Trittiford Park visit

I haven't visited this park for years ......
We decided to go because Hungry Horse Supplies is now selling Swan and Duck food!
How it has changed ..... for the better I think.

Sitting on the first bench gives you this view of the pond, all the birds are along the water's edge.

Looking the the left the view continues.

I love the way the path winds around grassed areas as well as the shale area.


As we walked round the pond from the left side we looked back at the view ...... hard to believe we are in a large City!!!

We soon collected one of the swans and a few locals.  

I don't think GSF was very impressed!!

Just look at that lovely view ....

OOOH!  Look .... there's Grandad!

We walked back to the bench and had a bit to eat and drink then went walkabout to the right. 
This is the way I walked home from school every day, not just me but several of us schoolmates....
The view here hasn't changed much over the years. 
The small wire fence was installed to stop the row boats from coming through to the islands.  Yes, row boats, Park Keepers' Hut, Putting Green all gone now, down to costs I suppose.

There was always a swan's nest out there along with coots and moorhens.
We fed a few more ducks that were in the pond this end, they willingly came up onto the bank for some of the food.

All too soon it was time for tea so we visited the local carvery where some of us just couldn't wait!

Among all the turkey and veg GSF enjoyed a large helping of Mac'n'Cheese followed by ice cream ..... perfect ending to a great day.

WOYWW #538

What a day, or should I say days!  So much rain, hope it gives over before the weekend.

My desk today is project daft .......

Starting from the left you can see some polystyrene packaging 'sticks' ready to make some marks - unpacking a chicken house means that there is some recycling.
The flower catalogue  is ready so that I can order the bulbs for Tyseley Station.  On the right hand side of the laptop are some wallpaper samples cut ready to use as backgrounds, diecuts etc.  (thinking the C time here!)

I have managed to make some Welly Cuffs, muddy days are forecast!  I used some odd bits of wool but I am going for comfort not looks....

Hopefully I can get a lot of sorting done inside the house this week but only time will tell, in the meantime.... craft on dear friends, craft on.

My thanks to Julia (see tab at top of page) for hosting another get together of deskers.

Return of the chickens

After our short break away from home it's back to work we go.
While the chickens have also been away, we have taken the opportunity to lay a fresh floor to the Ranch and install a larger HenHouse.

The old flooring is now waiting to be laid over the soil on the rose bed.

PJ will waterproof the henhouse some more if only to tone it down a bit!!!

The Chickens have been staying at the Farm from which we bought them.  There are lots of different chickens kept there but we like the ones we have although .... I quite like the white one .... that one down the front with the fancy 'hat' ... and did you ever see such a beautiful duck?
It shines iridescent green and blue.

Our girls have settled back in beautifully, just like they've never been away.

I have also pruned the Fruit Trees, rather ruthlessly, but they haven't been touched for a couple of years.  The fruit will now be a bit more reachable yet out of the chickens' reach ..... yeah! the chooks soon realised that they like apples and pears but couldn't wait for the fruit to drop!!!  lol

ATCs and Coins - September

This month's swaps as follows:

ATCs

Colour - One you least like -Yellow.

Doesn't look too bad when it is prettied up!!

Received these lovelies in the post today....

Colours chosen: 

Green from Margaret

Yellow from JanS

Brown from Thelma

Thank you girls

Theme - Cars

I used some of the images from Bear Creek Quilting site to collage.

In the same post as before:

Minis from Ruth

Oldie from Madge

Peel off from JanW - excellently thought out don't you think?

Thank you girls.

Partner swap

Using up some of my 'Replica' stash, this time it's a Sindy Catalogue.

Just love the colours and die cuts used on these cards.

Thank you Pauline.

COINS
Theme 1 - By the Sea

More Bear Creek images - these really make me wish I could quilt!

 I have received the following:

Cookery from Thelma - very clever!

Alice from Lin - one of my favourite books

Lots of Leaves! from Barbara

Thank you girls.

Theme 2 - Books

Children's books for a change.  Red Riding Hood, Flower Fairies and Treasure Island.... did you guess?

Coins received:

Seagull received from JanS

Sailing boat from Rubes

Shell from Lisa

All coins reminding me of my holiday

Thank you Girls.

Excuse the layout .... again all thanks to Blogger doing its own thing!!!

WOYWW #537

Here I am!!
Late to the party but this is why ......

This was my view!

No desk, no internet, marvellous!!

We had a busy week, meeting friends and chatting and eating ..... you know how it is!!!



Especially good was visiting here on Thursday.
We called it a mini WOYWW when we met with Margaret (Glue and Glitter), Shoshi (ShoshiPlatypus) and husband Nicholas - great fun, no photos (they will appear on other Blogs) - Super afternoon.  We all agreed how much we owed to our lovely hostess Julia and all the other WOYWWsers.
Thank you girls, and man, for taking up my offer of meeting, loved it.




We spent a lot of time just looking at scenes like this....

Altogether a hectic week but we have now come home for a rest.....


THANK YOU JULIA from the bottom of my heart for hosting such a varied and friendly Blog.

WOYWW #536

My thanks to Julia (see tab at top of page) for hosting another get together of deskers.

My desk is here at the moment .....

As you can see we just have the last little bit of weeds to clear.... but all the roses are pruned!!

My desk in the meantime has become a dumping ground again!

We popped into Solihull to visit a few shops, mainly Lakeland as I need to make some more marmalade, and I managed a flying visit the Works...... nuff sed?!?!
Among the dies and stamps there is also a paint brush stand which I thought would be useful to sit atop my latest trolley.... not made up yet.!!
I also bought some new inks - Smiths do bogof on the inks - and a couple of games for the boys.
Before we started on the garden I was looking for some more threads for my stitching and found some stencils so I thought I might have a play .... paper meets stencil!
The glasses are breeding at last!  have now managed to get enough pairs so that each room is allocated a pair.... save my legs .... so long as I remember to remove the glasses before I leave the room!!  lol

The stitching should be completed soon.  This was the latest photo, although my camera has a better photo which the PC software wont show but you get the drift.....
I am hoping I will be able to finish next week.

I am off to fetch the little one now, lots of visiting to do.
You have fun.

WOYWW #535

My thanks to Julia (see tab at top of page) for hosting another get together of deskers.

For a change I am sitting at my desk listening to Classic FM.  I am a Radio 2 fan but just lately I have found that Classical Music is chilling me out ..... although I am known for joining in on several 'tunes' like Land of Hope and Glory, 1812 overture, William Tell etc.!!!!

My desk has been reorganised as yet another trolley has found its way into the room..... this time it has paints etc and papers filling its shelves!!!
The Desk

You may, or not may, notice all the pencils and ink pads have disappeared which leaves me a larger workspace. 
Laptop now has room to move to the back of the desk, the rather large glass of orange juice, hopefully, is in a safe position, and there is room to do stamping. 
All my externals and stamp blocks fit in the plastic box next to the laptop so I don't have to make room for them any more as the cables from the externals reach my laptop from there.
I am not taking any bets as to how long this will last..... but it looks good at the moment.

Can you see the tiny matchbox?  I have stamped some leaves and will now proceed to cut very tiny cards to fit inside the matchbox......guess the theme!!!

Well, that's the desk and I am making the most of it as we will be starting on the garden makeovers next week. 
We have a new henhouse and it has to be built inside the ranch .......  The idea is to clear the rosebed out front, take out all the wood chippings on the floor of the ranch and add to the rosebed as a mulch.  The roses love all that s**t fertiliser and mulch.  We will remove the current henhouse and relay the floor with fresh wood chippings.  THEN the new henhouse can be built, hopefully while the hens are on holiday!!!
Crafting will have to take second place I'm afraid ...... weather dependant of course!!! lol
Have a good week whatever you're doing...

ATCs and Coins (August 2019)

Looks like I haven't posted to this part of the Blog for nigh on twelve months..... I didn't realise it has been that long.
I will try to correct this without being too boring.
I think I posted about the new swaps (Coins) giving us five swaps a month ..... says it all....

Back in 2018.....
I posted about the August Theme -here - all separate pictures which I no longer keep.... I mean I keep the photos but only in groups of three..... space saving you see.
Single photos mean l o n g  Blog posts so I will start from this August ..... I don't think anyone will notice that there is a year's photos missing .......

August 2019
The Theme is Butterflies & Dragonflies (think I posted about my selection)
Bright, embossed, superb even if I do say so myself!

I received the following from:

JanW, JanS & Lisa.

Thank you all so much.

August Colour - Blue

I used some of the stamps I received from The Crop for these cards.

I received the following from Gerry, Thelma & Tina.  Thank you all so much.

August Swap

The Replica Packs came into use for these cards, ripping, tearing and collaging.

Real flowers, pressed and dried on the middle card!

Thank you Philippa.

August Coins - Famous People

Into Fashion here, love these designers.

These coins were received from JanW, Lin & Gerry.  Thank you all so much.

Feeling Blue
The colour maybe blue but I hope the sentiments are uplifting.

I received these wonderful coins: Thelma, Philippa & Lisa. Thank you all so much.

Eggs

Our little girls are growing up!


They don't look any different except maybe there's a comb growing here and there but today.......

FOUR eggs! 

Such clever girls! 

PJ said there were three in one nest box and one in the other box. 

Sad isn't it that such a small thing makes two people so very happy.....