Beginning of Summer

Some pictures of sunny greenery from Instagram to celebrate the beginning of summer, a tradition on the 1st of May for thousands of years. Have a good May Day and a lovely summer!

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Wild Cub

This album has been helping me feel sunnier on these grey and rainy days; especially this song:

And I've been dreaming of being back on this holiday in Portugal:

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Summer Doves

Summer Doves; a summery counterpart to the Snow Doves. You can find them over here!

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Plane Trees

We're really enjoying the sunny weather; it's scorching and very welcome after the cold spring!

Me! The first photo of me on the internet (I hope :))

Beautiful Plane trees on my favourite walk.

Hope you had a lovely weekend and good weather wherever you are!

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Distant Suns

A while back we were walking home from the cinema and it was a really clear and starry night with those high, translucent clouds you get in cold, dry weather. I've wanted to try them in a design since, so with the 4th of July coming up and a stars & stripes spoonflower theme, I've put the stars on an ombre striped sky:

1000 Distant Suns

I also tried it with a smooth gradient:

First Light

And finally, my original plan, with light clouds:

Summer Night Sky

If you have a mo' this week, head on over here to have a look at all the stars and stripes designs and vote for your favourites :)

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Forest & Sea ▪ www.etsy.com/shop/ForestAndSea

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Celandine

Celandine

A member of the buttercup family, apparently these sunny flowers are named from the Greek for Swallow (chelidon), blooming as the swallows return for the summer. If you feel like making something sunny, this design is up in my spoonflower shop and available in 9 different kinds of cloth!

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Bees & Blooms

Bees & Blooms - Medieval Woodcut

What says summer better than lying in the grass hearing bees going about their work? As you've probably read, these indispensable pollinators have mysteriously been in trouble for the last few years. A couple of new studies published this week have helped to establish that a certain group of nerve agent pesticides are a large part of that puzzle but there are things that we can do to help! Buzz About Bees have a list of 10 simple things you can do, even if it's just buying local honey and scattering a few wildflower seeds on your lawn.

The bees shown here are adapted from my Medieval Woodcut design. I've made a repeat pattern with them which you can find on fabric, wrapping paper and wallpaper here!

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I, Robot

I'd just finished reading I, Robot by Isaac Asimov when spoonflower posted their upcoming robot contest. My design is based on the first of the short stories in the book and features Robbie, the nanny robot. It was published in 1950, so I've used mid-century patterns throughout and the Peanuts comic strip was first published in the same year so I've tried to base the kid's faces a bit on Charles M. Schultz's brilliant characters.

I, Robot.

I was well out of my comfort zone for this one. Firstly, it's a design for a cheater quilt and I've never made one and secondly there are people featured, which I've always found tricky but I think I like. You really have to see the details below though because the yumtious textures are definitely the best bit:


I, Robot Details - close ups and textures.

I, Robot Details - fifties prints and cog flowers. Click to view larger.

 If you fancy a look at all the other robot fabric and want to vote for your favourites, click here!

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Barn Swallows

Birds of a Feather..

This repeat design of Barn Swallows was adapted digitally from the original Illustration Friday watercolour for the feather contest at Spoonflower. These birds and this colour remind me of the time of year when the night sky doesn't get darker than indigo until after midnight - one of the few pros of northern life!

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Illustration Friday: Bottled and Journey

The first thing that crossed my mind when I read last week's subject was our summer holiday a few years ago in Alcúdia Bay. I would have loved to have bottled some of that Mediterranean Sea breeze to bring home with us; we had such a brilliant time that year.

I was too late to enter this painting for 'bottled' but I think it's just as good for this week's theme:

Badia d'Alcúdia

Click on details for larger image.

Have a great weekend!

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Illustration Friday: Surrender

Summer Returns

The swallows will have to surrender to their instinct to fly north for the summer. I'm looking forward to that, it's freezing here! You can have a look at all the other Surrender illustrations here!

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Forest & Sea ▪ www.etsy.com/shop/ForestAndSea

hand drawn nature on fabric, accessories & homeware