Drawing a line and starting over.........

me drawing a line

I have drawn a line under the last two blog post and I am starting again!  I'm not starting a new blog or anything just a new page.  

Today I have been working on our family tree.  It is a maze just like the ones you follow with a finger or pencil, or the ones to walk around, you turn a corner and it is a dead end, you have turn right around  and go the other way.

sourced from the internet

But we are getting there slowly.  They say if you have someone famous in your family that is good.  My husband has!  He was a Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighter in Norfolk, but cannot find whereabouts he goes in this maze/jigsaw family tree.  If any lovely readers live in or come from Norfolk and you heard of him please tell us?  Thank you in anticipation

Thank you so much.......I Do Craft!

I have gone the same colour of this rose all pink and white.  Pink with embarrassment caused by the lovely comments which were left for me.  I would like to thank each and everyone of you who sent me these wonderful comments on this post.   Because I got it off my chest, I now chant 'I Do Craft', to try and drown out the other words.

I made this, just to prove to myself I Do Craft..........

Go here to see it in its full glory!

YES I DO CRAFT!

Craft, crafting...........APPARENTLY I Don't!

I am beginning to wonder about what I do do?
I have been questioning myself for about six months now and haven't really been able to make anything purposeful because of an email I received at the end of last year.
 
The email read -  “You are not a crafter”
I can still see these words on the screen and now they are still spinning round in my head I cannot get rid of them - help me..........

Crafter, crafting.
What is a crafter?
What is crafting?
Does a crafter make one one-off item or does a  crafter makes lots of the same item?
If so how many items before it becomes a mass production?

I can KNIT!

I make jumpers

Tea Cozies

Photo courtesy of Helen at Bustle and Sew

Even Seagulls!

I SEW and EMBROIDER

I was chucked out of school needlework classes many times between the ages of eleven and sixteen because I was suppose to be making a dress, I sneaked my embroidery into class.  I got my own back and bought a dress pattern with an embroidered detail, and guess what I was persuaded not to do the embroidery because I wouldn't finish the dress before the end of term and the marks were counted for the exams.  I managed to get rid of these horrible memories a long time ago, but they came flooding with other horrible memories of school when I was told I didn't Craft.

I make small items

I make large items.
Its a double quilt with cross-stitch panels in case you were wondering, goes on our bed every winter!  (It was too big to hang on the line the other way so I turned the photo round!)

So please SOMEONE, please tell me if I craft or not.  Make these words go away.  I am getting quite distraught about it.

I use to actually get paid for cross stitching not so long ago.  I worked for a few private people to test their patterns like http://www.countyneedlecraft.com I stitched most of the cottages and quite a few of the celtic designs

I even stitched this for Jan Eaton

This sampler is now free to download now.

So please tell me do I craft?
Yes or No?

And the days get shorter................

Anniversary Rose

Its the longest day today.  It is also our 33rd Wedding Anniversary.  Thirty Three years ago at midday at Southend Registrar Office with close friends and relatives Alex and I got married.  When we go to the local Farmers Market later we will pop into a card shop and go and buy cards for each other, how organised is that?

Do you remember this lovely yellow display it looks so sad now.

But now the the Elderflowers are in full bloom.  Does anyone have a tried and tested simple Elderflower Cordial recipe?  

Everything is so late this year.

This Blackbird with long worm in its beak has searched out breakfast for his three children

I risked being attacked by the parent birds and the razor sharp leaves of the Yucca and thorns on Bramble to take a picture of the nest, I'llleave them alone now, but I will look out for the fledglings next I don't want them to be abandoned now.

Click on this picture and I have pointed them out

I have been creating too!

South Molton and We have time to stand and stare..........

On Saturday Alex and I went to the Vintage Fair at South Molton.  My friend Jane emailed me to ask if I had read the article in the local paper and was I going as it was just up my street.  I hadn't read the paper by the time I read the email, so on a quick investigation.  We said we would have a day out.....yes remember those words 'a day out'.  I looked to see if there was a website for South Molton, there was and even a little video too.  We had never been there even though it was only an hour away!

Saturday morning lovely and sunny, just right for a drive across the Exmoor.   We arrived and parked the car, we could have stayed in the carpark till 10.10am Monday morning if we wished for only £1.10.  We went to the Fair first because that is why we went, chatted with Liz and Donna.  Then we walked round the town, found somewhere to eat and then went back to the market.  We didn't think anything about them packing away about 1.30ish after all it was Saturday and some markets are only on in the morning.  Anyway I bought plant for the garden and then we went back to the museum only to see the curator shutting the doors.  I questioned this, and the reply was Oh we are very civilised here we close Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.  Nowhere on the South Molton website says this!! 

Liz - Washerwoman stall

Donna - Fabric of My Life

On the way home on a nice sunny Saturday afternoon and especially when we stopped at the traffic lights, have you ever looked around you?  There was a few moments just to stop and stare...........

Top both pictures the traffic lights at Dunster, Somerset
bottom a wall at Barnstable and a traffic island

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare. 

William Henry Davies

Fabric Books

I have just finished two little fabric books.
Both are gifts but I can show you inside one as one of the recipients does not social network.  I have embroidered each page.
(click on picture to take a closer look)

Little bit of self promotion........

The sun is shining, the vintage fairs have started, would you like to wear a jumper made from the original 1942 knitting pattern?

 This jumper knitted by my own fair hands is for sale here