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Sunday 18 August 2013

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

Hi everyone

I am sure we all have days (weeks?) where we wonder what we have done with our time - very little to show for it, but every hour has been jam-packed with work.  I think I mentioned in an earlier email that a friend of mine writes down everything she has carried out each day - she feels it is satisfying to look back at the work she has accomplished rather than as with a To-Do List reviewing what has not been completed.  I think I should do that.

However, despite feeling I don't have a lot of work to show for my week, I have made oodles of gift tags and am really pleased that I will have a large stock for the Ripley Nurseries event this month (31 August).  Now in the craft world (rather as in the fashion world) we know we have to be months ahead of real time and just in case there are any keen early Christmas shoppers at the event, I have made quite a few Christmas tags.

Here are some photographs of the newest sets and last week's ones which have now been ribboned and bagged:




We have also spent a lot of time working in the garden.  Pruning, planting, moving and general tidying up.  We have a big family get-together here at the end of the month, so want to make sure everything is looking good.  We moved a wooden-framed pond from one side of the garden to the other - it was empty, thank goodness.  We replanted it and not sure if the move was a good idea as the newest members of our cat family, Coco and Poppy, think it is a new water bowl for them!

We have a bumper crop of apples on our Worcester Pearmain tree this year - it is one of the late ripeners and is usually just right for picking in late October:


We didn't prune it at the end of the last season, something we regret given the very heavy crop.  Interestingly we had very little June drop this year, not sure if it was because of the weather or some other reason.  It is some natural pruning that is always welcome although at the time it happens it seems disappointing.  Nature's way of sorting out the duff apples from the good ones.

Among the many favourite plants in my garden is the Acanthus (Bear's Breeches).  It is a lovely plant and the flower stems are magnificent.  Here is a photograph of one of the flower heads after the white flowers have finished.  I want to split this at the end of the season as I have several other places in the garden where it would look good.


One last photograph, this time of Coco who has spent today dodging the rain and the garden sprayer.  She is relaxing here in the conservatory.  It is a hard life being a cat:


I have just had a quick look at this week's Handmade Monday post.  Wendy has chosen her Digi-Stamp Design Team and I already know that each team member's work is lovely and I am looking forward to seeing more of it.  Wendy has a mid-week paper-craft challenge - certainly looking forward to that too.  So, don't forget to nip over and have a read of this week's post and catch up with the other bloggers taking part.

Have a great week everyone.  Hard to believe it is nearly the last Bank holiday before Christmas, but hot though it may have been at times, it has been a great summer with hopefully lots more sunny days to come.

A friend and I (Lesley (the lovely Mad Dog Woman of Shackleford)) are trying to arrange a Macmillan Coffee Morning to take place on 27 September so watch this space as I hope to have some information about it next Sunday.

See you next week and don't forget to call in here on Wednesday to catch up with Milly's tails.

Jill

16 comments:

  1. Super, busy post Jill. Love your gift tags - I think you are on to a winner there. Also, love to hear about your garden - more please!

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  2. I think I like your newest gift tags even more than last weeks! it's weird isn't it doing xmas stuff one minute and autumn garden work the next interspersed with hot sunbathing weather!!

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  3. Haha - Jill our posts are matching this week! I feel like I've done nothing either! Love the gift tags - they're sure to go down well :-) Simmi xx

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  4. The tags all look lovely :)
    and I do like the idea of a 'Done' list!

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  5. Love the gift tags! Sounds like you Things I've Done list would be very long!

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  6. The gift tag sets look very pretty. And your apple tree does look very laden. Bit jealous, as I thought I was going to have a good crop but then lots of my apples fell off really tiny.

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  7. Your gift tags look really lovely all packaged up. xx

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  8. The tags look lovely, and especially so all packaged up. I'm rather jealous of your apple tree with all those lovely apples!

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  9. I don't know about more hours in the day. I think I would just like an extra day in the week :) Your tags look gorgeous. So much nicer than anything you see in the shops. Oh cats do have a hard life. Have a wonderful week.
    Ali x

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  10. I saw Christmas trees in the hobby shop Friday and thought of you. I'll bet you're busy gearing up for Christmas.

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  11. Your gift tags are beuatiful, its something I rarely pay attention to when I'm wrapping presents, but you've inspired me to have a go at making some myself.

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  12. The garden looks great, our apple trees are getting rather large. I love the tags, they look great.
    In a Pickle

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  13. i just know those gorgeous tags will be flying off your stall, they are so pretty!

    i was reading today that there is a bumper apple crop from the UK this year - the climate has been 'just right' for it apparently. We have lots on our trees too - yum! x

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  14. Love your gift tags. You are so right about having to get ready really early for Christmas.

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  15. Lovely tags. Really eyecatching :)

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  16. Somehow I don't think the gift tags will be around very long...

    Lucky you having all those apples, especially now that the Autumn is just around the corner. I'm sure you'll put them to good use - apple crumble, apple pie, apple Danish. Yum, yum xx

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Thank you for your comment - it is always lovely to have feedback and I hope you enjoyed my post.