BUSY AT THE ALLOTMENT

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Hello my darlins J

It’s been quite a while!!!

I have no excuses ... just a rubbish blogger, but I felt the urge today, so here I am!

What have I been up to?  Well ... this year I have been mostly up at my new allotment. 

I had no intention of acquiring an allotment.  An allotment was not even on my radar!  Molly (my daughter) asked me to go with her to look over an allotment plot that she was considering.  The next thing I knew, I had agreed to take on a plot too!!!!! 

Molly’s plot is a well maintained up together plot ... ready to go.   My plot is a rundown, neglected, overgrown plot.  In fact it had not been worked on for about five years ... what possessed me to do this!!!

I have to say though, so far, I am loving allotment life.  I love the  community feel up there.  It’s totally different to gardening in your own garden.  When I am in my own garden, it’s a solitary affair.  Up at my allotment, I’m surrounded by like minded people, who are full of fabulous advice, help (and plant donations).

I took my plot on at the end of May.  This year, I only intended on getting the ground ready for planting up next year.  Thanks to the generosity of my allotment neighbours, I am now harvesting my own Cucumbers, Tomatoes and courgettes (Zucchini), and am yet to harvest my onions.  As well as my own produce, I often come home with produce donated by neighbours ... lettuce, beetroot, swiss chard, potatoes,.  My diet has become so much more diverse, and it is forcing me to look at new recipe ideas to incorporate ingredients that I might not have bought ordinarily.

The joy I am experiencing on picking the veg that I have grown.... well I never imagined how much that would thrill me.  It has become my new addiction.

I began by sorting out the greenhouse.  It was full of weeds and rubbish.

Then on to sort out the compost heap

Now, I’m slowly getting the beds dug over (which is a great workout)

I decided to document my progress on my Youtubechannel, so hop over there if you want to have a nosey at how I’m getting on.

Thank you for visiting my blog

Ta ta for now

Love Jane J x

A FUN LITTLE JOURNAL

A FUN LITTLE JOURNAL

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Hello my crafty friends J

I’ve been really busy of late, making lots of journals among other goodies, (jewellery, cards, booklets, gift tags and more).  I’ve been trying to build up my stock, so that I have enough for a craft fair. 

Pete, (my husband) has built a staging unit, which I think will work well.  He’s a clever old stick!!!

 

I thought I would share the process, of one of the smaller journals, with you guys.

I started as per usual with some recycled card (possibly from a wine crate???!!!), you might see a theme develop if you follow my blog ;)

 

I covered this with some funky handmade paper that I acquired in Hobbycraft.

 

 

And then backed it with some matching papers from my stash.

 

I made a little pocket, which I added to the inside of the front cover.

 

 

I added some lace and bling detail to the front of my little journal.

 

 

I used 120gsm paper for the pages.  I have kept to just plain white simple pages in this book.  Then grabbed my Cinch (which I love by the way!)  But you could bind these pages with book rings, which would be very inexpensive, and just as effective.

 

And voila, here is the finished journal.  Hope you enjoyed.  Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

Ta ta for now

Love Jane J xxx

COMPOST CORNER

COMPOST CORNER

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Hello my crafty friends J

 

I am, what you would describe as, a fair weather gardener!

I love being in the garden, getting down and dirty, but only when the sun shines ;)

 

The sun has been shining sooooooo...

I have been getting down and dirty!!!

 

 

The first job that always needs attending to in my garden is, turning the compost heap, and although there is much grunting, huffing and puffing, I actually really enjoy this process.

 

I find compost most fascinating.  The fact that you put your green garden waste/vegetable kitchen waste (I also add shredded paper waste) in, and months later it is magically turned into this wonderfully smelling soil, full of goodness.  One of nature’s little miracles ... AMAZING!!!  Gotta love the worms (I’m a big fan of worms)

 

 

And so it would seem was this cheeky little Robin, who accompanied me on my compost mission.  He didn’t seem the least bit phased by my presence. 

So now that this job is done I can begin the mahoosive task of weeding my garden. 

Now I know that proper gardeners do not like to put weeds and their seed heads into the compost heap, but I have always done this, and it has not caused me any problems, so I will continue on my path of weed destruction, regardless.

 

 

 

Must dash ... the sun is shining :)... weeds to grapple with!!!

Thank you for visiting my blog

Ta ta for now

Love Jane J x

Handmade Fabric Brooches

Handmade Fabric Brooches

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Hello my crafty friends J

 

I’ve been on a sewing bender this month!

 

I am trying to build up my stash for a craft fair.  I haven’t actually signed up for a craft fair yet, but I am trying to make as much as I can in preparation for one.

 

I took all of my scraps from recent projects, which included some vintage fabrics, denim (of course) and some cottons.  

I stitched them together using a tight zig zag stitch on my sewing machine; and finished them off with a felt backing. 

Then cracked out my bead boxes (love my bead boxes!), and embellished the heck out of them.

 

 

I added a brooch pin to the back, and hey presto!

 

 

 Thank you for visiting my blog

Ta ta for now

Love Jane J x

FINISHING UP MY UFOs

Finishing up my UFOs

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Hello my crafty friends J

 

I don’t know where this month has gone; it seems to have flown by!  Hope you are all keeping warm in this chilly weather.

What has been keeping me busy, well, I decided (whilst having a tidy up in my craft room), that it was about time I finished off some of my UFOs (unfinished objects)

I started a scarf about eighteen months ago...it was supposed to be a Christmas present for someone last year (Christmas 2013), but I ran out of time to get it finished (seems to be a theme with me).  So it has been in my UFO draw ever since.

I had bought myself some wool from the pound shop (three balls for the price of 2 ... bargain ... you know me!)

 

 

I wanted to keep the colours quite muted, and unisex, as I hadn’t decided who the recipient was yet. 

Anyway I got the crochet bug again, and off I went.

 

 

By the time the scarf was finished I decided (as Christmas is now long gone) that I would keep the scarf for myself.  And, just because ... I decided to crochet a hat to match.

 

 

 

I did start off by following a pattern (one that I found on Youtube), but I soon went off piste and free styled it.  Translated that means, I went wrong, so made it up as I went along.

 

 

I got Molly to model the set for you as she is much nicer to look at than me.  (She is also sporting a little skirt that I made out of some old curtains) It is only my second item of clothing that I have ever sewn.  It feels exciting to think that I am capable of making my own clothes now.  It was a very simple skirt, and again, I just made it up as I went along (not good at following patterns ;)

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.

Ta ta for now

Love Jane J x