Boxing Day Stroll

Malvern Hills

Had a walk with DH on Boxing Day .... that is if you can call it a walk?  We covered quite a bit of the hills but I had to keep waiting for him to catch up as he saunters rather than walks and keeps stopping to take millions of photographs.

Lots of flowers on the gorse bushes

Looking towards Herefordshire

Even came across a bit of yarn bombing up a 'Narnia' lamp post near West Malvern.

Happy Christmas

Managed to drag DH out for a walk on Christmas Eve morning.  We went to Croome only to find that it was closed so had to park on the road near the arch.  It was very muddy and breezy but enjoyable. Came across this unusual installation ....

It faces the main house and is built around the tree trunk.  Very, very strange??

Miserable Weather

Sunday was wet and miserable so took myself for a nice walk into Great Malvern taking in the two sculptures.  The one above is of two buzzards and the new one is a skylark.

Malvern Yarn Bombers

Took myself off for a walk this afternoon as I cannot ride my bike as it is too cold (and wet today). Came across this nativity scene in the middle of Great Malvern outside the Priory.

The local bible shop had a fantastic Christmas tree in its window made out of opened books.  Unfortunately I could not photograph it as there were iron railings in the way but I did take a picture of one of their book page angels ... there were spectacular candles made from the same technique too.

Yorkshire Journal Returns

This week I received my Yorkshire Travelling Journal back completed with work from all my lovely friends up in Yorkshire.  It is always such a surprise when the package arrives and you get to see all the fantastic pieces of work created by everyone.

This was my 'artwork' page and it has a little hole cut into it which reveals a picture from the previous page.  The shed also unfolds and has seasonal writing inside it.

The finished piece of stitching had to be a work of love.  I stitched together lots of tiny hexagons and then overlayed them with sheer fabric, stitched by hand and machine over the top. I think there might even be a little bit of white paint on there for the smoke from the bonfire.  It is a long time since last February when I made it and I have done several other groups of pages since then for the other YTJ's.

Worcester Cathedral Christmas Trees

The annual festival of Christmas Trees is open in the quadrangle of Worcester Cathedral again this year and got chance to pop in whilst having the car repaired at the Toyota garage. Loved this outfit ....

Simple pieces of wood made a spectacular platform for this display.

Very classy glass ...

Worcester Embroiderers Guild felt gingerbread men (women)

and a giraffe from the St Michael's Hospice tree.  Apparently there are going to be large sponsored giraffes all over Worcester during 2018.

And Then It Snowed ....

We had non stop snow on  Sunday but we managed to get a short walk around the back of the housing estate.

Quick Sketch

I am endeavouring to sketch some guinea pigs from photographs which I can then transfer onto a bag for a lucky little boy who needs it for school to carry his pumps in ....

Guess they look a bit like actual guinea pigs just need to work out how to construct the fabric panels for the colours?  They have always seemed to me to be such squidgy things with little evidence of a skeleton underneath all the fat. Love their excited squeaks though.  I used to look after a couple when their owners were on holiday and they always welcomed me enthusiastically when I took them goodies like carrots and apples.

Short Excursion on my Bike

Desperate to get out on my bike again after two weeks of inactivity so drove to Croome only to find it was raining.  Not to be deterred decided to have coffee and brownie in the NT café and wait to see if the weather cleared and it did.  Did almost 9 miles circular route ending up back here ...

Sun was shining but 'Billy No Mates' this week.  Highlight of the excursion was discovering the Christmas Market at Croome.  Put Victoria into my little car and then went home after a very enjoyable bit of exercise.