A Spring bunch

Here's a spring bouquet for you. Primroses from our tiny garden.
Ricardo swears primroses have a scent but I don't seem to be able to smell anything from them. What say you fellow blog readers?

I've had a great week this past week with my second corset class on Monday (I promise I'll put up some photos really soon) then an exciting whirlwind trip to London to meet up with Ms Earwig sandwich herself Lulu Labonne.(Sorry about the blurr factor)
Here's Lulu's great shot that she took in the mirror at the V&A.
If you've never read her exciting exploits, get thee hence but get a cup of tea and a bikkie first, you'll be transfixed by her adventures. We met at the V & A and even though it's one of my most favourite places in the world, I was reluctant to explore as Lulu and I had a lifetimes worth of catching up to do. We did manage to see the Great Bed of Ware though.I also had a cushion sale at a private house in Norwich which went rather well and has inspired me to hop to it and MAKE MORE CUSHIONS. This fabulous Obi came last week and has been calling to me to make it up into new treasure.

Walsingham III

Today at the last minute, we had an outing to Walsingham with our friends David, Kate and Cuthbert (seen here with ladybird) and our Godson Humphrey.
It was bloody freezing but we soldiered on with our picnic.Every year they have a spectacular display of snowdrops in amongst the ruins of the Priory. We had the place almost to ourselves as the carpet of flowers usually only goes til the end of February but because it's been such a cold winter they are a couple of weeks late and are hanging on. Here's your first sight of them. Imagine trying to recreate this scene? Even if you had millions of pounds to spend, you could not replicate it.
I wonder can you use the inside of a crocus to colour risotto like saffron? It's SO yellow.
The ruins of the Abbey are like some fabulous folly. Someone had left a little 'Our Lady' in a niche.
This bridge called the Pack horse bridge was originally on the main road to Norwich. The stream underneath was crystal clear.

As far as you can see are snowdrops and the odd yellow Aconite. Occasionally you may get to see that rare bird, Ricardo (not feeling his usual self today though still as handsome as ever)


The perfect spot for a wood nymph.
Walsingham has a rare and strange air. This neglected windowsill sums it up really. It's one of the reasons I love going. It's like a tourist destination that time forgot.
After tea and toilets it was time for a quick look at the third "T" at Walsingham. TAT. There are a couple of shops which sell second hand ecclesiastical stuff and well worth a look, especially if you're with the Rev.

Look at this absolute beauty. Dark pink silk satin with padded gold embroidery.
Only £600. A bloody bargain if you ask me.

Kerry's stole

These are pictures of a stole I've just finished for our dear friend Kerry who lives in sunny Coogee in Sydney, Australia. Kerry has become an interfaith minister, so she can now hatch, match or dispatch anyone of any faith. Pretty cool huh. We ummed and ahhed about the design on the stole for ages, would we try to incorporate a whole lot of different symbols or would we try and find just one that covered everything. A hard task indeed. Then we hit upon the phoenix. Of course, it all suddenly made sense. Kerry sent me the gold kid leather and the beautiful silk satin in this fabulous red.
It took ages and a very sharp scalpel to cut out not one but two exactly matching birds.
I couldn't find a good fringe anywhere so decided to make my own. Then it needed some sparkle.
Here is the fringe taking shape with small clear crystal beads with gold interiors for that essential sparkle.
Here's the fringe on the windowsill, on what seemed like the first sunny day this decade, with my pincushion collection. (Does 2 count as a collection?) and some gorgeous pom poms that I bought last summer in France and can't decide what the hell to do with yet.
Carefully attaching the tassel strip to the stole

All done and dusted and now winging its way to Australia. Bon voyage my precious.