Finished at last

Phew what a busy week - we have been flat out finishing off the victorian terraces and making the brick roads. Trying to make the road with a realistic finish like cobbles/rough bricks, was a brillant idea until it came to painting them! it took Ages as the 'ruts' were deep and the paint had to be stippled in. I made various flower beds using florists blocks paints and ground tea for the dirt, and trees and decided to have rough grass at the edge of the common for the horse using a piece of fur material.










Experimenting with finishes was interesting, mixing tea with sawdust and paints, flock made from finely cut tapestry wool and the tufts were the painted offcuts from the fur material. Finished the curtains, DH also made rolled awnings for the shop fronts. Really pleased with the finished result. It was then on to the common and tufting grass etc, I also finished my flower shop. Talk about squeaky, we only finished late Sunday evening ready to load the car on Monday for the exhibition. We actually have a home again instead of a crafting workshop which had spilt out into every room, now the boring bit of dusting and polishing. Ok maybe tomorrow..............



It took us all morning to do two trips back and forth and set up the exhibition, some of the other members brought their boxes ready to be fitted and again apart from info sheets everything was done by 2pm

Apart from the terraces, the blacksmiths, flower shop and bakery are our three boxes








The other members have made the boxes their own like the ones that follow




.








Where would we have been without the web to do the research to ensure the authenticty of some of the products. We have coordinated with the local press for publicity so just have to wait for the opening now.

Yesterday (28th) was the 40th anniversary of the first day we met, we joke about where did the week go, but 40 years!! that seems incredible. All those years ago, a shy 14 year old went to the local youth club and there he was, just as shy. We had a lovely day shared with DD & her boyfriend who gave us flowers and champagne, went to Maria's for lunch and DH had taken a lovely bouquet of orange lillies, a huge heart with balloons and used sprinkles for 40 on the table. Wasn't that lovely and romantic. We meandered home after lunch for a cool off in the pool then shared the bubbly, a lovely lovely day.

We had taken lots of photos but when DH put them onto the computer they had disappeared from the chip, how, we don't know, but to say DH was not a happy bunny was an understatement.

Have a happy day xcx

Today would have been Mum's birthday, two and a half years ago she lost her battle with the big 'C', miss her terribly every day but Happy Birthday.