… the bright side

Apr 8th, 2013 4 Comments
Posted in: Home Life, Out and About

It seems I can’t do everything ~ although, secretly, I do believe that with an extra three days in each week, I would come close!

So my blog has been abandoned for over a week ~ the lemon loves facebook page is sitting idle ~ my sewing machine experienced an unprecedented ten consecutive days of neglect ~ and my camera has a backlog of more than a months worth of unedited photos … my heart gets a little nervous about all of these things …

… however, my nephew came to stay over for two whole nights ~ some long-loved friends rented a nearby holiday let for the week ~ a much delayed mate-date eventually came to fruition ~ I squeezed in some extra hours at work ~ and yesterday I caught up with one of my favourite girls for some brunch and a woodland walk … and it has been marvellous!

Queenswood, Dinmore, Herefordshire

The past eleven days have been full of family, friends and food; laughter, love and friendship; woodlands, hilltops, streams, sticks, mud …

… and even a peep of Spring.

And now … I have two bags to complete stitching, some baskets to make, photographs to edit and stock to photograph and upload to my shop …

… one step at a time, keeping an eye on the bright side all the way!

 

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… Lancashire

Mar 18th, 2013 2 Comments
Posted in: Made by hand, Out and About

Last week we took a little trip up the M6 to the lovely town of Lancaster ~ to deliver a freshly stitched batch of baskets to Gallery 23, the exhibition space above the wonderful Arteria, a shop full of gorgeousness if ever there was one!

fabric baskets

fabric baskets

fabric baskets

I was a little anxious ~ never having done anything like this before, and still feeling very much like a learner in the whole ‘making things’ world ~ but I was welcomed so enthusiastically that all my fears fell away (thank you to Sharon). These and other baskets, and a few of my bags are now awaiting the Exhibition launch on Wednesday evening …

Response exhibition

… how exciting is that!

Whilst in Lancashire, we took some time to explore and this is what we found …

… a peaceful, mirror-like canal, home to swans, moorhens, ducks, grebes and narrow boats …

Canal at Conder Green

Swan at Conder Green

… far-reaching views of the mountains of Cumbria from Morcambe …

View to Cumbria from Morcambe

… the beauty of light over the Lune estuary, fading sunlight, crisp air, the evening call of wading birds, the distant baaing of lambs …

lighthouse at the Lune Estuary

… the glory of a sunset at Conder Green …

sunset at Conder Green

… a beautiful two days indeed!

 

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… a bargain

May 16th, 2012 2 Comments
Posted in: Home Life

So, after what feels like weeks and weeks of grey, cold wet weekends, we were blessed with a weekend full of skies that looked like this …

summer skies

… and I found myself at home nursing a poorly back whilst the rest of the world set out for hilltops, beaches, parks and riversides! Oh, glum!

I took the photos above from my bedroom window and the garden, and imagined I was standing on a cliff top feeling the salty breeze whip my hair into its usual ‘been for a walk’ mess!

To cheer myself up, I gathered up a stash of recently found fabric bargains and got busy with my camera!

fabric bargains

I scored the selection above in a local craft shop which sells off donated scraps, leftovers and offcuts at amazingly cheap prices … I was so pleased with the colour match …

fabric bargains

… and the textures.

I also found this beautiful woollen offcut in the same shop …

wool weave fabric

… it seems to combine the colours of autumn with the colours of the sea. Two of my favourite things!

A friend of mine took me to a little antique/junk shop which she knew had a box full of bargain ribbons … and I couldn’t resist a selection of gorgeous colours…

satin ribbons

… and the local Hospice shop came up trumps with this pillow case …

thrifted pillowcase

… loving those cranberry colours, and look how well they go with this grey weave I found in another craft shop in town …

fabric bargains

Finally, not a bargain at all, but so gorgeous I couldn’t resist, these lovely ribbons were found hiding in a box in my local stationery shop … no idea what I will use them for, but the colours and patterns are lovely.

pretty ribbons

Just looking at them makes me smile ~ reason enough to buy them methinks!

And so, as consolation for missing out on the best walking weekend since March, I am taking myself, and a cup of tea into the garden, for some birdsong, some Spring breezes and a game of ‘lets pretend’!

garden

Anyone want to join me?

 

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… people

Apr 27th, 2012 1 Comment
Posted in: Out and About

At the end of a dull and wet week in England~ville … a little reminder of brighter times!

On our recent fair weather jaunt to Cornwall, I found my camera lens was drawn to the people around me … especially those on the beach and the sea … those who were soaking up the warmth of March, celebrating the unexpected sunshine, making the most of a glorious spring …

… the wave riders …

surfers

… the sun seekers …

sun seekers

sun bathers

… the beach walkers …

dog walker

treasure hunter

… the fun lovers …

sea waders

sea waders

… the day dreamers …

sun seekers

… the paddlers …

paddlers

canoeist

… and the thrill seekers …

surfers

surfers

… all finding their own way of connecting with the sunshine, the sea and the chance to step out of the routine!

All proving that this makes perfect sense!

Time to book another holiday methinks!

 

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… a sunny April evening

Apr 26th, 2012 3 Comments
Posted in: Out and About

After a day of rain, of low cloud and coldness, to see the clouds part and let the sun shine through is a delight … and then, to notice how the warmth of the evening sun highlights the green growth of Spring, is a gift indeed.

Japanese Maple evening sun

Lavender evening sunlight

Capturing the shapes of tree shadows, and ‘me-shadows’ …

Evening shadows

… and the unfurling reach of new leaves …

new leaves evening sunlight

… and discovering the elusive ‘Easter Egg Tree’ … I think this must be an ‘unfound’ egg from somebody’s hunt!

Easter egg tree

Herefordshire is looking mighty fine this April ~ if you can capture her between the showers!

View from Cock Croft

View from Cock Croft

… breathe it in ~ it is full of goodness!

 

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… dappled sunlight

Apr 18th, 2012 2 Comments
Posted in: Out and About

Some days, a shaft of sunlight falling to the forest floor …

Sunlit trees ~ Wyre Forest

… playing with young fresh leaves …

Sunlit trees ~ Wyre Forest

… highlighting the newness, the beauty, the youth of Spring, is all I need.

Sunlit leaves ~ Wyre Forest

Oh, and a friend to share it with, of course!

Boots for walking

Beauty bought to you courtesy of the Wyre Forest, Worcestershire, England.

 

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