Garden Delights

  

A walk around my Mum and Dad's garden revels lots of wonderous sights, forms, smells, sounds and produce! Here's what I saw...

  

Tiny details of seedheads and leaf veins. . .

   

Orange in abundance. . .

  

 Lots of sculptural forms and repetition. . . 

   

  

Beautiful greens in numerous shades and tones. . . 

  

Flowers of all shapes and sizes. . .

    

Spiny and spiky textures. . .

 

Lots of fruit and veggies growing away, soon to be picked: apples, lettuce, red onion, carrots {and my painted carrot stone} and beetroot!

What's in your garden?

Summer on Skye: Outer Hebrides - Harris

 

 A couple of weeks ago we took a little trip to the Outer Hebrides, taking the ferry from Uig on the Isle of Skye to Tarbet on Harris. 

  

On the ferry we saw gas being supplied to the Outer Isles and lifeboats above our heads...

Lots of small islands, sea stacks and rocks...  

  

 A lighthouse with a red hat and a beautiful wake showing where we came from...

 Onwards to Harris in the clouds. We embarked off the ferry in Tarbet and headed south straight away towards the sandy beaches of Luskentyre...

  

Walking through the dunes and marram grass to the beach...

 

Round the corner to a beauty of a beach with more hills of Harris across the way..

 Turquoise waters and white sandy beaches, we could almost be in the Caribbean if only there was a bit of heat!

 

 Walking closer to the sea, I spot some Starfish washed up...

 We had the beach all to ourselves and what do you know, the mist and rain start to appear! {we are in the far NW of Scotland after all!}

 

Footprints

  

More beautiful swirly Starfish...

  

and amazing reflections in the wave trails on the sand..

Then we head back to Tarbet to get dry, for a spot of lunch and a mooch around. {doesn't this shop look like it holds so many interesting tales and stories of the sea and islands}

Up next in the Summer on Skye series: Lewis where we encounter ancient standing stones, a broch, more sandy beaches, chessmen and colourful buildings in Stornoway!

Feature Friday: Quilts

 Great Lakes Quilt by Haptic Lab

Usually it's Fashion Friday but I've decided to change it to Feature Friday so I can feature anything I like from great design to beautiful interiors, books, film, music, gardens, anything that piques my interest. So today I'm featuring quilts, there's something so comforting and practical about a quilt. From age-old techniques being handed down through generations to modern design and dying methods, here's my favourite finds:-

 Upcycled Quilt from Luke Haynes Summer Class at Pentland School of Crafts

 

four by Chiyome   

 

Maura Ambrose - Folk Fibers

 

Kathryn Clark - Foreclosure Series

Walden & Oyster Catcher Bags

  

A while ago I did a book cover for a favourite book, Walden by Henry David Thoreau {and made it into a t-shirt design} Well I've screen-printed and embroidered it onto a tote bag and it's now available in my etsy shop!  and I've also screen-printed a tote with my favourite seabird, Oyster Catchers. and embroidered their beaks and feet! You can check out all my tote bags in my bags section of my shop here.

Spanakopita

I love Greek food {see my illustrated recipe for Kolokythokeftedes} and one of my favourite dishes to make {and to eat} is Spanakopita, little pastry parcels of spinach and cheese. So here's a little gif of how to make my version of them! 

Most recipes say to use feta, I just use whatever I have leftover {I love cheese a bit too much!} and also to cook the spinach first and add egg, but to keep it simple I skip these and instead just add a bit of pesto, red onion and jalapenos for a bit of a kick! 

What Greek food do you love to make and eat?

Fashion Friday: Eley Kishimoto

     

 Loving Eley Kishimoto's patterns, minimalist style and comfort! How about those socks? Love them!

     

   

    

     

What patterns are you wearing? I'm mostly in the classic stripes with some tribal thrown in!