Back again

Hi folks, and special welcomes to new followers. Apologies for the lack of posting recently....er....weeks! It's the usual reasons of lots of time spent prepping for workshops and demonstrations as well as lots of Church activities over the Easter period, gardening while the sun has been playing ball and some days out spent with my sister too.All my good intentions to blog before bed time have gone awry as my eyelids have been closing and the bed has been calling!

So, as I was up at daft o'clock this morning I thought I'd at least make a start on a post before I leave for Church. There are lots of photos to share so I'll do so in several posts rather than writing my own version of War and Peace!

Where to start since I last posted? Well, I'll go back through photos in date order, pick some random ones and see where that leads! The lovely sunny days have given me chance to get into the garden more (though I'm now behind with potting up seedlings and planting out young plants) and I've been getting further along with the area around the mini pond, adding some height with rocks that had been hidden beneath mature Heathers elsewhere.

 In the background are the lawn edgings that I've lifted out. I'm turning them over so that the flat sides are uppermost which will be much more practical when mowing. It's a pig of a job though, digging out thin, deep troughs at the edges of the grass and then hammering them in with a heavy mallet and a block of wood, trying to get them (reasonably) level. It's all looking a lot better though, and I've added some grasses which my neighbour kindly donated when he was also having a change around! A few extra shrubs should hopefully give a more structure and the bark chippings do help to make everything look neater.

Elsewhere in the garden, the signs of approaching Summer are all around. My little Cherry tree has been in glorious bloom. Short lived but gorgeous blossoms that are now falling like snow at the slightest breeze.

 

I've been busy decorating another Zendoodle top to wear at demonstrations. This time a plain white T shirt which I've simply been doodling onto using a fabric pen....

 ....very much a work in progress at this stage! I'll keep adding to this one as and when I can - need to get a new pen now though, as I managed to get through all the ink in the last one. Maybe I should just take the fabric pens with me when I go to demonstrations and get everyone to add a doodle as I'm sitting there?!

It may not show up too well here, but I really enjoyed creating the very subtle shading effects on this image (using my Zendoodle Flower stamp) with a pencil....

....I used my fineliner (0.05mm) pen to create the main doodled lines and then a pencil to add shadows and depth. As I said, it's quite subtle and looks a whole lot better in "real life".

We had a visitor a couple of weeks ago. An unexpected and uninvited one at that! I came back from a walk into the village and said hello to a rather lovely pussycat at the top of the road. When I opened my front door I realised he had followed me and he calmly walked in and made himself at home as you can see....

....claiming a catnip toy as his own! Needless to say, Tara was very worried by the intrusion and Thomas was not impressed whatsoever. Lots of hissing and spitting went on, hackles and tails bushed up - although the gorgeous intruder ignored all the protests and carried on regardless! I had to hold Tom back and then manouvre the handsome Persian out of the door. This did not deter him though and he spent the next forty five minutes coming into the garden and trying to get back into the house. Even squirting water at him was not a deterrent - which I hated doing but I really didn't want fur flying!

Eventually Tom pounced and some fur did fly so I had to get the hosepipe onto them fast! Having been told by a neighbour that the pusscat lived a few doors down, I picked him up and took him home where he was greeted by an exasperated owner who told me she has only had him a couple of weeks and he's been visiting everyone! He apparently visits his neighbour's house by opening the door himself! His name is Teddy (how cute) and he has visited a couple of times since, though only in the garden this time. Thomas has been seen in Teddy's garden too, so I think they may be edging toward being friends....or, at least, not mortal enemies!

Well, that's all for the moment. I'll post this wehn I get back as I must dash now or I'll be late for Church. We'll call this catch up part one and I'll work on part two as soon as I can!