The Essex Flower Show

Just thought I would share with you all some quick snaps (I'm afraid they're poor phone quality pics - but doesn't the beautiful mess app make everything so much prettier?!), I took at the Essex Flower and Garden Show. It was the very first show of its kind and my sister Alie and I were really excited to be asked to exhibit through our blog Flowers in The Window. Alie did a beautiful floral display with a vintage ladder and accessories, while I did workshops including decorating glass jars and pinwheels, here are our displays.....

With baby number 2 only 7 weeks away, and still lots of work to do on our house, unfortunately I don't think we're going to be able to get away for a holiday this summer. But I do think we'll have lots of lovely seaside day trips and local adventures instead though.

I've always wanted to go to Cornwall, and I have quite romantic ideas about caravan holidays (yes I have actually been on them!). Parkdean contacted me with information about their marvellous sounding Holiday Park in Mullion, I can't wait to take our little family on holidays like this in the future, hopefully soon.....

Get Outdoors with the Family at Mullion Caravan Park

Switch off the TV, put down the games console and strap on your comfiest walking boots for a holiday at Mullion Holiday Park, where all the fun is found just outside your door! Located just a few miles from Cornwall’s spectacular Lizard point, the most southerly place in England, and with numerous fantastic walks to take and coves to discover along the coastline, the Mullion caravan park is the ideal place for adventure-filled holidays with the kids.

 1.) As Mullion Holiday Park is set within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, no matter where you wander you’ll find picture-perfect panoramic views of the Lizard Peninsula.

2.) Just five miles from the park you can discover its namesake of Mullion Cove Cornwall visitors love to come here and watch the boats bobbing around in the harbour before heading into the village to taste the Catch of the Day.

3.) For a really thrilling day out, take the boat over to St. Michael’s Mount, one of Cornwall’s most famous landmarks. Explore the 14^th century castle and its lush gardens on this intriguing rock island, and enjoy the views over the Lizard Peninsula from another angle.

4.) However, for those days when you just feel like relaxing, you’ll find plenty to do at the Mullion Holiday Park itself, as like every Parkdean Holidays park it’s packed with family-friendly activities and outdoor play areas. On the crazy golf course with sea views you can tee off, with the sound of the waves providing a soundtrack!

5.) The wildlife nature trail at Mullion is also an exciting way to spend an afternoon, as by following the signs and solving clues you’ll explore the area around the park and maybe discover some friendly creatures.

6.) Don’t forget to pack your swimsuits too to make a splash in our heated outdoor pool, with a water activity feature which will keep kids of all ages entertained all day!

7.) Kids can also meet our Parkdean mascots, Sid the Seagull and Lizzie the Lizard at the Mullion Holiday Park, by joining in on our kids’ clubs, the Tot Stars and Star Landers. Sid and Lizzie will make your kids’ holiday memorable with great games and outdoor activities at the adventure play area, whilst the grown-ups can enjoy their time together on the sun terrace, or at one of two on-site bars. At Mullion Holiday Park, there’s a great reason for everyone to enjoy the fresh air!

It all sounds so lovely! Hope everyone has exciting plans for the holidays? I think mine are going to be all about learning to survive with a toddler and a newborn!xx

Sarah Yewman's Amazing Mini Dudes

I first came across Sarah Yewman's work a few months ago on twitter - Sarah's a lovely local creative here in Chelmsford and is a childrens writer/author, painter, drawer and vinyl junkie! Her blog is really inspiring with lots of wonderful ideas, projects and commissions. Here's a few of my favourite pieces of her work all created on vinyl toys by Dudebox. There's something very satisfying about these little guys , they're so lovely- Sarah also runs childrens workshops creating them for Just Imagine (wish I could do one!)

This was a commissioned piece and I love the detailing on the scarf and beard - so intricate, love how they all have little personalities too!

Davina McCall is a big fan of Sarah's work and signed her mini Davina Dude which was auctioned for Comic Relief this year. To celebrate this Dudebox ran a giveaway to win your own DIY mini dude to create your own - and I was a lucky winner!

.....and here is my attempt! It was so much fun to do - but so hard! How on earth Sarah makes hers look so flawless and detailed is beyond me! I was a bit impatient and just wanted to dive right into it without much planning, so my first attempt at using watercolours as a background colour didn't work at all! So I needed a quick rethink and what did I turn to - my nail varnishes!! A bit odd I know, but I figured they should sit on the surface well which they kind of did, and I sort of liked the blobby marks the brushes made. I then thought I was using a permanent pen and it turned out it wasn't! So the result is a somewhat smudgy affair! But it was so nice to do something without knowing how it was going to turn out - and something very different for me also. I've been a bit stuck lately design wise, and sometimes I really think that making anything even if it's not directly linked to your practice really helps, and this really has. Thanks so much to Sarah and Dudebox for the mini dude and inspiration!

Textile Workshops at Just Imagine...

I've posted here before about my absolute favourite Independent bookshop, Just Imagine in Chelmsford, but I just wanted to share with you some exciting textile workshops I'm running there. I know I've said it before, but it is such a wonderful place, they always have the most amazing books, workshops and events. I feel so lucky to have it as our local bookshop, and I'm beyond thrilled to be working with them! I'm doing a series of workshops called Textile Talent. I started by doing a decorating a cushion session (the finished cushions were amazing! Wish I had more photos - we had smiley faces, skulls, a friendly cat and turtle pattern all adorning beautifully designed cushions, I was so impressed with the design skills of the children who came!):

Followed by a making your own Springtime bunting - this was such a lovely session, we used simple applique techniques to decorate brightly coloured bunting with felt. One thing I also enjoy about being at Just Imagine is the lovely atmosphere you get while making, I had lovely conversations with the girls who did this workshop about the St.Clare's books by Enid Blyton (one of my favourites). The following photos are from a very talented Georgia who was at the workshop, I think you'll agree her bunting is so gorgeous and I'm so glad that she now has it proudly displayed in her room. Many thanks to Georgia and her mum for letting me use these pictures.

The next session I'm doing is, how to create an applique notebook cover. Here's a little sample one I've made - the workshop will be led by the children that come, so I can't wait to see what kind of things they want to apply to their notebooks :) to book a place on the workshop please visit the Just Imagine website: http://www.justimaginestorycentre.co.uk