A Bit of a Bird Theme

For the past 2-3 weeks I have been working on these two plates and think I am almost there now.  I need to lighten some more areas in the background of the blackbird plate and to master the inking up of the curlew.  The final step is to add a Gum Arabic Transfer to the dark printed areas, either a picture or some text.

Time for a Rest

Seems some of us in this garden have had too much of the hot weather.  It has however turned cooler today but still no rain.

This is 'Fat Cat' or 'Mini Moo' as one of our neighbours calls it.  May be a girl but not sure.  It visits us on a regular basis and likes nothing better than a brush and a bit of tummy tickling.  Wish it would not chase the birds and mice though.

PS:  One ladybird hatched out and flown still awaiting the others to do something.

Hare Today ....

Over the past few years Cirencester has had one or two 'Hare' themed trails.  Unbeknown to me there is a wider one this year called the 'Cotswold Hare Trail' and I spotted this lovely fellow in Cheltenham on Wednesday lunchtime. He was outside Vallenders Hairdressers and is entitled "We're all Mad Hare". I have now found a list of the locations for all of them and will have to try and find a few more when I am out and about.

Look What I Spotted

In the cool (?) of the evening yesterday I was deadheading some self sown foxgloves when I found these little creatures.  After looking online on the BBC website I now discovered that they are ladybirds emerging and that they can take up to 2 weeks to fully transform.  As suggested on the website I have put them in a jam jar with a bit of foliage to see what happens next. I will then release them.

A Little Fishy Book or Two

This week I have spent a little bit of time finishing off a couple of books from bookbinding class.  I have added some cardboard cut out fish which I then painted.  The book is a strange structure with an expanding concertina style binding (think 'Experimental' was the word used). I did not think I liked it and have had to modify parts of it to make it a little more stable.  It has the advantage that it can take lots of additional material on its pages.  Not sure I will ever make any more of them.

Everything is Blooming - Or not!!

In my case 'Or Not'.  Life is very difficult at the moment but who cannot smile when you see these in the garden (Francis E Lester)

... and the perfume from them is fantastic

Life is full of Surprises!!

Popped off to Ledbury to get a copy of Cloth, Paper, Scissors this morning with DH followed by coffee and cake at Chez Pascale. Then went to the Garden Festival at Hellens Manor at Much Marcle which turned out to be much more enjoyable than anticipated.  The sculpture in the wild flower meadow was interesting ....

Blooming June

Well here we are at the beginning of June. Where does time go?  DH was 65 this week and has now officially retired from work and my lovely brother was 64 with no chance of retiring from his job in the foreseeable future.

As the sun was shining yesterday decided to take a trip to Kiftsgate. A first visit for us but it will certainly not be the last. We were a little bit early for the majority of the roses, but the garden was still stupendous.