I may need a smaller pan...

Before I share a few more new stamp previews, I did promise to show you a photo of my first crop of home grown vegetable, or, in this case, legumes. I snipped off the largest French beans to go with my "Sunday roast" dinner....not a real roast I confess, as I bought some slices of turkey from the deli! Well, here's the first harvest....

.....no laughing at the back there! I must admit that the famous scene from Jaws sprang to mind, but with a twist, and I found myself saying "I think I'm gonna need a smaller pan"! However, they were delicious, with that unmistakeable squeak that French beans have when you bite into them. The rest of my meal was almost ready, the water already boiling in readiness, so just two minutes after I picked them, these little beauties were cooked and on my plate. There are lots more beans growing on the plant, so I should have a regular supply for a few weeks.

Slightly more spectacular is the courgette plant in the conservatory which is, obviously, streaks ahead of the outdoor ones I'm also growing. Every morning now I am met with this sight.....

 .....exotic looking yellow orange flowers on thin stalks that open to four inches across.....then, by mid afternoon, they wilt and wither, only to be replaced by another fresh bloom the next morning. I was a little confused by the life cycle going on here, as there's another flower coming through that has the definite beginnings of a courgette behind it. A bit of internet browsing cleared it up and I discovered that the plant has both male and female flowers - the ones that bloom and then die are the male flowers and the courgettes grow behind the female flowers. I now keep trying to waft bees into the conservatory so they can pollinate them! It's all great fun!

Talking of fun, amidst all the worry and fears over my brother in law's health, we are trying to keep our spirits up and make sure that we have some breaks from the depression. If you pop over to Heather's blog you will find her photos of one such day that we spent last week. Heather's latest post is about the nostalgic trip we made to our childhood home, in fact, the house where I was born.....I remember, I remember and all that! More photos of me I'm afraid.....I've never been photogenic and you'd never know from the photos that I've lost over two stone and gone from a size 22 to a 14 bottoms and 16 tops!! Always a nasty shock to see that the image in one's head doesn't quite match the one in the photo! Actually, I think that Heather is secretly photoshopping the pictures - it's the only explanation!

Today I'd planned to go and visit mum as well as do some errands, but have decided to do all that tomorrow instead now, as I am going to be walking into the village in the morning to spend an hour or two with the Verger so he can show me the ropes. He's going to be on holiday in a couple of weeks, so I'll be taking over his duties till he returns.....hope I can take everything in tomorrow. Next week I'm also going to be assisting him at a large funeral service, so it's a bit of a steep learning curve coming up. Wish me luck folks! I'm quite amazed at the trust that's been shown to me by the church after a relatively short time and grateful for the chance to give something back after all the support and help they have given me over this past year.

Well, that's enough of the domestic and social round up! Here are a few more of the new stamp designs....more in the previous three posts in case you missed them. A Doo Lally Pip fairy to start with, this set is called "Christmas Swishes" ( I know....groan...but I do like a good, or bad, pun!) the code for this set is CICSA6114......

 .....the odd curved image at the top is her halo, measured so that it will fit around her head....I don't just throw these things together you know! Lol! More useful swirls and a crown so she can be a fairy princess too of course. She really doesn't only have to be for Christmas....if the stars on her skirt look too festive for using at other times of the year, a little paper piecing of her outfit will sort that out.

Surely there can't be any more snowmen I hear you cry......oh yes there can! I know, I know...it's a bit of an obsession, but I know I'm not alone in this one and I'm always asked for fresh ones every year. So, here are some more snowy folk.......

  .....I know, flying snowmen silhouettes! No surprise then that this Doo Lally Pip set is called "Flying Snowmen" (CICSA6106). I'll be stamping those airborne guys across one of my Distressy backgrounds with some faux bleached trees....I still get asked to show the waterbrushed trees at demos even after doing them so many times!
Another Doo Lally character now and this one is "Flying Tonight" (CICSA6107) another terrible pun that will make sense to anyone who heard Kenneth Williams proclaim "Frying tonight!" in the horror send up Carry on Screaming. Well, this character is a little cooky, but hopefully not too scary.......

 ......the little silhouette reindeer sled will also be going onto my Distressy skies I think. The snowflakey tree took an age to draw and my fingers were almost seizing up by the time I completed it! I think I am seeing the main character coloured in a rich Teal green rather than the usual reds, but I'm sure I'll be making lots of versions.
Finally, for this selection, one of my quote sets, and this one is CICSA6113 "Believe makes Christmas" (odd title I know...not mine!) and it's from the Crafty Impressions range....

...the quotes are small enough for the inside of a card but large enough to be the main feature on the front of cards too. I do like to add something a little different to just "Happy Christmas" etc to the cards that I send, so some quotes, or phrases just fit the bill.....not as flowery as a full blown verse, but more than just a simple greeting.
Right, I had better get on with things now. The first thing is to warm a croissant and make a coffee for a very late breakfast. I've been up for hours but I rarely eat as soon as I'm dressed, it takes a while for my appetite to kick in. The tummy is rumbling slightly now though, so I'm off to the kitchen!