Great places to visit in Derbyshire, Devon & Surrey

June 15, 2016

Today I'm sharing another post where I'm looking back at places I've enjoyed visiting. This has been a really hard one to pull together, as it was so hard to narrow down to three. But I did it and I hope you agree with my choices.

1. Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire

Absolutely the top of my list. I love this place and wished I lived closer, although that would make getting to work tricky. If you've not been to Chatsworth do go, it's fabulous. Hope for nice weather too, because in the sun it's even more fabulous.

2. Killerton in Devon

Killerton made the list for its colourful borders and more unusual additions, I mean not every National Trust place has a Bear House... And our visit got off to a good start when I spotted this bike parked outside.

3. Polesden Lacey in Surrey

This one's much closer to home and after a quick drive around the M25 we were there. I'd dropped MOH off at Box Hill so he could practice cycling up hills (!) and I decided to do something more interesting instead. Polesden Lacey is on the list because it's beautiful and some of it totally unexpected, like the saloon which is as gold as gold could be. I reckon it was quite the party house in its day.

BECAUSE A ROOM COVERED IN GOLD NEEDS A CHANDELIER LIKE THIS

Have you visited any of these places? Or do you have plans to? Leave a comment and let me know.

Two walled gardens I've enjoyed

June 14, 2016

Today I'm looking back at two walled gardens I've enjoyed and that I hope you'll enjoy too. Because really there's nothing that brings a smile to my face as much as a walled garden does. So let's get started.

1. The walled garden at Marks Hall Arboretum, Essex

It's a couple of years since we visited the arboretum and when we did I wasn't expecting to find a walled garden, but we did. It really was beautiful and you'd never know that these pictures were taken on a rainy Bank Holiday - what is it with Bank Holidays and rain?

2. The walled garden at Houghton Hall, Norfolk

This garden is huge for a walled garden and we didn't leave enough time to enjoy it properly, but even in our less-than-an-hour-quick-dash around this garden we saw so much. And it's one we'll be visiting again when we're in Norfolk.

I was surprised to realise that I've only managed to write about two walled gardens so far, I'm clearly lacking in this department. So please let me know your favourite walled garden so I can start making a list.

Five of my favourite craft posts

June 13, 2016

After thinking about my favourite hedges last week I got thinking about all the crafts I've shared here. For someone that only got back into crafting at the start of 2014 there's more than I expected. Today I'm sharing five of my favourites.

1. Cute Triangle pouches

These pouches were my first attempt at sewing anything useful for quite a while. I'd bought some fabric on a visit to the V&A but hadn't used it. So when I finally bought some small zips I knew what I was going to make.

And there's two because I made one for my mum, as a surprise. And quite a surprise for her for me to make something as a gift. I've since made more and filled them with sweets on the Christmas tree. They were quite popular too!

2. Gift bows from magazines

The simplicity of this one amazed me. I grew up in the Seventies when these kind of bows where on presents everywhere. I know you can still get them but somehow they went off my radar. But they're back and I think I like the handmade upcycled magazine versions even more.

3. Bleached pine cones

This is one that's not for the impatient. Or the unorganised. But despite being both of those I tried it anyway. For the price of a bottle of bleach I got some pretty pine cones - and clean bricks in the garden too!

4. Rolled paper shapes for cards

Another use for those old magazines - something I've plenty of. At the time there were lots of rolled paper items around so I thought I'd get in on the act. I used my new die cutting machine and the result was squashed rolled paper shapes, but an effect I loved even more than the rolled paper shapes. I need to do these again soon I think.

5. My new tote bag

Yes more sewing, and this is a recent project too. When I agreed to make this bag I only hoped it would turn out as well as it did. I'm itching to make some more of these style bags, but goodness knows what I'll do with them. It's not exactly the kind of bag I could send MOH to the shops with is it?

So there you go, my five favourite craft posts - did I include your favourite?