APPLE BLOSSOM

Any-one who has not experienced apple blossom first hand is really missing one of Gods many gifts, I have a small apple tree in my garden and it is now covered in beautiful pink clusters of blossom, the forget-me-nots are also out underneath and I peer out of my window each morning and thank God for the beauty of spring.

Even though it is still so cold the spring flowers are here in abundance, the bluebells have begun to appear with campions and stitchwort and many hedge rows are a mass of colour. When I leave the house in the morning a cloud of heady lilac scent catches in the air and sends me off for the day feeling light hearted and glad.

When I return in the late afternoon I sit on the door step in the evening sun with a cup of tea and drink in the perfume of spring. Here is a poem I wrote one May.

SPIRIT OF MAY

She stepped into my garden

wet in her lush green mantle

Glistening dew dipped dancer

The morning light in her cheeks

Nut-brown bare stripped branches

Rise to her wakening whisper

Silence broken only by the cuckoo's call

Disguised in blossom and bluebell dusted

pink budded and beautiful breasted

For she will quicken earth spent muses

And bring away the frozen child

And the windfall day all warm and breathless

Gathered up and neatly nested

Garlands of grace from her extended

She lays the green fern feathered way

That heaven falls on earth.

Louise x

BEAUTIFUL FAIR

well I have to say the "Vintage and Hand-made Fair" was probably the most beautiful fair I have been to, all the stalls were made out in such good taste, they all looked fab, it was great to be part of it. My sister Amanda and I traveled up together the night before and stayed with friends in Glastonbury on Friday night, it was still an hour and a half's drive from there, but arriving in Chipping Sodbury was a lovely surprise, we found ourselves in a proper old market town with the widest streets and beautiful old architecture.

The fair was very successful and every one was very friendly, a big thank you to Jayne and Michelle for organising the whole thing and making it so easy to do, the organisation was excellent and the cakes fantastic, but what really stood out was the quality of the hand-made goods, they seemed to be outstanding to me perhaps I am bias? but all in all a fabulous do.

Louise x

MAKING HEARTS

The "Vintage and Hand-Made" fair is almost upon us (May 1st) and I am busy making up new bracelets and earrings in lovely spring and summer colours. Today it is so beautiful I just can't keep myself inside, so I'm sitting outside in my lovely spring garden stitching boiled wool hearts, ready to fill with french lavender.

I have to keep myself from gardening, there is such a strong impulse to pull up the dandelions as I pass them to the house, but they are saved by the hearts, until next week anyway.

I am looking forward to meeting new blogging friends on Saturday and seeing the beautiful hand made stuff that has been made by everyone.

I know my sister Amanda has been locked in her garden studio the last 2 weeks making up a multitude of her floral bags ready for Saturday too, everything from purses to huge holiday bags.

Must get on with the stitching.

Louise x

Sweet Peas

Here I am on a wednesday morning admiring the growth of my sweet peas, they really have grown into plants ready for going out into the garden, as it is now April I can't believe how time has gone, there are primroses abundance in the garden now and grape hyacinths, and the tulips have just come out this week end, colour beginning to come back into life.

Next they will have to be hardened off, which means acclimatising them to out side temperatures during the day, so today they will have their first peek out side, and bask in this beautiful weather we've been enjoying

Then as soon as I get a chance I will be digging in the dirt and planting my sweet pea filled toilet rolls in the ground, so easy to do, I won't have to disturb the roots and that will give them the best chance, as long as we don't get a very late frost, which of course is always possible, gardeners nightmare.

At Easter I went to visit my daughter in Wales, she lives near Carmarthen where they have a great car boot sale on at the week end, I must say I found some lovely new bits and pieces of china and things for the web-site, as well as enjoying seeing my Grandchildren with mountains of chocolate eggs.

Return to the Country

Hooray! I'm back to the mud and rain from the concrete jungle, damp air, forsythia blossom and muddy cat paw prints all over the clean washing. I did enjoy my city living for the week, but I am very happy to be home. The spring is in its happy creation all over the garden and I am in mine.

It was very nice to meet some blogging Friends and to put some faces to the inquiries I receive, we put on a good show and had many appreciative comments about the look of the stand, so thank you all our customers for supporting our venture. The china seemed to fly of the shelves and earrings were very popular too. Amanda's bags went down well and Amelia's glass cupboard much commented on, in fact we could have sold it 20 times over if we had a supply.

I feel the spring fair is generally much more of a creative fair than the Christmas one, where there is endless Christmas decorations made in China.

Janet Bolton had her stand with her awe inspiring hand stitched pictures, if you haven't seen her work I thoroughly recommend it.

Sadly this will probably be our last stand at Country Living Islington, costs have risen so much it is becoming unviable financially, however we will be doing small one day fairs across the country so stay in touch and news of where and when will be posted.

Louise x

COUNTRY LIVING WEEK

Well Country living week has arrived, ironically I will be living in London for a week selling Vintage Inspiration wares made in Devon, so for me it's City Living!

I do enjoy the contrast though, I will be driving up to London tonight to set up Tuesday, ready to begin on Wednesday morning, you wouldn't believe how much work goes into this, I have spent the whole week-end finishing, gathering, packing, painting and preparing and I still think there are things I have forgotten, there always is, there are always things I think I should have made/done and always more to do but at a certain point I just have to surrender, let go and trust that all will be well.

There is a certain excitement in anticipation of being able to wear my favourite dresses and jewellery, and not get mud on my shoes for a week, this may sound strange but its true, I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time with muddy footwear whatever I'm wearing on my feet. My hands are also a give away if I have not got all the grit out from beneath my fingernails, it doesn't look good selling jewellery with dirty fingernails. So I'll scrub up and be clean for a week, my version of the glam gardener, wonderful.

Louise x

P.S the sweet peas are doing well they have their first sets of leaves.

NEW CREATIONS

Firstly I want congratulate my ticket winner, "cross the pond" who has won herself the two free tickets to the gala evening at the country living spring fair next week, I'm looking forward to meeting you. I am in full swing making and preparing for this event, it is a very big show for us and means a week in London staying with family and working all hours, I'd like to say if it wasn't for my parents and sister who all live in London this show would be an impossibility so thank you to them. I look forward to seeing other family too, my brother and his family, you could say it really is a family affair!

Here are some things that have been made in preparation as a little taster I have been sewing and making jewellery, painting mirrors, cupboards, a child's bed and lots of other things have been collected, so it would be great to meet some fellow blogers.

Louise x