Back from 3 days at our annual Camping Barn.... our best year ever! 8 families, 1 big barn, a pig called Stanley, 2 screechy peacocks, a dog with a weird human smile and a taste for sausages, 4 lost moorhen chicks, a local village duck-race... and many bottles of wine and a lot of uncomfortable bunk-beds. 

Last year we held a mini Olympics, this year we made our own fete and each family had to make a stall. The funniest was my friend as a fortune teller. The smaller kids totally believed her and were genuinely amazed by how much she knew about them. :-) Next year is already booked, I honestly can't wait.

 It's Friday already and we're off on our annual sort of camping - yey if it's sunny, not-yey if it's raining which, let's face it, it most probably will) We stay in a big wood barn with wooden bunk-beds, big wood fire, wooden fridge (might as well be, it's doesn't keep anything cold) It's cold, it's dirty, we come home smelling of wood but it's fun (well, sort of, the kids and dads like it, the mums endure it!) 

Wish me luck! 

Two peahens have taken up residence at my children's school. My children say they don't belong to anybody, I think they might belong to the lady who lives next door but I'm not sure. Anyways, they strut about squawking all day, disrupting lessons and add some grandeur to the place. A touch of elegance is what every school needs!

Today's day is for my son who is more than bonkers about sea creatures, especially whales. He recently told me he was a secret agent for the whale king and he goes on secret missions for  him.... and I thought he went he to school every day, what do I know! 

There's a walk we do across the fields which we call 'The Dandelion Walk' because, at this time of year, some of the fields are brimming with dandelions heads. Beautiful! :-))

Ah, this week is much calmer! 
So I thought it would be nice to share a morning doodle each day. Today's is inspired by my daughter's best friend and her minx of a cat Betty :-)

Thank you sooooo much Marie for featuring me on Print & Pattern today! I am bowled over! 

Thank you! 

My work is on its way to N.Y today and sadly I am not. I love NewYork... only been there once but definitely left a little piece of my heart there. Good luck my work... go get yourself sold please! 

Some little sketches of birds I found of mine. Scanned them in and coloured them up. :-)

Yep, I've really got the school bug, I've now joined up for Lilla Roger's 'Make Art that Sells'. Very excited about it. Gotta love some learning! 

A few peeks at what I've been doing over on Rachael Taylor's The Art and Business of 

Surface Pattern Design ecourse. I'm doing Module 3, trying to fit it in between work but really enjoying being creative just for me. 

My latest designs will be hopping their way

 to Surtex along with the lovely Yvette from 

Never Forget Yvette. If you're going, drop by and say hi. 

My bank holiday weekend in a nutshell... did lots of gardening which I love, went to the garden centre and accidentally bought a palm tree thinking it was something else ( my lovely husband returned it the next day). Managed to catch the rabbits who escaped ALOT of times. Really badly bruised my leg after 3 breeze blocks fell on it... still hurting! Finally got to watch The Life of Pi - amazing! Said goodbye to my in-laws tortoise, Ben, who passed away at the ripe old age of 65 (we'll miss you Ben, hope you're noshing on melon wherever you are) Went to our lovely friends for dinner....soooo nice to be cooked for! Got to enjoy the beautiful sunshine....perfect!! 

Oooo.... just spotted a few of my designs in Pumpkin Patch. Very excited to see them.... and so many at once! The flapper girls were inspired by the Great Gatsby, a fave book of mine. Really looking forward to seeing the film when it comes out soon. Thanks PP for making my designs look so lovely :-)))