December Welcoming

My dear friends,

I'm pouring some tea, what kind is your favourite? I tried some jasmine petal loose leaf last week and it was awful. It was so bitter. Have you ever tried Jasmine petal tea before?

Yesterday, I discovered my dear chicken May {Plymouth Rock} had escaped from the back garden. She gave me such a fright. We had a rough storm a fortnight ago and some of our wood fencings were knocked down.

I was busy repairing fencing all day. I then came in and wrote for a few hours and then painted our Christmas/ Yuletide holiday card. Do you like it? It seems a bit sad that so many families do not seem to distribute holiday cards at the present. Do you send holiday cards? I believe one of the reasons for this is because of expense. The world is ever so fast paced and we have such an abundance of social media. I believe people just assume you can just type in someone's name and find out what shenanigans they've been currently about.

Christmas cards have been a tradition of mine since I was a newly married woman. I remember my first set was from a thrift store that was collected when I began my trousseau at 14.  They were vintage ones that someone had most likely stuffed in an attic.

I bought them and calligraphed my name on them. I have always enjoyed sending them out. Christmas Cards began back in the 1800s and they used to have the children decorate papers and write little messages inside. Queen Victoria had her children make some and hand deliver them to folks. I find that so endearing. In my next few posts, I'm going to share with you some more of the traditions that I had when my children were young. I have decided to keep the traditions steadfast even though I don't have little ones afoot.

I wanted to paint a little different style this year and I am beginning to add more details to my paintings, which at times can prove to be a bit difficult. I chose to create a Celtic border and use some gold leafing. I was preparing my art paper, looked down only to notice the border on the Arches paper cover had this similar border. I hid the little animals inside the border and I couldn't love it more.

I am obviously a self-taught artist, and I am often reminded that is a fondest approach to my art. Beatrix Potter once said in her diary, that she looked forward to being alone with her drawing so that she wasn't influenced by a teacher. Her creativity would have been worn off if she had a teacher. I believe it's most important to approach my art in likemindedness. 

I was conversing with my dear BG {Beloved Gardener} this morning, informing him of the demise of our rose garden wattle fence. I had to disembowel it, as the chicken ladies utterly destroyed it. If you look closely at this full image of Tasha's wattle fence you can see hers was too falling apart. 

Courtesy of Pinterest
I never noticed before that Tasha Tudor had one very similar to mine and the same height too. 

I was so saddened it had to go. The chicken ladies loved to perch upon it. I must remake a new one come spring time. Jeffrey said he had some massive red rose bushes that he's been meaning to bring home to me. I imposingly said, " oh, Might those be a wonderful Christmas gift to add to my rose garden." To which he implied, I shall bring them home today, plant them this weekend, nurture them and you should have blooms by Christmas. Now that is to be a sensational view. I have always wanted English hedges and a rose garden. 

 I gathered some pinecones and some oranges from the garden and then made some styled fruits with whole cloves for our little table in the kitchen. I also air dried oranges to create a fruit garland.

I painted a few paintings. This one is "Departure" Its for sale in my Etsy shop for $20.

"Even Mermaids Have Tea At High Noon." For sale in my Etsy shop $20.

It doesn't seem quite the season, but Florida has such delightful weather all year round that I planted a few heirloom tomatoes last week.

A little decoration at the cottage for Christmas. 

 A lovely little storybook would be a delightful stocking stuffer for gift giving. I have even sent off several that are giving them for baby and birthday gifts. Links for Amazon and my Etsy shop are in my sidebar.