French Country Cottage Roses...

 I had so much fun taking these photographs...

it took my mind off other things...

Roses in a wire basket...

David Austin Rose "Symphony"...

 Beautiful pastel yellow roses....

 Perhaps my next 'career' will be as a stylist...

 Roses, wire, and French Country....

Roses with a perfume Heaven sent...

Pink Roses and Dewdrops...

 Early morning sunlight...

 Pink roses...

 Dewdrops....

= Beautiful!

Crepuscule - Climbing Rose

 Prolific flowering, Crepuscule is a captivating climbing rose that flowers almost non-stop!

Incorporating the Crepuscule climbing rose into your garden design can transform your outdoor space. Consider training the rose along trellises, arbours, or fences to create vertical interest. Pairing it with complementary flora can enhance its beauty; for instance, lavender or salvia can provide a lovely contrast while attracting pollinators.

Cultivation Tips 

· Sunlight: Ensure the rose receives at least six hours of sunlight daily for optimal growth.

· Soil: Plant the Crepuscule in well-draining soil enriched with organic matter.

· Watering: Regular watering is essential, particularly during dry spells. Avoid waterlogging, which can harm the roots.

· Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring to promote healthy growth and to remove any dead or damaged wood.

 The plus is that this rose is virtually thornless.

The Crepuscule has charming apricot and copper-colored blooms. The flowers typically bloom in clusters, showcasing a slight fragrance that adds to its allure. The petals exhibit a delightful blend of deeper shades that evolve into soft colors, creating a stunning visual effect as they mature.

A beautiful noisette rose, outstanding colour with soft peach tones, and it is very low-maintenance.

Embrace the allure of the Crepuscule, you won't regret it!

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#climbingroses #Roseclimbers #apricotroses

Handmade Heart...

Easy to make....fabric heart....

Cut a heart shape in felt and a matching one in fabric. On a small rectangle of Aida cloth, write the word in pencil, then handstitch using embroidery thread.

 Your word of choice could be... baby, joy, dream, heart or whatever takes your fancy.

Sew Aida onto the fabric heart.

Sew the fabric heart to the felt heart, leaving a gap for stuffing. Stuff with filler, and stitch the hole. 

Fray the edges a bit if you like.

Hand sew a ribbon hanger and embellishments.

I used a pretty flower button.

These are fabulous gifts and fun to make. 

And as an added embellishment, I clipped on a little bling using this vintage earring.

You can visit the 'Lavender Bedroom' HERE for more decor and styling ideas.

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#homemadegiftideas #sewingcrafts #heartcrafts

Pretty Tiled Tin Bucket...

We have just retiled our fireplace hearth with these gorgeous tiles, and I had some left...But what to do with them?  

On my foraging expedition at 'Bed Bath and Beyond' (I so love their sales table!) I came across these fab tin buckets.  Bonus is they are already painted, so I got this ecru coloured one (and a bright red one to be saved for a Christmas project). 

The Soaking word is not required, so this is where the tiles come to play...

All I did was cut a strip of tiles wide enough to cover the soaking word and used tile fix to stick it to the bucket.

Measure from the top rim so the tiles are evenly spaced...I used a hair dryer to help the drying process (otherwise the tiles tend to slip downwards).

Leave 24 hours, then grout the tiled strip.

Pop in a lovely potted chrysanthemum.
And there you have it.
A tiled pot of pretty!

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#tilingdiy #tilecrafts #diyplanterpots

Bird House Gourd...

When the rats decided my gourds were delicious, a lot ended up a bit holey!

So I used the ones with bird sized holes to make birdhouses. 

First I painted the inside of the gourd white, then the outside a lovely yellow.

I love butterflies, so there was no question what to decorate the outside with...

a pretty blue butterfly on a leafy branch.

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#Gourdart #Gourds 

DIY Joy Cushion

I LOVE Christmas, and I am starting to think about what creations need creating for this year's display.

I'm not sure where I first saw this cushion idea (may have been on Pinterest).

but here is my version.

I love how this cushion fits into the red and white colour scheme of my sitting room. You could use a red cushion with white felt if you prefer.

I went to the local homeware store and bought an off-white cushion (sale price $8), and some red felt from the fabric store (cost $2). The word joy letter template is off the web.

 

Cut out the template letters.  Pin to felt, cut out felt letters.

Lay out double-sided iron-on fusing, and draw around the outline of the letters using a pencil. Do a mirror image of the J. 
Use a hot iron to bond the fusing to the felt letters. Trim edges.

Peel off the backing paper from the double-sided fusing. Remove the cushion inner from the cushion and place felt letters in the centre overlapping the letters slightly.  Hot iron and fuse in place.

Top stitch with white cotton (red if your felt is white) around the letters using a sewing machine. Embellish (sequins, buttons, etc if you desire), but I chose to leave mine plain.

And there you have it...a joyous Christmas cushion, that's quick and easy to make.

Joy word template

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#Christmascrafts #ChristmasDIY #Christmasdecorideas

Aqua Blue Beaded Gourd...

 I went through my gourd growing stage a few years back...

Amazing plants to grow, but you do need a huge amount of room if you grow more than one plant. 

We had gourds coming out of our ears! 

  

Every shed roof, even the miniature pony shelter shed, at Mia Bella Gardens had gourds on top drying!

Oh, and the trampoline was covered in drying gourds too.

 Friends and family got decorated gourd gifts, and people found out we grew them and wanted them for their own crafts or cultural uses.

 A lot got given away, and then the corn field was harvested, and the hungry rats decided they were delicious too.

So that was the end of the gourd growing era. 

I might try again sometime, with maybe just one plant on a trellis, or espaliered.

This gourd was painted a lovely aqua colour once the top was removed.
Holes were drilled around the top edge, so it could be decorated with beads and cord.

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#gourdart  #gourds

Jade...

My name is Jade.  I am an Indian Ringneck Parrot.

My favourite thing to do is tease the dogs.  I whistle to them to come here.

I can wolf whistle, too. 

I can meow like a cat, say hello, how are you.

I live on my own in a huge aviary, as I don't really like the girls; they stress me out, then I sulk, and I won't talk anymore. I am really happy on my own, because I get all the treats and lots of delicious food.

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#indianringneckparrots

Stamped Heart Picture...

Some time ago, I saw a picture in a magazine of what was possibly a screen-printed framed heart.  This got me thinking about how I could use my Stampin' Up stamps to create something similar.

I used a small patterned stamp and other smaller stamps in various designs, red paper and white ink.

Using the long heart template, I cut out the centre of the heart. You could use another shape - maybe a circle, star or square...

With the template taped in place to keep it stable, the stamps were randomly stamped using the red card as the background.

Carefully remove the template when dry.  With a white colour pencil lightly define the outline of the heart shape.

 I framed the design in a white frame.

It now has a special place in my red and white sitting room.

Long Heart Template - copy and enlarge to print.

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#diyart #stampedart #valentinesdaydecor #valentineart