Delightful summer pinks and purples & an art party!

Hello again dear readers and blogging friends!

I know that I have promised you a garden photo post today, but I have to make this a devided post now because I also like to participate in Artsy Mama Kari's "artful blogger party" which she is hosting over @ her blog today, open for artsy bloggers from all over the world! So stay tuned for a very long blog today lol!

I recently made a few things for the "Marie Antoinette Swap" (hosted by my finnish blogging friend Delila from Sepia Art Studio) which I like to show you today:

First there is this Marie inspired collage hanger made on a one piece cake paper plate which I've painted in my fave turquoise color and glued a pretty paper on, then I've glittered the edges and lastly I've embellished it with golden Dresdens papers, charms, bouillon, brads, a mother of pearl button and a millinery flower.

Then I've made a box for all the goodies I've gathered for my swap partner because I so love beautiful packaging and think it is as important as the gifts itselfs:

I chose a picture of Madame de Pompadour for the box because I find this especially pretty:

Another thing that I made to put in the Madame de Pompadour box is this soldered Marie-Antoinette jewelry pendant which I've already showed you in my last post:

Well that's it about art blogging for today but now it's time to go back to the garden!

My Garden is literally full of pretty pinks and purples at the moment which I like to share with all the garden lovers amongst you:

Above is a tiny pink carnation and below a pink Hibiscus syracus:

A purple bird ball on the table and pink is my pink pot ladder with a pot of pink flowers of course lol

Purple Petunias in a hanging basket above and Pelargonium with Heliotrop on one of my tables on the deck:

The purple Heliotrop is also called Vanilla Flower here in Germany because it scents so wonderfully Vanilla like hmmmmm

In the picture below you see one of my Phlox flowers:

And in the next picture you can see my purple grapevine. The grapes are already ripe now:

This pink beauty is Anemone japonica:

I have planted pink Diascia in the the turquoise pot, because it is on of my fave color combinations:

This is a deeper pink Diascia in a clay pot on my potting table:

Then there are more different Phloxes blooming right now:

And snapdragons in different pinks too:

Lastly my provence rose "Elle" is blooming in a gorgeous pink right now, sometimes they are more orange, the colors change with the weather:

And last but not least the pink Cottage rose is also blooming again:

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures of my summergarden pink and purples and will come back visiting me again!

Carol(a) xox

Solder fever!

So what did I do for the last 2 weeks, while being such a bad blogging friend? Well apart from office working, gardening, house chores, taking photos, petting the cat, meeting friends and family, working on German supply packs for my Etsy shop, reading books about Australia etc.pp I have finally figured out the secrets of soldering jewelry yeah! It took me a few starts, but now I have the feeling like having found a whole new creating world and it's wonderful! I'm in a real solder fever and there is no stopping me at the moment, so of course I have to show you some of my works.

This was my first ever try month ago lol I had a wrong technique and took much too much solder ha ha! I did a few more tries from time to time and got better every time, but it wasn't really the fun I thought it would be after studying "Pretty little things" by Sally Jean and admiring all of Ulla's fabulous pieces and classes. I so wanted to be able to solder that I never really gave up the hope that I can do it. Then suddenly after a little help from my sister who once attended a Tiffany class I made this Marie-Antoinette piece and from that moment on to solder jewelry was and is really big fun for me!

I watch out for pieces which I can solder literally every where I go now lol:

Then last week I also found round glass circles (unfortunately the only glass circles I could find here in Bremen are 7 cm diameter, I'd like to find smaller ones and oval ones too) and made these:

Can you possibly feel my excitement? I always loved jewelry and now to have found a whole new medium to express my creativity is just such an awesome feeling!

I'd be even more glad if you'd like my works too!

Oh and talking about jewelry I wanted to share with you these gorgeous earrings that I have recently found in my fave shop "Rosenrot", aren't they just so pretty?

Dear Gardenfriends, don't worry, it's back to the latest garden photos in my next post!

Thanks a lot for all the good wishes for my sprained ankle, it's not swollen anymore and not hurting anymore so I think it is healed :D

Have a fabulous and creative new week everyone!

Hugs Carol(a) xox

Lavender & Sweet peas

Things have finally calmed down, I have sprained my ankle and time to sit at the pc again. My dear daughter has arrived in Melbourne safe and sound and the old au pair is showing her around until she leaves and goes back home to New Zealand next Friday, then my daughter starts to take her responsibilities. The weather is cold and rainy in Victoria now, but my daughter is just happy that she saw no spider yet. Thank you all for the good wishes you've sent her under my last post. We have appreciated them very much!

Now back to the garden, heavenly scenting sweet peas are blooming in my garden now, I sowed them in March and it was so worth it for this gorgeous colors and scent:

Also my Lavender bushes, like this one, are ready to get harvested:

After weeks of gray skies and rain the summer sun finally came back to us this weekend:

I just had to snap a picture of my garden princess again, with the freshly picked lavender bouquet:

In my front garden the petunias are blooming beautifully:

When I sit at the black iron chairs above in my front yard I look at beautiful pink hydrangeas:

Now back on my patio with more Lavender harvest pictures:

Also another one of my fave summer flowers, the Monarda, is in full bloom now:

And one more summer fave, the Astrantia major, is also blooming in July:

One of my Dahlias, which I had planted in a pot has survived the mass snail and slug attackes during the wet weather period and is already blooming now:

More sweet pea photos:

And lastly I had to bring the french Lavender in the house where I can enjoy it's "Parfum de Provence" all the time hmmmmm


Hope you liked my little garden update!

Enjoy your weekend everyone! I'm looking forward to catch up with your blogs now!

Carol(a) xox

I'm still here

Just a short message to let you know that I'm still here, just very busy these last 2 weeks. My daughter is leaving for Melbourne in Australia tomorrow for at least 6 month, maybe even a year, so we had a lot to prepare and a fab graduation and farewell party for her on Saturday and friends and family staying with us. We'll bring her to the Hamburg airport tomorrow and I hope to get back to normal soon. Between all that I work full time. Today is my dad's birthday so another busy day! Thank you all for so many lovely comments on my last post, I'm planning to make a new post and to visit all your blogs again as soon as I can find the time. Miss you!
Stay cool!
Carol (a) xox