Pale Cherry Blossom

Every year is different when it comes to the Cherry Blossom. This year the dark leaved cherries seem to be coming out at the same time as their leaves, long before the more floriferous pink ones which open up before their green leaves arrive.

I'm always happy when they stagger their opening times like that so that when one passes there is still the joy of more to come. Ours are still at the early stages of opening but the one above had the advantage of a few extra degrees of heat in the City so it was fully open and begging me to let it pose for the camera yesterday.

Update: This photo now available as a Giclée Print here, printed on archival paper using Epson K3 archival inks.

Spring shrubs enjoying the sunshine

Today was cold but oh so very sunny and many bushes and trees were filled, or filling, with colour. I love when the sun shines through the leaves of the flowering currants providing a glorious contrast in colour from the pink flowers.

Elsewhere I've been delighted by the flowers on the Winter flowering Honeysuckles - Lonicera Fragrantissima, which have been flowering since early December and this month have been providing a much used early nectar source for some huge bumble bees in the garden.

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It's funny how in October 12C means jumpers on, and in March it means jumpers off. Beautiful sunny weather and no cold wind! It's hard to believe that this time last year we were under snow that lasted right through April so we could barely see the snowdrops or crocuses. Not so this year, they are abundant and basking in Spring sunshine. They hovered as 'drops' from mid Jan through Feb and then when the warmth came they all opened up in crisp white perfection, just like the clouds.

California Colours

A little mix here of older college patterns with newer California pieces based on photos I took when my lovely wee Brother treated me to a trip back to LA  in 2008 to visit all the places we lived and hung out at. That place really did have the biggest influence on me colour wise, year round sunshine was not something I was used to in Scotland and although yellow had been my favourite colour as a child (taken over by aquas and most greeny blues by my mid teens) it was a primary yellow, daffodil yellow. I'm sure the other yellows were around but I hadn't noticed them.

Moving to LA opened my eyes to a whole new world of yellows. They seemed to change constantly depending where you were and I think I was as much influenced by the feeling of them as their actual colour. I don't know if there really were sharp the yellows by the ocean in Venice where there was no smog, but it certainly felt that way in comparison to the tainted yellows of Downtown LA and the warm and ever changing orangey yellows of the hot desert areas outside LA. And of course there were those Pacific sunsets.

The pieces above from the California collection (top row 1-3, 2nd row 3,) represent that Oceanside feeling of heading down to Venice beach and seeing how everything looked crisper, with the blues and yellows heightened by the cool clean breeze coming off the Ocean, always so refreshing in the heatwave that was the 80s.

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New Clocks and free shipping weekend

I totally forgot to update that my designs on Society 6 are now available as clocks. Each clock has the option for black, white or natural frame colour, and for black or white hands. And there's free worldwide shipping if you use this link until Sunday at Midnight Pacific Time.
*Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with insert.

I think this is going to involve some updating because a lot my my pattern make it hard to read the clock, so I rummaged through my old sketchbooks for some pieces that would better suit a round face and decided this Fjorn pattern (above) was perfect for the job, with a few edits to make it more circular. I love it in clock format, but it also looks good on the other products too. It is also comes in a red on white option.

Now I'd better get back to updating the clock section for all my previous designs to they will work better. I'm thinking single colours may be the way to go initially.

Mirka Janeckova

I felt the need for some wintery white and the jewellery of Mirka Janeckova seemed perfect. Then I saw her White Drawings and had to show 3 of them as well, they are very striking and I actually thought they were inverted photos of actual jewellery when I first looked.

More free shipping on Society 6

Another free shipping deal on most Cally Creates Society 6 products including iPhone/iPad skins and cases, from now through Monday (cyber Monday for those of you that call it that).

Angelica, Dogwood and Enkianthus in June

The Angelica is in it's 3rd year and despite a late start it put on an astonishing amount of growth in the last 4 weeks, it's huge! Last year it was a bit taller than me but this year it's taller than the shed, probably about 10ft tall, and may grow more. What a wonderful giant of a thing.

The Dogwood is Cornus 'Hedgerow's Gold' which always lights up it's mostly shady corner.

The Enkianthus - oh what a delight to see. Last year the constant vicious gales and 2nd late freeze meant it only had about 4 flowers, poor thing. This year it is SMOTHERED in them and they are strongly resisting the gales today, which fortunately are of a much warmer nature than the ones that ripped the leaves off the trees last year.

The White Lilac has flowered really well, it's been getting pruned back over the last 3 years and this is it's first year without any of the old unproductive branches. It seems very happy about it and the flower clusters have held on for at least a full month.

The Rowans haven't recovered fully and like so many trees around Scotland they are looking a bit see-through, but I'm pleased to see they are managing a few smaller scale flower clusters so we will get berries this year (so long as no freak weather comes along before September).

More plant photo's to follow just as soon as I get them cropped.

Late but lovely Spring Clematis & Tulips

Clematis Alpina & Clematis Broughton Bride finally opened in the garden with the Tulips, not sure which type of tulips they are, I must have it written somewhere, but they are so crisp and clean looking in green and white, I really love their purity.

As the month comes to a close it has managed to squeeze in the opening of the White Lilac and the Spanish Bluebells which I like to have in a jar beside the computer where I can enjoy the scent when I am catching up on my long neglected emails - it's been quite a year so far, I am so far behind with everything, but I guess that just makes me more in tune with the higgelty piggelty lateness of the seasons. I can hardly believe we are about to enter June already when only a month ago the garden was covered in snow!

Soaking breakfast overnight

Glass after 2hrs soaking in water (hard to see but the water is in there).

Another food photo for Liz (better late than never) I typically soak my seeds/nuts/grain mixtures overnight (at cool room temp or in the fridge if it's too hot) and top up with water as needed. Next day enjoy as raw porridge, as lightly cooked porridge (lovely with fresh fruit added), added to smoothies or drained of any water and used in salads. Full of goodness, particularly if you don't heat it. And packed with protein, for those who think you can't get protein without eating meat.

Garden snapshot May 2012

Narcissus, Clematis, Angelica

Clematis, Clematis, Solomon's Seal

Acer, Narcissus, Heuchera

Rhododendron, Tulip, Pieris, Tulip

Click images to enlarge.

My head for names has gone so I hope nobody wanted details of each variety. I'm hoping the nice weather will help get me enthused about the garden again and then the names will pop back into my head. Fingers crossed.

Where my head's at...

Kwon Seulgi - Untitled - Brooch - 2011
silicone, pigment, plastic, thread, wood, stainless steel


Kwon Seulgi - Untitled - Brooch - 2011
silicone, pigment sterling silver, thread, stone, glass bead, stainless steel


Kwon Seulgi - Cell 10 Brooch - Oct 2009
silicone, pigment, plastic, stainless steel



Chanel Spring 2012 Under the Sea


Studio Bertjan Pot - Cluster Light 2009


Ernesto Neto - "Simple and light as a dream...the gravity don’t lie...just loves the time" 2006
Installation view fromTanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York
Photo: Fabian Birgfeld, photoTECTONICS.
Courtesy of the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York (Via Moment/C)

The Bloomberg Pavillion

I've been having the kind of week that you normally only see on movies. A chance to change something from their past which would completely alter my life. I've stuck with the decision I made so many years ago but it hasn't stopped my thoughts and emotions being turned upside down and inside out. Everything in my life that seemed fixed suddenly has other options and it's almost impossible not to think of all the possibilities that could have unfolded. My poor wee brain feels thoroughly fragmented as it churns over all the possible ways things could have gone.

What better day to send out one of my draft posts from last year of the Bloomberg Pavillion with it's multi-faceted structure. That's what my brain is like this week, a solid base with all manner of wildness spilling out the top and looking different depending on where you approach it and the time of day.





'bloomberg pavilion' by akihisa hirata architecture office, tokyo, japan. photo © takumi ota
images courtesy of akihisa hirata architecture office + museum of contemporary art tokyo
found via Designboom

Myung Urso

Myung Urso - Brooch: Dialogue - 2011 (via Klimt02)
Natural dyed silk, thread, sterling silver, lacquer


Myung Urso - Neckpiece: Gray Scape 2011 (via Klimt02)
Natural dyed silk, thread, sterling silver


Myung Urso - Brooch: Hometown 2011 (via Klimt02)
Natural dyed silk, thread, sterling silver, lacquer

Great pieces, I always like when you can see the hand of the maker in the construction, and white/grey/red is always a colour combo I love.

More Winter Colours

Indoor Hyacinth is more vivid than than outdoor plants in January

This was about 2 weeks ago, still in flower but determined to fall over at every opportunity. I usually grow them in soil and can pop a skewer in as support, not very attractive with a hyacinth vase. Out in the garden the pinks are paler, which fits well with the grey greens and frosted leaves.


Clematis stems with their own brand of winter beauty

Hydrangea Petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea) has straddled the shed roof.

Clematis 'Markham's Pink' seed head

Osteospermum (perennial)

Frosty Hebe, the one I posted the frosty close-up of the other day.

I intended to do a big post of art that looked liked winter gardens but I need to sleep, here are two, hopefully I'll have time for more later in the week but family are in town so I may not blog much.

The work of paper artist Peter Gentenaar looking like a winter flower.

Paperstring chandelier by Nithikul Nimkulrat.