More cherry blossom

Mum's birthday card.

Mum's card from Dad

This is the birthday card I made for Dad to give to Mum for her birthday yesterday. I can't post her card from me yet, because she is getting that today. I made this card a while ago and I used it as the design on one of my Moo postcards.

The scent of cherry blossom in the air

The cherry tree in my garden is just beginning to flower, and I hope to be able to take some photographs of cherry blossom in Edinburgh this weekend or next. But in the meantime here are some photos of my cherry blossom perfumes. I literally jumped for joy when I found Guerlain's Cherry Blossom Delight and Cherry Blossom Fruity at the airport in China, since it was a long time since the Lovely Cherry Blossom Gold Sparkles that I had bought in Japan had run out, although I had managed to find some cherry blossom perfume at L'Occitane. I have also recently found Japanese Cherry Blossom Bath and Shower Gel in the Body Shop. Unfortunately by the time I found out their limited edition cherry blossom range existed, the perfume had sold out.

More Plaisir du Chocolat

For my brother's girlfriend's birthday I bought some chocolates and some Vert Bouquet tea. I made the pendant to match the colour of the chocolate box.

Botanic Garden

Trying out my new camera at the Botanic Garden.

My new toy

I ordered this camera last night and picked it up today! I've started playing with it already but I have a lot to learn!

Plaisir du chocolat pour moi

Last year I posted about how disappointed I was that the chocolate shop I had intended to visit in Edinburgh, Plaisir du Chocolat, had closed down. However I happened to be reading the Scotsman recently and discovered that they have opened a new shop on Thistle Street.

I visited the shop a few weeks ago and bought myself a tiny box of their four Asian-inspired chocolates, which come in a lovely celadon-green box tied with a brown ribbon. The chocolates themselves are topped with beatiful silk-screened designs.

Fuji Yama
Dark chocolate with Japanese Sencha tea

Szechuan
Dark chocolate, pear pulp and Szechuan pepper

Bergamot
Javanese milk chocolate with Earl Grey tea and bergamot essence

Indochine
Milk chocolate with Vietnamese green tea and lotus flowers


The lady who served me told me that they are having a Japanese month in May, with chocolate geishas on display, so I will probably go back for another visit then and try some more of their chocolates and some of their tea as well.

My own miniature kokeshi dolls match the designs on the chocolates quite well!

China Moleskine

This is the Moleskine that I used as a journal on holiday and did a few drawings in. When I came home I glued in some souvenirs, then decorated the cover with origami paper, a tassel and a coin.

Two Fife cats

Two of my birthday presents deserve more of an in-depth explanation. The two cats were both made by well-known local potteries.

The little white cat decorated with snowdrops was made at the Griselda Hill Studio which is about 15 miles away from where I live. This style of pottery, called Wemyss Ware (after a local town) was originally made in this area between 1882 and the 1930s, and the pottery became highly sought after and collectable in recent years, and very expensive. It was produced for a while in Devon until 1952. In the 1980s Griselda Hill brought the production of Wemyss Ware back to Fife, and the cats, pigs and other items produced have been very popular. The Wemyss Ware cats strongly resemble those made by French designer Emile Gallé in the 1870s.

I already had a larger black and white Wemyss Ware cat which was a house-warming present from my parents ten years ago. I have just found out that each piece is initialled by the artist who painted it. My large cat was painted by Susan Bentley and my little one by Julie Gardener, both of whom have been working at the pottery since 1997.

The earthenware Methil Moggies originated in the 1990s and are a more down-to-earth and humorous style of pottery. They are made by Donald Bradford who in recent years has moved his Earthen Images pottery from the town of Methil to Balbirnie Craft Centre which is in the town where I live. He also makes Methil Mutts and Highland Cattle. I already had a Methil Moggie but my new one was a specially ordered Siamese version.

My birthday menagerie

When I got back from China I had another birthday celebration and all my presents were animal themed! I got a lovely soft Hamleys panda, a specially commissioned Siamese Methil moggie, and a Wemyss ware cat by Griselda Hill with snowdrops on it (which I'd fallen in love with when I saw it at Cambo). I love all my presents! Oh, and the handmade Radley-themed card too!

I also got a couple of Easter presents at the same time - a Lindt bunny and a ceramic chicken.

Signs of China

Authorities in Beijing are working to remove badly translated signposts before the Olympics. Luckily there are still plenty in the rest of China!

The first picture was taken outside a bar next to the Gloria Plaza Hotel, Xian. At this bar there is a telephone on each table so customers can phone up someone they like the look of who is sitting at another table. I'm not sure whether to make use of these rules the next time I talk to a man on the phone!
Click on the images to view them larger.

The next three pictures are from Pule Temple, Chengde. The first one amused me mainly because the grass was far from green!

An exhibit at Ban Po neolithic museum. Perhaps "indentations" would have been a better word!

At the Terracotta warriors museum.

Birthday card for a bunny lover

Inspired by the Lindt bunny.

Birthday card for my boss

This is based on our tool-board at work, which is shown in the bottom photo. The little object I've added to the bottom of the clock is actually a plastic slug (just don't ask why we have a plastic slug on the tool board!).

Birthday card for a skiier

This was for one of my colleagues who has been meaning to go skiing all winter but hasn't got round to it. He really liked the card.

Sketches of Chengde

These are the only drawings that I had time to do on holiday in China.