Craft Workshop

Exciting News - Cottage Crafts is running it's first Craft Workshop on Thursday 28th April.  "Make Your Own Royal Wedding Bunting".  It's being held at the fabulous Handmade By in Congleton, Cheshire.  10am until 1pm.  £10 for adults, £7.50 for kids.  No sewing experience necessary.  All materials provided.  Come along and have a go at making your own bunting.  Whether you like Union Jack colours for the Royal Wedding, pastel polka dots or Cath Kidston style vintage fabric, there will loads of different materials available for you to choose from.  Plus, lots of different designs of ready made bunting to give you ideas/inspiration.  Places are limited to 8, so to avoid missing out, contact me to book or pop in to see Beth at her shop, above Cloud 9 Hair on Lawton Street, Congleton, Cheshire.

A Bright and Sunny Weekend

Well, can you believe this gorgeous weather we have been enjoying lately ?  We spent all weekend in the garden, alternating between working hard and lazing in the sunshine.  The cherry and apple blossom are such a lovely sight against the bright blue spring sky.



The chickens are absolutely loving it, dustbathing under the trees and generally strutting around.  The memory of them huddled together, freezing cold in -15 degree temperatures seems so long ago.  They're laying well again now, so we are getting 8 eggs a day from 11 hens, not too bad at all.  Sorry for the poor photo of them, it's hard to get them to pose for a photo all at once !


Also, we went to the Emma Bridgewater Factory Shop in Hanley, and picked up one of the 200 limited edition Royal Wedding Teapots featured here.  Mum and I will certainly be enjoying afternoon tea from this little beauty on the 29th !

 Search Amazon.com for emma bridgewater

Mothers Day

Had a great day with my lovely family for Mother's Day. We all met in Warwick, half way between Windsor (where my sister, her partner Mat and son Sam live) and Sandbach, where I live with my other half. Our other sister hitched a lift with us from our house. Had lunch in a great little place called 7 Square (www.7square.co.uk) where the staff were great - really accommodating and helpful, and the food was fab too. Highly recommended. Lots of lovely presents were exchanged, and I had made some daft little easter eggs for my nephew Sam. Unfortunately had made the schoolboy error of not hard boiling them before I soaked them in food colouring, so I'm not sure how long they will last until they are splattered on my sister's carpet - Sorry Helen !!!

I also baked a yummy Bakewell tart for my Mummy, which I carefully packaged and took down to Warwick. "Unfortunately" in all the chaos when we said goodbye, I forgot to give it to her.  Oops ! I did send her a picture of it when I got home though......!

Happiness Is.....

.....A Laura Ashley Pale Blue Polka Dot Covered Potting Bench !!


Look what my lovely man made for me today. An example of how to make a cheap potting bench look a whole lot more exciting......And I was even more excited when it fitted perfectly in the corner of my greenhouse. Fab ! Made sowing veg seeds even more of a pleasure than normal. Mug of tea, Dermot on the radio and the sun on my back - Happy Saturday !


And here's how it started life - as a £20 Morrisons potting bench. Bought a £2 piece of oilcloth in from the remnants bin at Laura Ashley, and hey presto !

List of things planted/sown today - tomatoes, spring onions (red and white) salad leaves, dwarf and climbing beans, borlotti beans, charlotte new spuds, with a row of fast growing radishes on top (Just like Monty told us to on Gardeners World this week).

Noticed the broad beans peeping their little heads through the soil for the first time, as well as the leeks that I planted last weekend. So exciting !