Looking for Lakes

We have been without a car for a few weeks and walking into town and back was starting to be less fun, amazingly James' mum's friend came to our rescue!
She has begun car sharing, leaving her's vacant and she suggested that we have it...

so we are now back on the road! 

We can now get some compost and things to build a polytunnel and really get the garden going.
After seedy sunday we are consumed with ideas as to what to build and where to put things, though this spring we will concentrate mostly on the front patch, building beds and getting some veg in. 

I have got some cheeky charity shop bargains recently one of which was a really lovely atlas book which is so so sweet, and as we don't yet have an OS map of the area it was nice to see where else we might explore. 

There has been some really lovely weather recently, and with the car we decided to go and find some lakes which we noticed were not far from us, and are also near old tin mines and a castle! 

We took the car down some pretty rural tracks! But (as you can see) it was so so worth it!

It was so nice to be out exploring! and also we have some guests coming to stay in the coming months, so we're trying to scope out some magical places to go with them!

Places like this really do make me feel so glad to be here. When things get a bit too much, you can always go and put yourself somewhere in the landscape, breath and gain a bit of perspective, you know? I feel incredibly lucky to have places like this nearby.

We haven't yet found the tin mine or the castle, which leaves us a great excuse to go back for more adventures, not that we really need a reason!

Happy lovely full moon times to you. xxx

A bit of a re-vamp!

 I've had a bit of a re-vamp of the old blog... keeping things fresh, you know! 

You'll also notice I've been bitten by the retro-phone-photograph thingys, I have previously been a bit snobby about them as film is really the only way to make real images like this...

though I suppose digital, on some occasions is good...

Anyhow,

The lovely daffs are waving their sunny heads in the miserable weather we've had the last few days, injecting a bit of a spring in my step. 

I've had a bit of a spring clean in the kitchen,

 

moved our bedroom to the attic 

 (this is the view from our tiny window)

and my studio from the living room to our bedroom. 

 

PHEW!  

 Moving rooms has meant that for a few days things have been EVERYWHERE! 

Today I feel like I'm almost there, nearly ready for springtime. 

 I really enjoyed spending time organising my selves, arranging things, getting disracted by something shiny... you know how it is...don't you?!

 My progress in the cleaning/laundry department has certainly been hindered broken up with finishing off some WIPs and making a start with some ideas for our forthcoming exhibition.

Here is a photo of the Kindle case I made from some knitting my Nan helped me to start probably years ago now! I finally got around to sewing up and adding buttons too.

 I love it so much, particularly the red deer antler buttons from my lovely friend Anna

I've also been on the hand singer given to us by James' gran

 I've been making some bags from recycled sack and vintage fabrics

 James and I took a look around the MOMA gallery in Mach the other day... 

It's such a great space!

 It was nice to get to know our new town a bit better.

Back at the cottage I've been making some cocoons!

 Making a frame out of willow,

on one prototype I've begun weaving sheep wool which I've gathered to make the walls of the chrysalis. 

 On another I'm trying out sewing beech leaves together making them as the outside.

..all trial and error, time consuming, but still rather fun! 

I've still many more to sew together...

and still some end to sew into a nearly finished blanket for a friend...nearly a tah-dah post!

xxxxxxxx

Bring in the New

We had a lovely Christmas, eating lots and enjoying the fire and some wonderful gifts 

 

(I've been LOVING the wool from my best friend Ashley, I've begun knitting squares for a blanket!)

 

and James and I went out to a party for New Years, 

which was so much fun, 

nice to remember that we can go out and have fun still! 

hahaahaa...

Hope everyone had a special festive season!

Recently, we've been savoring the infrequent breaks in the rain.

It seems to be a rare thing to see the sky at the moment! 

 We spent a little while at Clarach bay...

Enjoying the sky but not so much the freezing wind!

And seemingly blending into the surroundings!

Jamz mum has been in Cuba over the festive period, 

so we've had a few extra weeks to get her present sorted.

I decided to bite the bullet and actually use the leather which I got when I was living in Totnes and have looked at and put away so many times before.

Its so so nice, I just didn't want to destroy it!!

I made a couple of smallish bags, one of which will be a gift.

I love the bright colours

especially all together, and though I wasn't entirely sure about the pink to begin with, 

but I like it a little more now...

I ended up with a pretty bruised hand at the end of it, 

as once I start something and see it come together, I get a bit full on in order to have the final thing. 

I will try and slow it down a bit, less mistakes and all that...!

Today, after drawing up plans and deciding to gather rocks, 

we started our first bed in the garden!

The only plant in the front barely living is a sage which was left by the previous tennants, 

so we decided to give it a proper bed and start sorting things out so we can try and get stuff in to grow this year.

 

 We've got lots of ideas and its really exciting to get this going! 

This evening I'm making more Chilli Jam... Already!

xxxxxx

feeling festive

 It's been really chilly recently, the weather forecast says there might be snow tonight, but I'm not sure, though I've heard we're meant to have some next week...I'm quite looking forward to it now!

Except I'm not entirely convinced we have enough supplies, though the council have scooped up the leaves on the road, and we've grit piles every few metres, so perhaps we will be able to get into town.

 I've decorated the mantle piece in the living room with scots pine, some pretty ribbon and some pinecones. I have been really excited about decorating, gathering all objects which are the 'right' colour! I'm not sure how to decorate the rest of the house yet, so James and I went for a walk by the house to see what sort of foliage was about and get some wood for the fire.

 

Our huge holly stump is sprouting some new leaves, as well as being host to an ash tree, a blackthorn and a foxglove! I can't wait to see what it looks like in a few months.

 

 

(the house is in the top right corner)

 Down here there is a beautiful stream with little water falls, all under a gorgeous oak woodland. 

I love oak.Its so twisty, and it burns so so well, its lovely.

 

The sloes have all gone now, so no chance of replacing the sloe gin we've already broken into...oops!

 

 

We had a really lovely walk, looking at mushrooms, and finding little worlds in the roots of a fallen tree. After getting chilly fingers and slightly damp toes, we came back for some delicious soup.

mmmmmmmmm.

(I love it when Jamz gets all inspired in the kitchen- he's amazing at food)

 

I have also made some Christmas bunting for a friend back home in Bridport, I couldn't get a decent photo, so I'll ask get so send me one of it hanging with her own decorations. 

This evening I shall mostly be enjoying some yummy rhubarb and ginger muffins.

Happy Weekend.

xxx

phew

We have had some friends up over the last few days, which has been so lovely.

It's so nice to see people who I can just chat to (or even to sit with in silence), with no self consciousness or fear of making an arse of myself.

We mostly spent a lot of time eating amazing food and drinking lots of red wine.

None of which I have photos of because we ate it before documentation crossed my mind!

We didn't spend the whole time eating though, we went for a walk through the forestry on a quest for this waterfall which Jamz and I had spotted from the top of the hill. 

It was in a bit of the forest where they had recently cut down a load of trees, so it was a bit strange, sort of like a grave yard, with remnants of tree looking like bone scattered across the ground.

We did find the waterfall, though not a path to take us right to it. Next time I think we'll go along the top path over the hill... or maybe check out the other waterfall which we spied which might be more accessible.

Having A&N over has also inspired me to make more things!! 

It has been a while as all of my stuff has (and some still is) in boxes.

Though I am determined to get on it, organise my space/life/shelves and get some stuff on etsy.

Hope you've had a nice week so far?

xxx