Hearts anyone?

Here is my next collection of random pics from around the shop. This time I've concentrated on hearts. It was never my intention to have so many - they just grew - and this is just a taster. There are lots more lurking in card designs, on the front of albums, in pictures etc.
The first three ( cut off photos, sorry) are polka dot wooden hearts. Very popular at only £2.00 each.
The lilac heart is a detail from one of my wedding triple pictures -
Then there is a little punched metal bird with a red wooden heart-
A pair of ceramic heart earrings -
A white metal heart - part of a string of three -
Two lavender filled patchwork hearts -
Little painted hearts in the middle of my tartan patchwork cards -
Two heart cards from the wedding Keepsake range -
More wooden hearts but this time with fantastic retro painted patterns -
And finally a button heart which is found on the front of a keepsake memory box.

It's Sunday today. We've had our walk along the beach to visit Mum and my sister and family who are here for the weekend. I've now changed into my slobbiest old clothes and we're not going anywhere else today. The shop's shut and I'm going to enjoy the peace. I've got a pile of work to do for orders but it's very enjoyable when there are no interruptions. The roast is in the oven and I'm considering a rare treat for tonight - a pudding!

Thistle Do - (get it?)

I'm back. Rested and recuperated, and only the occasional lung bursting cough to remind me of last week's horrendous cold. It didn't stop the work, although if I'd been working for someone else ie a "proper job" I'd certainly have had a couple of days of magazines and daytime TV in bed. It doesn't work that way when you're self employed though.
Anyway, enough of my moans.

Today's collection of random pics are to celebrate the noble Scottish thistle. Mainly because there's a cracking specimen growing where it shouldn't just outside the workshop. It'll have to be dug up but I'll leave it till the flowers are past ( top pic).
That got me looking around the shop at all the other examples of thistles on display. So from the top..
Wee Reminder Plaque and Thistle soaps.....
Just a wee note card......
Thistles embroidered on a cloth....
And finally a thistle wine glass slipper.
Tomorrow's random selection will be hearts - and there are loads.

Laid low

Bit of a low ebb at the moment. I've picked up a summer cold and I'm sneezing all over the keyboard.
Trying to have early nights so I'm not doing my usual nocturnal posting.
Back soon!

Highland Show

That's it over for another year. Four long hard days - 9 till 7 each day. I can't complain though as I was only in attendance on the last day.
Thank you to all who spent their money at our stand, laughed at our humourous cards and gave us nice comments. That's what makes it worthwhile.
That, and bumping into old friends. Yes Olive I mean you- I said I would give you a name check!! I hope you keep going with that embroidery now. I'll be wanting to see the results!
We'll wait till tomorrow to unpack the van, never a good job. Tonight it's a glass of wine and feet up.
Update on the cat - he's taken his lampshade collar off in disgust but as he's not showing any interest in his tail bandage, we've let him keep it off. He seems completely back to normal and of course is desperate to get out, but not till Tuesday.

Cat, Cost and Chaos

If you've read my Twitter feed on the right hand side of this blog over the past couple of days, you'll probably be aware we had a feline emergency on Monday night. The Wee Cat seen here in happier times came in through the cat flap minus half of his tail. Of course this was after midnight and the out of hours vet charges £155.00 before they even look at him. So after much discussion on the phone with the sleepy vet and some conscience searching, we decided to bed him down for the night, save the £155 and take him to the animal hospital in the morning.
All this while we're trying to get packed up for the Highland Show.
He went through an op. to amputate a bit more of his tail and then spent a little holiday of one night in the hospital which cost us £375!! Just about as much as we spent on our last holiday in France.
Anyway he arrived home this morning sporting this fetching lampshade collar and we have to keep him indoors until his injuries heal. Now the Wee Cat is a country cat who has the run of fields and woods as his territory so we are experiencing a bit of cat claustrophobia.
He's never had to use a litter tray either, but Bob set one up for him when we went off this afternoon to the Show. This was the scene when we got home - one comfy cat curled up asleep in said litter tray. Not quite the purpose intended.
And here is his poor little stump of a tail all bandaged up. I've got to take him back to the vet on Friday for a dressing change under anaesthetic so more costs to pay.
Meanwhile in the midst of all this we have set up the stand at the Highland Show and it opens tomorrow until Sunday.
Bob's on duty there tomorrow and Friday while I return the workshop to some semblance of order - it gets torn apart and left like a tip when we get ready for a big show.
I'll be at the show on Saturday and Sunday, hopefully making a lot of sales to pay the vet!
I don't think we'll ever find out what happened to his poor wee tail but it must have been a traumatic experience.
Happy Birthday Barbara, by the way!!!

Father's Day and Graduation

I'm having a wee break at the moment - kettle's boiling for my cuppa and I'm trying to persuade myself that I really don't need anything to eat with it, probably unsuccessfully.
I think I'll do a late night tonight to get ahead of myself before tomorrow. Lots to do you see.
The Highland Show is only two or three days away, and just to be boringly predictable we're not organised at all.
Ho hum.
But we'll get there in the end - we always do.
Today of course was Father's Day and the father in this house was treated to a big steak for tea. I can't believe I didn't manage to get the Father's Day cards on to the website this year, sorry. There were too many orders from the shops we supply and we didn't even have many to spare for our own shop.
The other event at this time of year is of course Graduation. There has been a run on cards for that too and we're busy keeping up with it.
Anyway this is just a quick post because I must get on with some more work - packing some orders next.
PS I haven't had anything to eat with my cuppa - yet.

PPS I wish I still had a Dad to say Happy Father's Day to.