Down in Fairy Dell and other ramblings with Cherie Kemp

Gorgeous sunny day

2012-01-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

And to think that yesterday I was saying that there is a chill in the air :-) I suppose mother nature does keep us guessing.
Tony and I went for a nice long walk and gathered a bag full of fairly thick sticks (not quite branches) off the floor. They will be very useful on the log burner.
I have been having a play with the webcam on my computer. I took this photo which though the quality isn't too great is how I look today. I think I need to work on my double chin before I take any more photos :-)

Cold and wet outside

2012-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

I think winter is finally catching up on us. It has been unseasonably warm for the time of year but I feel a definite chill heading this way. The mornings are still dark but at least the evenings are starting to get lighter. The garden is looking really pretty at the moment. I have all manner of flowers out there and since we created two borders where we had gravel, I have a load more gardening space to play with. I am hoping to grow more veg this coming season. We are taking down the clematis and plannning to plant the grape vine against the fence in its place if it has survived the winter outdoors in its pot.. I am also planning on growing runner beans up the fence instead of up the wigwam. This will free up a little more of my precious tiny veg plot for other things. I am currently sprouting seeds to eat as beansprouts. They are supposed to be very good for you and they take up so little room

Plastic recycling today

2012-01-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

I have had the loveliest crafting time today with my friend Lynne. We spent all morning showing her how to use her new Bigshot. Then when I came home I finally got round to using my shrink plastic. OH MY WORD it is wonderful stuff. I made some cute buttons and some teeny tiny hands and flowers. I say teeny tiny as I had no idea just how much it would shrink. IT SHRINKS BY A HUGE AMOUNT.
Then I crocheted a goldfish from a pink plastic carrier bag. I started yesterday by making an orange one and am now utterly hooked (forgive the pun). Tomorrow I need to go into town and instead of refusing the plastic bag when it is offered, if it is of a suitable flimsyness I will accept it and it too can become a fish.

Friday 20th January

2012-01-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well I have had two lovely days off work. I managed to dry some laundry outside which is something I haven't been able to do since last year. The back garden doesn't get any sun during the winter so it always thrills me when it starts to appear over the top of the house. The first crocus have opened in the front border but it doesn't mean winter is over yet. We may not have had any snow so far but there is plenty of time for a downfall before winter finally slips away.

The shawlette that I started earlier this week is now blocked out on a towel in front of the fire. It is a beautiful midnight blue with a thread of shiny blue lurex running through. I am looking forward to wearing it next week. I am hoping to make some matching smittens when i have a spare hour or two.

My lovely friend Paul called in for a cup of tea this morning. He is such a nice man and so funny and entertaining. His daughter Kitty spent a lot of time down in Fairydell with me when I used to organise outdoor activities. What a lovely bright girl she is. I do miss being outdoors and only wish I could have encouraged more people to come out and enjoy the woods and park.

Middle of January already

2012-01-18T03:03:00.000-08:00

Where on earth is the month disappearing to? It is already half way through January. Weather today is cold but struggling to brighten up.

Tony and I went back to our carving club last nigth and it was really good to be back. We did have to drag ourselves away from the fire last night before going out but thoroughly enjoyed the evening when we got there.

When we got home I made a start on another shawlette. This one is going to be a gorgeous Midnight blue with a deep blue sparkly thread running through it. I have only knitted a little it but it is looking really nice so far. I am becoming a little obsessed with all this shawl knitting. I will have to start putting them away to give as presents. Trouble is I can't bring myslef to part with them when I have spent so many hours knitting them. I have discovered the most beautiful Fairtrade cotton yarn. Debbie Bliss Eco baby is utterly beautiful to knit. It is so soft and there is a fantastic range of colours. I have just ordered some in pinky shades so that I can knit a little shoulder wrap to keep the sun off my neck during the summer. We do get the occasional sunny day here :-)

Log burner

2012-01-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well we have lived with the Log burner for 5 days now and I can't recommend it highly enough. The whole house is so warm and toasty. We haven't watched tv in days. We are perfectly content to just sit by the fire chatting. Best of all we have used no central heating as the house just radiates warmth. My bill is going to be tiny when we get our winter one in March. Well not tiny obviously but a helluva lot cheaper than last years bill. We have had a hard frost all weekend but haven't noticed it indoors. I might just hibernate until March so long as someone chucks the occasionaly log on the fire :-) We open the sitting room door to let the heat rise through the house when it gets too warm. I am even drying laundry in the same room. Might as well use the heat instead of putting the tumble dryer on. I am trying to buy a suitable kettle now so I can make my bedtime cup of coco with water heated on top of the stove. Good life or what? :-)

Woodburning stove

2012-01-11T02:10:00.000-08:00

Well we finally got around to having one installed. Last night was our first night of burning logs and it was beautifully warm. At first it was a bit smoky but once I had adjusted the vents it settled down. Now I need to see if I can put a cooking pot on top and warm some water. It would be great fun to boil a couple of eggs for my tea just using the heat off the stove.

Oh how dark the morning are in January. The evenings are starting to draw back just a little bit but it is so dark when I leave the house each morning. Standing at that bus stop is miserable when you can barely see anything other than car headlights. I think I may have seen a patch of crocus starting to appear but it is too dark to identify them yet. It is probably just rubbish blown up onto the grass bank.

I finished my lovely Fairtrade Cotton shawlette and I am really pleased with how it has turned out. The yarn was a dream to knit and I shall certianly buy some more once I have worked through some of my knitting stash.

Friday already

2012-01-06T01:51:00.001-08:00

Welll where did this past week go? I have spent most of it trying to think of new ways to encourage more people to buy at least one fairtrade product each month. It is such a difficult job when I know that people are struggling to pay bills and feed their families. If only everyome could see that a few pemce more once each month on our shopping bills makes such a difference to the lives of those prople that are producing the things we eat. What a grossly unfair world we live in.
Other than that what else have I been doing? Well for a start I cut all my christmas cards into little pillow shaped gift boxes. I have also been cutting my old milk bottles into birds and making mobiles to hang outside when it is sunny. Hopefully I will manage to put a few new pictures on this blog once I get a few minutes.
Tony and I are having a log burning fire installed next week. We are so looking forward to it and are looking at collecting logs all through the summer so that next winter we will have a toasty warm house for very little cost.

Back to work today

2012-01-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

Happy new Year to anyone that may have stumbled on my blog. Hope it is is warm and dry where you are. It was wet and dark when I came out of the house this morning. Standing at the bus stop was quite an experience as the wind tried to tear the shelter from the ground. It was lovely to come round the corner and see all the lights on in this office. This meant that I wasn't first one in and that there was a chance it might be slightly warm inside.
My funding is due to run out in March and I am so aware that cutbacks are being made everywhere. This might be my last few months at MEC so I hope to really promote Fairtrade while I am still in post as I have become absolutely passionate about it. I can't bring myself to buy any banana but a Fairtrade one. To think about the people that are actually growing the things I eat and to pay them a fair price has become my mantra. I am also busy finding new things to make from old plastic milk bottles. I have had such fun during the Christmas holidays turning my rubbish into 'art'. The kids will enjoy taking home new things when I get back into schools and show them that there really is no such thing as rubbish. I am sure that there are very clever people out in the world who will be able to use things that I have yet to find a way to re use.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a wonderful day I have had up to now. I have been thoroughly spoiled with loads of really lovely presents including this gorgeous new laptop from my lovely hubby. I am just getting used to the features on it. I was amazed at the pile of presents that greeted me this morning but best of all was the lovely day with Tony and the boys that I have had. Alexander went off to his dads at 2pm and then Adam went off home at 2.30. Tony is sitting watching 'happy feet, on TV and I am downloading microsoft office onto the computer. It has taken an hour to downoad but it will be so useful for me.
Merry Christmas to anyone that might stumble upon this blog.

Finished for Christmas

2011-12-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

Well I finished on Friday until after the Christmas holidays. Saturday we went and bought all our Christmas food and goodies and then today I went into Middlesbrough to buy Alexander a good coat and some nice aftershave. It was so difficult to find a nice lightweight waterproof coat without a fleece lining. He gets too warm and already has two warm coats???? We searched for ages until we managed to find one for him. Both boys have asked for new socks ???? Ho hum, my children are easy to please. Adam asked for a new light for his sitting room but that was ages ago and it is a distant memory now. I also paid for his tattoo but again that was ages ago and I do so want him to have a couple of presents to open on Christmas morning.
My sister came over today and we had a lovely natter. It seems so long ago that she was very ill with cancer but it was only a year ago. She was very poorly and didn't enjoy last Christmas but she is having a great one this year. It is odd to see her hair so short but poor love lost it all and it will take a while to grow back. I love the colour she has it now. The bathrooms still aren't finished but we are almost there. They will be lovely when they are finished and have doors on :-).

More bathroom bliss

2011-12-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Today most of the tiles went on in one of the bathrooms. It feels as though we are making some real progress now. Ken has worked so hard bless him and is such a font of knowledge. We would (could) not have done this without his help. I am still knitting shawlettes and have just finished another. It has been great as a learning curve for me and they are so warm and cosy when draped around my shoulders. Eventually I hope to graduate to knitting full size shawls but I need to learn to be a lot more patient before this is going to happen. I am planning to knit another shawlette soon using Fairtrade cotton. It has become my 'bee in a bonnet' subject now. I just can't imagine not paying a fair price when someone else's life depends on being able to earn enough to provide them with the tiniest of basic needs. We have so much that we take for granted in this country and it pleases my soul to think that I am able to share the benefits I have worked for. I know that my funding could end at any moment and I will not have a regular income coming in. In the meantime I am saving a little each month to see me through the lean times. Hopefully this won't come too soon but hey!!! que sera sera.

Bathroom bliss

2011-11-22T04:04:00.001-08:00

Well we have been without a bathroom for weeks now though it feels like months. Today the bath will be installed. I have said that if I have to fill it with a bucket I am taking a bath this evening. I long for a lovely soak in a bubble bath. I have a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge, bubble bath, a scented candle and a nice relaxing CD all waiting for tonight. The house hasn't felt clean since I can't remember when and there is cement and plaster dust and debris under every gap and on every surface. It doesn't seem to matter how often I wipe down with a damp cloth dust settles the minute I blink ;-(

This time next week my house will be all clean and sparkling again. The plasterer is coming to plaster our bedroom ceiling on Sunday and after that I can just dust and polish till my hearts content. Then we can start to think about Christmas.

Almost November

2011-10-28T00:27:00.000-07:00

Where on earth did this year go? It seems no time since we were looking at Christmas decorations in the shops last year. Although I do think it all goes up way too early these days I admit to loving Christmas. I have been really busy making some pretty things to send to some swap partners on the Ravelry website. I can't post photos until after they get them or it will spoil the surprise.
Here at home we are in the process of replacing the bathroom. I have a house full of cement dust and a very sore finger where I bashed it with a mallet and chisel (wince at the thought) but I know that it will all look lovely when it is finished.
I have been off work for nearly two weeks now as I have a lot of holiday time to use up. It is coming up to my busy time in schools and I won't have the heart to turn them down as we get closer to Christmas. I love to see the kids faces when they make something utterly gorgeous from old junk. People keep telling me that I should write a book and I am now seriously considering it so watch this space.
Must go and get dressed now as I have a thousand things to do today. Stay warm and well fed and be gentle with yourself. x

1st of October already

2011-10-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it is now October. Where has the past year gone?
Well at least the Middlesbrough Town Meal was a huge success. The weather was good to us and people flocked in their thousands.
I have been off work now for the past week and boy did I pick two good weeks as holiday. The sun has shone and it has been hotter than July. I have had such a restful week and still have another to enjoy. Tomorrow Tony and I are going to London for a few days and it looks as though the weather will be good for at least part of our break. I have tried over and over to knit a lace shawl but I keep making mistakes. I have pulled it out so many times that I have now given up trying. I will have another go during the winter when the sunshine isn't around to tempt me out into the garden. I have weeded, dead headed and mown the lawn this week. It looks so pretty and full of colour right now.

2011-09-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

I thought you might like to see a picture of my baby goldfish. I do actually have 16 in total but they won't keep still

Middlesbrough Town Meal 2011

2011-09-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

Is almost upon us. It has come round so fast and hopefully we have thought of everything to make it a great day out for families.
Today we took a load of kids Edwardian/Victorian style clothes into a local school and arranged a photo shoot. Hopefully the Gazette and the Northern Echo will run an article which will give us some much needed publicity.
On Sunday I was invited to talk live on air about making chutney and the Town Meal on our local radio station and I think it went really well. I tend to talk a lot when I am nervous so was terrified that I would mumble a load of nonsense. I was pleased when I listened to it yesterday on the BBCi. I think I covered pretty much all that needed mentioning.
I didn't finish work until after 7 this evening so I am worn out. I think a bath and an early night will do me the world of good

Latest news

2011-09-07T01:43:00.000-07:00

Well where do I begin (could that be a song)? Preparations for Middlesbrough Town Meal have taken up a huge amount of my time and I am meeting myself coming backwards at the moment. Poor Louise is working herself into the ground juggling so many roles. I have volunteered to go in two extra days without pay in the week running up to the meal just to help out as much as I can.
Crafting is taking a bit of a back shelf at the moment though I am still trying out lots of daft little ideas for quick and easy crafts for children. I love the way the internet lets us all share our craft ideas with other like minded people. I have learned so much from adapting things I have seen online. I am also knitting at the moment and am making gloves and scarves in all colours of the rainbow.
I had planned to go into town today but I think I might just have a nice lazy day off and chill out with a nice new knitting pattern.

Been down to Kent

2011-08-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

And oh how warm it was. The weather forecast hadn't been very good so I unpacked all my skirts and shorts. I put jeans and a couple of cardigans in as I assumed the evenings would be cool. Well we must be tough 'Up North' as we found it was pleasantly warm during the evenings. Only once did we need our coats and that was during a heavy rain storm. Once the rain cleared away it was beautiful weather all the time we were there.

Anyway now that I am home I can show you what I have made recently. I now have a passion for knitting lace and as this was the only pattern I had until my lace knitting books arrived I made a start on it. I am sooooo pleased with how it looks

Home Made Butter

2011-08-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well I promised I would tell you what I have been up to lately. Well, where do I begin? I have been busy delivering recycled craft sessions to kids with Autism which has been quite challenging but really good experience for me. My baby fish are growing bigger and stronger each day and we have 15 or 16 I am not quite sure which. The planning for Middlesbrough Town Meal continues in earnest now and will become more hectic as the weeks pass. It has been decided that Staff will dress up in Edwardian Costumes as it is the 1ooth birthday of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge and we have tied our Town Meal into the Anniversary event. I had assumed that I would prefer being an Edwardian Lady until I tried on the maids outfit which felt very smart indeed. Oh gosh will we be warm on the day if the sun shines.

Tonight when I came home from work I made my very first butter. It is probably the easiest thing I have ever made. You simply put some double cream into a clean jam jar. Put the lid on tightly and shake it vigorously for about twenty minutes. After about 5 minutes of shaking it looks like thick whipped cream. Keep shaking until eventually the buttermilk separates from the butter. It turned into a lump of butter in a pool of buttermilk. I kept on shaking for a bit longer until the butter was quite firm. Now put the butter in a dish (save the buttermilk for making pancakes or scones) I poured some very cold water on the butter and squashed it a number of times with a fork. I changed the water 3 times until no more buttermilk came out. Then I patted the butter dry with a paper towel. I prefer my butter slightly salted so I added a pinch of sal and worked this through the butter with the fork Et Voila. BUTTER. It is utterly delicious and so satisfying to think I made it myself.

Pincushions

2011-08-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today I received through the post two lovely pincushions. They are part of a swap I took part in on the Ravelry site. I am a little busy just lately but will come back and tell you all about what I have been up to recently

Last week of July

2011-07-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

Where on earth has this year gone? If it goes any faster I reckon I will spin off the earth. It is the last week of July. Alexander finished college for the summer and Tony and I have just celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. Next week I will be ** years old. I am not that old!!!!! I couldn't possibly be :-) I really don't know where the years are going. It seems the older I get the faster time passes.
I am currently enjoying knitting and have a few new books to add to my ever growing craft library. I really shouldn't buy any more books but there are so many things I want to learn. Tony bought me a lovely willow basket on Saturday so I am planning to go up into the loft and find my yarn stash. I think the basket will look lovely when filled with balls of yarn. I have bought a couple of books with projects that use only one ball. I will enjoy knitting all these pretty little things and then my lovely friend Val can have them to sell to raise funds for her Greyhound Rescue charity Greyhounds Galore.

Look what I just received

2011-07-16T23:33:00.001-07:00

I have just received through the post the most gorgeous of shawls. It is from Hazel over on the Ravelry wesbite as part of a swap we undertook. The work that has gone into this shawl is mind boggling. Such patience and skill. Thank you Hazel, I shall treasure it forever.

Alexander went to a party at a friends house last night so Tony and I enjoyed a lovely quiet evening sitting in the conservatory listening to music and just chatting. The sky was a deep red and we sat and looked at pictures in the clouds. Yes I know it is a bit airy fairy in this modern world of rush rush rush, but we do enjoy simple pleasures and each others company. It is strange to think that next year Alexander will be away to university (if he gets the grades) I can't even think of a time when I had an empty house. I suppose that like millions of other mums I will just have to get used to it. The house is going to seem so empty without him though.

Baby fish

2011-07-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Today the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. It wasn't forecast to be good but I did all the laundry and it has all line dried today. I love the smell of clean laundry that has dried outdoors.
This afternoon I was able to sit and comb some of my sheep fleece outdoors with the beautiful scent of lilies all around . I love my garden and we spent a lovely evening last night trimming some of the ivy back as it has been trying very hard to take over the pergola. The gorgeous Leaping Salmon rose is full of blooms again. I do love the summer when it s warm. Tomorrow rain is forecast but I really don't mind as the garden does need a good drink. I have booked an aromatherapy massage for Tony and he will enjoy an hour of peace and quiet without me nattering on. It will be our anniversary next week so I thought it would be a treat for him to have a bit of pampering.

Every day my baby fish grow bigger and stronger. I have about 17 though it is difficult to count them as they swim so quickly. As soon as they are big enough to photograph I will put a picture here.

Elderflower Champagne

2011-07-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

I have just bottled ten bottles of Elderflower Champagne. I have had it brewing in the garage and I left it a lot longer than last years batch which proved to be more fizz and foam than Champagne. Hopefully this batch will be lovely by Christmas. I will try a bottle for my birthday next month and then try to leave the rest alone.
I had to use beer bottles to bottle it which doesn't quite look as nice as proper Champagne bottles but hey! a girl has to use what she has to hand.

I am off work today but as usual on my day off it is going to be housework pretty much all the way. Alexander has been away at the Sonisphere festival and is due home this afternoon. I think he will appreciate a proper roast dinner with Yorkshire puds. It will probably be bath, food and then he is probably going to crawl off to bed and catch up on some sleep. Oh to be 17 without a care in the world.

Moving house

2011-07-06T04:06:00.000-07:00

Well not actually. We have decided that we can't find a house that would fit all our things so we are staying put.
On Saturday, Tony and I went to view a gorgeous house in an area we hadn't considered before. The house was everything we could have hoped for BUT, the layout of the rooms means that our furniture won't fit and we don't want to get rid of it. After much discussion we are now staying put and are planning some major refurbs to make this the house that we will grow old in. We will start with the back garden. We plan to turn the pond around so that the waterfall runs from the opposite side. The pergola is going to come down so I can put my workshop at the bottom of garden. The workshop will be painted and refurbed for my craft stuff. We are planning to take the spare freezer out of the garage and put it in the workshop. This will create enough heat in the winter to ensure everything doesn't get damp. It is well insulated but we run a tiny radiator in there throughout the winter months to ensure my lathe and chisels don't rust. I think (hope) the freezer might chuck out enough heat to do this job without having to run the radiator.We will then extend the garage and make a woodworking workshop in the extended space.
Then we plan to install an ensuite bathroom. Aexander is hoping to get the grades for University next year. If he does we can sleep in his room while we refurb ours. Oh the excitement is getting to me :-) Watch this space.

Wriggly Joe

2011-06-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

The tiny speck here in the picture on the right is Wriggly Joe. :-). He is the first of 24 newly hatched goldfish and is about the size of an eyelash. I had gone out to feed the goldfish in the pond and noticed a tiny fish hatching from an egg. I couldn't believe my eyes as the fish usually eat all the eggs as fast as they lay them. I pulled some of the moss from the pond and put it into a bowl of water which sat on my dining room table for a couple of days. I was stunned to see Wriggly Joe swimming around the bowl and rang Tony to say we had a baby fish. He arrived home with a small aquarium and we carefully transferred all the moss and water from the bowl into the tank. We were really chuffed last night to see three tiny fish on the side of the aquarium. By the time we went to bed we had nine babies and at my last count we have twenty four, oooh errrr, we weren't expecting quite that many. I am told they might not all survive but can't wait to see how they grow and develop. I am of course now reading every bit of information I can about hatching goldfish.

Anyway less of fish and more chat. My colleague Sam and I have decided to start a craft club in September. It will be very informal and we hope to attract people along to share their skills. As you know I am very big into crafts and will gladly share this knowledge with anyone who cares to learn. Today I invited two ladies from our WI to craft with me. We had such a lovely morning and they are really excited about the thought of joining the craft club. Watch this space and we will see how it develops.
Tomorrow I will be at work and our boss has organised a Holistic Therapy session for everyone. We are all having a 30 minute massage. Oh how I love my job.

Computer scare.

2011-06-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

I thought my poor old laptop had given up the ghost tonight. It wouldn't access any files and wouldn't let me type. I switched it off and when I came back a little later it felt better. Phew!!! I didn't really want to go and buy another just yet. This got Tony and I talking about how old it is. I have had this laptop for nearly six years so I think I can justify buying another for Christmas (eeek don't say that C word). The laptop takes an age to warm up and is soooooooo (yawn) slow to use. I have been having a little look at new ones now and they are surprisingly cheap.
Nuff computer talk. I have just been online and ordered myself a few books off amazon. One day when I am rich :-) I will have a house with enough space for a whole room full of books. There will be no TV in that room, just a couple of snuggly sofas and some good reading lamps. It will look out over my huge garden and will be the hub of my home. Until then I will squeeze a few new books into my bookcase now and then.
Today I made Elderflower cordial over at one of our local Recreation centres. I love sharing my skills with people who appreciate learning something new. I think a few batches of cordial will be getting made over the next few days. We hope to make other preserved food from the hedgerow as they become ripe. It would be such a shame to lose all these old fashioned skills. It should be taught in schools so that the kids that might be interested in learning how to use free hedgerow food can go home and share those skills with friends and family. I might suggest it when I am next in a school that has access to a wildfood area.

Rain Rain and More Rain

2011-06-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

But hey! do you know what? I love it. Everything is looking all freshly washed and my marigolds positively glow. The vegetable border is coming along nicely and all the greenery is green :-) (what other colour would it be I ask myself)? The tadpoles in the pond look massive. I am beginning to think they might be baby newts as they show no signs of losing their tails. The goldfish keep spawning but it looks as though they eat every single egg. We would have loved a baby fish or two. In the pond we have noticed a very healthy frog population although one of them looks as if he is blind in one eye. We have called him Stevie (Wonder).
I have spent most of the weekend making recycled paper pulp covered widgets. I will be working in a local school that has a high percentage of low achieving kids. I reckon if I can give these kids something to make that they can be proud of it will be worth every soggy second. I have prepped 91 widgets up to now and need about 15 more so that all the kids and staff can have a go. I have also made some gorgeous 3d daisies from old envelopes. This set the old creative juices flowing so I have finally cut some of my beautiful papers and made a batch of cards. They look really pretty.
Tomorrow my baby turns 17. I have no idea how that screaming little baby turned into such a nice young man. I don't believe that 17 years have passed, where on earth did they go? We had a celebratory tea as today is Fathers Day. I had planned to cut Alexanders birthday cake but we didn't feel right singing Happy Birthday when it is not actually his birthday yet. We have kept the cake for tomorrow night and there is loads of party food left. Oh what a shame we will have to have another celebratory tea tomorrow :-) Oh well I will have to do some extra time with the hula hoop. I am trying to do 30 minutes each day and have managed to do this at least twice each day since the hoop arrived. I know the novelty will wear off but I hope to use up loads of calories while I am keen.

It's June already

2011-06-10T00:25:00.000-07:00

Where on earth have the last few months gone. My garden is looking fantastic and smells divine. I will make an effort this weekend to take some photos before the roses are finished. I love to sit out on the patio in the sunshine with my latest wood carving project. I am loving this one as there is a large tree on it and I love trees.
Work is manic at the moment with so many different projects happening. We are currently organising the Middlesbrough Town Meal (google it if you are interested) and it is taking over office life for Louise. She is great at organising stuff and sooooo level headed. Definitely someone you could count on in a crisis.
Fairtrade is another project that we are working on here at MEC. I feel it is so important to support this and do my utmost to purchase Fairtrade products when I can. Yes they may be a little more expensive but crikey, why shouldn't someone who has grown the coffee, tea, coco etc be paid a fair price for their work.

Beaded pens

2011-06-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

I bought a pen kit last week from a fellow woodturner and this past week I have spent a few delightful hours beading my very first pen. When I took it back into our woodturning club to show the others they really liked it. I had taken some beads and needles and showed one of the other turners how to bead tonight and left him with enough bead supplies to have a go. He had brought me some old coins to bead around.
Been a busy few days at work and I am looking forward to having Friday off.

Fence blew down

2011-05-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

But this meant that we were able to go and buy some nice berry bearing shrubs to plant in its place. Tony and I have had the loveliest day working together to remove the broken fence posts and plant the shrubs. I have woven my Jasmine through the chicken wire that we have put up to support the shrubs until they get a bit of strength in their stems. I can't wait for it to start scrambing and covering the chicken wire. We took a couple of 'before and after' photos so if I get time tomorrow I will post a few pics. I also made my very first seed beaded pen. It looks really pretty and has made me want to graph out other patterns to bead on pens.

Oh and while I remember I did my very first Freelance craft session at a local club. They paid me very well and I had a wonderful tim. The kids all have special needs so I wasn't sure how the session would go. The organisers asked if they could book me again some time.. Yee haa.

Great news

2011-05-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was asked if I wanted an extra day each week working. I was dead chuffed to be asked to assist my colleague who is organising the Middlesbrough Town Meal. It does of course mean I can put a little extra away each month for Alexander's University fund. I have some lovely new crafty things to show you all. It has been really lovely to have so much time to spend on crafting and I am really enjoying my latest passion of crochet. I used to make so many pretty little things for my daughters when they were little but hadn't touched a crochet hoook in years. I'm currently making loads of little flower circles to sew into a shrug or suchlike. What I do eventually make from them all depends how fed up of making the same thing over and over again will make me. My knitting and crochet pile is growing faster than I blink and I have two bowls of paper pulp sitting on my kitchen windowsill waiting to be turned into something beautiful. So many crafts so little time ;-)

The Himalayan Gardens

2011-05-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

What a lovely week this past one has been. On Monday I was at work and visited a couple of my favourite schools. Tuesday I had an arty clarty day. On Wednesday I went with our local WI to the Himalayan Gardens which is somewhere near Ripon in North Yorkshire. What an utter treat that turned out to be. The colours and fragrance of the plants was wonderful. Tony and I plan to take a picnic there tomorrow.
On Thursday I went to visit a school that I haven't been to before. Oh wow. What a lovely place for children to grow up in. I shall visit often to see how they are progressing towards their Eco Schools Green Flag.

Friday I had a lovely day full of visitors and today Tony and I made a start on clearing the loft. I am amazed at just how much rubbish I had up there. So many files full of things I have taught in my past. I don't imagine that I will ever teach these things again so i have no reason to keep them.
I am currently crocheting dozens and dozens of little yellow medallions which I plan to sew into a little cardigan. I have no idea how it will turn out but I am enjoying the process.

2011-05-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Well what a lovely crafty weekend I am having. I now have two more scarves to add to my collection. I have also made a scarf pin and am halfway through completing a necklace that I started ages ago. I had to stop to do a bit of housework before we disappear under a cloud of dust. Tony went off to the match at 11:45 and Adam arrived for Sunday dinner at one. He has gone home now so I can continue with my necklace. Back to work tomorrow, ho hum I guess it helps with the bills

Today is my day off

2011-05-06T01:02:00.001-07:00

And I plan to use it wisely :-) A little housework a little crafting and if the sun comes out I shall take my wood carving out into the garden and spend a very pleasant hour or two with my chisels. I have found a lovely site for Knitters and Crocheters called Ravelry. I really am desperate to get back into crochet as I used to love making things for the kids and was really quite good at both knitting and crochet if I do say so myself.. The most I have done with wool in the past few years is to knit scarves. I had a passion for the blimmin things for a while and knit them in every colour of the rainbow.
Last night I made a start on a lovely little belt which I have put together using O rings and ribbon. As soon as I can find my ribbon ends I will finish it off and post a picture. Must go and do some laundry now ''''''huge sigh'''' so many crafts so little time.

It is 21:11 now and I have had the loveliest of craft days. I rethreaded a crystal necklace for a friend, finished knitting a scarf that I started two years ago, finished the knitted part of a bag and turned an old sweatshirt into a little cropped jacket/cardi. Oh and I made a load of handmade paper and another two bowls. They are sitting in the conservatory drying. All in all a very very satisfying day

Plastic packaging

2011-05-03T03:31:00.000-07:00

Good morning world. Tony and I spent yesterday afternoon carving in the garden. The sun was shining and it just felt right to sit out there with our chisels. Tony and I are working on completely different projects but it was really nice to work alongside one another in the sun. I am back to work tomorrow so I am making the most of today. I washed the floor and while I waited for it to dry I made a couple of brooches from plastic food trays and some buttons I got free with a magazine.
If it stays warm after lunch I plan to take my chisels out into the garden again today.

Sad news

2011-04-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

Last night our little budgie Squeek died. Poor Bubble our remaining bird keeps looking down into the bottom of the cage as if to see if she is still there. He has looked all over the cage for her today and is chattering constantly. We now have the dillema of whether to replace squeek. I would hate for Bubble to be a lonely little bird but somehow it seems disrespectful to Squeek to think about replacing her so soon. Not really much I can add to this post today

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I do hope that anyone reading this has had a great weekend. I certainly have. Yesterday Adam came for tea and we spent a lovely afternoon in the garden. Couldn't light the barbecue so I chucked it all in the oven. The Elderflower champagne that I made last year tastes wonderful. Very fizzy and summery with a beautiful delicate flavour.

Today my friend Sheryl and her hubby John came for the day. Their little girl Claudia has made me a bag from an old pair of jeans. I was so touched and must remember to carry it next time we visit them. We had a great afternoon chatting in the garden. I have one more day off before I go back to work and plan to use it wisely :-) A little housework and a little crafting. Oh bliss!!!

Good morning

2011-04-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Once again I am up bright and early. Yesterday I dyed all the covers on the conservatory sofa. They are now a very fetching shade of yellow so it will feel all sunny and warm even on a grey and miserable day.
I have a couple of friends coming over today for Crafternoon Tea. A little crafting and a lot of chatting. If we manage to make anything of note I will post a couple of pics. I am still pulping every envelope that has a nicely coloured inner. Oh how I wish I had a big workshop. The house might stay craft free once in a while..
Alexander is off to college later today for revision classes. He is working so hard to get the grades that he will need for University.
Oh and while I remember, my goldfish have spawned. We watched them mating in the pond and now we have hundreds of eggs. They did the same thing last year but ate every single egg that hatched. I have tried to rescue 7 eggs so I will see if the hatch.
Must go as my laptop battery needs charging up. Have a great Easter everyone.

2011-04-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

Well aren't I the early bird again???? :-) Actually I have been awake since six but stayed in bed till seven. Adam has got his mortgage so he will be skint for the next thirty odd years. I finished off the last bit of paper pulp yesterday and really must try not to make any more. Trouble is the end result is soooooo pretty. Tony keeps offering me envelopes with pretty insides to pulp or cut up. What is a girl supposed to do with an offer like that????

I think today I must try that housework thingy that I hear so much about. I think you are supposed to use something called a hoover to remove dust and bits off the carpets. Then I hear that you are supposed to dust and polish ???? WHY????????? I like bitty dusty carpets :-) Actually if I were being truthful I would love a neat and tidy house but it is never going to happen so why beat myself up over it?
Anyway I will go and put the laundry on the line and iron yesterdays batch.

Kusudama Flower Balls

2011-04-14T00:43:00.000-07:00

Well as soon as the alarm went off this morning at ten past six I was wide awake. I had a cup of tea with Tony but couldn't go back to sleep so I am up bright and early. It is a bit grey outside so it looks like it is going to be an indoor day so far.
I have been busy practising origami for the past few days and am becoming obsessed (now there's a surprise) with Kusudama flowers. They take a few hours to make but it is the sort of thing you can do while sitting in front of the TV. I am not a great watcher of TV but tend to listen and craft at the same time. Multi tasker or what?

I am waiting for a call from my son Adam to let me know whether he has got his mortgage. He is hoping to move to a new house and was so excited yesterday when he was telling me all about it. I will be really sad for him if they turn him down. Alexander is curled up in bed. I think he could be growing again as he is full of aches and pains. He is into free running and spent most of yesterday practicing with friends. I bet his muscles are groaning today. I will take him a cup of tea soon and see how he feels. It is hard to believe that my 'baby' is nearly 17. I am saving hard for his college fees and have another 18 months before he goes. I will have a 'proper holiday' when I am no longer saving every spare penny for him.

Paper Pulp passion

2011-04-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, I have gone and developed a passion for paper pulp. I can't help it, have you seen how pretty the insides of envelopes are? Tear them into little bits. Remove the plastic window thingy (they make great wings for flies and bees) Pop the bits of envelope into your blender with some hot water and and zap it for a few seconds. If you can leave it alone for a couple of hours so much the better. Now comes the fun part. I have loads of blown hen eggs (don't ask, relic from another passion) and all you have to do is scoop a little bit of paper pulp into a sieve of some kind. I have been using a tea strainer. Drain off some of the water and press the pulp onto the egg. You can press it really firmly with a piece of kitchen roll (this blends great too when you are finished so there is no waste). Roll the egg around on the paper too. It allows more water to soak out of the paper pulp. Be really firm with it and blot as much water as you can out of the egg. Now leave it to dry on a warm sunny windowsill. I will try to upload a photo or two and you can see what else has been covered in pulp.

Fairtrade Fortnight

2011-03-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Phwew!!!! and busy we were too. I arranged and baked for a coffee morning, manned the stand at loads of venues and cooked in school with several small groups. I have loved being busy but really can't wait till my hours reduce next month. I will have so much more time to devote to my crafting. I might even get chance to work on this blog and make it more interesting

Whitby

2011-02-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

Tony and I went to Whitby today to spend Valentines day together. We had tea at The Lion at Blakestone Ridge (Blakey Ridge to locals) and then back home for a nice bottle of sparkling wine left over from Christmas. Tony is watching TV while I share the sofa on my laptop. I have been working on a couple more recycled crafts and I really must make this blog a bit more interesting in case anyone is following. Give me time cos I am still quite new at this.

Hope you are having a lovely evening.

Valentine Hot Heart

2011-02-13T13:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Tony and I went to the Sunderland Glass Centre and made a Valentine Hot Heart. We loved the experience and can't wait to see the end result once it has been fired in the kiln.

Last month we signed up for a Working With Glass course at the local art college. We have cast, fused, engraved and slumped. Oh we do love working with glass

2010-12-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

Would you believe that it is December and I haven't posted in weeks? Well sadly my Fairy Dell funding finally came to an end in October. I am still employed but in a different role. Although I still have my Eco Schools roleI can now count FairTrade project officer as one of my job roles. I am funded until March for both roles but then who knows what life has in store.
Anyway I paid for Tony to go up to the Glass Centre in Sunderland to 'Blow a Christmas Bauble'. He loved the experience and I have asked him to wrap the bauble up for me for Christmas. I haven't seen it but he is very proud of it.

I am meeting myself coming backwards at work supporting schools as they aim to become Eco Schools. I have been into so many schools to show them just how many potential resources they are throwing out in the recycle bags. I have had great fun but it is very tiring. I can't wait for the spring when we can get outdoors and grow some lovely veg for the school kitchens. Hopefully I will still have a job then.

2010-09-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Has it really been so long since I posted? Fairy Dell is looking lovely but sadly I won't be the project officer in charge soon. Funding has dried up now. From October 31st I will be working as Fair Trade project officer so I still have a job. I really must add some more photos to my blog. I have been making so many recycled items and would love to share them.

Oh dear

2010-05-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

The website where I had my photo gallery no longer lets me link so I have changed it to my Image Shack gallery. Loads of bits and pieces in there and I will add more as I find time

Anyone, it is one of those grey and miserable days today. Tony and I went shopping and then it was back home to chill out. I can't motivate myself to go for a walk so I guess I won't be doing my 10,000 steps today. Oh I am such a lazy bones sometimes.

Work as been great fun and we have a very special visitor booked for late May. I can't post the persons identity until after the visit as I am not really supposed to know who it is. It would normally be my day off on the day of THE VISIT but I have been asked to work that day. OOOOOOH ERRRRRRRRR!!!!! it is quite exciting

Easter activities

2010-04-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

I have had a lovely week. I organised a nice selection of Easter activities and the weather has been wonderful. The bunny hunt was well attended and the weather was gorgeous. My Egg rolling event was great fun and then on Monday was my Easter Bonnets event. This was gorgeous and the chap from the local newspaper turned up to take photos. The article will be in the weekend paper. The press office rang and asked for all the details of the event. I hope to put some pictures in my gallery when I have a spare hour.
Ashley has settled in and is doing her best to eat everything in the cupboards. She needs to look for a job now and make some new friends. We are including her in all of our clubs and activities but Tony and I need some 'us time'.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T01:30:00.001-07:00

I am sitting by myself enjoying a bit of piece and quiet while everyone else in bed. The rain is lashing against the conservatory window so it rules out gardening. I may well need to put all my craft things up in the loft. My daughter moved back home last week so I no longer have my little craft room.
One day my life will be settled and I won't keep having the disruption of my kids constantly moving back home. Tony and Alexander have been great about it so I guess I am the baddy who really wants her home back. I feel like Shirley Valentine when her daughter arrived back home. You need to see the film to understand what I am talking about.

2010-03-19T04:01:00.001-07:00

Today is one of those lovely clear blue sky days. A bit chilly outside but I am sitting in my office at work comfortable and warm. I am planning an Easter Bonnets event and parade over in Fairy Dell so I am having a bit of an art and craft session while I create a couple of samples. I have bought a selection of really pretty little bonnets ready to be decorated. My challenge is to find some straw cowboy hats so that the little boys don't feel excluded. I will post some pics as and when I get them.
Tony will be going to the match on Sunday so I might have a couple of hours out in the garden if the weather is kind to me. I love this time of year. My garden is full of spring flowers at the moment and it seems as though every morning there is more and more colour in the border as bulbs pop their pretty little heads out from their protective green hoods.

Fame at last :-)

2010-03-05T11:36:00.001-08:00

Fairy Dell was stunning on Monday and I have resumed my after school walks now that the days are a little bit longer. I was surprisingly wide awake at the end of the day. I thought 2 good long walks would have me asleep in a heap but no! I probably got to the point of being overtired.

I was interviewed about Fairy Dell by BBC Radio Tees live on air on Wednesday. If I had known that it would be a live interview I would have been sick with nerves. Thankfully I didn't jabber too much and although it felt like a long onterview it only actually lasted about 6 minutes.

Friday.... Yippeeeeeee!!!!!! I had a day off today and what did I do????? Housework!! I really need to have a proper day off and just do nothing but sit and read a good book. Trouble is, if I pick up a novel I won't be able to put it down until I finished it.

It is a bit warmer today

2010-02-25T02:14:00.000-08:00

I left for work this morning and discovered that it actually feels a little bit warmer. Not before time methinks.

The lemon tree that Tony bought me last Saturday (while I was in York) smells absolutely gorgeous. It is full of blossom so hopefully we will get some lemons on it. One of the orange trees has six oranges on. They are green at the moment and supposedly they are ornamental and not edible???? I ate one last year and it was a bit tasteless. Then I read the label and discovered that it is ornamental. Ho Hum we live and learn.

I am trying to leave the little bead boxes alone for the time being. They are my current obsession though I am trying to ignore the sheep wool that is shouting from the corner. I think I have made enough felty things for the moment.

Just upped Alexanders pocket money to £50 a month starting next month. This will actually work out cheaper for me in the long run as he now has to budget for his clothes out of his allowance. I think he feels like Mr Money Bags cos it does sound a big increase from his usual £20. I handed over pocket money plus another £20 for a shirt today. He is getting very clothes conscious so this will give him responsibility for his own budgeting and save me a small fortune.

Girls day out.

2010-02-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely day out in York yesterday. We were celebrating Francine's birthday and have been planning it for weeks. York was fantastic as usual though I must say that I was really disappointed with the famous 'Betty's' . The hot chocolate was luke warm and the Swiss chocolate torte was stale. I won't be in any great hurry to go there again. We finished our day with a quiet drink in Harrogate. I have never been shopping in Harrogate and I would really love a weekend there with Tony. Perhaps this summer we might book a couple of days there.

Today we went to Middlesbrough and Tony bought me a bottle of Coco Chanel's Mademoiselle. I had a little spray of it yesterday in York and really liked it. I had intended to buy myself some but Tony paid for it for me. Now I have a dilemma. Should I spend the money that I saved on beads or should I hang on to it in case I see a nice handbag?

First Crocus

2010-02-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Yee Haa, I spotted my first crocus yesterday. I was looking out of the window to my garden and there it was. A yellow crocus there among the plants in my garden. I do love it when winter gradually loses her grip and lets the lovely spring return to England.

Anyway, as yesterday was Valentine's day Alexander had asked if we would go out ???????? He wanted to cook for his young lady. It meant that Tony and I had a lovely afternoon in Whitby. We were amazed at the crowds. I don't think we have ever been to Whitby in the winter or summer when there wasn't a crowd. I bought some beautiful gold lurex ribbon to make a couple of 'blingy' bookmarks. I also bought some sunflower yellow dye to dye some of my bath towels. I think the sight of the crocus has got my sap rising. I feel a major spring clean coming on. Wednesday is my next day off so I might empty all my kitchen cupboards and give them a good clean. Oh aren't I just the domestic goddess? :-)
Today I led a winter walk in Fairy Dell. We had a very important man along from the local council and my boss came too. Thirty Seven other people came along today which is a great turnout. My boss has never joined me for a winter walk before and he was really pleased with me.

What have I done all week?

2010-02-11T03:24:00.000-08:00

Made little boxes out of beads for a start. The one I am working on at the moment has driven me nuts. Beads kept breaking several rows back so I have spent more time pulling it out than progressing. I suppose one good thing has come of it. I now have the patience of a saint. Not something that I would have credited myself with a few years ago.
Last night I dragged myself away from the beads to attend our local WI monthly meeting. If you have a WI near you go and join. They are a wealth of great ideas for arts and crafts. I have learned so much from signing up for all the workshops that they put on. It has probably taken about 4 years to become a 'proper member'. You know what I mean. They now talk to me instead of sitting in their own little groups and pretty much not talking to anyone else. Me on the other hand will talk to anyone and everyone. They probably think I am the local loony. My current craft medium is orange peel. Yes you read that correctly I said orange peel. I am using little sugar paste cutters to cut shapes out. Then I put the shapes between the pages of my old telephone directories and allow them to dry. They make great collage medium. Be careful though as once dry they are very brittle. Oh Happy crafting.

Grey, Cold, Wet and very miserable

2010-02-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

And the weather is the same :-) Oh I do wish it would warm up a little bit. Yes I know it is the middle of winter but oh how I wish for blue skies and a bit of sunshine. Anyway, I have been beading little boxes this weekend and I am really pleased with the result.. Have a look at my gallery by clicking on the photo at the top of the blog.

Lovely crisp cold blue sky day today

2010-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

I went out for a (very) belated Christmas meal last night. I am not really into nights out so it was a nice change to get dressed up for something other than work. We booked the table for 6:30 and had a lovely meal. Then we went around the corner to a pub that sells fancy cocktails. I am not a big drinker so had a non alcoholic strawberry one. Then we just sat and chatted and enjoyed a spot of people watching. I have never seen so much bare flesh in one place. They must have been freezing :-) My early night???????? finished at 12:30. Crikey what did we find to talk about. The girls were such fun that we are now planning a girly day out in York for 20th February. Francine will be 40 on the 13th but I am working on the morning at my Dell Club. We chose the following weekend so we can make a full day of it.
Anyway this morning looked so beautiful with the snow on the garden that we had a bit of a sort out of stuff to take to the recycling depot. As it was such a lovely morning Tony suggested a run to Helmlsey. I didn't have my jacket with me but wasn't overly concerned. Anyway, to cut a long story short I bought not one but two lovely coats. Nice smart dressy ones. One red one and one a nice shade of brown. Now of course I never ever buy jackets in any colour but black or navy so these completely took me by surprise when I tried them both on. Couldn't choose which I preferred so bought them both. What the heck I work darned hard for my paypacket so think that I can occasionally spend a little on myself.

Snowdrops

2010-01-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today Tony and I noticed our first snowdrops are just starting to show a hint of white. We were sitting in the conservatory with egg toasties and a nice cup of tea when we spotted them.

Freezing cold today

2010-01-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

But at least I can see crocus shoots peeping through the soil.
Tony went off to watch the Man United match so I have had a lovely afternoon all to myself. All the laundry is washed and waiting to be dried. Whoopee Do. One day I will use an afternoon to just chill out. At least I managed a little sort out of my craft room. I do have some junk up there. Still can't bring myself to throw very much out. I need a house that has a huge craftroom then I can spread all my stuff out where I can see it.
Oh and I have just learned how to link my gallery from another site to this blog. Now I can share my work with anyone who might be interested. I am always happy to share my skills and ideas with anyone who is interested.

My day off

2010-01-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

I have had a lovely time today. My parcel of felt flowers arrived yesterday so I spent most of this afternoon playing with sequins and felt. I have made some pretty brooches and I will upload the pictures when I get the chance. Tonight I am off out to woodturners. My hubby and I are amateur turners and thoroughly enjoy our club nights.

My very first blog

2010-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I think it is about time I got my act together and shared my head full of craftables with anyone who might be interested. Be patient with me as I get my head around this blogging thingy as I have never done it before.
Over the next few weeks I will upload photos of things that I have made. I am always willing to share my ideas so please feel free to ask. Who knows? you might have some new craftables for me to try