Happy Birthday Ben!

Ben aged 10 weeks

Ben aged (not quite) two years

Today, as well as St George's Day, a certain young newfie has reached his second birthday! He has been advised that his puppyhood is now officially behind him and he must now behave like a mature and sensible dog. I realised he hadn't been listening when I found myself chasing my slipper (firmly grasped in his slobbery jaws) round and round the garden this morning.

The primrose is the county flower for Devon - there are loads this year!

Whilst running around the garden in pursuit of my slipper I noticed several things. Firstly, that my exposed right sock was becoming increasingly soggy. Secondly, how beautiful the garden is looking at present (weeds and all!) and thirdly, what a wonderful den Ben has made for himself next to the compost bins!

We chased past the old bird bath (three times!)

At the top of the garden by the overgrown fig tree where we sling the hammock in the summer, the hedges are very wide, probably approaching eight foot - and very dense. I noticed a tunnel had appeared at the base and peering inside realised that a beautiful snug hollow had been carefully created by the pressure of a newfie body pressing against the tangle of branches. I realised that it was the handiwork of one particular newfie as there were tufts of black fur on a couple of the twigs and a rather neglected looking stuffed bear with only one eye was lying on the floor. Also, Ben is rather inquisitive and so had carefully crafted a window in one side of the den to enable observation of Nick and Julie's activities in their vegetable garden next door!

Ben's Den

He is also very creative in teasing Amy - a favourite trick being to delay eating a treat until she's consumed her own, then chewing it very slowly in front of her. This is occasionally varied by leaving the delicious item just out of her reach, then pouncing and snatching it away when she makes a move towards it. But she loves him just the same!!

Happy Birthday Ben!

Spring has sprung!

Spring has sprung and the fishermen are on the beaches! Now I've nothing against fisherfolk as people, but they do have one or two very antisocial habits - the worst of which is leaving discarded hooks, bits of line and holey nets behind them when they go home. Not only is this bad for the wildlife, but it's horrible for dogs too - a friend's dog died when a discarded fish hook became lodged in her throat, and I always worry when we're on the Start Bay beaches as this is where the fishermen tend to congregate.

But .... Ben took revenge last week - he ambled up to one unlucky fisherman and casually cocked his leg - and a fishing rod on a tripod was liberally sprinkled! Well, how is an innocent young Newfie supposed to know the difference between tripod and rock/tree/other suitable area to cock his leg?

I've been working really hard on new designs for the summer season and the fish above are destined to appear on vintage linen/ticking totes - I think they'll look great. I'm booked to do craft shows at various locations through the summer months and so I need lots of stock. My shelves are always full at this time of year, but hopefully by the last show in October I'll be panicking because I've run out of stock!!

Bad Black Newfie!

Now, I'm sure you will agree, Ben is a very handsome young newfie. And two of the certainties in his life are .... he is NOT allowed in the workroom and ....

.... he loves his stuffies to pieces. (Literally!) This is a major reason why he is not allowed in the workroom of course. But yesterday he mounted a raid...

"Haha! Mum has some new Welsh blanket pieces. I wonder where they came from? They smell good. Perhaps she'll make something for me? My stuffies don't seem to last very long and Mum makes good ones."

"Oh no!" (guilty expression) She's seen me. (acts innocent) I just thought I heard a noise Mum, honestly, just making sure everything's alright. OK OK I'm going now."

"Is this far enough outside? Look my paws are behind the threshold." At which point he was summarily dispatched downstairs where Amy was waiting to hear the results of his daring expedition.

So then I closed the door, picked up my knitting and took myself off for tea and an old movie at Elona's house. She loves the old musicals, never having seen them before (the Sound of Music didn't make it to Azerbaijan) so last night it was "The King and I" Lovely.

I took my knitting - I've found a great vintage pattern for Alexander - his first hoodie!! And the patches read "Elephant" both in English and Russian - Elona wants to applique them onto a toy elephant she's making for Alexander.

Hard luck Ben - no handsewn stuffies for you today!

At last the Newfies can stand proud!

Because they've seen snow!! At last they're in touch with their Canadian heritage!! Ben has certainly never seen the white stuff in his life and as a Devon born and bred girl I don't think Amy had up until now either. Last night was cold, clear and crisp. Their outdoor water bowl was frozen over and their breath emerged in clouds of vapour when I took them for their evening walk. But it was clear and still - the stars were bright and there was no wind at all, so we thought that the snow had passed us by ... until we woke this morning to a white white world.

Amy, wild snow-newf of Chillington!

This fluffy stuff wasn't here last night!

Ben makes sure passers-by are OK!

Of course, this is the South Hams and in reality there wasn't much more than a sprinkling of snow. By the time Ben and I set off on our morning walk it was already beginning to disappear.

Inside all is much more springlike with indoor bulbs and haberdashery in beautiful spring pastels. Outside there are masses of snowdrops ....

.. I love the way they appear in the same places each year. I've never been lucky with snowdrops though, they just won't stay in my garden. Primroses - masses; daffodils - overrun; hellebores - too many to count! But snowdrops - I just can't grow them! Here's a simple verse by Mary Vivian that I loved as a child:

I like to think

That, long ago,

There fell to earth

Some flakes of snow

Which loved this cold,

Grey world of ours

So much, they stayed

As snowdrop flowers.

And it will soon be Valentine's Day. Over on my other blog "Bustle & Sew" you can find the tutorial I promised for making heart-shaped brooches from fabric scraps - perfect cost-conscious chic for loved ones this year (having just had an oil delivery I'm currently extremely cost-conscious!).

Bustle & Sew, my new blog

I've decided to start a new blog in addition to this one ... and I'm calling it "Bustle & Sew" (more about that below!)

I've found that things are becoming very muddled - I want to blog about all my new ideas and products, but also about the life I enjoy here in Devon with my two naughty newfies, Amy and Ben. So Bustle & Sew will be more of a "how to" blog incorporating some tutorials and giveaways from my business, DevonBear Designs and lots of crafty photos and links, while stories of our day-to-day life will remain here. Hopefully this makes sense and if anyone decides to visit Bustle & Sew you'll enjoy some of the pictures and tutorials I'm going to put together over the coming weeks and months.

The name ... well ... I wanted to keep it separate from DevonBear Designs and was stuck for ideas until I remembered my names for the two newfies .... Amy bustles around looking very important and girly while Ben slinks through even the smallest space (not bad for 11 stone of dog!) with his young, flexible body. Clearly Bustle and Slink wasn't really going to be suitable, but what about "Bustle & Sew"? I thought. Especially as Amy likes to sit with me while I stitch. So a new blog is born.

Next week I'll be posting a tutorial for my handmade heart brooches (shown at the top of this entry on my new blog) - just in time for Valentine's Day. If you don't have time to make them yourself, then they are available for purchase on my website. I've crafted them from vintage Welsh blanket scraps, but felt would be just as good.

Back on the beach!

The weather here in Devon has been cold and gloomy with icy winds for most of the holidays, so we haven't been to the beach very much lately. Of course the newfies adore this weather, and often beg to be allowed outside to bask on the cold cold slates and turn their muzzles to the icy blast! But today dawned bright and sunny, the tide was right so ... the beach it was! All is revealed in our video below...

Weather ... I love this poem!

January brings the snow

Makes your feet and fingers glow

February's ice and sleet

Freeze the toes right off your feet

Welcome March with wintry wind

Would thou wer't not so unkind

April brings the sweet spring showers

On and on for hours and hours

Farmers fear unkindly May

Frost by night and hail by day

June just rains and never stops

Thirty days and spoils the crops

In July the sun is hot

Is it shining? No it's not

August cold, and dank, and wet

Brings more rain than any yet

Bleak September's mist and mud

Is enough to chill the blood

Then October adds a gale

Wind and slush and rain and hail

Dark November brings the fog

Should not do it to a dog

Freezing wet December then:

Bloody January again!

Michael Flanders