Easton Walled Gardens and snowdrops

I spent a very happy few hours at Easton Walled Gardens today, with my friends Katy and Alison, on our first garden visit of the year. We usually go to Hodsock to look at the snowdrops, but we decided to break with tradition and go somewhere else this year. Although we had all visited Easton before, it was a number of years ago.  There was once a grand house on the site, but during the 1950s, it was demolished and the gatehouse is all that is left.  When the current owners took it over the land in 1994, it was like a jungle and has taken a lot of work to get it to what it is today.  Even the weather was helpful as the fog lifted and we enjoyed beautiful warm sunshine.

 There were some beautiful upright hellebores in amongst the snowdrops.

 Following the path round and looking up, the snowdrops appeared to be like a river...

 ...and were then joined by aconites.

 It almost looked like snow.

 There were so many.

 I liked this urn perched on the edge of the wall.

 On the formal bridge, someone had left a heart of gravel - possibly a tribute to St Valentine? - which I couldn't resist taking a photo of.  I liked the way it had been left there.

 Looking back up towards where the house once was. The terraced banks are planted with wildflowers. On the flat area before the bridge, there were once some formal bedding displays.  You can see them in photos from a visit to the house made by 'Country Life' magazine in 1901, which are displayed in the history room and the tea room.

 Looking back down across what was the walled kitchen garden, with the edge of the massive yew hedge.

 Back by the terrace again - I love an open doorway.

 This was on top of a wall by the area where there was once a peach house.  It is the remains of a sundial and you can see the hole where the gnomen was fixed.

 MC's initials feature a lot in the remaining ironwork - a previous member of the Cholmeley family who owned the house.

 This display of primulas gave a welcome bit of colour in the stableyard, where the shop and toilets are.

Of course I came away with a couple of plants, courtesy of Katy.  This is the rather beautiful Galanthus Elwesii with lovely markings on the petals, which will be planted in my garden as a reminder of the very enjoyable visit to Easton.

Polymer clay flowers and knitting

I have been trying out some new flower moulds I recently treated myself to - they were originally designed for sugar paste but work beautifully with polymer (although you would need two sets if you wanted to use them with both).  They gave some lovely results and I produced lots of flowers in a short space of time. I used translucent clay with colours added, blue translucent and pearl.  They were all highlighted using mica powder, to add a bit of shine.

 The moulds I used were double sided and there is also a cutter to cut the flower shape first, then place it in the mould, add a small ball of contrasting colour for the centre, press the two sides together and voila!  A flower! They are versatile as the sizes of the flowers can be varied. I need to work on the colours a bit more but I can see a Spring flower necklace taking shape in the not-too-distant future perhaps.

The other thing I tried was pretend knitting in two different ways, both using the extruder tool.  One involved twisting two strands together, then another two in the opposite direction and then placing them side by side to create the pattern.
The other technique was more complicated and involved small loops of clay overlaid with a line which was indented between the loops with a cocktail stick.  I'd like to try these again to look like variegated wool, but I really enjoyed making them.

A visit to Stamford, Lincolnshire

We spent a lovely day last Saturday, visiting Stamford.  My friend from Canada, Maria, was in the UK visiting her family and we arranged to meet up and go to Stamford.  I was a bit concerned as there was a snow shower first thing, but luckily, nothing for the rest of the day.  I used to live in Stamford and went to school there and got married in St Martin's Church there too, but hadn't been back for at least ten years and was interested to see if there had been many changes.  It is a beautiful town in the south of Lincolnshire, with a high percentage of Georgian buildings.  It is so photogenic that it has been used in various TV productions, including Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice.  Above are some of the houses in St George's Square, with the Assembly Rooms on the right.

 Here are more Georgian houses in St Mary's Street.

This used to be The Stamford Hotel but is now a rather pretty shopping area. Stamford had changed a lot - there had been a lot of new houses built, albeit in stone, so blending in (to a certain extent) with the more ancient buildings.  The shops had changed too and there was a plethora of boutiques.

We found a nice interiors shop next to a textile shop and just before reaching the shops, Chris said 'Look at the little observatory up there!'  I looked up and indeed, there it was. (He is extremely observant, looking up as well as where he's going and often points things out which I would totally miss otherwise.)

 Just up there - I expect there is a lovely view over the town from there.  (The birds very helpfully made some rather nice shapes to add to the interest).  (Speaking of birds, there were quite a few starlings perched on our lilac tree this morning - it could have been a little disturbing, as they did seem to be watching, but I think they were checking out the bird table, rather than devising any Du Maurier/Hitchcock-inspired attacks - I hope so, anyway!)

Right, back to Stamford.  This is St Paul's Street, with more lovely buildings. There was a little bookshop which we went in and a florist's shop next door. I love that evocative smell of soil, earth and flowers in a florist's.

A view looking up the High Street.  I had egg and chips in a little cafe (the others had an all day breakfast)...I don't think you can beat egg and chips, especially on a cold day...and we visited most, if not all, of the charity shops in the High Street, buying a few bits and pieces.  It was a lovely day which we all enjoyed and was lovely to be reacquainted with Stamford.

New Art work

We went to an Art sale at the weekend, featuring local glass artists, photographers and print makers.  Needless to say, we came home with some new additions to our collection of pictures.

 We both loved the seed head and branches by photographer Jane Wright - they are so atmospheric and just jumped out at us.

We also saw some of Alison Read's work (it was her house and we were able to see her studio which was fantastic!).  Chris loved this dog woodcut print...

 ...whereas I was after cat prints...like 'Furball' here...

 ...and I thought that this one looks a bit like Scruffy (so, of course, it had to come home with us!)

Right, all we need to do is to get them framed and then decide where they are going.  We are thinking of having a mini-gallery in the hall...

New roses

 I am itching to get into the garden and get going again, but as we are forecast to have a cold week, that will have to wait.  I am always like this in January - Christmas is over, the start of a new year and a new gardening year!  However, I have been buying already...
Above is Rosa 'Frilly Cuff', which is a new introduction from last year.  I chose it because it is a lovely colour and will grow in a pot (quite important when you have no room in the garden!)  It will be arriving in February. (Photo from Peter Beales)

 I have ordered and received these two from Apuldram Roses (photos from their website), which I have stuck in pots for now, just to keep their roots from drying out.  Trust me to pick a cold week!  The one above is Rosa Chandos Beauty which I saw at Haddon Hall in Derbyshire quite a few years ago, but decided now was the time to purchase it.  (It grows well in a pot too, apparently!)

The final one is Rosa William Shakespeare 2000, a David Austin rose.  I don't have any roses this colour in the garden, so thought it would be a good addition.  I'm not sure it will be happy in a pot so I may have to re-jig a few things...
I will be planting the roses properly once the weather is better.  In the meantime, I am looking forward to a summer full of roses!

edited 21.01.15
Oh no, I have just succumbed and bought another rose - Charles de Mills!  Right, I need to stop now.  This one will need to go in a border too...Major re-jigging of borders now required...gulp

Just a little light reading?

 I love reading.  It is one of my favourite things to do.  I do have a Kindle, which is great for work, as it is light, portable and can store lots on it, but nothing can beat the excitement of a book, whether new or just new to me.  However, I have had to have a serious talk with myself.  I have got too many books which I haven't read.  So, after ordering four more over Christmas(!), I have decided not to order any more until I have read all of the ones in the photo above and possibly a few more as well (there are many more yet to be read).  I enjoy many types/genres of books and the selection above encompasses fiction, factual, biography, gardening, art, cats and social history, to name but a few.  Now, which one to start with?

I usually have a few on the go at once, but if one really grabs my interest then it gets my undivided attention.  The ones above have the potential for this, I think.  I bought 'Merry Hall' for my Mum for Christmas as she likes Beverley Nichols and I had a sneaky peek before wrapping it.  I loved it, so had to get a copy for myself and then, as it was a trilogy, what could I do but buy the others as well?  You see my problem...
So these are first on the list and I must admit that 'The Lost Pre-Raphaelite' may be the very first to be read,  as it has intrigued me.  I have been keeping a record of the books I have read over the last couple of years and it is fascinating to look back.  Last year, I read 86 books and many were on my kindle.  I wonder whether I'll read more or fewer in 2015?  I am reading the Mapp and Lucia series on my Kindle at the moment but I am ready to start a real book too, so off I go!

Positive signs in the garden

 With all the terrible things going on in the world recently, it is sometimes difficult to believe there is anything much to celebrate.  However, nature reminds us to go on, despite everything.  The stoic attitude of the snowdrop is one such example.

 This delicate little flower has a core of steel running through it and it will fight to bloom every year, despite the weather.

 Something for us to try and emulate, perhaps?

 The winter flowering jasmine is also a plant I admire, even though it spends much of the year resembling a straggly bird's nest.  For a few weeks and sometimes months, it enlivens the winter garden, creating a little sunshine with its flowers.

For the ultimate optimist, how about this?  (Apologies for the awful glare on the photo, but the flash insisted on being used, despite my best intentions!) This is a flower of Erigeron Karvinskianus - Mexican Fleabane - which by rights should not be flowering at this time of year, or through the snow we had or through the frosts, but here it is.  Positive signs indeed.

Happy New Year 2015!

(photos from Daily Mail website)

 As seems to be a bit of a tradition, the first post of the year is one where I review last year and see how I got on with the things I wanted to achieve. I kept it pretty simple and did reasonably well (with the exception of the first one).
Make more felt - hmm, this wasn't achieved at all, so I must do better with that this year.
Read interesting books - achieved (total of 86, up from 63 in 2013) and will be continued.
Be creative - achieved but could do more! I'd like to learn a japanese braiding technique (kumihimo) to add to my jewellery making.
Get rid of/donate things I do not want or need - I am a hoarder, so this is one I struggle with. However, I am going to improve and for the last few weeks have been consciously removing at least two things a day from the house.  I just need to carry that on!
So, not bad, but will do better in 2015.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope it is a healthy and prosperous one.

Brrr!

 This was Boxing Day night, when the snow started to fall...and fall.  By the following morning, a lot of it had gone but we were left with the slush and the cold.  It's not the cold of Canada, but after quite a warm and mild autumn, it is a shock to the system.  I don't really like the snow as it causes so much trouble, but it is beautiful to look at.

 This morning it was really frosty, although it did give me the opportunity to take more photos in the garden. (They are a little blurry, but you get the idea!)

 Hydrangea Arborescens Annabelle...

 ...Hart's Tongue Fern...

 ...Penstemon...

 ...the blackened and frosted flowers of an aster

 ...and the black leaves of Ophiopogon planiscapens nigrescens - Black Lily turf - which look wonderful with a frosty outline.

On a positive note, this little primrose is trying to flower - probably a couple of months early!

Questions and Answers

The lovely Alison at farmhouse traditions recently nominated me for a Liebster award.  It means I need to answer some questions she has set and then nominate other blogs I like and follow, to do the same. While I am very happy to answer the questions, I won't be nominating any other blogs from my long list, but if anyone wants to join in, please do.
Here we go:
What's your favourite craft?
I have two in particular - Jewellery making and felt making.
What's your home area like?

I live towards the eastern side of the UK, in a large rural county. I live in Lincoln itself, which has a Cathedral and Castle. The area I live in is is predominantly terraced housing, dating from Victorian times onwards.
What's your favourite childhood memory?
Holidays spent in Hunstanton, in Norfolk.  Going to the fair and riding on the gallopers, eating cream cakes and making sandcastles on the beach.
What's your day job?
I work as an administrative assistant in a University.
What's your favourite animal and do you have pets?
My favourite animal - I like members of the cat family but I also like the elegant lines of the greyhound.  Yes, we have two cats: Scruffy (in the box) and Ginny (on the chair).

  

How are your happiest days spent?

Visiting gardens with good friends or being creative at home.

What are your dreams for the future?

On a personal and selfish level, I would like to age gracefully without too many aches and pains, continue to be able to enjoy my crafts and upsize, so that I can have a studio/craft room and the craft materials will not intrude into the rest of the house!

What's your favourite quotation?

I have lots, but this one sprang to mind:

"No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent" Eleanor Roosevelt.

Well done for sticking with this post! In case you feel like joining in, here are a couple of questions for you to ponder:
What is your favourite book and why?
What is your favourite food or recipe?
Is there a craft which you would like to try?

My little polymer clay Christmas trees appeared on the TV yesterday - I sent a photo of them in to the Wall of Fame (where you can send in photos of your work, as long as the materials are predominantly bought from Jewellerymaker) on Jewellerymaker and they were featured! (Apologies for the flash off the TV screen).  As you can imagine, there was great excitement for those few seconds!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

Christmas making and baking - despite my creativity going AWOL!

 For some reason, even though I have been enjoying time off work, my creative muse appears to have left the building! I just haven't really felt like being creative.  I know that this is sometimes the way, and I do try to make the most of those times when the muse strikes.  Before creativity deserted me, I did make some polymer clay Christmas trees, using liberal amounts of glitter.

They are very simple, stand about 6 cm tall, use up some scrap clay and were quite satisfying to make.

I have also made the my usual iced star biscuits which I enjoy making.  I hope that over Christmas I will feel that I want to finish my tunic dresses and skirts, make jewellery and perhaps even make some felt...of course, if not, there is always eating, drinking, watching TV and reading!