Clover Yard

Beading on a sunny afternoon

Wow, I've been sooo productive today.  Must be the sun, it has recharged me.  I've spent a very content afternoon beading at the table outside.  I wanted to make something summery and with these lovely glass beads, including some rose quartz, I came up with the following...

Now I just need an outfit to go with it! 

These below started off as necklaces but I thought they were a bit fussy so I finished them off as bracelets. The heart charm was actually from a pair of ear-rings but I found them a little heavy and borderline Pat Butcher (cockney soap character for my friends outwith the UK!), so, I thought I'd reuse and recycle!...

This one's my favourite...

The flower heads for my "photo shoot" are courtesy of our lovely Clematis growing at the front door.  I am trying to train it into a heart shape (aww) but I think it needs a bit of a haircut! 

Finally, to round off a lovely day, I potted up some window boxes...

I think I've earned that glass of wine now, don't you?  Have a lovely weekend all. x

Ahoy! finish something won't you

When I first considered starting a blog I had thought it would help me to be more creative and constructive with my time.  I know that I am happiest and most content when I am either playing around with graphics on the computer or pottering with plants and flowers.  Problem is, I very rarely finish anything!  I get caught up in the process, and while I love it, I'm sure I'm missing out on some of the satisfaction that goes with looking at an end product and saying, I made that.  Know what I mean?

Last July, for example, I made a feeble attempt to design a party invitation for my son's 3rd birthday, which evolved into a birthday card and then another (cos I felt I had to create a girl one too) and then several badge designs later I just stopped short of designing a matching t-shirt!  And on my desktop it has stayed ever since.  I ended up running out of time to get them printed and bought something half-heartedly from a shop.  Shame really, as I'd spent so much time on it all and it was personal in that I'd had the image of my little boy dressed as a pirate as I drew it. 

So this is me kicking my derriere to get it out there, if only on this post.  Who knows, perhaps the shame of me seeing it up here will get the whole process going and I'll actually get them printed.  Maybe little boy wouldn't mind them for his 4th birthday party? 

 

 

My latest craze!

Now, I know these aren't a new concept amongst you uber-creatives, but humour me please as I have another shuffle through my very first moo cards.  Aren't they fab!  For all you moo-virgins out there, the mini cards are about half the width and roughly the same length of a business card and you can get 100 different images printed for a mere £9.99 (I uploaded photos straight from my Flickr pages).  Plus, you can have any info you want printed on the back.  I think I could become addicted.  I feel like my three year old with his Ben 10 top trump cards; I am a little possesive of them and have to take them out of their box every 5 minutes to see if they are all still in order.  I did, however, manage to part with about half of them and send them off to the lovely bride and groom from the wedding on Iona a fortnight ago.  I punched a little hole and threaded through some ribbon to use one of the cards as a gift tag which I must say, was very effective.  Stickers and postcards here I come.  I'm going to moo the world!  (Give it time, it will pass).

Flat batteries and paper doves

Sunday.  Mmmmm...my favourite day of the week.  Magazines, bacon rolls, pyjamas and endless cups of tea are the order of the day.  I am doing my best to relax having endured a mini "adventure" yesterday evening when my car broke down in the middle of a retail park and I had to wait til near 8pm until I was rescued!  I had no mobile phone, the shops were all closing and I had very little cash on me.  Note to self to toughen up and be more prepared for such events in the future.  Anyway, made it back and spent the remainder of the evening thawing out and watching Monster-in-law - chewing gum for the brain but enjoyable all the same.  (Loved that courtyard garden of Jennifer Lopez's character).  Of course Jane Fonda was nothing like my real mother-in-law.

It was lovely reading all the valentine's inspired blogs during the week.  In particular the post over at Keeper of the Chocolates really struck a chord.  I couldn't get the Oriah Mountain Dreamer poem out of my head and could completely relate to the writer about the desire to connect with people on a deeper level, really scratch the surface and not feel compelled to turn away or run from the raw emotions.  The whole post was quite moving and the little movie is just so, so beautiful. 

On a creative note, I spent an enjoyable hour or so re-dressing some paper white doves I'd picked up in a charity shop.  They were covered in Christmas tinsel and all sorts but I thought they'd look much nicer simply decorated with some paper flowers.  I think they look quite pretty...

Have a lovely Sunday evening, I'm off to put the kettle on. x

My wee scrap

This is my first attempt at some digital scrapbooking.  I'm quite pleased with the result.  It's also reminding me that it won't be cold and rainy forever, in fact, I'm struggling to accept that I did actually take this photograph in Scotland!  The surfer curls are gone now but he's still my little ray of sunshine.