good time, but I think the definite highlight for her was seeing her idol Beyonce, bless her she made her way to the Pyramid stage on Sunday afternoon about 2pm, and waiting patiently there in the blistering heat until Beyonce came on stage at 10pm, that is true dedication.  She stood through many different acts, including Pendulum to name but one. Her main concern was what  if she needed the loo? as there was no option to go off to the loo, so rationing her fluid intake was the only way to manage that. The smile on her face afterwards was priceless.

Josie and I said at the beginning that  it was going to be the longest time that we had spent together...... would we survive?  I am glad to say we did, and it was lovely to spend some time with her before she moves to London in September to go to College.

Oh well all for now, thanks for stopping by xxxx