micro camping

4 July 2015

The first camping trip of the year was a little late due to all our shop to-doings, we decided to have a couple of nights camping at our local campsite Compton Farm here on the Isle of Wight to enjoy the heatwave that was forecast. We had the strange notion to go in our tiny Fiat. Why? I dunno.

We managed just about to squeeze in our bare necessities (obviously we could have just taken a couple of sacks and some matches if we were really serious) including our new 3 metre bell tent, not yet slept in! This tent is a metre smaller than our other one, and thus a tad easier to squeeze into a micro car. Our toddler is also squeezed in (although a little hidden behind her sleeping bag in this pic).

There is a bit of extra storage on the back...

Our littlun LOVES this car.

Strangely, our smaller tent looks the same size as our big one when the fiat is in the same pic...

The first day of our local camping holiday was beautiful weather, so we made the most of it at Colwell Bay, our favourite beach not far from where we live.

Crystal clear water and blue sky...why do people go on holidays abroad? ; )

First proper swim of the year, plus the first time to use my new 1960s towelling jacket that I bought at Spitalfields market for a tenner. It's got seagulls and lighthouses on it. Enough said.

We had nice weather that evening, but our tot was a bit too full of energy and didn't go to sleep until about 11pm so we were all a bit frazzled.

This farm is usually pretty peaceful and the actual farm bit has lovely chickens, turkey and geese.

...and a massive bull (that apparently escaped into the campsite the day before we arrived!)

...he is very friendly bull.

there is a small play area with a huge seesaw.

and some interesting locals...

That night a big storm rolled in very fast, we were nice and snug in our tent so we just enjoyed the dramatic scenery.

(my mister legging it into the tent as the downpour began ; )

live weather report

The morning was nice and calm and another nice day looked on the cards...

(we are not the only ones with impractical cars) ...although I would argue that this looks better than practical ; )

We headed to nearby Freshwater Bay which is a pebble/sand beach with dramatic white cliffs. The sea was really rough.

...next stop Warren Farm for the BEST cream tea in the world...

Whilst we were away, some hay bales appeared in our camping field, one had even rolled down the hill near to our tent! crikey : |

We had another late toddler to bed scenario, and as we watched a spooky fog roll towards at running pace, we decided that we'd head home the next day.

Back to work now, I'll be working on a new jewellery collection next week to celebrate the opening of our shop. The collection is called ...Isle of Wight!! Happy summer peeps xx

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local wildlife

15 June 2015

Here is a bit of what's growing in the garden at the moment. I haven't done as much gardening this summer as I'd hoped, but other events have got in the way a bit (more on this coming up) so Ive been a bit too busy. Lots of weeds are out growing the plants, but these are the strong ones that are fighting their corners ; )

very triumphant fox gloves, ain't much gonna stand in their way.

my first time growing corn flowers, I love them so much.

and the honeysuckle archway is doing really well, and the bumblebees love it.

those geraniums would grow through concrete given half the chance.

a new bench that I painted, many a cup of tea has been supped here (whilst contemplating pulling up said weeds).

our Nipper's toms and strawberries look like they might actually produce something edible.

In other news, we rescued a half dead Coot chick from our local stream. It was all limp and stuck in some weed with no parents in sight. We fished it out but it looked like it wasn't going to survive. We took it back home in a large bucket and gave it some boiled egg whites (great advice from my sister-in-law), and I put a hot water bottle inside my furry hat and plonked floppy chick on it. Then left it in the dark for a few hours and when we came back, it was standing up, all lively, chirping away!

I went back to the stream in the evening and spied two adult coots sort of looking for something, so I ran back home to get the coot chick, and see if it would go back to it's mum and dad...

once in the water it motored off like a clockwork toy! it looked completely different to the floppy ball of soaked feathers before. It's that dot in the middle...

The next morning I went back again to see any sign of it, and amazingly, there were two adult coots with the chick in the middle, attentively feeding it in turn. Ahhhhhhhhh

I bet that chick had some stories to tell to it's mum...near death experience, then spending the day in our kitchen, ha ha!

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whale purse

6 June 2015

May has been rather fruitful for Rust Jewellery, and that means that I am now a very busy person. I sometimes feel like I am trying to keep my head above water, with work, and all the other stuff that you have to do on top of work. That's why I usually find myself in my shed, doing things that are totally pointless, casually ignoring that very long list of things I 'should' be doing.

So that leads me to present the latest article from the shed...a whale purse, of course! why not? naturally...

It's a bit rough as it was a kind of prototype.
I used the same pattern that I made for the whale mobile I made a few years ago (I always keep the patterns I make for the future, just in case ; )
I dream about having enough free time to start a little online shop for my handmade bits and bobs...one day...when I'm retired ; )

my first customer...

( I love the photo above, she'd actually just trodden in something disagreeable)

Our nipper is really into going to the shop, she loves the whole 'paying' bit, so I put a pound coin in there for her to save for her next shop trip. She usually likes to buy a mini milk, or a chocolate egg.

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Little X

31 May 2015

My brother is a wooden boat builder, and recently one of the many boats he has worked on was launched in our local harbour. Having never seen this happen before, we all went along to watch the events.

This is a small racing yacht called an X Class. Whittle Marine, company my brother works for, specialises in the restoration of these boats and this one had been completely rebuilt, right down to it's 'rib cage', all those rivets had to be removed and replaced...sort of mind boggling! All in a days work for my brother (the one in the dungarees)