August Begins

A week away is a nice break from the usual routine, but I'm happy to be back home.

Here's the view from our balcony. I love that arbor covered in vines!

The hydrangea were huge and beautiful.

Looking south toward the ski hills

To the north was the water. It was fun to sit on the balcony sipping wine, having wonderful conversations and watching the sailboats on the water.








There was plenty of rain during my absence, so my garden has grown well, especially the weeds. :-O
Here's what was in bloom on my return home:

golden glow


It really glows in the sunshine, doesn't it?

lavender

russian?

yum!

sweet

sandwiches!

 Before leaving on holiday, I finished my July HEX LABS for StitchMAP. I chose to do the spider design, using a rayon thread for the web and a silk variegated thread for the foliage.
The spider is created with hematite beads.

The August HEX LABS have been released, and I've begun working on the Gecko.
Now that I have the wall bricks done, and the body outlined, I'm ready for the fun part of filling in. I've added guide lines to help me keep my stitching just where I want it.
Hmmm, there may be beads as well as different threads added. Should my gecko have a bit of bling?

 

Playtime with the gelli plate and a new stamp  gave interesting results.
I used the excess paint from using the stamp on the gelli plate to stamp these roses onto yellow card stock. I turned the stamp 1/4 circle each time to create a varied look.

first print on the gelli plate created a subtle rose when stamping into the paint layer.

yellow roses on purple card stock with a red rose stamped over top using the excess paint

before

 after


I like the results and will probably cut this up into several cards, adding some white or coloured ink to the surface to emphasize the designs.

I'm hoping August will be a wonderful month of nice weather and sunshine.
Wishing you a week of fun creativity ahead.

Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

"June is Bustin' Out All Over"

So go the words to the song, and so goes my garden. The phlox is dancing on the breezes, the peonies bursting forth into bloom, and the poppy buds are fat.

purple and white

such a vibrant colour

pale, blush peony looks so delicate

subtle hints of pink

 a purple iris?
I like the sparks of blue.

poppies ready to explode into colour

This shot shows just how overgrown the gardens have become. I am slowly digging everything out, section by section and fighting with the bindweed. It's everywhere.... sigh.

I have discovered plants hiding beneath others and some hidden by weeds and grasses

This wee bed was covered in vines that grew over the windows, blocking air and sunlight. While vines look very romantic, they are not good for brick, and so we removed them. Now there is more light and fresh air in the house.

Since this bed is shady for most of the day, I moved some hostas there.
Some of our favourite rocks from the lake house edge the bed.

ah, the lettuce is growing well, and it won't be long now until we're munching mesclun salads.

On the stitching front, I have added more to the wedding piece, although progress is slow.

 There will be more leaves and bullions, as well as flower clusters

I've begun adding another branch to the right side, and it's almost ready for the weaving portion of the casalguidi stitch.

















Sunday night gave a beautiful sunset out my 'studio' window.

Is that a weird moon, or what?


Actually, it's a reflection of the ceiling light in the window, but I think it looks  really interesting.

I turned the light off.

What nice colours!



I hope you've had a week filled with colour and creativity.


Thanks for visiting.

Hugs from Suz

Garden Bumbles

Do you bumble in the garden?
Bumble:- to bungle or blunder, muddle
            - to stumble or stagger
            - to mumble
            - to do clumsily; to botch
I must admit I've done all the above in my garden. But there's another meaning to the word bumble:- to make a buzzing, humming sound, as a bee. With all the chatter about bees disappearing, I wanted to share pictures of  the garden visitors I have had this summer. Some days I go outside, and my gardens are just buzzing with activity. Is it because ours is an open area in the midst of the bush that bees find their way here? Or is it that much of our property is left wild? I'm not sure, but I am happy that my garden hums.

Hope all your bumbles are the buzzing kind!

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs from Suz