This Week... Wine, Cake, & Baby Birds

This week... We oooh'd and arrh'd at the wonder that was our first baby courgette. We put up some bunting in honour of the Queen...and because we like bunting. We indulged in some red wine that I was lucky enough to win from Tesco Wines via Twitter. That there is Rob winking and then giving a serious nod of approval, I realise he may look a bit grumpy or like he is missing a pipe, but it's actually approval. I also made more almond and raspberry cupcakes as part of our celebrations, I can't get enough of them and I'm on the hunt for another excuse to make more - Mmm cake, jam and buttercream! :) The pigeon tickled me, not literally, but he looked like he was going to snap that branch at any moment - fat pigeon. To make up for the wine and cake we went out for some nice long walks, we saw swans with cygnets - the male swan got a bit antsy at having his photo taken, and then we saw moorhen chicks, which are the smallest fluffiest things in the world! Mother moorhen also started complaining about our presence, but we ignored her because she wasn't quite as intimidating as the swan. 

Losing The Doodle Mojo & Lost In Organza Flowers

Day 152 0f The Doodle Olympics - Squirrels with acorns sleeping in a tree. 

Day 153 of the Doodle Olympics - Random pattern.

Day 154 of the Doodle Olympics - We went out for a walk and did some bunting spotting, lovely to see communities making such an effort. 

Day 155 of the Doodle Olympics - I think this is the reason I've lost my doodle mojo. I'm running out of paper, so I'm trying to use up an old pad but it is really no joy to draw on, it is shiny and thin and horrid. 

Day 156 of the Doodle Olympics - We've had a bit of rain again and I really do love umbrellas, such a great shape. 

Day 157 of the Doodle Olympics - I'm getting the urge to make a trifle. I've never made a trifle before, not a proper one. When we were kids trifles were made of fruit set in jelly and swiss roll sponge, and solid custard, but I want to make a lovely sloppy custardy and creamy one :)

Day 158 of the Doodle Olympics - Bendy buildings in the rain.

The rest of this week has seen me continuing with organza flowers. I have been snipping out flower shapes for hours on end, here you can see my pile of snipped bits. It's a bit of a nightmare as the little scraps cling to everything and everyone like velcro. To give you some idea of the amount of work, I've made 59 flowers, each consisting of 4-6 cut out flower shapes, which means I've cut out and melted the edges of between 236 and 354 flower shapes. 

Found... Umbrella Illustrations

The long weekend has turned everything on its head this week, as I have my fiance at home and have been eating cake and going for walks instead of going into town. So as a salute to the good old British weather that just started to pour down on the heads of everyone in London, I share with you some truly wonderful umbrella illustrations from artists based in the UK, that can be found on Etsy. Please click on the links below to take you to a specific item. 

Out of the Rain by Amy Blackwell

Girl With Umbrella - Giclee Print by Serena Curmi

Penny Farthing Tea by Rima Staines

Traveler - set of two digital prints by Ekaterina Trukhan

Poppy's Puddle Fine Art Print by Belle and Boo

This Week... Bright, Beautiful Flowers & Bottles of Wine

This week... We decided to enjoy a glorious Saturday morning having a walk at Virginia Water. We decided to leave our usual route around the lake and head off into the paths amongst the flowers instead, and it was just so beautiful. With all this warm weather I haven't felt much like eating hot meals so I've made frozen yogurt for the first time. We don't have an ice cream maker, so had to use the freeze and whip it up periodically method, except I may have forgotten it a bit. It is now very solid but still very tasty. I haven't wanted any soup for lunch, so I'm heading back towards having smoothies, starting with fruits of the forest and cherries. I won a case of wine from Tesco Wines last week and they have arrived on my doorstep. We're saving them for the Jubilee weekend. I made a new pasta salad that seemed to go down well even though I forgot to put basil in. It has roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic, smoked bacon and olives. It was delicious. Finally I spent a wonderful day with Lyds and baby Archie. We may have had scones with jam and clotted cream... I'd attempted to bake my own scones for the first time ever, they were okay, but decided not to inflict them on Lyds, they were a bit heavy. We may also have had whipped cream with strawberries and meringue... maybe... :)

      

 

Flowers, Bees & Pretty Leaves & Whacking Holes in Bark

Day 145 of the Doodle Olympics - This week I experienced a few days of cricket bat to the back of the head headaches. I didn't really feel like drawing. My heart wasn't in it but I lay on the sofa and took the pencil by the very top end, and tried to draw something. I quite like that it is all very loose and loopy, and lacking in control.

Day 146 of the Doodle Olympics - Headache day 2. This time I closed my eyes so I could draw the bees, I opened them to decide where to draw each bee, and also opened them the draw the dashed lines and the shopping bags - What are bees without shopping bags?

Day 147 of the Doodle Olympics - Another loose drawing, that turned into a swirly wall adorned with frames, with pictures of birds inside. No I don't know why either. :)

Day 148 of the Doodle Olympics - Well it has been a bit hot hasn't it? :)

Day 149 of the Doodle Olympics - As well as having various Eurovision songs in my head, I have also had 'Let's Go Fly A Kite'.

Day 150 of the Doodle Olympics - Decorative leaves.

Day 151 of the Doodle Olympics - Decorative Mushrooms


Other things I've been working on this week include bark lanterns. I have found whacking holes into the bark quite satisfying. I had a little ebay shop for more copper wire, organza, and polystyrene balls, and continuing on from last week, I've melted more bits of organza, this time yellow/gold and copper. I've also started to make notes on the 'Bag for all Reasons' book, but didn't get far with all those headaches, maybe next week ;) . 

Found - Beautiful Items Online

I took a trip into town yesterday but came away from the charity shops empty handed. I was hoping to find a pretty plate to eat cake from or some more books, but any plates were drab, and the books were all fairly recent paperbacks and I want old ones! Never mind, I decided to share with you some of my favourite items, from some of my favourite online creative types. 

Just click the links to take you to individual items. Of course, some of the items are 

unique, so they may sell out. Have a lovely day! 

Aqua Starburst Porcelain Dish - by Seaurchin

Birds (digital print) - by Lizzy Stewart

Pegasus Locket - by Bonbi Forest

Mink Brooch - by Silk Purse, Sow's Ear

Circles and Dots - Embroidered Wall Clock - by Mason Bee

This Week... Solo, Snog & Giant Sausage Rolls

This week... We spent some time over in Norfolk at the beginning of the week. We were supposed to have our engagement shoot but it was cancelled due to horrible grey weather (you wouldn't think it now right?). Instead we went with my folks for a meal at The Feathers in Snettisham and had a delicious roast beef dinner, and a wee bit too much wine. The restaurant room was just lovely. On our way home the following day, we swung by Swaffham and called in at Cocoes cafe and deli, where we picked up some cake, that we had as we swung by Rob's parent's house, and two giant sausage rolls, that we had when we got back home. Delicious. My third volume of Solo by Lizzy Stewart arrived and made me very happy. On Thursday I went for a wonderful sunny lunch with Anna from Sakura Jewellery, and after, as we spent the afternoon chatting away, she gave me the book "Snog". It was like she read my mind, I had only said to Rob the day before that I would quite like to make frozen yogurt, and this book has it! :) Have a great weekend!