Wednesday 18 September 2013

I may yet be a domestic goddess, more dahlias and Art van Go make a brave move!

This is going to be a very unusual post for me .. I am doing domestic kitchen things .. well - I am planning to. I examined our plum tree yesterday and discovered this lot ...
 
 
This made me feel I should do something thrifty and country wife-ish, like maybe bottle them?? So I got these .....
 
 
I am now at a bit of a halt .. but am fairly sure I need to put these together with the plums and add some heat and we will be off. I honestly used to do quite a lot of this sort of thing in our old house - it sort of suggested it. Well - now this one has .. so I will report progress (or not - could just scoff the lot?)
 
I promised some more dahlias - but first .. just let me share some news with you. I do not have a stand at the Knitting and Stitching show  at Ally Pally ... BUT .. I shall be there on Saturday and Sunday .. demonstrating for those nice people at Art van Go. Letting me loose on their stand is a very brave thing for Kev and Viv to do .. especially as it will be like playing in a very full and  exciting sweetie shop for me. And I am not sure if they have seen the mess I can make either. But I am planning to be a model of goodness and behave impeccably . so if you are there - do come by and say hello. London scares me a little ( I am a northern soul) - so friendly faces would be very welcome. Hopefully I will leave some stuff for others to buy as well. They did ask me what my colour palette was .. tricky that .. this sums it up really ..
 
 
Everything basically. And please excuse that blobby stencil .. I did not shake my can well enough and it splobbed, so I had to go in with a finger. Still very nice and was done really to try out one of my new stencils ...this one is sunburst and is going to be very useful I think.
 
Ok - dahlias ...  get ready - I've got lots. I've also been playing a bit with paint shop pro .. so you have variations here too ...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
And for those who missed her on facebook - here is Missy Pig .. a new member of the family who now lives (and flies) in the crab apple tree
 
 
 
I first saw her at a sculpture exhibition in the swan sanctuary near here - I must look out those photos for you too .. it was a fantastic display. But now - back to work .. thanks for visiting - Hilary x
 

16 comments:

  1. I'm going on Sunday so will hopefully see you there, Love the dahlias too. Dorothy

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    1. Great stuff Dorothy .. I'll try and leave some stuff for you to buy!! x

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  2. What about some plum chutney to have with crackers and cheese...or sausages...or a ploughmans lunch? I made some with apricots from our tree last season and it is gorgeous! Love the altered photos, the pig and the stencil too...you have been a busy bee.

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    1. Always a busy bunny here Bonnie .. isn't Missy Pig gorgeous?? Chutney sounds nice - but more complicated .. I am going for bottling ... although I've eaten quite a few now!! xx

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  3. I can't imagine you not making a mess, or behaving but I'm sure you'll have a great audience. Not going this year but hope you have a great time. Dahlia photos are lovely.

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    1. Oh Maggi! - ye of little faith ... but you are of course right. Oh well - at least I considered it. I'll try and get some photos to post for you .. although I have a bad habit of forgetting everything when I get excited. These photos need ot get in to a photo collage I think - H x

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  4. I'm not normally a fan of dahlia's, but these are lovely and the bees are obviously enjoying them too. Some of the photos are art works in themselves.

    I can understand both your trepidation at London (I'm a southern girl myself - south Devon) and your excitement at being let loose in Art van Go. A dream come true! I do hope you post the results of your two days behaving or misbehaving.

    Hilary Florence

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    1. You know Hilary - nor am I. I wouldn't have gone except for Steph saying that I really should see the dahlias ..and as she is a trustworthy soul (well mostly) I went .. ad I am so pleased I did. They were/are magnificent - colours and combinations especially. The planter obviously had my kind of approach to colour - get it all in there!
      South Devon is probably even more sleepy than Yorkshire! - whereabouts? - I once married a man from South Brent. Will certainly post results from K+S .. hopefully good ones xx

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  5. Hilary ... loooong overdue thank you for getting your book to me - speedy quick! And you even signed it - what a treat to open the book and read your happy little note!

    Good luck with the canning(jam/chutney creations). Good intentions must count! Leslie B.

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    1. No worries Lesley - just happy to hear that it got to you! I shall tell the plums that I have it on good authority that good intentions count .. hope they listen - Hilary x

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  6. I find the easiest thing to do is stew plums and damsons in the microwave and then freeze them. I enjoyed your demos at FOQ. I am sure you will have a great audience. Enjoy.

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    1. God Bless You Irene!! - that sounds so lovely and simple and is exactly what I shall do .. even I can manage it. Funnily enough I was at a guild day yesterday and a friend asked why I didn't just freeze them?? Because I didn't know you could!! Am ashamed of myself really .. but I do know how to use matte medium and that must count for something? Have you started your pieces for new group Irene? If you could email me at hilarybeattie@ntlworld.com we could talk about that xx

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    2. I thought that too Hils, I've done the old bottling thing in the past but can't be bothered now, that's what freezers are for! Also, as far as other skills you have, well, where do we start? Freddie.

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    3. Freddie - bob on .. we will freeze, we will not bottle ... far too busy with 'other' skills xx

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  7. I'll be there on the Sunday and will look out for you - I'm sure you're going to be surrounded with people nosy to see what you're up to!! ! As a Northerner in exile down in London, it's not too bad I promise.

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    1. That would be excellent Mags - and I hope you are right about the people too. Am re-assured by your kind words about the wicked city .. am fearful I may get kidnapped or something (white slavery??) x

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