September: Pick and Mix

Hello....... it's pick and mix time again and hopefully I'm going to be able to sneak this post in before we get into October, time sure seems to be flying lately.

The view from the window:

Yes September has been and gone with it's many mists, we really have had a distinctive line between Summer and Autumn this year. Although it has been mild just lately there have been lots of misty mornings and the nights are drawing in. This months windmill shot was taken at dusk which seems to fit so well with this time of year.

Out in the garden:

The plants are trying there very best to hang to Summertime.  The Sweet peas have just about finished now, but the poor old fuchsia's are literally just starting to bloom, they are so far behind this year, probably as a result of the very cold Spring.  The Roses are continuing to bloom though as are the geraniums, so there is still lots of colour about and the wild cyclamen that grow under the tree by the Summerhouse are thriving this year with some many new clumps coming out.

Dorset: part four

What with having to rest up so much and recover from my weekend away, I never quite got round to finishing my Dorset posts, so I thought I pop them into the pick and mix. 

These picture were all taken on our visit to the Blue Pool, which is former quarry that is now a nature reserve. When we go to Dorset we always seem to end up here, it really is the most beautiful and tranquil place.

Since our last visit the reserve has some new residents, so as we went around we kept a look out for the faeries and there homes. 'L' was doing a different hunt that involved Squirrels, owls and woodpeckers, hidden up in the tree, which were much much harder than finding the little colourful doors.

There's one !

Oh and another

My lovely sister pushed me all the way around the Pool in my wheelchair, bless her heart as it was quite a way.

It's so lovely and tranquil here, as you can see the pool was not quite so Blue on the day we visited, which I think was a result of the very cloudy weather, but when we've visited on a sunny day, oh my it's even more gorgeous.

Ah it was so lovely to sit by the pool and have a rest, just listening to the birds while the others went off to explore the play area.

Spring or Autumn:

Back home out in the garden things have become a little confused, the berries, pear tree and leaves are all doing there Autumn thing. However over in the wildlife strip, something is amiss with the 'Honesty' even though it's covered in seed pods (bottom centre image) it's also starting to flower again as you can see from the picture to the left!! The shrub (top centre) who I can't for the life of me remember how to spell the name of at the moment has also started to re flower too as are the Wisely Spring bulbs and the Cherry tree seems to be in bud, it's all a bit odd, but I'm sure nature will sort itself out.

Dorset: part five

On the way home we stopped off at Moors Country Park, as my sister found out from there website they have a tramper and also a big holiday surprise for 'L'

So off 'L' and I went on a woodland adventure, as I mentioned in my post here . It was really great to be able to go on a bit of a adventure. 

Having ME/Lyme disease has really limited me being able to get out into nature which I love so much, so this was just great.

'L' and I set off on a two mile route through the park. Me, yes me eek with the map. He kept asking 'you do know where we are Auntie Clare' he of little faith.

We had a great time, with 'L' on a mountain bike, we saw lots of birds and squirrels,  I did find it very tiring but it was great fun, although we did take a short cut back in the end as I'd run out of steam.

and as for the trees they were just stunning.

Here I am on the tramper, which is a cross between a mobility scooter and a tank according to 'P' After lunch we just time for  one more special treat for 'L'.

Yes he was 'going ape' !!

which he describes as his holiday highlight.

Doesn't it look fun he ran round so fast, with no fear that the last time around the instructor told him to do it with no hands and he did.

What a adventure, no wonder he fell asleep in the car on the way home after a two mile bike ride and five times around the 'Go Ape' course.!!

Yarniness:

September saw me finally complete my granny bunting triangles, I've edge them  all  now  so all I have to do is make some cute little flowers to add to the centre of each pennant, and then this WIP will finally be there, hopefully by Octobers Pick and Mix they'll be ready for there Ta-Dah moment.

Anyroad I guess that's all the pick and mix for this month

Happy Crafting, linking up with Nicoles Keep Calm Craft On

Clare x

Sorry if this post a bit photo heavy, but I just can't stop myself when I'm away, I guess thats what comes of being housebound a lot of the time due to my health. bye xx

Stitching Sundays :03

Hello..... So it Stitching Sunday again and I'm linking up with Chrissie 'here'

This week at the Summerhouse saw the arrival of my new thread storage box and very handy thread winder, to go along wiht my 50 different Flosses which all need winding onto the Bobbin cards I think it's going to take me a while but I've made a bit of start, I can wait to see them all nestled together, in the box.

So after finishing the running stitch border on my napkin, I sat down with my crafting notebook and came up with a bit more of a design plan for my Summerhouse sampler. 

 I'm planing on having a tree in each corner  of the napkin to represent the seasons and then three other design per season so in total I'll have sixteen little boxes on my sampler. I'm thinking bluebells, cherry blossom, birdies for Spring time and I already have some plans for the rest of the seasons too.

 My latest idea, if it all turns out OK, is that I might eventually use this piece as the front of a cushion. Of course I getting way ahead of myself as I have to learn to embroider first.

So I found a image for a tree that I liked in my 'Doodle Stitching book. (picture below) and using the very handy disc that comes with the book I re sized the image on the computer so it would fit into my stitched box.

I then trace the image onto my napkin using the window method, which I found a bit tricky but I got there in the end.

Then it was time for the fun part picking out the colours I wanted to used.  As this tree is for Springtime I decided to use varying shade of pink to embroider the blossom for the tree. I love the Flosses I've just fallen in love with all the colour.

After that I set to work on my first non practise piece of embroidery eek!! and this is where I've got to so far. I managed to finish all the branches using a Split Stitch. Now I can't wait to get to work on the blossom with all the lovely pink flosses. I think thats going to be the really fun bit. Who am I kidding, I'm just loving it all !!!

I've popped a link at the top so why not pop over and see what everyone esle is up to.

Happy Crafting 

Clare xx

Three things 22/56

It's year of happy time again, it doesn't seem five minutes since the last one, but hey ho here are this weeks 'three things'.  They are all associated with our few days away, a celebration of spending time with friends and family, getting out and about, after a few weeks of being housebound and having a bit of a adventure and some fun along the way, Sounds like a pretty near perfect week to me.

Number one :

It's hard to pick something from all the out and about stuff we got up to, but going to the Blue Pool in Dorset had to make it into my top three this week.  My lovely sister bless her heart pushed me in the wheelchair all the way around the pool on very sandy grown.  I love it there so much it's so beautiful and quiet, it's lovely just to sit and listen to the birdsong.

Number two:

Is this, it's a tramper, and it makes this weeks year of happy post because it enabled me to get out into the woods independently. With me on the tramper, and my nephew  'L'  on a mountain bike  we went on a bit of a adventure, a 2 mile woodland trail, with a map reading involved eek.  I don't really go many places independently these days, so this was amazing. Until this year I couldn't tell you the last time I'd been to the woods, but with more and more of these machine about, it's great as less able bodied people can get out to nature. I'll tell you more about what we got up to another day.

Number three:

Is this pretty butterfly garland I bought while we were at the Blue Pool, isn't it sweet? It's not only been making me happy. Merlin my cat has been having some fun too!!! since we hung it up.

I hope you've all had a happy week

Clare xx

Dorset: part three

Hello, so Sunday we all bundled into the car and drove off to Lulworth Cove,  with so many pretty cottages I couldn't resist attempting to take some pics from the car,  in case you are wondering  my sister Eeyore decoration decided it wanted to get into the shot too.

It was quite misty when we got to the cove very atmospheric, in a scooby doo kind of way.

'L' explored on the beach while we had a cuppa, and then went out on a little boat trip to see Durdle Door, I apologise in advance if I call it Dumbledore at some point as I spent the weekend doing this.  It was such a shame it was foggy as it's really very beautiful.

Here's a picture from the net of what the Cove looks like on a Sunny day.

The little village really is very pretty, but even on a foggy day in September it was a bit of a tourist trap and really busy.

I did buy this gorgeous strawberry bag in the gift shop though, as well as a box of fossils and a compass for 'L'

Below is our amazing view at 'Durdle Door '

With a  heavy heart we drove up there, and I was secretly hoping that the mists would lift by the middle of the day, but it was not to be.  As you can see from my photo of Durdle Door it was think fog.  So as before I've added a photo so you can see what we missed in mist.  It's a bit of a shame but at least I have been there before.

On the way back we drove through Corfe, and I took a couple of pictures of the Castle and village it's just so beautiful all the building built from Purbeck Limestone.

with the castle perched high on the hill.

and finally 

 I just couldn't resist taking this picture of 'The Wishing Chair' outside one of the shops in Corfe

Clare xx