Planning Ahead

Dazzling sunshine streams through the windows and on the table potted daffodils help to ring in the first day of spring. The sun, the sun has returned. What a blessing! It has a bit of that wonderful radiating fierceness to it too, even though today is crisp and cold. But we have stepped over winter into spring and there's no turning back.

Out in the woods, they are busy at the sugar camp where the maple syrup flows. It's time for a hearty breakfast. (I am thinking tomorrow morning.) I have visions of eggs and pancakes dancing through my head.  Although I rarely have maple syrup, it does have a myriad of health benefits.  I recently read that they are thinking of using it to enhance the potency of antibiotics.

My seed order arrived, so I am making plans for my containers. These seeds are from the amazing floret flower farm. I am expecting great things, especially since I read that the sweet peas will grow from 6 to 8 feet. Wow! They require full sun which I don't have, but I do have morning sun and hopefully that will be enough to spark the process. If not, well I know a few people that might be persuaded to plant a few seeds in their garden. After all, who could resist?
Love-In-A Mist looks like another wonder, along with Icelandic and Shirley poppies and malope.

Currently reading floret's wonderful book. I'd love to take the gardening course, but then I would need at least an acre of land to cultivate that dream.

The pottery: a flea market find from the weekend.

                                                Along with these salt dishes or, salt cellars.

                                              As you can see, I've been working with paperclay again. I've made a few small dishes and these will be needle minders.

    I love to draw on small cards. I may get a few of these printed. I am slowly planning my order.

'Til next time... Enjoy your early spring or fall weekend. . .  
 
                                                                        Cultivate your Dreams.
                        

Changes

 Hi there,

As you can see, I've made a few changes. Call it a blog lift. It's scary. There's hardly any blue left in sight! (If you are new here, I readily admit to being crazy about blue.)  I don't even like to use a black pen, and will walk a mile to find a blue one. Although for easy reading, I usually type with black/grey ink in blog land. I occasionally draw with a black pen but it's difficult for me. In loving blue,  I am not alone. Survey says: blue is the favourite colour. Period! What a slap in the face to one's concept of uniqueness, but, then again, we are all kindred spirits at heart.  It seems my original blue scheme lost the plot next the snowscape pic, so red lettering it is until spring arrives, or until I have a change of heart.
Speaking of colour, I've been craving it. So here we go...

                             Standard January fare...tulips and daffodils. Puts a spring in my step.

 I always hope for a cool spring so that I can stroll by the neighborhood gardens to stare at the tulips.  If it's too warm, they fizzle. Stunted and struggling, they take on that sad this is it look.

* Tip of the day. For cut tulips, drop in a few ice cubes into the vase now and then to cool down their  toes. They love it!

Back in the day, (And a very long day ago it was--say early 17th century.) you could trade the farm, furniture, implements, and your animals for a tulip bulb. (Think Jack and the Bean stock.) Wouldn't the wife and family be pleased? Fortunes were made and lost. It sounds a bit more romantic than  pork belly futures, and once the craze hit, it hit. M-A-N-I-A! "Step right up, secure your future, buy a tulip bulb!" It's a good thing that I was not alive at that time. She did what, son? Yes, mother you heard it right. She sold the farm for a tulip bulb. Rack and ruin! 
That wifee though, she doth protest:  But, but, BUT I must have beauty!!!

 The movie, Tulip Fever will be released next month. I'll be watching.

  Here in Canada, Maple Leaf Tulips will be popping up all over this spring

               in honour of Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation.  (Top row second and third from left on the link page are prime examples.) They are so pretty and were, of course, bred to resemble the flag.

Yet another reason I'm looking very forward to the Tulip Festival in Ottawa ~ Gatineau in May.                                                                                  Not until May, you say? Pity!                                                                  "Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." Luther Burbank                            Purple for royalty. That's how it used to be. Purple cloth was too expensive                            for mere mortals way back when the dye was cast from sea shells.  Amaryllis.  A never fail winter favourite of mine. They are easy and fun to grow. Every  year I hope to find different colours.  Besides being beautiful.  They also hold the keys. 💗                               I love old keys, and have recently started a collection.  I sometimes wonder  who carried them, which clocks were wound nightly and by whom, or which house doors they  locked and unlocked.  I'm not certain the skeleton key on the right is old though, but a keeper it is.                                          After Christmas, I try to catch the Amaryllis sales. I can't resist. Such a lovely blooms and what a colour. (Looks like I may have nailed the colour  on the breast of the little bird below. Who knew? Serendipity!) * "Flowers don't worry about how they are going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light. And that makes them beautiful." Jim Carrey  I started this little painting on the wrong side of a bit of scrap paper. It's difficult to tell which  side is the right side if it's not marked, but I didn't have a plan...simply the time and the will  to create something.                       "With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy."                                                                   Oscar Wilde                                                             Did he mention birds? A line drawing in basic black and white with a touch of red thrown in. Arches scrap paper--frayed edges and all.                                            "I must have flowers, always and always." Claude Monet Truly a man after my heart. 'Til next time...

Watercolour ~ Rose Hips

 I recently picked these rose hips along the road side. It was a blustery day and I didn't have anything to cut them with, but, thankfully, after a lot of tugging they came free. Obviously, they survived the winter under a warm blanket of snow.
 When I was finally ready to paint, the rose hips had lost what was left of the round plump look, but I like to have a real plant for reference.
As you can see, as the light changes in a room so does the colour and shadow areas of whatever plant that you might be using as a guide. I thought about adding a grey shadow underneath the rose hips but decided to leave it. However, it would add a touch of realism.

Because I used heavy paper, which is difficult to cut, I didn't have the nerve to try and deckle the top edge so I left it.

Next: a Trillium. I'd like to paint a few more cards for Easter...a daffodil and a rose?  Perhaps. I haven't quite decided yet.


Thanks for reading along...Enjoy the week.

Ready to Wear

I finally finished the shawl that I began knitting in December. I don't own blocking wires, but after knitting and blocking several shawls I am getting faster at the block out, and I enjoy it now that I've gotten used to the smell of wet wool, which I vividly remember from snowy childhood walks. Well almost...I wear a mask.

What's not to like about this pattern? I love the knit-on edging and the pattern is beautifully written. That makes me wildly happy because a well written pattern makes knitting fun and so much easier, and emphatically states that the designer, in this case, Carolyn, of Carolyn Knits really cares about her product and loves her work!

 You can find my Raverly project page and a few more pics here.

* * *

Think Spring!

Heads up! As you can see, I am thinking about spring.  And since the groundhog didn't see his shadow on February 2nd, I reckon it will happen soon. Ha! Well, officially in 6 weeks... ~ I will leave you with a tip that I read somewhere. To keep the heads on your cut tulips from drooping push a straight pin through the stem a wee bit down from the flower head; remove pin and continue until all tulips have been pierced.  Because tulips like the cold, I drop a few ice cubes into the water now and then as well. P. S.  The envelope I bought for the draw on the  Feb. 15th just needs an address that will be chosen on that day with the help of a random number generator.  Good luck!  Click the GYB post on the sidebar for details. Have A Happy Valentine's Day! ♥ ♥ ♥