Gallery
Orkney Islands
Our First Springtime in Orkney
We are having a wonderful first springtime in Orkney, despite being in the middle of the covid-19 lockdown. I am so grateful to be here, I really can't think of a nicer place to find ourselves in isolation. We have never seen Orkney in the spring or summer, having...
Our New Life in Orkney – An Awfully big Adventure
I didn't have access to a computer when we first moved to Orkney. We had put a van-full of our belongings into storage and were living out of suitcases. I did however take a lot of photos and it doesn't seem right to start a blog about our life here, without sharing...
Self-Sufficiency
Dandelion Jelly
We love foraging and back in Cornwall we knew all of the best places to go for blackberries, hawthorn, sloes, wild apples, pears and wild garlic. Now that we're living in Orkney, we're having to start over, because we don't really know what is available or where to...
Growing Our Own Food – Making a Start
Part of our plan for our new life in Orkney, is to gradually become as self-sufficient as we can. This year we were supposed to be building our own polytunnel, so that we could could begin to grow our own fruits and vegetables. It would have to be strong enough to...
Finding Joy in Everyday Tasks
Since moving to Orkney, I have been making a conscious effort to find joy in everyday tasks. In fact much of our reason for relocating, was to find a simpler lifestyle that gave us the opportunity to take a breath and appreciate the little things. It's so easy to rush...
Craft for Kids
Orkney Caterpillars – Friend or Foe?
May has marked the arrival of butterflies and caterpillars in Rousay, something that we were very excited about. We have raised Painted Lady caterpillars in the past and all of my children thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow and make their big change into a...
Free Kids Crafts – Making Things with Found Treasures
I am always looking for free or at least, very inexpensive crafts, for my kids. We spend a lot of time making things, in fact most of our afternoons are spent doing creative projects. They learn so much from making things. I also think that they gain so much...
A Magical Fairy Wand That’s Easy to Make
Wren is suddenly full of ideas for imaginary play. I decided that it was time to make her a fairy wand, as being a fairy is one of her favourite games at the moment and she has just been using mossy twigs and long grasses. Both of these make great wands, but they...
Basketry & Natural Crafts
Making Baskets With Grass
A couple of weeks ago I was gathering some common rush in our garden, when I noticed some grass that was really fine and yet very tough. I had a feeling that it would make some great coil baskets, so I collected a small amount to try it out and left it to dry. I have...
Trying Out a Sea Urchin Basket
Up until now, I have been making baskets purely by trial and error. I think that is a great way to get started - you start to build a connection with what you're doing and also learn the questions that you need to ask. I also have to consider that we have very little...
Harvest Crafts – Wheat Weaving and Corn Husk Dolls
I decided over the weekend that I would try out some traditional harvest crafts this week. I remember seeing a display of traditional corn dollies when I was little, at a country fair in Buckinghamshire. I found it fascinating then. The designs are so delicate and...