A few more postcards

Another batch of photos from our UK tour this summer. Herewith greetings from Wales! The West Wales coastline is breathtaking -- it reminded us a lot of Cornwall with its azure sea.

In North Wales we journied up Mt Snowdon in the little steam train. You can see the weather wasn't great when we got to the top - not much of a view! Seagulls get everywhere don't they? This one was on the summit enjoying tourist handouts!

More pics from the Flower Show at Hampton Court Palace

Chrysanthemums in all their green and white pompom glory!


I'm getting really behind with my holiday pics. If I don't get going with this project it'll soon be Christmas! So here without further ado is another set.

Small gardens - click to make them grow!

The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show was a great day out, though I didn't get to see all the small gardens on the day as there were too many people milling about - one of the drawbacks of these events:( Luckily I could view the rest at my leisure on the television later!

I did manage to get near enough to take some pics of this pretty little garden. The left hand pic shows a closeup of what was growing on top of the little bird tables - nice idea!

and this boat garden with closeup of the planting.

Cabbage - all photos better if you click to see the details.

Not finished yet - my camera was working overtime!

Illustration Friday

Gull ©Caroline Soer 2011

Click image to enlarge

My offering for 'Swell' for Illustration Friday - just in time before the new theme later today! Painted in watercolour on gessoed mountboard. Nearly didn't make it though....was wondering why it was taking so long to dry, then finally realised that I'd managed to coat it with spray mount, rather than fixative - aargh !!!! That'll teach me to check the can first! Anyway I've managed to dab enough off to stick (!) it in the scanner - now just have to hope the rest will dry up on its own.

I enjoyed painting the gull but I'm not really a fan of them in real life - they are noisy, cheeky and messy!


I went to Lyme Regis in Dorset this summer for a weekend with some old friends (we were at school there together). Love the place, but it does have its fair share of gulls too. One divebombed us (probably a mate of the one in the montage above) and left his calling card! Not pleasant!

Postcards from the English Lake District

We've been holidaying in the English Lake District many times over the years. This year we stayed a couple of nights in the delightful Punchbowl Inn at Crosthwaite (top pic, 1st left) and then a week in Grasmere in a little cottage a stone's throw from William Wordsworth's Dove Cottage (there's a small photo of this below -see image 2, second row, 1st on left - the strawberries next to it were growing on the garden wall!). Do click the images to enlarge.

Every day we walked miles, up hill and down dale. The scenery is so beautiful - it's got to be one of my most favourite places in the world!

We had a great time despite some pretty grim weather!

Lots of wonderful memories! Can't wait to go back!

Floral swatches

More flower pics with colour swatches from the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Colour in the veggie patch

The first of several pics from my trip to the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show back in July. I'm in a veggie garden with cabbages and kholrabi playing with colour. Hope these swatches might be inspirational!

Illustration Friday

'Odd-eyed cat' Lino print©Caroline Soer 2011

It's been months since I took part in Illustration Friday! This week's theme is 'imperfect'. I got out my lino cutters yesterday and quickly rolled off a rather imperfect lino print of an odd-eyed cat.