The Royal Wedding.

The embroidery. It's hip to be an embroiderer, at last!


The wedding highlights.



My favourite picture of the day!


All about the wedding dress.


The worst dressed.

Violas.

They survived all through the winter and are still growing strong. Look at them here in March and now almost at the end of April.
They're obviously fed and watered, happy and healthy out in the porch.



So, every time I pass the front door, why do I feel like they're watching me?
Saying, "Can we come in. Just let us in."




"NOW!"

'earthtones'

Finished at last!!!

Easter Day.

Posh chocolate eggs - a present from my sister,Claudia. Don't they look lovely - almost too nice to open - but I can't resist!

Recycling.

I decided to recycle my Christmas competition box...



....and changed it into a coffee cake!

Good Friday.

Easter nests. YUM! YUM!

ODE FROM A TOWER

Text from my bro-in-law this morning.

'Another gorgeous day here, temperature 14 already. It is a pleasure to be in work looking at the sun on the hills, makes me want to write a poem!!'

So I set him a challenge!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dark green, light green, brown and grey,
Blue above to start the day.

Mist is clearing, breeze is light,
Wonder if there'll be a flight.

Runways checked and radio on,
Telephone calls? As yet none.

Temperature climbs and trails appear,
The blue is no longer quite so clear.

Criss cross lines come and go,
Fluffy clouds begin to grow.

Telephone rings, pen in hand,
Could someone want to land?

Alas it would appear not yet,
A recorded voice wants to manage my debt!

Electricians, security and fire vehicles call,
As for planes though, none at all.

Four hours gone, the rules say break,
Thirty minutes rest I have to take.

Back again, answerphone clear,
Perhaps flying has become too dear.

Downhill now, not long to go,
Then things to do, I have seeds to sow.

Has my day been all in vain?
Have I had to use my brain?

Does it matter? It's been relaxing,
Tomorrow may be much more taxing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And he thought he wasn't creative!

Tin.

I covered this little tin with layers of tissue paper then glued on magazine scraps and coated it with varnish.The half of a butterfly wing came from a necklace and I coloured it with 'Sharpie' permanent pen.

I think it qualifies as an element. I looked it up here to make sure!





It made a perfect container for my rose petal beads

Afternoon Tea.

I'm thinking of how we can best display all the 'fake cakes' for our forthcoming exhibition. Afternoon Tea at The Ritz looks good, but I like chintz.
Photos taken at the Fairmont Royal York,Toronto. Not by me,unfortunately.

Flora.

Out and about whilst my sister and brother-in-law were visiting.

Ferns.



Yellow skunk cabbage.



Snakeshead Fritillary.



Violets.



All these wild flowers were spotted at Glenveagh National Park, Donegal.

Anniversary.

Yesterday was our 34th wedding anniversary. I had forgotten all about it until my husband appeared with a bouquet so big it needed two vases. I could have done with Anna, our flower arranging expert from Harmony Hill, to come and arrange them nicely.
I doubled up on the antihistamines, nasal spray and inhaler I'm taking for allergies and asthma and smiled appreciatively.

But, wait a minute! What's that pink stuff that the flowers come wrapped in? Isn't that like that Lutradur? Can't you paint and stitch it?

Clever Boy!!!

Putting on the Glitz.

As part of our Harmony Hill Craft Group outing we went to the Ulster Museum to see an exhibition of evening dresses and we were privileged to be shown around by Elise Taylor.








Couldn't fit into any of them!

Harmony Hill Craft Group Outing.

This is where we went.

Northern Ireland Embroidery Guild Exhibition at



Lunch at



Evening Dresses at the Ulster Museum



More later...

Decadent Dolls Workshop. Week Two.

I've been painting the heads of the dolls. I found this really fiddly and I guess it takes lots of practice to be an expert like Sue!



We made arms for the dolls from a plaster mould.




Next we made the bodies and the legs and stitched them all together.




Here are two ladies waiting for nose jobs, not quite finished yet!




Father bird ..work in progress!




I thought this was an excellent workshop, well worth the £40 for two Saturdays, 10am - 4pm. We all wanted more! Thanks to Sue who can be found at Mr Papers.

Mothering Sunday.