ON VACATION

We are off on a cruise soon so I doubt this blog will be updated fro a while unless I get a few free moments to switch on the laptop.

Lets see if I can find a some seascapes to put us in the mood.

 

Be good whilst I’m away.

Love

JJ

PINK SATURDAY NUMBER 11

Today we will journey through my pink Artwork starting with -

Apple Blossom. This was the basis of an anniversary card made for friends who married in May.

Pink Lilies for Chris’s birthday card.

Pink Roses for an Anniversary.

Beautiful Phoebe nestled in a rose for her Daddy.

 

My favourite rose Silver Jubilee

My take on Princess Diana.

Dream Home in the Country.

 

Happy PS to All. Now go visit Beverley , our hostess, with the mostest!

JJ

BERGERAC AND THE DORDOGNE

After a  few sunny days  and the promise of an Indian summer, today autumn has returned. Grey skies and a chill east wind are back and we must now look forward to next Spring before we will get any more warm weather.

What a difference a few miles makes if you go south. South across the channel; south through Brittany; south through the Loire Valley; South through  Poitou-Charentes and then, finally, South to Bergerac.

That is what we did in September 2007 and what wonderful weather we had and what wonderful sights we saw.

 

  First may I introduce CYRANO DE BERGERAC, guardsman and poet,  cursed with an enormous, bulbous, blossoming beak of a nose.To compensate for his belief that no woman could ever love him on account of this affliction, he  made himself renowned in Paris for his personal bravery and the charm of his verse. The town of Bergerac sits on the banks of the Dordogne river which flows from  the mountains of Auvergne, from the confluence of two small torrents above the town of Mont-Dore: the Dore and the Dogne. It flows generally west about 500 km through the Limousin and Périgord regions before flowing into the Gironde, its common estuary with the Garonne, at the “Ambès beak”, in the north of the city of Bordeaux.The Dordogne is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibits the phenomenon known as a tidal bore as does the Severn in England.

This is the quay where, for hundreds of years, trade has taken place.

 

This  boat is typical of those which used to transport grapes and other things across the country. 

Let’s moor the boat here and go into town.

 

The well-restored and working old centre of Bergerac is adorned with 15th century fixtures and its cute lanes are home to many half-timbered houses. Bergerac is also famous for its good museums, which depict the areas long history. Particularly interesting, the Museum of Tobacco exhibits a collection of tobacco items and paraphernalia. The centrally located Wine Museum is worth a visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Restoration is an ongoing process, this property looked in danger of collapsing.I wonder just how old it was.

Part of the old town square where the new statue of Cyrano is set on a very modern stainless steel plinth.See the first photo.

 

Come back next time for more photos of this lovely area.

JJ

PINK SATURDAY NUMBER 10

Umm, what to post today? Let’s go on a little journey through my files.

Pretty pink French flowers - what are they?

Pink silk flowers in my aquarium. So much prettier than plastic weeds!

Can’t leave this file without a close-up of some very pretty fishes playing follow my leader.

Where now?

A rather dusty Don Quixote retired to an Antique shop. Will someone give him a home I wonder?

Pretty pink cushions to grace any sofa

All this shopping is making me hungry

Which shall I choose?

Just too pretty to eat. Home JJ for a cup of tea and a biscuit!

JJ

More cards

This week I have made four cards.

The first is for my friend’s mother who is 79 today – Beatrice – Happy Birthday

Then, some very sad news. My very good friend Jan lost her friend Pam to cancer! The poor girl survived breast cancer over 5 years ago but contracted secondary Liver cancer much to the surprise to her specialist and her family.Her daughter was due to marry in October and Pam so wanted to attend. When it became obvious that this was impossible, her daughter and fiancé had a blessing ceremony in the hospice so that Pam could take part. She died the next day.

A card for my friend Jan from one of my photos -

with the following verse -

And a card for the bereaved husband and family -

with the verse -

Sharing one’s feeling with personalised cards seems to make one’s thoughts and sentiments more poignant and more thoughtful somehow. Always a difficult time to hit the right note but always important to convey that we do sympathise and share the sorrow at the loss of a loved one.

On a lighter note, my niece’s son was four recently and I did this card with some very funny looking cows on it. Why? no idea but I love designing unusual animals.

O, that’s Kion on the cow!

JJ

PINK SATURDAY NUMBER 9

Last week I posted pictures of our day out to Topsham ( pronounced Topsum) on the river Exe.

This week some more pictures starting with some very pretty window boxes and hanging baskets. All the properties front straight onto the road but the owners still manage to plant their miniature gardens to enhance their properties and bring joy to us all.

Yes, OK, where’s the pink I hear you ask.

Well, on the wall making the perfect backdrop for these flowers.

A trio of iron planters framing a pretty window with pink.

Tumbling geraniums and serfinas brighten this rather dull wall and cleverly draw your eye to the sign.

Just perfect.

Pink flowers, pink cardy and a pink(ish) dress.

The first prize for innovation.Stunning.

 

One final flourish of Summer

JJ

TEAL AND BROWN

These are the colours of our newly redecorated lounge / diner and are my colours De la Moment.

Here are a few drawings  I have done with a view to painting them on canvas when time permits.

I’m not sure whether I prefer the teal background -

or the duck egg blue

Leafy Tree

Falling leaves

 

Windmill Flowers

Enough is enough!

JJ