Needle felting news

Introducing three circus friends, wee darlings sitting four inches tall. Custard the Clown. (*SOLD*).

Dear little Santa, my Christmas dog - *SOLD* to my amazing furniture painting friend.

Crystal - now *SOLD* (Thank you!)

I was going to be absolutely silent about my two week 'disappearance', but as I was devouring the new and oh-so-beautiful 'Mollie Makes', my heart skipped a beat. Look - under the 'make it' section - click for a larger look. Ooh! That's me, that is, listed in the next issue with my first ever 'making' article. Golly. (That's not me pictured looking slim and glam on the bed though, sadly).

Finally but not least, for anyone living in the Cotswolds/Cheltenham area, I am making two appearances at the Winchcombe Wool Festival. Like most of the Cotswolds, the town was 'built on wool', the earliest record of this being from 796, yes, 796, before the Norman Conquest of 1066) and my friend Katie B Morgan has written the most interesting article about the town and the festival, which, if you love history, heritage, the Cotswolds and craft, is a must-read.

Rams in the Cotswold Hills, resting after a busy season

I'll be demonstrating needle felting at the Winds of Change gallery from 11am till 4.30, on April 14th and later in the month holding a 'Make a Sheep' workshop, on April 27th from 11am till 4.30. Spaces are limited to just seven, and I think one is gone already. We'll be making a needle felted sheep with British wool and there will be a prize for the best sheep, of a family ticket to Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park (of Countryfile fame), which is just up the road from Winchcombe. Price for the workshop includes materials and lunch. And my undivided attention, of course. Contact Jane at the Gallery for prices and availability.

Click on poster for more detailed image

Talking of winds of change, it looks as we are finally moving to pastures new - in fact, a whole new county. For the first time in many years, I am not planting spring seeds.

A Cotswold Gallery

We have acquired the winter use of a vehicle and it has transformed our lives; the aim is that Andy won't risk life and limb on the motorbike when it is icy and snowy, on his long commute to work. But it also means that we can get out a little more in the bad weather, when it's just too darned cold and wet to go on the bike. Previously I have rarely ventured out much at this time of year, rural public transport being too costly and there are limits to how far I can get on my bicycle.

I've never lived with a car of any kind before, apart from a few years with my foster parents. However my cantankerous foster father made a particular point of not giving me lifts anywhere, even on dark evenings, which can be hazardous for a teenage girl. It didn't kill me, but it made me even more aware, if I needed it, of how little he cared for me. So this is an unimaginable luxury and I am enjoying every single minute of it, while it's here. I can actually sit back in the warm and look at our gorgeous Cotswolds, in their winter splendour, in comfort, while sucking a sherbert lemon. Which you can't do on the back of a bike.

We were headed over to Winchcombe, as I wanted to visit a couple of Twitter-friends. We arrived just as a rainbow was disappearing into this historic town, which nestles snugly in the landscape, surrounded by wooded hills and on the doorstep of the stately Sudeley Castle.

Firstly I visited Bob and Carol at Sprogs, which is the best toy shop in the Cotswolds. No tatty plastic to be found here, just well chosen, beautiful toys and gifts for every age. I stayed chatting for them for ages (poor Andy!) and managed to do a little business there as well, so a return trip in January is arranged. My next visit was to see Jane and her newly re-furbished Winds of Change Gallery, who is featured in the current BBC Homes and Antiques magazine. I've met Jane before, last summer, but haven't seen the gallery since the change over.

It is gorgeous. Jane has exquisite taste and has created a stylish, clean but comfortable setting for the lovely arts and crafts collection, much of it local.

Although it is a modest size, there is a feeling of lightness and space.

This wonderful rocking horse (with a real horsehair mane) was painted by local folk artist Katie B. Morgan and carved by her father. Katie is a traditional fairground and gypsy wagon painter, amongst other things and her website is well worth a look if you love this kind of work, as is her interesting blog.

Andy was very taken with this hand crafted ladder back chair -

And I am saving my pennies for a Woolsoft 100% British wool cushion - maybe for our next house, if we ever get there.

Jane provided coffee with mince pies and we stayed for some time, discussing this and that, making a date for another meeting soon, when I hope to meet Katie B. Morgan too. Jane welcomes browsers and visitors, so if you are local to the Cheltenham area or nearby, (or even just passing through) do stop and say hello. Winchcombe is a vibrant town, with two great butchers and a nice variety of shops and pubs, with some stunning local walks and the famous Belas Knap Long Barrow just up the road.

The short afternoon was darkening and we began our journey home, back through the quaint High Street of Winchcombe town.

Catching the last fragment of winter sunshine which brings out the soft richness of the neutrals in the landscape and bare trees.

Later in the week I also made time to cut a new block of my 'Little Hare' design. as the old one was a bit battered. I seem to have re-learned my rusty printing skills, as to my amazement, I printed off 30 or so near perfect prints first time round and knowing how popular the first one was, I've put some of them *here* in my Etsy shop again, at the same 'under a fiver' price.

Drifting leaves

Thank you so much to everyone's concern about the wretched headaches and responding to my begging bowl by offering to purchase cards. The head stuff seems to be down to a combination of stress and bad posture when working - I have been thankfully pain free this week, organising my life and sitting up straight. Two more designs being painted up for the Christmas cards and a goodly supply of bags and envelopes in stock.

This week we have been enjoying...heavy showers and darkened skies.

But we were pampered last week with stunning spells of late summer sunshine.

We took the bike to Winchcombe last Sunday. It was shut. All except half a dozen tea shops.

Winding homewards through the newly ploughed Snowshill area, where leggy racehorses flittered about, warmly rugged up against the winds. The earth is resting.

Nearly back at the village, we found an excellent wilding apple tree, its fruit too high to plunder. Andy found a stick...

...and we took some prisoners, later made into a sharp apple sauce. Lovely appley read here, go and be charmed.

The post has blessed me with cards from three corners of the globe - Higgledy Piggledy's delightful world, a little wood fairy dreaming in a woodland scene from dear Ms Robyn,...and September greetings from Tara (who is far too busy to be bothering about an old grump like me) also sending seeds which will be sown this month. She also sent this little sweet china heart, which has gone up with my lovely monsteroo from Becky. I am gathering a charmed work area, so that even when I have been esconced at my desk all morning, I can look up and know my friends are there, in some form.

BLOG NEWS - I have just taken part in an interesting survey about bloggers, by Sarah Pedersen, UK academic researching the blogging phenomenon, her own blog is here, where there are some interesting debates starting to happen, especially concerning female bloggers.
I will also be taking part in the UK mass blog, to create the 'biggest blog in history' on October the 17th, where as many UK bloggers as possible will write about their day, recording even the most mundane of details and particularly reflecting on the impact of history on their lives. All entries will be held as part of a mass observation, and will be kept for historians of the future to see what made us Brits tick at the beginning of the third millenium. Read all about it here, and join in!