Mothers day over

Well I'm glad that's over, mothering Sunday. Even though Valentine day gets you in the mood for being busy on Mothers day, it never quite prepares you for the amount of work there is to do. long shifts and no time to do any house work, cooking or even eating and never got to go swimming. I tried to take time for some photo's but only got a few..

I make a lot of pink arrangements but not everyone wants pink so I make a good range, this tropical one above is very popular i sold a lot of these.

The hat box is a popular design with fresh flowers, and I made lots a silk arrangements all different sizes and price range. We sell gifts all the time but they are geared to mums this time of year.

This was just some of the flowers for sale in the shop, it was a challenge to keep it stocked up. As you can imagine space is critical with fresh flowers arriving all the time and the orders we make up ready need to be stored some where. Out at the front of the shop we have shelving where we sell plants. They are on wheels, so we got a three more and used them to store all the orders on in areas and for what driver, ( we had four delivery drivers for the two days)

This is a photo of the out side the shop with the sun shining on it. the plants get hot and dry up quickly in warmer weather I'm forever watering. The shop window was amazing, we had lots of great comments. We salvaged some old fencing cut it shorter made a gate left it open, put up a washing line with old fashion pegs holding baby t-shirts with letters on spelling thanks mum. You may just be able to see the fence in the photo. We put garden table and chairs in the window and dressed the whole window in lovely gifts. We had some huge ceramic cups and saucers and filled them with lovely flowers.

Two days in Whitby

Although our two days in Whitby seem an age away I wanted to put the Photo's on the blog if only to show you that the sun dose shine on us sometimes. We found a lovely bed and breakfast on the Thursday night and after settling in we walked down to the harbor. In the summer its so crowded and everywhere is open, but winter is so different. The only eating place open was the famous restaurant the magpie. In the day there is a queue waiting to go in and eat, and sure enough even in winter the next day when we passed there was a queue even though it was just past 12 o'clock.

After a good breakfast we went back down to the harbor walking along the beach. After a leisurely walk through the town window shopping and watched some men working in the sea, (we never did get to know what they were doing) we moved on to Robin hoods bay and had high tea in the tea rooms half way back up the steep road. It was a lovely two days and Robert did all the driving

The next two days we spent in lovely Derbyshire with Roberts family. Now back at work its so busy with mothering Sunday this weekend.

On the way to Whitby

Last Thursday we headed of for a two day break to Whitby we stopped here to admire the view whilst we had our picnic. After a walk round lovely Pickering then went off to Goathland, we went down to the old station nothing was open so it was very quite.

Hi Robert, notice the shadows, yes the sun was out

The whole station is just as it was when it was first built. I loved this old gas lamp although it is now wired up to mains electric.

The farmers would leave the milk at the station for the train to take into the towns.

Clumber park

On one of our days off we took the dogs for a walk to Clumber park. We hadn't been before so didn't know what to expect, We parked near the lake approximately three and half miles all round. There was quite a few people there with dogs, our dogs loved it .Scampi came alive she ran, sniffed looked really happy and didn't seem to get worn out. After walking through the wood we came to a cultivated area. There was a large church and what looked like stable block and summer house. They were serving teas but we hadn't taken any money. We will go back at another time but it will probably be to busy in the summer.

Day at Lincoln

Robert and I have had a week off work and although we haven't gone away we have had some great days out. On Wednesday we had a trip to Lincoln a old historical town. The sky was gray and colder than I had thought I foolishly had taken off my vest. After lunch we had a walk round, there was were some lovely old buildings. The photo above of the old half timbered house it was built 1543 directly over the Roman street Via Principalis it is now the tourist shop.

This old building is a tea shop now

This the Norman house date c1170-80 mistakenly known as "AARON" the Jews house. The first floor window was reset and restored.

I loved the old door way the beam above the door would have a few tales to tell.

This is a fragment of wall Newport cottage. It was part of the northern defences of the Colonia. The gate tower Newport arch stands 1.25metres above the ground but originally stood 6 metres. The wall dates from the 4th century when the city defences were strengthened enhancing the city capital more of a status than a defence.

Here a few photo's of Lincoln cathedral from the out side when it was first built and there were no surrounding buildings it must have looked very impressive to the average person living at that time. We are told that there would have been colour everywhere and if you look closely on some of the work inside you can see some of the old colour on the stone.

You can see the Patton on the ceiling in this photo, but I do not know if it is original. I like where the steps are worn with the feet of thousands of people coming to worship.

I hope you can read this It was a beautiful tapestry.

My little garden job

As I mentioned last week I have got myself a little gardening job and this week remembered my camera, saying that on the photo it doesn't make the garden look so bad but when you get to dig it and clear it of weeds its quite back braking.

I hope you can see the before and after. This border was full of buttercups and dandelion's. The photo below was tackled last week, this boarder was full of Chinese lanterns. I still have the far end to clear. You could not see any soil it was so matted with weeds and fallen leaves.

Above and below are areas to be tackled at some stage. I am unable to go for a while as for the next 3 Mondays I have to work. The owner is understanding and told me to come when I can an to buy plants which I think will go in the spaces Iv now created. Dose he really know what he is asking when he said me buy plants, great.

A day felt making

A design with felt

5 times a year I travel down to Oxton to meet like minded people like me interested in flowers in a contemporary way. This weekend we had a tutor who taught us the art of felt making and incorporating it into flower arranging. Her name Pam Fleming-Williams a floral teacher, demonstrate and a national judge.

We took different colours of Merino tops (carded fleece fibres) I chose lime green, yellow and mauve. I put an old towel on the table and a sheet of bubble wrap on the towel. First I took the yellow and in aprox 4inch squares thinly overlapping made a larger square aprrox 20inches, then with the green put the fibres the opposite way. a third layer of yellow a lot thinner and then random pieces of the mauve. We were told to bring silk waste or alpaca if we had any, I took some wool fibers and dotted then thinly over the whole piece. I then covered it with piece of net and sprinkled with water as hot as could handle. worked on some soap then turned it over more water and soap, did this twice more. The idea of the hot water is the hotter the better which will then gel the fibers together (like when you put a wool jumper in a hot wash). Then rinse out the soap with hot water, roll in a towel and leave to dry.

I decided to make a hand tie and made a frame for it. Two rings of cards with four covered wires meeting at the centre to form a handle. Then I cut my newly made felt into strips and wound it round the card finishing it of with a fine purple wire and strips of midelino sticks, this formed a coller for my hand tie bouquet.

I had some tall flowers so used a tall green vase for my second design. After arranging them I again took strips of felt and threaded two midelion sticks. I left the strips wavy and placed them opposite sides of the vase, one high amongst the flowers the second down the side of the vase.

This was one of the teachers designs

My friends Julie and Jacky designs.

Me with my two designs

My friend Cathy, the green flowers were a perfect colour with her choice of felt oranges and browns.