Off the blogosphere......

Well, I just knew this would happen. I disappeared off the radar for a while.
I've been quite busy lately, but not so busy as I couldn't come visit you folks out there, you are all much better than the tv of late for sure (especially the news).
Work is keeping me splendidly busy, my new job is lovely, I'm painting, pastelling, printing, collaging etc etc, it's just great fun! Then in my spare time I'm working as well? It's gotten quite busy all round, so I missed relaxing in all the heat, we've had a good summer so far.
I have managed some days off, as the photos show. I can't put any of my artwork up as yet, but there will be some soon. So here are a few photos of things I've been up to....

Ice cream eating at Monsal head, (Peak District) Banana and toffee, yumminess

In the garden, there have been quite a few new arrivals.

Lots of raspberry picking and eating, a good crop this year.

A little adventure in a Motorhome we hired, out in the Dales.

Walking on a very hot day, towards Linton.

Beautiful homes in Appletreewick (Apptrick)

Llamas in the garden? (like you do?) Husband thought they were stuffed, but no, they are alive.

Walking through fields of ??? corn? reminds me of where I grew up, we lived at the edge of a cornfield

So, is this Barley?? I puzzle over such things?

West Tanfield, the Marmion tower.

Bunting still out for the July 'Tour de France' event.

More ice cream eating at the Brymor Ice cream parlour

peeping in at the babies in the cow shed, at the ice cream parlour.

knaresborough on another sunny day, we've had lots through July :)

Staying overnight with the dog!! A lovely hotel, which was very welcoming, Forest of Bowland.

Lots of butterflies in the hotel grounds around the newly planted buddleias.

 So I've been out and about this summer, but working hard in-between these days out. We can't manage a long stay away, because the dog is quite old now (14 and I/2) and I won't leave him anywhere like kennels or back at the farm we got him from, they used to look after him at holiday time. His back legs are quite wobbly and he falls down, but doesn't seem to feel a thing?! This stay away with him is something new, and he did well, he particularly liked the goody bag and was not too phased by it all, so we may go again? :)

 See you all soon, these last photos bring me up to date with my activities, hope you've all been enjoying summer fun, it was so warm in July in the UK, but it's turned quite Autumnal recently, I'm hoping for an Indian Summer now.

I managed a quiet few moments in the bird hide in the hotel grounds and captured this nuthatch.

Everything in the garden is.....

 ..........So lovely.
 Sorry I haven't posted for a while. I have had a busy last month, as I started a new job!! It is brilliant so far, as I'm painting away like crazy :)  I'm working for a major Greeting Card Company and although so much work is now done on computer, it seems that painting is back in fashion. So I'm happily painting away, creating lots of different work.
 Everything else is doing well also, the garden is amazing, we have had so much rain lately and over the winter, that everything is very lush. We've had hardly any freezing cold weather, and so everything has taken off in the spring, and it all looks delightful. I love the lupin above, such amazing shapes all neatly stacked together, it just makes me marvel at nature, how things form and grow, it's brilliant.

Mimulus, bedding plants, these are flowering like mad now.

Harlow Carr poster

Harrogate 'Le Tour' symbols.

 In our region we have the start of the 'Tour de France' kicking off, and many, many places have posters and various yellow painted bicycles strategically positioned all over. We passed through Massham recently and they had bunting strewn all around the market square made of little knitted Jerseys, mainly yellow, but various other colours, they look so cute!!

Wenslydale view.

 We try and get out into the countryside when the weather is fair, this trip was last Friday, such a glorious day up in Wenslydale. Walking in the sunshine. I don't work a full week, so I can escape quite often. We have had lots of rain as I mentioned though, it can rain when I'm at work, then be nice on my days off please :)))

Wenslydale view

Pen hill above Wenslydale, the farmers are cutting the grass for food.

 I've been painting rainbows in my spare time also, I shall do some diddling on the computer with these below and see what happens?? I love the bright colours they are so cheerful.

Well I hope to be back before too long, I shall try and post once a month at least!! Otherwise you will all drift off and not come to visit me. I hope everything in your gardens is rosy too. X

Lovely book look

My Birthday gift.

I had a lovely book bought for my birthday recently, by my equally lovely  friend 'D'.
So I wanted to post some photos of it, as it is quite delightful.

The tale is based on Red Riding hood, and I can remember looking at the blog of Jackie Morris ages ago, when this book was still in progress. I love the work of Catherine Hyde, and she has made such a  wonderful job of creating the magic of this tale, which is always a popular subject with illustrators, even though the subject is quite dark and sinister, or probably because it is just that.

I will let you browse some of the pages, the use of the light and dark is brilliant.

What an image, quite scary?

My favourite pages, oh how delightful!!

 I also managed to get back to York and armed with the camera, got round to taking those close up shots of around the doorway of York Minster, after a quick walk on the wall again :)

Such a magnificent doorway.

just a tiny snippet of detail

This one made me smile.

More of the detail.
I am sure there is some dark story behind all these carvings, I shall have to investigate?

A lovely book in the centre there, it reminds me of Sandra Van Doorne?

Those cheeky little rascals in Bettys window, I could have bought the lot!!

This one made it home, and went down, down the little red lane, you won't see that fat rascal again!

Hope you enjoyed my update. I've been busy working, but not much artworking, I may get some time soon to do much more. Bye for now folks.

Been around....

Well folks, I've been busy gadding about recently, It's been so long since I've posted on here, sorry about that, I have somewhat neglected things on the blog. Here are some of the places I've been, you may have seen them before as they are favourite haunts!

suspension bridge near Hebden (Dales)

River twixt Hebden and Burnsall.

The little school at Burnsall, viewed through the churchyard, so cute!

Panoramic shot near Hebden

 Next few photos are around York, a place I love, so much still to discover :) The Minster is just spectacular, I had meant to try the camera on some close up shots of the gargoyles etc, but my camera battery ran out, next time I will get some.

Walking the wall that surrounds York, you get to see some very different scenes, into peoples gardens etc, quite fascinating!

York wall, can you see the schoolchildren to the left below? :)

Lovely gardens!!

Popping out of the wall, we found this by accident really, but it's quite amazing how these things still remain, just wonderful.

Now to my next location, near Harrogate, a walk around Swinsty reservoir. I don't have photos of the start of this walk, the bit where I moaned a lot, as the path was a stream or bog, I can be a pain when things are tricky! I like nice easy walks, yes we can go uphill, that's OK, but not boggy, thats yuk.

Swinsty reservoir walk.

Sun on the water.

 Best bit of the walk coming next, Tea Room at Bettys, Harlow Carr, Hooray. Nice Fat rascal for late lunch, totally yummy :)

Gorgeous Easter display window.

Yummy menu.

Burst of bright floral sunshine, had to take some home.

Latest piece of work, done in various ways, stamping, pastel, drawing, painting and finally photoshop! Yea.

Hope you like my little rambles? In between I have been busy working. The major book project keeps coming back, but I don't think I can do it? It's been difficult to say no.
See you all again before too long :) I do keep following you peeps out there.