Joy Pocket

this week I have mostly been enjoying...

sitting up a tree and havin a laugh with some lovely folk I met at the Port Eliot Fest (and yes I really am that unphotogenic, its quite a talent!)

Harnessing some manic kid energy to help me sort out the big fat peas that have ripened en masse!

Another new/old dress (the one on the left) a lovely 70's number I think!? 

*

getting an inspiring and insightful new (old) book on toaism and tai chi

 *

escaping the kids for an evening of dancing and fun

*

clear nights with thousands of stars and fresh cool air

*

hearing the kids tell each other "I love you" (cheesy I know, but very cute!)

*

Banana and chocolate cake (the eating of..)

Thanks to Monica at the inspiring bohemian twilight blog for the idea of  Joy Pockets. 

Wishing you all a fabulous and fun weekend!  x

seeds of change

Firstly, these montbretia are one of my favourite flowers, I love their fiery colour and alien shape!

The veg garden at the back is suddenly looking pretty green and luscious.

We have been a bit slack on the whole weeding thing and its definately taken on a life of its own, but amidst the leafy greens there are alot of sweet eats..

I love that the french beans have climed to the tiop of the very tall sticks and carried on upwards reaching for the sun....I maty need a ladder/pogo stick to retrieve the beans though!!

and finally, not meaning to put a downer on the beautiful summer but I've been noticing the seeds of change all around, all the blackberries, elderberries, sloes, apples and hazelnuts that are slowly growing and ripening for the autumn harvest season of gluts! Bizarrely I find it really warming and inspiring to be reminded of the rhythm of  nature and how the seasons merge into one another.

How does your garden grow...? What do you like to grow and what do you find easy? (I'm an advocate for easy gardening...not too much faffing about!) 

Wishing you all fun in the sun x

The other scarecrows!

Here are some of the other rather demented scarecrows on display at the Port Eliot Fest...

we didnt win any prizes..boohoo but Im not surprised, some of the other ones were brilliant ad must have taken hours The Martin Scorsese one was my favourite!

There were some beautiful gypy caravans at the festival, you could hire them to stay in for the weekend (a bit pricey for the likes of me though!).

I loved the birds painted on the little doors on the back of the caravan. Talking of gypsy style...here a pic of my new/old dress! Thanks Mrs P !

I thinks its 1970's, the fabric is fab. Ive intentionally missed out my face as I didnt get in til 4.30am last night..and frankly I look a little worse for wear today! It was a good night!

Peace x

Joy Pockets

How can that have been a whole week..!??
as for this week, I have mostly been enjoying...

Super quick to make (no knead) soda bread from this book River Cottage Everyday and some gorgeous homemade blackcurrant jam from a fab friend (cheers Mrs C !). sooo yummy

 Making this for the Port Eliot flower show...

and laughing at it alot! And even more when we had to drive to the show with this one (Mr Scarecrow) in the  front seat!!

sunshine amidst the showers

bellydancing

a new (vintage) dress given to me by a kind friend...yey

eating fresh salad from the garden
smiles from strangers
seeing my mama shine

Little M chillin with her new dad.

check out Monica's and many more pockets of joy over at Bohemium Twilight.

Wishing all you lovelies a fab weekend x

Altered books

Around at my neighbours house this afternoon I saw her kids cutting up and creatively re-making some magazines and it reminded me of some workshops I attended a few years ago. One course was called visual diaries and as part of it we did a few evenings on altered books. I could only find these two (shown below), there are more but they have dissappeared into the crafty crud stash...hopefully to re-appear some day!  

 I found it really fun to take an old tired book and revamp it. I used mine as scrap books and note pads. I also made some little books that had a bit of a story to them. 

The central image in the photo above is a beautful fabric freehand embroidered picture by Wendy Dolan, who I ended up doing my evening course with years later. I wish I'd had the chance to take the next level of the NCFE but I moved away (boohoo!).

Do you keep a sketch book or have any tucked away from years gone by? If you'd like to share them, I'd love to see, leave your blog address alongside your comment! There is something special about seeing how an idea has formed and all the different influences and inpiration that have fed into it.

 Take Care x

Tree Mural

I finally painted the tree mural I've been on about ....
It was a bit scary at first as I am (as always) pretty impatient so I just leapt right in and started painting and making it up as I went along. I got alot of inspiration from searching images on the web, there are some amazing murals out there.

  I did pencil in a few lines and then just went with the flow.

 (so impatient/excited that I didnt even take the bunting down before I started)
 

M asked if it was a magic tree, somewhat foolishly I said yes and then weaved myself into a babbley story about why it was magic, whilst hoping that it doesnt end up freaking her out!! I'm going to paint some leaves on it tomorrow to make it look a little friendlier and maybe a little dotty bird perched somewhere.
It was really sweet to see M & J snuggled up under the tree at bedtime.

and just incase your'e wondering....the only reason the room looks that tidy is cos the kids were out all day at the aquarium (hooray, thanks super dad!). It was so nice to have a few hours to create something/eat chocolate and drink tea undisturbed. 

wishing you all a lovely weekend...with some peace too x

oh and p.s landlord, if your'e reading this....we'll paint it all back to normal when we move...promise!!

Joy Pockets

I can't believe a week has flown by so quickly, so much has been going on that its all a bit of a blur. I only just realised that I did just one post all week..tut tut!
But anyway, I'm back and heres some of the joyful and treasured moments from my week...

Things getting a little bit easier as they get a little older

....some of the dough even made it into biscuits

Doing a bit of sewing, taking up the hem of of my new Bellydancing skirt..I'll post a pic of the full outfit tomorrow as soon as I actually finish it!!

Smiling at the moon

Laughing and dancing

Letting go of old ways

Coming home

Picking and eating the bountiful fruits of the garden (especially the last of the strawberries! so sweet)

hanging out in a hammock

moments of peace

Wishing you all peace and joy in your weeks, thanks to Monica for sharing the idea of joy pockets

Sock Elephant (well sort of...)

We were at the Saltash Regatta yesterday and little M saw a rather lovely sock Elephant. As I'm pretty skint at the moment and I'm a terror for looking at stuff and thinking "no I won't buy it, I could make it instead" I set to making it that night (at about 10pm). It was a last minute thought and I'm a pretty impatient crafter anyway so I just grabbed a long (well loved and very well used) knee sock and made it up as I went along.
I have to say I quite like the little fella, although he does look like a new breed of clanger rather than an elephant..oops!?.

He's pretty scappy but he's cute! M likes him, although she has said now that she wants a (purple and pink stripey) mummy and 3 baby ones!

It has reminded me how much I LOVE the clangers (and Bagpuss too). Have just been watching it on U Tube.. loving the 'Treasure' episode, espicially the conclusion after their treaure turns out to be chocolate money that " what would clangers want with real money , you can't eat it can you, and it isn.t nearly as much fun to play with as a cotton wool ball from the cotton wool tree". Well said!! 

xxx

Joy pockets...

I've buzzed about in such a haze of stress and worry this past week that I thought it would be good to have a try at Bohemian twilight's joy pockets . So here goes...

Watching the garden grow and blossom (yey! for strange round courgettes!)

and escaping on my bike down the lanes (at 9pm at night in the light!)

*    remembering that all life is change 
*    kind words from lovely friends
*    listening to the birds (and the rather noisy sheep)
*    finishing a really good book (The Loop) and starting another (A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian)
*    hugs and warmth when I really neeed it
*    making and eating cake

I know it all sounds a bit cheesy but hey, I am just a hippy really x

    

strange and beautiful

Fire
There is nothing I like more, especially when I'm feeling hollowed and hazy, than sitting and gazing at a fire. Strangely as I sat there, some words kept spinning around my head. You know what its like when you get a song stuck in your head..well it was "your serpentine tounge laps like water". I can feel inspiration for some absract feiry piece bubbling up. Hopefully it'll surface one day. 

I find it meditative to sit and stare at a fire, I can stare for hours at its ever changing beating rhythmic waves.

and the flickering embers.

....and (as always) on a random note, I bought this little lot yesterday...so crafting is on the way!

foxy, huh!?

night all x

Berry nice x

Thanks to a generous friend I acquired A LOT of blackcurrants...I did a little magic on them following a recipe from the lovely book River Cottage Preserves.
So all these...

got squished up and heated into this...

which made these.....

 daa daaaaaaaaaa (notice the coordinating washing on the line in the background...a nice touch ay!? oops!). Lots of yummy squash, cheers Mrs C !