Softpots

Here's a craft with a difference!

There is a lovely lady called Annie who has a craft/gardening business in York called Softpots.  I found her quite by accident late last year, one wintery evening, as we were walking through Stonegate.  Her business is in a tiny little alleyway, sandwiched between other shops, and here I discovered a miniature wonderland of plants, fairy lights and sculpture.  I was instantly hooked.

Doesn't this look so inviting?  I had to find out more!

At the end of this alley, Annie was busy potting up plants in her own unique way - you will have to look at her Website to find out exactly what she does, and how she pots up her plants, it's a secret method!

I was so intrigued, I bought a little booklet from her, explaining the process.

Fast forward a few months to last week and another trip to York.  I decided I really wanted to have a 30-minute training session, to learn more about creating Softpots, so while the rest of the family went to look at nearby York Minster, I had my training session, and made my own softpot under Annie's tuition.  Here is my finished work of art.

Doesn't it look pretty and unusual?  The colours come from sisal and gold threads and sequins - I love sequins!

I love this process, because I am not a gardener, although I do try, and so I have little rockeries in my front and back gardens, covered in blue slate, with lots of little pots of plants everywhere.  I really like the idea of introducing a few softpots into the garden, to give it a different dimension, a different medium.

Here is a little video, showing lots of the things you can make with softpots, I can't wait to make some more!

York again

Today we have driven to York and back home again, taking youngest son back to University.  The holiday seems to have sped by, as holidays often do.  

There was huge frustration when we arrived, as somehow the lock to our son's room seems to have broken, so we had to wait for a locksmith to come and fix it before we could unpack all his stuff.  But it finally got sorted, and we had a little wander around York.  We went to the minster, and just poked our heads in the door, as the entry cost is expensive, and we've been around it several times before, and then we found somewhere to eat.

Ahh, life will seem very quiet around the old homestead for a while.

A Childlike Christmas

I have been really enjoying the 'Childlike Christmas' posts at The Quiet Home and at Pom Pom's Ponderings so much that I have decided to join in the fun!  Here is another picture that we took on our recent visit to York.  Don't the lights look pretty?  In the background is the Teddy Bear Tea Rooms, and this road is Stonegate, one of the oldest streets in York.  The tea rooms are above a teddy bear shop, and here is their website.

Don't you just love teddy bears?

This little chap looks dressed ready for Christmas!

And this is Teddy Bear Christmas, a painting in oils by Janet Kruskamp, aren't they lovely!  Do go and visit the other blogs I have mentioned and join in the fun!

PS If I receive 5 comments, I just might treat you to a picture of yours truly with my beautiful baby granddaughter!

York

Here is some Christmassy eye-candy from the beautiful, historic city of York.  We went there two weeks ago to visit youngest son who is currently studying there.  He comes home this weekend, yippeeeee!!!

We pushed the boat out a little and had tea in Betty's tearooms.  You can just about see us below.  I am wearing a red coat, youngest son is wearing a stripy scarf, and eldest son is wearing a green coat.  We stood and waited outside Betty's for over an hour in the rain, along with all the tourists from all over the world.

It was well worth it though, the food was delicious, and we ate fat rascals, which Betty's are famous for.  But we only ate 2 of them between four of us, in case we turn into fat rascals ourselves!

It was a very long day, we spent over six hours on the train altogether, and didn't get home until after midnight, but it was absolutely wonderful.

I met a fascinating lady there called Annie Austen-Meek, who runs her own business called Softpots, which involves plants growing in old tights and stockings!  It sounds a bit funny but go here to see the amazing gardens she has created.  Below is a sample of the magic that Annie creates.  I was overawed by her creativity and originality.

All the plants here are growing in old tights, and even all the cobbles and statues are just tights filled with soil, moulded into shape and painted.  I'd love to try out this idea next spring in my garden. The whole effect looked really magical, right in the centre of York.