a trip to sussex (part one)

Just got back from a lovely week in Sussex. We were staying on a beautiful organic farm called Hawthbush Farm, in the depths of the East Sussex countryside, surrounded by wild flower meadows, woodland, cows, sheep, butterflies and birds. It really is a magical place.

 

We were staying in the Piggery, which I could quite happily move into. 
Every morning we would wake up to these ladies.

 

We wanted to stay a few nights in one of their shepherd huts but they were all fully booked. There are a few to choose from dotted around the farm with views over the meadow. This one was my favourite with its little stove, lanterns and vintage pictures, maybe next time...

We also visited Lewes for the first time which is really pretty, lots of lovely shops and cafes and Brighton which is always full of inspiration.

I'm still editing lots of photos of the beautiful gardens and houses we visited, so more to come!  

follow found and sewn on bloglovin

Just a quick post to let you know Google Reader is shutting down on July 1st.

So if you use Google Reader to follow me, consider switching over to Bloglovin' to keep up to date with all my new posts. I have recently switched, which is really easy to do and I now use it to follow all my favourite blogs.

Hopefully see you there for tea and cake! 

found and sewn on bloglovin

in the garden

The weather has been lovely over the last few days, so we finally get to be outside in the garden. I could spend a fortune buying pretty flowers and plants. I have just bought a flowering thyme and some white Veronica, their flowers smell like vanilla and when it's warm the smell drifts though the house.

My mum bought me this Better Homes and Gardens book, which has some great retro pictures from the 1950's. Maybe I can get a few gardening tips...

We have been eating lots of salad from our veg plot, I can't wait too pick some French beans and Courgettes, they still have a while to go yet.

What nice things have you been up to in the sunshine?

 

daisy chains & forget-me-nots

I've just stopped sewing to show you these little daisy chain brooches I made yesterday, I especially like the green and white one. I love this handmade doyley that I bought at the weekend, the embroidery is so neat, I wish I had a whole set of them.

The 'forget-me-nots' have started flowering in our garden, so I picked a small bunch and put them in an old milk bottle on the mantle piece in our living room, they remind me of being little when I would keep bunches in jam jars in my bedroom.
....and while I'm on a flower theme don't you love the retro floral print below which is on an apron I've had for a while.

  

oh so pretty

 

I'm going to be spending the next few days (and weeks) happily sewing away, as I have loads to do before my open studio exhibition starts on the 18th May. For details of my show click here, It would be lovely if you could make it! There are lots of other artists and craft people exhibiting in Oxfordshire Artweeks throughout the month of May, it's really inspiring to see what other people have been creating and their studio spaces.

 

I'm so pleased that you all liked my little vintage collage pictures, thanks for your lovely comments  x

 

 

faded charms

I've had a lovely day at home today, enjoying the sunshine in the garden, sowing salad and herb seeds. I so love having a little outside space to potter around in.

When the sun goes in that's my cue to go back inside and start working on my little lace brooches for the next exhibition in July. 

These ones I sold at my last show. I'm really pleased that people like them as they are my favourite things to make at the moment.

lobster & swan matchbox challenge

When I heard about Jeska's February 'matchbox a day challenge' I couldn't resist joining in. Jeska of the blog 'lobster and swan' is creating a beautifully decorated matchbox a day for the month of February, there is a loose theme for each day, today being 'the pretty one'

Jeska's husband is running the London marathon and to help him raise money for his charity, Jeska will be selling her finished little boxes in her etsy shop.

We are all invited to take part in the challenge.... they are so much fun to make, even slightly addictive. Above is my matchbox for today, which I have decorated and filled with a selection of vintage flower and butterfly stamps . If you need more inspiration, below are some of Jeska's lovely matchboxes or check out the flickr group to see what other people have made....