I would like to introduce you

... to Freddie Mac and his sister Fannie Mae... financial whizz kids!

They've come to replenish my stock for my second weekend of Cambridge Open Studios. If you live within easy reach of South Cambs then please come and visit us. We're open from 11 am until 6 pm Saturday and Sunday and would love to see you.

Of course, should Freddie and Fannie not find suitable new homes then they will be going in the etsy shop... that is providing I can remember how to operate it!

P.S.

The gooseberry ice cream!

A match for Haagen Daas any day!

Fruit for free

Thank you for all the kind wishes for my open studio weekend. It went well with almost 50 visitors over the weekend and an added bonus... I actually sold seven pictures on Sunday. I was very excited let me tell you! Almost as exciting was meeting my first visitors through the door on Saturday. A couple came in and the lady said how strange it felt walking into someone's house. We agreed and laughed and then she told me she reads my blog... that felt strange! We all know there must be readers out there we are totally unaware about but it's not something I'd thought about very much until now. So for Catherine and all the other anonymous readers out there... HELLO!!!

***

Before the weekend I picked these cherries from trees in the field behind our house.

And I was given this wonderful bowl of gooseberries from a friend's garden.

Beautiful colours although I imagined they would turn a sludgy brown if cooked together so instead I thought I would try to make some cherry jam.

I've never made cherry jam before and reading that it doesn't set very well I added some chopped rhubarb from the garden... and voila! Three pots of cherry and rhubarb jam for the price of a bag of sugar.

I was obviously feeing creative and inspired by Amy's jam pot cover, I made this from some scraps of felt.

And then of course I had to try the jam so had to make some scones too. Verdict... cherry and rhubarb make a very good combination!

And as for the gooseberries - they got stewed up and mixed with custard and cream to make this Goosberry Fool. Uninspiring to look at but tastes delicious. And there is so much of it, half will be frozen and turned into ice cream... yummy!

A virtual tour

I've finally finished hiding junk in cupboards and drawers and stuffing stuff under the beds and I'm just about ready for Open Studios in the morning. This is the fourth year I've participated in Cambridge Open Studios and I'm a lot more relaxed about it than the first time - we completed repainted the hall two weeks before opening then! Only certain parts of the house are open but it's still a little nerve wracking knowing that total strangers will be wandering around. Mostly people are very kind and polite but occasionally someone will forget that they are in our home - like the lady who complained about the lighting! The biggest job was getting my studio relatively tidy - there is so much junk in the room and I seem to work in a permanent mess. This is after the clear up... at least you can see the floor!

But there are still lots of bags and boxes under the tables!

I've got the orange dress on display in the hall.

Plenty of pictures hanging in the hallway

And in the dining room

Baskets of sock creatures waiting to find new homes

And some brooches and other bits and bobs for sale.

(Those left over will go in my very neglected etsy shop)

Of course what I didn't need to be doing today was making vast quantities of tirimisu for our Embroiderers Guild Summer Supper Party this evening. But I hadn't really thought that one through!

All I need now are visitors in the morning!

I think they're breeding....

They are certainly turning up all over the place... Horatio has been helping himself to our toast!

Delilah van Razzchoc and Blinky have been caught reading in bed...


Tallulah has been hogging the paper over breakfast....

Ferraro has been trying to use the shower...
but fortunately hasn't worked out how to turn it on.

Lydia has been flower arranging.

Spotty Spice!

Keep away from my sewing machine...

Okay Millie Boggle.... gone too far...

Hands off my wine!

I do believe they are all distance relatives of Miss Choc a Spots and they have all turned up ready for this weekend (12/13 July) and next (19/20July) when I'm opening my house for Cambridge Open Studios. This annual event takes place every July when artists all over Cambridgeshire open their studios to the public. As well as my "grown up" work I like to have smaller items for sale - hence the sock creatures! Meanwhile I'd better get back to the task of hanging pictures and attempting to make my house look presentable to the public...

This comes with a warning....

... and those with a sensitive disposition may wish to avert their eyes.

But I'm not entirely responsible.

Several of you did request to see this.

And because it is my birthday.

And because I've reached the grand age of 51.

For this one day only...

I give you me in the orange dress!!!

I even put on the tarty shoes!

But that's enough of that nonsense.

Back to the serious business of cake.

Nothing sophisticated for me.

No cheesecake or strawberries and cream.

Good old chocolate cake with Maltesers.

This is the last of the birthdays for a few months.

Normal service will be resumed next week.

Might even get some sewing done.

Look out for the spiders!

Nature Watch

We have beautiful giant poppies growing up against our garage wall.

My purple podded peas that I got from Celia have finally flowered...

and have started to produce purple pods!

There is a family of kestrels on our village conservation area with three young birds


All around the field behind our house are cherry trees which are laden with almost ripe cherries

And in my handbag...
there are spiders!

An explanation...
Yesterday I had a wonderful day in London - visits to Tate Modern, Tate Britain and the Royal Academy. I then met my friend Jude (author of many a wry and cryptic comment on this blog!) and we went to the Opus degree show before heading off to our favourite restaurant for dinner. During our meal Jude presented me with a package containing my birthday present of some rather lovely leaf shaped beads... and some spider shaped beads... completely oblivious to my pathalogical fear of spiders!!!!

I remained remarkably calm under the circumstances but made Stewart empty my bag when I got home!

Run spiders... run!

I'm after you....

Actually they are quite cute... and apparently were selected for the superior quality of their eyes. Any suggestions how I might use them????

****

On a completely different note ... Vicious Chicken is doing something fantastic which involves walking around Bristol in her underwear and WorkingMomKnits is doing something fantastic to support her... so do stop by and take a look if you haven't already done so!