Spring flowers

I've been working on some Spring flowers paintings. I love the bright colours of daff's, tulips, crocuses that arrive in the shops at this time of year. I've noticed snowdrops coming up in the garden, otherwise, it's a bit early here for flowers to grow in the garden.

Anyway, here are some sketches, I'll post the paintings when I've finished them....as long as they turn out ok. I'm enjoying painting them. It's colour therapy !

Birthday

I had a lovely birthday with beautiful flowers.....

...and a yummy "smörgåstårta" (sandwich cake)

My farm shop is ticking over. More customers now than in Jan'anyway! I now have some more ecco friendly and organic soaps and household cleaners, ecco/fairtrade t shirts etc. The shelves are stocked with chutneys and jams, so it's starting to look busy which I like !
Any advice on unusual things to stock would be great. I read that you should try to suprise your customer...maybe I should hide behind the door and when they come in, jump out and say "BOO!" ?

I'm actually painting again !

I've been inspired by seeing some lovely folkarty rooms here in Sweden, and I've been working on some little watercolour ideas.

A friend wanted a painting done of her friends cat for a 50th birthday present, so I did my best to capture the cat from photo's, I never find that easy.

I tried scanning the painting in before I'd actually finished it, then forgot to scan the finished painting in before handing it over ! But, anyway,it was nearly finshed ! My scanner seems to have problems with greens and makes them browns !

Christmas and back again !

That was a lovely Christmas ! We flew back to the UK for a Christmas with my family and our friends. It was great to meet up with people even if it was far too brief.

We met up with good mates and took all the children to a pantomime. Beauty and the Beast. It was fun " Oh Yes it Was...!" for everyone. The girls loved it, and so did we. Great to see a good old British " It's behind you...!" Panto' !! Sorry, it's not a good photo, we weren't allowed to take while they were acting, so I took a photo in the interval, just for a memory !

The Christmas curtains and candles have been put away now. We had a bit of snow when we came back to Sweden, enough for the girls to sledge and do a little skiing. It's gone now and it is strangely mild with reports of spring flowers growing. I don't know what's happening to our climate ! I can't say I enjoy snow, but I like the seasons to do as they should !

Poor old Chutney the cat has been in the wars, and right now feels very sorry for himself. He has a rubber tube in his head to drain out an infection, and a plastic collar thing on to stop him from pulling at it ! He looks quite gruesome. I was going to put a photo on my blog, but I don't think he'd appreciate it ! He keeps walking backwards to try and get the collar off. I think he's very cross with me for taking him to the vets ! Here's a picture of him as he should be, a big snuggly, lazy cat !

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ANYONE WHO READS THIS !! XXXXXX

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year XXXXXXX

Christmas in my shop !

Snowed here the other day, so I took a snowy photo looking into my shop !

Here are some other pictures of my Christmasy things.

I'm very lucky to have such a good friend who has helped me make "corndollies" and candle crowns.

Can't believe how close Christmas is ! Can't believe how fast this year has gone !

I've got to fill my daughters packet calenders again ! Any ideas of little things that don't cost anything !!!?

carrot and orange marmalade !

I'm pleased with my days marmalade...ing ! Thought I'd do a little photo shoot for some of the pretty orange pots in the late afternoon autumn sun ! Oh, and I haven't spelt marmalade wrong on the labels, that's how it's spelt in Swedish !

Trying to juggle with too many balls !

I feel like a "Jack of all trades master of none" at the moment.
Anyway, I'm trying to get lots done before the busy Christmas period. Well, I'm hoping it will be a busy Christmas period ! Who knows, anyway, business picked up in my shop this weekend I'm glad to say. You do get full of self doubt some days, especially when for example one old man visits, tells you he buys his carrots elsewhere, drinks your coffee, tells you about his bad back and goes ! Well, bless him, he had a trip out, and I should be thankfull that someone took some interest in what I'm doing !
I'm making Swedish farm angels out of vintage fabrics, the wings ( hard to see here ) are filled with lavender.




I've been putting up more pictures.

I'm really pleased with the way my candles have turned out !

and I'm working on more paintings, views for Christmas cards.

Due to having a bad couple of carrot weeks at the shop ( no one seems to want carrots at the moment, only potatoes ?) I am making carrot and orange marmalade today. There will also be carrot chutney and carrot muffins on the go !!

Other news...we still haven't found the right horse to buy. Autumn is well and truely here, I managed to get all my dahlias in before a heavy frost !Love autumn, but winter can stay away for as long as possible ! Brrrr.... Hope life is a box of fluffy ducks for all of you out there ! XXX

The Feel Good Convention !

I had a stand at a local "Feel Good Convention", as my farm shop seems to have a mostly feel good feel!! I went along to advertise my stuff.

It was nice to talk to visitors and exhibitors. I sold some items and managed to hand out alot of leaflets about my shop. Hope some good comes out of it.

I went to the church harvest festival on Sunday. The church did look pretty all decked out!

There was a lovely tea afterwards with home baked bread and cream cakes.

Ideas for Christmas cards

Been working on some ideas for Christmas cards !






































View from our local church.This looks a bit wonky ! The page wasn't quite on the scanner properly.




I wanted to try to illustrate how very inviting the stable looks in the winter !I don't think I'm really there yet, and horses aren't easy !!

Biscuits !

I have a coffee and biscuit corner in my farm shop ! If anyone out there who reads my blog, friends, family etc has any QUICK AND EASY biscuit recipes, please pass them on !

Marmalades also seem to be popular ! I'm going to get some honey in too.

Farm Shop

Some pictures taken from inside my farm shop !

I've got some lovely things, such as Higglety Pigglety cards, Jane Maddern's hand made soaps ( which make the whole shop smell beautiful ), Isabella Smith cleaning products, with essential oils, and lavender products from Norfolk Lavender, among other things...and my own stuff too !

I've had a nice response from the locals, only hope I can keep it going...and growing ! Having spuds, carrots, wood etc is good too.

I painted some dolly pegs to sell as "kitchen helpers"!

Trying to get time to sketch the busy harvest time views outside ! I just don't seem to have the time at the moment !

Fairies and Trolls !

There are some strange goings on here ! Fairies playing on rocks by the lake. Trolls up to mischief in the woods !

We are into dress rehearsals time for a play being put on by a local theatre group that my youngest is in. There are children and adults in the play which is great fun !

Hmmm...I think I recognise this troll ! She's "Troll Secretary Wiggle Bum"...but also my sweetie pie !

The costumes are great! All the trolls have matching wigs and fur on the ends of their tails. I can't wait to see the finished play in a couple of weeks. I just hope the weather stays fine. The setting is so idylic, a woodland glade next to a mirror- glass lake.

A holiday in Hälsingland

The girls, their Aunt and I have had a lovely few days staying with relations in Hälsingland. They have a summer house by a lake, an idylic situation.
We had good weather ( for this summer at least !) and the girls swam every day, I managed most days.
We visited craft workshops and second hand shops.
They produce some beautiful woven linen fabrics close by, wish I could have afforded some, but I did find it very inspiring.

We stopped off at a very pretty goat farm, bought some goats cheese at the farm shop.

The porch of the summer house.

We arrived home to the happy news that my brother in law and his girlfriend have set a date to get married. I thought I might send this as a congratulations card ! Sorry it's so out of focus ! ( it's a wedding dress...watercolour !)

Rick Stein and Alpacca sheep !

Some more photo's from Cornwall. Managed to get my Dad's feet in on the beach one !

We went to Padstow, a lovely sunny day. Very pretty harbour. We had a wonderful lunch in Rick Steins cafe ! He did us proud, it was delicious...many thanks Rick....I'm sure it was him in the kitchen ?!

Had a quick stop over at my Dad's house on the way home, didn't get to see everyone to say "hi" to unfortunately. We did however manage to fit in the Royal Show. I fell madly in love with the Alpacca`s ( hope that's spelt right ) . They are on my wish list for the farm !