Flowers for Mum

Hello... So today it's Mothers Day here in the UK, so a very happy day to all the Mum's out there. On Tuesday there was a teacher strike here so we had my nephew 'L' for the day, as well as playing Lego and watching a Movie 'Jack the Giant Slayer'. 

We also did a bit of card making, I found some supplies in the Summerhouse and 'L' set about making a Mothers day card.

With paper flowers and buttons he made some blooms for the card

While I added a contrast border and some ribbon to the bottom of the card. Then using glue dots (I do love a glue dot) 'L' stuck the flowers, buttons and 'With Love' message to the card.

Ta-Dah

I think he did a great job and I'm sure my sister will be thrilled with it, plus it's so much nicer to get a hand crafted card.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

Three Things 48/52

Hello it's that time again, not many weeks left to go now in my 'year of happy,' so I've snuck a extra one in this weeks. as here at the Summerhouse we have Geraniums flowering in March. Yippee. So here's this weeks 'three things'.

Number One:

My first happy this week is that electricity has been restored to the Summerhouse at last, still a bit more work to be done as one of the interior walls had to come down to rewire, but it's all repaired and plastered just waiting for a coat of paint, then we can set to with a big clear up and setting up the craft table again. Then I think it might be time for a bit of a Summerhouse girls night.

Number two:

My second happy thing this week is Sweet peas, I do love them and I finally got around to sowing some this week. Three packs in the end after a slight mix up, I accidentally bought some trailing ones. I'm looking at it as a happy accident though and plan to put some in the hanging baskets and window boxes if they grow.

So we have 'Prima Ballerina' and 'Ocean Foam' can't wait to see those ones and the trailing ones are called 'Sweetie Mix' Summers on it's way.

Number Three:

My third happy thing for this week is getting my guitar out and writing my second song of the year. This one's a Bristish Folk song, called 'A sail on the Morning tide'. 

 I find that song writing is a great way of dealing with the tough stuff of life, I wrote so many songs the year we lost my Dad, it really was a life saver for me, a constructive way to channel my grief . Not sure where I would have been without music

I'd love to be well enough to get back to going to the local folk club again and performing, give the songs a bit of a outing.  With my health so bad I didn't make it at all last year, but fingers cross at some point this year I will.

Well that's about it for this week, have a wonderful weekend and a great Mothers Day to all those Mums out there.

Clare xx

Three Things : 47/52

Hello...... I'm running a bit behind again so here are last weeks 'Three Things'

Number one:

My first happy thing for last week are these lovely coloured craft scissors, just looking at the colours alone makes me smile.  My lovely friend Lindy is downsizing her craft supplies ready to move house and she very kindly gave these to me. So a big thank you Lindy for the crafting scissors and also for very kindly running me to my B12 jabs each week.

Number two:

My second happy thing this weeks is not the blue sky although I do love the wonderful blue colour the skies are in Springtime. No it's the sunshine, yes lovely  lovely sunshine or more the fact that I'm allowed out in it again. I spend most of my life in the shade due to the treatment for my Lyme/ME making me allergic to the sun.  

So one of the plus sides of starting antiviral theraphy is that I had to stop my antibiotics for a while, yippee for I so miss being able to sit in the sun. Plus it's a nightmare if you have to go in the car while allergic to sunlight, all bundled up with a scarf over my head especially in summer very hot and bothersome

Sadly there seems to be some downsides to the antivirals, mostly digestive, I've had lots of nausea, but fingers crossed today I've been a bit better so hopefully I'm getting used to them.

Number three:

My third happy thing this weeks is spending a little time on Friday practise yarn bombing the garden. 'P's' getting well used to it by now with the blog and didn't bat a eye as I went past with my camera and bag of yarny goodness, instead just saying 'she's off to hang things in the trees again and take photo's'.

Yarn bombing just made me smilie happy, I'll show you some more pics another day. Well I just had to practise to see what everything would look like before posting it off to the Woollen Woods.

The only thing I forgot was the gardener was coming to mow the lawns for the first time this year, opps but thankfully I was all finished before then as I'm not quite sure what he would have made of it.

Well that's all the happy for now

I'm still working my way through Beutrix Potters Treasures tales
Yarning along with Ginny

Clare xx

The Fox in the box

Once upon a time there was a fox in a box, who came to stay at the Summerhouse.

He had come as a subscription gift from a craft magazine and had patiently waited throughout the cold months of winter for the right time for lady from the Summerhouse to put him together.

That lady's name was Clare and she decided the perfect time to wake Mr Rusty the fox was when her nephew 'L' had come for a visit.  So they carefully took the pieces of the fox from the box and laid them out ready to put them together.

First they assembled his cute foxy face

Carefully stitching through the pre punched holes.  Which Clare thought would be a easy task for 'L', but alas no for a 10 year old boy this proved far to much hard work, when the TV was calling him and as for Auntie Clare she struggled a bit too with not being able to stitch where she wanted to but having to stitch for the pre punch holes.

Never the less the little foxes face was stitched into place.

Then is was time put together the foxes body, so Clare took some black thread and added some  

back stitch to define Rusty body, the lady from the Summerhouse then stitched on some detail to give Rusty a bushy tail, as no self respecting Fox would ever be without his tail. 

By now Rusty was starting to feel much more like himself again so Clare very gently pinned the pieces together and started to blanket stitch around his body, which was fine as Rusty the Fox was fast asleep so he didn't feel a thing.

Then it was time to add the finishing touches, so 'L' very gently glued Rusty's ears on

before going outside for a scoot

Mean while Auntie Clare sat outside keeping a eye while she stitched on Mr Fox's nose, much to the neighbours dismay, but I ask you what is a Fox with out his trusty nose.

When Rusty was complete the lady from the Summerhouse left him to sleep a while in the Winter Jasmine, Rusty was so pleased to be sleeping in the sunshine at last, after spending the long winter as just a fox in a box.

After waking from his snooze Rusty the Fox decided that he was going to stay with his new friends at the Summerhouse so he made his home on the bed in the guest bedroom, just waiting for when 'L' next came to play.

The End.

Linking up with Nicole's Keep Calm Craft on.

Clare xx

Winter to Spring

Hello and a  Happy Spring Equinox to those of you in the Northern Hemisphere. Yes we've finally made it through all the rain to Springtime it's official Spring has Sprung 

So this afternoon I spent a little time  repinning Spring.

Unpinning all the wintery decorations from my wreath and Sprucing it up with some Spring colour

 I really should get around to knitting a cover for the other polystyrene wreath I have, but in a way I kind of love the action of removing the winter blooms and snowflakes and replacing them with Spring Flowers. 

It's so easy pinning them to the wreath, sometimes adding a pretty bead between the pin and the flowers. I think a few of the flowers may have gone astray over the winter as I'm missing a some, so I might have to make a few more primroses

But for now Spring has Sprung here at the Summerhouse and I for one am pleased about it.

We were greeted this morning with blue skies 

and I couldn't resist popping outside to take a couple of pictures 

I was so pleased to see the first leaves bursting opening on the Horse chestnut perfectly in time with the Equinox.

Now I really must start work on a Summer and Autumn version of the wreath.

Clare xx

Lately

Lately I've been resting up trying to recover and as I been pottering about there have been lots of wonderful things I have noticed, so I've been saving up the pictures for a post. 

As lately the birds have been singing so loudly out in the garden a sure sign of Spring

and there are pots of lovely Springtime starting to bloom.

and Frogspawn in the pond, they have been singing up a storm of a night time.

Lately I've been trying lots of new treatments for my ME/Lyme a stricter pacing program which I'm struggling to stick with, as life has a tendency of getting in the way. The shop needs to be done, or appointments are scheduled but I'm trying my best.  

I've started new supplements and continued with the old ones as well as herbal medicine.  I've been having my B12 shots for a couple of weeks now and this coming week I'm due to start the dreaded antivirals. Which my GP thinks will make me very sick indeed oh joy!! In fact she has only given me a weeks worth as she thinks it's unlikely I'll make it passed day three. Oh dear

I've also been wearing a heart rate monitor watch lately (part of the pacing) with the aim being to keep my heart rate under 97 beats a minute. It's not going to well so far for as soon as I stand it jumps up pasted 110 beats a minute and goes even higher when I actually move. For me a slow walk to the bathroom is like doing a exercise class.

But lately there has also been some Bunny Chocolate, as I had to come off my anti inflammatory diet for some blood tests, the plan is to restart again this week. As I was feeling a bit better cutting out gluten dairy and yeast

Lately little granny birds

and ladybirds have been appearing at the Summerhouse ready to go off to the Woollen Woods

The tutorial for the cute Granny Birds is from Bunny Mummy's  fab blog 'here' and the Ladybirds are from Attic 24

Lately there are so many blooms out in the Summerhouse garden

and I've been doing a mindfulness meditation each day. I went on a meditation course a few years ago and was pleased to see meditation listed as one of the treatments recommended by the ME Specialist I saw a few weeks ago.

The picture is from the chill out part of the lounge we went to at the O2. I just love the lighting  I found it really relaxing to look at.  So I just had to take a picture I did get a few odd looks though !!

 I just felt like saying I'm a blogger it's what we do !!

Lately I started reading Bella Pollen Hunting Unicorns, getting a bit of a head start on Aprils book, I've still got one more story to read from My Beatrix Potters Treasured Tales for March but so far I've enjoying both books very much.

Lately there have been good post days

How amazing is this hook. It the second part of the giveaway I won on  Jacquie's blog. I just love it the little white dots even have glitter in them, sadly the camera didn't pick that up

So with this fab new hook I think I going to order some pattern specific yarn (something I rarely do) and make something from this months issue.

Lately I've been doing a bit of gardening too, with a lot of help from 'P' doing all the lifting and shifting and me sat planting the Polyanthus it took me a couple of weeks but the Summerhouse window boxes are finally planted up.

I really miss being well enough to garden, and so much needs doing but we'll get there I guess.

So that's what's been going on round here for the last few weeks. Wishing you all a wonderful week.
Linking up with Chrssie's and Marrianes crochet along.

Clare xx

Three Things 46/52

Hello...... It's been a busy old week here at the Summerhouse which has meant the new pacing program for my ME/Lyme disease has not been going so well but hey ho at least the sun has been shining and thankfully my second B12 jab was pain free, which made me very happy, as after the first one I was dreading them a bit. Any road here's this weeks 'three things.'

Number one :

My first happy thing this week, is lovely lovely Anemones, one of my favourites, my sister bought these for me the weekend before last and they are still going strong.

A few weeks back I planted some up in a pot on the patio and I can't wait for them to flower.

I just love the colours so much.

Number two:

My second happy this week, is a big one with quite a wait to it. You see last January we booked some tickets to go and see Miranda at the O2 thinking the tickets were for last March oops, no they were for a whole year later. Which was a bit of a worry as my healths been so poor.

So on Thursday my sister loaded me and the wheelchair into the car and we drove off to London. Little old exhausted me in London !!. I've never been to the 02 before in fact I've not been to London other than for hospital appointments since I've been ill.

So it was a bit of a culture shock for this country mouse. I  really struggled but I just about managed it, thanks to a O2 angel ( yes they have them, with lovely little wings)  who asked if either of us had 02 as our phone network, fortunately my sister did so she told us all about the 02 Priority lounge. Where you get a wrist band that lets you into the lounge which is a much more sedate place to sit and have a relaxing drink before the show started. Being in the lounge meant no queueing up to get into the arena as our tickets were checked there and then also no queueing for the loos either. Perfect one happy if slightly flagging Clare.

We had booked disabled seating and the location was amazing right by the stage, they really looked after us we even had someone in our area to go and order drinks for us. 

As for the show it was 'Such Fun' I've not laughed so much in a long time.  I'm feeling the price of my adventures today and will be I'm sure for the next week or so, but it was so nice to be out in the real world. eighteen thousand people were there last night eek, for me that about as many people as I've seen in whole of the last decade, seeing as I spend the majority of my time housebound.

So yippee for 02 adventures, time to collapse in a heap now for a bit.

Number three:

My third happy thing arrived with the post this afternoon. I was lucky enough to win a copy of Simply Crochet magazine from a giveaway over on the wonderful blog 'Bunny Mummy'

Jacquie makes some wonderful crocheted creations over on her blog as well as some beautiful artwork. Her super cute Granny Square Cowl  is featured in this months magazine supplement 'Spring Brights' look there it is on the cover.

So I wanted to say a huge thank you for this as  there is nothing like a good post day to put a smile on my face, just what I needed as I'm feeling pretty rotten after my adventures to London.

Well that's all the happy for this week have a wonderful weekend one and all.

Clare xx