Another Place

 We don't really do valentines day around here...but it doesn't stop me using the opportunity to add more hearts to the front door.

I wish I'd taken a better photo of this. The central heart is a foam shape (hobbycraft) which I covered in Tim Holtz vintage valentine paper then poked holes in with a darning needle. I blanket stitched around then added a fancy border - and am thinking it would make lovely bunting?!

Is there anyone (in the UK!) who doesn't LOVE daffodils for all that they represent....

for me it's the teeny tiny hope that warmer weather is on the way. 

It's certainly felt like Spring in the North West these last few days - and hearing that the cold weather is set to return before long we took the opportunity of a blue sky and a half term holiday to hit the beach yesterday.

I've wanted to visit Anthony Gormley's 'Another Place' sculpture installation for years - and we finally made the mere 1 hour journey to see it!

For the uninitiated the work consists of  100 identical cast iron figures which face out to sea, spread over a 2 mile stretch on Crosby Beach, just north of Liverpool. It has previously been installed in Germany, Norway and Belgium and was due to be moved to New York in 2007. Controversially Sefton council agreed it would remain permanently in Crosby.

 

The men are all 6ft 2" and as the tide ebbs and flows they are revealed then completely submerged.

They are also anatomically correct - which is (naturally) the thing the boys liked best. 100 willies on a beach!

I saw a model opportunity - and present my latest crochet piece - a hat and cowl:

 I was really thrilled that I managed to make the hat - it's defeated me many times before. I was less than thrilled when I had to remove it completely half way down the beach as it went baggy and covered my eyes. Not least because I had neglected to wash my hair! 

How difficult are hats? anyone got any fail safe patterns/tips feel free to share with me.

maybe I shouldn't have stretched it over a large man's head!!

          The light on the beach was really beautiful - a really low wintry sun full of promise.

 I found lots of lovely drift wood - but no hearts, so made one:

 I haven't made any progress with the crochet addiction - and among other things have made a new cowl with frill. 

I'm a frilly kind of girl - not sure about the colour combo here, the wool looked nicer together before I made it up.

                                        

  I did manage to combine my two crafting love (blocks and crochet) 

                     by crocheting over some blocks!  

                                 What a sado!!!

                                 

And to get another fix I made a square for Stocki's 

'beautiful bloggers blanket of 2013'. 

I can't tell you how happy I'd be to win! 

(nice granny huh? wish I could find the pattern again!)

                  

Finally I'd like to thank lovely Sam Sunshine 

(that's her REAL name...how jealous am I?!) 

for her wonderful smelling candle received as part of a swap this week. I could smell it before I even (ripped) opened the package...and when it's done making my living room smell less of boys (no mean feat) I have a Pip Studio pot. What's not to like? 

Sam fills all sorts of vintage vessels with soya candles, especially beautiful jelly moulds. 

Hang on a minute,  she's called Mrs Sunshine, she lives in Devon, she shops for pieces of vintage crockery then fills them with candles for a living....off to cross her OFF my new pal list!!

fee x

(not really....thanks again Sam, it's perfect)