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...:)

Rain rain rain, go away. . .

Just a leaf...floating on the wind.

May is nearly over and all my little trips here and there are now at an end. It's head down and work work work from now on. There is artwork to be done, farmhouse renovations to be done, gardening work to be done...housework to be done and schoolwork to be done.  All of this is ok...I just wish the rain would be done and that great big hot yellow ball in the sky would come out, because all the above is so much more fun in the sun.

That's my Fun and Nonsense for today...xxx

Mermaids and Paris. . .

Hi everyone, I'm back home in the art bunker. No more trips here there and everywhere.  A couple of weeks ago I was knocking back the sangria's in Spain and chatting to mermaids basking on the beach. Only the mermaids were brave enough to bask...us mere mortals were huddled in our woollies and braving the elements.... because.....we were on holiday. (The sun no-where to be found!)

Last weekend I was sipping fine wines in Paris. The sun was well and truly absent and it was raining des chats et des chiens. But who cares, we were in Paris with friends having a great time.

That's my Fun and Nonsense....

What happened to global warming. .

 Last week I spent a few days north of Barcelona in Spain with friends.  We had a great time despite the cold front that blew in.  We were expecting bikini and suntan lotion weather...but oh non my little paella....it was, "I'm keeping my socks and thermal undies ON" 

It may be late Spring but it feels more like early winter. . .

Lots of yummy Sangria helped keep us warm and we braved the arctic conditions. (Slight exaggeration on my part but I'm only warm at around 30degrees C).   I did walk barefoot on the beach and I did stick my feet in the sea. Just can't help myself.  Instead of basking like an anemic beached whale hoping to transform into a cooked lobster, I put on my woolie jumpers, jacket and scarf and walked along the rugged coastline and discovered some beautiful little coves...

Am now home, back  in SW France where the weather is just as bad and the wheatbag is warming as I write this.  Off to Paris next weekend...fingers crossed the weather warms up....

To all those goggle eyed, hairy, smelly, scientists that have been banging on about global warming and drought for years...I stick my tongue out at you. 

Was hoping for a warmer Fun and Nonsense this week.... xxx

Moo. . .

Hello Eveyone, sorry I haven't been around much. Work is taking over my life!!! ...That needs to stop.

I have lots of artwork on the go...but nothing that I can share for the moment.

I've also been trying to kept up with Carla Sonheim's course Ragamuffin animals... We were supposed to make a pony.  My Little Pony didn't want to be a Pony, she wanted to be a Moo Cow. Well you can't force someone to be what they don't want to be.  So here is my Moo Cow, made from scraps of material and paper.  I love sewing paper together, the needle makes a lovely chung chung chung sound.  

This is my 200 hundred year old French Farmhouse.  With her brand spanking new roof.  I'll be posting the inside pictures soon.  Got to go....this old lady (the house) needs lots more TLC.

Paper Saturday...I'm sharing and will be visiting everyone later. Save me a cake Lottie...xx
I'm also sharing with Sunday Sketches. :)

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