Growing Away.

Not many words today, but plenty of pictures of how I waste my time by watching the ducklings doing what they do which is mostly swimming on our pond.

and eating

followed by a little more swimming

which makes them hungry so...

I guess you get the picture.

Sweet May and little Pecan, growing huge feet and long beaks, but gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

That's it apart from a peek at the makings of something new in the fruity line which I do work on when not duckling distracted.

What is catching your eye today? x

Last Weekend's Escape.

We have had a truly dour week in my bit of Cornwall weatherwise with rain which filled the wildlife pond back to overflowing and cold, dark days. Not the best, so I thought I would pop back to last weekend when we escaped on Mermaid for the day in hot, sunshiney weather which suggested summer had arrived - hah!

Lucy had a magazine to hand.

Elias, Davey and I set up our rods for a spot of fishing which, as ever, brought nothing...not even a bite. One day ...

Clear seas revealing golden sands and all kinds of shells.

And then on to the beach where drifts of pretty sea pinks lined the rocks.

Not all the shorelife is particularly pretty as this sea slug demonstrates, but it was fascinating to see so many of them along the shoreline.

Isabella's clothes were hung to dry within about five minutes of arriving, as is the norm.

Isabella was not sure what to make of the slugs

deciding to head off for wildlife of a less slimy disposition.

The boys took Mermaid off for a little pootle around the bay before we headed back after a hot and blissful day on the beach. As I sailed her home she drifted quietly in the evening breeze and we all drifted with her, thoughts calm and voices quiet. True bliss!

Wonder what this weekend will bring x

The Design Process.

I thought I would show a little of how the design process works for me. Sometimes it all comes so easily and other times ... well, let's just say I'm sure I am not the only designer/maker who litters her workroom with a kaleidoscope of fabric pieces, abandoned half-worked designs and the clumps of hair she has ripped from her head in frustration. Okay, so slight exaggeration there but you get my point.

All my designs are inspired by the things around me, the things I encounter on my way around my Cornish home or the things I do in my Cornish home. They are all things I am passionate about and therefore become part of that other area of my life so closely interwoven in my world - my Pipany business. On this particular occasion I had been wandering around the garden checking on the progress of things in between feeding the ducklings and cooking the dinner as you do. I had no thoughts of designing in my head, just the enjoyment of seeing the fruits growing heavy on the trees - the apples, plums and gages all beginning to weigh the branches down with the promise of good crops ahead...

when my greedy eyes fell on the redcurrant bush, an old and somewhat scrappy specimen which is always covered in fruits despite the fact that it gets uprooted by gales every single year no matter what I do to support it. I grabbed a bowl and filled it with these most beautiful globes of purest scarlet, the light catching every tiny ball and making it glisten.

As I picked I started to 'see' various pictures of berries as components of journal covers and lavender sachets; I could see the way the bowl or basket could be appliqued and how the branch would swoop down towards it. I took a number of photographs of the currants to have on hand if I didn't get to work on the design while the currants were still around, but really the next bit was to get into my sewing room and go for it.

The first piece came together easily, the freehand embroidery of the branches appearing on the fabric exactly as I wanted, the working of the berries taking a little longer, but the colour being perfect with the stripes of the ticking used for the basket. I added some hand embroidered blades of grass but felt this piece told its story through the red berries and kept the rest of the design as simple as possible.

To pick up the ticking I used a darker colour than I normally would for the personalisation at the bottom, the slightly wavy line of the text perhaps suggesting a path or some uneven ground (and believe me, our garden has some very uneven ground!).

So, there you have it - beautiful scarlet berries from our garden

transformed into a gorgeous Personalised Berry Journal by Pipany - available here.

Hope you like it xx

Babies all the way!

It has happened - Davey and I are grandparents with the first beautiful baby to be born to one of our gorgeous children.

She arrived safe and sound after an awful lot of work from her poor Mamma who did it all brilliantly.

She is perfect and we all love her to pieces.

Welcome to the world little Scarlett Elizabeth and the hugest of hugs to her very clever mummy xx

Sigh..... x

P.S. Off to take our five year old to school now - funny old world isn't it?!!

Look What Arrived Today!

Look what we found this morning...two beautiful little babies hatched by our gorgeous duck, Biscuit.

Terrible photos as I was obviously trying to keep back as far as I could but oh, how cute they are. One bundle of yellow fluff and one of cream and chocolate.

Names are already chosen - May for the little girl (the yellow) and Pecan for the boy.

Dear Biscuit has spent most of the morning washing herself and running around like something possessed, the result of sitting on eggs for so long and pride I guess - yes, I am applying a little anthropomorphism here. Indulge me please: I am a rather over-excited Pipany today.

The ducklings have wobbled their way all over the duck pen and are getting bolder by the minute. So blooming sweet!

Masses more photos will no doubt follow and will hopefully be a darned sight clearer.

Have a great day x

Another Birthday Gone.

Our baby is five. How did that happen? I'm sure it was only but a moment ago I was clutching this tiny girl in my arms, her skin peach-soft and beautiful, large eyes peering up at me.

It wasn't always an easy path with little Isabella - she didn't sleep and wanted to be held most/all of the time - oh lord, how tired I was!

But, as with all these things, time moved on and Isabella grew

and grew

and grew

And now? Well, she is a lively, beautiful, funny,

cuddly bundle aged five and we love her to pieces.

Happy birthday little Isabella.

We love you my sweet girl xxx

A Gentle Catch Up

And so April has moved aside and taken the sun with her; May has been cold, cold, cold so far in our little bit of Cornwall with gusty winds which test the poor bud-burdened peonies almost to the limit. The poppies are faring even worse and look bedraggled and broken, the promise of the show about to come possibly being halted before it starts. Of course, this is a sad reminder that yet again I have not staked the plants, allowing myself to be fooled by the recent balmy weather - will I ever learn?

The cushion soft leaves of the alchemilla - such a pretty name, don't you think? - are unfolding, diamond bright raindrops held shimmering at the edge and the lime green flowers slowly opening. I have a real thing about lime-coloured flowers, particularly when placed in vases full of creamy roses and lilac blossom. Such an elegant and yet old fashioned feel to arrangements such as these.

In recent weeks the garden has been a billowing mass of fruit blossom, everything from the clear white of the pears, the Merryweather (another lovely name) damson and the Victoria plum flowering for the first time to the pink flushed colours of the various apple trees. Even our greengage was covered and all are showing tiny fruitlets, almost as exciting as the wedding-like display with its seemingly endless confetti drifting down and filling the view from the windows.

Now the view is a lush mass of foliage in many hues, a layering of bronze and bright green through to the deeper forest greens, the garden held in suspension as it awaits the scarlet poppies, peonies and yellow flag iris which provide contrast to the bluebells and aquilegia scattering the banks. Will I ever put the hose pipe away instead of making it the focal point?!!.

Bank Holiday Monday saw Diana popping over for chat, business planning (she's so darn bossy!) and lunch. I always love these visits so much and come away from them feeling inspired and focussed, a result of her bossiness which I unfortunately seem to need (!) and actually, come to think of it, I don't come away at all as I live here. Do please pay attention. Dear Diana came bearing great gifts of her homemade peanut fudge - two beautifully packaged jars no less.

and now there are none, only a slightly queasy Pipany left to mark their passing. I just couldn't stop popping another one into my greedy mouth, so delicious was the stuff with its sugary sweetness balanced perfectly by crunchy peanuts. I challenge anyone to resist! By the way, did you know that eating a piece of this fudge followed by a salt and vinegar flavoured crisp changes the taste of the crisp to prawn cocktail? No? Thought not.

Work is calling and the sewing room awaits. Perhaps I'll take a leaf from Isabella's book and pop on a white sparkly white dress, some pink wellies and release my inner princess instead ... it was just a thought!

By for now x