Colour Lovers

Do you love colour? Then you just might like this blog post!

I promised a while ago (back in May!) that I would blog about the rest of my visit to the floral heaven that is Keukenhof, because I just couldn't quite cram all that gorgeous colour into one post... well here you go - enjoy!

Possibly the cutest dog ever - it was almost as if it was posing for the picture!

We saw a stunning variety of different types of tulip (as well as other flowers) and a staggering spectrum of colours. It truly was a feast for the eyes!

Of course, you can't expect to visit Holland without seeing a few clogs...

...and we also saw the beautiful flower fields too!

I was really blown away by the sheer intensity 

of the red tulips as they were incredibly striking.

From the edges of the Keukenhof boundary you could even see groups of tourists on little boat trips along the canals running around the borders of the flower fields.

Tulip Time!

I recently returned from a trip to Keukenhof in Lisse, a town which lies southwest of the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It's a place I have wanted to visit ever since hearing about it - in case you haven't, it's a world-reknowned spring garden featuring a staggering variety of flowers.

It features over 7 million flowers but is best known for its beautiful displays of tulips, Holland's national flower. The gardens showcase a whopping 800 varieties of tulip!

If I actually had a "bucket list" this would most definitely have been on it! As someone who adores tulips and loves colour, it was just such a marvellous feast for the eyes - not to mention the beautiful perfume of delicately scented hyacinth and narcissi flowers.

I really loved this vibrant stripe effect that was created with rows of different colours of tulips and hyacinths.

There were so many lovely things to see around every corner and I must have taken over a hundred pictures...

This year Keukenhof had special displays in tribute to Vincent van Gogh, one of the most famous Dutch painters.

The artist inspired some interesting displays in one of the Keukenhof flower shows.

If you ever get the chance to visit, I cannot recommend it enough, especially if you are a flower fan. Find out more on the website: www.keukenhof.nl.

Stay tuned for more floral loveliness, including pictures of the stunning commercial flower fields!

Happy Stationery Week!

This week is National Stationery Week! (Stationery geeks rejoice!)

I hardly need an excuse to get excited about stationery - it's something I've loved ever since I was a little girl. I think it was the colours and the infinite possibilities that appealed to me and fired up my imagination. Still does.

...After all, sometimes there is nothing better than the promise of a brand new pen or a fresh notebook, ripe with creative potential. A simple pleasure in life which is generally pretty affordable too!

I love to record things and plan my adventures in a diary and this year I was inspired by The Daily Roe on Instagram to adorn and embellish it, after seeing her diary/sketchbook hybrid approach to keeping a journal.

Cue washi tape and deco stickers for my Moleskine 2015 diary! Not forgetting a batch of my favourite pens for scribbling ideas, sketching and making notes with, the Pilot V-ball 05, which has a fine tip and lovely liquid ink with a nice fluidity.

Find out more about National Stationery Week on 

the official website: www.nationalstationeryweek.com

It's Fabric Friday!

I spotted a hashtag on Twitter that caught my attention a little while ago - #FabricFriday! It kind of hit me right between the eyes as a simple but effective idea.

 

I can't quite remember if it was a trending topic or if I just saw it because it popped up in my feed of "textiley twitterers" - in any case, I thought it would make a good theme for a (semi-) regular post on my blog.

If you read this post back in November, you might recall the mention of a quilt challenge... I was aiming to have something finished by the end of this month, but alas, it would seem that I was overly optimistic! I have made a little progress on my ideas and inspiration board for the quilt I'd like to make but hadn't quite anticipated how completely manic December and parts of January would be.

Image via Pinterest

I did a little bit of sewing, it's still in a slightly experimental stage, since I've been kind of making it up as I go - this is what happens when I get an idea in my head about how I'd like to use a certain piece of fabric...

So I suppose what I'm saying is that one of my new year's resolutions is to actually make a proper plan for my quilt, which will hopefully bring it one step closer to completion! (Wish me luck!!)

Image via Pinterest

What are your crafty new year's resolutions? Drop me a comment!

Autumnal Events

So, it's November! How did that happen? ...Come to think of it, where has this year gone?! It's certainly been an eventful one for me, in any case. 

I am enjoying the autumn show of colours and the crisp scent of bonfires in the air. It always makes me glad when this time of year rolls around, because however much the dark days are a little, well, dark, it's comforting to think of bringing all my cosy knits out of hibernation - and maybe finishing a few too. (Though lately that has eluded me somewhat as due to a bout of tendonitis I havent't been able to touch my knitting for a few weeks now - woe!!)

I'm consoling myself by living vicariously through the craft of others and gathering inspiration for wintery projects in the meantime. Cue a Pinterest frenzy! If you want to see what I've been pinning lately, you can find my boards here: http://www.pinterest.com/wildcatdesigns.

One of the projects I'm hoping to work on is my first foray into quilting. I've been fascinated by the industrious creators of patchwork quilts for many years and this year myself and two friends are challenging ourselves to have a go, with the aim of completing a quilt each by January. So I started to collect ideas and ponder designs, as well as having a rummage through my fabric stash. Despite not being an avid sewer, I have still managed to acquire (hoard) plenty of pretty fabrics. I think my degree in textiles might have *something* to do with that...

Photographs featured in this post are of some of the rather wonderful pieces as seen in my copy of Contemporary American Quilts published by the Crafts Council.

Do you have any tips for me, as a novice quilter? I'd love to know your thoughts, and please feel free to post links! :)

All the Pretty Things

Image via Flickr

Life has been somewhat of a whirlwind lately, so I'm taking a much-needed moment to slow down and contemplate the things that inspire me. Pretty patterned tiles and ceramics have been a feature in recent weeks so here are some of my favourites.

Image found on Pinterest

Image via Flickr

Image via Decor8

Pretty cups via Tumblr

I do hope you liked these pretties and wish you a happy Friday - enjoy your weekend!

All Quiet on the Blogging Front

...yes, there's been virtual tumbleweed blowing around here lately, I confess! Things have been a little crazy but I have lots of inspiring things to share with you in the coming weeks.

I recently started a new job which has got me walking down familiar paths but seeing things in a new light. I'm revisiting many things I used to be so involved with as a textile student - it's hard to believe it was almost a decade ago that I completed my degree in that field!

The wonderful thing is that I still find this area so inspiring even after all these years. I thought I'd give you a visual tour of what's got my creative juices flowing of late:

This is a gorgeous fabric I recently received in the post, as part of the Hillarys Blinds Country Craft Competition. The fabric is called Bird Parade and it's from their Country Retreat range. I have yet to make something with it, at this point I'm thinking my limited sewing skills might stretch to a bag but I love the idea of a skirt, should I have enough material! If you want to find out more about the comp, check out this post on the UK Craft Blog.

Image via Pinterest

The colours of spring emerging from the garden always have an impact on me at this time of year. I love that first sign of delicate snowdrops, heralding new life and fresh growth, which is soon followed by crocus, daffodils and tulips (one of my favourite flowers).

Image via Designers Guild

Spooky Style

I LOVE Halloween! It's a great excuse to get all ghoulish :) Plus I suppose it helps that I like all things skully/piratey/stripy... not to mention the fact that I love a good zombie flick!

Last year's Zombie Pirate effort!

There's some great Halloween-inspired stuff out there at the moment.

Like this Tatty Devine batty necklace -  I love the fact that it's glittery black perspex!

Perfect for any aspiring Batgirl or Batwoman. Other highlights in their collection include the awesome "Aaarrghhhhh" necklace and for the gents, there are some ghostly cufflinks!

Continuing with the bat theme...how about these!

Bat printed tights by Tattoo Socks

Or perhaps skulls are more your style?

 

Skully ring by Datter Industries

Cobwebby wonders:

Spiderweb necklace by Stars & Scars

Spiderweb earrings by Cherryloco

...not forgetting decor for a spook-tacular Halloween party!

Lacy spiderweb bunting by Pobblyboo

Wishing you a ghoulish ghost night for Halloween! 

[insert evil horror-tastic laugh here]