I won a prize!

Yes!! My halloween scene won a prize. Four are given and the overall winner gets to hold a silver cup for the year. I didn't win the cup but I don't mind that. I'm just delighted that I won anything.

It's been really cold here in Yorkshire this week and I took some photographs of the frost on my garden plants. The top one is a cabbage. Don't they all look beautiful? It was especially nice to be able to see the frost through the windows of my lovely warm house! 

It's turned much warmer today and the frost has melted into rain.
I've been making blinds for the manor house this week. I decided that the servants' quarters on the ground floor would have blinds rather than curtains, as will the second floor hallway. The other hallways have doors. This is how I did it.

I measured the width of the window, including the frame, and cut two pieces of fabric to that measurement. I made each blind a slightly different length to add interest. I added a nice curved shape to the bottom (no pattern, I just did it by eye). Then I ran a thin line of glue around each edge of the back of one piece and glued the two pieces of fabric together. Another thin line of glue along the bottom edge and stuck on some picot braid trim. Then I glued them to the window frame.  

I made some box pelmets out of balsa wood to exactly fit over the top of the window frame. They will be covered by fabric eventually so you won't see the edges of the wood.

Today I took a break (another) from the manor house. I was so determined to keep on with this project until it's finished but I keep getting these urges to make a start on something new. So anyhow, today I made a 1/12 scale table lamp. This will probably go into the retreat when it's built, but in the meantime I'll sit it in the flat above the tearooms for safe keeping.