Felt Exhibition in Llanlidloes this Easter
Quite chuffed to have sold a cashmere and merino antique scarf at the Feisty Felters exhibition in Llanlidloes this Easter.  I have been having fun with iPad overs too.  Now to make some welly boot liners for he who is important and has cold feet in this latest snow.  It was a beautiful journey over on Easter Saturday, luckily lots of sheep visible but the snow drifts in Radnorshire near Llanfiangel-Nant-Milan were awesome and scary for local farmers.

Made a few more cushions, lovely duck feather filling, a photograph of our gracious Oak Tree down in Long Meadow - adapted and screened onto some lovely shabby chic cotton and backed with Black Mountain (white) fleece.  In a way hope they don't sell - perfect for the holiday cottages!

Sorry about the lines around - I got my layers muddled in photoshop!

Primroses are here, Kinnersley on Sea!

Just so lovely when the one field near the cottages bursts into lemon gorgeousness all along the bottom of the hedgerow.  The cattle trample around here pretty well for most of the year but it is rested from November to ... the finer weather so these beauties have a chance to procreate undisturbed.  Of course if you were one of my foraging Twitter followers you'd be syruping or munching on them - but me - I just appreciate them just where they are with the birds in full chorus all around.

If you fancy following any of the foragers you can track them through the twitter feed of @GreatCottages.  Very exciting day first bumblebee on the hellebores - enjoying extended daylight hours, this was taken at 5.50pm

Now for the deck chairs, the winter has taken its toll with a slight infestation of woodworm so the idea of fresh canvas from Tinsmiths in Ledbury was a little premature, treatment, a severe talking to and a good coat of paint are all going to be necessary prior to the unveiling.  There is something so hopeful and promising about the notion of sitting with something sparkly (hawthorn fizz or nettle wine!) that appeals when the reality is still soggy and still soggier boots thanks to the snow!

Astrology
Nearly forgot - don't miss Countryfile on Sunday - all about dark sky status in the Beacons National Park - on our doorstep.  Our resident astrologer has suggested I get download "Starry Night", "Planetarium", "Google Night" on the IPAD so I can name the stars we see so clearly here.  Also a really great hint - a red torch - life is full of finding out about things you cannot live without isn't it?

Deckchair hunting near Brecon

Wonderful mossy velvetness near Sennybridge

Pen y Fan and Black Mountain Ranges March 2013

I set off on an ebay related adventure yesterday, picking up two deck chairs from the other side of Brecon passing this view of Pen Y Fan and the Black Mountains.  Such a beautiful journey with many statuesque trees on the way - bit obsessive about trees before they burst into leaf at present as a new range of cushions are being made for Apple Bough Cottage.

I called back via Brecon Craft Fayre - held in the Memorial Hall - met some lovely people including a great Chinese artist who is based in Abergavenny and someone who makes cute sheep footstools in gorgeous colours.  Then purchased some coasters with fabulous photographs from the top of the Black Mountains - now used on the breakfast table.  No need to put the snowy scenes out this morning as watching the lesser spotted woodpecker nibbling www.wigglywiggler.co.uk nuts we had a coating of snow on the parterre.

The yfenni (mustard seeds cheesy deliciousness) cheese I picked up in the Hay deli yesterday went down really well melted into mushrooms with sour dough bread and maple smoked welsh bacon and rosemary and pork sausages - both from the great Butcher in the Brecon market.  I don't get up there often but always pop in and order, cross over and have a freshly cooked (in front of me ) welsh cake and chai tea and then pick up my goodies.  Shopping this way is always a pleasure - lovely welsh humour and a feeling of belonging.

Yesterdays breakfast sausages and bacon were both rare breed Gloucestershire Old Spot from a terrific butcher in Ledbury - again I was passing.  It's the joy of the market towns, just 15 miles centred from Hereford and you have such choice and treasures.

I returned from Ledbury to find the most gorgeous bunch - nay bouquet of flowers from @greatbritish flowers, from Heather Gorringe to sample.  They were and are stunning and the sent is really gorgeous from the narcissi.  I split the bunch, half into the cottages and half into the dining room.  Four days later they are still going strong and the irises are now fully open and taking centre stage.

Luxury travel blog

It's been a good day to tweet!  Incensed that VISIT ENGLAND site doesn't even have Herefordshire listed on its page about rural counties, - we don't get much more rural, I defy anyone to ask for a non-sea related activity and me not be able to find somewhere close that they could do it! (follow GreatCottages if you want to see the related tweets, or maybe its Kinnersley Cottages!)

Anyway,  a significant number of folk are following us so I tweet to the said company and commented on their thoughts on luxury travel and luxury items in the bathrooms particularly.

"I've been thinking, luxury isn't just expensive toiletries, it can be pure handmade artisan products too - we don't do expensive packaging or makes that suggest your room rate has been hiked up to pay for Molton's of the world.

'Luxury can be simplicity - not quite our gypsy caravan experience during the minus10 nights but our biomass wood pellet boiler bubbling away warming the cosy cottage. It can be the farmer's wife popping you onto the family pony for a gentle trek around the farm, popping some deck chairs down into the bluebell wood and kitting you up with a flask to bird watch in complete, splendid isolation.  Just a thought. welcome to Herefordshire and the Welsh Marches, simplicity and cosiness done well!'

What do you think, would you prefer highly packaged "luxury" shampoos etc or locally well made items?  I guess this is my first online focus group - you can tell it is too cold to be gardening or taking photographs.  Archie has been tightly curled up for three hours - a new weather report angle  it is Archie 3 degrees - non exploring weather today!