Finishing things and starting other things.

This is the finished book cover - front above and back below.    I zigzagged close to the edge, all round the cover and then made a 'picot' effect with the soldering iron.

I had great trouble with my spray bottle and it shot out great dollops of dark ink which I thought had ruined it completely.   However, as it dried it became lighter and I over sprayed it with a green ink and then a coppery one.   The letters and leaves were rubbed with Treasure Gold to bring up their textures.  I might apply a coat or two of acrylic wax for protection.

I love this time of year and always get a lift from sowing seeds.   These are all with bees in mind - french marigold, poached egg plant, aquilegia, nasturtium, sweet peas, cosmos, calendula and annual dahlias.   I have also planted roots of three large dahlias.   My tiny greenhouse also contains pelargonium and lavender cuttings taken last year and a bonsai oak tree grown from an acorn by my son.  These are in an awful jumble, out of shot thank goodness along with various gardening gloves and hand tools.  I must have another tidying session out there.

The greenhouse also doubles as our recycling area with bags for papers, cardboard, glass, metal and plastic, not to mention four folding chairs.  I can just about get in far enough to water everything, including the chairs if I'm not careful.   When the seedlings are out in the garden I can dismantle the old green plastic table, let the chairs out, and there will be enough room for two growbags which will hold six tomato plants.   The smell of tomato plants takes me back to my childhood and my granddad's greenhouse.   Lovely.