"I love...." and a hint of Spring in the garden this week

Morning everyone, Allsorts challenge time again and this week Lynn has chosen the theme of "I love....", a chance to indulge in your favourite crafty loves. We welcome Oakwood Archer to our challenge who will be sending this weeks winner a surprise package of goodies. Their new Spring releases are being launched on The Craft Store on Monday 21st at 9am and 1pm.

And on the subject of Spring which is one of my other 'I loves,' I have a few photos of what's happening around the garden and paddocks this week, gales aside there are distinct signs of it being on the way.

As an Oakwood DT I am sharing a couple of recent makes for Monday's TV shows. Above using Little Critters and Rose Garden stamps and coordinating dies along with sentiments. An Oxide background, stamping using Oakwood Mixed Media Textures. Roses, two die cut hexagons and some washi tape and wordage to finish.

For this one I used the new Iris and Spring Verse, they are pretty large stamps and the verse which is A5 makes a great background. Here I used a reverse mask around the Iris and stamped the verse through the mask, then using a piece of torn paper to cover the card stamped down the edges.  

I just love Snowdrops growing in the undergrowth as with these in the top paddock hedgerow and a few Daffodils just peeking up behind. It's their normal habitat if one goes back over the years, they were first spotted in the UK in the 18th Century and believed to have been imported from the Continent where they grow wild in meadows and woods liking a damp climate. So in theory hedgerows and wooded areas are perfect habitats for them.

Two different varieties of Hellebore, the top one nestled into the undergrowth close to the Snowdrops and below in one of the flower beds.

One of the young Viburnum Tinus which usually flowers in April but well on it's way into bloom.

Primulas need no introduction, they've been rather battered by all the rain and winds but still glorious colours and below a few more Snowdrops, these are in a shrub bed.

Spring is clearly very early this year, some of the Daffodils are just beginning to show colour and will be ready to be picked in a few days. Let's just hope the weather gets the idea and the sun makes an appearance.

If you are still with me, a couple of photos taken through the kitchen window yesterday of a pair of Squirrels clearly terrified of the gales, the one in the tree sat immobile in that position for a good couple of hours, meanwhile his mate scuttled about under a Beech although the photos not as clear as it could be.

Have a good weekend and thanks as always for your visits.

 

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