Leather Workshop

 A few weeks back I went on a leather workshop for a morning with my mum. 

Each year she buys a course that we go on together. It's been a great thing to do and I have so many fun memories of doing different things over the years. This one was brilliant. 

It was a beginners one, just making a leather belt. 

This involved cutting the leather, skiving it, and stitching it together.

Funny as my old belt had broke just the week before - it must have known! But the lady taking the course repaired that one for me as well. 

I always love learning about different crafts, and having a bit of a go is a great way to learn. Many transferable skills from what I already do each day in the cutting and shaping of the leather. I was surprised I found the stitching so easy, I really enjoyed that part of it. 

I have a feeling it won't be the only bit of leather work I do, and a big part of me would love to take the children (and my wife) on a similar course to this one, I think they'd love it. 

Ever made much with leather?

Beehive inspection - first of the year

So we did our first inspection at the start of the month, on a nice warm Monday evening. 

 We filmed it, but I've only just got it edited and up on YouTube. It's more for our records and my memories, but some might like to watch it, 

Wooden Potting Tray - Metal bottom - for Soil Blocking

 I had a customer ask me about making a tray for their soil blocking. It's something I've always been interested in, basically making compost blocks that you grow your seedlings in instead of using pots. 

I knew it would encounter more moisture so I suggested adding a glavanisied steel bottom to it. I said I wouldn't leave the wet compost in there too long, but this should certainly help it see many years of use. 

I think the metal bottom also looks really smart and I love my customers potting shed - looks a great place to be. 

It might be something I offer off-the-shelf in the future, but currently I can make them to order and get the steel in for it. Find my currently range of trays here on my Etsy store or send me an email (in my contacts page) and I can create the tray that's right for you. 

First Hive Inspection Of The Year

With the sun shining we decided to get our suits on and inspect the hives. Always a little nervous after the winter as never sure how they've done. 

We were really pleased to see all three hives had survived the winter! And all three in good health.

I was a little worried as the one hive we had merged with another at the end of the summer (early autumn really) and I hadn't managed to get the second brood box off. But they had sorted themselves out. There was a tiny bit of mould in that hive on a few frames of honey, but only because some of the newspaper we had left between the two brood boxes remained and I think this stopped the airflow.

 It was great to see that my girls were just as enthusiastic as they were before, both keen to get into each hive and not showing any fear at all. 

I'm looking forward to a fun bee keeping season again this year!

Seeds in

I always feel behind in March, but stuff soon catches up.

 Got lots of Tomatoes in, the following varieties - 

Primabella

Milliefleur

True Black

Hungarian pink

Indigo rose

Cherokee Purple

Shimmer

Tiger Tom

Black Opal

Little Tanyana 

Plus a few other bits and pieces. Also have a cool hydrophonic growing thing in the kitchen which I'lll share with you all later (for growing salad and herbs). 

What tomatoes have you got growing this year?