#TheGallery Black and White

Once again Tara has given me a wonderful excuse to share some pictures with you that I fully intended to blog earlier but never quite got around to it...
This weeks theme is Black and White.
I LOVE black and white photographs!
The absence of colour to distract the eye brings details out to the fore and lends itself particularly well to architectural images.
Whilst on holiday in Yorkshire recently, we visited the magnificent ruins of Whitby Abbey. The weather was, well, changeable. Wet and windy when we arrived, clearing to warm sunshine by the time we had made our way back to the entrance and the welcome presence of a vintage land rover based ice-cream van. Of course, the plus side of the dodgy weather was that the exposed abbey was almost deserted when we got there which made getting some atmospheric (ie: not full of tourists!) shots much easier!
So here is a selection from my Whitby Abbey photo album. In black and white.

Hope you enjoyed this selection - there are more black and white and colour photographs from our Whitby trip to see on the Tales from Mount Pleasant Facebook page (including the aforementioned vintage ice-cream van!)
And don't forget to head over to Tara's blog to see all the other Gallery entries this week.

#TheGallery - Vintage

Ahhhhhh 'Vintage' - what springs to mind? Lacy curtains, fifties dresses, delicate china tea sets... Vintage rallies full of impeccably restored old vehicles with their proud owners equally impeccably dressed in period costume. And campers.

Now we are not talking that old cliche the VW here. Oh no!

First up I will admit to slightly cheating here - our camper is not technically 'vintage' in the sense that it is slightly too new to be tax exempt (such a shame!) but we will gloss over that for now. It is still over 30 years old and in 'car' terms that's vintage enough for me. (Although the first person to suggest that anything/one over the age of 30 must, using that logic, be considered 'vintage' gets a slap. OK?)

#SilentSunday 26/06/11

Holiday - Cayton Bay

Apologies if you have popped by this week looking for something new to read but we have been on holiday!
My mum and dad took me and the Little Man up to the North Yorkshire coast for a 5 day sojourn in a caravan.
The weather forecast was not good and to be honest 'caravanning with the olds' is hardly my idea of holiday heaven but it's good to get away and to a part of the country I had never visited before.
The Little Man was about as excited by the whole prospect as only a three year old can be, however, and when we arrived, after a nearly five hour journey, he couldn't wait to get down to the beach...

What am I reading in June?

Well it would seem there is a bit of a travel theme going on this month - this is possibly due to my 'itchy-feet' syndrome kicking in, but as money and time constraints mean the furthest I shall be travelling this summer is to a caravan park in Yorkshire with my parents and the Little Man, I shall have to content myself with reading about other people's adventures instead.
My local library had similar ideas and thoughtfully provided me with a huge display of travel books to chose from when we popped in the other day!

So first up is 'Red Tape and White Knuckles' by Lois Pryce
This caught my attention mainly because it involves a motorcycle and, what with the Other Half being a biker and running a Motorcycle shop, you know, sometimes I have to 'show willing'. But this is not just any old 'biker' chronicle - this is a female biker travelling alone through some of the harshest and most dangerous regions of the continent. And she has a sparkly lid (biker term for crash helmet...). Really looking forward to this one.

Changing the back drop and mode of transport completely we have 'Adrift in Caledonia' by Nick Thorpe. Following one man's trek around the Scottish canals, lochs and coastal waters, hitching a ride on various vessels to complete his journey. Apparently this was a Radio 4 'Book of the Week' so I have high hopes for it. The opening pages introduce us to an eccentric boat man wearing a kilt and a floral waistcoat. I think I am going to enjoy it!

Third on the list is 'Tasting Tuscany' by Beth Elon, which not only takes the reader off the beaten track in one of the most beautiful regions of Italy but provide lots of lovely, authentic Tuscan recipes to try at home (although I suspect the 'Hare in sweet and sour sauce' may go untried...)
Perfect for a sunny afternoon read (or a 'cosy up in the conservatory dreaming of sunny afternoons' read if flaming June continues as it's begun)







Last and by no means least I have the latest issue of that fabulous homage to all things crafty, vintage and make-do-and-mend - 'Mollie Makes' to enjoy! I have already lined up a few projects to take on holiday with me to do. Well we are going in a caravan. In Yorkshire. In June. Rain seems fairly safe bet...

Click on the badge below to find out what everyone else is reading this month...

My Handmade Christmas (pt 4) A card for life, not just for Christmas...

This year we (that is I, obviously, as it's generally me who buys, writes and distributes!) decided that we were going to keep cards to a minimum - immediate family, close friends and those good friends who live far away and whom we are not likely, but would dearly love to see over the festive period.

In keeping with the whole Handmade Christmas theme I decided it would be a really nice idea to make cards rather than buy them and way back in September I spotted a Cross Stitch magazine with a free 'make your own luxury cards' kit. The cards were cute, contemporary designs in bright colours and there were enough polka dots to keep even me happy. Perfect!! 

Now I, like many crafters, like to dabble, and I have done counted cross stitch in the past. In fact I'm sure there are two or three unfinished 'projects' floating around the place that I will get around to completing one day. The prospect of half a dozen simple motifs didn't phase me at all. 'Won't take long,' thinks I...

But cross stitch is a lot more time consuming than I remembered and each one of those little motifs actually took a lot longer than I thought they would...

...and several evenings were swallowed up putting needle and thread to aida...

 

Once all the motifs were stitched I ironed on some interfacing to the back of the aida and cut out each motif before combining them with other bits and bobs - sequins, felt shapes, buttons - to make up the cards.

I must confess I am quite chuffed with the results and I know they will be appreciated by those who receive them. I hope they will be kept and added to the decoration stash to be brought out year after year.

Despite my best intentions I really didn't have time to make everybody a card so I did the next best thing and sourced some really special cards in for everyone else...

These cards are designed by the lovely Becky Peabody, a Somerset based artist who creates fabulous collages from torn paper and, like me, has a passion for polka dots!  Her gorgeous collection of cards, postcards, notebooks, pictures and more are available from her website dotsandspots.co.uk . Go and have a look - you won't be disappointed :)

So all that's left to do now is finish off the presents and wrapping and get stuck into some Christmas baking...

My Handmade Christmas (pt 3) Dried Orange Garlands

What is it about oranges that so sums up Christmas? They are said to represent the gift of Gold in the Nativity story and in the days before electronic gadgets and must-have toys they were an essential, and much anticipated stocking gift. The glorious orangey scent blends so well with spices - cinnamon, cloves and ginger to create a quintessential Christmas fragrance that fills my home thanks to a couple of well placed essential oil burners that I keep topped up over the festive period.

Piles of mandarins and clementines in their little red net bags fill the fresh fruit section of the supermarket at this time of year and a fair few of them have found their way into my shopping basket and home, where they are currently residing in a basket with some unshelled walnuts looking oh-so-christmassy.

This year I decided to have a go at making some orange decorations and, rather than buy ready dried orange slices, I thought I'd do it from scratch and dry some myself. After all, how hard could it be?

So first of all you need a couple of nice firm oranges. Not the above mentioned clementines et al but the big ones you might juice for breakfast if you were feeling a bit decadent...

Cut them into fairly thick slices - about 5-10mm

and lay them all out on a baking tray.

Pop them in the oven on it's lowest setting for a couple of hours until they are completely dried out.

Then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool...

et voila! Dried orange slices ready to be made into pretty, festive decorations!

Well that's the theory anyway...

As you can see some of mine turned out a little too crispy round the edges and not quite as 'pretty' as the commercially dried slices. But I did them myself and that's what counts :)

And strung together on some red gingham ribbon I think they pass muster!

The rest look very pretty displayed in this little glass jar and, although they may not look perfect, they smell divine.

Which is, after all, the whole point!

Now I have some presents to finish off as there are only 10 sleeps till the big day :)

My Handmade Christmas (pt 2) Deck the Halls...

If there is one thing I have learned since having Riley it's that my time is no longer my own. In the old days the decorations would come down from the loft and we would spend a lazy weekend tinselling, hanging lights, dressing the tree and generally making the place look as festive as possible. Even last year Riley was small enough to nap for a couple of hours during the day so I could 'get on with it'. No more...

Now it has to be done in stages to accomodate a small boy's attention span and so as not to stretch mummy's patience too thin...

So the tree went up (see My Handmade Christmas (pt 1) ) and that was about as much as we could do in one day. Next job was to finish dressing the 'Christmas Room' (aka the conservatory).

The dresser has been...er...dressed...

This cute little Christmas clock I picked up from a charity shop a couple of years back. I love the little Santa pendulum, plus it plays Christmas tunes on the hour :)

Pride of place goes to this little Santa made by my other half when he was at primary school which makes it over 20 years old!(not going to tell you HOW much over - he might sulk) 

Who says family heirlooms have to be valuable pieces? It might just be some scraps of felt and a toilet roll but it's absolutely priceless.

I bought a lovely green wreath from the last Christmas Fair I was selling at. It is packed full of holly, evergreens and berries and I have added some of our glittery pine cones and dried orange slices (more on those in part 3!).

Even the kitchen has been properly pimped...

I added some cute mini glass baubles filled with 'angel hair' to my red gingham heart garland and some fab 'crystal' LED lights and tinsel to the stainless steel pan shelf...

More baubles in a glass vase on the window sill.

And finally, hanging on the tree ready to be filled with treats for him to find on Christmas morning,

 is the stocking Riley decorated with 'In the Night Garden' stickers.

His own little contribution to our Handmade Christmas.

My Handmade Christmas (pt 1) The Tree!!

So I have been a naughty blogger... I have completey failed to post anything since November 1st but I do have an excuse. To be fair I have a number of them but among the more relevent ones are 'I have been really busy making things and attending craft fairs and Christmas Shopping events (as a seller and shopper both)', 'I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on...', 'I'm soooo tired...' and 'I've been gearing up for my own handmade Christmas...'

Actually it's the first and the last one that have taken up the most of my time. My plush scented decorations have sold really well and kept me busy since the end of August - there are only a few left now (I don't want to think how many of them I actually made...) and they have ended up on my own tree :) The Christmas Fayre Frenzy has more or less finished and most of my Christmas stock has been sold (for the few remaining things check out my Folky shop and if you are on Twitter search #handmadechristmas for loads of other fabulous present and decoration ideas.)

And now on to my own Handmade Christmas...

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while will know that this has been my project for the second part of 2010 - promoting the idea of a Handmade Christmas to the world and encouraging you all to ditch some of the more commercial trappings of the festive season in favour of a more homespun approach. So have I been doing my bit? You betcha!!!

So first up is the tree...

Now I will confess that not all the decorations are handmade - I have been collecting baubles, stars, garlands, lights and tinsel for some years now and it would be a shame to waste them...

I love my red mirror baubles...

...and my glittery snowflakes. (The snowman was bought for Riley's 1st Christmas)

And I can't get enough of fairy lights!

But nestled in amongst the regular decorations are a few of my handmade scented ones, adding their festive fragrance to the room...

There are also a number of pine cones that I have collected with Riley over the past few months. Last week we had great fun painting them with glue and dipping them in silver glitter. I think you'll agree, the effect is lovely :)

and here's how it looks altogether...

So how many of you have your tree up now? I hope you had as much fun decorating it as we did!



Sunshine Days Out :)

One of the best things about the summer months are the many wonderful organised outdoor events that offer great opportunities for fab family days out. Running your own business is not like having a 9-5 job and time off is very precious so we have to be quite picky about our family days out!

One event we never miss is the Tewkesbury Medieval Fayre and Battle Re-enactment, a winning combination of fantastic food, an amazing 'medieval' market selling everything from herbs to haberdashery and hippy dresses to full body armour. Plenty of craftsmen are there displaying their skills and most are more than happy to chat with you and answer questions.
The re-enactors take their 'hobby' very seriously and there is a wealth of stalls selling all they require for an authentic medieval experience. It makes for a fascinating insight to medieval way of life, not to mention a unique shopping experience.

A taste of the fayre...

Ye Olde Medieval Paparazzi

Preparing for battle

Lots of great stuff for the kiddies to do.
Not sure how medieval the trampolines are though...

...or the ice cream!

The Tewkesbury Medieval Fayre is just a fabulous family day out and if you live anywhere nearby and haven't been yet I would highly recommend that you make the effort to go along next year. You won't regret it!

We're Home...

Monday night - once we had unpacked the car we took Riley down to the beach. He couldn't wait to get in the sea (which was FREEZING!) for a paddle! So much so that on Tuesday, after taking him for his first ever trip to a swimming pool we went back to the beach for a bit of wave chasing (and jellyfish dodging!)

On Wednesday we went to Llandudno and  took a ride on the tramway up the Great Orme. Unfortunately the weather was a bit dull and grey, not to mention very windy, so the views were not the best they could be but still pretty spectacular. Then it was back down to the seafront for fish and chips on the beach.

On Thursday we visited Dibley Nurseries who specialise in growing Streptocarpus (or as they are commonly known - Cape Primrose) The greenhouses were packed to the rafters with beautiful flowers in many different colours and my mum was particularly pleased to be able to purchase the Harlequin Blue that had just been announced as the Chelsea Flower Show's Plant of the Year!

The gardens around are beautiful and well worth the £1 it cost for a stroll round and we even had a guide - Macsca the cat (the name is Hungarian for 'cat' in case you are wondering)

Last stop on the way home was Llangollen a lovely (but VERY touristy) town with a full working steam railway. The little station was cute and there were some great vintage advertising boards around - I particularly liked the one for Great Western Railways comparing Cornwall to Italy! Riley loved watching the train pull away from the platform... he also loved the shop stuffed to the gills with 'Thomas the Tank Engine' merchandise! Toot Toot!!

So now we are back home it's time to get stuck into rather more mundane things...but not after I have spent a couple of hours taming the jungle where my garden used to be!

We're all going on a summer holiday...

That's right folks me and the little man are off to North Wales for the week with my mum and dad.
Nothing special - a caravan on the coast - but I am so looking forward to a change of scenery and a few days of not having to think about business... and I bet Riley is gonna love spending a week with Grandma and 'Ganda' :)

The Folksy shop will be set to holiday mode so you won't be able to purchase anything till I get back (booo!) but any questions/queries/requests can be emailed to forestflower@hotmail.com and I will answer them as soon as I get back home!

In the meantime hope everyone has a fabulous week!

**Forest Flower Launches...**

Wow - what a weekend!
After a very frantic Friday trying to get everything set up - Folksy shop , facebook page , cards and leaflets with relevant web addresses etc designed and printed - Saturday was a breeze!

We arrived at Gorsley Village Hall with plenty of time to set up our tables and were welcomed by the smell of bacon butties wafting through the door from the little kitchen out the back...mmmm...

Setting up the stall didn't take too long

My mums hand knitted soft toys in the vintage suitcase got a fair bit of attention!

Once we were all set up I got a chance to wander round and chat with everyone else and there were some wonderful things on display!

Next to us was Frankie Martin who makes the most wonderful mirrors - go and have a look at his website Imagine Mirrors for some truly unique and practical works of art! I fell in love with the big woodland mirror complete with otter and kingfisher, but sadly it was a little out of my price range! Still - it gives me something to aim for!

Sarah Teague makes the most amazing miniatures in fimo clay and had on display a conservatory complete with pots of flowers and trees, a gorgeous pair of pink wellies and even a little black and white cat sat on the sofa! Plus a mini market stall packed to the gills with miniature cakes, pies and treats. Sarah is purely a hobby crafter and does not sell her work- although she could without a doubt!

Another interesting lady I spoke to was Ann Allen whose hobby is basket weaving ( again she doesn't sell her work) and has even woven her own coffin! She is involved in a group called Transition Newent which is part of a grass roots movement aiming to raise awareness and seek local solutions to the twin problems facing the world: Climate change and Peak Oil.  Their purpose to help communities prepare for the transitional time ahead when cheap oil is no longer an option and it will become necessary for communities to pull together and become more self sufficient. They encourage the re-learning of essential skills such as horticulture and environmentally friendly construction and the boosting of local economy by supporting local business and producers. Do have a look at the Transition Culture website and if you are interested in joining in there are groups popping up all over the country so there is bound to be one near you...

There were plenty of other things for visitors - patch working, cake decorating, spinning, plants, a vintage car restored to it's former glory, rag rug making, stamp collecting and even a pet dog show! A steady stream of visitors all the way through the day kept the atmosphere buzzing.

The weather was absolutely perfect and Riley had great fun in the little children's play area outside with all the other local children that turned up and, as promised the surroundings were perfect for a picnic.

All in all it was a fab day and I really hope that another event like this is organised for next summer - and that we are invited again!