Snookery Crafts

Nana's Crafty Makes in July

It'a been a very busy month, but I still found time to do a bit of crafting. 

One of the presents I received for my birthday in May was a drimel drill!!!!  Well I have always wanted to drill into glass and this tool makes it easy.  The only way I could experiment beforehand was to borrow my husband's drill.  He didn't know about it, but I managed to get hold of a glass drilling bit and try it out.  Well it worked OK, but now I have the proper drill, it's much easier.  The wine bottles shown here are my latest creation. You need to drill a hole near the bottom of the bottle big enough to pass the lights through.  

Lavender filled hearts and chicks are always lovely and I just love the smell.

Finally a felt bird, bell and bead decoration, lovely for a child's bedroom.

I love trying things out and learning new skills.

My daughter-in-law is having a craft fayre in her garden in August, so hopefully some of these will sell.  I'll keep you posted.

Snookery Walks

By The Sea

There's nothing quite like a walk by the sea, especially if the weather is good.  It's refreshing, calming and of course good exercise and it's something I love to do.  Sometimes, I'm on my own and it's a chance to go beach combing, finding things that might be useful for crafting while at the same time just listening to the sounds of the waves lapping along the shore.  It's a time for reflecting on life too and I quite often pray as I walk, it's so good to talk to the Lord about life, knowing He is walking with me and understands where I'm coming from completely.  These are special times with Him that I love.  

Sometimes I walk with my friend and she brings her dog with her too.  We usually are good and just walk and talk, but walking past the little hut selling ice creams and snacks by the beach is sometimes just too tempting!

This photo was taken when the sun decided to shine and it looked lovely across to the Isle of Wight with the white sails of yachts in the distance.  You could easily think I was in more exotic climes!!

Yesterday was more of a cloudy day and the wind was a bit brisk as we went for a walk.  It's hard to believe we are in June, where the warmer beach weather has got to I don't know.

However, you never know exactly what you will find and find we did, just look at the beautiful foliage and flowers that grow above the high tide mark, so pretty and in bloom right now.  I do love this colour too.

If any of you reading this love to walk by the beach too, I'd love to hear about it.
Happy walking.

Snookery Crafts in June

Fayre in Sarisbury Green

June is a good time for an English Fayre and this year we decided to be a part of one in Sarisbury Green, which isn't too far from us.  I certainly wouldn't say that summer has fully arrived yet, but at least the day was dry and sunny.  The wind was a bit of a problem, but the gazebo managed to stay up (just).

My lovely husband helped me get set up along with my daughter-in-law who also kept me company.  Free strawberries and cream were given out from St. Pauls Church which was rather yummy and a multitude of other stalls, bouncy castles, slides, dancers, ice-creams and burger vans and much much more.  

Soon the fayre was under way and many people and excited children were every where.  It's especially nice when people come and chat and look at what you have made and maybe buy something, it makes all the hard work worth it.

I have made quite a few new items recently, but you will have to wait until I have a few photos to show you.

Snookery Crafts

May's Crafty Nana Makes

I usually have different craft items I'm making, on the go.  Some of them have been on the go for a few years, while others I finish quickly, depending on the artistic frame of mind I'm in I guess. I hoard a lot of stuff too just in case it's needed, and invariably it does.  I've had quite a bit of time on my hands recently to craft, so at last I have finally finished some of them which is a great feeling, especially if it is up for sale or a gift for someone in the family.

One of my recent makes ended up being for me.  My daughter came home with a picture no one wanted at work and was given permission to keep it.  A large square hardboard box frame with poppies painted on it.  In the end no one wanted it at home either, so it ended up lying around waiting to go to the dump.  

Then recently inspiration hit me and an idea of what to do with it came to mind.  I painted over the poppies with white acrylic paint to tone it down a bit first of all.  Then stapled burlap and lace over it with the words, "The greatest of these is love" and a heart shape in the middle with buttons.  It looks great over the bed in the spare bedroom, very happy.  It's quite big too, about 2ft squared.  So if you have any box frames hanging around, try it out.

Other makes include these lovely birds and flowers which would look great hanging up in a child's room.  I have 2 of them for £10 each.  Let me know if anyone is interested.

Snookery Crafts

After The Gales

After having two days of gales, I knew it would be a good time to go beach combing.  You just never know what might get washed up.  On getting to my favourite place, the beach certainly had been landscaped.  The shingle had been moved right up the beach and there was more driftwood and even 2 red buoys.  You have to be quick to get the best bits as I found out!!!  There was quite a nice tree root and on thinking I would pick it up on the way back, found that as I turned around it was being carried down the beach by two other people!!

However, I did find this tree!!!  My husband just gave me a look as if to say, "your mad".  However my daughter was more helpful and so I ended up taking off some of the roots, putting it in a tub filled with stones and wrapped solar lights around the branches.  Looking forward in seeing it lit up later.

There are times when being creative can take you down roads that you never expected.  Very happy.

Snookery Walks in the Sun

Beach Walks

Living near the beach (about 4 miles away) is wonderful and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Here in the South of England, just opposite the Isle of Wight makes me feel very blessed.  You have Southampton Water to the right, where you see many liners, tankers, yachts and little boats as well as the kite surfers and various other water sports and activities happening.  Then away in the distance to the left would be Portsmouth.

 

There is nothing like walking along the beach and beach combing.  You just never know what you may find.  

We had such lovely weather a few weeks ago, it almost felt like summer had arrived.  

There is a bird sanctuary a bit further down the beach and a lovely little harbour for the boats.

Hoping to have time to find some bits here again, I'm running out of drift wood and there are craft fairs coming up.

  

Snookery Travels - London Greenwich

Easter 2015

Easter is always a busy time for us with the drama, in fact I don't think we (husband and I) have been home for it for quite a few years.  However, there are times staying in certain places that end up being a bit of a treat and so it was this Easter.  

Cutty Sark

We were put up in a hotel in Greenwich, London, which is a lovely town to explore.  Our work schedule on two of the day's was in the evenIngs, so we had a couple of days to do as we wished.  

Greenwich is where the time line runs from and has a lovely time museum with many old clocks, then there is the Maritime Museum and also the Cutty Sark in dry dock as well as the Thames River running by.  One of my favourite places here is the market which is over a hundred years old under a glass roof and small quirky shops surrounding it. Here many crafters, collectors and food stalls sell their wares and it's great to have a look around and buy something special. 

My Husband

As we arrived at the market this time, we were in for a shock.  No longer is it being kept as it is, but half of it was pulled down with the other half to follow later on.  The council had decided to update it as it had been there for 100yrs and wanted to make sure it lasted another 100yrs.  I noticed straight away that a verse of scripture on the wall overlooking the market was no longer there.  I guess it probably won't be going back up again as it comes from a different era than today!!  I look forward in seeing how it is finally finished.

Looking towards The Shard

Our best find this time was noticing the boat trips you could go on up the Thames.  What a bargain too.  If you are ever in Greenwich, do go on one.  £8 each return from Greenwich to Westminster. 

London Bridge

Tower of London

It stops at London Bridge on the way, you can get off if you wish and see the Tower of London and then catch another boat to Westminster.  

We got off at Westminster, having gone past The Shard, Tower of London, London Eye and various bridges.  About 45 mins each way and a great relaxing way to take photos too. 

 

It was a lovely day and we really enjoyed it.  If we do this again, I think I will visit the Aquarium right next to the London Eye.