What's the story, Morning Glory?

I love Morning Glory, a beautiful deep blue climbing plant, which I remember seeing growing everywhere when we were in Turkey more than 20 years ago ..and had to get the photos out ...

I've tried growing it myself but without any success, but having given my green-fingered friend Beth some seeds, she has managed year after year to produce some wonderful blooms!  And last year she gathered some of the seeds and gave me a packet which I've planted and also some seedlings she has grown, which look decidedly healthier than mine. I'm eagerly awaiting a brilliant show of colour in a couple of months time!

But if not, I'll have to make do with some Morning Glories on a couple of Japanese stamps I came across today .. they're going in my 2021 diary.See previous post of 30th March on how I made a 2021 dairy to put in all those dates cancelled from 2020.  You can find it on my  website, 

www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk  - blog.   You may like to make one too.    I'll be putting one of these stamps on one of next year's pages - and hoping to do that when the first flower appears.

Everything's coming up roses ..

There are a  lot of weeds in my garden,  helped on their way by the abnormal amounts of rain we've had and the limited amount of time spent getting rid of them due to the awful weather. But, as the old saying goes, "There are no rainbows without rain" and the plus side is definitely the wonderful display of flowers this year!

Not only am I admiring the roses and other beautiful plants in my garden at the moment, I'm also working with some  very pretty flower stamps, creating collages. I hope the finished result will be a picture which brings a definite feeling of love and happiness, with hearts and flowers much in evidence!

I'm really enjoying this latest project and am constantly finding stamps showing flowers, particularly roses, which I recognise from those growing in my own garden, such as this beautiful specimen. Unfortunately its label has been lost, but I think it is Rosa Mundi, as shown on the 1976 11p stamp, one of four from the British roses series.

   I'm using some of my flower and rose stamps from all over the world  to make a heart design, while others are being used in a patchwork formation with bouquets in pink vases, all made from stamps. Currently a work in progress and quite labour intensive!!

I heard a great quote from a fellow artist recently.  When asked, "How long does it take you to make a picture?", she replied .."more than 50 years".  I thought this was a wonderfully clever  response , as many years of experience, research, practice and love of one's craft go into an artist's work.  It may take  a few hours, days, weeks or months to produce a finished picture but knowing just how to accomplish this will no doubt have taken many years of  hard work, many mistakes and careful study.