The Day Light is Returning.

Beautiful sun-rise in Shetland.

I love it when the sunshine returns to the isles.

I took this a couple of days ago.

Although a red sky on a morning is supposed to herald a rough day ahead, it was actually a really nice day.

By contrast, today it was pouring down.

However I did manage to move the final 10 bags of muck in the garden, before breakfast.

It was way to wet to take pictures, when I came in I was soaked.

My boys.

These are also from a couple of days ago.

I canna believe how fast they have grown.

 

Mittens helping Emi with her breakfast.

My boys.

The Decorating has started.

Phase one.

We washed the walls and woodwork.

Walls washed.

Phase two.

The first coat of paint went on.

Oh my, it looks terrible, surly it can only get better.

1st coat.

Phase three.

Oh ......I think we are gonna need a few more coats.

Second coat.

 I decided to abandon the decorating for to night, I'll have another go tomorrow.

A bit of a disaster, turned into something pretty.

I was looking for a new book to read this morning, this treasure has sat on my book-shelf since 1989.

I ran a bubble bath after my soaking in the garden this morning and settled down to read. 

To my dismay, I discovered 40 pages were missing !!

I remembered a friend showing me how she made flowers from old, damaged books.

Wooden dove, glue, prima leaves, gems, organza ribbon, Pro-marker pen and Tim Holtz distress stickles - picket fence.

I had a raid through my stash and this is what I came up with.

 The dove was made for me by a neighbour. 

It's made from thin ply wood and painted with two coats of crackle paint.

Step one.

Tear out a circle of paper and rip it into a spiral.

Step two.

Colour the edge with the marker pen.

Step three.

Starting at the outside edge of the spiral, start to roll it up.

When you almost get to the centre, put on a blob of pva glue and squish into place.

It really does't matter if you squash the flower, as this will give it a distressed look.  

Step four.

Dab some distress stickles on the edge of the flower.

This didn't actually show up on the first photo I took, so I put the bottle in the picture and you'll just have to believe me.

The centre of a couple of the flowers opened up so I set a pearl gem on the middle to fill the gap.

Step five.

I made a selection of flowers in different sizes and glued them and the leaves in place on top of the dove.

I was really pleased with the way this turned out and have it hung on my mantle-piece in the sitting room.