The last glorious week of February
We've been basking in glorious sunshine this week, it's been cold and frosty at night but warm and sunny during the day. Some afternoons we've even managed to play outside with no jackets on, a real change from the snow a few weeks ago!
It feels as if everyone and everything has come out of hibernation; we have had more people walking and cycling past our house this week than in the whole of January and February combined, or so it seems! My bees have left their winter cluster and have been buzzing round the hive, returning from foraging trip with their legs covered in pollen; the hens and ducks have started laying eggs again and the woods around our house are filled with birdsong.
Needless to say we've been spending our afternoons in the garden soaking up the vitamin D and enjoying the feeling that the whole world is coming out of hibernation! Not too great for getting much cutting done, but I've been sketching out some new designs and I'm writing this sitting on the back door step, in the sun, with the laptop perched on my knee!
What I HAVE managed to do this week is produce a super special limited edition run of my Grow Old screen print is a lovely deep, dusty scarlet to raise money for Red Nose Day. For a suggested donation of £20 + £3 p&p you get a beautiful screen print to treasure forever PLUS the added satisfaction that every last one of your twenty pounds goes to a fabulous cause! For more info go to my Facebook page, I only have FIVE left so if you'd like one don't leave it too late, once they're gone......they're gone!
It feels as if everyone and everything has come out of hibernation; we have had more people walking and cycling past our house this week than in the whole of January and February combined, or so it seems! My bees have left their winter cluster and have been buzzing round the hive, returning from foraging trip with their legs covered in pollen; the hens and ducks have started laying eggs again and the woods around our house are filled with birdsong.
Needless to say we've been spending our afternoons in the garden soaking up the vitamin D and enjoying the feeling that the whole world is coming out of hibernation! Not too great for getting much cutting done, but I've been sketching out some new designs and I'm writing this sitting on the back door step, in the sun, with the laptop perched on my knee!
To bee or not to bee!
If you're a likerer of my Facebook page you'll know about the saga of my bees swarming! Well there was a not soo happy outcome for the old queen and her devoted entourage....involving a hoover! Unfortunately I just couldn't get the queen out of the coomb space in our attic and soo after 4 days, numerous attempt at removing them, countless stings and sweary words, I had resort to the hoover and get them out. I feel really awful about it; they all toil away selflessly producing honey.....most of which I steal from them and I repay them by splatting them in the hoover! So I now have any extra hive which is empty! I may get some more bees from a friend of mine so fingercrossed for a slightly happier outcome!
You'll notice, as if my magic, a gallery tab has appeared at the top of the page! It takes you to my Flickr page where I keep photies of ALL my paper cuts, I've got a whole set of Happily Ever After cuts! I've really enjoyed looking at them as a set and seeing all their differences!
In between mass murdering bees, doing the run of the mill housewifey things and a huge number (well...sort of!) of Happily Ever After cuts, I've been working on some sketches for a series of paper cuts for Perthshire Open Studios. Photos will follow......maybe!
You'll notice, as if my magic, a gallery tab has appeared at the top of the page! It takes you to my Flickr page where I keep photies of ALL my paper cuts, I've got a whole set of Happily Ever After cuts! I've really enjoyed looking at them as a set and seeing all their differences!
In between mass murdering bees, doing the run of the mill housewifey things and a huge number (well...sort of!) of Happily Ever After cuts, I've been working on some sketches for a series of paper cuts for Perthshire Open Studios. Photos will follow......maybe!
Treasury Sunday
I try my best ( I really do!) to make an Etsy treasury every Sunday. It's the kind of day that lends itself to a bit of quiet browsing on a theme. This week I was all set to go with either Peach Melba or Pink and Turquoise as my theme and then.....................today was the most glorious, sunny, warm day of the year!
We spent the afternoon in the garden, tidying up, digging, chasing the chickens and ducks...(you know.....the usual!) and I noticed the first hints of cherry blossom starting to open on the tree in the garden and my honey bees, for the first time this year, were as busy as....well, bees! So when I sat down to make the treasury Cherry blossom and honey popped into my head and voila.....I give you this Sundays treasury!
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| Bumblebee photograph by sixthandmain on Etsy |