FNWF's and a New Year

 Happy New Year everyone! It seems I have been AWOL for longer than I thought! Anyway, very happy to be joining up with Cheryll and friends again for FNWFs and our first of the year. You can seen what everyone was doing by following the links here . Thank you Cheryll.

I have been working on the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge which involves a sketch a day for January with daily prompts provided. Fridays prompt was trees so I worked a quick sketch of the trees outside my kitchen window. Trees are always interesting at this time of the year when you can see all the lovely shapes and there are some sections here that would blow up and make good designs.

Here are a couple more pages from earlier in the week - 'sweets and treats' and 'eggs'.

The afternoon started out dry so we drove to Wiveliscombe for a walk around. Having investigated the rather upmarket charity shop - we prefer packed, rummagy shops - we wandered off down a side street looking at some of the interesting old buildings. Just as we were thinking of turning back we spotted a sign for antiques so went off to investigate. Yew Tree Antiques is based in part of an old brewery - through a small, almost hidden, door. Up some windy stairs and another corridor which opens out to a large space crammed with furniture and glass. The smell of beeswax furniture polish was strong, everything shone and all the beautiful glass sparkled. What a treasure trove. Well, the last thing we need is more furniture, but I did treat myself to this pretty biscuit barrel which was one of the first things to catch my eye and which I couldn't leave without!

I need to find it a home where it will show off it's lovey sparkle. Sadly it was raining again by the time we left and so we scuttled back to the car.

I have got back to quilting my Red Manor House again this week and that is what I worked on yesterday evening. I put it aside over Christmas to work on this little project from Sue Hawkins - I can never resist one of her kits when they are on special offer!

I have another of these waiting to be done and I may make it a little longer - the kits are generous and I could easily add 1/2" on to the length.

So that is my news for now - hopefully I will be back soon!

Have a good week.

Last week

 Looking back through my photographs I realised that we crammed a lot in to last week!

We started out on Monday morning with a trip in to Taunton for some shopping and to see The Moon which was hanging in Taunton's new Minster, St Mary Magdalene church. 

Glad we went early as there were pictures in the press of huge queues waiting to go in. Well worth the visit as it was an amazing sight and the setting in the church was stunning.

We found time  for a couple of afternoon drives and it was good to be out and about again in the Somerset countryside. One afternoon we visited Fyne Court and enjoyed a short walk in the park. Spotted these trees with their roots growing above ground. Lots of interesting shapes in there.

It was a chilly afternoon - fortunately we missed the snow shower as we were in the book snug browsing the second hand books!

A second afternoon found us at Nettlecombe where we visited the interesting church. It's looking very picturesque in this picture which I snapped waiting for an enormous lorry to pass us - not what we had expected to find down a narrow Somerset lane!

I finished up two more Wings and Pretty Things blocks.

Earlier in the week we had to visit Wiveliscombe and I enjoyed a wander round this old town. I was attracted to these old house fronts with their lovely carvings.

The Jubilee Gardens, built for The Queens Silver Jubilee in 1977 had some interesting features. I loved these gates

and this totem erected in tribute to children and families of the First World War. I hope that you will be able to see some of the lovely details if you click on the pictures to enlarge them.

You will be pleased to hear that the bathroom renovations are well under way, that we now have a flushing toilet and will be allowed to use the new shower tomorrow evening!

Until next time.