Sewing the seeds of hope, Mindful Moments 7

Hello again I am back with my 7th Mindful Moments post. I am a day early this week as tomorrow is May 1st and I will have 2 design team posts going up so I thought I would post today. 

If you did not see my first post and wonder what these are do check it out here. Thank you to everyone who has been reading them. I can see from my stats that these are getting at least twice the usual traffic of my other posts, which has really inspired me to keep trying to get them written weekly if I can. I really hope you are finding them a moment to make you smile and stay mindful during these very turbulent times.

The rain finally arrived on Monday and I must admit here in the south east of England it is much needed. The whole of April has been virtually dry and my garden had a good drink.

Today I thought I would share my seeds project which I have been growing since Lockdown.

When I was tidying up at the beginning of Lockdown, I found a whole bunch of seed packets which were free last year with Gardener's World Magazine and with the usual busyness of life I never got round to planting them. I was even (whispers) going to throw them out as I could never see myself getting the time to do this as I tend to buy my few annual plants from our local nursery. Although I am hoping to still get my plants from them this year (they are trying to set up a delivery service while they are shut) I thought that watching some annuals grow from seed would they make for an interesting process. I could add them to my rather empty raised beds this year that by the time they flowered life might have moved on from where we were. I decided to try planting the cosmos and rudbeckia seeds.

The instructions said to use seed compost but all I have is multi purpose left over from my spring bulb planting. I decided that Mother Nature does not have seed compost and still manages just fine so I would make do with what I had. I found in the garage a tiny seed propagator, I must have used this years ago, perfect for covering them until they germinated.

 In my crafting stash I have coloured lolly sticks so they served as my markers

The lid went on and I put them on the kitchen side

 Unbelievably after just 5 days as it was so warm and sunny they started to sprout, first the cosmos

and then the rudbeckia

 After 2 weeks the cosmos were big enough to prick out

So I put 7 of them into pots again found in my garage

and here they are today.
My cosmos

 and rudbekkia

I don't have a green house so this is very much a make do and mend project but I am hoping that in a few more weeks I can harden them off and put them outside.

I also hope to get some plants delivered in mid May from my local nursery and it would be great fun if I can add my own grown to my pots too!

Something else to make you smile today is a bag I was sent by my son in law's parents. They saw this and thought of me when they were on a cruise last year and sent it as a belated birthday present.

 Isn't it hilarious...it's A4 size so I keep my current crafting project in it. I smile every time I look at it.

 Out on my walks I have seen lovely bluebells growing. I will miss not seeing the spectacle in Banstead woods this year but never mind, there is always next year.

and there is wisteria in plenty on local houses.  

The dinos are doing well with their babies

and we spotted these fluffy Canada geese babies yesterday

plus lots of sweet ducklings

 who are already growing quickly.

My Mindful Moment project today uses a really fun ancient set of pig stamps I found in my stash when I was spring cleaning last month. As many of you know I have a "thing" for pigs and they feature in my house a lot. The company , Little Claire's, are sadly no longer trading.

I used an old Wendy Vecchi stamp for the very apt sentiment. The background I made using distress inks.

with a close up

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Addicted to stamps and More 1/3 make your mark

The house that stamps built 3/3 anything goes

Simon says stamp Wednesday  Anything goes

Crafty Creations 1/3 anything goes
Through the craft room door 1/3 anything goes

I would like to end with a little quote which I think is so very true, particularly in these very troubled times when it is so hard not living our normal lives;

The most important seed you can plant is kindness; the most important crop it yields is joy.”

― Matshona Dhliwayo

Let's keep planting those seeds of kindness and we can look forward to the joy it will eventually bring us. 

Please keep safe, keep mindful, keep washing those hands and looking around at the beauty and inspiration from Mother Nature.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for the kind comments you have taken the time to leave me, they are so appreciated.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

With love, Jane x

Sewing the seeds

I have been busy in my garden in my precious moments of spare time and planted up some very pretty primroses which my Mum bought me.

Such glorious colours . I also have bought a few packets of seeds. One of them is this patio variety of red peppers which seemed like fun to try growing.

It was time to get the propagator out of the garage and give it a wash up.

I dotted the seeds onto the surface of some fresh potting compost

and then gave them a light dusting to cover them as well as a good water.

I put the lid on and this is now sitting on my sunny kitchen window sill.

Here are 2 of my pretty primroses in their new pots on the wall on my patio. This will continue to give some colour into late spring even if the weather does turn colder again.

I didn't have much time at the weekend for any crafting but inspired by these pink flowers I decided to made a tag as I wanted to enter the Lavinia challenge this month where the theme is add something pink. There are also lots of other great challenges asking for pink.  Now pink is not really my colour, as you well know, but I decided to pull the stops out and make a lovely deep pink/peach  background with my Fired Brick and Dusky Rose distress inks. I blended them and then added a few flicks of water for some depth. I  made some flowers and leaves with my Cheery Lynn blossom dies using some paper which I embossed first and then edged with distress inks. I also distressed the edges of my tag. My stamp is Lavinia's Moon Fairy.

I added a heart brad to the flower centres and used gorgeous pink glitter card some of the flowers. Here is a close up.

 I think she is wishing that this gorgeous pre spring weather continues.

I would like to enter my tag into the following challenges;

Lavinia Stamps add something pink

Cheery Lynn Think Spring

Emerald Faeries Pretty in pink

Penny Black and More So sweet

Bunny Zoe Monochrome

Little Claire's Make a tag

Stamping Sensations Pretty in pink

Die cut Divas emboss it, the leaves and some of the flowers have been cut from card which I have embossed and then added a little colour too with my DIs

Papertake Weekly For mum/Girlie

Aurora wings  anything goes

Simon Says stamp Wednesday challenge Glitter it

Crafty Ribbons anything goes with ribbon

I have scheduled this post as today I am at the Country Life Crafts Spring Fair. I won tickets from my dear friend Vivienne and I am taking my Mum up to Islington. It looks like a great day out. Thanks Vxx. Today is also very special as it's my darling daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday darling M. She is being treated to a surprise by her Hb and we are going down on Saturday to enjoy a post birthday meal with them. 

Enjoy your Thursday everyone and thanks for your kind visits and comments. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

The colours of spring

Although today has started very blustery and grey we have been enjoying some wonderful sunny almost spring weather for the last week or so. My forsythia is in full bloom showing off its glorious yellow flowers. For me yellow is the single most colour that signifies spring for me...I just love it....

Wonderful yellows in my daffodowndillies too!

You can almost smell the gentle spring warmth here and the yellows and greens gives me a real "mmmmm" moment.

I also indulged in a little retail therapy  recently when my Hb and I took a day off from work and travelled up to the designer discount shops in Bicester, Oxford and found none other that Cath Kidston at discount prices...it was sheer retail heaven. I bought the above oven gloves and a set of real napkins to go in our picnic basket (yes I really do have one called Al, I will explain later on in the year). We always try to have some picnics in the summer, food taste SO much better!

I also bought us a new CK hand towel for the bathroom with a wonderful retro sailing ship pattern on.

It makes hand drying much more interesting.

At the garden centre I spotted a rose being produced for the Royal Wedding this year...I'm not sure about the colour but I think everyone is really looking forward to the Wedding of THIS year ;0) We even get an extra bank holiday for it.

I also love the colours I saw here..

Primroses are also such a happy showy flowers and there are so many colours to choose from. I also spotted some Daphne Odora (below) which has the most amazing scent and I treated myself to one.

And last but not least look what else I have bought...

Yes it's nearly seed time. I only have a tiny garden but I love growing chilies in pots and this year I am going to try some from seed. I also grew gourds as a child and love the weird and wonderful fruits they produce in the autumn. Luckily the gourd seeds can be sewn straight into the soil so my mini indoor greenhouse will not be too cramped. The little propagater will sit by my kitchen window basking in the sun. I plan to sew my little friends this weekend.

Sending all my blogger friends out there some spring sunshine. I always love having you visit me here and I so enjoy reading your kind comments. Thank you. Also to those who "silently read" a big smile and a wave hello to you all too. I am off this afternoon to meet my daughter. We are continuing our quest for the perfect dress for THE wedding of 2012.

Enjoy exploring the signs and colours of spring around you too,

Bye for now,

Jane x