Chicks and baskets

I finally remembered to post a pic of the chicks. I got 9 hatched out of the 12 original eggs, very happy with that. The chicks are very cute and being cochins are fluffy right down to their toes!

At the Eid Craft Group last night I showed some of the members how to make woven baskets using newspapers as a sample material. The end result was four complete baskets and plans to make more from other materials.

This and that

Well the eggs are now in their 4th incubator since incubation began, after candling I am down to 9 eggs out of the original 12, not bad for posted eggs - they are due to hatch on Thursday, hopefully the chicks will find their way out of the shell. Let there be lots of girl cochins!

John has netted over the top of my veg patch as one of the exchequor leghorns started flying up and over the netting sides, ratbag! I was going to clip the wings of all three (they all look the same to me!) but he came up with the netting solution (which is actually better).

I've learnt another new craft (what again?). Last Thursday night a friend showed me how to do iris folding - something I had seen but avoided because it looked complicated. It isn't! If you want to make cards and/ or pictures that look good but are easy to do, this is for you. Have a look here for ideas and instructions: Iris folding . For these two I used the inside of used envelopes, lots of patterns and shades of blue in them!




Anyway, back to the other crafts, I have a basket to make and the willow is finally soaked enough ( I think). Pics of basket and chicks (god willing) will follow to bore you!

coiled rope planter

Today I made my second rope basket. I am using it as a planter and I'm really pleased with it. The whole thing is made from beach combings. The base is a bucket lid, the sides and bindings are rope. I have lined it with a rabbit food bag and it's now home to a lavender plant.

Spring garden and more baskets

Photos from the garden, it might still be cold be the plants are trying their best!

Shetland daffodil:
Drumstick primula:

Flowering currant:

Baskets ( just for a change)

First, one made of recycled rubbish from the beach - rope, plastic strapping and driftwood.

My first basket made from Shetland grown willow, an egg basket for me!

Made to order, a basket for a flower arrangement.

baskets and the vet

The rest of the baskets from the basketry weekend and one I made today from a rope I made of montbretia last night and a rather nicely shaped bit of driftwood.




We took the dogs out on a couple of beaches yesterday for some beachcombing and I have lots of interesting 'finds' I hope to try making into recycled baskets. Watch this space! lol!

Loki managed to split one of his nails at the weekend, trip to the vet tonight set me back a bit. I'm sure a human pedicure would have cost less than him getting one nail cut back and bandaged!

basketry weekend

First photos of my baskets from the coiled basket course, day one we were working with materials we collected last night. I've made one small basket from grasses and am making another from montbretia leaves and driftwood - the thread is horsehair!