If you go down in the woods today..........................

Surprise, Surprise!  You'll find John and I making walking sticks!

Lovely day in sunny woodland with tutor Peter Snelson learning the old craft.
Peter, our tutor, runs Countryside Consevation Services and is kept busy hedge-laying, dry stone walling, making sticks and wooden crafts as well as being heavily involved with Dorset Coppice Group and attending lots of local Craft and woodland Fairs throughout the summer.

Productive day out and interesting too, we made 5 walking sticks between us!   2 each and one for grandson Dan!
I've booked Peter to come to Highway Farm to run 2 workshops 28th April & 16th August.
http://www.highwayfarm.co.uk/artcourses.htm

Section from Peter.

BOOST APPEAL update

We recently donated to BOOST, £1000 from the Xmas Wreath-making Workshop, here'e an update from Wendy Nightgale, the chairperson;

Since February 2011 BOOST, the Digital Mammography Appeal has raised over £460,000.  As chairwoman of the Appeal I would like to say a big thank you to the people and businesses of Dorset who have been so generous with their time and money in helping raise this incredible sum for the Appeal. 
The hospital intend to make up the rest of the money and after many discussions and demonstrations they have now decided which machine they intend to purchase. There is a lot of building work to be done on the Breast Assessment Unit to house this new equipment and hopefully work on this will start in the very near future. 

The hospital is hopeful that the newly furbished breast assessment unit will be up and running by late spring or early summer which means that diagnosis of breast cancer will be faster and more accurate, treatment will start earlier and more lives will be saved.
WELL DONE ALL!
 

Felting Day 11th Feb with Dennie Rose

Sat 11^th Feb Felt-making ~ fibre landscapes ~ Colmers Hill

A therapeutic day experiencing the ancient techniques of creating fabric from fleece, can be from cobweb to carpet quality and inspired from our beautiful Dorset landscapes. £38 +materials supplied at cost approx £7.50 pay on day

More felting workshops dates see http://www.highwayfarm.co.uk/ for info. 

More Felting..................................

24^th March Felt-making ~ beautiful felt and beaded nuno scarves ~ Dennie Rose

30^th June Felt-making ~A Wall Hanging “Come into my garden” ~ Dennie Rose

13^th October Felting in the barn ~ Funky felted hats! ~ Dennie Rose.

Also 7th March. More HATS ~ make a stunning felt cloche hat ~ Fiona Neylan, see attached workshop list and web page for photos of the hats we made at the last workshop.

Very best wishes for a fantastic 2012.

2nd January 2012 ~ Cottage guests enjoy a family breakfast on the patio, in the pj's.
                                 Can you beleive it!
Glorious sunshine, deers grazing on the hillside yonder, champagne, green grass, and roses and fushias in flower!

3rd January 2012 ~ Wild stormy night followed by a full battering of strong winds and stinging rain until lunchtime.
Over 60mph winds, trees unrooted, roads closed!  Tree down in garden, decorations coming down, xmas cards to be packed away, cottage clean, garden strew with debris, lots of rain means muddy dogs, chilly walk in the wind.  More like January......................but I think I'll leave my xmas wreaths on the door just a little longer!

Looking forward to HAPPY NEW YEAR and sending our very best wishes and much health and happiness to all.  Love P

A magical Christmas...............with the family



We wish you a Merry Christmas........................

Cake icing with the grandchildren today. Didn't they do well!  We're counting the sleeps to Christmas now and its only 6! 
I hope you'll nearly ready or like me having just done a whizz around Bridport tonight at 4pm!  That's the time to go, park right outside the shops, very few shoppers as its been rainy all day, helpful and chatty shopkeepers.  You can get it all in Bridport!

Don't you just love the warm, spicy smells of far off places at this time of the year and the promise of a festive welcome and a glow deep inside, so cheers!  

yer tis~ my cider punch recipe!

DORSET MULLED CIDER
1                       gallon cider (proper scrumpy cider)
1                       large bottle lemonade, optional but will make it go further!
1                       lemon, sliced
2                      orange, sliced
1½                    cups of brown sugar
4                      cinnamon sticks 
1½ tsp               allspice
1½ tsp               cloves
1½ tsp               nutmeg
½ tsp                salt

Place the sugar, spices, cider and salt into a large preserving pan, heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain through muslin or fine strainer, and rinse out pan.
Return to pan and heat until piping hot, not boiling.
Warming, tasty and economical for large numbers- just double the quantity.  Yum- Yum and very more-ish!

Christmas start here! Eype Makers Market

There was tasty bacon cooking and the mulled cider was warmed and spicy, the Xmas tree decked with bunting,  Matt played Christmas carols on the organ and beautiful Eype Church came alive with the hustle and bustle of another annual Makers Market.  So many stalls, so colourful, lots of creative artists  and a constant stream of lovely people through the doors.  Thank you for coming and supporting this Community event.

Variety is what we wanted and that’s what we got!  Beeswax and woodwork, baskets and knits, felting, felt hats, pictures, cards, cushions, candles, calanders, bread, beads, chocolates, cakes  and xmas puds, all deliciously lovely and home-made of course!
It was a very social event with folks staying and enjoying homemade soup and cakes, and enormous amounts of coffee and tea were consumed.  

Becki, on the left,one of our organisers.
I bought 3 driftwoods xmas trees from Becki, early presents, you can do all your xmas shopping in Bridport!

We raised money for the churches, Colmers WI, The Wallbridge Trust and Boost Dorchester scanner appeal.
PS I’m still selling Xmas Wreaths

Charity Xmas Wreath-making Workshop, over 50 ladies came along

It's that time of the year, lots of festive cheer!

The weather was mild so very different from lasy year! Lots of lovely ladies came to help me make xmas wreaths. Thank you very much to everyone especially the 2 ladies who came all the way from Andover! It was fun.
We raffled some floral arrangements and my neighbour cooked bacon baps for lunch and very yummy spicy cider punch, donated by West Milton cider house!

Everyone made 2 wreaths, one to take home and one for me to sell
All beautifully individual and lovingly made, didn't they do well
This year its for  Dorchester Hospital digital mammography scanner appeal and the wreaths are £10
Ring me if you'd like one 01308 424321 or come toThe Makers Market 3rd Dec, details on the last blog.

We raised over £200 on the day and I'll let you know the grand total soon
 A very Merry Christmas and a New New Year
Love Pauline

PS sold all the wreaths, some were sold at Eype Makers Market, another successful Christmas Market, well supported and good weather this time!  A raffle on the day raised £225, and with the £775 from the Xmas Wreath Day enabled us to send a huge £1000 to the BOOST mammogram appeal for Dorchester Hospital. 

My grateful thanks to all who came along and their continued support is really appreciated. Pauline

Eype Makers Market, Saturday 3rd December

You're invited to our Christmas Makers Market at Eype church for the Arts

                            http://www.eypechurcharts.co.uk/index.html

Array of local makers, bakers, growers, potters, painters, quilters, beaders, jewellery, photographers, the list is long and varied!

All coming together to show and sell their work in time for Christmas.

Please come and support, bacon buttties, cider punch, refreshments throughout the day.

Sat 3rd December 10am-4pm

Raffle for Charity.  Free entry and parking. Enquiries 07969 920845 or 01308 420854

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eype-Makers-Market/177617938998614

Mushroom magic.................

 

Never have I seen mushrooms growing here.  Our field is littered with mushrooms, white bulbs bursting out of the ground in fairy-circles appearing daily, very exciting. 

Well we think they're mushrooms but I haven't fed them to the guests, not yet but John and I are enjoying daily feeds and giving them away.

Soup recipe below, very easy and quick and the field mushrooms are so much tastier. Mushroom risotto today! 

Easy Mushroom Soup 

Melt some butter in a saucepan, slowly soften half a chopped onion, then add 2 handfuls of roughly chopped mushrooms.  Add half and half, milk and chicken stock to cover, you'll have to guess!

Bring to boil and simmer with lid on the 15- 20 minutes, season.

Cool, then liquidise.  For a nice nutty flavour add some chopped walnuts.