Summertime Wreath: Putting it all together

Hello..... It amazes me but I've got there much quicker than I thought possible with this new wreath. To tell you the truth this is mostly because I have used flowers from both my Springtime and Wintertime wreaths

From Springtime I've borrowed Roses

and Little Flowers (both patterns from the wonderful Attic 24 )

Butterflies too

and Anemones (which are flowering in the Summerhouse garden at the moment.)

You can find the tutorial for them 'here'

From winter I've borrowed Little blossoms

and more Roses.

So in the end I only had to make make seven Roses to complete the wreath. I made most of them using a pattern from Nicki Trents 'Cute and Easy crochet with flowers' book

Choosing a Summery palette of Reds, Pinks Lilacs Blues and Purples mostly Stylecrafts Special DK and all from my stash which is a bonus.

I'm using the same wreath as my base with it's green knitted cover, you can read more about how I covered the wreath 'here' As I said in my last post I love using the one wreath base that changes with the Seasons, (only Autumn to do now !!)

As always I'm using the little trick of a stitch marker to hang my wreath by.

So we are already there, time for the pinning of my Summertime wreath, it's hard to believe that it's has all come together in less than two weeks, flowers, beads pins, ribbon and sparkle all at the ready.

See you next time for the big Ta-Dah

Clare xx

Ring of Roses

Hello............ Well I decided to go for it and make a Summertime version of my crochet wreath, now I realise there is not much time, and Summer is upon us, but never the less I'm going to go for it.

 I've been thinking about what really represents Summer here at the Summerhouse by the sea and decided on Roses lots and lots, so I've set to work on my Ring a Roses.

 

Both my Spring and Winter wreaths include Roses as they seem to flower nearly all year round here. So I'll be using some of the pre made Roses in my Summertime wreath, partly as time is of the essence and my energy levels are low but also as I kinda like that my wreath evolves as the seasons go by with some flowers staying and some going just like out in the Summerhouse garden  

Over the passed week, I've been playing around with a colour palette for wreath

 and have starting making some larger roses. I'm using two of Nikki Trent patterns from her 'Cute and Easy Crochet' books

I've also started playing around with the wreath layout, to get a idea about things, it's still a work in progress with more rose to make and I'm thinking some daisies too.  It needs a lot more work,  more pinning and re pinning to do until I'm happy, but I love this way of working with the wreaths as you get a great look at what's needed what lacking and what's still to be done.  

It's always fun to play around with the colours, in this way, and helps to see if the balance is right, which I know is not right yet.

As I'm stuck in bed with a relpases and a flare up (Herx) of symptoms from restarting my Lyme disease treatment I'm glad I've decided to attempt a Summertime wreath, it's such a great way of taking my mind off all the thing I can't do (that need doing) around here at the moment.

If you need me, I've escaped off to the wonderful world of crocheted flowers for a while.

Happy Crafting

Clare x

Chronic Creatives and the Woollen Woods

Hello.......... A few months ago I started telling you about a yarn bombing project I've been involved in.  As many of you know I suffer from a Chronic Illness which can be very isolating so, when I joined a facebook group called  Chronic Creatives, for people with Chronic Health problems who love to craft and create it was a bit of a lifeline, a place where I have made so many amazing friends. 

 At the beginning of the year the Canopy Arts project offered us, our very own tree to decorate in the Woollen Woods at Sizergh Castle,

This post is the tale of that tree.

  We all set to work making yarny goodness to decorate our tree with, the theme we decided on was Nature and all the makes are made from 100% wool and natural materials

I made some Granny Birds using Jacquie over at 'Bunny Mummy's super cute pattern.
You can read more about my Little Birds 'here'

and some Ladybirds, which you can read about 'here'

I also made some Roses to add to the groups collective project a Flower garland that you can read about 'here'

Here it is all put together by the lovely Amy and ready to go off to the Woods.

Doesn't it look beautiful hung in the tree, and how cute are the little Robins

As this was a group project it was exciting to see what everyone had come up with, when the tree was decorated, I just love this Very Hungry Caterpillar

The flower garland wraps around the trunk and up into the branches past the hand felted Chronic Creatives sign where some of my Ladybugs are also hanging out,

Here are some of favourites I loves these cute little tree frogs, it makes me smile just to look at them

Higher up the trunk are flowers and Acorns and the wonderful nest of Blue Tits created by the talented lady who organised us all and put together the flower garland.

High up in the branches there is a gorgeous hand felted ivy looking so ethereal

Here's the tree all decorated, it amazes me that a group of people who would never have know each other but for the Internet and facebook, have created this by making yarny decorations mostly from there sick Beds and Sofas. 

So you see, the Internets not all bad in fact to the disabled and housebound it's a true lifeline.

Here's our tree all dressed up in it's Spring green.

The Woollen Woods are all way up in Cumbria, to far for me to travel to visit them, so a big thank you goes to Amy's parents who visited the woods and kindly took some pictures so we could all see what our tree looks like.

You can read more about the other trees and the Woollen Woods on 'The Canopy Arts' facebook page.

Creations on the tree made by Jenny (flower garland), Germaine (Ivy) Belinda (Robins and Sign) Amy (Flower garland, Blue tit's nest) Sarah (Frogs and Catterpilla) Mary (flower garland) makes by many other too, including my (Ladybirds, Birds and Roses)

Have a lovely weekend joining in with Nicole's KCCO

I'm still reading and enjoying Frenchmans Creek

Happy Crafting 

Clare xx

Sunny Days

Hello....... Over the last few days we've been enjoying some lovely warm sunshine here in the UK and I have been making the most of it.

Out in the garden my favourite Geranium is in flower again,  how I love it's gorgeous blue

and things are starting to flower over in our wild flower border.

Flowers, Yarn, Pirates (we'll get to that in a bit ) and sunshine what not to make you smile

Spending some precious time outside sitting in the sun

admiring all the May flowers

and starting on Junes book (early) while soaking up the last bit of sun while I can.  Daphne Du Maurier 'Frenchman's creek' I never read one of her books before but so far I'm enjoying it.

 I have now restarted my antibiotics for my Lyme Disease, and for me sitting  out in the sunshine is no more for the foreseeable future as they make me allergic to sunlight :(

I hope you were able to enjoy the sunshine over the weekend too, the weather here has come out in sympathy with me, as I type we are having a torrential downpour and thunder storm.

In Happier news I made it to a folk music night this week, I've not managed to make it to my local Folk Club in over a year and a half as I just couldn't manage to get up the stairs,  but I discovered one was been held in a local pub, so went along with some friends I was very nervous but manage to perform three songs, two of my own.  So lovely to go along and listen and play.

Linking up with Small Things Yarn along

Happy Crafting

Clare x

Lately

Hello... I'm sorry to say I've not been about much lately, my health has caused me to lay low for a while. So this is a bit of a catch up post of the last few weeks

Lately .... There have been birthday flowers here at the Summerhouse, as my birthday was couple of weeks back

there were pretty birthday Roses to and lots of lovely gifts, including craft supplies and a couple of handmade presents so lovely.

Lately........ I've spent hours and hours, turning into days and weeks here.  The slightest activity wiping me out completely, I really need to listen to my body more when it's screaming at me to rest instead of thinking about all the things that need doing. I am trying to learn this.

Lately........ the roses have been flowering in posies in the Summerhouse garden

and the garden had quite run away on us but I'm trying not to worry about it, I did manage to sit in a garden chair and shake some wildflower mix onto the wildlife strip a couple of weeks ago. It's so important to try and look after the Bee and insects.

Lately there have been little bits of craft going on, not as much as I'd like, but it's nice to manage something.  I'm still making Poppies for the local library's WW1 memorial

One good thing is that lately the May Mornings have been marvellous out in the Summerhouse garden, and when I felt up to it on Thursday morning I went out and took these pictures, so much is going on out there we still have Polyanthus flowering but also Roses and Geraniums 

 

Lately I've been trying to play mandolin for ten minutes each day, trying to get my fingers and brain working again.

The Horse Chestnut by the Summerhouse is looking gorgeous in full flower lately

and I've been making a few easy to follow granny squares for my Spring time throw

and of course it would'nt be the Summerhouse without a crocheted flower.

Happy Crafting 

Clare xx