Awards and Bravery.

Have I done something different?
Having spent quite some time working out that photos upload in a particular order I now find that they upload the other way..in reverse order.
If you know the answer please leave a comment and explain.
Anyway I have received a blog award from Jean of Genies Art World
Its quite interesting.
I have to award it to 4 people who are already followers of my blog and one person who is new.
So here goes:
Konnykards
FancyPicnic
From the House of Edward
Gunnels Blog
are my choice for the 4 existing followers, and I have just plucked one I like the look of from the top blogs by crafters list and that is
Rachael Rabbits Blogspot
So if the above bloggers would like to accept the award don't forget to leave to a comment on your chosen blogs and link back to the one who gave you the award (that would be me) and pass it on.



Quite apart from blogging I think I deserve an award.
I went for a day out to York on Tuesday to meet up with some of my college friends.

We met for the first time in September 1969, when we went to train as teachers, at a wonderful place called Strawberry Hill, almost 40 years ago.
We grew up together during three years at college.
We have kept in touch on and off and like true friends we can pick up where we left off no matter how long the gap since we met.

I deserve an award because I overcame my fear of heights and went up in this.

They deserve an award too because they put me to shame, and are all doing good things in schools, having continued to teach and to advise, weathering all the storms that have blown teachers from one new initiative to another recently.
I wimped out several years ago.

I am happier sewing.

'But there is no money in what is called the till' to quote Beatrix Potter.

Round and Round

You may have had a sneak preview of this last week when I started it and accidentally clicked 'publish'. Its been showing up in Google reader.(Be warned..even deleted posts will come to haunt you so don't write rude things and then think its been deleted without trace)

After the scary 'King Kong' creepy crawlies mentioned in the previous post I thought I'd share this with you.

I wonder what it is? I've never seen such a big beetle in the North before. It was about two inches long,
Willow trod on it by accident but it continued on its beetly path.

Now here's a handstitch canvas work interlude (because I haven't done anything new for ages)

I used the 'holes' to do free stitching with textured threads.

I must say I enjoyed it.
But its a bit of a distant memory now.


I know these awards go round and round.


I have received this one again from Beate

I told her I'd already had it so she took me off the list, but I decided I would accept it as a way of linking to other blogs you can read.
You have to award it to 6 (or is it 7) other blogs and link back to the one you got it from..so it increases readership. Good idea.
I've been reading Carols blog for ages and its always full of lovely stuff she's been working on.
Heloise has a nice colourful blog.
One of my favourite reads in the blogosphere is Ethel and Edna's Tearoom. Its full of love and creativity.
Sesga Loves 1950s is another lovely read with lots of little dolls, Daisie Days is a family, sewing and babies blog ..a peep into a part of life I once had!
Kate at Beautiful Things has a good tale to tell, and I've laughed and cried reading her blog.
Lets go for no 7.
I adore Caroline Inckle's paintings and textiles. They have such a mystical quality, and always make me think of the Northern Lights which is very appropriate, as she lives in the far North of Scotland.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Mathematics

Small dogs + deep mud + walk =


Dog sitting again. They are a real pleasure.


(Owing to lovely comments, miserableness has been deleted here! Thanks)
Kim of oakmoon left me a lovely comment and gave me this.

Thank you Kim it cheered me up a lot and I must think about passing it on.
There are so many really lovely blogs out there and I am going to choose a couple .

Here are blogs that I find very entertaining and lovely to look at, so I invite them to receive the award.

Beading at the Beach is full of colour and lovely projects,
and if you want to dream of a rural idyll in the USA with exquisite miniature patchwork, look no further than The Shady Grove
I am being very throrough with this award and I am also going to add Margarets blog because I think it looks so beautiful and its quite new so I think she's done very well!
The award also goes to Viv who is a dear and supportive friend and her Hens Teeth is full of gorgeous and unique embroidery.
Sesga has a beautiful blog with lots of cute dolls, both human and handmade! She has probably already has this but I am awrding it to her anyway.
And finally I choose Charlotte from Fancy Picnic. She's having a break at the moment but will be back.
I think I have to choose 6. These awards go round and round and there are so many deserving blogs its difficult to choose. Its worth it because it keeps us all looking at each other for support and inspiration and friendship.

Blog love and old jeans. EDITED.. LOOK AGAIN!

Charlotte at fancypicnic has made my week with her post about machine embroidery.
When I wrote the tutorial I didn't know if it would really help anyone but it seems it did. I'm so pleased.

Look what I got this evening from Daisie.
I am supposed to choose 7 other blogs to give it to but how can I? I love you all!
Thank you Daisie.
I've collected a list of 'Daisy ' blogs and called it 'The Daisy Chain'. We've got to stick together.

On the dressmaking front I got a full refund from the online shop where I bought the pattern. They were most apologetic. I have located a similar one in the Vogue Pattern book but its £13.50 so I have to think about it.
Meanwhile I will show you a dressmaking activity I engaged in some time ago for a 'Deconstruct/reconstruct' project in a Group I was in. I used my sons old jeans.
Its modelled by my friend Denise.
























While the eyes of the world are on the Beijing Birds nest ours are on the nest hanging from the clematis just inches from our front door. Our front 'vestibule' is now a 'hide' with stepladders so that we can view the 4 Goldfinch babies through the arched window above. There is much preening and fluttering and gaping beaks. I watched on Sunday as Mother and Father goldfinch visited at the same time with food. I can't swear to it but I think Mother fed two of the babes, then Father 're-filled' mother then mother fed the other two. Most of the time on Saturday Mother G sat and watched the rain . So did I.


I stand, at the top of a ladder looking through the fanlight, and here is the nest. Click on the picture to view the little sweeties..or should I say 'Tweeties'? There are 5 of them and they are just sitting up, all blinking at different times, and when a bus goes past they watch it...

Now for a grump.
What is it with FEET?
Every blog I look at these days has toes in it.
The first time I noticed toes was here where I thought they were very sweet, but now they're everywhere.
ENOUGH FEET!!!
I'm jealous. I have problems in the feet department. They work, I walk but thats about it.
You will never see my feet in Manolos.
Or a blog post.
Be grateful.