March Cards

March may have been a busy stressful month, but I seem to have ended up with quite a lot of cards I really like, thanks to the March VSN challenge on Splitcoast, and a wonderful rain-themed Inspiration challenge.

I really enjoyed making the shadow box - Happy Birthday, Lorraine.


And just for fun!! It's such a shame I only have one young nephew - the others are teens now, and much harder to make cards for.

Spring Birds

It's been mostly grey here, and we've had a lot of rain so the back windows need cleaning again.
But such as they are, we've been having some extra visitors now that spring is here.

A long-tailed tit perched in the hedge.
Chaffinch...
Redpoll
Siskin

We've also had a sparrowhawk. Lovely to see,  but a bit distressing  when he snacked on one of the robins.
We still have two who seem to be a pair, I'm happy to say.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Love Is In The Air

"Love is in the air everywhere I look around
Love is in the air every sight and every sound...." 

Well - you'd think there should be sound, with those open beaks. But I haven't been able to hear it over the gulls, and the rush hour traffic. I think you can hear the grey wagtails, though.

February Favourites

Too busy!!

Here are my favourite cards from February.
The anniversary one was for my parents-in-laws' 60th wedding annviversary, and the wedding one was for one of C's work colleagues, made when he didn't like the only two I had on hand to offer him. But I think Linus is my favourite one - I'm sad that Stampabilities will no longer be producing Peanuts stamps any more.

I didn't bother updating my blog header in February, there weren't many photos from last February to choose from. If it comes to it, there weren't that many from last March either. Some siskins and long-tailed tits, but taken through the window so a bit grainy. I've chosen a hen blackbird, instead.

Spring Dress

I was watching the cormorants down at Heuston station yesterday morning - back in breeding plumage ready for the Spring. This morning was beautiful, but by the time I'd done a big supermarket shop and unpacked it, the day was already changing to the usual dull gray.

Farmleigh

As promised, a few photos from Farmleigh last week:

It was a beautiful morning, but bitterly cold. The witch-hazel smelled just beautiful, as did the wintersweet growing against the outside of the walled garden. And the birds were in full song...

This last photo is obviously not Farmleigh at all - it's a reflection (and reflection of the reflection) of a sculpture outside the civic offices in Blanchardstown. On another lovely sunny morning...

January favourites...

It just occurred to me this morning, when I was thinking that I'd be pressed to find any photo-editing time this weekend, that I still haven't uploaded my favourite cards from January, so here goes...

I spy with my little eye

Something beginning with B -  a hen blackbird in a tree above me on a visit to Farmleigh yesterday. She was tucked away inside, and I'd never have seen her if I hadn't looked up to see the robin singing its heart out at the top of the tree. And since I'm going with B, I might as well add in a black-headed gull from the way to work the other day. Too windy and rainy for any photos this morning.

More photos tomorrow - I hope!

Tails you lose...

Tails from the zoo...

And from the garden (head and tail), we seem to have more visitors again; the long-tailed tits are back from time to time, and yesterday I spotted this lovely female blackcap. Just as well C cleaned the windows recently!!