Every picture tells a story.

The brooches standing up on their pins have given me an idea. I might make a 'Theatre' someday with felt figures. Watch this space!

Here are 'Ma boys' sitting by the river at Art and Garden.

 Sunday when this was taken was a nice sunny day but Saturday...well.....shall we draw a veil over Saturday? Late friday night it was cancelled due to waterlogged car parking field. Early saturday morning a phone call.."Jackie, Its on again..get out of bed!" I was pleased it was on but sitting all day in a marquee in the rain was a bit reminiscent of childhood caravan holidays in Abergele.

Anyway Sunday was nice and I took courage and did something I have been meaning to do for all the years I've been there. I walked over the bridge.

 And I walked back again. My knees were like jelly when I got back on dry land but I did it.

                                          On the way I caught sight of the minutest bit of garden.

Here's the Summer house with lovely paintings.

Overall it wasn't a bad weekend, its alway enjoyable socially but financially it was very poor.

It was a great joy to meet one of my favourite blog readers 'JP" who came with the other 'JP" her husband.   I also met Sarah and her daughter from 'The Art of Moodling' whose sunny smile exactly matched her blog profile pic!

It was a delight to meet them all and makes it all worthwhile.

Oh AND I WAS on the radio and it wasn't bad at all. I didn't tell anyone because it would have made me nervous if I imagined my Mum and my friends listening. I told my husband not to listen and I didn't mean it but he's very good and he didn't! 

I made him listen on iplayer and he said it was good. So then I listened and do you know what? It was quite alright. I sounded a bit fat though!

I hadn't realised it would be live. They just sat us down, Chris who owns the garden and me, and started talking to us. When the music was playing the presenter discussed the next question. 

So..as well as the crossing the bridge, I've been on the radio.  Bucket list?

Now, this is the inspiration for the title of this post.

Can you tell what the story is?

The bird box covered with much gaffer tape because a few weeks ago the bottom dropped off. The nest, full of baby blue tits,was dangling on a twig below, the cat was licking his lips, the dog was chasing something around the garden, and the parents were having hysterics on the washing line.

 

 We fixed it all back together and the parents came back and raised the babies. The I found one on the path. I think it had tried to fledge and not made it so I stuck it back in the nest and when we opened the box the other day I'm afraid it was dead. It had a kitchen roll shroud and  cremation in the wood burner.

Anyway look whats in the nest.

A little bit of lime green merino wool which Hetty had been playing with outside.

Now here's another glimpse of our garden. 

 The bit I ignore has blossomed. We have a fine show of what some might call weeds but I love them.

 Such a fantastic pink.

 They are taller than I am when I stand on the path.

 Hetty demonstrates.

 Hetty has had a trip out to meet Donald, The Nova Scotia Duck-tolling retriever. I hadn't heard of them either!

 He's just a baby.

 The meeting went well.

 As usual..there are brooches! 

 Brooches for Woolfest and brooches for an order.

 I love the background colour of this felt. I used a horrible orange lumpy felt to start this off and it gave a lovely glow.

I'll be at Woolfest on Friday and on the IFA stand from 1-3 pm.

And finally......

Natural and not natural.

Yetserday we had a meeting of the felt group where we reviewed the results of the natural dyeing day in July.
It was made possible by Fiona who spent hours boiling up noxious -but natural-substances in order that we could dye our wools, silks, felts, and threads.
Joan's,



Fiona's, shibori and with fabulous stitching,

Elaine's threads and fabrics,


Christina's wonderful academic record,



my own haphazard selection,


and Lesley's beautiful laminated scarf.

Here they are all together.

Lovely natural subtle shades.


Like these, wild flowers in the field I walk.
They've grown high now, its late summer but it doesn't feel as though we are in August.


Here's the next field.
In the far corner over to the right is a beautiful cottage that was coveted by many and has just changed hands.
Some lucky person with a lot of money is now in this 'Country Living' dream home.

And just look how its been improved, with a feature quite probably visible from outer space.

They've also chopped down half the trees along a very old and beautiful wall.
Oh well. Never mind. I can always walk the other way.
Now talking of gardens....
TA daaa!
A nasturtium at last.
The height, the pinnacle the very zenith of my gardening for this year.

Innocent but still slimy

Just a quick note as we are off to Birmingham to see The Art of the Stitch
The answer to the slug/beer problem?
Be generous.

I added more beer and the result is..well ..repulsive.
Unfortunately innocent lives may have been lost.
My dead of night garden prowling revealed that my seedlings are being eaten by teeny weeny grey slugs with voracious appetites, and a huge great SNAIL!
It doesn’t help that my cat tried his own slug repelling earlier in the day by relieving himself upon my baby plants.
I give up.