Fireside paraphernalia

When I moved to the sticks a little over a year ago one of the things I loved about the house was the fire in the living room. This beauty not only heats all the water and runs the central heating, it also does a good line in atmospheric and romantic light of an evening.

Anyway I'm ashamed to say that for all this time I've continued to use the ratty old gardening glove the previous owners left behind to open the doors when they heat up. You'll see from the picture below that this was not an item befitting a crafty bissum's home.

I decided it was about high time that I replaced the ratty glove with something a little sweeter. I hope you agree that the owl inspired crochet/applique creation is much more appropriate.

Crafty birds

Marion has recently discovered the wonders of needle felting and decided one sunny weekend to try her hand at making some little feathered friends (minus the feathers).

Each bird took around an hour to make but has provided an awful lot of joy already. Each one has a different style and wouldn't look out of place perched artfully around any discerning crafters abode.
I think it's just about time I got on board the felting train!