Walks, crafts, flowers, then and nows |

Mar
17thWalks, crafts, flowers, then and nows

We’ve been having a few days like this. Clear skies and 10C 50F temperatures.
The fields are starting to green up.
But the wuss hounds have their Spring coats on- I made years ago but they are wearing well.
Sunday was Mother’s Day. Son gave me a proper brush to needlefelt with (yeah! no more bashing up a piece of oasis!) and a rose making mould. My fav flower. 🙂 Both made by Clover. You fill the mould with wool fibres (rovings) then punch the needle through to bind them. I had a Clover needle already but it needed a narrow one to use with the mould. I improvised and just held the needles. I think if you had scrap felt you could save it to pick apart into fluff and just use in the same way as roving.
I loved it! I played with lilacs and pinks for me.
For daughter’s one I cut the fibres like in the instructions so it made a furrier one. It was definately a lot of fun and you can get other moulds from Clover such as other flowers butterflies rabbits and one I think I might just get- “mushrooms and hedgehog”. If you have a friend who doesn’t sew I think this could be the craft for them.
Then of course I had to laugh when I unwrapped these. Those who know me know I think housework is like painting the Humberbridge- as soon as you get to the end it is time to start at the beginning. In other words housework will always be with you but inspiring craft ideas might not so you are better off crafting. 🙂
I felt oh so glamourous washing the paintwork on the stairs wearing these. She did get me a book too which is held in a queue for reading. I am slowing wallowing in the stories by Arthur Ransome some of which are set in the Lake District which I have shown you before. Another book started in my head so my time is divided between reading and writing at night.
This for Lynette Anderson’s Crazy Christmas has been stitched though and things for birthdays which will be shared after the special people have opened them.
I liked this colour scheme so daughter had to stand still.
But let me show you what is happening outside. Crocuses.
A blue iris this time- not the purple.
Delicate cyclamen
Crocuses open as wide as baby birds’ mouths.
A yellow crocus among the strawberries.
Primroses
Beautiful crocus shape bathing in the sunshine.
A stripey crocus that looks pale on the outside but has a lilac inner petal.
These are the last of the then and nows. This pic was taken back in February but shows the paddle boat out of the water. She is usually a tourist attraction on the Marine Lake that you can also see.
Here is Southport Pier as it once was with a Victorian pavillion just at the end of Neville Street which I showed last time. In the video you can just about see the carousel horses triangle shape at the end which is there now in front of Silcocks Funland pic in link.
This is a newer pavillion as there was a fire. Pic is taken from the Floral Hall Gardens which is now The Ramada Plaza Hotel which I have shown before but there is a pic in the link.
Remember the modern flats on the old Victoria Hotel site? Well this just round the corner on the old seafront road The Promenade.
Here it is in Victorian times
And now omitting the flats. Just a few changes. Love those old gas lamps.
Victorian/Edwardian aerial view.
At one point a lot of stars including Frank Sinatra stayed here. It was known as the Riviera of the North as it got the mild Gulf Stream weather.
It’s not all Victorian though. There are a few Art Deco gems I haven’t shared with you before. Leo’s Bar on Neville Street. Shame they replaced the wrap around windows at the front.
They still have them at the side thankfully. It costs so much to replace curved glass that many people rip it all out and put in the boxy double glazing instead.
Greek Key design on a building on Eastbank Street.
I was here to photograph Mac Donalds on the other side of the road.
It was originally a Co-Op building called Beacon House.
So you can see Southport is a hotch potch of buildings of all ages.