Stylish DIY memo board

I saw this idea on Pinterest (which I'm finding a hugely inspiring source of ideas for crafts) and thought I'd try it myself.

All I've done is put a pretty piece of pale fabric (from my stash of fabric samples that I found abandoned!) with a textured pattern inside a frame then put a pen holder on the frame. All you need now is a dry wipe marker pen and a piece of cloth to wipe it clean and you have a handy write on / write off memo board for menus or to-do lists! An easy and inexpensive crafty idea that makes a lovely gift! You could use pale patterned paper instead of fabric.

Greening for Health

I was lucky enough to attend an excellent conference today (and I mean lucky enough, when I had first made enquiries there weren't any places left, but someone dropped out so I got a place!). Organised by Greenspace Scotland it was about Greenspaces and health in Edinburgh and held at Slateford Green Community Centre which is based in an environmentally friendly, car-free housing development in Edinburgh. There were presentations from people and organisations involved in community growing projects across the city. We also had plenty of opportunities to discuss our thoughts about how access to greenspace can improve people's health and well-being and how to ensure that more people can access the many opportunities on offer.

All the information from the event is going to be collated into a report, but hopefully the contacts that we made will lead to real collaboration between projects.

Edinburgh is a city that has a lot of lovely green areas for walking in and enjoying. 

Cross posted to my website.

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more. 

Fair Trade Fortnight

It’s Fair Trade Fortnight in the UK!

Fair Trade means a fair price for products that we buy from developing countries. When we drink Fair Trade tea or coffee, eat Fair Trade chocolates or bananas we know that the people who did all the hard work producing those items are getting a fair wage. The Fair Trade premium attached to such produce is invested into the local community, often in environmental projects, underlining the links between social justice and the environment in sustainability.

The theme for Fair Trade Fortnight this year is Go Further for Fairtrade. 

There are lots of Fair Trade products available in supermarkets, delicatessens and independent grocers. The range seems to be increasing all the time, so this fortnight is an ideal opportunity to try a new Fair trade product that you've never tried before. A lot of shops are offering special deals on Fair Trade products this fortnight to make it even easier to find something new and fairly traded to enjoy.

Lots of events are happening across the UK this fortnight to celebrate and promote Fair Trade - find out what's happening near you!

I try to buy products that are made or grown locally as much as possible - for example I buy jam made in an organic farm just outside Edinburgh, I try to buy Scottish vegetables. I prefer organic to non-organic, but will often go for local and non-organic rather than buying organic products that need to be transported a long way. If I'm buying something that cannot be produced in the UK or that includes ingredients that can't grow in the UK, I always buy Fair Trade. So for example my chocolate, tea and coffee are always fair trade.

If you're interested in taking Fair Trade Fortnight into your place of work, I've shared a few ideas on my other blog here. (And for the few of you who ever read that blog, you'll notice that the address has changed to http://julietwilson.wordpress.com).

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

A Portrait of the Poet with a Rabbit

I recently had a poem accepted by Leaf Press. They asked for a 'quirky' photo of me to accompany my poem and biography on their website so I sent them this one of me reading to Anya, our old rabbit who passed over the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago now. She alternated between being very affectionate and quite aloof so we didn't spend all our time together like this!

You can read my poem 'Return' on the Leaf Press website.

A few oddments about birdwatching

On Monday, I started leading another short series of birdwatching walks. The class this time is a mix of people who are total beginners (who recognise pigeons, mallards and robins and that's all) and people who've been along to the class several times and know their birds pretty well. After the introduction at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre we had a wander along the river and saw several birds, including a number of robins, who were singing in full voice.

Yesterday, as I blogged here, I had some wonderful birdwatching in and around Musselburgh. 

To tie in with the theme here's a short birdwatching related extract from my novel in progress, it's also part of the short story that features Humphrey, the rabbit who used to live at Cottontails Baby. (Humphrey won the competition to star in this story, sadly he has now passed over the Rainbow Bridge. Cottontails Baby recently got a new rabbit Rudolph.). The novel is set in a future, independent and much flooded Scotland.

*

"So you definitely want to go back to your island?" asked Jake.

"Part of me never wanted to leave and I'm always intending to be going back." Sheena stopped to point across the water. "Are you seeing the kingfisher there on that branch, just above the water. Surprisingly well camouflaged!"

Jake focussed his binoculars on the branch, but the kingfisher flew, a flash of turquoise across the water. 

"Such a lovely bird!" Sheena sighed. "None on an t'Eilean Fada or in New Edinburgh. Very few anywhere in Scotland now, so it's good seeing them."

"Such a colourful bird is good for a beginner like me!" said Jake. "Thank you for teaching me about birds! But I think most of them are more difficult than kingfishers!"

"The wee birds in the trees are confusing for a beginner" Sheena said *though how much more difficult it must have been in the Age of Technology when so many more species were flying around!"

"But I interrupted you" said Jake, after they had walked on for a few minutes, watching the birds. "You were saying you never wanted to leave your island."

*

and continuing the theme, the latest poem on Bolts of Silk is Birdwatchers by Chris Crittenden.

*

If anyone is in Edinburgh, this Spring, I'm teaching a new, evening birdwatching class as part of Edinburgh Council's community learning service. This will start 7.30pm 23 April at Broughton High School.  The idea will be to concentrate on birdsong. The first class will take place entirely at the school, then the next four classes will be walks round local areas rich in birdsong. You can book a place here.


as ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to webpages where you can find out more. 

Jackdaws

I was watching a couple of jackdaws today. They were both collecting feathers for their nest. One of them was rushing around at top speed filling its beak with as many feathers as it could fit in there and if one dropped out the bird would pick it up again. The other bird in contrast, wandered slowly around, picked up the occasional feather and then let it go again immediately. They both flew off at the same time, the first bird had at least six feathers in its beak, the second had none!

One of the things I live about birdwatching is noticing this type of interesting behaviour in any species of bird. No species is too common to take notice of, and, these days, who knows how long any species will remain common anyway?

The other thing I love about birdwatching is seeing unusual species. Today I walked from the mouth of the River Esk to Musselburgh lagoons. Over the sea wall I was delighted to see 14 velvet scoters - the makes have such weird faces! Near to the scoters were two shags, beautiful green birds related to cormorants with sweet tufts on the top of their heads! Then at the Musselburgh Lagoons I was very excited to see a snipe - a bird that has been reported from this area a few times recently but this was my first sighting of it here (in fact only my second ever sighting) and then a pair of grey partridges! I can't remember when I last saw grey partridges, they used to be common farmland birds but their populations have decreased dramatically and now they're pretty rare. They hid in the long grass and at first all I could see were their beautiful brick red faces but then for some reason they broke cover and chased each other across the short grass, such lovely markings they have, very handsome birds.

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more

Latest Recycled Craft Project

I worked on this little mat over several weeks. All the fabrics are quite thick and it felt like quite hard work. I think it turned out quite nicely, though it is far from perfect. I made it from two fabric samples from a book of samples I picked up from where they'd been dumped a couple of years ago now. The lovely red velvet that I've used to edge the mat came from a friend who recently gave me a whole load of crafting supplies.

It's not quite the right shape to be a table mat so I've put it on a side table where I think it looks quite nice.

I've got more of these fabric samples and will make at least another one of this style of  mat. I'll do before and after photos of that one! I keep intending to make a small tote bag with some of the fabric, but I'm not sure I'll ever get round to that.