Firstly here’s a big thankyou to everyone who comments on my blog:

(not a big bunch of marigolds but I did grow them from seed). Silverpebble’s over three months old now and it’s been so much fun hearing from and making invisible friends and even speaking to one or two in real life! I’m enjoying it immensely, although certain circumstances mean that I can’t always answer everyone’s comments, or post as often as I’d like to. This thanks also goes out to any lurkers (hard to imagine them really). There’s one I know of - in my village - a very talented quilter. You know who you are! Start that blog!

A bit of a catch up now:

I correctly guessed that Celia and her other half were pickling walnuts recently and received a lovely parcel with gorgeous cards made from her lino and woodcuts and some fab quirky badges. Thanks Celia!

I find Celia’s blog, purple podded peas so soothing - I love my virtual visits to her beautiful and productive garden and seeing her work unfold to produce gorgeous prints. I attended her open studio recently for a real visit to the garden! It was lovely.

Lucy Locket’s Russian dolly, received recently.  She’s enamelled silver, about 15mm tall and with a swarovski crystal. I wasn’t completely happy with her slightly ‘rustic’ smile but she looks happy enough.

And now for a slightly distressing tale: recently Miss P1 was playing with a little knitted rabbit that had been mine when I was very small. I heard a shriek and this is the ghastly sight which awaited me in the next room (look away now if you are at all squeamish):

Yikes! There were various pieces of yarn and other gory business which I detached for the photo - just too nasty. Monkey and friends were also quite alarmed:

I was faced with a dilemma. To be honest I’d never liked the rabbit very much - he’d always looked rather cross and crabby with his downward-facing mouth. I had to decide between mending him and recycling him (perhaps into a nest for an underprivileged hamster):

Me: Shall we throw rabbit away?

MissP1: No no we have to look after him mummy!

Cue hurried surgery - I didn’t have time to find a matching thread I’m afraid  - all the sewing experts out there will have to forgive the botched job I made of it - again, not for those of a nervous disposition. I don’t think Mr rabbit looks very grateful for his medical treatment.

MissP1 then insisted that Mr rabbit needed some ’special things to make him feel better’:

He was then inserted into a highly prized pink fluffy pencil case - ‘his fairy bed mummy’ - along with the carefully chosen ’special things’, including a felt fish, an apple-shaped magnet and a woolly elephant finger puppet (for company, presumably) .

Perhaps these things should be on prescription. I believe he’s still there in toy hospital, enjoying his recuperation.

There’s been some traditional (and not so traditional) activities going on in the pebble household since the last post.

I’ve done spot of baking:

Cupcakes,

Blackberry and apple pie using Nanna Pebble’s traditional Yorkshire clarty pastry,

Chocolate roly poly sausage made with the leftover pastry. Despite the hungry clamour from pebbles large and small I’m afraid this was mine, all mine, and I highly recommend it. Note the delicate filligree pastrycraft here (I trained with a French patissier don’t you know).

Digging up our rainbow carrots. These might look a bit unusual but I believe the yellow and purple ones actually derive from very old varieties.

Miss P1 has been printing with carrots…

…and the pebble paparazzi snapped this very traditional moment in the world of primates - possibly a little too intrusive - monkey’s trying to enjoy a moment on the potty away from toddler noisiness - perhaps Heat magazine will pay out for this one!

And finally, most babies like bottles right? Not my two. BUT this morning Miss tiny P decided she WOULD drink a spot of milk from a bottle so that Mrs P MIGHT be able to get out and see Mamma Mia after all.

Hurray!!!

A last minute edit for Simone - Nanna Pebble’s clarty pastry - I believe ‘clarty’ means that it’s very short - it’s certainly very crumbly because of its extra fat content but fat = tasty in my book, and yes Simone - there’s lard in it! The following is enough for a good-sized pie or a dozen mince pies:

10 oz plain flour

3 oz butter

3 oz lard

Zest of an orange and the orange juice instead of water

Pinch of salt

Add salt and zest to flour, rub in fat, add orange juice and extra water if required. I’m afraid the slightly boring half hour in the fridge is essential, otherwise it falls apart.

I’ve never been tagged before as my blog is fairly new, but now I’ve been tagged twice in one week! Preseli Mags and Anglesey Allsorts have both tagged me for 6 random facts about myself. Thanks ladies - I’m honoured. Here goes:

1) I have several celebrity crushes, some of which are rather unusual:

James May from Top Gear for example - I know, I know! The terrible spaniel hair! What am I thinking you might ask, but he strikes me as a rather naughty geography teacher-type and makes me think of bike sheds. Perhaps I’ll leave it there…

2) I have naturally curly hair. Cue a special four-year old moment:

In damp weather unfortunate things happen - it gains even more volume, and tries to defy the law of conservation of mass. If I step out in a downpour I achieve a look similar to that of a sheep’s bottom. Nice. Still, this means that, quite by accident, my barnet was quite fashionable in about 1986.

3) For some women it’s shoes. Not for me:

Pebbles are my thing (hence my blog name). I even get itchy fingers when I pass a gravel path. It’s a worrying compulsion. Sometimes I find pebbly beaches just a bit too much and have to have a little lie down. The up side is that they have innumerable uses, including ‘my pretend dinner’.

4a) I am a scouser (so I have rather appropriate perm-like hair). Liverpool is such a great city - I often get homesick.

5  or 4b) One of my grandfathers was a GP and delivered Ms Cilla Black into the world. In less charitable moments certain female members of my family say that he should have stuffed her back again! Surely a little harsh? Eh, shall I go’the hat shop geels??? (I think/hope it’s OK to mock my own accent).

6) I appreciate a fine balsamic vinegar or a delicious piece of sea bass as much as the next person, but I also have some guilty eating pleasures:

These have next to no nutritional value and are full of monkey chemicals, but they taste absolutely delicious, so I really don’t care!! I decided against sharing my other food vice - it’s really, really dirty.

Here are the rules of the tag at Anglesey Allsorts and if you fancy taking it up then have a go!

In other news our pink fir apple spuds are now ready for noshing…

..and despite not being lookers are seriously tasty - you see, I do eat proper food as well.

Miss P1 has been doing some really fab drawing recently. Here’s one of Mr Pebble:

I reckon his jaunty shoes could even grace sole Monday. He’s also looking rather cheerful - the first beer of the evening has obviously already been consumed!