May Photo Scavenger Hunt

Hello Lovelies,
The end of may already ?! I've been late finishing collecting these pictures this month.
The photo scavenger hunt is set by Kathy at Postcards from the P.P.
This is the second month I've joined in and I'm really enjoying it.

So here we go with this months images.....

1. A Butterfly

I had resigned myself to having to improvise with this one ,but this afternoon at the country park one of my boys managed to snap this for me . I used this link to find out it's a female Common Blue ....she's very pretty isn't she.

2.A Bicycle

My own bike packed ready for a trip to the beach. Only kidding ! It IS my beloved Raleigh I've owned for 22 years but as I live in the centre of England I must admit to playing around staging this to make a nice picture :0)

3. A Red Door

Another last minute entry. I've had my eye on this door all month and was waiting for some sun to shine on it ...gave up today. I think it must face north .There's a lovely fern in the front garden .

4. A Cartoon Character

My youngest's collection of Buzz Lightyears. To infinity and Beyond :0)

5. An Emergency Vehicle

Thankfully this was just at a local fun day for children to have a sit in.

6. Think Vintage

A little Observer Pocket book on wild flowers . I found this in a charity bookshop this month. Just the right size to take on my walks . A previous owner has noted dates they have seen certain plants ...the earliest being 1958.

7. Something blue

Had to be the sky for me . This was taken at sunset ...you can just see the moon if you look closely. This picture made me think of a quote I saw in this months Country Living ..." Other worlds cannot be as beautiful as ours. "


8. A lamp post

I have to admit this was actually taken in April . It was when took the family  to Yorkshire for the day to see where I grew up. It's not on a street ,but outside my childhood home and the top part was  made by my Dad. I was so happy to see it still there despite the current owners many changes :0)

9. Texture

a close up of my bedroom chair....the paint is peeling rather and you can see the original dark pink . I wouldn't want to add more paint though as I like to see the basket weave of this Lloyd Loom style chair.

10. A sign of the Zodiac

My very own Twins :0) It was their birthday last week which means they were actually  born under Gemini .Happy Birthday boys...11 wow, can't call you little people any more !

11.An interesting local building

A pretty cottage with roses round the door and a white picket fence. Perfect.

12. A Black and White portrait

O.K. a bit of improvisation here . Not wanting to do a Portrait I hit upon the idea of a black and white silhouette. These are my boys and I used this tutorial to create it.I would have never of done this normally and I'm so pleased with it .Thank you scavenger Hunt :0)

There's a linky tool here so you can see the other entries .

Hope you enjoyed . It's not too late to join in if you fancy it . There will be a new list posted for June any day.

Jacquie x

Bank Holiday Monday

Hello Lovelies ,
Boy ,we had some rain here yesterday. After all the dry weather it was nice that the garden got a proper soaking . We had a lazy morning ...not feeling guilty about staying inside... but after I wrote my last post the boys were getting a bit stir crazy , you know "Muuum what are we doing today ? "
well, it's a bit wet to go outside, I said . Then my youngest suggested a Muddy walk . Yes , why not !! Haven't been on one of those in ages.
So he phoned his cousins .........." Do you want to go on a muddy walk and don't forget your wellies "
Soon five children and three adults set off in the rain......

It wasn't cold and I don't mind the wet if I'm dressed appropriately.Every where looked so green . Mind the slippery bridge...

I stop to take photos of the wet foliage .Loving these oak leaves ....

Ahhh, this is what the little people have been looking forward to ....

It's a big pile of grass clippings that has a sort of crust that covers some truly stinky green sludge .
Thankfully no one fell over or lost a welly in this gloop :0)

On the way home the rain continues to pour down ...at least there are plenty of puddles to clean up stinky wellies ........

I love the look of the wet fields , I'm sure the farmers do as well........

and I was so happy when I found some wild roses ........

So delicate and pretty , they had a gorgeous sweet scent..

Even the plants that have finished flowering looked pretty with the addition of glistening raindrops .........

When I got home and dried out a bit I was so encouraged by your kind comments about my rag rug , I set about making some more Tarn ( T.shirt yarn )....

Looks good doesn't it :0)

Did you notice my circle blanket ? It's been too hot to have this on the bed for a while now so it's just been folded up on my Lucy Chair . But at the weekend I decided to put it on my conservatory sofa .....

It's so nice to see it in a different room and I think it looks right at home with it's crochet cousins :0) Ummmmm...not much space to sit on this sofa these days !
Have a great week .
Jacquie x

My Rag Rug

Hello Lovelies ,
thank you for your comments on my ten facts. Lots of you were interested in my rag rug project. I'm making it using old T. shirts . I started this ages ago and like so many projects ,it's been put to one side and rather forgotten about . So Thank you lovelies for making me look at again and hopefully get further on with it, if not completed :0)

It's a great recycling project . I only use old T. shirts that are too damaged or stained to be passed on.....

I then turn them into one long strip of "yarn" using this great tutorial I found.....

Yay , yarn for free and doesn't it look great . I'm using a 11.5mm hook and making an oval shaped rug....

It's made using single crochet (U.S. term) and worked in a continuous spiral i.e. no joining rows...just keep going .

There are some lovely examples of these rugs on Flickr that originally inspired me, like this one, and this one and this one.
These are not all made using T. shirts . People often use any fabric they have ...including vintage sheets ...yikes that would be too upsetting for me ,but I suppose if they are very worn it's a good way to make use of them.

It is different from working with standard yarn . I'm right handed and the yarn in my left hand tends to get too tight as it does not slide well so I have too keep loosening it . Also these rugs get pretty heavy fairly quickly . Mines only about one foot by two feet so far and it's already quite weighty so I'm finding it easier to work sitting at the table so that it's supported.

I don't have a pattern . I'm just adding enough increases on the curved edges to keep it flat. It could end up a little uneven but we'll see :0)
I've got plenty more T.shirts ready to make into yarn and hopefully now I've shared this project with you lovelies I'll feel inspired to get on with it so I can show you the finished product.
If you are in the U.K. I hope you enjoying the long weekend despite the weather. Ummm .........looks like it could be brightening up here  :0)
Jacquie x

An Award

Hello lovelies ,
Heather over at one of my favourite blogs Little Tin Bird has kindly given me an award . I'm sorry I don't always get round to posting about awards but I do appreciate the sentiment a lot .

Anyways , here goes with ten facts about myself....

1.At the moment I'm still enjoying running and I've managed seven miles as the furthest distance . I'm happiest just going out and doing two to three though .I'ts great to get out in the fresh air and so convienient.
Sadly my knees are starting to complain ( despite these expensive trainers) so I may have to go back to the aerobics classes soon.  My knees (along with the rest of me ) ain't as young as they used to be .

2. I will be 45 soon but I don't feel that old till I look in the mirror.

I made this  little sign for my washing machine.... to remind me to turn down the temp after a hot wash .... Could apply to me too :0)


3.One of my favourite films of all time is "Pretty in Pink" I loved the way Molly Ringwald's character made her own prom dress and it has some great 80's music.

4. My favourite chocolate bar is a "Twirl"

5.I made several soft toys for school needlework projects as a teenager . Found this picture.... taken back then,the other day.......

The three in the centre are mine .They are prince charming and Cinderella rag dolls and A Bunny !!Sadly I don't know where they ended up but my latest bunny is a influenced by her.Their dresses are pretty much the same.


6.My eldest 2 have gone away on a school residential visit this week , so we are a family of three at the moment . Thankfully they are back tomorrow  and I'm sure they are having a great time .

7.My favourite flowers are sweet peas ...so easy to grow ...great cut flowers and the scent ...amazing . Here are some of  last years , can't wait for this years crop.........

8.I have loads of W.I.P.'s stashed around the house....like this (not sure what this will be) ......

and this ( it's a rug I'm making from T. shirt yarn ) ....

It doesn't stop me from starting more though!

9.My Mum used to take my brother and I to look around art Galleries a lot as children but I didn't really get inspired till we went to an exhibition of amazing patchwork quilts when I was about 13.
I was completely blown away by them . A resolution for this year, that I haven't managed to fulfill yet ,is to do some more patchwork.

10. Ummm struggling now.......oh , I know .... I can do the Vulcan Salute :0)

Now I have to pass this award on to 10 lovely blogs that inspire me.

Blogger is not letting me comment at the moment ( v.frustrating ) so I can't let you lovelies know but if you see this and want to join in that's great . If not I COMPLETELY understand .


Sally at Robin Red

Jones at The House of Jones

Sandra at Cherry Heart

Anna at Annaboo's House ( Check out her gorgeous crochet toadstool :0)

Lucy at Lucy in the Sky

Karen at A Quiet Corner

Anne at Ungardened Moments

Cuckoo at Tales from Cuckoo Land

Emily at Unravelled

Deborah at Happilicious

Do pop over and have a peek .There are lot's of gorgeous things to see :0)

Jacquie x

May Nature Notes

Hello Lovelies ,
Here  is my Nature Notes post for May , I'm rather pleased I've managed to get this done a little earlier this month :0)

Sweet May , how long I have looked forward to your arrival . There are so many beautiful May illustrations in Edith Holdens book this month I've selected a few of my favourites to share with you before we go on an idyllic walk :0)
Here is the page with May's meaning and folk law . You can make this bigger by clicking on it .....

Some beautifully painted wild flowers . I've got the top one in my garden and the other I found on my walk as you will see further down this post.........

The flowers mentioned in this lovely poem are more April blooms in these parts . I love the last line the best  "And welcome thee and wish thee Long " now is the time of year that the months start to seem to fly by for me and May is really zooming along at an alarming rate this year........

Such pretty  little flowers on this page , they look even more gorgeous grouped together and the cute blue speedwell looks a lot like the blue flowers on my new fabric in the background ........

Bluebells get their more accurate name ....wild Hyacinths.........

I need to photograph a butterfly for this months photo scavenger hunt and I have spotted these when I've been out and about but I wasn't fast enough with my camera.....

So , on to my walk and a look at the May nature in these parts one hundred and six years after Edith painted her observations .
This walk was on the 13th , Friday the 13th , but it was a lucky day for me :0)
It was a gorgeous sunny morning and as soon as I had dropped the boys off at school I headed out with my camera
Lovely spring foliage on the trees so fresh and zingy green.........

The Cow Parsley seems to have been outstanding this year . This stuff is as tall as your head and so pretty........

These parts are not so hilly as the part of Yorkshire where I grew up , just gentle rolling hills that are not so easy to capture in a picture. Instead of the stone walls and sheep there are Hawthorn hedges and crops .........


 

It's different but non the less pretty,I do feel happy to have ended up living so close to such lovely countryside.
Opposite this gate is the entrance to my favourite little footpath ...can you see the style almost hidden by the clouds of Cow Parsley ?.........

Further on under the trees the second style is more obvious...........

I wander along the path , I've never bumped into anybody else along here and today it is blissfully quiet again. I notice the leaves of the cow parsley are pretty as well as it's flowers.........

And wonder about the Cuckoo Spit , I know it's not spit and it has nothing to do with Cuckoos !  A great thing about  these nature posts is it makes me find out about these things . Google found me this great Link that explains what it is ....

Here's a favourite of the boys .....sticky weed  ...great for sticking on your grown ups back and sniggering whilst the said grown up pretends not to know what is going on :0)
It's correct name is Goose Grass but that's not so exciting is it ........

 Ohh , such a pretty flower , it's really tiny and I think it's Speedwell , as Edith included in her observations for this month........

Towards the end of the footpath I spot these pretties..........

Edith calls them Pink Campion , but these days they seem to be more commonly known as Red Campion , they are definitely pink though! ...........Anybody who knows more about this please do tell me....

I'm dawdling along the side of a road now ....taking time to notice all the Nature that I would never spot whilst driving ...........

Cars whizz by as I crouch down on the pavement  to observe the busy bees on the Alkanet ( Edith did a picture of this too )

I feel so lucky to have no place to go in a hurry this morning ...........

This is a local church . It's situated down a little lane . I love it's quiet position and simple style.........

The church yard is usually full of wildlife but, as you can see ,the man with his mower has disrupted the peace today..........

Lets move along , through the kissing gate.......

This path is under large trees that make it shady and damp at this time of year. Ideal for ferns........

And what looks  like more cow parsley ..........

But the leaves are different . Some research on this tells me it's Greater Hog weed........

I've spent an enjoyable time outdoors in the warm sunshine ,being quiet and reconnecting with nature at it's prettiest,I suppose it's time to go home now .........

Ha , no this is not my house :0)
I suppose it would be a great place to live but I'm glad that I can honestly say , I'm most content in my average little house . As long as my family is happy and healthy I'm rich in more important things  than money .
Hope you enjoyed our walk
Have a great week
Jacquie x