Thursday 29 September 2011

Goodbye Gladys

Autumn by lucia and mapp
source
So, where was I? Ah yes.
Cleggy was an unusually long time putting the ladies away, turns out he couldn't find Gladys. There was no sign of a fox, no feathers, no chicken legs in the air....so we went to bed perplexed. The next morning he's straight back down there to hunt some more - but alas, still no sign.

Until....he spies tail feathers peeping out the duck pond. Yep, Gladys, bottom of the pecking order, therefore chief duck worrier, had fallen fowl(!)of her own antics! She had chased the poor ducks once too often and fallen in (or was pushed!) and drowned.

Tis fair to say that she had a hard life as a battery hen, then a much nicer life once our posh ladies had learned to tolerate her and her plain feathers. Here's a new before and after picture in memory of our last beautiful rescue chicken:


We'll miss her - not least because she was the only decent layer. The Orpington Ladies are very pretty but they don't pay their way!

The demise of Gladys means we're down to 3 chickens and 4 ducks - enough for any suburban home farm.....I have a feeling Cleggy feels otherwise.

Now, I must apologise to all my blogging pals (and my real life friends for that matter!) as I've been unbelievably busy recently and haven't visited my usual blog haunts. I'm hoping for a good old read over the weekend.

Until then here are some more makes 
(as if to prove how busy I've been!)

A big treasure box for Keeley (hope it helps Jenni...)


Some blocks for a friend of Cleggys who has just 
emigrated to Australia
 
Some blocks for a special pal

Some friendship boxes

And finally, another friend asked if I could make her some alphabet blocks - 15 of them, so she could make various words and phrases. 
 
I was delighted (until I realised that meant 90 letters - and since I draw them it became a long job!). Anyway - they worked really nicely - and I had too much fun playing with different ideas...(need to get out more)
I love the clarity of the hand drawn letters but am going to have to look into large letter stamps or finally getting a vinyl cutter.
This next one was for my mantelpiece - anyone watch the latest episode of (Cleggy house fave) Modern Family??? Lots of v annoying knowing looks around here during the episode where Claire (my hero) is right.
I just know how much pleasure he'll have in the fact that the 'S' is upside down....ahhh, the irony.
fee x

27 comments:

  1. Poor chick, what a rotten end :( Your boxes are fab, I love your blokes best of all, like to see loads of Christmas ones xx

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  2. You have certainly had a bad run of luck with your ladies lately. I suspect you're right and Cleggy will have to go out and get a replacement, especially if she was the best layer!
    xXx Helen

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  3. Ah Fee, your poor bird. The latest development in the emotional rollercoaster that is the story of the Clegg household's menagerie...
    Beaut makes, as always - you're so talented.
    Was thinking about you as I wandered idly round John Lewis today - I always wonder if I'll see you in there!
    Emily x

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  4. Ah man! You and me don't have much luck with hens do we? Poor old Gladys. I wonder what her last thought was.

    Sorry that was weird. Why did I wonder that? I'm freaking myself out with that oddness.

    Loving those nursery blocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  5. Poor old bugger, it never gets any easier does it. Mind you there's no dignity in death either really - our hens are intent on trying to dig up Betty at the moment. I've slung planks and a spade on top of her now to try and stop them. We've got so many pets and wildlife at the top of the garden it's hard remembering where you can dig. Sorry sidetracked - favourites are the colourful blocks and ladybird ones - fabulous.

    X

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  6. Ah Gladys you lived the high life for a time and that was as it should be.

    As for you Ms fee, what a busy bee you've been.
    Loving all of your gorgeous creations as I'm sure all who receive them will too.

    Waving and smiling from across the seas,
    Felicity xx

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  7. Oh how I love to read your posts....YOU ARE SO TALENTED IN EVERY WAY...poor Gladys, but my, how you tell the story with such delight!!!!!

    DEAREST, YOU DRAW ALL THE LETTERS?????

    YOU ARE F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.!!!!!

    Anita

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  8. Poor Gladys.
    Your gorgeous blocks just keep getting more gorgeous. Just love them.
    Anne xx

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  9. Poor Gladys...what a well written eulogy. Dear soul couldn't even save herself. Forget shopping...are you sleeping? Work is just amazing as always....drinks all around. Smiles...Renee

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  10. I feel you about being busy! I haven't been to any of my favorite blogs lately! Glad I finally got a chance to stop by. I'm sorry about your hen. Our orpington lays small eggs infrequently, but she looks like a good meat bird... Yeah, like I would do that ;)

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  11. So sorry about poor Gladys... at least you were albe to transform her life since she's been with you - what a difference in your photos! Love your new blocks as always... cannot believe you draw them all by hand!! Wow that's dedication... (I did a spot of letter cutting out this week but in the end, it didn't really work out!!) Enjoy the sunshine xxx

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  12. Poor Gladys, but it looks like she had the most wonderful life at your house. Loving all the blocks, you could spend hours creating new messages and mottos. Modern Family is a real hit in our house. We especially love the episode where Mitchell attacks the pigeon and proceeds to destroy the entire contents of the lounge in slow mo!

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  13. I'm so sorry to hear about Gladys.

    Your blocks are so beautiful. I love them all!

    Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog. Em x

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  14. So sad to here about Gladys...she was special wasn't she? She had come a long long way! Thanks to you all.
    Sending you oodles of love for a magical weekend my friend.

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  15. He Ho, the header fits! Great job!!!! :-)

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  16. I'm so sorry to hear about your hen. If I would have found one of our hens drowned, I would have cried. Well, especially one of them in particular that is my favorite of all! We've lost 3 hens over the past couple of years...one to a raccoon, one just up and died on Christmas Eve and we found her in the coop, and the other went missing and never returned. She was with another hen, the two of them ran off together, for whatever reason...after 9 days, one of them returned but the other didn't.

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  17. Poor Gladys....i hope you have a wonderful weekend....love from me...xxx...

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  18. Oh no, poor Gladys! May she rest in peace!
    And your work is beautiful as always ♥

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  19. I wonder who the 'W' blocks are for!!! Gorgeous as ever. Did you learn Calligraphy?? I did for a few years and loved it, back when I made cards I would write everything in Calligraphy, phew, it is time consuming. Love your papers, some I recognise, some I don't, am loving the 'friendship' paper.
    Poor Gladys, she did look a treat with some loving care (and feathers)
    x Sandi

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  20. Chickens, although very gorgeous, can be rather mean to one another can't they. I hope she wasn't pushed. Fab creations again. x

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  21. Wow - I just love your old-fashioned alphabet blocks. I play around with lettering a bit in my pottery but nothing like as authentic as you do.

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  22. Those blocks are gorgeous! I was thinking about what I would spell out if I had some... I think they would really be cute on my desk saying something like: blogging. Or perhaps in my kitchen saying: sandwiches! (My boyfriend and I joke that if we only ate sandwiches for every meal we would be just as happy in life!).

    Emilie
    www.liveeatsmile.blogspot.com

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  23. Oh wow, your work just get more gorgeous. I love the blocks- you clever gal!

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  24. I know what you mean...sometimes our chicken (not to mention rooster) count changes daily. Your boxes and blocks look great!

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  25. So sorry to hear about Gladys :(

    Loving those Ladybird Police blocks in your previous post, always toy with the idea of buying Ladybird books in charity shops but I'm uninspired as to what to do with them... xx

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Thanks for stopping by.
I LOVE reading your comments!
fee x