Renard et Crevet. . .

Late one cold and eerie night Crevet walked home. She had to go through the dark dark wood. Everyone had warned her not to step off the path, not to speak to strangers and WATCH OUT for the Renard.

They said, if he caught her, he would gobble her up. And that would be that!

Renard was watching her as she came down the lane, he was waiting for her and when she got close enough to see him...

She remembered the warning... she heard those voices saying WATCH OUT for the Renard!

Did she listen? did she heck!

She took one look at those handsome wicked eyes and skipped merrily off the path and into the Renards arms. 

Like all good fairytales, they lived happily ever after.

Well, so far anyway... :)

That's my Fun and Nonsense for tonight... :) xx

Cherries and Ladybirds. . .

This week has been busy busy busy, work has been frantic with Father's Day pressies in the making, now made and done...pheww!  Wednesday my day off (no school on Wednesday in France for primary school children) Mum and I picked nearly 9kilos of black cherries. They were far to yummy to  leave for the birds.

I then stoned said cherries, froze some, made cherry jam, all 17 pots and made my very first yummy, to die for Clafoutis... hehe, Mr Hollywood, thinks I'm a goddess.  It's,so true, a way to a man's heart is definitely through his stomach. :D

The pink cherries will be ready in a week or two.  Lunch in the garden and cherry picking, god my life is sooooo tough.

Three rather gorgeous ladybirds popped into say hello. I think they are after my cherry jam and clafoutis. Those innocent little faces don't fool me... :)

Every night this week I have flopped into bed and slept really badly...obviously not doing enough.

Big thank you to the lovely ladies that left comments re my last post.  It helped  and I feel lots better. 

That's my Fun and Nonsense..am now off for breakfast,

then a fun filled day of being Goffer for Mr Hollywood.  There is no end to my Super Woman talents... :) xx

It's Paper Saturdays today...tea with Lottie :)

Missing my flee biting fur baby. . .

I never usually blog about the sad things that happen in my life. I like to bottle things up until they find a way to leak out slowly almost unnoticed.  There is enough sadness around without me adding my bit and I like to try and stay in my happy bubble. I like to give the impression that I'm OK. 

So here comes the sad bit and the tears.  Our dog Toby went to doggie heaven on the 31st May.  He'd been ill for awhile, kidney problems.  He was only 11, a spaniel crossed with a red setter.  He looked like a red setter that had been put through the wash.  Smallish and redish, very cute and very bouncy.  We had lots of names for him - Tob, Bob, The Tobster, The Bobster, The Boy and they go on :)

He grew up with my girls. He was always with them. In the summer he'd plonk himself in the hammock with the girls and their friends. If he could have climbed ladders he would have been up in the tree house, he just had to wait below.  He let the girls dress him up in t-shirts and scarves and hats.  When they were at school he followed me around. He was stuck to me.

He had lots of faults too.  He could open doors, not to good in the winter when no one noticed and all the heat went outside with him.  He taught my parents dogs to open doors too. He raided the bin every chance he got. He'd get on the beds and sofa when we were out without him. He was naughty in so many ways but very very loveable.  

I'm so sad he's gone and I just can't stop crying every time I think about him or someone says is that your dog in the drawing. I burst into tears...not very good at school. 

I think the problem is, I couldn't save him! 11 is not old for a dog and he was a mutt, they are supposed to live forever and never get sick.  He was a pain in the bum most of the time but he was there, wagging his tail, no matter what and he made things better.  AND I've lost all the photos I had of him and the girls when they were all little.  

I'm hoping that blogging about Toby will help me stop crying. (It's not working so far).

On a much brighter note, I finished the rosebud fairy in my journal, she turned out much better than I thought she would (my roses still need work) and I've been working hard on more bug girls and trying to finish a painting that I started nearly a year ago.

Fun and Nonsense is a bit sad but will be back to my happy bouncy self soon... x

 Earlier this Spring a big fat bumble bee buzzed passed me and my little Bumble girls started popping up in my journal. A few weeks ago I noticed the very neglected rose bush at school with the most gorgeous blooms on it. So, was born my new obsession, Rosebud girls.  I now have my beady eye on every rose I come across, Dad's prize roses especially. Love painting roses and an added bonus...they smell fantastic.

Rosebud Girl and Bumble Girl Cards

Some of my new designs were commissioned by the lovely Tracie of Serendipity Candles who is opening up The Handmade Boutique in the Great Western Arcade, Birmingham, on the 1st July.

Mr Hollywood is out all day helping a friend put up her fence so I've got the whole day to paint and hangout in my clean and tidy art bunker....yippeeeeeee!!!!! Let the mess begin.. :D

Don't forget Paper Saturdays today and tomorrow Sunday Sketches... xx

That's my Fun and Nonsense for now... :)

There's a storm a comin' . . .

The sun finally made a glorious appearance.  We have had several days of summer weather BUT this evening the wind has got up and the clouds are rolling in. Big black rain clouds.

Looks like I'll be putting on the wellies again and grabbing my brolly. . .

Just a little Fun and Nonsense...xx

Umbrella day. . .

It has rained nearly non-stop for days. Thursday was the worst. I think heaven must have had a major mains burst and their plumber finally fixed things by Friday.  During the week I considered building a boat. Unfortunately I only know how to build paper boats...which under the circumstance wasn't really going to help much.  As my umbrella kept turning inside out with every gust of wind. I gave in to my inner child and turned my brolly upside down, sat in it and let the wind and rain water bomb me till I managed to steer my precarious vessel home.

I am now back in the art bunker warm and snug and waiting for the Sun to come out so I can turn the heating off.  It's JUUUUNNNNE... hellllllOOOOO!

....checkout Tracey Fletcher King's fun Cuppa with Friends

That's my soggy Fun and Nonsense and I'm sharing with Paper Saturday and Sunday Sketches...just got to get my wellies on and I'll be right over...:)