Back to village life, Mindful Moments 5

Hi everyone I am back with the next of my Mindful Moments posts and I am already up to number 5

 If you did not see my first post and wonder what these are do check it out here.  Thank you to everyone who has been reading them. I can see from my stats that these are getting at least twice the usual traffic of my other posts, which has really inspired me to keep trying to get them written weekly if I can. I really hope you are finding them a moment to make you smile and stay mindful during these very turbulent times.

The weather has really been extraordinary over the last week, wall to wall sunshine and blue skies.
I have been out for my daily walk and down at the ponds it is so surreal. As there is little or no traffic I can really imagine what my high street looked like in days gone by when Carshalton was still a tiny village. I thought I would share the photos I took with you...here is Honeywood, once a rich man's country house but now a museum. It looks out from one side of the ponds.

There is a ford in front of it. Before the bridge was built it was the only way of crossing the water.

 With no traffic racing by this is a rare photo to capture. This is looking across to the Greyhound pub. Carriages and carts used to be driven across here in days gone by.

So peaceful and quiet, but very surreal.

Beautiful blossom hung from the cherry trees.

This heron was just pottering around in the shallows.

The bridge with no traffic on it at all.

Looking back to the church.

A church has stood here for a thousand years and the original part is listed in the Doomsday book. There have been pandemics of all kinds through the ages, this is sadly just one of many and it will pass. 

I actually wandered out into the main road to take these shots. This is usually a red route

The Woodman, once an old butcher's shop now a bar, but silent for now.

 Looking back down our deserted High Street usually a bustling with plenty of shoppers, just a lone man walking along instead.

I really felt as though I had taken a step back in time. All I could hear was birdsong, not traffic noise and for that time I was able to really feel at peace. It was very much tranquil and mindful moment. For now we have reverted back to being a quiet village, despite being just 10 miles from central London.

My crafting share today was inspired my walk. Daisy, my 6 year old granddaughter and I have set up a "crafting by post" activity. I have given us 15 themes to use to make 2 artists trading cards and coins. One we keep to look back on and one we swap. She has been loving this. We are up to number 4, the theme for this one is "flowers". These are the coins and ATC I made.

Here are the coins in close up. I used my Tim Holtz wild rose stencil, some of his wild flower and garden greens die cuts and tiny small talk stickers.

Below is the one I have sent to Daisy. The words are so true, I miss her so very much but we keep in contact by video and though our joint love of crafting. 

this is mine to keep to remind me that life still goes on, just at a much slower pace

I would like to enter my coins into the following challenges;

Sparkles Monthly 2/3 spring is in the air

A bit more time to craft 2/3 anything goes

Allsorts 1/3 flowers and/or showers

Alphabet challenge 1/3 A is for anything goes

Crafty catz 1/3 anything goes

Creative artiste 1/3 anything goes

C.R.A.F.T 1/3 create your own flower/embellishment

Dragonfly dreams 1/3 add flowers

My little quote for my Mindful Moments post today is one I feel most appropriate for staying creative at the moment;

Start where you are,

Use what you can,

Do what you can do.

Arthur Ashe

Please keep safe, keep mindful, keep washing those hands and looking around at the beauty and inspiration from Mother Nature.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

With love, Jane x