Colours

Hello everyone, and thank you for calling in to visit this small corner. It is good to know you dropped by, whether you comment or just read. D and I are glad you are here.

I hope that you are enjoying your weekend and that you find time to relax and enjoy the things that make you happy.

Today had been mostly dry, although the rain returned this evening. 

After a bout of cold germs that have been lurking around for a week or two, I have been looking for some brightness and colour to enjoy. This morning, I ventured into the garden and was glad to see the first signs of new growth with bright green shoots emerging from the ground. I spotted the bright white of the snowdrops first. I have just bought some bulbs in bloom so they can be planted to join the rest of the snowdrops. In a shady corner, I also found my lovely hellebore. I have had this plant for a few years, and it seems as tough as old boots, surviving the extremes of snow, rain, storms, and heatwaves. It has not quite opened its flowers, but they will be coming, and such a lovely colour to look forward to. 

Back in the house, I had another lovely surprise this weekend. The amaryllis I thought wouldn't achieve anything this year has two beautiful buds. I can't wait to see the flowers' colours very soon.

As the weather has been quite wet this week, I have been enjoying some indoor colour and have been working on my crochet blanket. It is so bright and colourful, and I am enjoying the steady progress. I have many more rows to, but everything is from my yarn stash and has cost me nothing to make—definitely something to smile about. 

The temperature blanket I made a few years ago is also in good use during these colder months, and it is very cosy.

Finally, this week, my doll's house found a new home in the units we recently painted. Our son came and gave hubby a hand with moving it, as it is very heavy. I shall give it a good Spring clean, then do some more work on the inside so I can continue its story. It has been a while since I posted about this miniature house.

Have a lovely week, everyone, and stay warm and safe.

B x

Upcycling and Card Craft

Hello everyone.

I hope you have all had a good week. 

The weather has changed again, and we have had more rain this week. Sleet is on the way, and possibly a touch more snow to finish the month. With this sort of weather, it's no surprise I have been infested with some nasty germ bugs this week. They probably hopped across from D, who has also been suffering in the same way. I can't wait for some Spring weather to arrive.

We have still managed to be creative this week, though. 

This was an old unit we had, and we have decided to paint it up, along with another similar unit, to form a new base for my dolls' house. The colour is the same one we have used as a feature wall in the living room.

These are the painted units, just waiting for us to move the dolls' house. 

While hubby has been dealing with the units, I have been getting on with making some cards for charity. They are based on some designs from old Craft Creations magazines, which are now discontinued. 

I have a few jobs to get on with in the garden this week, if the weather holds out, and I'm also feeling the need to crochet again.

Whatever your plans, stay warm, and I hope the bugs stay away from you all.

Take care

B x

January Brings the Snow

Hello everyone. 

Before I get started for today, can you guess what might be inside this cupboard? 

All will be revealed at the end of the post.

While you ponder what lies beyond those doors, I'm taking a look back to the last day of 2025, when hubby and I wrapped up warmly and went for a walk. We started in the small village of Alvechurch and followed a circular route that included Cobley Hill. The walk was about 3 1/2 miles, and the day was bright and sunny with no wind. Just perfect for walking. 

Engineers building the Birmingham and Worcestershire Canal tunnelled their waterway under part of the lower slopes of the hill.

We also discovered this fourteenth-century church, hidden away behind the hedgerows.

We had our first flurry of snow on Friday (2nd) and a little bit more over the next few days. Not very much compared to some parts of the country, and it didn't stop us getting out and about. This was our back garden after the first snowfall.

However, after Storm Goretti, there was an awful lot more snow! If this storm visited your area, you are all safe, and any damage was minimal.

On a brighter note, I bought a pack of six small white Hellebores before Christmas, and they have been flowering beautifully ever since, even under the blanket of snow they were covered with by midweek. I am hoping the thick snow coat they received this weekend will not have harmed them.

We don't tend to watch much television, but this year, over Christmas, we had a marathon of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films - The Extended Versions. As hubby and I had been to Hobbiton a few months ago, it was fun recognising some of the settings and remembering what we had been told about the filming. I still have not read the books. D wins the gold star for reading all the books, though.

I really wanted to show you this while I was making it, but as it was a present for D and she always looks at what I have posted, it had to wait. As always, I underestimated how long it would take to complete it, and there were a couple of evenings of frantic stitching. I finished on time, and D is thrilled with the result. 

Note to self: 'Think carefully about how long you think a project will take and then double it at least. 'Will I ever learn? Probably not.

Did you guess correctly about the cupboard?

We started decorating the end of our living room just before Christmas, and this week the flooring has been put down. One of hubby's new interests that we have encouraged is darts. For his birthday, we bought him a dartboard, but it came with no case to hide it when not in use. We searched the internet and eventually found this case, which was perfect. Now he can enjoy this game, and the room doesn't feel like a pub lounge. 

Happy people all round.

Hopefully, the snow will start to melt soon, and the forecast for the week is slightly warmer weather. Here's wishing very hard that it is true.

Whatever the weather in your small place, stay warm, safe, and well.

B x