"It's Christmas time again so time for a blog post after being quiet for a while"

GARDEN UPDATE & My Hand Embellished Christmas Cards:

I have been as active on my blog lately as a sloth in a hammock, but I have a good excuse!

Unfortunately, my mobility issues have kept me from frolicking among my flowers or lack of them at this time of year. I have seen a few bees in early November in my garden though - and this was an unexpected pleasure and quite a surprise. So instead of gardening, I've been busy painting and drawing indoors, where the only thing that stings is my lack of artistic talent!

This week, I prepped my Christmas cards. They're as rare as a unicorn sighting, but you can snag one through my contact page. They are available in packs of 5 for £17.50 excluding UK post & packaging. Order before Monday 16th December to receive the cards before the last UK 1st Class posting date of 20th December. — just leave your name, email address and quantity you would like on my contact page and I will get back to you.

A Happy Christmas Season to All.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/7f0da8_26959a5efc8f493c8b63b49f675d32a2/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

ART UPDATE:

In an earlier blog, I optimistically mentioned my hope for just enough dry weather last summer to tackle my first 'En Plein Air' watercolor painting of roses in my garden. Little did I know, the UK weather had other plans. It was so unpredictable that by the time it finally stopped raining, the roses I'd planned to paint had given up on life and staged a dramatic exit. Instead of capturing their vibrant beauty, I ended up sketching them in their final act, observing petals as they dropped like they were auditioning for a role in a Shakespearean tragedy. The short film below features my sketchbook drawings from this unexpected exercise in botanical drama. I enjoyed this process so much that I decided to branch out and sketch withering peonies, sunflowers and irises as well.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/7f0da8_57ab13e8b8f7414d985d8ad912f0c1e1/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

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Thank you for reading.