I have just spent a couple of days in Somerset, was very blessed with lovely weather, had a morning in Wells, and the cathedral, it is such a beautiful building.



The scissor arches are amazing, well worth a visit. The altar frontal are displayed round the walls some amazing work,designed by Jane Lemon and Maurice Strike.



I really loved this



A boat
Home of a fish a man
that once rode a stormy sea
and from which nets were cast on the
the right side
now lies
abandoned

Broken and holed

Empty and silent

The shell of a past
from which
on white steps,
life went forth

it was made by Anna Sikorska

After Lurch in a great pub in Mells we visited the walled garden, what an unexpected delight, it used to belong to the rectory and is medieval, a jumble of wonderful cottage garden plants.














of course I came home with some plants, unfortunately not the beautiful "Black Lace Elder"

I also went to Stour Head and walked round the lake, very grand but prefer the charm of the walled garden, where you could eat a cream tea sitting on a bale of hay covered with a rug under an old apple tree with a rose climbing through it, just perfect in the afternoon sun.






,

Art in the Garden went well and my felt stood up well to a night of torrential rain, there was some lovely work there, several pieces by students doing degrees in floristry



You nearly missed this wonderful necklace,made using papyrus


loved this one made by Heather Brown





Just a small selection of work.

Today I hung Decopodastica, quite pleased with it, but looking at the pictures I know one bud needs lowering, see what I can do tomorrow. I am hoping it does not rain too much over the next 4 days while the show is on. There was some amazing work being assembled, look forward to seeing it all when I go back tomorrow.











Will do a few more photos tomorrow and take some of the other work.

Been working very hard on piece for show, all done and ready to hang,do that this week, will post pictures when done.
Took 56 to Rye for lunch, in glorious weather, great day out.
Lots of gardening, pleased with how it looks, but weeds growing like mad, will get out there and pull a few. Today I am teaching, Bag making, I think only 6 students,a nice number if some are new to felt making.



The Mallards seem to enjoy garden pond.

Shaping my felt flowers for a show,"Floral Art in the Garden" at Broad View Gardens, Hadlow College, Hadlow, Kent from Jun2 10th -13th, I worked the flowers over a flat resist, then when felted poured in some PVA, put in a balloon, blew it up to shape flowers, when dry remove balloon. There are several flowers going from bud-flower-seed head, worked in black and white Norwegian wool, did not want to compete with nature. The whole thing will be in a willow arbour. I am trying to work out how to make gruesome bug or butterfly to sit next to it, the original idea came from crewel embroidery and carnivorous plants.



Hadlow College is and agricultural and horticulture college with a floristry course, there is a garden centre(good plants) and tea room, so if in area and have the time do come and see the show.

This is a rather belated Easter blog, I was lazy about down loading photos. After Easter we had a special Eggy Day at the Farmers Market, with egg related activities for the children. Planting cress, marbling and blowing,a few people went home with bowls of duck eggs, Omelets! Cakes! There was also a collection of eggs to be identified, from Quail to goose and turkey, with all sorts between.
The Cress growing well




Marbled eggs










The Church Yard was looking lovely





The primroses have been spreading over the years, they welcome spring in a wonderful way and are one of my favorite flowers, have not yet tried to do any work based on them, don't think I could do them justice, snow drops are another favorite, those i have done in a wall hanging.

Today I went for a walk through the kentish apple orchards, they are just coming into flower, it was lovely to See so many new orchards being planted. We saw Swallows flying low over a field of sheep with lambs, more than one so summer is here.