Easter

We spent Easter weekend in Dorset visiting my parents. Alice was home from Uni and is enjoying her Easter holidays at the moment. We have our school Easter break from the 4th April for two weeks. Despite the weather we had a lovely weekend and managed a couple of egg hunts with the National Trust at Lytes Cary Manor and Barrington Court, both near Yeovil. The weather was so cold and wet that I didn't take my camera so I took these photos with my mobile phone. (Sorry for the poor quality) Over the weekend I planned to knit myself a pair of socks but I changed my mind when I saw a pattern for a Leprechaun in a magazine. It was a perfect gift for my friend Debbie. Debbie had given me an Easter egg. On the previous Monday a couple of the 6th formers had come to school dressed as Leprechauns because the theme for St Patricks day was green clothing. However we all teased her that she was seeing things. I made him (Seamus) a speech bubble introducing himself and left him on her desk this morning. Seamus was a big hit with Debbie and he even brought Debbie to lunch to meet the other staff.

I am delighted that my Bunny, which I made for the Bunny Hop Bunny Swap which Lucy organised, has now arrived in Holland at Heleen's home. I can now show you a couple of photos I took of bunny before I sent her to Heleen, but I think Heleen's pictures are much better so pop over to her blog and have a look.

Thank you Heleen, bunny has arrived in Sussex

Whilst we were at school today the postman brought me a parcel from Heleen in Holland who is my Bunny Hop - Bunny Swap partner.

I have called her Flopsy and as you can see she came with goodies too. A Beautiful heart ornament, two beautiful handmade cards and some chocolate eggs. Emily had great fun making Flopsy come to life. Thank you again Heleen, Flopsy is beautiful.

Happy Easter to everyone I hope the Easter Bunny brings you lots of eggs.

Jane x

Taa-Dah or should that be Baa Baa

Drum roll please, sheep / lamb is finished, inevitably I called him Shaun.
I gave him back to my friend yesterday and she was delighted. She had been given the kit as a gift at Christmas, but felt that parts of the pattern were beyond her knitting capabilities. So I had volunteered to knit Shaun up for her, he is about 8 inches high sitting down / 15 inches tall and his real name is Ewan. I would say that this kit is suitable for a knitter who has made at least a garment or socks. The kit is available from Jacquay Yaxley Designs, Yorkshire.

Our day out.

I went to work first, then caught the 11.30 train up to London to meet Lucy, Lesley (& Ally), Val & Gina arriving at 1pm at the London Business Centre. It was wonderful to meet them all, they are each as lovely in person as on their blogs and that does include Ally although she doesn't yet have a blog! I met the girls in the Yorkshire Tea area, and got a very warm welcome. I was given some beautiful gifts, a bag from Lesley, a mug cosie and cookies from Val, Lindt bunnies from Ally and a lovely wallet from Lucy as well as the beautiful carnation Gina posted to each of us prior to the show.

Our carnations generated a lot of questions and interest from stall holders as we walked around, our explanation of blogging friends meeting for the first time in the flesh impressed many and raised questions with a few as to 'what is blogging?' It was lovely to walk around the show and see all the beautiful items for sale. Ranging from garden furnishings to house decor and knic-knacks and then clothes, jewellery and food. I saw lots of things that I would have loved to purchase but I also found lots of inspiration for craft projects I'd like to make. There were some very expensive items - art work £300 + and then there were little eggs and chickens for £1.50 each. I did buy a very cute name plate for Em with an Easter chick popping out of an egg, chocolate Easter Bunnies and a lovely pewter spoon with a seahorse on the handle (I collect teaspoons).

We stopped for lunch and had a goats cheese & onion tart with roasted hazlenuts on top plus a drink. We continued our tour finding many more lovely items including a beautiful wall hanging (which I fell in love with but couldn't afford) on the Susie Watson Designs stand. I also found some delightful china in cream and terracotta on the ground floor, but at £17 per mug! The show hall looked beautiful all dressed up in pink, yellow and green. Together with the profusion of bunnies and chicks peeping from nearly every stand, it really felt as though spring had arrived (shame its gone into hiding today, its been raining here since lunchtime) By the end of the day we all had tired feet, full bags and nearly empty purses. We had a lovely time and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting my bloggy friends and I can't wait for the next time we get the chance to meet up (We could do with having a get together some where so we can sit and chat, crafting at the same time too.) My only regret is I didn't take enough pictures which is unusual for me. Check out the other blogs for some lovely photographs of the show.

Awards

I have recieved two lovely awards from Moogsmum - Lesley

Thank you Lesley you are a "One In a Million Friend" and I would like to give the award to you and to the following lovely bloggy friends Kaz, Julie, Leigh, Lucy, Kerry, Gina and Laura Thank you ladies for your very special friendships.

The Cool Cat award I would like to give to every one who has left me comments before and to anyone who would like to leave a comment for the first time. You are all Cool Cats.

Leigh also gave me an award, I would like to give this to every one who is on my side bar

WIPs - I have now finished bunny and I am just finishing the sheep for my friend so I should be able to post pictures shortly.

Tomorrow some of us are meeting up at the Country Living Spring Fair at the Business Centre, Islington, London. I love railway journeys as they always remind me of the poem by Robert Louis Stevenson - From a Railway Carriage, which we had to learn at school.

From a Railway Carriage
Faster than fairies, faster than witches,

Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;

And charging along like troops in a battle,

All through the meadows, the horses and cattle:

All of the sights of the hill and the plain

Fly as thick as driving rain;

And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.

Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,

All by himself and gathering brambles;

Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;

And there is the green for stringing the daisies!

Here is a cart run away on the road

Lumping along with man and load;

And here is a mill and there is a river:

Each a glimpse and gone for ever!

Day out in Cheltenham

Gina has sent me this beautiful corsage (thank you Gina) so I can wear it when I join the bloggy friends meeting up for our Bloggers Convention in London on Friday which Lucy Locket suggested here

Yesterday we travelled up to Cheltenham to take Ali out to lunch to celebrate her birthday. We visited a shopping centre/mall with a clock that performs on the hour. It spins round collecting balls and this triggers bubbles from the mouth of the fish. A little mouse also pops out at different points around the clock face. Then we walked around Cheltenham and found some lovely shops. I found some unusual tea spoons from the Whittards shop to add to my collection.

We then stopped for lunch in an Italian Restaurant where the food was delicious. The journey up to Cheltenham only took us just under 3 hours and 3 1/2 hours to come back and that included going on the M25. Before we left Ali showed us a very funny clip on YouTube but it is one of those catchy little tunes that stays in your head. :-)

I have been knitting like fury for the last two weeks to make my bunny for Heleen in the Bunny-hop-Bunny-swap and she's nearly finished. I haven't posted any pictures as that would spoil the surprise.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, to all Mum's everywhere.


We went to Amberley Working Museum today and although it was cold it was a lovely day out with lots to see and do. We rode on the train pulled by a Diesel Engine called "Jenny", and we also had a ride on a Tramocar which has been restored but used to work along Worthing sea front in the 20's and 30's.
There is also the chance to visit the Electric Hall, Telecomms Hall and the Railway Sheds as well as many small displays by the Blacksmith, Broom Maker, Walking Stick Maker, Wood Turners, Pottery, Brick and Roof tile exhibits, Pumping Engine, Southdown Bus Garage (rescued from Storrington) Amberley Fire Station (opening soon), Printing Workshop, Radio and Televsion Hall and lots of lovely walks along the wooded paths between the exhibits. We spotted primroses flowering, heard wonderful bird song and caught glimpses of Robins, Magpies, Blackbirds and Wrens flying through the trees.
Amberley Working Museum stands in an old chalkpit at the edge of the village of Amberley in Sussex where, in the 1800's, chalk was dug out of the hill and loaded into the kilns with coal and burnt to produce quicklime which was then loaded onto trains and used in the making of mortar and cement.
This photo is of Em and I standing just outside the Radio and Television Hall and the sun was shinning.
Al couldn't join us today as it is her 21st birthday, her friends visited her at Uni and they all went out last night. We shall be going up to visit her later in the week for our own celebration.

Happy St David's Day

Happy St Davids Day,
I've been out in the front garden clearing up the last of the leaves and cutting back the dead wood on the rambling rose. It is freeeeeeeeezing as the wind howls across the front garden! This photo was taken in my Mum's garden last spring on 4th March. Our front garden is too exposed for tall daffodils so I have planted several clumps of the tiny Tete a Tete daffodil.