Summer has arrived

I was lucky to grow up on a farm and for me summer never really began until the fields were cut for hay or silage. Every year as soon as May arrived talk around the breakfast table with my Father and Brother would be about the weather forecast. You need to have a week of dry weather to make good hay so timing was important.

Now I have returned to the country and live in the next farmhouse to were I was born and my brother has taken over the farm when my father passed away.

Last week my brother came to visit me and we sat around my kitchen table and looked online at the weather forecast, and yesterday he started with the mower.



I adore the fact that I can see him working from my kitchen window. We had a picnic lunch together sat in the middle of the field and watched the red kites swooping for food and fighting with the crows.

Red kites have only returned to this area in the last few years, my Father adored them and once took my mother on a 100 mile round trip just to show her some. Sadly he never lived to see them fly over his own land, but i know he would have been delighted.

It was a simple thing but touched me deeply, and now I can declare that summer has begun.

MMxx

Pay it forward - the results

I have been so norty in not posting about pay it forward until now.


I can give you lots of excuses, like; I started a new job; I have been travelling over 1000 miles a week in new job; I have spent lots of time trying to sort out the veg garden and control the weeds; we have had visitors most weekends; I could go on but in honesty - I forgot.





So I am really sorry BM3/Dolly Dollop I loved the things you made for me, and the purse even came on our London adventure with my camera in it - but I forgot to thank you then *insert embarrassed smiley*

How could I not love the little London bus with CK on it :-)

If you want to see what i sent out to my 3 play it out ladies i made variations on the items below. It was the first time I had made the button hearts and I tried a variety of different wire but none of it was strong enough to hold the heart shape so I had to thread some stronger wire in afterwards to strengthen it.




It was fun to send out something crafty to people and to receive something in return - if you have not had a go yet I would defiantly recommend it

TTFN

MM xx

Inspired by London - with more pictures added

One of the fantastic things about the SSC meet in London was spending the day with a group of people who like simular things and who are creative. We all shared ideas and gained inspiration from what we saw and each other.

In tribute to the day and my new friends I have created this 'dressed' mannequin.

She is covered with special ribbon and lace. some came from my recent trips to France, other bits from swaps on SSC, some was my Mums and Grandmothers. I have even used ribbon saved from special gifts - some fancy french macaroons when my Godson got married and from my CK duvet cover.

It was fun to do and I love the fact that each bit has a special memory - including some I bought on Saturday!

The ribbon is only pinned on so if I want to use some of it in the future I can replace it with something else.

The idea came from here

and some of the trimmings and bias binding came from here

TTFN

MM xx

diddn't we have a lovely day, the day we went to London

Well I had a lovely day yesterday when a group of us who met via the Shabby Chic Cafe decided to be really brave and meet up in person.

Whilst the first few minutes several of us showed some nerves they were all forgotten quickly over coffee and hot chocolate.

We managed to talk, walk and shop from 10am to 7pm

Here are some highlights from the day.

French Fancies

Lots of bargains at the 2 brocantes we visited at the weekend to share with you - please leave me a comment and let me know your fav ones.