Working In The Garden Again ..

Hello my dear friends,

the time has come again for me to head back into our backyard and hopefully complete my project that I started last year ~ our river bed. When I tell you it is back breaking work, I actually mean those words. Moving river rock and digging up soil that has been compressed from the weight of the rocks, rain and snow for years and that is covered in weeds and embedded with large roots from our lovely willow tree is quite intense at times but the end result is so rewarding.

In the past week I have managed to clear out 17 large garden waste bags of branches, twigs, weeds and plants that hadn't made it threw the past harsh Winter so it has been a good start so far for me.
 

This year I decided to create a new 'path' from our bridge around the willow tree using some of the river rock ...

... and I really like the look of it.

I have also worked on the river bed itself and so far I have managed to complete over double the amount (22 feet) I wanted to do in 2 days.

 

 

 Am I paying for it? ... Yes, I am but it's not to the point where I can't move because I am in pain, so that's really good.

I am getting closer to hitting my final 4 yards of river bed and so happy about it because this was one huge project, which I started last year and has been on my to-do list that I can place a 'tick' behind hopefully soon. I can't wait to share photos when I am done!

Today I am leaving you my dear friends, with a few photos that I took a few days ago after working outside all day ...

 

... and then watching the sun slowly set through the branches of our willow tree and ...

 
...  capturing the beauty of the lilies that are growing not only in the back yard this year ...

 

 

... but also in the front yard too ~ I hope you enjoyed them.

 

Thank you for visiting me again here at Todolwen and I hope you do come back some time again.

 

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

 

Have a peaceful and creative day.

 

A Lovely Gift From A Sweet Neighbour ..

Hello my dear friends,

as I have told you before I am very fortunate because I have some of the sweetest neighbours you could have and one of them is my neighbour Lise from across the street.

 Last week whilst I was doing one of my chores (weeding) which I really dislike doing and she popped over to chat a little and to gift me with something very neat and lovely! No reason for it ~ just like that!

And this is what she gifted me with ...

... it was one of her old toys ~ her little doll carriage.

 

I love all the wear and tear on it from being played with many years ago.

 

And take a look at this ...

... this is Lise actually playing with it! That is so lovely!
( I am so happy my neighbour found this old photo.)

Her nanny's husband had made it for her when she was a little girl, just two or three years old either for Christmas or for her birthday. She didn't 'need' it anymore and since she knows how much I love old treasures, she thought maybe I would love to have her little old toy so now she has given it to me to keep. What a sweet thing to do! I love it!

I am thinking of maybe keeping it just as it is, apart from a careful cleaning and repairing in some places. Of course it will need a new little blanket, mattress and pillow and  I will be looking into my linen drawer for some very nice pieces to create them with. Once done of course I will share the result with all of you lovely bloggers. When that will be I am not sure yet. Right now ... on this beautiful sunny morning, I am returning to our backyard again to finally complete my garden project (the riverbed redo) of last year which I will also share with you soon I hope.

But do stop by from time to time again and see what else I have been up too. It is always so nice when you do.

 I hope you are well and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day. 

 

An 'Ugly Duckling' Transformation ..

Hello my dear friends,

I love to create things out of something that would some times just be trash to others ~ old to new ~ Todolwen. Recycling is vey important these days and today I am going to share a sort of  'ugly duckling' transformation.

 I came across this whilst I was browsing the internet and it's such an 'egg'cellent idea really! (There is a little hint for you.)  A friend of mine told me that this idea has been around since many years but I can't remember having heard of it before but I loved it right away.

Would you believe me if I said that the look of these make me smile these days?! ... Well, they do!

My work table is looking like this right now ... covered in a huge mess!

My 'ugly duckling' ...

  

... is made from some ordinary bits and pieces from an egg carton which looks like this before I turn them into ...

... a beautiful swan  ~ well, in this case a lovely rose.

 I liked this the way these turn out so much. I wanted to share a little how-to on how I made them with all of you lovely blogger. I am not claiming the fame to it but I also have no idea who really came up with this for the very first time.

I tend to make only 3 roses from one carton.

To make them all you will need is ...

... an empty cardboard egg carton, a glue gun and your hands and now you can already start!

Separate the lid from the bottom and place the bottom aside for now.

I tear three from each lid (one from the front part and two from the top part ) so they are all almost the same size. These will become the center parts of your roses. Tear the strips and then place aside.

Now tear cups from the bottom part ~ each rose will need two of them.

 

 

Tear around the top of the cup ...

 

... to make the height all around almost the same. I don't make them very neatly because little imperfections will give the rose a more realistic look in the end.

Now carefully tear each cup into 4 petals.
Some cups have scorched lines you can use as a guide to make your petals the same size.

I like to tears the corners of the petals off ...

 

... so that they slightly rounded but I don't tidy the edge up too much again.

And now to create your rose ...

... place one cup inside the other one so that the petals are off center from each other ...

... and using your glue gun add a dot of glue between egg cups to secure them together.

Take a strip from the lid ...

... and roll it up.

 Once rolled let it go slightly so it will fill the center of the bottom section of your rose.

Again using your glue gun, add several dots of glue to the bottom of your rolled strip ...

... and place then into the cup of the rose and hold for a moment until the glue sets and that's it!

 

You have just created your first rose!

 

 

Isn't it lovely?!

 This is already so beautiful but if you wish you can also give your roses a little color with paint that has been slightly watered down.

I like to just white wash mine a little sometimes.

 

 

I did so with these.

There are many tutorials on the Internet and many different ways you can create these lovely blossoms ~ this was just the way I like to make them.

I hope you have enjoyed this little how-to and maybe you might try it out some time?

And last but not least ...

... have I ever told you that I have some of the sweetest neighbours you could have?!

After I told some of them about me taking to making these roses, they were so neat and have started to leave empty egg cartons on my front porch ...

... so I have something to work with.

The only thing now is ... I don't even know what I am going to use these roses for yet but I enjoy creating them and I am sure I will come up with something lovely where I can incorporate them in.
 I guess I will just have to wait and see what I come up with and so will you my dear friends.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind

Have a peaceful and creative day.