Chilly ...

There I was merrily driving along to DH this morning, listening to Radio 4 as I always do, pleased that the fog had lifted, when suddenly at the highest point of the route (where I took wintery photos last year) there was frost nearly an inch thick and some amazing sights. I stopped and quickly took some photos. One is blurred, unfortunately, as it was a photo (how sad is this) of the first icicle I have seen for many years, hanging down from a twig.

A mile further, at a point a little closer to sea level, there was no sign of fog or frost. But what a biting wind. I'm so glad Liz brought a new load of logs over to DH today. We certainly needed them!

It would seem it's Christmas shopping time. We've had a busy day with everyone looking for, and thankfully finding, presents. Let's hope they do it all again tomorrow!!!

Random Photos on my Camera This Week ...

Busy week this week with very little time to do anything other than be busy. However, I did manage to take a few photos along the way. A gorgeous morning sky greeted me when I drew back the curtains on Wednesday (or was it Tuesday)

Just a couple of my purchases from the Talent 4 Textiles in Ilminster - photos on Niki's and Lizzie's blogs - a 5ft gorgeous recovered red eiderdown which is a real heavyweight ...

and this pretty floral sprigged 4ft6in feather and down filled eiderdown - soft and cosy.

There were lots more purchases both at the Fair and elsewhere this week, but so far I haven't had a chance to unpack them all, although this petit-point bag in excellent condition is just one.


And when I finally got up after a bit of a lie-in this morning I was greeted by glorious sunshine and just had to pop outside and take a few photos of the jasmine growing against the front of the house, and the trees in the gardens of the houses opposite.

This silver birch is a welcome sight in any season. In the early autumn the starlings congregate in its branches several times a day. On a frosty night its twigs and branches glisten in the moonlight

And these wonderful red berries almost glow in the sunshine. They last for what seems like months before the blackbirds finally attack them!

One of the dealers at Dairy House has suggested we hold a Christmas Fair. I don't think we'll be able to do anything too dramatic in the short space of time available, but we are seriously contemplating having a late-night opening before Christmas. Mulled wine and mince pies of course, and some background Christmas carols perhaps. I hope we can organise it in time - bearing in mind advertising will have to be arranged, too. Might be fun!

Have a lovely weekend one and all. I shall be unloading a load of logs at DH tomorrow, following which I hope to saw up some lengths of 2" x 1" wood to make some shelving. When that's done I'll be heating up some soup on the woodburner and hopefully serving a shopful of customers as well!!!

(More) Photos of the Fair

I should think you'll all soon have had your fill of photos of the Fair - can you have too much of a good thing? - but here's my contribution as a slide show. I took plenty of photos but I'm afraid some were a bit blurred. These are the best ones.

Time to move on now, and think about what I'll be taking to the Giant Flea Market at Shepton Mallet on 14 December. And I think it might be time I started thinking about Christmas ...

A Resounding Success ...

Yesterday's Vintage & Handmade Fair was

a resounding success!

There was a buzz all day and the flow of people

was constant, other than the usual brief lunchtime lull.

All thanks to Michele and Jayne who put

heart and soul into the organisation.

Suffice to say all stallholders and every visitor

I spoke to had a wonderful day. Two ladies said

they normally go to the Country Living Fair but

decided not to this time and came to this

instead and ... IT WAS BETTER. So many customers

asked for the next date.

What more could we wish for!

Photos will follow - there will be plenty
from everyone, I'm sure - but I'm now off
to Dairy House, so there's no time for more
just now.

Here's to the continuation of something

new and exciting in the handmade and

vintage world.

Sunset over Dairy House

Just thought I'd share the gorgeous skies I was greeted with when I went round Dairy House switching off the lights at close of business yesterday and this evening.

This will be my last blogpost until after the Vintage & Handmade Fair on Saturday as I'm travelling up to Gloucestershire tomorrow. It turns out an old friend lives in the next village and I've been invited to stay the night so she and I can catch up with news. We haven't seen one another since Pauley's 60th birthday (nearly 5 years ago - woops!!!). Jenny and I taught typing evening classes together in Northampton in the 1980s and so we go back a long way!!! She'll be coming to visit the Fair, too, which will be nice.

So, safe journeys everyone, and I look forward to meeting you all on Saturday.

Sue

Vintage & Handmade Fair Countdown ...

... Unbelievably the time has whizzed round and the V&H Fair at Rangeworthy, organised by Michele and Jayne, takes place this coming Saturday, 22 November.

I'm madly pricing and sorting and packing, and would love to show you what I'll be taking, but as I now drive home from Dairy House in the dark there's no opportunity to take photos in good light. However, among the list of goodies are some small bundles of vaguely colour-coordinated fabrics tied up with red and white butcher's string (the string is red and white, not the butcher!), which are suitable for small craft projects, patchwork, appliqué etc. I've also sorted (to a degree) the mountain of vintage and antique lace, and have filled some cellophane bags with a mix of lengths and pieces for those of you who enjoy crafting with lace. I've sold one or two at DH already and they seem to be quite popular, so I'm hoping they'll go well at the Fair. There will be individual lengths for you to rummage through as well.

Fabric covered boxes and drawers, larger fabric lengths, buttons, sewing notions, threads, ribbons, cottons, hankies, lace collars and cuffs, vintage curtains, eiderdowns, damask and embroidered tablecloths, napkins, towels, a few cups & saucers, dishes and other non-textile bits and pieces ... the list goes on. It's an exceedingly good thing that I changed my car a few weeks ago. At least I'll be able to fit it all in, even if I can't fit it on my stall at the Fair!!!!

For those of you who follow Niki's blog and website and love her gorgeous handmade dolls, there's a special treat in store. Niki has made one of her fabulous large rag dolls especially for me to take to the Fair. I have a super little rush-seated chair on which I shall sit her, centre stage!

I also plan to take a few copies of Sky on My Doorstep the book I published through Blurb earlier in the year.

After this Fair blogging will never be the same again! There will be so many friendships cemented 'face-to-face'. Fingers crossed for a good turnout of blogger and other shoppers. It sounds as if there are going to be some wonderful ideas for Christmas presents and I think we're now close enough to 25 December to be able to mention the word, don't you?

Hope to see you there!

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud ...

Hmmm ... I wonder what Han and Gran are looking at ...

... apart from a lot of mud ... Let me introduce Pip and one of her offspring. This could be either Wilfred or Percy. I'm not sure which names relate to which piglet!

Here are the other 3, one of which is either Wilfred or Percy! The other 2 are Gormo (don't ask) and Three Spot! They were quite cosy in their little hut, bedded down on the straw, but Han and Rob were determined we were going to get a good view ...

So Rob persuaded them to go out to wallow in the mud!

Once outside they were quite happy to eat the vegetable peelings from our lunch!

My, how you've grown! Pip's not a bad size for 12 months old, is she!

The piglets are almost 4 weeks old. All male, so all destined to become sausages. Sad, but true!

I've had to brighten the photos which has distorted them somewhat, but you get the idea!

Meanwhile, Squeak, who miscarried her first litter, is hopefully due to farrow somewhere around Valentine's Day. I dread to think what names Hannah will come up with for hers! Romeo and Juliet perhaps?


Hope you've all had a jolly weekend ... we have!