time out on the bike..and new tools on the way.

 I thought that NZ friends would like those!
Also the breeder of these alpacas imported some breeding stock from NZ...

 and it was worth the work getting up the hill, to see the view.

 such a relief to get some sun and blue sky,even though the wind is still chilly.

The sun lights up the tulips...

I checked my account...and got brave...I have new tools on the way, a new small roller and a fine v cutter...and luckily one company has a few Pfeil tools on sale.
Pearwood handles...wonder if it is sapient ? ;-) ...made in Switzerland.

It has been a little frustrating trying to cut fine lines with what I have, on the new smaller blocks, and the different handles should be easier on my hands.

sales!! and wedding stress....

These will be winging their way to St Paul in Minnesota tomorrow morning, if I can get to the post office in time!!

Its a relief to think Yes, I AM doing something right!!

Wedding preparations proceed..unfortunately the Grouch who owns the village Beer Tent wont let us use it,so we are hunting around for as many gazebos as we can find!!  Grass has been mowed, patio pressure washed,yard swept....lets hope Mr Grumpy wont spoil the day.  (He is also the landlord of the pub where we will be getting married...we're working with his wife...long suffering, very hard working,marvellous cook.....)

We had been hoping to have straight line grass sprinting a la NZ and Oz...but if we have that on the village rec it involves risk assessments, pl insurance and possibly a council licence...£££££. Our one hope there is the Laird, who owns a lot of land...and who is coming to our wedding celebrations....!

We also have to think what will suit the coelics (allergic to gluten) , Crohn's disease sufferers, Lactose intolerants, veggies (most of my family) and vegans....

this covers about 20 + if not more...

But as the lady who is doing teas agreed,do something veggie and that often goes before all the veggies get to it!! 
The trick is to do something nice, don't tell the ones who don't need to know, that its special...and you all enjoy the same thing.

Now we understand why people employ others to organize weddings....

tulips!

At last!

its still doing cold winds and "April Showers" here..and forecast all next week at least.
We've been cleaning and tidying our wedding venue, a job we were paid for last year, this year  we're doing it for free...hopefully our bill will be a little lower!!

on her way

to Utah

via ebay..I'm gradually "learning the ropes"

On sale...at last!

One listed, now the wording has been sorted, the rest shouldn't take too long

celebrations ,the wanderer returns

He's back from Brisbane and Noosaville !

We went far a walk...now, after supper the Pirate has "crashed"..working on getting his body clock to Scots time rather than Oz time.

tonight's view from the study

next step...

inner papers for each card..

It even feels like it..

Spring,that is...
Before they left, I had a walk around Hannahston with The Oily one and his fellow worker..result a feed bag which we filled with litter.

 Mare's Tail (Equisetum) then Wood Anemone

 Coltsfoot,showing flowers before leaves

 The view to home from the reserve's high point

 rubbish! It is improving, there must be more people lifting litter as they walk. but there is no reason to drop it in the first place.

I've got three loads of washing done and dried on the line,including towels and bedding and to top everything I went out on the bike for two hours!

At this point I regretted taking this route

 looking back down..a couple of places where someone lost the road...

 Above Cumnock on the way to Auchinleck..abandoned lines

 wood fired power

 and the Barony A frame, a memorial to the closed coal pit

 A fish ladder at Ochiltree

 and, three miles from home, "I see the sea...." River Clyde to be exact.

All other jobs have been left..you only have a certain amount of energy, if you want to do things every day!

watching ink dry before selling

Similar job to watching paint dry...

The large oil based inkprints have been blotted twice,but the cold weather probably hasn't helped the drying process.

I'd hoped that the water based ink on the cards would have dried quickly, this morning's job is to blot them all. Once dried I can do the card backs and put them in the shop.

The next decision is how many per packet? I'll try them singly I think, plus one of each in a mixed packet.  It wont change the postage and packing unfortunately, so some might feel a multi pack would be a better bargain.

printing small blocks

First one..

then some....then many

Ten of each design...fifty cards.  It will be very good when these sell!!

I've worked late, but my study turns into a bedroom for two nights from tomorrow. It was a good incentive to get moving on this.

while watching the ceremony.....

The Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games was both moving and entertaining in turn.
I've been glued to the laptop, watching different sports..or listening out for what I wanted to watch while being busy on other tabs!!
Before the Ceremony I got a sheets and towels wash through, and they dried beautifully in the sun and brisk breeze.

At intervals I added cards to the Etsy shop.

Luckily the dry washing came in before the Ceremony started, already dry,for as soon as it finished, down came the rain!
The house is clean and tidy (ish!) for The Oily One and a workmate should be here for a couple of nights this week.

Things can be too tidy..there is a small bag of mini pegs for hanging cards, somewhere....I've rigged up lines of thin twine on a wall to peg up the latest big prints to dry out of the way. It has been taking weeks, despite having been well blotted. Pegging it up will mean less chance of smudges, and more room in the house as they lie on a pasting table in the living room.

Can I find those pegs?

Here is the print..Old Hedge, Storm Brewing, Girvan Valley

cards on Etsy

I've had a sale!...only four cards, but incentive to put a few more in the shop.

I'll gradually put more in, more likely to get noticed than all at once.
Here's hoping for more sales!

outdoors at last!

Sights I saw on today's ride..and heard skylarks for the first time this year.