Wild Things in the Wilderness

Hello there,

I got absolutely soaked through on my way back to my car after work this evening. I drive 1hr20mins minimum to get home and my trousers were still wet when I got back, even after having the air blower trained on them the whole journey! At least it was warm and wet though with very little wind - small benefits eh? What a lovely way to spend the longest day of the year - shouldn't it be lovely and sunny?

I would have loved to have been down at Stonehenge to watch the sun rise this year, but again have been unable to do this. One year I will get there - I even had an invite this year, but couldn't get the time off work :(

I have no crafting accompishments to share with you today as I have been working on my allotment and in my garden, supposedly. I think I actually spent more time taking photographs than anything else, but there was plenty to look at. I am also busy creating my next card for the Creative Moments challenge blog, where I am on the Design Team. Do pop by on Wednesday to see our inspiration and join us in our challenge fun.

So here are some pictures to keep you amused. Firstly I thought you might be interested in my garlic crop - planted last year and then lost once the leaves had died back and had to wait for it to grow through again this year - it does mean that it has to be used quickly for any string flavour, and they are individual cloves. Some nice big ones there though!

Next I have a short video, and a picture for those who may not be able to watch the video, of a little guy with a large shell having fun with the petals that have fallen off my poppies. I went out into the garden to do something, can't remember what now, and saw him with a bit of bright orange sticking out of him mouth and just had to run and get the camera. This large petal does not quite capture the amusing first sight I had of him, but it is quite cute nevertheless.

Here are some pictures from down the plot - first is a row of potatoes (hiding among the grass and creeping buttercup):

Then we have a view of the pond:

A close up of some Bramble flower buds because I thought they were pretty:

And a random purple spike that the bees seem to love:

And finally, I found this little guy crawling around my smaller pond at the other allotment:

Any ideas what he is????

I do have a picture or two from the following day, but I am going to keep

you

in

suspense

a little

longer


lol

Here he is in all his glory!! I am pretty sure he is a Southern Hawker Dragonfly - not that you would have guessed from the nymph.

This is the skin he left behind in the boot of my car:

Please pop back on Wednesday to see my DT creation, more pictures from this weekend, a new audio book review and another intriduction to one of my pets - this time there are no feathers or fur!!

Hugz Tinz

Wild Mechanic

Hello everybody,

It hasn't rained so far today! The soil might have a chance to dry out a little, and the butterflies can come out again - yippee!

I managed to get down the allotment for a couple of hours today, as well as do some work in the front garden. Tomorrow I am hoping to get down to the second allotment and get the back garden looking neater too - as well as planting up some more pots. I would also like to get some work done on the birth sampler, but I am not sure there are enough hours in the day lol.

So today I have made another ATC and card collection. As it is father's day tomorrow I went for a masculine theme, that could have been used for father's day. However, I did make it more general, as it would not get there on time had I actually tried to make a Father's Day collection, so I will use it for a birthday instead probably.

The card was made using Anita's gold cardstock cut to make a square-ish card blank. The textured paper was from my stash, and was already the right size, and was perfect. I then used an image from scrapbook stamp society, which I coloured with Promarkers (the same image used on the ATC), and an Anita's die-cut butterfly to make a circular edge for the main image. A Papermania self adhesive flower strip and image and sentiment from a Country Companions card making kit finished the card off.

The ATC used Kraft card as a base with gold holographic paper making the first layer. Another Anita's butterfly again makes the circular edge and the rest of the flower strip was used across the centre. The stamped image was used as the main topper, and a die-cut watering can from the Country Companions kit in place of the sentiment.

These were based around the sketch from Live&Love Crafts:

 

I would also like to enter this collection into the following challenges:

Crafting by Designs Anything Goes Challenge

 Hanna and Friends - #250 Butterflies

Alphabet Challenge - H for Hand Coloured Image

Digi Chooseday - Add a sentiment

CCM - #166 For a special man

Allsorts - 368 How does your garden grow?

Cute Card Thursday - 430 Little bugs (ladybirds)/Butterflies

Die-cuttin Divas - #270 Father's Day (ok so ready die-cut this time)

So I did take some pictures down on the allotment - I found this little guy crawling around the edges of my pond! Can anybody guess what he is??? Answer at the end of the blog post :P

He was very strong, but it was a little chilly for him, so I popped him in my car to warm up. When I went back to my car he had disappeared, so my car is currently on the drive with the window cracked open, just in case he is still in there (the window was open all the time I was down the allotment, so he may not be).

I also found this flower, which I have no idea what it is and if I should keep it or get rid!

I did take a couple more pics, but will save them for a later post. Don't want to show everything at once (especially as I never remember my camera mid-week lol).

Here are a couple of pics from the garden too:

 Pink and orange in my raised planter now, with the seeding grasses to add texture along with the thick allium leaves.

 Pink and white antirrhinum 'Sanp-Dragon'

Bright pink antirrhinum

And finally I have an update on my height chart. It is now at 80hrs and dino #1 is almost complete!

Thank you for looking at my blog. I will have another introduction for you next time - Lanstrum will be coming to meet you.

Hugz Tinz





The little guy above is a Dragonfly, just emerged!

3D Christmas Crossfire

Hi there,

What miserable weather we are having - flash floods and non-stop rain (or at least that is what it feels like). I was at Download on Sunday and it was extremely muddy already from the rain that had come down, and it certanly did not need the torrential downpour that started at just after 5pm!! Furthermore, I think even the plants have had enough water and are praying for a bit of a dry spell, before their roots all start to rot!

My creation for today is a 3D Christmas card, which does fold flat to post in an A5 envelope.

I used two pieces of A5 Silver mirri card and scored and folded both at 2cm, 4cm, 17cm and 19cm. (If you have a houghie board this is easy!)  I then used X-cut nesting large label dies (second smallest) to cut an aperture low down on one of the panels. I then used a Christmas embossing folder to add some texture to the top of the centre part of the same piece of card. It is important to make sure the folds remain sharp after running the piece through the machine. Underneath the embossed pattern I added two ribbons - a silver Gorjuss and a snowflake Papermania - and a Christmas bear sticker as the main image. A bow was added to the image also.

On the reverse of the second piece of silver mirri card I painted the centre part with Distress crackle paint. Once this had dried I added snowmen and snowflakes from my stash. To finish I added Nuvo drops to the edges of the front card and stuck the outer folds of both pieces together using strong adhesive.

I would like to enter this creation for the following challenges:

Atlantic Hearts Sketch #164

 

Winter Wonderland - Add a Ribon and a bow

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas #285 Silver

 Jingle Belles - Frosty the Snowman

My Time to Craft #322 Teddy Bears Picnic

Country View - Crackle
Open-minded crafting #5 Seasons/Holidays

Here are some growing pictures:

 No idea what this little flower is! The leaves are below?!

 Water boatmen - difficult to see though

 Little froglet!

Acer planted up

Audio book review

Crossfire by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

When Captain Thomas Forsyth steps onto an IED he feels that he should have died as his injuries have left him without a purpose. His whole life is the army and if he cannot go back he is unsure of where his future will lie. He is certainly not expecting what he finds awaiting him at his childhood home, where his mother, the 'First Lady’ of racing resides. This is a fast-paced book and is seen from a different perspective, being from the view of somebody who has served time in combat. It also touches on the struggles that servicemen may have to face when coming home injured. Overall a very good book, with some interesting plots.

 Thankyou for looking,

Hugz Tinz

30 days wild - Day 11

Hi there,

The weather doesn't know what to do at the moment - flash flooding and then the sun is out and the plants are drying up! So I have been going down to the allotment every day so far, and on the days I haven't been down I have tried to do something for 30 days wild still. As I do walk to work, and have the allotment I already spend a lot of time outside and looking at wildlife. And I already blog about the wildlife I have seen. I decided for 30 days wild, I would take some pictures everyday - big FAIL lol. That little camera is very hard to remember to pick up and my phone camera just isn't up to the job as it is just a point and click! However, I have written a poem:

Summer is coming,

However it may seem

With Skylarks singing

High above and unseen.

Flowers are blooming,

 Their scent everywhere

But the sun remains hidden,

It does not care.

The butterflies are hiding

Away from the rain,

But a little bit of sunshine

Will bring them out again.

Summer is coming,

Though the weather doesn't know

But we can easily see it

With the way things do grow!

I have also put a variety of bits out for the wild birds - including eggs, which the Corvids have enjoyed and even managed to get a few photos. I didn't get down to the allotment yesterday, so my and hubby went for a walk in the rain instead, to see the little cygnets, and feed them duck food (which actually did not go down well). We even saw a family of ducks!

I also have another introduction for you today - meet Tufts, one of my young boys. He has gone to a new home this afternoon with a lass who has had mice off me previously. He was beaten up by his litter mate a few months ago and so has bald patches on his bottom which will probably never grow back, but he is a cuddly little fella.

And my craft piece for today is also a little wild - he still needs a bow adding and making into a card, but the stitching is all finished:

I would like to enter this little guy for the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - #328 Animal Magic 

Deep Ocean - #130 Furry/Feathered friends

Thank you for looking at my blog - I will have things that are growing as well as an audio book review on Tuesday - no blog before this as I am at Download tomorrow!!

Hugz Tinz

Stitching from a Stranger

Hi there,

It is time for a new challenge over at Creative Moments, and this time we have a challenge twist of Stitching - Real or Faux (or you can just play Anything Goes - we love to see all your creations). This challenge is being sponsored by http://www.bugaboostamps.com who are offering 7 digi-stamps - http://craftysentimentsdesigns.co.uk who are offering 3 digi-stamps -http://www.polkadoodles.co.uk/downloads-printables-store/, who are offering a £9/$15 voucher for their store - and https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RickStdennis, who I got my image from - A Stitch in Time.

Here is my creation - with some stitching and a digi stamp that includes stitching too!

The patterned paper was printed a while ago off one of my CD-Roms - I cannot remember which one - as I thought it resembled waves in the water - for the boat to sit on. I thought the little guy on the swing, stitching the clock, looked like a sailor, marking the time. The border circle was cut using a Sizzix die from a snowflake set!

I would also like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Simon Says, Wednesday - For a guy

Creative Corner - Just for men

Sweet Stampin' - Father's Day/Special man

OLLCB - One for the boys

scrapbook stamp society - #93 Father's Day

I love Promarkers - Inspired by a song (Sailing by Rod Stewart)

polkadoodle - one for the boys

crafty calender - Father's Day/For a male

CCM #81 Around the world

I have another audio book review for you today:

Letter from a Stranger by Barbara Taylor Bradford

When a letter arrives for their mother, twins Richard and Justine feel fine to open it. What they discover is a shock to them both and causes mistrust of their mother and an adventure to find their estranged Grandmother. When they find her there are even more shocking revelations to follow before the twins can begin to settle down to life again. I cannot say too much without giving the main part of the plot away, but much of the second half of the book is looking back in time through the written word of the grandmother, which is done very well. This is a moving story, with some drama, but it is in no way an action story, but more of a romance type book. Well written and well read it was a pleasure to listen too, but it is easy to drift of in some places when on a long commute.

I would also like to share a commission with you - it is a patchwork square stitched freehand for a friend at work:

 I would also like to introduce you to Florance (Flo for short) who is the same type of bird as Billie and Beau who you have met previously. She is the wild colouration of a Red-rump parakeet and the male would have a bright red patch on the rump, just under where the wings cross on the lower back. Florance was rescued from a friend who thought his wife was looking after the bird, when she believed that it was his job, and so the bird had been neglected, never came out of the cage and only had food and water added, but nothing removed. There was a lovely layer of mould on the cage bottom. Now she is very much the extrovert and loves being in the company of the others - although she does constantly wind the breeding pair - Billie and Piper - up. She is the companion of Beau (although she would certainly prefer a male companion instead lol).

Thank you for looking,

Hugz Tinz