Living off the land

Happy 1st of May, where is this year going? true to style May has welcomed us with a day of torrential rain and clouds :( but hey ho who gives a damn we have a three day weekend coming up! Yeeeeehaa!

We have been busy bee's down the allotment lately, planting our early potatoes, onions, peas and broad beans. We already had leeks garlic and all the fruit trees planted ready to pop with fruit.
We added two new raised beds and a new wood chip pathway between to make weeding and tending a lot easier. Ernie came down with us to help and he was into everything! But he enjoyed himself.

Hopefully this year we can at least try to be self sufficient on the vegetable side of life. I have already used a lot of my flowers that i planted in my mini cutting beds to decorate the house which has saved us money each week shopping :)

The weather just lately has been lovely and i have even managed to squeeze in a couple of lunch breaks sunbathing in Golden Square (London) staring at the blue skies imagining it's summer.

I have some exciting new ideas for my little on line shop for the coming months to try and encourage a few more sales. The wedding is fast approaching and as Tesco like to say every little helps when it comes to money, so in the spirit of things i am offering £5.00 off all purchases over £10.00 (when you enter the coupon code SPRING2014 at checkout) to try and drive a few more peeps through my imaginary on line door.

Please pop by and take a look you never know something might take your fancy :) x
Click on the link below....
SHOP HERE! 

Hardwood grows slowly

As the evenings draw in and the temperature has finally dropped we have been making the most of the cosy snug time indoors.
We have roasted chestnuts, drank mulled wine and lit the fire for the first time this year.
I love this time of year with its golden leaves and bright crisp days. If only January and February could stay this pretty.

I have uploaded a set of Christmas cards into my shop. The set is £6.00 for 6 x A5 cards with envelopes and they come wrapped and posted next day, that works out a £1.00 a card! bargain :)

I have also been working on a custom commission for a friend, it's of her two little boys and will be given to their dad as part of his Christmas present! Such a sweet idea. I love custom commissions, it's such a nice feeling to know you are creating something somebody will cherish.

I always get the feeling that November forces you to go slowly, take things easy and this is what i am trying my best to do. As i read on a favourite blog of mine recently; Hardwood grows slowly, we should all live by this motto!

A custom commission..

I recently had a commission from a lovely lady named Rosie, she wanted a custom portrait of her and her loved one for a surprise birthday present. I worked from photo's that she sent me and little details such as their love of the outdoors. Now she has received it i can show you all.
Happy Tuesday, it's raining here in London how depressing!

September sun..

Weather has been beautiful here in London today, it has reached 29c and believe me that is a miracle for the UK in September. We have had such an amazing summer i don't ever want it to end. I can't actually remember a summer as hot as this since i was a child. We have definitely been blessed this year.

I attended a classic car show on Sunday but sadly forgot my camera. I was beating myself up about it all day as there were some amazing mini's to be seen and it was right by the sea too! Pfff never mind i promise to remember it next year.

Thank you to all you fine people who have recently purchased goodies from my shop and a special thank you to Rosie who commissioned the below painting of her and her other half for his birthday! I really hope he likes it. (sorry about the really bad quality of the photo, the camera seems to be playing up!)

The US magazine i mentioned a while back that i managed to pop an illustration in has been printed!! I am so excited to announce that my work is now featured in the latest issue of Taproot Magazine!
My A4 page illustration accompanies a beautiful story about a mother and her children.
You can purchase a copy by clicking on the name above and the print is now available in my Etsy shop entitled "Mothers Love".

Cannot wait to hold the final printed copy in my hands though just waiting for my edition to arrive in the post.

Happy Thursday and keep those fingers crossed this weather lasts through the weekend.

xxx

Shop Sale!!!

Good morning fellow bloggers, the sun is out here in central London and the sky is blue.
I am popping by to announce a special sale in my illustration Etsy shop.... all items come with free postage and packing right the way up to Christmas day! all you need to do is enter the promotional code WEDDING at checkout to take advantage,
As you have probably guessed all proceed go into our wedding pot and will help towards our big day so please pop by and take a look, something may take your fancy!
Happy Wednesday lads and ladies xxx

Here's to being 27!

It was my birthday two days ago, i turned 27. Now i have had mixed feelings about turning 27 for sometime now, its quite far into my twenties, in fact its nearing the end which brings me into a little sweat just thinking about it! but hey i embraced it and smiled until three people concluded to tell me, without me even mentioning the fact i'm a little nervous of this age! that 27 was in fact the worst years of their lives!! Thanks for that.

So far it's been ok, but one cannot be too hasty in these things so i am taking each day slowly for now :)
To treat myself i purchased the above book. Wildwood, its a collaboration between husband and wife Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy, both fantastically talented, she being a renowned illustrator and he being the founding member of the band Decemberists i had a feeling it was going to be good, and its amazing! The story is great, it reminds me of an old style fairy tale but with pretty pictures to accompany it and a lot more depth.

I received lots of goodies for my birthday and was thoroughly spoilt, we will be going out for a Chinese tomorrow night as no one has to get up early on a sat so we can all have a drink. I am looking forward to it.

In other news ..... we have been harvesting regularly from the allotment, broad beans, lettuce, cabbage and potatoes, and the garden is coming along nicely. We are still waiting to get turf but its been so hot here that there hasn't been any for sale.

I will try and upload some photo's soon, but in the meantime, here's to being 27!
xx

A new print...

I have a new addition now available in my Etsy shop.
House in the Birch, is an A5 print of my original illustration, printed onto Epson photo quality paper, signed and dated on the reverse and gift-wrapped ready for you to open.
Click on the picture to be magically transported to my wee shop page.
(Oh and the name and date will not appear on the original it is for copyright purposes online only ... do not fear!)

In other news... what terrible sad news from Oklahoma! My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by the tornado.
Such devastation and sadness.
I saw this amazing video today and it made me cry!

Thinking of you all xxx