Dragons

Hello!

It's been quite a while since my last visit.

For those of you who didn't know where I'd popped off to.  I've been studying to become a teaching assistant.  I didn't realise how much of my life college, studying, and my placement in school would take up.  It turns out, that it takes up quite a lot.

I've passed my Level 2 - Yippee!

And, will be starting Level 3 next Wednesday.

Even though I've signed myself up for another year of studying, I'll try my hardest to keep popping in to this little blog space of mine. I've really missed blogging, and keeping in touch with all my blog friends.  I hope you haven't taken my absence personally.

Unfortunately, our summer holidays were mostly taken up with the care of terminally ill relative, and then with their sad demise.  But, I'm not here to dwell on all that.  This is my happy place, and I intend to keep it like that.

We did manage a few fun trips and spent a very enjoyable break in Norfolk, mostly hunting for dragons in the city of Norwich (which Violet calls Norwick).

Prepare yourselves for  A  L O T of dragons.

You deserve a medal if you've managed to get to the end.  Well Done.

Have you got a favourite?

*

New Year's wishes

I hope that you've all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.

We're heading off to London soon to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but I just wanted to pop my head into Blogland, and wish you all a very happy New Year.  May it be filled with love, peace, creativity, and friendship.

While I'm here I'll show you the one, and only Christmas gift I got around to making this year.  It was for Violet's teaching assistant.

The pattern is one I adapted slightly from one I found in a book called Stitch, designs by Penny Black.  I loved sewing on all the sequins and beads, which represent baubles.  If I'd have had more time, I would have added some metallic threads as well, and maybe also an angel charm for the top of the tree.

As with all my previous cross stitch decorations, this one is filled with Lavender.  

The run up to Christmas was so busy that Violet and I didn't get round to making our usual Queen Delia Christmas Cake.  So Violet has spent the past couple of days baking and decorating this beautiful New Year's cake for us all.

It looks, and smells, delicious.  I can't wait for her dad to come home from work so that we can all try a slice.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

X

Snowshill Manor & Garden

The weekend before last, on a beautiful Autumn morning, we decided to hop in the car and drive somewhere new.  We ended up in the Cotswold's visiting Snowshill Manor.  

The manor houses the extraordinary collection of Charles Wade.  Comprising of thousands of things, from spinning wheels, keys, and clocks, to musical instruments, Samurai armour and Chinese picnic boxes.  Every room is crammed full of treasures from all over the World.  

The gardens are very pretty too.

On the day we visited, there was also an Apple Festival going on.  Over 400 varieties were on display.

Instead of Apple Bobbing, they held an Apple Fishing competition.

Here are just a few photos of the treasures inside the house.  You'll have to excuse the quality of some of them. Unfortunately, there wasn't that much natural light available.

\

Have you ever seen so many spinning wheels all in one place before?  

This is Charles Wade's bedroom. He didn't actually live in the Manor House, but in a quaint little Priest's House with only a few rooms.

This is part of a quilled picture.  It was really hard to photograph as it was behind glass and housed in a very dingy room.  It's absolutely amazing.  I dread to think how many hours of work went into this piece.

Hope you enjoyed that little trip.

*

Who's been spending money?

I want to start off today by saying a huge thank you to you all for the lovely comments, and encouragement you left on my previous post.  

Right then, I've so much to share with you.  I think I'll start by telling you about my new knitting project.

It's called Viajante, designed by Martina Behm.  You can find the pattern here on Ravelry.

As you can see, I purchased some beautiful Malabrigo Lace from Loveknitting.com.

And, didn't it all come prettily packaged?

I picked a shade called Hollyhock - isn't it lovely?

I wanted something to take with me to college and in to school to keep my fingers busy of a lunchtime.  I've had so many approving ahhhh's and oooohs from teachers and my fellow students.  It always amazes me how many people seem to love the thought of knitting as it brings back memories of grandparents and childhood, but can't or don't knit themselves.  I wonder if I've inspired a few to take it up.  Wouldn't that be lovely?

My Chocolate Brownies have also been going down a storm in the Staff Room at school, and I daren't not take any in.  I've actually been baking a fresh batch this morning, all ready for tomorrow.

Next up, I want to share with you a few recent purchases I've made.

You all know of my love for Foxes, so when I spotted this picture above by Stan Kaminski at a local fair I couldn't resist buying it.

Then, whilst browsing through Folksy, as you do, I spotted this lovely print by Lyndsey Green.  

I can't wait to get both of these framed and hung on the wall.

I also bought this little print for Violet's bedroom off Etsy.

It's by Danielle Barlow.  As I'm sure you can imagine, Violet absolutely loves it, and it looks so pretty hanging on her bedroom wall.

Do you know Beth, from The Linen Cat?  Well, if you don't, please make time to go over to her lovely shop and have a browse around.  Beth makes the most wonderful things.  She also has a lovely blog - please pop over if you have time and say hello.

Recently, Beth stocked her little shop with some Halloween inspired creations.  I knew instantly that I needed to buy one, but I couldn't make up my mind which one to choose.  The Green Witch, Dracula or The Lady Vampire!  All three were wonderful, but I ended up choosing The Lady Vampire.  Unfortunately for me, Violet claimed it as soon as I'd opened the box.

She already owns a few of Beth's other creations, including this Ballerina Mouse.  

According to Violet, these two are cousins.  

I never would have thought that a little Vampire Mouse would bring such joy to a six year old, but Vampire Mouse has been everywhere with her (excluding school).  Vampire Mouse accompanied us all when we visited the Cotswolds on Sunday, and sleeps in bed with Violet at night. 

I may have made the mistake of then showing Violet the Green Witch and Dracula............. I can feel my purse getting a little lighter!!

Hopefully, I'll be back here with you all again on Thursday.

Wishing you all the very best.

*

Hello stranger

Well, hello there.

Sorry for the long absence.

The thing is, I've gone back to college to study to become a Teaching Assistant.  I've also decided to do a functional maths course as it's been 27 years since I passed my GCSE, so thought I needed a refresher.

As you can imagine there's some (A LOT) of homework involved, which I'm totally not used to doing.  I've had to re-engage my brain, and it's not liking it.

I've got a placement in a school for a day and a half each week, working with Reception children (ages 4-5). It's full on, but I'm loving it.

Needless to say, I've had no time to do any sewing or crafting, which is a real shame, but my course won't last forever, and I'll get back to it all at some point. Though I have managed to start a new knitting project, which I'll tell you about next time.

Today, I want to share something that happened recently, and which I can't seem to get over the shock of.

My brother came across an old photograph that somebody had posted in a Facebook page for the town we grew up in.  

The photographer appears to have gone outside to take a photo of a hot air balloon in the sky.  Nothing unusual about that I hear you say.  The thing is, the two people that he's also managed to capture in the photo are my parents.  

I'd literally never seen this image before, so when I saw it I felt like I'd been hit in the chest with a bullet.

 Because they've been caught on camera without it being in anyway staged, it shows them in their everyday life.  The way my mum is standing I found particularly upsetting because this is the way she always stood.  It's these kinds of mannerisms that I'll never forget about my mum and dad.

It must have been taken in the 60's.  That's even their first car in the photo.

Everything about this photograph has just blown me away.  It had the same effect on my mum's youngest sister when I sent it to her.  

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

*

Whizzpopping snozzcumbers

Tomorrow will be Roald Dahl Day 

How will you be celebrating?  

A party? (Download a party pack with activities here).

I'll be doing a few of the activities with Violet, and also reading her my favourite Roald Dahl story - George's Marvellous Medicine.  (Though I also fancy visiting the Roald Dahl museum in Great Missenden).

What's your favourite Roald Dahl story?

It's also the 50th anniversary of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - here's a link that will take you to The Vanilla Fudge Room (previously unpublished chapter).

Here's a link to win a special 50th anniversary collectors edition, signed by illustrator Joseph Schindelman. Together with a special Puffin edition signed by Quentin Blake, and a selection of other Charlie and the Chocolate Factory goodies. All you have to do is choose your favourite book cover design.

*

'And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it'  - Roald Dahl

Greyfriars House, Worcester

On a very wet Bank Holiday Monday, we drove to Worcester to visit Greyfriars House.

It was built in 1480, but what I found fascinating was the story of the brother and sister (Matley & Elsie Moore) who lived in the property from the 1940's until the 1980's.

The interiors, including all the furniture, belong to the Moore family, and this is how they actually lived.

Matley & Elsie saved the property from demolition and started to restore it.  Apparently collecting glass/windows from bomb damaged buildings during WWII. 

The siblings are also responsible for saving the timber framed shops opposite from demolition too.  Giving these to The National Trust on the understanding that they have to stay as commercial premises, not even allowing the rooms above to be rented out. 

They gave Greyfriars to The National Trust in 1966. Though they continued to live in the property until their deaths in the 1980's.

Love this bowl.

This was Matley Moore's actual bed. Can you imagine sleeping in this room in the 1980's? 

Did you see the start and end dates for the sampler above?  Commenced 1851, when Georgina was 8 years old.  Completed in 1926 when she was 83.  That's one hell of a work in progress.

This one's a beauty.  Don't you think? I love all the flower detail.

Hope you enjoyed this little outing.

*