Gardening and general clean up..

This weekend with much better weather proved to be a great excuse to do a spot of gardening. We have spent two days cutting back very overgrown and neglected shrubs and brambles that were pretending they were trees! It was incredible the hold they had over some of the trees, and very tricky to remove - Richard and I have the scratches and irritations to prove it!
What was amazing was the space that all this was hiding, now we have a much better idea of the size of the driveway entrance and we now have a lovely corner where we think we'll plant our first Maple Tree. We are looking at Acer Griseum (The Paper Bark Maple) which has gorgeous autumn colour and striking bark. There are a couple of pics at the end of this blog of the Maple and of the area cleared and view looking up the drive towards the house (well it'll be there eventually!!!!) note the bonfire - a very successful burn up today!
We are off to look at a house tomorrow built by SIPS ECO UK http://www.sipsecopanels.co.uk/
It won't be the kind of house we are building but it will be constructed the same, we are yet to appoint our chosen building company and we are still trying to sort out ground works.

In the meantime we went to Ikea last week to have our kitchen designed - it was stressful (for me only when I found the kitchen windows interfered with my run of units and yes I did have a stroppy moment and said "well you'll just have to move the window!") we struggled with their computer programme but once Matt the manager of kitchens at Ikea Wednesbury took over .. He was brill! We haven''t decided on an Ikea kitchen but we are really impressed with what they have to offer... The pics at the end of the blog are similar to the kind of kitchen look we are after..
Well I'll be back with more progress as soon as there is any!
Bye for now

Astounded! Thrilled! and Excited...

The above words can only begin to describe the last few months, to say we have been stressed would be an understatement! BUT we have finally completed and now own the plot of land in Pebworth
*#%¥$€*#% 
I am however astounded to have only found this out yesterday (Weds 3rd April) as our solicitor "forgot" to let us know last week that we had completed!! Therefore we spent the easter bank holiday worried and wondering.... I can only go on what people say but I never seem to hear anything positive at all about solicitors? Does anyone have a positive experience about conveyancing? And then they charge an astronomical amount of money in the process! Rant over...:-)

But we are thrilled that we can now finally put our plans into action, we are just about to appoint the building contractor and we have of course changed our minds many many times but we have finally decided to use the SIPS system and not timber frame
(if anyone is interested in what SIPS is here is a link http://www.claysllp.co.uk/ )
The first thing that will happen is of course the ground works, we are waiting to hear back from the planners for the go ahead!

So exciting times ahead - Something we are going to do (this weekend) is plant a Maple Tree. This in itself is exciting choosing the right variety and position - we finally have something tangible to play with!

We have had the privilege (for the second time) to house and dog sit for friends Ineke & John in Littleheath near Bromsgrove. It is an Eco house and has many of the benefits we intend to use in our build. It's a real treat to "try before you buy" and we have spent a week scribbling down even more ideas for our house! There is also a full on textile studio as part of the house so I have been utterly in my element! I have finished projects and started new ones, dyed, sewed and printed to my hearts content - exactly the kind of thing I needed before we commence our build...

So watch this space more closely now as I will indeed be blogging our progress regularly.. Here are a few interior inspirational photos to whet the appetites

Back soon....Wx

Happy New Year!

2013.. I write this blog with practically nothing to tell!

Richard and I have just spent Christmas with the flu! We've been properly poorly and still not fully recovered. Richard in fact has to go back to work tomorrow and feels he's achieved nothing whilst he's been off. The lack of energy is totally frustrating.

But we have to think positive and continue to plan ahead and that is still what we are up to - its very difficult to try and visualise kitchen units, worktops and bathroom fittings before we even have a shell but it turns out to be essential as once the house frame is up it will be a very fast process and I wont be able to hesitate for a moment!

I have been collecting images forever, scrap booking them but now I need to start selecting real contenders.. also we have to make some savings financially so I really have to find some bargains.. Suddenly as Christmas is over it all seems rather real. We are hoping mortgage stuff will be in place asap but think we'll have to wait until after February to start the ground works to avoid "Somme" conditions! We are going to try and stay at my parents for a while longer - my ideal would be to go from here to the studio and miss out the caravan bit all together... No idea why?!!!

Here are some more images (to whet my appetite as much as yours!) to be going along with and we remain hopeful that things will soon begin and Maple Barn can get under way...

Wxx

Long time no blog...

... Its been a while and its been eventful!

We finally completed on the sale of Grange Barn on December 5th and what a week it was building up to it. 
Our buyers had a last minute wobble and pulled out of their mortgage deal - this meant we had to wait for funds to clear as they borrowed from family, this pushed our completion date back from 30th November to 5th Dec. 
Richard wasn't able to have much time off work and so the bulk of the move was left to me (And my dad who worked like a Trojan!) 
We had so much stuff to get rid of that a charity came and collected furniture and we hired a skip!!! 

This is the Barn almost empty!

We had to relocate our Koi carp - (Richards fish babies :-/ )
this involved as many (large) receptacles we could lay our hands on, plastic dustbins,tesco boxes etc. We drained the pond to an acceptable "catching" level; this initially proved quite easy but then the fish were so big they were either wedged in diagonally or bent in half. We had to rethink and in the end took just a few at a time!

The Angel Koi in a plastic dustbin!

Dad & Richard preparing for the catch!

By the Wednesday lunchtime I was so exhausted that any emotion & feelings I might have had for grange barn had evaporated. We had also spent two nights in the caravan on the drive as our furniture was now in storage in 5 locations over 3 counties!!

Our moving card from Dinah & Richard

We couldn't move onto the plot as the mortgage still hadn't come through and by now it was -5 degrees and although we had the oil filled radiator which meant the caravan was toasty the thought of showering and pipes freezing .. need I say more?!!! So we put the van onto my parents drive! We have totalled 10 nights so far in freezing temperatures in the caravan & finally conceded to move in with my parents (a whole new blog on that story!!)
So in the meantime progress on the build............. None!
Well we do have chickens on the plot (our two remaining ones Camilla & Brown hen)

and a toilet...

Oh and a post box and sign as we have obviously had to re route our post - Maple Barn doesn't technically exist until the title deeds of the land are owned but we are so very hopeful that this will be sooner rather than later as the Mortgage situation has been a nightmare - The current climate means that lenders are quite risk averse and we have to provide actual costings for everything even as far as what flooring, what taps etc etc. Complete headache!

In the meantime we are keeping positive about it ALL! and continue to plan, Richard is aching to get going with the ground works but until the valuers and underwriters are satisfied we just have to wait..

.. in the meantime we have had some casualties of the cold, sadly 2 very large Koi have died (they had NOT been drinking carling black label - that is merely for scale with my size 5 boot!!!)

So thats about all I can summon the energy to write - with Christmas looming and the stresses of the build too I'm just about resisting the urge to run off to Mexico!!! 

See ya soon......x

A very short note...

.... things are hotting up! 

....well at least they were on the plot on Sunday when we finally burnt the enormous pile of weeds and branches etc and would you believe it a rabbit shot out of the fire after a good half an hours burning, poor thing must have been terrified! Thanks to our young helpers Hugo & Morgan!

Hugo!

At Grange Barn we are almost ready to go - most things are packed. Our storage at Long Marston is getting full! Richard and I are working at full throttle to get everything in the right place, furniture next but I do need something to sit on and sleep in for a few more days....









A few more pics of the timber frame and interiors. We are meeting with Potton on Wednesday....

and finally - The caravan is set up and ready! Its been deep cleaned and had all its maintenance checks! We are going to spend a couple of days on my parents driveway just to check its all working and to ease me in gently... So thats it, a very short update but I assure you all I will be here blogging regularly in the next few months!

Wendi x

Latest News...

Its amazing how time flies and although I intended to blog each week Ive missed my deadline Again!! (I hope thats not an indication of the way things are going to be??!!)

Well this weeks news is...Its arrived - yes our new 'Des Res' - Le caravan: here she is on the left in all her splendour (I can't wait to attack with bleach and other named cleaning products!!)
My brother's partner Treya sent me the image above of Wendy - Bob The Builders mate and her caravan - note the solar panels LOL!!!

So things are progressing well, our buyers surveyor came today so we now need to cross everything and hope that our house isn't riddled with wood worm or any other major illness that may jeopardise our venture - I really feel as though I'm holding my breath at the moment and will be hugely relieved once we finally get a date for moving...

photo 3: This is the position on site where the Studio will be built - the back of the stable in the paddock behind is just visible and we will back on to it  ..The next step is getting the Studio built - here are a couple of images again illustrating the way it will look - I am actually looking forward to living in this bijou dwelling! 

We've been over to the plot two or three times just clearing the very back of the garden - rotten branches , brambles & general debris and have amassed a great bonfire! We also dug a "nursery" bed for some of my potted plants - I have been dividing the perennials as there isn't much growing in the garden - I always seem to garden from scratch, spend a fortune and leave it 5 or 6 years later! there are some nice trees and we intend to plant lot of varieties of Maple as its called "Maple Barn"

Here are some drawings (below) sent to us by Oakwright - they have quoted for the timber frame but enclosed these lovely drawing which I wanted to share ...

 

And finally .....!! 

It was my birthday last week - I had a wonderful weekend and some lovely gifts but i have  to show you all one of my favourites!! Milo sent it from Germany - A Solar Powered Queen for the caravan!! Hilarious!!!

...it did make me laugh.

...finally finally - I haven't been at my sewing machine in a while and therefore have little to show on the textile front - I am still attending Edwina's Tuesday group (its my day for calm and recharging!)we are working in black and white and learning flour resist - I will photograph the results and post here soon

So bye for now - keep looking at our progress 

x

The Plot

I thought I would share some photos of the actual plot in Pebworth - Its hard to think of the  perspective and imagine the house even being there!! Its a lovely village location and very quiet!

Plot left

Plot Right 

The View

Looking down from Plot Left

Looking up the driveway towards the house

Where it is!



More soon.......Wendi x