Green

Here's a little preview of something I've been working on for FAR too long.  Somewhere in the region of 4 months in fact.  And when you discover what a simple little thing it really is, you'll wonder how on earth it's taken so long.  I've not a clue I'm afraid.  What I do know is that it WILL be finished by the end of next week, OR ELSE!  ("Or else" what is yet to be decided.  An extension of the current self-imposed "no WIPs please, your indecisiveness is costing me a bloody fortune in materials" policy?  Probably not.  Maybe just an outright biscuit ban?  Hmm... something to ponder there methinks!)

Anyway, the real reason I start with this is because it's led to a bit of a new thing.  Namely, I can't stop buying plants (my dad will be so proud)

This is Henry.  His label refers to him as "a prickly desert friend", and I'll be honest, that's the main reason I bought him (what can I say, vague anthropomorphism is clearly a plus in my head).

Anyway, Henry is where it started.  Then I spotted Cuthbert (my friend Jo named him, just if you were wondering...)

So sunny and happy looking.  The yellow looks especially good next to the window, where the view is most decidedly un-sunny at the mo.  He reminds me of a couple of sketches I did a while back - there's the same kind of overlapping of petals/feathers/leafy bit going on...



...sort of...  I never did finish that parrot.  I love the shapes in the bromelia though, so no doubt I'll end up sketching that as well at some point.  I see it in a very symmetrical Art Nouveau style (but then again, that's how I see most things).

Probably at this point you're asking what any of this has got to do with that WIP up top.  Not much really, except that I only went into B&Q in the first place to buy the bits that I need to finish it.  I was fatally distracted by the "bargain!" sign (my Mum's turn now to be proud) at the checkout.

And now, even though it's gusting at about 50mph, and the rain is (as it always is in Bangor) falling horizontally, I'm setting off to walk back up to B&Q to buy the orchid that yesterday I decided was definitely too expensive.  It's quite a long walk though, so at least the exercise will do me some good!

Hunky Dory

I took advantage of some very rare Welsh daylight today, and mooched off up the hill that runs along the back of our house.  It's amazing the views you can find lurking just 10 minutes out of the town centre, and this is one of my favourites.

My plan was to take loads of photos after seeing the blog at Resurrection Fern this morning (scroll down for the really amazing macro shots), so off I set, with Bowie warbling on the mp3.  For some reason though, my camera was in a bit of a tizz so I couldn't take as many photos as I would have liked.  Nevermind.

This one does make me smile.  I love its jaunty angle and the mini explosion at the top of the twiggy bit.  The plan is to use this as a basis for some embroidery designs (I've yet to learn to embroider properly, but that's another story!)

It felt nice to be back outside again - a proper sort of outside.  It was one of the things I worried about before coming back home from visiting family: that the culture shock involved in returning to the "bright lights" of Bangor would cause me a relapse anxiety-wise.  Thankfully I've been doing well, but even so it was nice to have that time to breathe today.  It reminded me of home - not in a way that made me sad, but in a way that made me very happy.

 

I think I'll have to arrange another trip home soon.  I always miss the various farmyard animais more than I expect to.