Late July, Garden + Clay Sunflowers

My cutting/veggie garden is coming along slowly. We finally got a good bit of rain and all the little sunflower seedlings perked and popped up. (I cannot water my garden because we do not have enough water in our well. For my potted plants, I use gray water from the kitchen dishes and that keeps them alive and growing.) We have eaten some zucchini and summer squash and soon to be feasting on some cukes. Next week I hope to finish mulching the garden with leftover bales of hay. In this photo, you can see some broken down cardboard boxes that I put under the hay to keep the weeds away. Never enough cardboard.

I don't have a lot of perennials because having any kind of garden with sheep is difficult. I do have this stunning fig leaf style Hollyhock that is putting on a spectacular show. Margaret Roach had a great article on hollyhocks on her blog/podcast recently. I want to grow some other colors. It sounds like mid-summer is the perfect time to start seeds for bloom next year. Here is the link. 

Back in May I started fooling around with making plaster molds from clay sculptures of sunflowers. You can see that post here. I learned something new doing them - making a plaster mold from wet clay sculpture - which was rewarding. I bisque fired a few of the experiments and this week I finally got around to experimenting with the glaze step of the project. I had in my mind how I wanted them to look but wasn't sure how to get the look with the glazes I have.

I am stumbling around with the glazing on my pottery. It is all new to me - mixing glazes and wondering how they will fire. I've had some failure but because it is new to me it is intriguing. I can't spend too much time on it because I need to make pottery to sell in the fall for the holiday season. I spend endless amounts of time reading websites and trying to figure things out myself. Definitely not the best use of my time. I guess the wonder and the curiosity of it all is good for me and my mind instead of the same old same old. 

The last thing I should be doing is blogging today as I have 6 students coming for a retreat this weekend but I wanted to pop in and connect with you all out there as this blog has a bit neglected. Summer rolls on. Julia had a birthday and we've got some places to go before it is over. It sure is flying by. 

Hope you all in the northern hemisphere are enjoying summer. Have a great weekend everyone. 

Last Flowers of 2016 + Botanical Inspiration - A New Book + Giveaway

We got frost a couple nights ago. My zinnias that have been blooming so bountifully are gone. 

The morning glories are gone too. 

The sunflowers have been over for a while. The birds and the squirrels have been fighting over the seeds. 

There are a few bits of flowers that didn't get frosted but flower season is pretty much over. Now it is the turn of the autumn leaves to fill our lives with color. 

Last week, I wandered around the garden as the sun was setting with my camera. The colors were so lush and rich. 

I couldn't get enough of these magenta colored Amaranth. The strands looked like wooly pom poms. Some of the blooms are over 36" long.

I looked up into the sky and the clouds were this gorgeous shade of peach and gray. Stunning. It didn't last long though. 

Here is the exterior of the newly re-done Garden Shed. I planted Morning Glories to grow up the railing in the front part of the porch and over the archway. They did just what I envisioned.  

The frost held off until after my photo shoot was over. That was so lucky.

You all know how much I love flowers. Really - is there anyone who doesn't? That's why I was curious about a new book called Botanical Style: Inspiration Decorating with Nature, Plants and Florals. It is written by British stylist Selina Lake and photographed by Rachel Whiting. Selina is no stranger to writing books - she has authored seven beautiful books on decorating and styling. She has a strong interest in DIY. (I have two of her other books - Homespun Style and Bazaar Style). Each book gives easy ideas for uncomplicated, easy to make projects. You would think she would run out of ideas by now but she keeps making books. I wonder what her next will be.  

Botanical Style is absolutely lovely. It is divided into 7 chapters: Botanical Inspirations, Vintage Botanicals, Boho Botanicals, Industrial Botanicals, Tropical Botanicals, and Natural Botanicals. 

The selection of textiles that she features is really great, including many vintage fabrics. Here are some of my favorite spreads from Botanical Style. 

This is a lush book - full of gorgeous photography. I can only imagine how fun it will be to look at in the middle of winter when I am dreaming of being outside and in my garden again. 

At the end of Botanical Style, Selina includes credits for each photo (most of them were taken in the UK and in Sweden), credits for suppliers of props, and a great source guide. 

Follow Selina on Instagram here. 

So here is what I have for one of you today..... your very own copy of Botanical Style supplied by the American publisher Ryland, Peters and Small. Here's how to enter....

CONTEST IS OVER. WINNER WAS BELLA. THANKS ALL FOR ENTERING. 

Answer one of the following question(s) in the comments section of this post.

What is your favorite way to decorate with flowers? 
How do you keep flowers in your life when they aren't growing outside anymore? 
OR Tell me about your favorite flower.

Please leave an easy way to get a hold of you - email, blogger id, or Ravelry id. Contest ends Sunday October 16th at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Addresses only please. Good luck everyone! 

Lilac Season + Progress This Week

The lilacs were gorgeous this year. Not sure if it was the mild winter or what but they were so full and pretty. I am slowly getting my interest in gardening back again. I will have my veggie/cutting garden tilled within the next two weeks I hope so I can begin planting it out. My peonies are looking like they are going to be beautiful in a few weeks. Cannot wait. 

I've been promoting my "Getting Stitched on The Farm" Summer/Fall Classes on my email newsletter. Seriously, I feel like a broken record - always promoting. But I know I have to do it if I want students to come. So here I go again...... Check out the upcoming classes at Leyden Glen Farm HERE. I have 3 retreats scheduled. The Early Bird Pricing has been extended until May 31st. There are only 2 spaces available in the first class July 16/17 Fabric Printing and Lampshade Painting so if you are on the fence, I suggest signing up soon. 

Once again, I am not sure where the week has gone. I spent the better part of it picking up our frozen lamb at the processor then unpacking it and re-packing it for wholesale orders. I spent all day Tuesday at the Northampton Tuesday Farmers Market where it was a dismal day for sales. It drives me absolutely nuts sitting there, not selling and thinking about all that I have to do. I'm not happy when I'm not chatting and selling to customers. I had some swatching with me to do so that was good but really - I just wanted to be home working on my book project.

The rest of my week has been spent painting, painting and more painting. I've been working on the re-do of the Garden Shed which I am modifying into a Pottery Studio/She Shed for my new book project. Have you heard of "She Sheds"? I guess they are popping up all over in homeowner's back yards. Take a broken down shed and gussy it up and enjoy the space for entertaining, writing, art or whatever floats your boat. The female version of a "Man Cave." 

There has been a bit of color trial and error to say the least. After the floor was laid with the leftover VCT tile I had stashed away, I wanted to add some color to the white walls that I primed back in April. It isn't the best lit space so I knew I wanted a great bit of white. Because I plan to be throwing pottery in here and there will be lots of clay and dusty mess, I chose a washable paint finish. I wanted to make the space feel playful and creative. I decided to mix up some bright colors that will coordinate with the super bright patchwork style floor. 

I began with a gorgeous turquoise and painted the large wooden doors and the small paneled door. I loved the color and how bright and cheerful it made the space feel. I also chose a lime green as another accent color. 

I decided that I would use the bottom edges of the 3 windows as a design element and placed blue painters tape across each wall. I also decided to change up the colors on each wall to continue with the creative vibe. 

The green was a total pain because it took 3 coats to get the color to cover. But it looks good. I love my new table - my friend Kevin built it for me using birch plywood and 4 table legs I had purchased in Tennessee on a business trip over 20 years ago. I knew I would use them one day. He also added wheels to the bottom of the table so I can easily move it around. Wheels on furniture are fantastic. I painted the base a pretty electric blue and the top is a clay white color. I actually took one of my handmade pots down to the paint store and matched it up with an off-white the color of my clay. I will probably be the only one that realizes that! 

On the adjacent wall, I began with a pretty electric blue. 

When it was done, I decided it was too dark so I lightened it with a bit of extra white I had lying around and I like it. 

Around the edges of each window, I added painters tape and painted a colorful border. The windows aren't trimmed out so I figured by adding some color, the rough patches wouldn't show as much. 

And then yesterday, I decided I had to do some of the fun part because I was sick of painting solid color. I cut out a triangle shape from a sponge and stamped a border in green. Here it is in process. 

Now I have to get back out there and do some more. The other walls await. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend. Grill up some lamb from your local sheep farmer!

Big Goings On This Week at the Farm

Wow - what a few weeks it has been. Some weeks are just like that, aren't they? This week, we had a photo crew here for an upcoming feature next year in Country Home Magazine. We shot for two days - moving furniture around, me frantically cleaning where it hadn't been cleaned in years and would show in a photo. Days like these are long and very physical and intellectual all at the same time. I love them but I am always glad when they are over. I worry, worry, worry before but know deep inside it will all work out fine. Once the shoot is over, I collapse. The house is destroyed pretty much and it takes months to find everything again. I always wonder why I say yes but then as the producer who came said when I said "never again" that I will forget all the work and do it again perhaps. 

Above is a look behind the scenes. Just so you know, in every photo shoot I have been involved in, there is shear chaos just set outside the camera lens' reach. Piles of stuff which doesn't look good. The regular stuff of life - piles of paper, batteries, brooms, vacuums, unattractive packaged objects, hammers, nails, tape..... As each room is finished with its close-up, the mess gets shifted again. By the time the shoot is over, it looks like a bomb went off. Good thing my family doesn't mind and is kind of used to what ensues.  

The cool thing about CH coming is that they were here in 2003 for a feature that came out in 2004. You can read that article on my website here. I was surprised that they would want to come back and feature our house again but it has been over a decade and most likely they have new readers - and different readers. And evidently the article back then was very popular. It was fun for me to revisit the photos from back then and see how things in our house had changed - and they have even though I thought they hadn't. 

When I do these shoots, my favorite part is arranging the flowers in all my different vases. I had tons of sunflowers to pick - after they photographed them. Since they wanted to photograph my cutting garden, I didn't want to pick it because my zinnias are a bit scarce. Luckily I have flower growing farmer friends. On Monday, when I should have been cleaning, off I went to see Olivia and Susie at Wingate Farm just over the MA line in NH. Olivia let me pick her garden and gave me left overs from the Saturday farmers market. Thank you Olivia! Here are some of the bouquets I made from their flowers and mine. 

In other news, I'm so excited to share that there is a new article about my work and my new book Crafting A Colorful Home in the Oct/Nov issue of Mary Jane's Farm Magazine. Four pages full of photos and a nice interview. So awesome to be introduced to a new group of readers. Thanks to Carol Hill at MJF for pulling it all together. If you don't know Mary Jane's Farm, you can go to their website here and learn more about their magazine, their products, and the dynamic people behind the brand. Mary Jane Butters writes a great blog too!

The kittens are starting to leave the nest. I have homes for 3 of the 4. If you know of anyone who might like a good farm cat, the gray tabby with the white markings in the photo below is still available. Shoot me an email at kristinnicholasATgmailDOTcom.

I have one free weekend beginning tonight! Yippee! And then my last Getting Stitched on the Farm creative retreat of the 2015 happens next weekend September 26/27. I still have spaces available - it is the only knitting retreat of the year. If you are interested in a last minute great time, check it out here. 

Spring Photos from Around the Farm

Spring is really moving along here in western Massachusetts. I can't believe the school year is almost over for Julia. Soon, we will be moving along into summer activities. The plants are finally all leafed out - including the hostas that I love for their carefree foliage. This year, the bluebells were gorgeous. 

I love lilac season and can't help but bring armfuls into the house. 

I love this dark purple lilac that stands close to the farmhouse. 

During lilac season, there are always some on the windowsill in the kitchen. 

I was inspired by the newest Martha Stewart Living where I saw Solomon's Seal in a vase in the opening section. I ran right outside and picked a giant bunch for the living room. I'm going to do this every year from now on in. 

The crab apple tree was loaded this spring. I think I want to plant a second one of these since this one is inside the sheep pasture and there is danger of the sheep killing it. 

Spring is such a great time for wildflowers blooming amongst the hayfields. These little bluets look like they could become a ditsy fabric print design. 

I have been watching these ferns unfurl as I drive by everyday on the way to the sheep barns. 

Next to the ferns, I found this sweet little weed getting ready to bloom. 

The sheep have been enjoying the gorgeous spring and are happier now that the leaves are out on the trees. It makes it much easier for them to find a patch of shade to lay under in the heat of the day. The following two photos were taken just as the sun was coming up over the mountain. Lovely light pouring down. 

For all of you locals, it is opening day at the Bernardston Farmers Market tomorrow. Julia will be manning our stand from 10 to 1 in the Parking Lot of the United Church. Stop by and say hi if you are passing by. At the Unitaraian Church in Bernardston, there is a special event called Agriculture - The Heartbeat of the Valley. Check it out here. 

I hope you all have a great weekend, wherever you live.