I am Back!

I am Back from my holiday in England. I had a most wonderful time and will be posting some pictures and memories of my time there. First though i am posting pictures of some of the things i had made in the time past.
This is the chess set i made for my sister Helen for their wedding 5 years ago. The box is plywood covered in fabric and the figures are weighted down with plastic pellets.
The box up turned is then the board.
I based the faces on playing cards.
This is the box closed. The board then becomes the top and the bottom of the box. It has a brass closure.

Groombridge Sussex

Today we went to Groombridge Place, a lovely country outing that had animals to look at and wonderful gardens to see, They also had Adam the Zonkey or Zedonk, depending on who you talk to, both are correct, it is in fact the result of a donkey and a zebra mating. Very very cute! This particular one came from America before finding the U K home.
This place had the most extraordinary walks, not having gone through most of it i can imagine that is has enough to keep you coming back for more. The play area was just brilliant, pics tomorrow of how it all was.

Bodiam Castle

Yesterday was a bank holiday and the weather was lovely so we went to Bodiam Castle It was just lovely. They had people in clothing of the day giving us a history lesson on the place as well as a fabulous play inside the castle walls. You could even try on a suit of armor if you wished, or try your hand at archery. We also went to a pub for lunch in the garden and my little nephew had a play on the lovely climbing equipment. This was a beer festival happening, and over 40 to choose from! I started with a local cider, then had a light beer to follow. Wonderful baked potato and salad for lunch. A lovely slow relaxing day.
Today we are planning on going to some second hand shops, what i call op shops! Now that is my kind of shopping to do!

Meggie

Meggie has finally got the collar off, I am sure she will be feeling better for it.

Birthday Party.

I arrived safely in the U.K. on Friday and on Saturday it was my Step mums 70th birthday. One thing i was asked to do was help decorate the marque they hired in the back garden. Well i know she loves butterlies, and the day was proven to be correct cos butterflies were either part of the gift or at least the wrapping! I has bought along a couple of cardboard butterfly templates and some fabric from Australia as well as iron on interfacing and made a bunting of butterflies as well as this Garden Disco Ball. Close to my little sisters house where we went to pick up some flowers and cards and some special number balloons was a hard ware store. I bought 2 wire hanging baskets and a roll plastic wrapped wire, and my sister provided me with the lights, the wooden perches for her decorated birds and i just assembles it together, wrapping the lights around the two holders leaving a section un wrapped so that when it is stored it will not be leaning on wire or lights. This gap had white and silver feather butterflies around it instead. Using both sets of hanging chains it was put into the middle of the marque and as the evening wore on, the lights that flashed quite randomly looked better and better. I was very happy and honored to have been asked to help at such short notice, and i was also glad it looked ok too!
I hope to get out and about tomorrow and take some pictures of my young nephews now i know how to up load pictures.

New Spotlight Store

New Spotlight Store opening up in Preston Victoria tomorrow. They will be having specials and giveaways to celebrate. http://www.spotlight.com.au/catalogues/ If you can, then go there and check it out.

Meggie

Poor Nutmeg (Meggie) she had a cat scratch on her cheek that turned nasty 4 weeks ago, She went to the vets and had it cleaned and stitched and a drainage tube put in. Unfortunately it healed over too quickly and flared up again, so last night she was back at the vets for a second time. This time they are leaving it more open and she has to wear this Elizabethan collar for the duration of this time. Not a very happy kitty! Thank goodness for the bean bag chair, one of her favourite places to sit, it mushes to her shape beautifully and i hope she can rest a bit today. I have been up all night with her. Tilli does not like the way she looks and keeps her distance, hissing at her when she gets too close. We will have to keep them separated when we are not there to keep an eye on them. The boys have their care instructions drummed into them by me! Get better soon Meggie!