Today I am loving being able to paint commissions outside! The sunshine continues, and every ones mood is on a high, which is wonderful!! Their is even a heat haze across the carse today. My husband is busy ploughing this afternoon, so once the little people have woken from their nap, I will put my paintbrush down, and go for a lovely walk!
03/26/2012
03/23/2012
Glorious sunshine
Quite a simple photo, but such a rare sight! It seems like ages since we've had beautiful blue skies in Stirlingshire!! Here's hoping it lasts!!
Its been all go on the farm as usual. Lambing has had a slow start, but is now starting to pick up pace, and the rest of the sheep come into the shed tomorrow, which will give us a grand total of around 500 sheep! Hopefully the dry weather continues so we can start putting the new lambs and mummies back in to the field. All this good weather also means dung spreading,ploughing and sowing. Maybe not the best days to hang out our washing !!
But defiantly the best days for playing outdoors! (photo above...trying to ride his tractor up the 'ag bag' in our farm steading!)
03/14/2012
New Designs
My new 'Birthday Plate'!! I got the idea to paint a family birthday cake plate after many families telling me that they used their cupcake plate as a special treat on their birthdays! The one above reads "The McEwen family birthday plate". My second new design is an engagement plate
The one above reads "With love on your engagement" just to show off the design, but I would add the bride and grooms name to it as well!
As far as lambing goes, we have another 2 sets of healthy triplets. So still pretty quiet. I'm sure by this time next week we will be a little busier! I am off to the doctors now for my daughters last lot of immunisations!! Hope their not too bad!!
03/12/2012
Lambing 2012
Sorry for the lack of posts!! Lambing 2012 is about to commence! The firstgroup of sheep are in the shed, getting fed, and preparing for the 'big day!!!' We even had our first set of lambs at the weekend. They are a little premature, but doing really well! The mother is very loving, and protective which is great to see.
It is great to be about sheep again, as last year I had to keep away because I was pregnant. I still can't take much responsibility at lambing, as I have the little ones, but I have asked my husband to give me a job that will help him out. So this year wee Dunc and I are in charge of feeding them treacle and hay in the morning, and once the sheep have lambed, and are in their individual pens, we are to keep them fed and watered until they return to the field. The picture above is of one of our sheep enjoying a lick of treacle!
Between lambing and 'being a mummy' I am designing a new range of plates, specialising in engagement, christening and birthday designs. I will post photos up as soon as I have completed them!!
02/13/2012
Bathtime babies
I just haven't had time to blog recently. My time seems to be taken up by these 2 little people. Tonight was their first bath together, and it was a success..phew!!
I promise to be back soon with pictures and tales form the farm, and news from my little Tartan Heart!
01/21/2012
Holidays
We're just back from one weeks holiday, part spent in the Lake District, and part spent at centre parcs in Sherwood Forrest. My husband and I have both returned from this 'holiday' needing another holiday. It was the most exhausting week we have had!! Duncan in an energetic two year old, and Floraidh was in the middle of her fussy 12 week growth spurt, so was constantly feeding in the evening! We knew it was never going to be much of a holiday, and we knew it wouldn't be relaxing, but we never thought we would still feel so shattered!! We started to wonder why we go away to relax?! Taking young children and babies out of routines and familiar beds doesn't make the week run smoothly !!
I have mixed feelings about center parcs too! I am not a fan of busy places! My ideal holiday would be a very small hotel, consisting of 10 bedrooms, or a small holiday cottage by a beach. I feel center parcs is too institutionalised, where people go to have fun fun fun , in the outdoors , participating in every activity possible, with every other tom dick and harry! I shouldn't be too harsh, as I think when our children are older it will be super! But it's currently off the cards for the next five years!
Our holiday had lots of firsts... Duncan became obsessed with cargo nets, and climbed his first one, then he climbed it again and again and again... he also went down a flume for the first time, (and all by himself, bless)
On holiday I read a lot of blogs, and got lots of ideas for little activities to do with Duncan on rainy days. I read some blogs on kids montessori activities, so I decided to purchase a set of lacing beads from 'Melissa & Doug' on Amazon. They came today, and are gorgeous. I thought they'd be a greatactivity for the two of us to do when Floraidh was sleeping. Duncan couldn't give two hoots about lacing beads, and grabbed his load all,tractor and trailer, and started to use the beads as cargo for his trailer!! A typical boy! You have to love it! Another Amazon purchase was 'French children don't throw food'. I can't wait to start reading it!
01/12/2012
An afternoon of painting
This afternoon, while both babies are sleeping, I have managed to get a few plates painted. I am not doing much at the moment on the trade front, but still enjoying painting commissions. Today I'm painting an engagement plate, a wedding plate, and a birth plate for my little girl. I need to get started on a big order of 15 plates when I come back from our holiday next week.
01/11/2012
If Only...
Today I bought some rather gorgeous Emma Bridgewater storage suitcases. I bought them for my little girls room, not only to look pretty, but for her in the future, so she can store toys, jewelery and hair accessories in. I can't help but think...if only they made them in adult sizes!! Imagine having beautiful love heart patterned luggage!
An obsessive of mine this month has been Joules. I have been buying clothes form them for years, but recently they have had so many fab designs incorporating beautiful vintage fabrics, polka dots, and gorgeous kitch knits. I asked for a lot of their clothing for my Christmas, and was very lucky, and got given a lot! But I have also been rather good to myself this month, and treated myselflots of their sale items. When I see this lovely patterned bag arrive in the post it brightens up my day...if only more companies packaged their products like joules!
01/10/2012
Tulips
Tulips are my favourite flower, and this weekend i bought my first bunch of the year. By Monday they had opened up, and looked quite unrecognisable as tulips. Still pretty, but think they will be heading to the bin by friday!
01/08/2012
Rainy Day fun
Days of drizzle and cold are upon us again. Only one day of sunshine this week, so still not getting out and about on walks or on the farm. Thinking of rainy day projects for my little boy can be hard sometimes. This week we have done lots of painting! I think he ends up with more paint on himself than the paper- but I just let him explore with it. At least its not acrylic paint; his paint will always wash out!! I am always in search for a good craft book for his age group,2, but so far not found any. Any suggestions?
