Posted in Garden shows, Gardening, Uncategorized, tagged crafts, Gardening on April 24, 2013| 11 Comments »
Rather fantastic Hooded Figure wood sculpture by Ed Elliott at Cardiff RHS Show 2013 – see http://www.edelliott.co.uk …
At the weekend we made our annual visit to the Cardiff RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Show and this year the weather stayed fine. Here are some of my pictures and I will identify the suppliers’ websites where I can.
It was a very friendly show…
The friendly Bob the Butterfly and Gerry the Gerbera entertained…
We bought (more…)
Posted in Art & Design, Gwent, History, Traditions & Superstitions, Uncategorized, Wales, tagged art, crafts, Gwent, History, Monmouthshire, Wales on November 16, 2011| 6 Comments »
The Circle of Legends in Tintern, Monmouthshire
Back in the summer I was totally smitten by this circle of six ancient wood-carved figures in a forest clearing in Tintern, Monmouthshire.
The figures themselves, sculpted from oak (or in one case sweet chestnut), are not ancient, but the people they represent are historical and mythical characters at the heart of this part of the country.
They were (more…)
Posted in Art & Design, Nostalgia, Uncategorized, Words, tagged coins, colours, crafts, design, History, Nostalgia, shiny things, Words on December 24, 2010| 2 Comments »
Sequinned party dresses from Anna Sui
I have loved shiny things all my life. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman – I imagine it might be an evolutionary advantage to be attracted to bright shiny berries for food.
Sequins are glorious things, making me go Ooh and Aaah and put on a silly star-struck expression.
A dolphin painted in sequins...
Here I am (more…)
Posted in Childhood memories, Gardening, Nostalgia, Traditions & Superstitions, Uncategorized, tagged crafts, Gardening, Nostalgia, wildlife on September 20, 2010| 1 Comment »
Pretty organza bags filled with lavender from Devon Flower Petals - click on the picture to go to their site
The other day I was walking along the street as the city awoke and was suddenly assailed by a strong smell of lavender.
These lavender wands from the Happy Valley lavender farm are a little like my Auntie Edna's lavender parasols - click on the picture to find out how to make them
My first impression was that someone had passed by, wafting perfume, or that an early bird was washing the kitchen or car with lavender-scented cleaner. It is a very (more…)
Posted in Art & Design, Traditions & Superstitions, Uncategorized, tagged art, crafts, design, History, Nostalgia, traditions on April 2, 2010| 6 Comments »
Concert in the Egg by a follower of Hieronymus Bosch, dating from around 1561 and hanging in the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, France
When I was a child, my mother said that if you touched broken egg shells you would get warts. This may be because the egg shells I was touching at the time were among kitchen waste lying around beside an outside drain and it was a dirty thing to do – warts are caused by a viral infection (human papillomavirus).
My mother also said the inside of a broad-bean pod stroked on a wart and buried in the soil would (more…)
Posted in Art & Design, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged art, crafts, design, Nature on February 9, 2010| 2 Comments »
A wonderful embroidered rhino from a needlework magazine of the 1970s
Over the decades I have collected many magazine cuttings of craft projects I’ll never have the time or talent to carry out. I thought I would share this one, so it’s not completely wasted.
I regret I (more…)
The Squirrelbasket 