Wolseley Gardens in Autumn sun 29th October 2011

 A lovely walk over Wolsely Gardens nature reserve, on a bright Autumn afternoon, taking photos. Very restful and peaceful, some lovely Autumnal colours everywhere.

Peace and tranquility

 This fella flew in the minute he saw us and virtually landed at our feet, we had forgotten to take bread, he was not a happy Canada Goose.

 Playing about on the kids chimes, well it didnt say big kids, or old kids, anyway good fun.

 Sooooooo Peaceful and tranquil down by the River Trent, when along came these beautiful swans.

Another lovely view of the changing of the leaves, it really is a beautiful time of the year, lots of beautiful colours. We also saw a large Stag, huge antlers,as we were driving down to the gardens.A lovely afternoon out.

Halloween or All Hallows 31st October 2011

Some people do not hold with the custom of Halloween, and its association with all things to do with the occult. However, lots of children enjoy dressing up in costumes to go out Trick or Treating, and Adults enjoy Halloween parties.
.Halloween was traditionally the ending of summer and pumpkins and apples were used to celebrate the harvest, carving faces into pumpkins to frighten away evil spirits, and apple bobbing, both customs still used today.

It was originally adapted by the Christian Church from All Hallows Eve, Hallows is an old word for a Saint, the Christian Calendar was adapted to honouring all Saints on this day.The Celts believed that with the coming of the dark nights after summertime, with the onset of winter the barrier between our world and the spirit world was most likely to be seen.Therefore dressing up in costume was meant to scare away the evil and ghostlike spirits.The custom of Trick or Treat began in the middle ages with a practice known as souling. Poor folk would go from door to door begging for food on this night. So Halloween and All souls eve or All Hallows eve have all come together to be known traditionally as Halloween. Have a Happy One.

Craft Page a month October 2011

Who can believe this month is flying by so quickly. It is already time for my page on the crafts i have done this month and i think this month i have crafted to my hearts content. Pride of place in my heart has to go to this cosy blanket above, with lots of different stitches, and bright colours.
There were Birthday and Congratulations cards I made as a change from crochet,I did ten last month also, so i have some nice cards to give.

Glad i made these cards, one was needed for a Birthday, and the L learner card for my son who passed his motorcycle test.

  Who could resist makingthis lovely nephew of Shaun the sheep from the tv series, he is my computer companion, sits on the speaker.Note the big yellow pacifier , almost covers his face !.Afriend from Norway on ravelry, helped me along with the pattern and put me a video tutoial on as a link as i had never done the loop stitch before, to make his woolly body.Helpful kind lady called myriah.

 
Some felt crafted hearts on a string that i made with the cake and create group looking nice on the china cabinet.Everyone made something nice to give as presents or to decorate their home, these are mine.

 From my new book by Nikki Trench, called cute and easy crochet, I made this Cafitiere cover for part of a package for a friends Birthday.Really love this, must make myself one too.It is sitting on a vintage folding tea tray that i bought at a car boor sale, loving a bargain.

Yet another blanket , made with scrap yarn that i turned into a multi coloured ripple blanket, I like making something out of nothing.

 The Ginger bread men were easy to do with a printoff free pattern from the computer for both the heart and the gingerbread men, then a tacking stitch all around , filling it with fibre, adding faces, and bringing all our bits and pieces to life, again with cake and create, a fun night .

Thats my craft page for this month, next month should see some candle light holders , and hopefully nice weather for a walk on the chase to gather twigs and cones to make christmas wreaths.

Kirsties Handmade Britain 2011

Kirstie Allsopp presented a new programme this week, Kirsties Handmade Britain. It was sooo enjoyable to watch. The hardwork and expertise of ordinary home cooks who put their own exacting stamp of professionalism into their home made cakes was well worth the watch. To be the best seemed to be their motto.
The same went for Kirstie, who put her heart ans soul into making a beautiful caribbean cake, iced and decorated in its simplicity with a blue bow.

To her suprise, and mine, she won and came first in the Devon show, and she cried bless her. I like programmes like this, good entertainment for homemakers who want to sit back and relax and watch the originality and creativity of ordinary individuals. We could do with more programmes like this on TV.

The award winning cake , reccipe is online at channel 4,  carribean cake, made by kirstie.

Award winning rosette

The Squirrel attacked my Sunflower October 22nd 2011

Gotcha, i am gonna rip your head off

Help!!!! I'm being attacked

Too late you animal lovers I'm a gonna R.I.P

Minding its own business and loving the sunshine my Sunflower was enjoying a bit of late October Sunshine, when it was attacked by this loveable rogue down in the garden.Sad for my sunflower been growing all year and he gets murdered by this tree rat.
                                                            
                                                                    SQUIRREL
                                                               You may be cute
                                                               You may look so sweet
                                                               But you will taste lovely
                                                               In a pie as its meat!!
                                                               

Our Apple Tree meets the Grim Reaper October 21st 2011

We once had a splendid apple Tree in our garden, , full of apples, so many that when our two children were small the neightborhood kids would come around and help get the apples off the tree.

Alas poor old tree bit the dust some time ago, branches were hacked off and it stood as a support for a trailing clematis, but still our Tree. That was until the GRIM REAPER decided once and for all it was goodbye before the tree fell over and hit someone over the head. Yes our man usually in the potting shed put the boot in and TREE is no more. Farewell old Tree.

Cake and Creat night October 19th 2011

r We decided to make Christmas garlands, hearts on a string and single hearts, for tonights Cake and Create  meetup. I think they all looked lovely, on the run up to Christmas we can also look forward to Zoes tea tree lights and Katies Christmas Wreaths and walk over the Chase, all sounds like good fun to me.Here are a few pics of our wonderful creations on wednesday evening.
Wednesday night even included some fabulous crochet from Zoe, whos new/vintage style blanket is a work of art, so pretty !!
Also our new crocheter is laura, whos first stitches are shown here, with a bit more practice she will be up and with us at our crochet night, joining in the fun.

Thankyou all for a good gossip over tea and cake, much enjoyed your company, thats you Katie, You Zoe and our Laura louise.

October walk over the chase

We had an impromptu picnic in the car. Hot chips which we bought on the way, and a nice flask of tea.Two minutes from the car and we came upon this herd of deer. We know where to locate them now, but its always a joy to see them, we always think this time we won't see anything, and then this lovely scene.

Although it was a dullish day, there was a warm wind blowing, and it was nice to go for a change of scene and a walk , we had the place to ourselves. The Heather has gone over now, the leaves are blowing about, soon it will be bare.

The chase is turning really autumnal now, and the bracken is turning colour

We came upon this wild crab apple tree laden with fruit

Mushrooms, looks pretty could be deadly! best in a photo

This is a hide in the woods, i took a look and sure enough inside was the remains of someones bedding.

This hide was in the woods, and clothing, bedding, old coke bottles , packets of crisps had been left inside. No nature lover this person, there was also broken panes of glass and old boards left lying about, to injure any creature that took a step in this direction.Where is the mentality of these people, that leave there debris and spoil this wonderful countryside that we are so lucky to have.

Gary peeping out of the trees

Gary watching me as i was being inquisitive about the hide, just in case someone jumped out and brandished a knife!! see how far back my hero stood, miles away!!!!!!!!!!!11


A really good little walk, blowed the cobwebs away, and when we were returning to the car, the deer were still in the trees where we had first seen them, so we got to see them twice which was wonderful.

Cinder Toffee/ Honeycomb Recipe

                        Cinder Toffee/Honeycomb recipe

                      Ingredients
400g Caster sugar
8 tablespoons Golden Syrip
2 Tablespoons Bicarbonate of Soda
Well buttered baking tray small

Weigh out ingredients and put the sugar and syrup into a large pan
combine together
Put the mixture onto a low heat for about 8 minutes or until the mixture
bubbles and turns a rich golden colour, and thickens
DO NOT TOUCH AT ALL DURING THE COOKING PROCESS..
Take off the heat
Add Bicarbonate of Soda, whisking all the time
Turn out the mixture into a well buttered baking tin
Leave to cool for about 3/4 hours
Break into bite size pieces and store in an airtight container, if you can resisit the temptation to eat it all at once.
This recipe is ideal for giving as presents in cellophane wrapped with a bow .

Cake and create Night felt xmas Decorations October 5th

 Oh what a good night we all had a few minor diasters with our gingerbread men, but it all came good in the end, see the lovely pictures below.

Two christmas hearts

A lovely mini heart

Zoes mr Bling before the OP

Mr Bling and friend after the OP,,,plus hearts

The gingerbread boys all finished

My two pieces of work

Another night of cake and create, what a laugh. Our creations didnt take shape till the very end, by which time we had had enough of them, mine gingerbread man(jam lips) and Zoes (bling rapper) who was so awful that she felt he had to be left in a Phone box to see who wanted him !! came to life with added bits and bobs, so in the end we were all pleased with our gingerbread men. Laura louise came up with the idea for finishing them off with felt to look like icing. But the real beauties and easy makes of the night were the star embossed hearts with vintage flower rose buttons and ribbons.We are going to make more of these for christmas gifts,when we next meet up.

Lemon Curd Recipe 0ct 4th 2011

I found this recipe from 1919 in a copy of a magazine celebrating 100 years of cooking recipes. I couldnt wait to try it out. It was so rewarding to do and two tasty jars of golden sunshine now reside in the fridge. Home made lemon curd tastes nothing like the sugary mess that you buy in shops, this is real lemony goodness in a jar. Here are the pics.
This is the recipe
125g butter or margarine
175g caster sugar
Finely grated rind of lemon and 2 large lemons juiced
2 medium eggs roughly beaten

Put the butter/margarine lemon into a bowl, simmer over a pan of boiling water, i did not use the rind of the lemon.
Stir until all the sugar dissolves along with the margarine, and the mixture is very warm but not boiling.
Tip half the mixture onto the eggs and mix, return this mixture  back into the buttery mixture left in the bowl and return to the pan, over the simmering hot water.
mix continuously for 6 to 8 mins until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, the mixture will thicken.
Pour the lemon curd into two sterilized jars, seal when cool, label and store in the fridge. Will last approximately 2 weeks.

Stone food and Drink Festival Oct 1st 2011

Stone food and drink festival, the day was one of the hottest for October on record. Lots to see and buy, so many people about enjoying a perfect warm day out. This food festival gets better every year, this year coach loads of people were being bussed in from Aston Marina. We got to Stone early and managed to find a parking space, then it was off for a look around.

Just loved the look at these little home made breads that were baked in clay plant pots.

The crochet vintage hats certainly took my eye, i was trying to work out how they were done.

Then there was the smoked kippers, seemingly smoked in a box of sorts, a popular  one to watch this one.

Didnt buy any but these looked nice and bright and cheerful to the eye, makes me think halloween next.

All of these jugs could have come home with me, they were so pretty, i bought flowers intead.

This pretty collection of vintage treasures was worth a look at, the cake stand was just so pretty.

This lady was making up posys of flowers to order, with whatever flowers the customer chose.

Wool again, my life is turning into a wool festival, so i just had to take this photo to send to a like minded friend in Canada.Then it was back home for a well deserved lunch of the finest food stuffs, excellent!!