Fed up with AI & big tech companies, I'm doing a social media declutter & this account is about to hibernate. For Simple Living/Cottage Life, go to @ scarecrowcottagewales on Instagram & for textile art/doll-making my website is www.marialalic.cymru . So long and thanks for all the fish.

Doing the prep work for a doll based on the Welsh princess Hafren which will be part of an exhibition in The Workers Gallery this autumn. @workersgallery.bsky.social #TextileArt #DollMaking #ArtInWales

Robbie the rescued teddy bear & I are doing the 12 mile,1200' ascent Walk the Wye Challenge for Breast Cancer Research.Obviously we're less likely to chicken out if people sponsor us. Will you give us £1 to make sure we do it please? This is our Go Fund Me page. Many thanks. gofund.me/593e86e8d

Part of today's training for the Walk the Wye Challenge along the fab new Tywi Valley path. I've actually walked 28km today so passed my target. Best of all, saw the Cross of Elmat in Llanarthne & after 6 years of waiting, finally met the original Vorteporix Stone in Carmarthenshire Museum.

Very decent of the Romans to build a road leading from the garage where my car gets serviced to within a few hundred yards of my house. #historyonyourdoorstep #WelshHistory #LoveWhereYouLive

I have just lime plastered the attic walls and ceiling of Dunvegan House ready for the bathroom floor to be tiled and a stud wall erected. Nan Shepherd would be very satisfied with the results I'm sure. #smallhouses #thelivingmountain

Preparation for May's Wye Valley Walk for Velindre Hospital is going according to plan. Got the train from Tondu to Port Talbot and walked back. Didn't get a photo but today's excitement was that there were lots of Brimstone butterflies in the woodlands at Parc Slip. #WalkingInWales #Wales

The Hot Cross Buns have been made so Pasg Hapus Bawb/Happy Easter Everyone! #Baking #Easter #Wales

This is brilliant! I have had the privilege of visiting Chris's workshop and seeing the cross go from the early stages to the end result. Chris documents the process here: youtube.com/@masterwoodc... . Make yourself a cup of tea and watch skill and talent come together. #art #sculpture #heritage

Some fool has entered the Walk the Wye Valley Challenge event to raise money for Breast Cancer charity. And they chose to do the 16 mile, 2700' option that starts with a 365 step staircase to a place called The Eagle's Nest. Then it gets challenging apparently. Robbie & I have been training. #wales

One of my favourite International Women's Day Dolls - part of a Welsh Regional Group Heritage Crafts exhibition at The Turner House in Penarth in 2022 and The Protest Dolls exhibition at The Workers Gallery, Ynyshir later. @workersgallery.bsky.social #IWD2026 #InternationalWomensDay #Dollmaking

They're all finished and ready to go back to their owner! Yippee! #dollrepairs #scarecrowcottagehospital #vintagetoys

@marilynl.bsky.social ... You know what's going to happen next, don't you?

I'm back! And at the moment busy restoring 10 vintage peg dolls for a customer. The first 6 were straight forward new costumes, the next 3 needed new clothes, re-stringing & face painting too. The last one is almost irreparable. Almost. @sallyrose.bsky.social #dollshospital #vintage

Well, it's been an adventure -filled few weeks but in amongst it all, I have finished this year's collection of "Fat Fairies - for the more MATURE Christmas tree" in time to be part of Joanna & Friends exhibition at Aberglasney Gardens in a couple of weeks. @helyg.bsky.social #handmadeinWales

I have started planning winter at Scarecrow Cottage. For the 3rd year it's the Log Burner Experience when a select group relax in front of our lit log burners & are waited on hand, foot & finger with tea, coffee & as much cake as they can eat, Christmas wreath making, Annie's Emporium & the annual

For those of you with not much to do this weekend, here's my latest blog: marialalic.cymru/paul/. @helyg.bsky.social @sallyrose.bsky.social @crikeys.bsky.social @workersgallery.bsky.social @masterwoodchip.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social #writing #blog #teddybearhospital

Paul is about to be discharged from Scarecrow Cottage Hospital with advice to avoid face chewing dogs in future. @helyg.bsky.social - you won't believe what's next on my waiting list. Clue: put vintage wooden dolls & dismemberment in the same sentence. #tedfybearhospital #scarecrowcottagehospital

It's 3 weeks since Paul was admitted to Scarecrow Cottage Hospital with multiple injuries. Some treatment was simple, some - like his facial reconstruction - has been more complex. If it's successful, no-one will be more amazed than me. @helyg.bsky.social @sallyrose.bsky.social #teddybearhospital

Harvest progressing nicely. The shelf is filling with bottled tomatoes & blackberry cordial. Today I am blanching & freezing rhubarb, sweetcorn & peas then pickling beetroot. Tomorrow is Bean Day, Saturday is Start Giving Away Apples Day. @robbiehg.bsky.social @suecowley.bsky.social #CottageGarden

After volunteer training in Cardigan Sunday & a lovely time with @marilynl.bsky.social bothering burial chambers & eating too much ice cream yesterday, today I'm heading home via an exhibition meeting in Llandeilo & a stop off in Brecon. I make that in or through 9 Welsh counties in 3 days. #Wales

Been waiting for delivery of prosthetics for Paul's continued treatment. There was a knock at the door & this was waiting outside. Apparently he's heard it's only 3 months till this year's Scarecrow Cottage Hospital Adoption Auction & wants to be included. @helyg.bsky.social @sallyrose.bsky.social

Just admitted Paul for elective rhinoplasty & hand surgery. Paul is 61 yrs old with multiple co-morbidities complicated by previous botched surgical treatment & what looks like a bullet wound in his right leg. @sallyrose.bsky.social @helyg.bsky.social #ScarecrowCottageHospital #TeddyBearHospital

@welshbigguy.bsky.social or @sonsiethescottie.bsky.social - do you want some figs? Today, tomorrow or early next week? Reply if possible. No DMs sorry cos I'm not giving age verification data.

Apple maths: if 1 bowl of Bramley apples makes dessert for tea, 4 cartons of stewed apples for the freezer & 2 bottles of apple juice (1 for freezer & 1 for fridge)but today's pick hasn't made a dent in the available fruit from this & 4 other laden trees, how many cups of tea do I need to stay calm?

We had a great day at our Open Garden on Sunday. Big thanks to Chris & Gayle of @workersgallery.bsky.social for the Art in a Box 'Outsiders' exhibition; Ruth, Annie & Angela managed Rock Bottom Tearooms & everyone enjoyed not just the cakes but the 1940s vibe. 70 visitors, £521 raised for charity.

Great news! The signs for the pop up tea room have arrived! And from an independent, local small business too! (Sweet& Nostalgic) @sallyrose.bsky.social @helyg.bsky.social @workersgallery.bsky.social #NationalGardenScheme #GardensOpenForCharity #PopUpTeaRoom

We have swapped our spare/surplus wheelbarrow wheel for an ongoing supply of 10 year old horse manure. Just collected the 1st consignment so the roses are in for a treat today! Radical economics in action (which is probably where the world is heading). @robbiehg.bsky.social @sallyrose.bsky.social

That's 4 hours of my life I'll never get back but on the plus side, there's now 20m of bunting made from donated, recycled fabric up in the conservatory. A couple of your FQs up there @helyg.bsky.social ! All adds to the 1940s look we are making for our NGS Open Garden on 27th July.

Lots to do before we open the garden for the NGS on the 27th July & you might ask is this a good time to start knitting cakes?Well, it is if you've got 15 patients from Scarecrow Cottage Hospital who will be having a picnic in the garden on the same day. @sallyrose.bsky.social @marilynl.bsky.social

Molly would like to offer a more nuanced description of the current temperature near Crickhowell. There's hot and there's falling down and having no shame under the table hot. @sallyrose.bsky.social

I am delighted to say Maisie and Ptolemy Corncockle, the scarecrows who live at the bottom of the garden, have both had a makeover & are looking quite smart. I have altered their seating angle so they are now waving at passengers on the bus that goes up the road instead of car commuters going down.

I ran out out characters to tag local/potentially interested people in my post. No offence meant. @amandahoperogers.bsky.social @huwirrancadaviesms.bsky.social @stubo37.bsky.social @llangattockvillage.bsky.social@mythwelsh.bsky.social @robbiehg.bsky.social

Here we go again! If you're in the area & have £4 to spare for NGS Gardens Open For Charity we'll let you through the garden gate on the 27th July. For another £4 we'll give you tea & cake. More info on us here: ngs.org.uk/gardens/rose... . @workersgallery.bsky.social @sonsiethescottie.bsky.social @

For @welshbigguy.bsky.social , @sonsiethescottie.bsky.social & anyone else who is invested in the scarecrows who live at the bottom of my garden, Maisie has had a makeover and Ptolemy has ptotally collapsed. Scarecrow surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. #Scarecrows #MakePeopleSmile #A4061

My new (used) book has arrived in the post in the same week as I've been booked to do a 2 week exhibition in the autumn on condition I take THE dolls. Some people know the ones I mean. Time to source sequins & feather boas. @helyg.bsky.social @serendipitysilver.bsky.social #IfYouKnowYouKnow

Big thanks to Chris @masterwoodchip.bsky.social for his donation of oak sawdust for the garden paths. Love a bit of recycling, love the fact that slugs don't want to cross it. #wastenotwantnot #ngsgardensopenforcharity #cottagegarden

This time last year I didn't even know what a data logger was. #ForeverFriends #BlueskyMuseums

Had a go at steam bending in the woods using a fire pit. Happy with the results. youtube.com/watch?v=8zdi...

4 weeks till we open the garden at Scarecrow Cottage for charity (it will cost you £4 to the NGS to get in). Today I have been colouring in the mother of hand drawn garden maps AND doing some early baking auditions for the pop up tea room. The vegan shortbread has passed quality control.

Shearing over for another year. Before and after pics of Leroy Brown and Prince Arthur. Welsh Units. @sallyrose.bsky.social @helyg.bsky.social @olgapecorelle.bsky.social @welshbigguy.bsky.social @sonsiethescottie.bsky.social @themerl.bsky.social #DaftSheep #ReadyForHeatwave

Anyone on here live in #Somerset near #BishopsLydeard?

I saw this in a garden in Cefn Cribwr yesterday and now I want one going around my vegetable patch. Would it deter the pesky squirrels? @sallyrose.bsky.social @helyg.bsky.social @masterwoodchip.bsky.social @welshbigguy.bsky.social @lifeisamazing.bsky.social @romanpalace.bsky.social

Visited some gorgeous local NGS Open Gardens (Llangeinor & Cefn Cribwr) over the weekend: beautiful gardens, lovely people, amazing cakes. @sallyrose.bsky.social @helyg.bsky.social @welshbigguy.bsky.social @sonsiethescottie.bsky.social @huwirrancadaviesms.bsky.social #NGS #GardensOpenForCharity

This what happens when the local nursery (that offers work opportunities to adults with ALN) decides to do buy one, get one free on bedding plants and you pop in for a single tray of marigolds. #BLeaf #BryngarwCountryPark #ShopLocal

Just went to put bread in the freezer and realised that Jimmy has been in the Decontamination Unit since his rescue from Treorchy last Thursday. He's had a good fur brush & is now sitting outside in the sun. @sallyrose.bsky.social @helyg.bsky.social @marilynl.bsky.social #TeddyBearAdoptionAuction

Sketch of the woodland garden at Bryngarw Country Park is now half done. In other news I walked 5km to the library and back, weeded the garden for an hour then spent the afternoon writing 1931 words on making braid with a lucet. I declare the vertigo experience over & done with. #FieldSketching

There being a first time for everything, for me this weekend it has been vertigo. What an unpleasant sensation. Even though I have stopped swaying, I am having a writing /stitching/gardening- free day and sketching in sun dappled woodland instead. #BryngarwCountryPark #LoveWhereYouLive

I declare the garden at Scarecrow Cottage is now back on schedule. I also declare that never again will I work away from home for most of March & all of April.Now, back to writing about that unlikely combination - early medieval women pilgrims and lucets. #cottagegarden #craftwriting #heritagecrafts

Many people were sorry to lose Virgil the fig tree last year but his demise has led to a renaissance of the old rose he was smothering. In other news between some dry weather & a man with a strimmer, I am now just one week behind schedule in the garden. @helyg.bsky.social @sallyrose.bsky.social