Apparently here in the British Isles we’re experiencing the hottest summer on record since 1976. The day they announced this on the radio I started reading a new book (randomly purchased in a library sale) with the opening sentence: “It was 1976, and the hottest summer in living memory.” Weird, right? The book is ‘The Year of the Ladybird: A Ghost Story’ by Graham Joyce, and it features a two day plague of ladybirds (usually a symbol of good luck?). Reading it I realised that I haven’t seen a single ladybird in the garden this year, which is cause for concern. And I have been spending A LOT of time in the garden, mostly trying to keep the plants from dying of thirst…
On the days it’s been too hot to go outside ( how often do we get to say that in Scotland?) I’ve been getting on with making a couple of new things in time for my first craft market of 2018 (quite late on in the year I know, I’m such a slacker) which is next month in the lovely seaside village of St Monans in the East Neuk of Fife.
These wee wooden house brooches were actually inspired by all the pretty fishing villages of the East Neuk with their coloured 18th century cottages and harbour buildings. It’s an area of the country I love so I’m really looking forward to being up there for the weekend.
I’ll also be taking these new wooden flower stems with me – inspired of course by all the lovely colours we have in the garden at the moment. The flowers in the garden won’t last long though, so these are some you can enjoy all year round!
You can find a link to details of next month’s fair on my ‘Shop’ page, along with links to my Etsy shops where you can browse all my available work.
Here’s hoping the good weather continues (ok, maybe with the odd day of rain so I don’t have to keep getting the garden hose out) – I’m just enjoying the fact that I haven’t worn socks for 2 months.
HooperHart 