Sunday, 14 July 2013

I am finally claying........


..........my next most favourite thing to do after basket making!!!

This is an attempt at making my version of an Australian cottage in Willunga, South Australia.  I thought it had a lot of character and I felt like a bit of a change from doing my Tudor thing, so.......

Here are a couple of pics of progress to date.

The lean-to kitchen!








I'm off to New Zealand on Wednesday, so will be unable to do much more before I leave - more's the pity, because I've just gathered momentum!  No matter, will have to pick up where I leave off in about 10 days time!

Hope you will all have a pleasant and productive week.  Talk again soon!




Wednesday, 10 July 2013

I love visitors bearing gifts.............


..........and that's exactly what happened today!

Susan (Minichrochetmad) and Grumpy came to call and look at the beautiful "stuff" she brought along!


The green one is mine - and I'm absolutely thrilled to bits.



Here are three little belly button babies - all dressed in items designed and made by Susan - of course. Aren't they just gorgeous?  I love grumpy in the middle!!!!



Another item designed and made by Susan.  The doll measures 42mm.


And here are the visitors posing - from left to right, Susan,  Grumpy (aka Raymond) and Jessica (my daughter)  We all had a lovely few hours together - Susan we have to do this more often!


Friday, 28 June 2013

The birds have it..................

.......so I've been working a little!  Couldn't help myself - and I've been playing with some bird carriers and cages, just for fun!



Bird cage  made on a gum nut...



A couple of bird cages.  The little one is based on a design I found while rediscovering my old school days in Tiverton.  It was hanging on someone's front porch so I took a pic and here it is in miniature!



A couple of closer shots....




A chicken and a pigeon carrier....



and some closer shots!



And now I REALLY AM going to do some paperclay work!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Some KDF Purchases to share.......

I wanted to share some of the purchases made whilst at Kensington.  There were sooo many lovely things available - how do you pick?  I have to limit myself to things that I would use in my settings otherwise I could just go mad and buy everything - until I ran out of money, that is- and that wouldn't take long!



Chair by Colin Bird - bought for Indy's house




Library steps by Colin Bird




Silver tankard by Forge

I hope you are all having a great week - to be followed by an even better weekend!

Saturday, 15 June 2013

Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig!

And I'm so glad to be back.  Glad to be able to get into a routine again - work and all.
I'll try and tell you some of the stuff I got into while away......

Arrived in London with a day to spare before plunging into KDF, which I spent doing not much other than walking around the V & A Museum - fabulous place.  Then on Saturday it was headlong into Kensington Dollshouse Festival.


Sorry about the quality of the photo - but it was a little dark and the flash just made it worse!  But this is my little table at KDF and I had SOOooo much fun there.  I bought myself another Colin Bird chair and some lights from Ray Storey.  Ordered a heap of other stuff and all in all it was great!

On Monday, we hit the road (actually - caught a train north) to Leeds where I did the family thing.  And then we got our car and travelled.  Not having done Wales before, that's where we headed.


This is the cottage we used as our base while we travelled around.


On our way to the top of Mount Snowdon, Snowdonia, Wales. " Snowdonia" - it's like a name out of Middle Earth.  It was bitterly cold and "mizzly" - but absolutely breath-taking.


We visited Portmeirion - which was another amazing place!  The dream of one Cough Williams-Ellis whose lifelong concern was with architecture and landscape design, the protection of Rural Wales and conservation generally.  You should visit the site - I can't possibly do the place any justice with my pics!


We visited some castles of course!  Here is one of my favs - Beaumaris!


And of course - did some catching up with some old school chums!  That was super fun.


And did I mention the weather?  I think the words I could use are "wet" and "cold".  Anyway, we visited a beach at Teignmouth and I think the lifesaver's got it very right!  Priceless!


The "wet" was not confined to the UK because when we arrived in Prague, it was under water after 2 weeks of rain - and it was still raining when we got there.


The Charles Bridge was closed for the whole time we were in Prague (9 days).  They actually had an excavator on the bridge to remove all the debris that built up against the bridge pylons to prevent damage to the bridge.


I loved Old Town Square at night!


 This really caught my eye while walking down a street in Prague!  I mean, Port Macquarie is just down the road from us (just over an hour's drive - so local really!).


And this is the bar selling "Pivo Koala" - that is Koala Beer.  I wonder what that tastes like!!!!!


And we took a train trip to Karlstejn Castle.  As you can see, the river was still running high and a lot of properties were under water.


Karlstejn Castle - my absolute favourite!


And the totally modern Dubai as a stopover on the way home.

Hope I haven't bored you all to tears!  Never mind, you all know where the delete key is on your computer!!
I had the most awesome time away, met some lovely people, endured some really horrid weather and a couple of nice days as well.  The great part is that here it is winter and warmer than the UK so all is well!!

And after the weekend - it's back to some serious work!!

Have a great weekend everyone.


Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Stop??? Me???.......

.......never!  Well maybe by Tuesday morning I will have to stop for a while - at least until my return from the UK.  I'll at least have a few weeks "basket free".  No need to panic - but thank you so much for your concern!  Makes the occasional frustration very bearable!

Have a wonderful rest of the week everyone!

Monday, 29 April 2013

I keep saying "This is it! No more!"...........

.......but I just can't help myself!  I really do have to stop because there are lots of other things I should really be organising now.  This time next week I'll be on the way and there is just no more time!  Anyway, enough of the preamble and to the show and tell!  This time I played with a few flower baskets!  Hope you like them!!



I hope I can put aside the basket weaving for a few weeks now!  I will do my best!

Anyone attending the Kensington Dollshouse Festival?  If so, I hope you come and say hello!!

Saturday, 27 April 2013

So this really happened...........?

We went for a drive to the beach today  and were taken a-back by this sign posted on the side of the  road.......



This could have been a great disappointment for some because as it turns out, someone was too lazy to dispose of their very old and worn synthetic turf!!


Cheech & Chong could have had fun with this lot!!
 (for those of you old enough and insane enough to remember them)!!



Wednesday, 24 April 2013

I have not been idle...................


....but have been making a stack of carpet beaters!  Mindless but fun (at first!)




I can't believe that Kensington Dollhouse Festival is only 16 days away!  Where did all that time go?

I have my stash of baskets packed - all 180 of them!  And right now, I would be happy not to see another basket for a little while at least!  

I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Gumnuts and handcarts............

                           I finished off some gumnuts that I had previously been working on!  



And a friend came to call bearing gifts - one of which was a railway hand cart.  So much better than flowers!!  Rob does amazing work.  I will photograph some other stuff of his as soon as I have time and show them all off!



Isn't it a beauty?!  I've already got the basket made for it (in my head, that is)!!  Will get on to that one straight away (in my spare time of course!)

Hope you're all having a great week!





Sunday, 7 April 2013

A couple of birdcages......

...made when I felt like having a little fun and experimentation!!  I quite like the grungy effect!!




The one below is just a little more pristine!!



The days are ticking by and it's getting ever closer to the long trip to KDF!  And I want to do so much more - where is the time going?  No matter, back to it!  Take care everyone.




Sunday, 31 March 2013

I'm back in the groove.........

......and thought I would show you some of the results!



Basket in situ!



And a close up!



And a couple of spares!!








Friday, 29 March 2013

Back from New Zealand...........

.........and it's so good to be home again!  Had an absolutely fabulous time over there - the workshop was great fun and it was good to catch up with the master (Rik Pierce).

I took so many photos - so I have set up some of them in an album on  Flickr - the link to which is

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lidistroud/sets/72157633122890000/

I hope you go and take a look at them.  I did a huge cull so I wouldn't bore you all to death!!

I did manage to make some baskets while I was away so all in all it was a successful trip.

I have to take this opportunity to welcome new followers to my blog - lovely to see you here!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend.  Take care of yourselves.

Thursday, 14 March 2013

Just had to share this.....




I found this gorgeous orchid in my garden today!  I was totally amazed - must have missed the whole flower spike thing - but I didn't miss it in full bloom.  The photo does not do it justice.

I have dedicated this lovely orchid to my poodle Madi who is no longer with me.  She was truly my best pet friend ever and I will really miss her.