Oh, friends. It is hot outside. Of course since it’s so hot I want to tear up my gardens and redo them….sometimes its a fine line between ‘rambly cottage cuteness’ and ‘gangly mess’ when it comes to my flower beds. We were edging in on ‘mess’ so I’ve been yanking up old flowers that didn’t quite live up to expectation (lol) and cleaning up the rock boarders.
This is also the time of year when perennials are often marked down to dirt cheap at the store, and so I have found myself in possession of some perennial salvia, some Russian Princess flowery things that attract butterflies, two new rose bushes (Queen Elizabeth and Caldwell Pink) and two Bombshell hydrangea bushes. Hmmm…that is quite a lot, isn’t it? But they were on sale….
The project now is to figure out where to put the hydrangeas because I know they’ll need shade and I didn’t realize until I looked them up online that they were dwarf plants. I had anticipating them become huge monsters of white blooms. But little ones are ok, and probably easier to tuck in somewhere….anyone else ever planted this variety?
Oh, and in case you didn’t come here to read about me think out loud about plants, I have been doing some arting and crafting! I (finally!) finished these two little babushka dolls I’ve been trying to complete for a good long while— I think they turned out so cute! Each one is made of vintage fabric with a vintage hankie for a kerchief. The girl on the right is on her way to her new home in Sweden, but the lovely lady on the left still needs a home!
I’m also enjoying a lot of knitting time when I can, and I’ve started on a second ear warmer and really enjoying this treasure trove of knitting items from Cassie! She was so sweet and sent me this beautiful yarn, some knitting magazines and great books when she was cleaning out her knitting stash. Thank you so much, Cassie!!
And while it may seem a bit quiet around here with the art, it’s because I have some pretty large format commissions I’m working on, and I just finished one commission that I can’t wait to show you! Oh, there is a lot of art going on around here 🙂 but don’t you fret— I have plans for fall art and I have my first order of Christmas postcards being printed at this very moment. My tentative plan is to have a lot of seasonal art debut in the shop around the first of September. I’m not going to set a date just yet and jinx myself, but I’m looking forward to the start of all my favorite seasons and holidays!
Hope you are having a good day, and thanks again to those who watched my video 🙂 And I wanted to say its not that I think I sound weird, but its just different to hear yourself on a recording, you know? Not quite how I sound in my head. And yes, I do have an American accent, lol, my family has been here a good long while! I was just glad I didn’t sound too country 😉
Well, lots to do! Will talk with you later!~
~H
Sleightholm Folk Art 
Those dolls are SO CUTE! Make more! 🙂
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the dolls turned out really cute!!just watched your interview~ how cool!my voice never sounds how i think it 'really' does either 😉 you sounded great 🙂
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Hey Heather! It's so great to see your video and to SEE you, if you know what I mean! Your voice sounds absolutely fine to me. Mine too sounds weird to me.Cute dolls and it's great to see you knitting despite the heat: a sure sign you are addicted.ps I'm grateful and excited. Having opened my Etsy shop yesterday I've sold out. Lucky, grateful me.
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LOVE the babushka dolls. Not being one teeny ounce Russian, I nevertheless am drawn to Russian folk costume, folktales and food. I'm working on my punch needle embroidery at present so I can make a Russian peasant blouse sometime in the future. I think I'm drawn to Russia partially because it's cold there. This whole 108-degree thing has got to stop. It's making freezing in a Siberian gulag sound not quite so bad.
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I should probably point out that, as usual, I'm being irreverent. I don't in any way condone labor camps!
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I love new uses for vintage fabrics, I am always drawn to old linens at sales but I can't sew a lick. Those dolls are adorable, I love the old hankies, they look like a lot of fun to put together.
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The Russian dolls are really cute and I love that touch of using a vintage handkerchief for a scarf. I totally understand the need to yank up those plants that just did not make it in all of the heat! We have the same issue down here in Florida. It is just TOO HOT! I am with Lauren, these crazy hot temps every day just have to stop!September is the perfect time to kick off a new season and the good news is that it is just over one month away. Hopefully, the shorter length days will help reduce the number of hours that the temps are way up there! And besides, we all need to focus on something else before we just go plum batty from summer!! Knitting in summer symbolizes hope for the return of cooler temps. And besides, it keeps your mind totally occupied which is almost a dire necessity for surviving summer 2012! LOL! As you can tell, I am not doing so good at it! The whining has begun. Ha!
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Oh my gosh Heather your dolls are so delightful! Just adore them!!!
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Beautiful! I love how they're unmistakable babushkas, but they're still so unique.Look forward to seeing what your plans are for that beautiful yarn!blueeyednightowl.blogspot.com/
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