The best of 2014

Firstly. Happy New Year and thanks for your support last year, for your enjoyable comments, friendship and also for welcoming me to your blogs. 2014 was challenging in many ways. We moved house unexpectedly again in June, however recently and probably one of the reasons why my posts have been more sporadic, we have purchased a lovely cottage which we will be renovating over the next few months, which will be our permanent home, at last! I have set up a new blog to write about the trials and tribulations of renovating our Victorian cottage and hopefully if my technical skills will allow me, I will add a link to my new wordpress site. I will obviously be continuing with this one as I love writing about nature and will always be out walking my dogs. Another challenge was my mother’s serious illness, which thank goodness she seems now to be recovering from after the removal of her right kidney, a major upheaval for a 77 year old woman! She was so brave.
On a happy note, I really enjoyed being the mother of the bridegroom at my son’s Scottish wedding in July. It was such a beautiful wedding and a stunning location. I hope you enjoy the photos. Anyway I hope you will all continue to enjoy reading my blog this year and possibly take a peek at my little cottage blog. Enjoy, thank you and peace and blessings. 🙂

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Fabulous flowers

Today has been so beautiful that I have decided to show you my celebration of spring. I thank mother earth for this wonderful display.
Cee has also inspired me with her fun photo challenge this week, appropriately named flowers. I hope you all feel as uplifted as I do by these beautiful plants.

“http://ceenphotography.com/2014/04/29/fun-foto-challenge-flowers”

Caribbean Cavalcade

Caribbean cavalcade

Firework orange,
Exuberantly tangy
Swirling skirts.
Dangling, jangling
Luscious lime
Headresses;
Timely,
Shimmy and shake:
Elegantly fading
Into the midnight
Glade.

Sonel’s Corner Photo-Editing Challenge: Vintage

Inspired by Sonel’s Corner photo-editing challenge ,vintage’, I chose to photograph a beautiful vintage,silk gypsy shawl given to me by my mother many years’ ago. We share a love of antiques and vintage items,anything unusual. I love old powder compacts and jewellery.

The cropped photos were edited with Snapseed.

Top left photo was edited with a grunge filter.  I liked the different texture of the fabric looking almost like denim. The second is the original.

Bottom left photo is the original and next to it I edited with a vintage style layer.

The above photo of my coveted vintage shawl was edited with the Picsart app.  I used a vintage border to enhance the feeling of age.  I like to wonder who used to own this shawl.   Maybe I’ll build a story around it.  Maybe you could too…I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Victoria’s dictionary of flowers suggests that orange roses represent ‘fascination’. Do you feel that the shawl’s designer meant people to be fascinated by whoever is wearing the shawl?
from Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s beautiful novel, The Language of Flowers.

Flowers for Nelson Mandela

All around the world, we’ll grieve for Nelson Mandela.   Rest in Peace.

Floral Thursday: Flowers forever

Flowers forever,
Sun smiling,
Earth warming,
Beautiful flowers,
Elegantly emerging.
Naturally perfect,
Hues to woo,
Sensual synergy,
Serene and inspired!

NaBloPoMo: Faery moon

Just for a change I thought I’d blog about a fun way of making art. This painterly printing technique is called ‘Monotype’. It has this name because each print is unique. The ink is rolled out on the metal plate (see top photo), then using brushes, fingers or rags, marks can be made to create a painting or design on the plate. In my monotype, ‘Faery moon’ I used the end of a paintbrush, my finger and a small palette knife to get the picture I wanted to create. Actually Faery moon just seemed to emerge like magic, much like my poetry. I love the colours!  The messy process finished, I put paper onto the plate and ran them through the press. The second photo is the resulting unique print. Usually the plate would be washed off and inked again ready for a new design, but in this case I loved the effect of the rich colours on the plate so much that I decided to leave it exactly how it looked. It’s difficult to show the print off in a photo, but hopefully you’ll enjoy looking at it.

Friendly nature

Friends meet
On a sun warmed
Seat;
In a tranquil haven,
Designed by a
Kind, passionate eye.

Soothing woody notes
And heavenly essences,
Bring back memories:
Tales wind their way
Through shady glades,
Laughter lightens
The day.
As shadows deepen,
Flowers curl up
And bow their sleepy
Heads,
As the peachy glowing
Ball of light grows,
Vines creak
And silence
Descends.

Wise garden gate

Garden gate
Creaks apologetically,
Proudly protecting
The spirited woodland
Flowers,
Towers of ivy
Secreting lovers
Poetry
And plump
Opinionated
Peonies standing proudly.

Old  Boots and clogs
Scuffle, shuffle.
Dainty slippers,
Hide amongst old oaks,
Waiting to be found.

Elegantly embroidered
Shoes,
Skipping beneath
Romantic boughs,
Pregnant with blossom.
Whilst they whisper
Their wildest thoughts,
Chastity keeps
Them apart.