WOW: Ready for Glad Tidings?

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

How do you feel about some Christmas quilting? Are you interested in creating a new family heirloom, a quick weekend project or just that little something extra to show off those gorgeous festive fabrics? Well, I've got all those options covered. On Friday I'll be releasing my 2015 Christmas Projects, so stay tuned...

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

Finishing Touches

Today I'm putting the finishing touches on my 2015 Christmas Projects which I've called 'Glad Tidings'. My yearly Christmas Project is always something I'm excited to share, and this year I'm happy to say, it's the biggest yet. It's a beautiful festive offering and I can't wait to share it with you on Friday.

Re-Organizing Inspiration

It's been a few days since my birthday which I think is enough time of 'hands off' enjoyment, so now it's time to pluck out my inspiration and to get into those bunches and start chopping, selecting and pressing interesting items. I just love these oak leaves which have been conveniently assorted in all sized from very small to large - a perfect study for me, I try to keep files on as many different leaves as possible.

All bouquets that come into my house end up looking something like this. I'm quite fond of this little white vase because when I'm seated at the table, it's the perfect height to bring to flowers to my eye level - useful when I'm sketching.

And of course, thorn inspiration. I always add thorns on my designs because I just feel they belong there!

Beautiful HB Wishes

Thanks for all your Birthday Wishes everyone, I had a beautiful day at home with my family and it was exactly what I wanted. I only joined Facebook a few months ago and was surprised to find hellos over there as well as over in my BOM Group and even Google decided to wish me a HB (below). A few years ago, this would have really puzzled me, but I think I've become more blase about how intrusive technology is becoming in our lives. Sure, it's just a cute note but it does make me wonder about how technology is becoming or trying to become more 'humanized' by creeping into our life events. 

What do you think? Is Google being nice? Or weirdly intrusive by reminding me that they know everything about me? There were plenty of flowers because I love them and I'm at that age where I have everything and no one knows what to buy me and I don't even know myself. I used to just ask for a new fancy cup/s each year, but now I have a cupboard full of those and couldn't think of anything else to ask for!

I always take hundreds of photos of my bouquets because I use them in my designs. Here I am sneaking in to pull out a rose - I usually pull out any extraordinary flowers and make new 'bunches' to study them and in this bunch a lovely rose caught my eye. But I resisted pulling it out just yet, I decided that I would leave all the flowers alone on my actual birthday, but it was tempting...

In my mind, white lilies are funeral flowers so I'm always surprised when they appear in bouquets. They're very popular here and are pretty much in everything which I still think is so strange given how much variety and colour is out in the natural world. Perhaps I'm just being old fashioned. I love all flowers so it didn't lessen my enjoyment, it just gave me a start to wake up to a kitchen full of white flowers!

I was going to bake a cake but didn't get around to it. In the last few years my family have stopped purchasing cakes from the shops because they always look so pretty but somehow all taste like cold slabs of margarine. We're all in a cake slump! 

I sent my DH out to pick up some cannoli's from a local bakery which are usually so good, but they must have used old oil because they tasted like they'd been fried in sausages! This has just confirmed my determination to pull out my old box of Bundt tins and start making family birthdays cakes myself all over again. I really thought I was over all that, but quality seems to have dropped everywhere so I think I'll have to get back into the swing of things.