Scampi's close shave

There,s one good thing being off work, I got to spend more time with the dogs. They love it in the summer as with Robert working around our house we can leave the doors open and they can come and go in or out as they please. And me being here they have liked it all the more. The lane we walk along is glorious at the moment with the cow parsley lining the edges of the hedges.
Scampi usually has a hair cut every few months but my early life I was a hairdresser still got the scissors (but clearly not the skill) so bit short on cash decided to have a go. She must have found it hard to see and looked like she had no eyes. When Fallon came from work her first words were after oh dear whats mum done to you were, mum get a job for goodness sake.

Tom resting in the heat of the day.

Scampi before the hair cut. Robert put this old seat cussion out for tom to rest his bad legs on but scampi seams to have claimed it Tommy would rather lay on the warm slabs.

Scampi after the wash and cut

(not so bad I think)

Changes in life and garden

For those of you who look in on Roberts blog you will know after changing my job at the new year I have now left that employment. Without going in to to much detail thing were not what I had hoped and the dread I had to go to work was so overwhelming It was best I left before I became seriously ill. With Roberts support and after being away at spring harvest with church friends for a few days i realized there was only one thing to do. Even the worry about getting another job and being a wage down was a better option.After months of just work most weeks six days no time for anything (hence no time for writing on my blog) life is now going at a great change. We are selling our house in Derbyshire as our niece who has lived there for some time is leaving, looking for a cottage in Yorkshire, found my skin cancer is back(not unduly worried its the least harmful of skin cancer and I have Faith) been put on stronger blood presser tablets (that's due to work) got a job, but now have been asked to go back to my old florist job I had for five years. Oh and busy looking for a boarder collie pup.
I must say I have enjoyed my time off doing some serous house cleaning and intense gardening and having some time with family and friends, and done some knitting, but I know I need to work and what a disappointment to find out I have to work longer than my 60th birthday to get my pension, not on.
The garden is a riot of pinks and purple's and having lost a few things due to the cold spell we had last year have a few gaps giving an excuse to plant some different things. My gorgeous passion which grew as high as the back wall of the house is lost as to my olive tree, eucalyptus tree, lavenders, parts of some shrubs, chocolate cosmos and quite a few more.

As some herbs can be quite invasive we grow them in clay pots. They had been in there for some time and were pot bound and looking tatty. So with fresh compost replaced them with new or cuttings, they are coming on a treat.

The first poppy.

My lovely tree pony and this year have four blooms ( Roberts in the big house has 27 show off) and smells great.

The honeysuckle is a fantastic show and the smell in the evening is Divine, what with the sent of the lily of the valley also its lovely to sit out.

Future concepts work shop with Alysn Midgelow-Marsden

A few weeks ago we were privileged to invite Alysn Midgeelow-Marsdon from the The Beetroot Tree to tutor us at our future concepts work shop From the list of materials to bring I knew we were in for a fascinating class. We were asked to bring foils, beads, threads and small container. Armed with take away foiled containers I soon discovered this would not do after she demonstrated the wonderful things she made with copper sheets and promptly brought a square. I had taken a large glass tumbler and got to work cutting it to the right shape weaving threads and copper strips, beads and other metals. The copper was thin enough to leave an in print of some of the many tools she let us use forming Patton's. I could have stayed there all day playing but it was all over to soon. Alysn advised us to gently colour the copper with a naked flame when we got home which i did before even taking my coat off. The effect was wonderful giving the copper different shades. In the photo's I had not done this yet.
At her shop The Beetroot Tree www.thebeetroottree.com there is a list of day courses that are available to attend and it is said the shop is amazing, I have not been able to get there yet.

I was delighted with my finished result to nice to put flowers in.

A design by one of the other students.




My friend Kathie's design.

some of Alysn samples

This delightful framed design.

This framed design has been machined stitched over the whole picture, lovely.