Left handed blackberry jam and more fruity colours....

Hi everybody!

The temperatures are rising here, it was quite warm today, and mostly sunny, so I spent a long time outside walking, sitting watching the Rhine and the ships, and picking blackberries, with my left hand. I went out for my bramble-ramble early this morning, and got a good kilo, which I have already  made into one of my very special jams, with spices, ginger and fruit schnapps to round off the flavour. It tastes really, really good, so if there are enough still on the bushes next week I will get another batch. There were several people walking around filling their little buckets today. And from tomorrow I should have my right hand working again, as the cast is coming off tomorrow.

For Summer of Colour the palette this week is raspberry, tangerine and lemon - a nice combination. For my first piece I used one of my ladies, printed onto dictionary paper and coloured with oil pastels and gel pens.

The second piece is a print of one of my lino-cuts, partially coloured digitally, and then coloured with oil pastels and neon gel-pens. I made this lino cut many years back,  and still have some prints of it hanging in my living room.

I am linking to Summer of Colour, Paint Party Friday and Art Journal Journey, flower power. Thanks to those great ladies who host these challenges - Kristin, Eva and Kristin, and Susi. Also linking to Simon Monday Challenge, faces.

The old cart is still standing in the yard of a riding stable here on the street.

And the horses were busy as always:

 And a last look on my cast before it disappears tomorrow!

My thumb is looking forward to freedom!

That's enough for today! Take care, have a great day, and thanks, as always, for coming by!

Challenges

Hi Everyone!

I just had my blog done and dusted, touched the wrong button somewhere/ somehow and it was gone - aaaargh!

This is one of my DT pieces for Gecko Galz, made before my hand got casted. I am happy to say that the cast will be removed on Thursday!

I used the digi stamp with the swallow again, (Brave and worthy stamps no. 7) and the background paper is from the Isla Bonita set, 'tiny bubbles'. The bird was fussy cut, glued to the paper, and then matted with black, green and blue card. For the trim I used seam binding in blue and aqua and some home made paper beads.

At Art Journal Journey the theme is still flower power, and I made a digital page using a photo of one of the flowers from my balcony.

At Manus MiFoc, the them this week is 'drink', so I made a collage of photos showing my fave drinks,  coffee and ginger tea with lemon. The other photo shows a bottle of vodka, (empty, I used it in my jam) which has a gorgeous cover made of red sequins, and a wine holder, which I find rather awful, but it was a well meant present!

Today I walked along the Rhine, and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, the smell of the water and plants, and of course, the flowers.

Can you see the bird sitting on the log? 

Have a great day, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Tag Tuesday and Happy Mail

Hi everybody!

Where does the time go to? I am sure that 

Tuesday comes quicker each week.

I have made a quick and simple tag, which means I did what I could! At the moment both hands are hurting, probably because I have been using my left hand too much as I can't use the right one. But I really have been resting over the weekend, catching up with reading and generally being lazy.  Our theme is 'bugs', so I used a photo of some fire bugs that I took back in spring, adding a few bug peel-offs as embellishments. There were groups of those bugs everywhere then, and they look a bit scary, but are apparently harmless. I am showing the original photo, too. Sorry about the poor quality of the photos, we had a dark and rainy day here.

On Saturday I had a nice surprise - the postman brought me a parcel from my friend Sarah. She knows I like funny sneakers and trainers. First of all I unpacked this wonderful box, which I shall definitely use as a hold all for some of my treasures.

 Inside I found these wonderful high-top trainers, designed by Ewen Gur. Wow! I will have the craziest sneakers in town, that's for sure, and I am sure I will be the only senior citizen sporting them! (Sorry about the blue pyjama legs!)

Today was wet and rather windy, but I still enjoyed my walk along the Rhine, and admired, as always, the flowers.

The horses didn't seem to mind the rain either....

Have a great day, whatever the weather, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Beautiful nature

Hi everybody!

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend.

Here we had a misty-sunny-cloudy day, but it was pleasant for walking around.

This is another of my DT pieces for Gecko Galz for July, made BC - before cast!

It is a  page for my friend's calendar,  which I make her each month.

The background paper is from the Isla Bonita set, breeze, and has been matted onto blue and yellow cardboard. The swallow images are from the Brave and Worthy stamp set, no 7. One has been printed onto foil, the others onto paper, fussy cut, and inked with blue DI. I added a die cut fence and a beaded branch as embellishments.

(Material list: card in coordinating colours, BG paper, images, blue ink, beaded branch, die-cut fence.)

I am inking to Manon's paper Saturdays.

This time of year is so enjoyable because of the abundance of flowers, wild and cultivated.

There is a field full of flowers - sunflowers, dahlias and irises, by the Rhine, and you are allowed to cut you own and put the money into the box. I think this is a wonderful idea, and hope that the trust that the flower growers show will not be abused.

'Only flowers that have been paid for bring friends and joy!'

And I got some more flowers for my little balcony for a good price today, by hanging about till the market was closing and cut the prices:

Mr W.B. (watch-bird) approved

  

And outside the bees kept be(e)ing busy 

And the horses were grazing like they had nothing better to do....

Have a great weekend, take care, and thanks a lot for coming by!