Has it really been 7 weeks?

Oh gosh, that's my worst break yet.......but I have been very busy, honestly :-)

So what have I got to show for all that time away? 

Well......a couple of weeks ago DH and I decided to visit Mum's cousin Irene in Devon. We've never met before, so it was quite an emotional moment for us both and we spent a happy 3 hours together, chatting about the family and looking around her studio. Irene is currently painting for two exhibitions and there were pieces everywhere....I was totally in awe. I wanted to buy one but they were all needed for the exhibition, but I was stunned when she presented me with one of her original paintings that she did a few years back...and I absolutely love it! I reminds me a little of my mum when she was younger....

A treasured reminder of a special day......

(Update: For those of you who asked, you can see more of Irene's work here )

After that we spent two days in Padstow and Port Isaac.....

( I had a good look at Doc Martin's house, of course).

Then spent 2 days in St Ives ....where I fell in love with an amazing view

...and where I was ambushed by 2 of these and they took my WHOLE ice cream cornet!!!

 Bad, bad gulls :-(

We also visited The Lost Gardens of  Heligan

 and The Eden Project (climbed up to the new viewing platform at the top of the rainforest biome)

and finally ended up in Mevagissey, where we stayed an amazing b&b. It was the cheapest of all and the best  ......owned by the most delightful couple. It was a bit too nippy to use the pool...but maybe next time ;-)

Trennicks Guest House

We've also been to 2 weddings over the last fortnight and visited Knaresborough for the 3rd time this year. Plus I organised a workshop at my house for 6 lovely ladies last week.

So you see....I have been busy :-)

I finally completed the Stef Francis piece....its going in a frame.

I also completed a scrapbook of my photos from Cornwall...... this is page 2 out of 20.

Peachy helped of course...he loved watching the Cricut machine cutting out letters....

.......but then he got bored and fell asleep in my card drawer.

I've been photographing wildlife in the garden ....

...he'd just wrapped up a wasp for lunch.

And I've become rather obsessed with hydrangea flower skeletons......

 ....so very pretty.

Well I think that's about it..... I'll show you the quilt I'm attempting to make in my next post. Which will be very soon... ;-)
Now I need to start blog-visiting......