Fifty Shades of Yellow!

Crazy Daffodil ... Rip van Winkle

Marsh Marigolds at the edge of my pond

Golden Crocus all around

Winter Aconites holding on for the Spring

Cowslips on the bank by my pond

Primroses in my woodland glade

Iris winogradowii - paler than the earlier danfordiae

Celandine with bronze leaves ... Brazen Hussy

Crocus Cream Beauty

My garden goes through phases of colour.  Mid March seems to be its yellow phase!  Even the butterflies are on message, with Brimstones fluttering by whenever the sun appears.  Sadly my photography skills are not good enough to cope with the speed at which they move.  Flowers are easier ... they sit still!

Friday Felt

Felt Vessels

These I made a while ago.  I've brought them out again because the colours were based on flowers I have in the garden right now - snowdrops and crocuses.
I went through a felt phase some years ago and still have all the gear, but it is such a physical process and I'm basically such a lazy crafter that I very rarely feel moved to do anything other than cover a few pebbles these days.
Making felt really needs to be done standing up and calls for lots of energetic pummeling and whilst I do enjoy the scent of the olive oil soap I find I'd really rather be sitting in a comfy chair and stitching.

Wordless Wednesday

Summer Stitching

With all the sunshine we've had over the past few days I've been tempted to take a frame out into the garden for some counted thread work.  I've completed the design but it'll probably have to wait until the autumn to be made into something.  A cushion perhaps.



Magnolia



Lysichiton



I enjoy making embroideries in three dimensions and a stroll round my garden has given me inspiration for two new vessels.  I have a lot of work ahead!

Is it Spring at Last?

We're past the Ides, the equinox is just around the corner and finally there are signs of Spring.  Magnolia buds turning from grey to green, one or two flowers opening on the forsythia and bright green leaf buds on the quince.  We've had groups of snowdrops, including my lovely Wendy's Gold, a whole mass of crocuses opening to greet any fleeting rays of sun, hellebores, early daffs and mini irises.  But it hasn't felt like Spring till now.
Walking through the garden this morning I spied a few violets adding their colour to cyclamen and aconites, and the great delight of fat, pointy buds on my clumps of those glorious Rip Van Winkle daffs.  Topolino and Tete-a-Tete are already out and, of course, they are lovely and most welcome, but they can't compete in the joyousness stakes with the unique, multi-petalled, golden heads of Rip Van Winkle.