May Day Catchup

Well April flew by and was surely a month of contrasts! We did have a few sunny days for walking on the beach and even a visit to the local nature reserve.

But there have been plenty of dull, cold and wet days just right for staying in and sewing. I discovered flex frames and gave them a go. I've always wanted to make little coin purses but have been put off those snap frames as they looked rather difficult and I didn't fancy all that glueing.

The flex frame is much easier and suitable for straightforward flat purses or the boxed corner kind. I found a nice pattern in this gorgeous Japanese craft book (don't worry it's the English version).

Anyway, it seems I missed Easter altogether here on the blog but I did enjoy making a few Eastery bits and bobs when I found Manuela's Etsy shop and her cute felties. These chickens were my favourites. I managed to machine stitch them rather than hand stitching as recommended in the pattern.

Okay, I know snails aren't normally an Easter image but they were so cute I couldn't resist! Could you!

The garden has come to life again and is demanding my attention.... rather more attention than I've been able to give and there's a lot of weeding to catch up on!

The trouble with leaving the blog for a month is there is much to catch up on - I think rather more than will fit into one blog post. So I'll finish now and hopefully write a bit more later.

But one more photo from the garden. These little creatures demand feeding every day now as they are busy with courting, nest building, egg laying and brood feeding. They are costing me a small fortune but they give so much pleasure I don't begrudge them one shilling! 

Another hexi week

Its been another week of small hexagon patchwork and I'm still really enjoying it.  Two more sewing kits and a lavender filled pincushion came together in the last few days. My next project might be even smaller as I won some lovely Liberty Tana Lawn 2 inch squares on ebay which are now waiting for attention.

And there have been a few notecards inspired by this card on Audrey's blog that really took my fancy.  I just had to order that brush stroke stamp set and inked it up as soon as it arrived.  I coloured (with Zig watercolour pens) the daisies from Friends till the End (Papertrey Ink) after stamping with Versamark Ink and white embossing powder - something I don't do very often as its rather a palaver and I never seem to get a perfect result. The daisies were die cut and glued over the stripey background.

And finally this week, I watched a family of swallows on the wires in the same spot on the farm where I took the first photo on 14th April this year - the first swallows I'd seen locally.  I like to think these are the same pair with their successfully fledged offspring - I'm sure they are!

Fledglings

I knew it had to happen but my heart sank when my young cat Titch brought in her first bird the other day.  Luckily I was on hand to rescue it and Titch did not seem to know what to do next anyway.  The little sparrow didn't seem to be physically injured and after a rest on my hand (with Titch locked away upstairs) it calmed down and I put it on top of the coalshed in the shade.  I could hear it's anxious parent in the hedge so I left it alone and when I went back to look some time later it had gone. 

It is a dangerous time for young birds leaving the nest but perhaps this current very hot weather is a good thing for them as, if my cat is anything to go by, days are spent flopping about in the shade not stalking small creatures.  However these young swallows I spied on the telephone wires across the road the other day, do not have such worries.  Completely out of reach they were there all morning, with the parents bringing them tasty titbits every couple of minutes.  And I spent far too much time watching them instead of getting on with other things. 

No such luxury for the swifts however.  Once they leave the nest they are on their own and are apparently ignored by their parents.  There is a large colony in the middle of town.  They return every year to nest behind this red building and have done so ever since I became aware of them some years ago.  Sadly they won't be here much longer for their long journey south will begin when August arrives.  I will miss their aerial acrobatics and the joyous screeching that is so much a part of summer in the UK.

An Embroidered Wedding Day

I made this wedding memento recently for a colleague.  Yesterday was her wedding day so now I can post without worrying she will see it before the day.  I was inspired by these lovely embroidered hoops from Little A Designs, though instead of cutting up one of my tablecloths I used an old embroidered doily.  I added some of my crochet flowers and buttons after stitching the happy couple's names and the date.  This would be a nice idea for a baby's birth too I think - and it just so happens another colleague is about to give birth any day now!

I made a card too and used my Very Vintage Florals stamp set from Wplus9, which matches up with my embroidery very nicely.  I hope Dot and Peter had a wonderfully happy day and didn't melt in the heat!

I must admit I'm finding the heat rather oppressive at the moment and look forward to a couple of hours sitting on my mother's front porch in the evening.  Watching the birds on the lawn, getting on with my crochet, and enjoying the wonderful scent of the Mock Orange (Philadelphus) each evening is a nice way to cool off after a long hot day.  And for some reason those pretty white blossoms always remind me of wedding days.

Our summer visitors are here!

I was delighted to see my first swallows here in North Wales on Saturday (27th April) whilst driving home.  They were swooping over the river fairly close to the coast - but I couldn't stop to admire them there.  Then yesterday I saw two of our local swallows from the window of the top bedroom at my workplace.  They were resting on a TV aerial and I wondered if they had just arrived from Africa.  Its always a happy day when we see swallows and feel summer is really on its way at last.  

Looking back to last year I noted first seeing swallows on 3rd May and I made a card to celebrate.  This time I thought I'd make a quick embroidered picture - well more of a stamped applique really - for my celebration.  I stamped onto some blue fabric, cut out my swallow, attached it to some plain linen using iron-on adhesive, which I then attached to a pretty printed cotton.  A few running stitches and french knots were added and I stamped on the date.  The swallow stamp is from a set of four pretty bird images by Hampton Art - a US company but I think I bought them on ebay.

I was reminded of the swallow's lustrous blue feathers when I was browsing the way to blue's gorgeous stall at the fair on Saturday (I make no apologies for harping on about this fabulous event - see my last post).  I couldn't resist a couple of purchases - but what to choose!  In the end I went for this pretty notebook and a tealight lantern.  I was drawn to this image of a robin silhouette and once lit and sitting on my mantlepiece I didn't regret buying it even thought it took me ages to decide which design to go for.

(source)

I do remember reading about cyanotypes and I have a dim memory of a nature project in a children's book showing how to transfer an image of a pressed flower or leaf onto paper or fabric using sunlight.  However this is the first time I've seen this process being used to such beautiful effect - and by a local artist too!

Note to self for 2014 - Swifts arrived Bank Holiday Monday 6th May

Empty Skies?

Is your sky empty today?  I suddenly thought yesterday evening that I hadn't heard the swifts all day and looking up realised they weren't there.  It had been a beautiful day - very warm, blue sky and puffy white clouds and they could just possibly be feeding so high we couldn't see or hear them - but no, there is no joyous screaming and swooping in evidence over the town this morning either and I have to conclude that once again this is the beginning of the end of summer.  As usual I have been trying to catch the birds' acrobatic antics on film all summer without success.  I took this photo last week and you might just be able to see the black specks flying over their nesting place - already preparing for their long and hazardous journey to Africa.

However it really didn't feel like the end of summer yesterday when we walked home through the field by the river - it seems like its only just begun this week!

One Swallow.........

........ doesn't make a summer, I know, but yesterday from a back window in the small hotel where I work I heard and then saw the Swallows were back.  Their excited twittering reminds me long summer evening will soon be here.

These Swallows have nested in the semi-derelict building next door to the hotel for some years but since last summer it has been renovated and they have lost their nest site - but there are plenty of other suitable places nearby.  The miracle of migration never fails to amaze and delight me.

I don't have any swallow stamps but this is a favourite image from one of my copyright free books.  Just had time to make a quick card with it this morning to mark the occasion.  I don't think this little girl needs any embellishment so I just added a sentiment and some copic colouring.

I've very little time at home at the moment as my Mum is not at all well and I'm at her house until 10.30 pm every night.  So I don't have much time to myself and hardly any for visiting my favourite crafters' blogs to comment.  I hope one day soon things will get back to normal but in the meantime I send you all my apologies for being so quiet - I haven't forgotten you.

Fastest hook in the west?

Well I'm in east Wales but then Wales is on the west side of GB so I think it counts!  Because I work on Sundays my weekend is Friday and Saturday and so I tend to have a very slow start Saturday mornings..... but this morning my latest Mollie Makes dropped through the letterbox and I couldn't resist getting down to the free gift project right away.  Its a lovely crochet bloom designed by Anna Rakoniewska.  I've had a peep at her Etsy shop and oh there are some gorgeous hooky items on sale there.  I added a die cut felt leaf to my bloom and will pin it to my coat today ..... though I might not need a coat as the sun is out and the sky is blue.

As usual my little flock of sparrows is enjoying the seed I put out first thing.  I snapped this little chap - don't you think his feathers are beautiful!

Sunsets and Dippers

................Sometimes I think I live for sunsets."

"I don`t see that it does you any good always looking at sunsets like you do," said the fat woman.

"Nor me. But I do. Sunsets are things I was made to like."   The History of Mr Polly: H G Wells

I've a whole digital file of sunset photographs.  I can't let one fade away without recording its glories  for posterity!  Here's last evening's offering snapped on my way home from walking by the river.

 I'd been trying to sneek up on this Dipper again.  He lives on this stretch of the river but just as I'm getting near he flies off to the other end of his territory - and my pocket camera isn't up to long range zooming.  But maybe he'll get used to my visits and pose for me one day.

When we moved to this small market town 50 odd years ago we lived just below the church spire and played here by the river.  We caught tadpoles and sticklebacks in jam jars and got our feet and clothes wet - but it wasn't far to run home. 

Of course it was much quieter then - less traffic, fewer houses blocking the view of the church, no industrial buildings lining the opposite bank and there was a railway line instead of a busy by-pass running over the end of the field.  But you can still see lots of wildlife here - as long as there are no dog walkers about. 

The remains of the railway bridge and grass covered line can still be seen.

Mary-Go-Round and the beginning of the end!

I'd seen these cute crochet frames on Lola Nova's blog some time ago but hadn't got round (no pun intended!) to trying them as I couldn't find a suitable bangle round the house - though I'm sure I've got some somewhere - and didn't really want to buy one specially. Then I was reading my copy of the latest Mollie Makes and there they were again. I happened to be at Mum's and she said she had some on her dressing table! She had three so I promptly got out my hook and crocheted three in no time at all!

I used a natural cotton yarn for my first one, expensive cashmerino for the yellow and very cheap acrylic for the red one - I have to say the acrylic yarn is fine for a project like this and as the yarn stretches it does look rather neater than the unstretchy cotton yarn version.

I gave the cotton one to my niece. I added a die cut card back and a plastic hanging ring so she can put in her own (more grown up!) image and hang in her new sewing corner.


Finally, I just want to record that as far as I'm concerned, yesterday was the beginning of the end of summer - the swifts have left town. As I write this they are on their hazardous journey back to Africa. We won't again hear their excited screaming as they streak through the sky until next May. I'm so glad I managed to take a short video of them on my way to work last week when they were flying low around their nest site. Its only 200 yards or so away and I so wish they would nest on my house! Maybe next year....

Monthly Make - February #1

I have decided to make Jenny's cute Bounding Bunnypins for the children's Easter gifts this year. I have to admit cutting them out is rather a fiddly job and while I was cutting this week I thought how lovely it would be if there was a die for the shape. And from that thought came these little felt brooches/clips. I went through my Papertrey and Cuttlebug dies and cut out some suitable shapes, decorated them with fabric, embroidery silks and buttons, and attached some findings.
I've also started to think about packaging them up - a favourite bit for me. I'm hoping to do a craft fair some time in the summer and need to build up some stock. Don't hold me to that - I probably won't be organised enough to get myself to one!
One more photo I can't help myself from posting for any birdy people reading this. I love this image I managed to get of a Nuthatch in the garden this week. He's so sweet!

The Nyjer Effect

I've been buying Nyjer seeds from our local pet shop for a couple of years now and have been delighted to see the beautiful birds it has attracted to the garden. Nyjer is especially enjoyed by finches and I've been photographing them tucking in this week. These four varieties are particularly pretty and colourful. By far the most numerous are the Goldfinches. There must be about 30 members of the little flock that visits every day. They seem to be a particularly squabbly lot and often try to push eachother off the feeders, even when there is another feeder full nearby. I created this digital page to show off their lovely plumage. You can click on the picture for a closeup look. Who says we don't have spectacular birds in the UK!
Just have to add two photos taken in the sunshine the other day - a reminder that the garden really is poised to burst into life - help! I'm not ready!

Big Garden Birdwatch

This weekend is the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch and as a member I dutifully did my one hour watch this afternoon. I always feel a bit put out if some of my favourite birds don't visit the garden during my hour but I was very pleased to be able to record these two (one is the other side of the feeder) Lesser Redpolls - they may have visited before but I haven't noticed them if they have.

It was a beautiful sunny day today even though freezing cold. The bottom of the garden remained frost covered all day, but it was perfect weather be be outside and busy and I was able to do a bit of general tidying. I could hear lots of neighbours busy in their own gardens around about too. If the weather holds I may even have another go at the birdwatch tomorrow and see what I can see.

Signs of the Seasons

My crafting time has been severely cut over the past few weeks as my Mum has been seriously ill and I've been away from my crafty stash for much of the time. So please accept my excuses, and I offer instead something to look at from the garden. Here are two welcome signs of the change of season we are all looking forward to. These tiny spikes are snowdrops pushing through the debris of winter and I like these tightly budded hazel catkins looking rather arty against the rusty roof of one of my son's slowly decaying vintage cars.

I've been stalking the bird feeders again with my camera, albeit staying warm and pointing my lens through the window. We've lots of different bird visitors and I recently lured the Goldfinches closer to the window by offering them Niger seeds - something they can't resist. They live in little flocks and I must say are very prone to squabbling. They are so pretty and really liven up the feeders - as of course do all the tits. We've have bluetits, great tits, longtail tits and coal tits visiting for peanuts and fat treats. I still have to get a good image of some feeder visitors - the very shy woodpecker, nuthatch, and the longtails - and hope to post them here when I do.

One new visitor I was delighted to see was this little female blackcap - the males do have black caps but the female's is brown. This isn't a good photo but I'm proud of her and want to show her off anyway.

Wrap up Warm!

Here's another birthday card I made last week for one of our knitting group. Very apt for the weather we are enduring at the moment. This image (from a copyright-free book I have) would also make a sweet Christmas card I think - especially if it is accompanying a handknitted gift. You can copy the image at the bottom of this post.
We've been suffering below zero temperatures for over a week now and there is no end in sight according to the weather report I've just heard on the radio. Although the snow is beautiful when the sun shines we are now all rather fed up with trying to get about and keep warm. Sitting still crafting is very uncomfortable unless I wear about 5 layers and wrap a blanket round my legs. But this is nothing compared to the suffering of my garden birds. I'm feeding them every day of course but imagining how they manage to survive the long night - if they do - is not something I like thinking about. I was rather pleased to find our local pet shop had sold out of bird seed and peanuts last weekend - its nice to think so many people still want to help our birds in these difficult economic times. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this Collared Dove's partner hasn't succumbed to the cold as I didn't see it in the garden today!
Here's the image I used on my card - click on it then right click to save to your computer.

Edit: Just thought you might like to know the Collared Dove's mate is safe and sound and has been visiting over the past few days - which have been much less cold thank goodness!