I like them, but . . .

they ain't my bag, baby !! :o)

 

Terri decided that we were to do a couple of non traditional type Christmas cards this month & I know that not only did I have a panic attack, but Liz, who is normally very quiet & self controlled, fainted on the spot !!

 

We had to get a man in uniform to revive her & then a dog with a barrel of *summat nice* to help her recover fully !! :o) 

 

Anyway, this is going to be a short blog - *HURRAY !!* I hear you cry - because I have a special cake to make today. Grandson 1b is 3 tomorrow & as we'll be seeing him in the afternoon, I want to make him a little birthday cake.

 

Anyhooooo - on to the cards. Only two from Terri's parcel so far, but I have 2 more in the planning stages :o)

 

 I loved this little image when I saw it & I just thought the colour of the scarf went so well with the colour of the background paper. NOT my idea of Christmas colours at all, but I do like the card :o) I think it'd be nice for a little girl.

 

 

  Blue is a very wintry colour, just right for putting with silver & making you go *brrrrrrrr* :o) Another image I loved when I saw it, I just thought that using a red greeting balanced out the red of Father Christmas's outfit. The backing paper was mine & I used a punch to make the snowflakes.

 

Now, she can't say I haven't departed from my usual custom, can she ??!! :o)

 

And now, it's housework/baking/gardening/ironing time. Not neccesarily in that order, though :o)

 

Have a fab Thursday, whatever you do & wherever you are :o)

Half way through . . .

June already ? Heaven's to Murgatroyd - whatever happened to May ?? I swear it ran past the minute I closed my eyes :o) At this rate, Christmas will be here before we know it !! :o) 

 

However, taking advantage of the lovely days we've been having,  I took an early evening wander around the garden over the weekend - or was it towards the end of last week ? I can't remember. There's so much going on here at the moment, what with himself having lady callers every day, some who want his blood, some who unwrap parts of him & wrap them back up again & some who put drugs into him :o) If it wasn't for them, he'd be lying in a hospital bed, so thank goodness for the Hospital at Home team & the District Nurses, I say :o)

 

Anyway - where was I ? Oh yes, wandering around the garden :o)

 

I love Aquilegia & over the past few years, I have gathered the seed heads from the 3 or 4 plants that I originally bought & I've just scattered them throughout the garden. I have also been known - ahem - to be a bit naughty & if I've seen an Aquilegia seed head popping up over a wall, or poking through a fence panel, I've grabbed the seed head & scurried off home with it. Now, just to be clear - I have never gone into someone's garden & swiped a seed head, I've only taken the ones that would have fallen on the pavement & been trodden on, lost forever.

 

Consequently, I now have a lovely little collection of them.

 

This one is almost a skin colour with the deeper pink inner & green edging.

 

 The dark red one has petals that almost look folded.

 

 I THINK, but I'm not sure, so don't quote me on it - but I think this is the Nora Barlow Aquilegia. from a distance, it looks black.

 

 This pale pink remind me of the colour of little girls ballet dresses :o)

 

 Another delicate pink one, with inner leaves of pink & white.

 

 This one is almost white. Most of them hang from tall stems & fall like bells, their insides facing downwards.

 

 This one is a cream colour with a beautiful pale lilac insice.

 

 White, with just a hint of pink on the outer petals.

 

 This is one of my favourites - it's a gorgeous lemon-green colour & from a distance, is a splash of brightness amongst the darker pinks & purples.

 

 This deeper pink looks lovely against the dark green leaves of other plants around it.

 

 It's amazing to see how different the same plant can be :o) This little deep purple flower is almost black & it looks just like a ruffled skirt.

 

 Another ruffled skirt type flower, this time in purple & with a lovely lemon centre.

 

 This is another of my favourites, the very pale outer leaves, with the lilac colour inner leaves leading to the creamy colour centre.

 

 And lastly, another deep pink one.

 

About three quarters of the way up my garden, I have a flower bed that is mostly Aquilegia & when the flowers are all open & swaying in the breeze, it really is a wonderful sight. Mother Nature has given us so many beautiful things :o)

 

Talking about Christmas - as I was at the start of this blog post - I think I'd better take some pics of the cards I've made recently. It's been a while since I did & as the year IS almost half way through, I'd better get a shufty on :o)