Surprise, Surprise........

Hello everybody...... late this afternoon I took a walk around the garden and found a couple of surprises.

It's been a somewhat chilly weekend here and a busy one to boot.

There's been coffee out with friends, soup making,a BBQ and a bonfire and No. 1's last gig before we head off at the end of the week.

It was nice to have some time to enjoy the beauty that is unfolding daily.

The Kale which I planted quite a few weeks ago, has started to put on some growth.

I thought the frosts may have finished it off, but it has survived..

In the 'plant pot graveyard' there are a few 

Grape Hyacinths bravely putting on a display.

This is the last year..... they're going into the garden by the Daffodils when they finish flowering.

I love the blue......

The Manchurian Pear is now in full flower and the leaves are starting to pop out here and there.......

On a sunny day a hum of bees busy themselves amongst the blossom.

It is a beautiful shape and quite a  size now.

I don't have the heart to chop off the lower branches.....

But it would certainly make mowing around it easier!!

The chooks enjoy scratching amongst the fallen leaves...

plenty of tasty treats to be found.

3 metres away there is another tree of the same variety and it has only just come into bud!

The flowering Quince is quite a tangle of branches and thorns but the beauty of the blossom seems to go on and on and on......

A skeletonized leaf...

delicate and beautiful in it's decaying state

The first surprise I found was this Hellebore.... a birthday gift to hubby.

 It was planted rather late and I didn't expect it to flower this season but it has settled in nicely and obviously quite happy living in the Wild Wood.

The markings are amazing.
 Next season we should get to enjoy quite a display from it....

Surprise number two...

What is this little plant?

From a distance I thought it was a weed but as I got closer I realised that it was actually a Bluebell....yes it certainly is.

 I  bought some bulbs some time ago and they sat on the laundry bench for quite a while.....till one day I managed to drag myself away from the sewing machine and out into the garden.

They were planted in the Wild Wood where I hope in time they will spread and create a carpet of blue.

Tough little plant that's for sure.

There are bunches of Jonquils yet to be picked and enjoyed before I go as they will have finished flowering by my return.

The pale, creaminess of the flowers and their perfume is divine. 

Surprise number three.......at first I thought the chooks had made a rather deep depression as they like to dust bathe in the garden, but on closer inspection I realised that some furry little critter has made itself at home right under our noses.

 I love cute, little, furry bunnies as much as anyone else BUT!! 

Now bunnies are not known for their cleverness.....just look at Peter, prime example....yes?

But this bunny must have  a death wish as this is one puddy tat

who won't put up with wabbits living on his patch...

So be warned bunnies!!

 And tigger lift your game!!

The burrow is to the left of the window

There's a busy week ahead of me and I'm sure the days will   merge into each other.

I'm finally packing up my Janome and all my sewing bits and bobs. The house has never looked so tidy, hehe.........

There are lists being made of things to do before I go and things to pack and take away with me.
Thankyou for all your suggestions of portable, crafty things to do whilst travelling...

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend, I would love to know what you've all been up to.
Any surprises?...

Thanks for visiting and take care,

Claire X
   

That's It For A Bit

Hello there, here we are middle of the week already!!!

Hope it's all going well for you and thanks for coming by for a visit.......I certainly appreciated your comments and travel tips on my last post. 

Please keep them coming if you think or hear of any more...

Let's back track to the weekend.

It should've been market day in Bright on Saturday...

 Friday was spent finishing off a couple of makes.

 Packing everything up, making sure I had price tags, float, everything recorded, car packed etc. etc. etc.

 Excitement building as I love doing the market in Bright.

Off to work Friday afternoon making a mental list of things to do when I got home....

Arrive home just after 8pm to find a message on the answering machine.....due to the muddy state of the park after all the rain the market has been called off!!

How deflating was that?

Oh well, the only thing to do was leave the car packed and do the Sunday morning market here in my little town.

It's been a little while since I did this market, but it was still enjoyable and it's a great place to catch up with people.

There were a few new makes on my stall and a Wildflower tea cosy found a new home very early in the day.

It started off rather foggy and cold, but eventually the sun decided to show it's face and bring a little warmth to the day.

Although it was quieter due to it being Winter, I was happy with sales. A few more pennies to put towards my holiday.

This is my last market till October, so I am packing up all my 'stuff' and tidying up the sewing room.

It's a very strange feeling, to be putting everything away and shutting down the production line.....

There were some very stylish canine visitors to the market and I couldn't help but take some pics.....

I think there could be a book published about all the different doggies that came out on Sunday morning.

The weather continues to chop and change here, blue sky and sunshine followed by grey clouds and squally rain showers.....

But the flowers keep popping up and I noticed there was one brave  blue Borage flower showing it's face .....

Different varieties of Wattle are lining the country roads and create a splash of colour on  a dull day.

 These pics are from plants growing in our tree belt.

 I love Wattle blossom...... delicate,golden, balls of fluff.

For some reason No. 1 son is a big fan of a bushy beard....

He has been trying for some time to grow a forest on his chin but it's a very slow process which doesn't show up too well in this pic. 

When he came to visit me at the market I just had to introduce him to Gary, my stall holder neighbour.....

Gary's aim was to grow a ZZ Top style of beard so he could tuck it into his belt!!

Nice to have a goal to aim for......

Tigger on the other hand doesn't have any goals.

He lives in the moment.... 

Things are slowing down on the crafting front here and gearing up for the holiday. 

Just under 2 weeks to go.....

I am writing lists and wondering how I will go being away from my trusty Janome for a month!!

What will I take with me to keep my hands busy, to feed the creative side of me?

I have a few little projects in mind, but would love to hear what you take away with you on trips if space is limited...

I like Denise's idea of a Busy Box

Catch you later,

 Claire

 ❉❉❉ 

Adventures of the Unexpected Kind.....Travel Tips Please

Hello everyone, here we are post Olympics.......

It's all over for another four years.

Did you follow them closely, keep tabs on the medal tally or it's not your thing!

My boys were very interested and I watched from a distance. But I have to say to all those who competed whether you were a medal winner or not

CONGRATULATIONS

 you are amazing.

The dedication and discipline needed to get to an Olympic games is way beyond me......

Now if it was the "Sewing Olympics' I might be in there with a chance, hehe.....

A dear friend of mine turned @#!* oooooh recently and was having a celebratory lunch with friends on the weekend.

Although we had all contributed towards a gift of 2 nights accom at a luxury hotel (which was on her bucket list) I decided to whip up a little something........

Knowing of her love of bright colours and  her green thumb, it wasn't too hard to put something together. 

Choosing fabrics and placing the pieces always takes the longest amount of time.

 After that it's pretty much finished in a short space of time.....

Whilst my sewing made the RHS of the jug appear a little wonky I was happy with how it turned out......

I also  made a heart and hanger from some wire and it's apparent 

that I need to work on my 'wire bending' skills.....but it does what I need it to do quite well.

It was a very pleasant lunch and I'm pleased to say the birthday girl was very excited with her 'bucket list' pressie and my little jug of flowers.

We are marching boldly towards Spring and the weekend was no exception.....18 degrees on Saturday.

I spent some time indoors sewing then after lunch put on the gardening garb, grabbed a bucket and gardening fork and off I went.

It was jackets off in the sunshine, but jacket on when a keen breeze blew in.....

View from the front gate.....

3 Prunus trees flowering across the road are pink dots in the distance.

'But what about the adventures of the unexpected kind?' I hear you asking...

Come the end of the month I will be packing a suitcase wishing mine was as cool as this one.....  

 image courtesy of www.projectgameday.blogspot.com

No.1 son will be swapping ear muffs for head phones.....

We will be swapping this view for......

This view....

 

Image courtesy Jerry Ferguson Photography

 ......and we'll be leaving on a jet plane or some such and heading over to the 'City That Never Sleeps'....... 

I know, I know, I can hardly believe it either!!

I have been sitting on this bit of news for a few weeks, hardly believing it to be true, but it seems as though it is......

Somebody pinch me please, I think I'm still dreaming.....

This will be a trip on a fairly tight budget so no chauffeur to drive us here there and everywhere hehe.....

I have been reading all sorts of info thanks to Mr. Google as well as blogs of recent visitors to NY, but would really like your input.....

So, do you have any recommendations girls?

Things I must definitely do,

 must see places,

best little cafes,

You know the sort of things that make a holiday that extra bit special.

While No.1 is busy in the studio, I plan to get out and about see the sights and then some.

I'm going to turn into a sponge and soak it all up.

One minute I am as excited as little kid and the next I am apprehensive and worried.

 How I will cope with the crowds and noise and the weather?

 It's in the low 30's over there and here, well, it's meant to be 11 deg on Friday.......

We will be there for 4 weeks staying in the one apartment, so a good base from which to explore......

Have you had any adventures of the unexpected kind recently?

I would love to hear about them......

Thanks for dropping by girls, I look forward to reading any travel tips you may have for me....

And a big 'Cooeee' to all new followers and thanks for clicking that button. 

I always enjoy your visits here at Sweet Birdy Love.

Take Care,

Claire 

♥♥

Inspiration is Blooming

Sunshine, rain, wind.....

A rainbow here, blue sky and sunshine over there and grey clouds looming

It's 9 degrees out, brrrr......

Surely it's Spring flexing her muscles....

Let's head indoors where it's warmer and....

SPRING

 is on my mind

Bright colours, 

polka dots, 

florals,

Snipping playing then stitching

Another WIP tea cosy.......

A little out of the usual for me.

 It needs a crocheted edging in blue and a polka dot lining....

The Manchurian Pear is in flower......

well one flower!!

If that's not proof that Spring is creeping up on us, I don't know what is!!

Better go throw another long on the fire.......

More projects on the go........

crocheted flowers blooming on my work table.

Reminding me of beautiful coloured Macaroons... yum

Sewing needle books.......more Daffodils and 

some stitched poetry.

Wild flower tea cosy....inspired by the swathes of wildflowers growing around the Olympic Stadium
(see previous post)

Views from outside

White winged Chough, looking for a tasty morsel in the chook run.

Chooks looking for a snack 

Japonica, it may be past it's prime, but it's still beautiful

Do the seasons inspire you to create?

Are they reflected in your work?

I'd love to know......thanks for visiting.

Joining in with other creative people over here and my tip for staying creative is:


Tuck a pen and book into your bag and when you're out and about doodle/draw/sketch something. 
It makes you take more notice of patterns, shapes, colours....
Have fun

Take Care,

Claire

☀☁☂♥

Flowers Everywhere .....❀❀❀❀❀

Hello girls, thought I better pop by and say 'Gidday'so you didn't think I had disappeared completely!!

We've been keeping up to date with the Olympics here.

I watched the opening ceremony when it was replayed last Saturday afternoon at a more respectable hour!!

It was amazing.... 

I can't imagine the hours of planning and all the rehearsals that went in to bringing it all together.

Well done Great Britain......

Anyhoo, some inspiration has been found in the Olympics.....

No I'm not planning on donning on the lycra and dusting off the rusty treadley or taking to the pool... 

I'm talking floral inspiration girls....

❀❀❀❀❀ 

How gorgeous are the swathes of wildflowers growing around the Olympic Stadium?

 Pics courtesy  Daily Mail UK

Cornflowers    Poppies    Ox Eye Daisies

are just a few that have found their way onto my latest tea cosy.

Started late this afternoon it isn't finished yet.

 Just needs a few more flowers, leaves, seed heads etc.

Partial back view

I also have to send a 'shout out' to Anne over at Andamento for her part in this moment of inspiration, along with many other UK bloggers......

 Beautiful photographs of the countryside taken on Anne's weekend bike rides almost have me reaching for my passport......

If you haven't discovered her blog yet, pop over for a visit. By the way she's a dab hand at this crochet thing too.......

I've been out in the garden again this week.

 More weeding, pruning roses and shifting a couple around (fingers crossed they survive).......

Below:- a favourite oak tree

 Japonica, growing on the roadside 

Hardenbergia 'Happy Wanderer'growing 

over an old tree stump on the verge

Hellebores in the Wild Wood......

Still picking posies of Violets for my bedside table.

They're just starting to flower....

and somebody has been sneaking around outside.....

Jack Frost perhaps?.....

Today was a chilly one here 12 deg. I found it hard to get warm all day. Unfortunately, the wood heater was out this morning and being the first one up and about in the household......you get the picture I'm sure!!

But I can assure it's cranking away this evening...

There's a definite change in the air and I'm sure Spring isn't too far away..... or maybe that's just wishful thinking....

Anyway, I'll keep dreaming of beautiful wild flowers and warm sunny days as I throw another log on the fire....

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.

Always good to hear from you.......

Claire 

♥♥♥