Gardeners Crafting Diary of Wonderment March 2026
- Cat's Punky Stuff
- 4 days ago
- 11 min read
You would think by now the greys of winter would be a fuzzy memory, but unfortunately it could be December out there, with the heavy 1000 tog duvet that has covered Lincolnshire for most of the year, bar about 4 bluish days. Although it is dismal, abysmal and dank, it has given me the time to get so much done indoors, so as soon as the sun does come out, I can sit in it all day unashamedly, interspersed with pottering around the garden. By March, with its traditionally blustery days and warming winds, spring would normally be bringing momentum, transformation, and possibility. Well, my momentum hasn't slowed at all this year. I am transforming away from my Etsy, which has been fully revamped, as I focus on local community events and the endless possibilities I have ahead of me. I have to say, it doesn't look like spring, but it does feel like it.
1st MARCH
Beltane card disaster
I have had a bit of a setback, but fortunately I have identified how the problem arose. The card design mentioned last month, the Beltane apple blossom card, has not transferred onto the fabric square very well at all. In fact, it is indistinguishable, with the colours blending together with no outline and the hares disappearing. I realised after much deliberation I had drawn the card to the same scale as when I doodle in my journal; I had forgotten to enlarge and
simplify the design. I draw the designs in
18 cm squares and reduce them down to 6.7 cm but if not drawn carefully, detail can be lost and colours disappear. I will have to redraw it and quickly, with April fast approaching.
3rd MARCH
Hellebores are not boring!
Despite the one-shade-of-grey skies and constant rain, I have managed to get out and do a bit in the garden. The daffodils are just coming out, with hyacinths interspersed and I did get a warm afternoon planning my seed sowing as the sun shone. The hellebores are quite stunning. It amazes me as they do their thing each year, quietly by themselves, as they don't get any care or attention. I leave them to do their thing and they always do. I think it is a shame for them, as whenever
they are in their full glory, it's usually too
cold or damp to admire them. It's such a shame they're not out in May when it's outdoor time for full-time admiration. Having said that, their beauty transforms a drab early spring day; what would brighten our day if they did flower in May?
6th MARCH
Roses and Sweet Pea Day
What is that warming glow shining from the sky? Hang on, let me look it up...it's...the SUN! Wow, look at that! Yes, this is genuine excitement; it has been that bad in Lincolnshire. I sat out all day and started sowing my seeds and pruned the roses. It was the perfect spring day. As I wandered about tending to the roses, I noticed there were sweet peas sprouting everywhere. It is so strange, as there are so many in places nowhere near where they were planted last year. I could
understand the odd seed escaping the
autumn clear-up bag, but my garden is like I have catapulted a handful of seeds across the whole front of the house. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Hell, I'd grow nothing but sweet peas and be happy. The only thing I can think of is my husbunny often carries my cuttings bag for me and maybe he went a different way than I would. Maybe some seeds fell out, as they have sprouted near the front of the beds. Anyway, I went around in the sunshine tying these little clumps of peas to canes. It is going to look fabulous when they flower!
8th MARCH
Pagan Raven Advertising
Living off a main 'A' road running through Lincolnshire, I have the opportunity to make a fabulous sign to advertise the pagan craft fayres. I have been thinking about it for a month, with the priorities being original, crafted and cheap, but still sending the right message. I have to make two signs that will be printed on both sides, one sign for me and one for my friend's house just up the road on the opposite side. Their placement is important as I am going to install them
just 50 feet apart so whichever direction
you travel in, you'll see the sign twice close together. I started looking at making an 'A' board to stand on the two drives with printed posters, but it wasn't enough to represent what we are trying to do. My husbunny and I battered some ideas about until he came up with the perfect idea: a three-inch-thick square 7 ft post with a bar attached at the top. From the bar I will hang wooden planks on hooks and eyes, with printed words of cut-out letters varnished to them. They will be very cheap to make, will look fabulous with a rose climbing up them, will be very clear to read and will perfectly fit their purpose. Once the fayre is over I can unhook the planks so just the post and bar are left. Marvellous!
11th MARCH
Bread, syrup and mayo
As part of my living like it's the '50s, there are still a few foods that we buy that can easily be made at home. I have already stopped buying cakes and biscuits and instead bake twice a week, using our eggs and usually just a few other ingredients, unlike shop bought that have endless crap added. I realised the gift of time meant I should be making more at home and have decided to make bread, mayonnaise and cordial syrup. We only use a few loaves a month and have decided to make some,
but instead of using flour, there is a way
of making extremely healthy bread using lentils. Having been brought up on nut roasts and cottage cheese, the thought of lentils turns my tummy, but this recipe is like making a cake, as there is no yeast to faff with. Once made, it can be sliced and frozen or toasted, just like normal bread. I have been making homemade coleslaw a lot too, with shredded lettuce, carrot, onion, some black pepper and Italian herbs. It's fabulous, but the shop mayo is so nasty, made with very nasty oils, so I am going to make our own, with just eggs, olive oil and some seasoning. And finally, the syrup. I love fruit cordials mixed with fizzy water; it's really refreshing and so much better for you and cheaper than a can of pop. The problem is when I use my own frozen fruits to make cordials, they don't have a very long fridge life. My wonderful friend Zoe (Hiya!) is going to show me how to make syrups instead that will last all year. I am going to try rose, elderflower, lilac, lavender and strawberry, so even in winter I can enjoy the summer!
14th MARCH
Glorious Flooring
The bathroom floor is really coming along. Things have slowed down a little because we are making the road signs, but we were excited to see how it was going to look and so laid a few tiles. The colour order will be more thoughtful when we actually lay it, but for now we have just put them down without any consideration; they will have to be lifted to be varnished. It has come out far better than we could have imagined for under £13, as all the wooden pallets were free. There is still a lot to do, but from the
photo you get an idea. I am going to make the central tile of each burnt diamond extra special by inserting four ceramic mosaic tiles inlaid into a burnt square rather than painted wood. It will draw attention to the border, which is the same colouring, tying the whole floor together. I cannot wait until it is finished, plus the bathroom is much warmer with a thick wooden floor.
15th MARCH
Short Stories For Little Plants: The Land Of The White Rose
Little Plant, I went out for a walk today,
I found a track of an ancient pathway.
Up in the hills, there are boulders and streams,
An old countryside stitched with stone wall seams.
Today Little Plant I saw for myself, a place that had me quite spellbound! Just up the road, between rolling green pastures of swaying grasses and old dry stone walls, I had an experience like no other. Spring is on the way as the turning wheel rolls freely, seen in tiny leaf buds, just starting to show. Subtle green glows in the hedgerows and fields, with scattered edges of early spring flowers on full display. Up a hill and over the brow, I wandered along, alone under the warm sun, happy to be out and about. Chattering birds singing sweet songs on the wing, their happiness carried along on the first warming winds of spring.
18th MARCH
Fabulous Road Signs
I have finally finished the craft fair road signs. It was one of those projects that, on paper, looked like lots of fun. It was on day three of what turned out to be eight straight days when I was starting to wonder what the heck I had taken on. I had not anticipated that one of the paints I was using needed five coats. As I had all the match pots out to paint the bathroom floor tiles, I also used the same paints for my road sign. The Craig and Rose only needed two coats, but the Farrow and Ball
needed so many and unfortunately it was
the big Pagan Raven part that took a day each to do, 4 days in total. If I had come up with the idea earlier in the year, I could have taken my time, but as it was, the first sign went up two days after we had wanted. I had originally planned to cut out the printed letters and stick them on the wood instead, with several coats of varnish for longevity, but I felt this just wasn't acceptable for our brand. I persevered, going to bed exhausted and achy, only to wake up to do it all again. I once heard something Amy Winehouse said: 'You have to give 100% and if you don't, you can't expect to succeed!'. This has always stuck with me and as I ticked off the completed panels and started adding a black shadow to the letters and finally varnishing them, the effort was definitely worth it. Thank you to my husbunny for making the signposts.
20th MARCH
Recycling Fair Poster Distribution
Earlier in the week I drove around a portion of Lincolnshire distributing posters for the recycling fair. We have been promoting it on social media, on the Pagan Raven Crafters Facebook and Instagram, but we are also distributing 50 posters locally. The sign is up at the front of the house and opposite down the road a tad, the sellers have been sent their 'On The Day' information to ensure they have a great day and all that is left is for me to work out how I will sell my own stuff at
the fair. After much consideration, I have
decided to get some boxes and mark them with a different value. I can decide the price for everything and put it in the right box, which can also be used to transport the stuff to the fair. I can simply unload the boxes and I'm ready to go. It has been a right conundrum trying to work out what to charge and I had been considering asking for offers. I would rather the stuff went to someone who needed it rather than me bringing it home because it was too expensive for someone who wanted it.
22nd MARCH
Castor oil and cloves
As the month goes on, I'm finding life more and more... content, maybe? No, not content, maybe rewarding? I can't quite put my finger on it, but everything seems really easy right now. Could it be all the home baking and completely cutting out all pre-made foods lifting our spirits? Is making everything from scratch (except for Lidl's chocolate, which is to die for!) the reason? Or could it be because we have started having clove tea at bedtime? 3 cloves steeped in boiling water with a
pinch of cinnamon has been giving us ten-
hour sleeps and we have been waking up like you did when you were kids. Since having clove tea, I can definitely say it helps you have a really deep, heavy sleep; I have never slept better. It may not just be the clove tea that is helping me get a good night's rest, as I have been wearing a castor oil poultice for four weeks and ALL of my aches and pains have GONE! Six years ago whilst I was kneeling, weeding, I slipped off my kneecap into a mole run under the grass. Over the years it had gotten so painful I was considering seeing a holistic sports injury specialist. Just as I come to terms with having to do something, I read that castor oil is the Palm of God and cures many things. So I put a poultice soaked in oil over my bad knee, held in place with a footless sock. I was expecting it to take up to six weeks to work, but after just three weeks I RAN – yes, I ran – on a leg that I could barely put weight on at times. What surprised me though, was not only is my knee now much better – I just have to get it strong again before kneeling, etc. – but my torn rotator cuff in my shoulder is now fixed; I can raise my arm up and down with no difficulty. It has been such a great month for fixing and creating. The oil has gone to the damaged parts of my body and fixed them.
26th MARCH
Spring has sprung.
This year I am going into the garden every few days and taking at least 10 photographs. I got a little lazy last year and didn't take many pictures. I have already got some great shots; the effort is paying off. The garden will be really exciting this year, as I moved a lot of stuff about and still have a few delphiniums to move this month. I loved my delphiniums, but they were the first things I planted when I first cut my flower beds. The rest of the bed is pink and the blues were too
harsh against the soft pinks. It always
frustrated me a little, so this year I will move them. They will be in a bed with white phlox and large white Macmillan daisies with canes of sweet peas mixed in. I cannot wait until the new beds flower.
28th MARCH
British Summertime, YAY!
It is our first Pagan Raven Crafter Recycling Fair tomorrow. I noticed that tonight the clocks go forward an hour for British Summertime, so I have made a little notelet to email out shortly, reminding everyone to do their clocks. I just thought it was a conscientious thing to do, showing a little foresight and consideration.
29th MARCH
Raving Success
The Pagan Raven Crafters recycling fair was a huge success. The poster I designed in December states, 'It's just £10 a table for a day of happy smiles,' and although I know I cannot predict the future, happy smiles were the main order of the day. People started to arrived at exactly 10 o'clock and by 11 the hall was completely jam packed, with cars waiting outside for a parking space. It was at about ten minutes before opening time that I suddenly looked at my fellow Raven and
said, 'What if no-one comes?' I had been
so busy I hadn't had time to consider if this new craft fair concept would work. Having greeted sellers, shown them to their spot and helped them unload their cars, I couldn't believe how much stuff folks wanted to get rid of. Huge volumes of wool, fabric, jewellery making, card making, wooden slices and discs, the list went on. There were a few minor near-problems, but as with anything, respond calmly stating we can fix this so everyone is happy and everything was sorted so everyone was happy.
By the time we got home, there were already comments coming in on social media, stating what a great day it had been, both from folks who were de-stashing and from folks who had picked up incredible bargains. I heard one lady got 2 sewing machines for £20 and a spinning wheel only saw the hall for about 2 minutes!
We have already chosen September 13th for the 2nd recycling fair and we think it is already fully booked, even though booking isn't open until the end of May. Not only do most of these folks want to come to the 2nd one, we have a mailing list of people who couldn't get a slot who also want to attend in autumn. Us Ravens have decided to use all of the hall in September, including the bar.
What a great end to the month. So so so busy, but so rewarding.
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