IT AINT HALF HOT MUM

Hi everyone

Are we ever satisfied?  Too wet, too cold, too windy, too hot?  Fantastic weather and just great for lazing around in, but if you have to work it's not that much fun really, is it?  I am lucky as (lack of wind permitting) I can work outside, which I do very often.  However, at times the 'I have forgotten, this, this or this' becomes slightly annoying and the decision is 'go back inside and work' or 'stay outside and work on the garden'.  Very hard to talk myself into doing the right thing, because between gardening and crafting, what is the right thing?

I hope you read my Chelsea Flower Show post?  How about a caption for the last picture?  It was a fantastic day and I came home with great ideas of what I wanted to change and add into my garden.  I am a big fan of Heucheras and I was pleased to see my favourite supplier (Plantagogo) was there again and had won another, well deserved, gold medal.  I recently cleared a bed in the garden specifically for a 'Heuchera patch' and I placed an order when I got home for some gorgeous red-leaved and bronze-leaved plants.  I think I took about 50 photographs (crazy camera-wielding lady!) at Chelsea, but I promise I didn't add them all to my post, but here a few I missed out.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of this beautiful rose but I do remember that the perfume was so lovely

Isn't this amazing?  Two driftwood stags locked in combat.  

Digitalis Illumination Pink was named Flower of the Year

This looked so lovely and cool on a very hot afternoon - a beautiful display and not a slug nibble to be seen

All over for another year and I can imagine that the exhibitors have had about five-minutes peace and quiet before they begin planning for next year's show.  

I hope you read my guest blog post on Friday from Lesley Beeton?  Lesley recently went back to South Africa for a holiday and her post gives a very interesting insight into the country, but of particular enjoyment are her photographs.  The Aloe is very impressive - particularly as in this country most of ours are just a little bit smaller than the one Lesley has photographed.  It's a great read and I really recommend you click on the above link.  Thank you Lesley - I hope you will be guest blogging again in the future.

Talking of guest blogging, if you are interested, do get in touch.  I am looking for guest bloggers for mid-June  onwards and as you know the topic does not have to be craft-related (although they are very welcome to us crafters).  How about writing about your garden, your holiday, a hobby, something that you enjoy and enjoy talking about and sharing with others?  Please get in touch on christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.  I am looking for appx 600 - 800 words, plus lots of pictures and don't forget to add your links (Twitter, website, Facebook, etc) at the end of your text.

This week has been more social than work (boy, have I got to work very hard next week to catch up!).  I met up with Caroline (Caroleecrafts) on Monday morning for coffee and catch-up and we arranged to go (everything else permitting) to the Craft & Design Show at Secretts on Friday as Jane of Just Soaps of the Earth was taking part and she had very kindly sent me complimentary entrance tickets - thank you Jane.  I then went to lunch with a couple of other friends - discovered when I got to Clandon that the road I needed to go down was closed and the detour took me half-way around Surrey!  Well, it felt like it and as I have no sense of direction (Sat Navs were invented just for me), I had to follow the detour signs. I made it for lunch - just about.  Chelsea with my friend, June, was my mid-week socialising and time since then has disappeared without me achieving a lot.  Richard and I went to the Secretts event this morning; it wasn't very busy, but perhaps as it was near to 12 noon, most people were having lunch and leaving their visit until this afternoon.  Lots of different stalls: jewellery, cards, scarves, wood-turners and of course the best pongs were coming from the Just Soaps' stall.  Jane was elsewhere this weekend, but am guessing her husband was the one on duty down South.

Handmade this week has consisted of 'making' the garden and working through ideas for potential items to make for my business/website/events.  I am good at planning, noting ideas and identifying/researching what needs to be done, but getting my thoughts and plans into actions is not my strongest point.  This week's Handmade Monday was something I mentioned last week.  I began work on a willow wreath to which I am attaching fuchsia-pink hearts (I have sanded and glittered these and have used different sizes).  I also have some fuchsia-pink ribbon which I will make into a bow and at to the top of the wreath.  Once finished, I will post the final pic on my blog - I am hoping that I can expand using willow wreaths, but at the moment fixing the embellishments to the willow is proving tricky.  The hearts for this one have stuck, but not too sure if I feel confident that they will stay in place.  Any ideas for a glue to be used?

I will be back on Wednesday with my mid-week spot and don't forget I am looking for guest bloggers for 15 June onwards please, so do get in touch if you would like to join in.

Enjoy your week everyone - the weather forecast is for rain and lower temperatures.  Hate to say this, but my garden really does need the rain as I have lots of dry spots.

Jill