Winter Apples

With this winter weather still chilling the air it's great to see natures way of providing food for animals and birds at a time when they must find it so difficult to sustain them selves. I have never seen an apple tree with so many apples still on it in at this time of the year, I wonder what variety it is.

This squirrel took no notice of me while I watched him dig up his hidden food supply.

The first snowdrops appear from the frozen ground what a wonderful sight to lift the spirits!

Happy days at the beach

Even though our children are older we still love our days at the beach. This picture brought back memories from only a few years ago.

Some blue and white stripped fabric made me think of the beach huts on the south coast so had to creat some mini ones of my own.

What makes me tick?

My parents are a great inspiration for my work, my father is a retired engineer, Carpenter (taught by his father) and artist and my mother a housewife, dressmaker and gardener.
I grow up with their wonderful skills for making and repairing all kinds of things and what I loved the most, making something new from something old or up cycling as it is so often called.
To give you one example in 1992 my father made this pine dresser for me all from reclaimed timber. We sat down together and came up with a design then he spent about three months making it.
Most of the pine timber is salvaged from packing cases from Finland and Argentina.

The hinged doors on the left and right are Victorian shutters from 'Terry' Houses, The Holloway, Redditch, Worcestershire which were built in the 1800 and demolished in 1973 to make way for a new town development. We decided to leave the original paint work on the inside of the doors to show some of its secret history but also because it was a devil to get off!! Other parts were wood saved from my cottage after renovation work.

I have used this passion for up cycling to produce my latest red gingham heart hangers and bunting all made from a child's pair of dungarees and buttons I have collected over the years.

If you like them visit my Etsy shop to see more. http://www.lucyscottagecratfs.etsy.com/

January Floods

Hello and welcome to my first ever blog.
Just learning how to use blogspot, but what a great system.

Went for a stroll down to the river this morning to refresh my mind for a new day, but my usual walk was blocked by floorwater, the power of water never ceases to amaze me, we even have fountains in the road!.
My heart goes out to all the people around the world who have lost their homes to floor water. 

over loaded storm water drain

This is one of my favourite spots although not so pretty today, you can find the same view at different times of the year in my web site gallery.

My heart was lifted with the sight of Hazel Catkins (Lambs tails) in the hedgerow and the first helleborus in the garden, Spring is just around the corner.



Helleborus orentalis

               

Hazel Catkin

                                                                           

Helleborus foetidus