Gnome stuffie

Whether you want an extra Gnome to live in your Gnome Home, or a new little pocket friend to accompany you on your travels (and photobomb your selfies!), this wee little Gnome is the perfect companion. But be sure to keep an eye on him, because he has a tendency to wander!

This double-sided stuffie features my own hand-drawn illustration printed onto a linen-cotton blend, and is now available in the shop!

Shop update: Gnome Home

My Spoonflower fabric order arrived, and I've busily building Wee Fabric Houses and puppets, and will reveal my new designs over the coming weeks. First up: the Gnome Home, now in the shop! I'm really excited about this one — I had a lot of fun illustrating all the travel-themed details inside, and all the flora on the outside.

The permanent home of the traveling Gnome! When he's not off galavanting the globe, Gnome calls this forest dwelling Home. Surrounded by flowers, mushrooms, and sheltered by a thick moss roof — Gnome curls up by his fireplace, reading travel books, and getting inspired for his next adventure (suitcase always at the ready)!

Each Gnome Home comes with a wee Gnome stuffie.

Even though he travels light, Gnome still needs to get caught up on laundry when he gets home.

Dandylions, tiger lilies, mushrooms, acorns, and clover.

Mementos and souvenirs of his travels — including, of course, a selfie in front of the Taj Mahal!

His front yard offers a peaceful respite from all the business of traveling.

Globe and travel books for planning the next adventure!

Festival of tulips

This year marks the 61st annual Tulip Festival in Ottawa. A festival that was established in 1953, after Canada granted safe haven to the Dutch Royal Family during the German Occupation of the Netherlands during the second World War. In thanks, tulips have been given to Canada every year since.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) plants lush, dense gardens of tulips all over the city, but the largest display is in Commissioner's Park, beside Dow's Lake, where nearly 300,000 tulips are in bloom! It is a stunning effect, and people visit from all over the world to come and see them.

Unfurling

After seeming like it wasn't going to arrive at all, spring has fully sprung here, and it is glorious. The daffodils are trumpeting, the tulips are exploding, the trees are budding, and everything else is unfurling in infinite shades of green.

Over the last week, the rhubarb has gone from just a tiny shoot to flowering!
Me thinks some rhubarb crisp is in my immediate future :)

Not sure what this plant is, but the leaves hold diamond-like beads of morning dew (or rain) all day.

We somehow completely missed harvesting our fiddleheads this year!
We blinked, and we missed it.

Forget-me-nots in the front lawn.

Hydrangea.

I love how the grape vine tendrils look like rusted metal.