TIME TO STOP AND TAKE STOCK.

WELL HELLO MY FRIENDS, COME, PULL UP A CHAIR, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE LAST MET FOR A CATCH - UP. DO YOU FANCY A BREW? MILK? SUGAR?

IT'S BEEN A FEW DAYS SINCE WE FINISHED THE STROUD '08 OPEN STUDIOS. I DIDN'T REALISE HOW MUCH IT WOULD TAKE OUT OF ME BUT I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE.

ANDY WAS A TRUE KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR AND FINISHED MY WORK ROOM AND THE GARDEN, I WAS SO PLEASED. THERE WERE FIVE OF US EXHIBITING, IT ALL WENT TOGETHER VERY NICELY I THINK.

PHOTOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN, BUT ALAS, THEY ARE NOT ON MY LAPTOP, SO MAYBE I'LL HAVE SOME FOR MY NEXT POST....

A MAJOR HIGH POINT OF THE EVENT WAS MEETING MY BLOG FRIEND, MICHELE ( COWBOYS AND CUSTARD ) AND HER LOVELY MR. CUSTARD. IT SEEMED SO NATURAL TO BE GREETING THEM AS IF SEEING OLD FRIENDS AFTER A LONG SPELL APART, WE HAD NEVER MET BEFORE , HOW STRANGELY MAGICAL . MICHELE WAS JUST AS I IMAGINED, HAVING NOT SEEN ANY PHOTOS ON HER BLOG, JUST A TANTALISING SHOT OF HER HAIR OR A BACK VIEW, HER VOICE ON THE TELEPHONE....... IT'S LIKE FINDING THE FINAL PIECE OF AN ON-GOING PUZZLE, BUT THERE IS NO ANTI- CLIMAX, JUST HOPE, THAT WE WILL MEET AGAIN...

SOME OTHER EXCITING THINGS HAPPENED DURING OUR OPEN STUDIO, BUT I CANNOT TELL AS YET, WE SHALL SEE....

THESE PHOTOS ARE A FEW WELL OVERDEW MINUTES OF FUN WITH MY POPS, THERE'S ALWAYS AN ELEMENT OF GUILT INVOLVED WHEN I'M PUTTING ALOT OF TIME INTO MY WORK, THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THIS IS THAT THE CHILDREN SEE ME MAKING AND ARE EAGER TO HAVE A GO THEMSELVES. GEORGE LOVES FELTING AND POP'S HAS JUST STARTED SEWING, I COULD DO WITH SOME HELP!!!!

EARLY MORNING SUNSHINE AT THE LITTLE WREN HOUSE.

HELLO, I DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU WITH YET MORE PICS OF MY WORKROOM BUT I'M AFRAID I MUST,LOL. THE SUN SHONE GLORIOUSLY EARLY THIS MORNING WHEN ME AND POPS VENTURED IN TO THE LITTLE WREN HOUSE, IT SMELLS OF WOOD AND PAINT, NEWNESS, I'M SO EXCITED NOW.

I THINK THESE SPANISH TILES ARE LOVELY, I BOUGHT THEM ONE A WEEK YEARS AGO, WISH I'D BOUGHT MORE.....

THE POND HAS BEEN CLEANED OUT, WE HAVE TWELVE NEWTS PLUS THEIR BABIES AND A LOVELY FROG, HE STANDS WITH HIS BACK LEGS ON THE BOTTOM WITH HIS FRONT LEGS OUTSTRETCHED GAZING UPWARDS, LIKE SOME KIND OF SUN WORSHIPPER, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.

AGAIN, IKEA COME TO THE RESCUE WITH THESE SHELF UNITS, CAN'T WAIT TO FILL THEM WITH ALL MY BITS AND PIECES.

MY GIRLS. I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST PIC I'VE MANAGED TO GET OF MILDRED SINCE SHE WAS A KITTEN, SHE'S TWO END OF THE MONTH! LIKE HER BROTHER, SHE IS A BEEEAAAUUUUUUTIFUL CAT. I HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO KEEP HER, KEEPING HER IN FOR SIX WEEKS AND GIVING HER LOTS OF LOVE, CROSS FINGERS, I THINK IT HAS WORKED. I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CHECK THAT THE NEIGHBOURS ARE NOT TAKING HER IN AND FEEDING HER.

SHE IS SO WORTH IT.

I WILL TRY AND POST ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN MY WORKROOM NEXT TIME. THE WHEATHER HAS BEEN GLORIOUS, LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO TURN TO RAIN TOMORROW, THE GARDEN NEEDS IT SO THATS OK..... BYE FOR NOW X

AND FOR SOME MORE .........

As promised, here I am again with yet some more pics. The first ones are of studio progress, and as you can see, it's amazing what you can do with a bit of determination and hard graft, thank you so much my love, your a hero x

Don't you just love IKEA? i'm not so keen on the furniture, but their lighting is ace and soooo cheap, they do great jammy dodgers too! a must for us on every visit.

I love my sink, how sad is that? called Charlotte, I have a habit of HUMANISING objects I like or love, I wouldn't tell my brother, he's a psychiatrist, he would have an absolute field day!

The GANG. A dummy run( RRR!) For the textile festival market which I attended on Saturday and Sunday.

Little Nell and her little hen.

Maybelle.

The venue for the textile sale.The setting was in this lovely old house which was once part of the mansion belonging to the mill owner. I really enjoyed the two days here, made some sales, met some lovely people and learned a lot, fabulous!

Miss B.T

This is me, a month ago, I had surgery to remove a freckle that appeared about ten years ago. I had the photo taken because I was very pleased with the plastic surgeons hand work. ALAS, my biopsy results were not what we expected, my freckle was what you would call a wolf in sheeps clothing........ I have to have the surgery again next week, such is life, things could be a damn sight worse, it was a dissapointment to think I'd been living with a melanoma for all these years, I have an angel watching over me, THANK YOU MY ANGEL X

IT'S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME....... BUT NOW I'M BACK!

HELLO, IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? i SHOULD THINK NOT! AFTER THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT i HAVE BEEN ABSENT FROM BLOG LAND. lIFE HAS BEEN A TAD ON THE MAD SIDE i MUST SAY, IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO WRITE, HOW TO BEGIN, SO I WILL START VERY SIMPLY BY SHOWING A LITTLE OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AROUND HERE. I WILL TRY TO BLOG EACH DAY THIS WEEK IN THE HOPE OF CATCHING UP WITH NEWS AND EVENTS, IT WILL DO ME GOOD.

some before pics of the wren house.

As you can see it's a bit of a mess, but the pics that follow the progress of andy's hard work will show what can be achieved when you have a major deadline.

FRIEDA AND THE BIRDS.

maria von katz.

MY SWEET WREN HOUSE.I AM GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW, BREAK MYSELF IN GENTLY, HA HA XXXX

HAPPY EASTER !!!!

Some Easter decs to brighten the place.....

A little egg display to tantalize and tease....

Andy's lemon Easter cake to please....

Easter breakfast with hot cross buns......

My favourite china in fresh springtime colours......

The Good Friday procession with crosses and free buns.

These are some of the ways we have spent this easter weekend. We still have bonnet making and making chocolate nests for the ' Collieockey Bird' who lays chocolate eggs in the nests on Easter morning and if we are really lucky, she might even leave one of her brightly coloured feathers for us to find, what fun!!!

Do have a safe and wonderful weekend, Annie x

THE TALE OF RUFUS AND THE CATNIP AND SOME OTHER STORIES.

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!I HAVE TO SAY I'VE HAD QUITE A WEEK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AND I CANNOT HELP BEING OVER THE MOON TO HAVE GOT THAT ONE OVER WITH.
POPPY WAS OFF SCHOOL MOST OF THE WEEK WITH A TEMP AND COLDY SYMPTOMS, BOY, ARN'T THEY TIME CONSUMING?WHAT WITH FEEDING, CUDDLING, CLOTHING, ADMINERSTERING, PLAYING........ THERE AIN'T MUCH OF THE DAY LEFT! WHAT ABOUT WORK? OH WELL, SHE'S GREAT FUN EVEN WHEN A BIT GRUMPY AND OFF COLOUR.
I HAVE BEEN HAVING HEART WRENCHING MOMENTS OVER MILDRED,MY CAT, YES I DO HAVE ANOTHER CAT BESIDES RUFUS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE MILDRED DOESN'T THINK MUCH OF US ( WITH SOME NAUGHTY GOINGS - ON BY A NEIGHBOUR,AGAIN!!!) AND IS NOT COMING HOME.I AM DEVASTATED AND ALSO VERY ANGRY.ANYWAY, TO TRY AND HELP MILDRED LOVE US, I PURCHASED SOME VERY POTENT CATNIP AND PUT IT IN ONE OF THE HOUSEHOLDS BEST SOCKS ( THEIR LIKE GOLD DUST HERE). MILDRED WASN'T MOVED, TURNED ON HER HEELS AND SCARPERED.
RUFUS COMES IN AND IS IMMEDIATELY FLOORED BY THE BREW, HE WAS POSITIVELY ORGASMIC ! SO I LEFT HIM TO IT.....
HE LATER COMES UPSTAIRS, PULLS ALL POPPY'S TOYS OUT OF HER BASKET ATE HER STRETCHY RUBBER FROG, THEN OPENED HER BOXED GAMES AND TOOK ALL THE BITS OUT. THE PIC ABOVE IS TAKEN JUST AFTER THE RESCUE OF SAID BITS OF BUCKAROO, LOOK AT HIS EYES!! THIS BEHAVIOUR CONTINUED ALL MORNING, NEEDLESS TO SAY, CATNIP HAS BEEN CONFISCATED. HE'S CRAZY ENOUGH WITHOUT IT

IN BEETWEEN BEING NURSE AND KEEPER OF THE PEACE, I HAVE BEEN BATTLING AWAY WITH SOME MORE DOLLS AND THINGS. I THINK THE KITTEN LOVE HEART VERY MUCH SAYS WHERE MY THOUGHTS HAVE BEEN, WITH MY TWO LOVELY CATS WHO NO LONGER LOVE EACH OTHER.
THE BUTTERFLY DOLL HAS BEEN A PAIN IN THE BACKSIDE FOR SOME REASON, BUT I'LL GET THERE IN THE END.

THIS IS FIFI ET FELIX, A FRENCH MADAM WITH HER TRUSTY CHOWAWA, HE DOES LOVE HIS DIAMONDS!

ON SATURDAY, I ESCAPED THE CRAZY BUNCH AND WENT TO A RAG MARKET IN TOWN, OH MY GOD! I THOUGHT I'D DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN. I COULD HAVE BOUGHT THE WHOLE LOT, I TRIED TO BE AS SENSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, ADDICTION IS A TERRIBLE THING. I SAW SOOOOO MANY OTHER WOMEN THERE WITH THAT SAME CRAZED EXPRESSION, IT'S OUR KINDA CATNIP, DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT?
I THINK IT'S TIME I SIGNED OFF, THINK CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG WILL FINISH SOON,THATS ME BACK FEEDING, CUDDLING, CLOTHING, FEEDING........ BYE X

LIFE' S A BIT TOPSY TURVY AT THE MOMENT

As you can see! didn't know how to change this pic but thought it was apt. I would love to offer you some topsy turvy tea and welcome you in to my topsy turvy world.
I have some pics to share with you or should they be confessions of how much needs to be achieved before June. I hope the after pics are a darn site better. Anyway, pick up your tea and follow me........

This is my 'Wren House', my work room. We shall leave the door firmly shut and save that pleasure for another day :(

My potting area at the bottom of my work room.


Halfway down the garden, where's the colour?

The bottom two terraces, MMmmmm, diggin and turfin is needed here.


Looking towards the house and workroom from the middle terrace. Oh my word! I feel a panic comin on.........

Finally, our sad little pond, the shame of it.

Do not despair dear readers! for I'm sure, by June we will have a garden to match this one, Monet's wonderful garden in Giverny. I've been here, a devine place. Don't you love that green?

Besides freaking about the garden, I've been doin a bit of this.......

Some sorting through my bits of fabric...........



And some felting.

What I am having to do is muster up as much belief and faith that great things can be achieved on limited time and budget. There's nothing quite like a challenge to get the blood circulating,lol.I will post the before pics of my workroom soon, hope you've got the stomach for it?

Best Wishes to you all, have a lovely day. Annie x