Bodnant Gardens ...

Hi Everybody,

This is Bodnant Gardens and  it was given to the National Trust as one of the few places that does not leave the house with it.

The gardens are beautiful and there for you to visit but the house is privately owned and cordoned off.

There are  many different perfumes are all around as you walk.

It is divided up into several areas each with a different theme and we took our time and wandered all around.

We walked to the Waterfall and we felt quite sorry that the hot weather was drying up the water course.

It looked such a sorry sight ... and then I spotted this sign that was at the side of the trees.

It tells you that the water is being deliberately diverted because they are building an Eel Pass to help these creatures breed.

They apologise for the loss of the spectacle ... as the falls are really lovely when they are in full flow ... but once you know that it is to help a living species to breed and survive then the loss is not that great.

 And once it is all complete then the water will be back to normal.

They plan on helping Salmon and Trout in the same way in the future.

So maybe another visit in the coming years will be on the cards to see just how far this project has gone in their conservation efforts.

Wandering the paths there was something different at each turn and this what seems like a little cottage came into view.

 It is actually a Mausoleum for the family that created the gardens.

Many generations are buried there and the gates are only opened on the last Tuesday of every  month for people to visit the inside.

Of course from the outside it is hard to read the inscriptions on the tombstones ... but if you are nosy like me ... and you put the lens to your camera right up to the grill and take your shot ...

then you get some idea of what  the marble inside is like.

It was very peaceful and is called The Poem and the following sign tells you more about the family and the building.

We continued our tour of the gardens and it is a large area.

There are squirrels racing up the tress in front of you and even though it was busy it was a clam place to be.

There are Lily Patches and Rose gardens

This building is being renovated and once completed will be open to the public to go into the tower part and look down the expanse of lawn and water.

I walked to the arch way that you can see in the centre of the building and from that angle I took ...

... this picture.

It looks back up what is called the Canal and the rose garden is to my right.

But the beautiful Water Lilies in that canal are just gorgeous and I had to walk over and take this close up so that you too can see the beauty of this flower.

These flowers are much bigger than they look and there are lots of them in pale pink, white and this lovely deep pink in the photo.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Llandudno and Conway ...

Hi Everybody,

By the time you read this post about the last few trips that we made we will be back home safe and sound after a wonderful week in Wales.

It has been the best weather we could have wished for and both of us are suntanned.

This was taken on the Promenade at Llandudno and I couldn't resist stopping to see a little of the Punch and Judy show.







It is years since I saw one of these and the kids loved it, shouting and cheering at the antics of the puppets.

After a delicious ice cream we took a trip up the top of the Great Orme.

The view from there was wonderful ... though a little hazy in the heat.

We drove up and it is very steep but we stopped to take photos of the tram that trundles people up to the top many times  each day.  There is also a Cable Car that runs up to the top.

Looking down the mountain we could see this church in the distance and on the way back down we stopped to visit this really old cemetery.

Now I know Castles may not be your thing but we decided to visit Conway Castle while we where so close.

We both love to visit them ... and the museums that are there for the taking.

Why could I not have been this interested in History when I was at school ???

So this picture was taken as we stood near the harbour where it seemed a little cooler.

This is yet another of those Castles built hundreds of years ago.

But just behind us as we took this photo was the Smallest House in Great Britain.

It was built purely to fill the gap that was left after a row of terraced cottage had been built.

The house is so small that there is really only room for one....and a steep stair takes you to the tiniest bedroom you could imagine.

The last person to live in here was a 6'3" fisherman and how he did it I cannot begin to guess.

Everything is so compact and would need to have it's own space to just be able ...  to be there.

Once the house became empty it was decided to keep it and research was done to make sure that it was the smallest house.

It is now listed in the Guinness Book Of Records as such, and the terraced houses that were to the right have long since been demolished.

There are others still attached to the right but they are very much bigger and all of them overlook the water.

So the next post will conclude the holiday as we headed for home again.

Hugs xx

Caernarfon Castle ...

Hi Everybody,

Caernarfon Castle is another ancient one that was built by the English King Edward as part of the defenses along the coast of Wales.

It is quite a big castle and one of the things it is famous for is as the backdrop to the Investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales.

This is a title that is given to the eldest son of the reigning heir and the last one before Charles was his Uncle David.

He became King Edward  and of course he abdicated for Wallis Simpson ... and so we had King George instead.


The platform in the centre of the photo is Welsh Slate and is bigger than it looks and this is where the very grand ceremony was held by the Queen.

You can walk around the battlements and visit some of the museums that are inside the castle ... but I tell you those stone spiral staircases are so steep and narrow they play havoc with your knees.

We looked around the town and had some lunch in a quaint little Bistro ... but couldn't find a craft shop !

Then after an interesting day, that we crammed as full as we could,  we headed back to the cottage and prepared for another day.

As our holiday is now coming to an end I am adding in an extra post of the last few trips we have made ... and hopefully not bore you too much

Portmeirion ....

Hi Everybody,

Today for this trip we got up early and drove to visit Portmeirion.

This beautiful village  clings to the hillside and was the vision of one man in the 1920's.

Clough William-Ellis  wanted to bring some Italian architecture to the Welsh countryside and this was his dream.

It cascades down the hill side and has many parts to it with different themes ... each as beautiful as the other.

The village itself became very famous in the 1960's as it was used as the setting for the  fictional adventure series  "The Prisoner"  ... starring  Patrick McGoohan

It was a mysterious series and one that could never be worked out ... but it became one of those cult programmes  that attracts followers for many many years.

Clough William-Ellis  was the master of recycling long before  it ever became popular.

He  had bricks  and buildings ...  from other dis-used places ... that he bid for and then had brought to Portmeirion to be be re assembled.

Many of the houses are just facades with nothing behind ... just like film sets.

But there are apartments and a hotel   if you wanted to holiday there.

It was a wonderful day and if you ever get the chance to visit I promise you it is well worth it.

You may never get to find out what The Prisoner was about ... but the village is something not to miss.

On the way back we stopped off at several other places including a Black Rock where we drove the car directly onto the beach.

We had a lovely meal before returning to the cottage to watch yet another beautiful sunset over the Menai Straits

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Beaumaris Castle and ??? ...

Hi Everybody,

To continue our adventure around Wales I  have some more photos to share with you of some of the places that we have visited.

On our second day we  spent most of it on the pretty Island of Anglesey and one of the places we visited was Beaumaris Castle.

This castle is protected now but for many years it was allowed to simply stand.

 It is one of the many Castles built along the Welsh coastline by the English King Edward and is steeped in history.

I  like to take my time and read as I go along .... in fact I am like a talking brochure to Griff  as he films and I witter on about the places we are in.

We passed through a town that I dare you to try and pronounce ....

The local people call it LlanfairPG and that will do me as I can't get my tongue around it at all.

But here is the phonetic pronunciation of the long name .....

 .... and here is what it translates to.

Try it and see if you can say it .... Griff can,  but then he is Welsh through and through like a stick of rock.

Another fascinating place to visit was at the far end of Anglesey called South Stack.

There are thousands of breeding birds and the noise is so loud.

It was very busy and we walked down to the observatory where you can view the cliffs through telescopes.

They give you  a close up look of the different types of birds.

So after a busy day we head back to our cottage,  to sit on the patio  and sip a drink or two overlooking the Menai Straits and watch the sun go down.

More tomorrow ....

Hugs xx

Wonderful News ... Wonderful Wales...

Hi Everybody,

I am having a wonderful holiday in Wales and the weather has been so kind.

The sun has shone endlessly for us and we have taken advantage to the full.

The first thing I want to share with you is the fact that I have been accepted onto the  Spectrum Noir  Design Team and I am so excited about this.

The honor and the opportunities that have opened up are amazing ... and I cannot tell you how happy I am.

I have so many ideas that I would like to share with you and I hope you will join me on  yet another wonderful journey.

 In Wales we have been to visit some wonderful places and everyday we have visited somewhere different.

The first day we went to the Slate Museum and watched a slate cutting demonstration.

 The man was so quick and the end result was a neat little heart shape.

The quarry was in Llanberis and this beautiful lake is what remains of the old quarry.

It is very deep but there is now a Diving School that teaches this skill  in the depths of the cold clear waters.

It was so still and  peaceful and a very hot day.

We walked up the hill. towards the Quarry Hospital that was built to treat the injured workers.

This photo is of  one of the Operating Theaters and it looks so basic.

And yet the work and the dedication of the surgeons that saved the  hurt and injured men was to be commended.

Altogether a fascinating place and steeped in history.

We stopped at this charming little cottage called "The Ugly House"  

Nobody knows how long ago it was built or even who built it... but it is far from ugly ... and is in fact a delightful tea room. 

 The story is that it was erected at a time when all someone had to do was to have smoke coming from a self built chimney stack in a 24 hour period .

And then they could throw an axe in each of four direction and the area that it covered could then be claimed as their land.

Quaint story eh ??

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

White with a Red Splash ...

Hi Everybody,

This is another of my favorite dies from Spellbinders and this is the 5 x 7  Elegant Labels 4

It matches in very well with the smaller plain  Labels four and that is what the sentiment is stamped onto.

I have used a JustRite Stamp and you can mix and match the words to create your own sentiment with other stamps in the same script.

I have embossed one of the panels and the card is created as a Filigree Hinged Card   for a lovely lacy effect.

The ribbon has been wrapped around the top layers and it has a lovely metallic thread running through it.

 It is from  Reasonable Ribbons   and is  part of  the June selection  of their monthly ribbon club.

Very simple and yet very pretty lace card for any occasion.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Tone on Tone

Hi Everybody,

The beautiful Quatrefoil Pattern die is featured on this card ... have you got yours yet    ?? Click the link to buy it from Sunrise Crafts.

There are many many Spellbinders that I really love and this has to rank amongst my favorites and one I can use time and time again.

The card itself is nothing more than the A2 matting basics made into a Hinged Card

I have just  layered this with the  Quatrefoil Pattern in the same cream card.

A little tag has been added to the top with gold embossed sentiment and you won't get a much more simple card than  that for a card in a hurry.

The stain edged Organza bow  with the pearl centre is the finishing touch  ....

More tomorrow 

Hugs xx

Grand Labels ...

Hi Everybody,

Another pretty card featuring the Grand Labels.

I love the basic shape as it makes  the card  just a little different from the plain square.

I have hand cut the green layer and then another of the Labels to add a small border around the edge.

The beautiful Ornate Gate has been cut twice and used together as the lacy background for the centre panel.

The smaller of the Labels has been used again to layer up the centre piece of the card and all the layers are added with foam tape.

A beautiful mixture of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts  are along the side and they have been sparkled with Glamour Dust.

The silk edged Organza Ribbon is from my "Stash"

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Pink and Cream ...

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is in Pink and cream and the two colours work so well together.

The big satin bow is created from Ribbon in my "Stash" and made using the Bow Maker   that is available in My Shop

The small cream pearls used to adorn the edge of the card are from Want2crap

The base is created from the Grand Squares and the centre piece is Adorning Squares.

Just a very plain and simple card but so effective.  The sentiment has been heat embossed in silver and the tag added to the centre of the bow with the pearls to hold it in place.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx