Sods Law!

I took these pictures late on Sunday evening after my friend Jacquie went home from sharing some of the tapas I still had and the beer and wine!

It had been a fine and sunny afternoon as opposed to a damp and soggy one on Saturday!

Sods law huh?!!!

This was how I wanted us to carry on partying with the oil lamps burning and the fire pit taking off the chill!

Hey.....I'll just have to do it all again one day!!!

(I do it all the time on my own...I love it...but it does get a little lonely)

Have I mentioned before that I lurve my garden?!!! LOL

xoxo Sioux

Garden Presents

I had my garden party to say thanks to people who have helped me in one way or another over the past two years since Pip died...

...I'll have to come up with another plan for the people who could not make it this time round! You know who you are.....and you were missed ;(

I thought I'd share the thoughtful gifts I received seeing as the sun decided to come out today....

A shrub, a plant, a tealight holder (love my candles) and a very pretty colour changing solar light.
I shall enjoy them.......if we ever get a Summer to enjoy them in!!! ROFL
ooh! I also had some M and S vouchers ;)

Thanks a bunch my friends ;)

xoxo Sioux

Are you ready to party?

I was ready to party.........are you ready to share with me today?

The day started fine and sunny in my garden.

My hibiscus decided to bloom :)

The redcurrants decided to ripen,

My geraniums by the back door looked good....it helped that they survived the winter so have grown on really well.....can you tell I like the colour red btw? LOL :)

I love this allium...

I'm very happy with this little combo of plants too...

Drink anyone?

Tapas?

The weather stayed dry for most of the afternoon......there were a few small showers but we toughed it out under the parasols...

...and a number of brollies, broken or otherwise!!! LOL...

...until the real downpour started about 6.30 but everyone helped to bring all the food indoors and we carried on regardless! ;)

Glad you all came on down and joined in the fun.....Cheers :)
Love you dearly...you are the best friends ever ;)

xoxo Sioux


Apologies for not posting this yesterday....I was not hung over...honestly...I was just rather busy tidying up everything...but thanks to some sterling work by friends who did some washing up on the night there was not as much to do as I expected! Thanks a million. :)

A George sort of chap for June Guys

Why not create June Guys and play along with Ayala?

I did and I am amazing myself at every turn! LOL

Soooo.......with big apologies to George Clooney.........here is my next June Guy!!!

I don't think I will ever make fine art, and have embraced the fact that none of my guys are that close to the original photo I am sketching from....I just hope to carry on practising and creating faces in the future that look like faces....that's all I ask ROFL! ;)


Tomorrow is my garden party....I've been having kittens all week about the weather! LOL
But there is nothing I can do to stop what will be will be on that front...
...I had this romantic notion when I chose the date as it's Midsummer's Eve and I thought there would be a balmy night in the offing!!!
Anyways........join me for plenty of wine, cava and sangria.....meet my friends.....enjoy the food....dance to the music...and most importantly party like this is your last day on earth! ROFL.


I've taken a holiday day today to prepare food and set out stuff....I'll try and post something tomorrow but I am going to be a tad busy so it might not be until Sunday (if I'm not feeling too worse for wear) !!! ROFLIA

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Tim is a June Guy

No.....not that T!m ;) !

Tim as in the character that Mel Gibson played in the movie of the same name....way way back... when he was fresh faced and not yet famous for the Mad Max films.

I'm sure I've said before here that Tim is one of my all time favourite movies......soooooooo romantic ;) It's a Colleen McCullough story and she wrote the Thorn Birds....says it all really! :) sigh!

Thanks for looking.

Hope this guy thing is not getting boring for you but I am loving it :)

Why not create June Guys along with Ayala and perhaps surprise yourself just like I have?


xoxo Sioux

T!m to the Rescue

I managed to have a dummy run on Sunday for the placement of chairs and tables for the garden party this weekend. (Thank you weather).

I am working my way through the list of to do stuff and found I did not have enough coasters for the drinks....so T!m came to the rescue and I stuck some sticky backed cork to some grey board and cut it out with one of T!m's dies.....sorted! LOL

I really need some positive thoughts folks 'cos today the forecast for Saturday is rain...

..I'm sorry but I'm not having it!!! ROFL

This is a big thing for me...as Pip was the cook and entertainer supreme for these sort of  things and whilst I know I cannot match him for gregariousness I do so want what I do to be just right...my friends won't care I know but I do!!! LOL

xoxo Sioux

Its raining June Guys

We have had so much rain that I thought this guy might feel at home here!

He was based on Gene Kelly whose films I love ;)

My dad could dance...
(I always saw him as a cross between Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra!)
...he was ace at doing that athletic Cossack dance that involves whizzing one leg under the other in a circle and other energetic stuff...you know the one I mean don't you? LOL


Speaking of rain.....can I ask you all to perhaps send positive vibes for the weather to turn out sunny for next Saturday when I'm having my garden party? I'd really appreciate it :)

It will still go ahead indoors but it's not the same is it?


Why not create June Guys along with Ayala and play along?

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Wish your Life for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a tag today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.
...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)
Thanks

Whistle for the June Guys

That is create June Guys thanks to Ayala if you fancy playing along!

Well of course if you know how to put your lips together and whistle...

...then you will know who this latest June Guy is based on!


I have noticed that I seem to be drawing everyone with thinner faces than they have in reality! Why is that? Must try to concentrate more I suppose! ;)

You know what I find most enjoyable about discovering that I can actually draw a face?

The fact that all it takes product wise, is some pencils an eraser and some paper...no getting out loads of stuff to make something and then having to put back all that stuff again afterwards...
...I just can't stand the untidiness of it all or I'd leave it out honest I would LOL!!! Bliss ;)

Thanks for looking

I'll be back with more....I can't seem to stop myself!!! ROFL :)

xoxo Sioux

Yikes! Another June Guy!

Sorry folks it appears I have got an addiction to Guys!! ROFLIA

That is create June Guys thanks to Ayala if you fancy playing along!
Now I want to thank Gina for the advice not to worry that the guys might not look like who I intended....and I have taken that on board truly I have....but for the sake of my own sanity and for when I look back later and think who the hell was that supposed to be LOL ;)...

...this was based on Old Blue Eyes himself Frank Sinatra....a big big crush for me when I was only 12! Yeh....I know weird.....whilst everyone else was ogling pop stars I was into Sinatra! LOL
It may have been uncool but I say.......dare to be different! ;)


Thanks for looking
xoxo Sioux


P.S. I'm sure I'll be back with more soon.

Ramps makes a June Guy

I seem to be having a great time drawing men in June...
...I am amazing myself every time I do it LOL ;)

So thanks to Ayala and her create June Guys if you fancy playing along!

Now the bloke who inspired this was Mark Ramprakash....not only a super batsman (cricket) but a darn sexy mover when he won Strictly Come Dancing the other year ;)


Unfortunately.........he may have been the inspiration...
...but in all honesty it looks nothing like him!!!
Still.....Ramps or not....he would be welcome here for tea and crumpets in the pavillion!


ROFL
xoxo Sioux

A bit of Arty DIY!

My wardrobes have been bugging me ever since we got them!!!

You have to open one door in order to open the other door and as there are no handles on the mirror door you obviously get finger prints all the time and I hate housework enough...

...I certainly don't want to be doing extra for no good reason!!! A domestic Goddess I am not LOL

I suddenly had this eureka moment and made some "door handles" this weekend.

I cut two labels from grungeboard and added the little key hole die cut out too so that it is easier to grip.

Painted them on both sides with Adirondack juniper paint dabber to match my curtains ;)

Stamped my Dance dictionary background in Archival coffee on both sides.

Edged both sides with gold paint dabber and screwed them to the doors!

'Tis a small detail but you can't begin to imagine how happy it made me!!! ROFL

Result :)
Thanks for looking....see...... we girls can do DIY too ;)

xoxo Sioux

A Zen sort of June Guy!

I've had another play at drawing a man!

This time I used Rufus Sewell as inspiration ;)

Mmmmm.....he can ask me out any day!!! ROFL

Follow the link to Ayala and her create June Guys if you fancy playing along!

xoxo Sioux

A man drawing!

This holiday weekend, I freely admit, has highlighted the fact that I am far from being as emotionally tough as I thought I was!

It hits you smack in the face when you least expect it...and I thought I would be so productive art wise but I am not getting the vibe at all right now!

I even found it difficult to make my brain work yesterday and decide what planters to plant up with what plants ready for my party!

Having said that......hang on to your hat 'cos I don't share my drawing skills (or lack of them to be precise) here very often.

Now don't titter at the back 'cos apart from a half hearted attempt at drawing Pip many moons ago.....and he actually hated it so it put me off trying again...this is my second attempt at a male face!

I love looking at what Gina and Chris have been doing with faces recently....and I have been inspired to have a go at drawing a man's face having visited Gina today...and saw the link to Ayala and her create June Guys!

...thanks you all rock;)

So......I used my favourite guy as inspiration and although the drawing looks nothing like RA....I tell you what.....if he was to jump off the page and spring into life just like in the Ah Ha video....well I for one would not say no!!

ROFLIA :)

Some days you can surprise yourself and today was one of those days ;)

xoxo Sioux

Magnificent service of Beauty

The day here dawned very wet indeed......not much chance of a street party today!

I stayed in bed! Shocking....something I don't do these days..tucked up all nice and cosy, listening to our own church bells pealing out their joyous sound....I turned the tele on and watched the service from St Paul's...

...MAGNIFICENT!

. I thought the Queen suited her outfit...such a pretty colour too.

I found that seeing the queen there on her own made me extremely emotional.

The hymns were all ones I like.

The choral parts divine.

"The call of wisdom" a more fitting song to celebrate, and sung in tune, which the song "Sing" certainly was not in parts last night. 

Yes a service of beauty.

xoxo Sioux

House tag for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a tag today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.
...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)
Thanks

Jubilation!

I shall always remember the Diamond Jubilee....and although different, for me, from all the other special Royal celebrations...the concert was a great evening.

Amongst my bestest bits were...
YIKES EDIT...EDIT...EDIT!!!
I know I had more than a few G and T's as I typed this up during the concert but HTH (that's how the heck) did I not mention the Voice? Sorry Tom!!!

... Lang Lang...

...Alfie Boe...

...ooh I so love a man in black and what's more I love a man in a three piece suit like he wore on the balcony when he sang with Renee...;) ;)

...Grace Jones...you have to admire a woman of her age...what is her age?...who can hoola hoop for the entire song!!! LOL

...Annie Lennox....I need those wings!

...Robbie of course was his usual showman...

...Shirley and her diamonds...

...Rolf...another national treasure...

...Kylie...

...Elton got me dancing...

...Loved Madness on the roof...

...Paul singing "All my loving"...sigh ;)

How sad that Prince Philip was taken ill and could not be there....I would have wanted to be with him in hospital but that's one of the sacrifices that has to come with being Queen I suppose!

xoxo Sioux