I live, I love, I craft, I am me...: June 2018

29/06/2018

June's Link up Party!

Welcome to June's Scavenger Hunt Link up Party ! Are you ready? Then let's get started - just add your name and let the party begin :)

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June's scavenger photo hunt pictures

Yellow

Last month I had another guest word supplier - my eldest son, who rattled off a quick fire list. He was so quick that I just typed down the words. Then I checked them - he had repeated a couple words from previous months so with a bit of thought they were replaced.

However, I missed yellow ... but Jayne-eagle-eyes from The view from Bag End quickly spotted that! Even reminding me which month it had been (ok ok - brownie points for that one in the post!! chuckle xx) The funny thing is - I am not even keen on the colour! So, as a 'desensitising' exercise for me - here is LOTS of yellow (just for Jayne coz I love her xx)

Starts with a T

Tongue! Our dilly dog, when napping after a run out, falls asleep with her tongue sticking out.....

Lilac

Not going for the obvious - especially as I pruned my lilac rather enthusiastically and I suspect it won't flower this year - however, it's new clipped shape is FaBulOus! So, here for your lilac delight - a close up of an allium, in the right shade, happily flowering away - they have done so well this year.

Starts with a G

Years ago, when my boys were small, Youngest was given a craft box complete with a garden gnome and a set of paints. He carefully painted the gnome, then gave it to me. I treasure him.

He now, resplendent in his faded colours, stands in the greenhouse watching over my vegetables.

Silver

My birthday was at the beginning of June and my dear Himself gave me a silverclay kit - it took me three weeks to build up the courage to actually make my first piece. After a few false starts and mini panics - I made a silver hawthorn leaf. Definitely something I want to do again - can only get better with each attempt! (this image is at the silverclay slip stage - still grey and wet).

My own Choice

This is a merry-go-round book case. I have it now, but it has been a loved piece of furniture with at least three of my friends over the last few decades. It shows it's years beautifully, the scratches and dints in the wood only add to the charm. It has, however, always had a delicate background scent of machine oil and I have only recently found out that one of it's many owners had it in a machinery workshop to keep his tools safe. I love knowing it's history - makes it all the more interesting. I suspect the bookcase has found it's forever home with us.

There, that is June wrapped up - off to see what you lovely lot have been up to ! xxxx

24/06/2018

Sunset at The Old Oil Prospecting Road

In the badlands somewhere 'wild north west' (uk), there are rolling hills and vast plains where native birds shriek and soar on the swirling breeze.

A lonely road laid down years ago winds deeper and deeper into the seemingly barren and rugged expanse.

Each step we take kicks up dust as the dog runs on ahead, scouting for water*. All around us the sea of grass swells and falls beneath the cutting evening breeze.

A lonely oasis fringed by irises and moorland grasses is a welcome gift for a thirsty dog**. As she quenches her dust dry dog throat, I scan the horizon and see the rocky outcrop where we are heading.

The trail stops and we leave step on to tussocky ankle-twisting grasses and stumble across a moorland plain.

Overhead the sky turns from a clear bright blue to a softer shade with slender slivers of gold and silver cloud slicing through.

The jutting milstone grit boulders loom stoutly as we reach them - their dark weather warn sandstone flecked with quartz. It is a relief to shelter against them, feeling the reflected warmth from the day's sun as we escape the chill breeze.

Himself opens the chuck wagon and breaks into the rations - tea and lemon drizzle cake for all the trail hands. Biscuits for the trail hound.

The more surefooted trail crew explored the stones, while I tracked the moon, capturing it between the rough rocks and behind Himself.

Then it is time to return, before it is too dark to see, we retrace our steps through the stretch of moorland grasses back to the track.

Stopping at the centre where the nodding donkey would have stood - in the days of oil prospecting.

We continue - the eerie cries of the birds carry on the wind echoing around us. The sky turning to honey.

So - instead of an oil rush - we found gold - a more beautiful and glorious gold in them thar hills.

*Moss, although a pure bred border collie thinks she is a Labrador in disguise - she loves swimming and will actively run on ahead to find that all essential river or pond to leap into.

** Youngest always carries a bottle of water and a bowl for the dog, so don't worry, no thirsty dogs were harmed in the making of this evening walk

***There really was oil prospecting in our neck of the ~~moorlands~~ woods - In 1962 the Continental Oil Company of Texas was granted permission to drill for oil in the area and this road is the one they built to reach the site.

Now you know!

21/06/2018

Oak to Holly - Solstice blessings

Good morning.

Solstice blessings,

may you fall in love with life

and the sun shine on you today xx

My garden is gently rattling

to the buzz and hum

of the bumblebees and hoverflies

A heady scent drifts down the path

and into the house,

the climbing roses have

woken up with perfect timing.

Despite the cool early morning air

I have opened the doors,

letting in the outside as much as possible.

It will be hard concentrating today,

I know I will keep looking out of the studio windows,

keep wandering through the garden.

In places, after yesterday's rain,

the garden is still damp with jewel-like water diamonds,

each one catching the light and reflecting back.

It is a precious time of year -

celebrating mid summer,

celebrating Litha,

watching the bees

dancing.

May the sun shine for you today.

15/06/2018

Racing the winds

Yesterday blew old air away and brought in a fresher cooler feel.

Yesterday - I wrap my arms tightly around my bag as I am blown down the garden path. The cats run on ahead, ears flat to their heads and whiskers fly around their faces. we reach the gate, the dog pushes it open and we tumble through.
Still being buffeted about, all four of us head for the shelter of my studio. One cat submerges herself in the undergrowth - vanishing from sight, while the other looks accusingly at me as I fumble with the key - her tail flips up and over her back while her fur ripples like blown wheat across a small and furry field.

Door open we fall in - relief. Leaves and pine needles follow too - seemingly they have had enough of the wind and try to escape along with us.

I shut the door, Pepper falls upon her emergency-in-the-studio-biscuits - it has been a long 30 seconds since her last feasting. Moss seeks the sanctuary of her bed-box - relieved to be out of the wind. Pan merges with the garden and relishes being 'at one with the wind and the sky' and has become a 'wildthing'.

Brushing my hair out of my eyes as I watch the garden twist a tortured swaying dance to the tune of Storm Hector. My alliums stretching to their full length - their pompom heads acting as sails catch the wind and decide to lie horizontal. My eye is caught by the large conifer my studio hides behind. He sways a slow and ponderous movement and I wonder briefly (before I quickly push that thought out) if he fell, how much my studio would lift as his rootplate tore out of the ground. I ask him gently if he could remain windfirm, only swaying to Hector's music and not taking a tumble.

fuzzy photo - thanks Hector for bumping into me

My head is full of ideas I want to put on slate, wood or paper so arming myself with a mug of tea, a paintbrush and a cat on my lap - I start.

A border collie start to emerge off the brush, a hare is mesmerised by a golden sunset, sheep appear on the grassy fields, rustic wooden signs take on life. (and yes, I do paint several things at the same time - so at any one moment I can have up to 6 or 7 paintings waiting for the next step).

There is a constant change over of cats - they go in and out of the studio, fortified by biscuits, invigorated by the blustery air they keep themselves busy. The wind has put the birds off so I don't worry that Pepper will attempt 'a rescue' of any fledglings as they flutter around the garden.

My day flies as fast as the wind and soon it is time to round up the girls and usher them back inside, they are reluctant to go however, as soon as we are home - the cats find somewhere to nap and the dog stretches out on the carpet. We are all blustered out. Hector however is still full of energy and blows on.

Gentle reminder that you are more than welcome to join in our Scavenger Photo Hunt - the list of words is always at the top right of my blog and it will always have the posting date.

There are some equally gentle rules - the photos do not have to be current, they can be something from your archives and we try to 'look out of the box', so if the word is 'SPRING' it can mean ... for example ...

A coiled rusty spring from an old tractor
The season of spring - so could be lambs or daffodils
A source of water - a well
A movement or action - springing into action
A mathematical term - a geometric surface in the shape of a helically coiled tube (don't worry - I had to look this one up!)
Spring tide - as in oceanography, the maximum tide, occurring twice a month during the full and new moon
As part of a name - of a book you have read, a band you like to listen to, a song you love.

So you see - one word means so much to so many different folk - we are spoilt for choice :)

You can join in each month or only when you are inspired, you can be from anywhere, any country, any county - you are more than welcome. All you have do is post your photos, a bit of a story with each one and then add your blog on the 'Link up Party' then we can all come and find you and your post.

Welcome to our little corner of the world xx

12/06/2018

Ooh you foxy thing!

I am (ashamedly) quite into my social media. Probably a little more than I should be. However, according to the boffins, I am part of the growing raft of the more mature user while the younger (and previously thought of) more typical user - is drifting off to other more 'snappy', 'instant' and 'what on earth is up' type social networking platforms.

Any hoo - where this is leading is to the fact, I comment and chat within the various media platforms and over the years have 'met' and made friends with people far and wide. Susan - you are one good example of a 'far-away-friend' :)

I have been following a felting page which makes me smile when I see the fuzzy creatures appear, especially as I have such a soft spot for not only the fuzzy-ness of them but what is being created. Foxes, squirrels, bumblebees and rabbits. So, when I left a comment on a June post - I found I was lucky enough to have won this wonderful fellow ...