Roses for Love.

Been enjoying the beauty of roses lately.

They sit on my desk and remind me that I am loved whilst I work. They've lasted since Valentine's though they are beginning to get a bit wrinkly, but I don't mind.

I have just learnt how to crochet roses, which I'm so happy about. 

(I simply followed a video on youtube, there are lots of them.)  

It's much quicker than the knitting pattern for roses that I'd tried.

And what better way to use one of the crochet roses than to make a card for a friend whose lunch and time in her home with her beautiful daughters so encouraged me and my girls and left us feeling refreshed and awakened.
 

I also beautified an old bottle with a crochet rose, a rose hair clip and some lace ribbon and it's now a lovely candle holder for our table.

Much love.

xxx

Valentine's bakes and cake love!

Valentine's day is just a couple of days away, so I thought it would provide an opportunity to try out some cake love.

Cake love must never be underestimated!

Cake is a powerful weapon when it comes to melting the heart of your loved one.

These are heart shaped chocolate cakes topped with chocolate fudge icing and a sugar rose.

Spread the love with cake I say, spread the love!

These are vanilla cupcakes covered in fondant (ready to roll) icing flowers and letters stamped from fondant too, with a sprinkle of edible glitter.

And whilst we're on the subject of cakes, there's always room for love cookies.

These ones are cinnamon shortbread. You can use whatever cookie recipe you like and use a heart shaped cutter. Very quick and easy!

 

Whatever you do, and however you do it, enjoy the luurve!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Much love.

xxx

Colour finds us.

It's funny how colour finds us.

I was watching a film a few days ago called 'Cloud Atlas', I still have no clue what on earth it was about but anyway, there's a scene where this futuristic girl is wearing the most beautiful purple shawl and she kneels next to a green wall. I can't remember why she did that but the point is that I so enjoyed seeing the purple next to that shade of green! .. I guess the film was worth it just for that.

So since then I've been obsessed with green and purple combinations. I walk past a shop everyday which for some reason has a big square lime green block as part of its window display, and each day after I've walked past it, I imagine what I'd do if I could paint on it.

So I decided to give it a go in real life, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Here are my adventures in green and purple!

I've taken up weaving! My dear friend Zoe organised a lesson for my birthday present. I tell you, it's very good for the soul. I don't mind the monotony of it, it's really very good for being grounded in the present.

And guess what colours I'm using for my project? I chose the purple and my teacher suggested the green purely by chance! So there we are. I've only just begun, but I'm super excited to share just how beautifully and lovingly the purple and the green are celebrating their love for each other, constantly intertwining.

To end, here are a couple of photos my daughter Kezia took last week on a rare sunny day with my camera. These beautiful flowers are already making an appearance in February!

Green and purple love is all around!

Much love.
xxx

For Beauty

This is a recent piece from my art journal.

It is based on a blessing from Benedictus, by John O' Donoghue, called "For Beauty".

My friend Elle sent me this quote this morning, and to end I shall share it.

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing” -Camille Pissarro.

So here's to beauty, to celebrating it and to being expressions of it, in all that we are.

Much love.

xxxx