The Last Days of April

Hello Lovelies,

is it me or does the year seem to be speeding up right now?

I love this time of year so much that just want to stop the clock for a bit sometimes. That being impossible, I just have to satisfy myself with getting outdoors with my little purple camera as often as possible. Capturing the moment to share with you lovelies, and to look back on fondly in the dark days of winter.

Even when there is obviously rain on the horizon I'm out, relishing the colour and the drama.......... 

Last Sunday morning I had an idyllic walk with my troubled friend. Her relationship breakdown may still be raw, but I was so happy to see her feeling a bit more positive.

Natures beauty was not invisible to her now........that made me so happy........

because it is such a joy to me. Especially when there are flowers on the trees......

And flowers on the woodland floor............

And flowers by the bench where we enjoyed a rest and a snack...........

The sunlight shining through these Tulips was wonderful....they looked so delicate and like they were lit from within............

At home I've been enjoying these cheerful pink and yellow Tulips on my mantle........

But I can't show you much of our home ( or any craft) .....it's looking rather neglected due to my yearning to spend as much time as possible outdoors!

On Thursday I was out with the walking group as usual. I do feel blessed to have time in my life to indulge myself with this treat almost every week.

It was another lovely walk...hard to follow LAST WEEKS perfection.......but still a treat.The thing I loved most were the stone houses.

 Living in the land of red brick ( which does have a certain charm) it always makes me happy to see stone houses. And they look especially pretty at this time of year, with flowers around the door..........

 As we walked through this village every home was delightful and I snapped away madly..... at little windows with net curtains.........

large, characterful houses........

Thatched cottages........

And pretty homes, where the garden path is bordered by bright red Tulips ............

I think this was my favourite....I love all the different coloured stone....and the bright red front door.......

I do LOVE a cosy looking home.

Today it's raining heavily here and my own home is in need of some TLC.....I'll make a start. But then  I'm off to walk to the shop for lemons.....I need THIS cake today....sunshine in a tin :0)

Enjoy your Sunday Lovelies.
Jacquie x

This weeks drawing....A Little House

Hello Lovelies,

 Last year we visited a local scarecrow weekend. I think these are quite common nowadays so hopefully you know what I'm talking about . You buy a form and wander around guessing who the scarecrows are meant to look like, and it all raises money for a good cause.

I do like have a bit of fun guessing the scarecrows but the fact that they are situated in a wonderfully pretty village is the main attraction for me. 

Just look at this cottage with it's pretty windows, cute little door and beautiful garden....for me it's just about perfect..........

So I thought I would have a go at drawing it, taking the mugs I shared in THIS post as my main inspiration.

And this is how it turned out......

Eeek, I LOVE it ♥ You can click on the picture to make it bigger

 I think the reason I'm so pleased with this picture is that I took the plunge and used a pen to draw over the pencil sketch before adding the colour. It was a bit scary to begin with ( I like to be able to rub out mistakes)   and it meant it took much longer before I could get out the colours ( My favourite bit ). In fact this is an erasable pen so I was still playing safe .........

 But I really love the result. It's much easier  to add lots of little details , and I'm thinking little details are my thing .......

There's  tiny Tom Tit on the chimney pot .........




And the wisteria is in flower.....

Once again I've changed things a bit to ( hopefully ) make it especially attractive, and add interest. Like the curtains...loved doing those .....and all the different flowers..........

Mum's tips I employed in this picture were to add a bit more colour to the top of the sky and to have the garden gate open , to make it look more welcoming and not create a barrier in the picture.
I am ridiculously pleased with this drawing....It's my favourite so far and I will be using the combination of pen and pencil again.
When I had finished this drawing I looked at it and thought....did I do that ?

I'm so glad I bought those thrifted mugs, the artist who designed them was Sue Scullard....sorry should have included that fact in my original post.
Hope your week is a pleasant one and thank you again  for all your wonderful comments.
Jacquie x

Little Houses

Hello , how are you ?

the weather is foggy and cold here at the moment, perfect to pop on your apron and spend some time in the kitchen , then treat yourself to a nice hot cup of tea.

I picked up this mug, well two similar mugs , in the charity shop a few months ago.........

I couldn't resist the wonderfully detailed houses on them, here's a close up of the one I'm holding in the first picture........

I simply love all the detail , like all the gorgeous flowers and look at that roof......perfect.
Here is the other side.......can you see the cat and the milk bottles on the doorstep........

 Aren't they lovely.
 The other one is just as gorgeous, but with a seaside setting, love this harbour scene.....

I've always has a bit of a passion for old  houses and my computer holds many images of them that I've snapped over the years , so today I've been enjoying searching out a few to share here. Most of them will have featured in previous posts, but I hope you lovelies  don't mind indulging me in a little house love.

Around here the main building material is red brick, I think old brick buildings are so lovely........

Especially on  a sunny autumn day, when the blue sky contrasts with the warm earthy tones........

Or in the winter snow..........

I love the slightly shabby , patched up look of really old cottages........

And of course I have a soft spot for the stone houses of my native Yorkshire......

Painted houses are another favourite, especially in summer, with roses around the door..........

I like places where all the houses are different and I love rooftops and chimney pots.........

What a bonus when they face onto cobbled streets......

and amazing gardens.........

Their  cute outbuildings are gorgeous too........

When I was a child my favourite thing to draw were houses, I guess because they are quite simple shapes.

They would look a bit like this felt picture I made a couple of years ago ( inspired by the super talented Melissa Crowe )

My own Mum has painted some gorgeous houses in her time, like this one recent one in acrylics.......

And I have already had a go at drawing buildings.

 This week I'm enjoying working on a  another house drawing , inspired by all of the above images, oh and also THESE wonderful Collages by Amanda White, she also has a blog HERE
Hope you are feeling inspired in which ever creative activity you are enjoying at the moment.
Jacquie x

One day at the Dentist.....

It was back in January to be precise ,I picked up a lovely magazine in the waiting room......



The February issue of Period Homes Magazine ( They have up to date magazines !)
My attention was grabbed by the " homes with a heart " caption . I had just started reading a lovely article about a Derbyshire Cottage when my name was called ..noooooo..
Luckily when I was in the supermarket later that week I spotted the same magazine and popped it in my trolley so I could finish admiring this gorgeous home !!

How lovely is this ?



I wish my bedroom looked like this...



..and the little people slept here....




What I really loved about this home though is that it has taken since 1992 to get it to this stage and it's all been done on a strict budget . The owners Phil and Phillipa Heath have done most of the work themselves.They have sourced furnishings from reclamation yards,house sales,hand-me-downs and skips. I am envious of such a sense of style !!
Have a look a the dinning room with all its' mis-matched but totally gorgeous furniture.....



While studying this lovely image I noticed a poster on the wall ,hiding behind an Easter tree . It's not easy to see on the photo due to the photo going across two pages . It says...

"I love you more than cherry pie " perfect !!

so cute and not too soppy ,don't you think ?

In an ideal world I would have .a) the time and b) the skill to made a lovely embroidery picture that says this but unfortunatly I have niether.So.......



I made this instead !! It's a bit wonky but hopefully that adds to the charm !?!
It hangs on my kitchen wall and makes me smile :0)

Jacquie x