tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308893602024-03-07T21:35:53.563+00:00~ kate's tales ~Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.comBlogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-64378787906175394632014-11-10T20:57:00.000+00:002014-11-10T20:57:51.937+00:00Time to explore<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15131743844" title="Weald and Downland Open Air Museum by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Weald and Downland Open Air Museum" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7486/15131743844_2ce0d45d73_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Chris is very good at finding places that I just adore. The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum is a collection of very old buildings that have been moved here from all over the country and preserved as a complete town. The scent of woodsmoke drifted over the village, and I sat in the winter sun and sketched until bits of me went numb. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15753224202" title="Weald and Downland Open Air Museum by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Weald and Downland Open Air Museum" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7570/15753224202_c5dc14dc4d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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There were people here whose whole purpose was to wander round in costume and talk to visitors. I think this might be my dream job. And I just love those timber framed buildings and interesting brickwork.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15751663585" title="Jelly fungus by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Jelly fungus" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7547/15751663585_c717d2977e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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My other current obsession is fungi (see previous posts) and I was pleased to add a couple of new ones to my collection, including these Jelly Ears.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15753182102" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="The potting shed by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="The potting shed" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3953/15753182102_fd2358a8f7_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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There were some charming little scenes set up in the houses, and you could imagine that any moment the gardener was going to walk through the door. It appealed to my love of preserving garden produce - the strings of onions and garlic hanging up and the neatly stacked fruits are a bit of a dream of mine really. One day I would love to have a pantry where I can store dried vegetables and jars of home made jams.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15753161112" title="Chickens and grain store by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Chickens and grain store" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7547/15753161112_faabcc1690_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I can't help comparing life then with our lives now: rushing from one thing to the next, sending emails and writing reports, so busy that we have to do our shopping online and get it delivered. Don't get me wrong, I love the life we live and I am very lucky in so many ways. And I wouldn't change our centrally-heated home with electricity and running water for any of these cottages, however charming they are. But I think there is a lot to be said for living in harmony with the world around us, following the pattern of the seasons and using our natural resources wisely. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15727887256" title="Pots by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Pots" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7484/15727887256_039ddd9d35_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I thoroughly enjoyed our morning exploring here, and I'm glad that we get the time to do things like this. Maybe modern life isn't so bad after all.</div>
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-32360961346701710902014-11-03T22:24:00.000+00:002014-11-03T22:24:25.431+00:00To be a better sketcher<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15518401787" title="Lugley House by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Lugley House" height="451" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7462/15518401787_31fc6672c5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Making sketching a regular part of my life became a resolution in 2012. My production schedule has gone up and down depending on other things are going on at the time, but two years down the road I find I am consistently filling a journal every couple of months. My loved ones are very good at waiting for me while we are out ("hang on a minute, I need to sketch this") but I am also getting more confident about standing on street corners and sketching on my own.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15084242313" title="Beavis by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Beavis" height="434" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7503/15084242313_bb70d7ffc8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm also trying to record a bit of the world around me. If I only draw when I've got something pretty in front of me, it'll make nice pictures but I'd like to do more than that. I've lived in the same town for most of my life and I can already see changes from when I was younger...I have a feeling that in 20 years' time the sketches of shops and buildings will be interesting reminders.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15083635854" title="Cafe Isola by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Cafe Isola" height="450" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7535/15083635854_97a2223355_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And it's all practice isn't it? Even my worst sketch is better than one that never makes it on to the page. With each sketch that I do I feel like I am getting closer to SOMETHING. I'm not sure what that is, yet. People have commented on my 'style' but I don't think I've worked that out yet. There is still so much to learn. Still so much to sketch.<br />
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-55338618470872225852014-11-02T21:57:00.006+00:002014-11-02T21:57:57.327+00:00Too far goneI think not posting anything since July qualifies me as a terrible blogger. I could go back and re-cap everything since then, but really I think it's too far gone. So instead, I shall start again with the best of intentions and see how far I get this time.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15694396355" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="1.11.14 Autumn walk by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="1.11.14 Autumn walk" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3955/15694396355_de2901470d.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's been warm. Really warm. Like wearing t-shirts in October warm. Which is wonderful, if slightly confusing. We finally reached the end of bee-keeping season and the girls are settling down for the winter, which means we get weekends to go off and explore and DO STUFF. Mostly, this has been going for walks, seeing lots of amazing things, and generally having a wonderful time.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15696155792" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Honeybee on ivy by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Honeybee on ivy" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3951/15696155792_0a7a0731f0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The honeybees are making the most of the long autumn and stocking up for winter.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15509153048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Red squirrel by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Red squirrel" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7474/15509153048_3dd200ba5f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Autumn is a great time to see wildlife, and the red squirrels here made my day. You'd think that living with small fluffy animals, I wouldn't want to see more of them. But I do, oh I do. I loved noticing the differences between the squirrels and our degus, even down to the fact that the squirrels will come right up to you for food and yet it took us MONTHS to get the degus to eat out of our hands.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15670810956" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Birds feeding by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Birds feeding" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/15670810956_af9eaab784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't really think of myself as a bird-watcher. But as we go out and about, I find that I always want to know what things are. What's that bird? That tree? That plant? And the more I know, the more I want to know. Which might be why I've joined so many Isle of Wight nature groups on Facebook. I want to know ALL THE THINGS.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15670703626" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Trees by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Trees" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3951/15670703626_e192258136_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last few weekends have been full of wonderful things. I'm quite emotional about it really - there's so much beauty around us and I love that we have the time to enjoy it together.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15509187047" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Moss by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Moss" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7532/15509187047_84a3d49d32_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love noticing all the little details, and feeling like we're making the most of every minute of this glorious autumn. These are good days, my friend.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/15670658506" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Fly Agaric by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Fly Agaric" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7524/15670658506_cf442ea8a1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-17808598179828371482014-07-20T11:12:00.001+01:002014-07-20T11:12:41.720+01:00Round Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I knew that the early summer months would be busy for us, and I wasn't wrong. We've both been busy with work, and our bee empire is expanding well and takes up most of our weekends. The summer term has been and gone and we are into the holiday season here, which changes work for both of us. We still have a few more weeks of busy-ness before our own break at the end of August.</div>
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The bees have (mostly) stopped swarming and begun producing honey in crazy abundance. This is such a good year and we are very lucky to be taking advantage of it. We have hives in new locations which are doing really well and also give us space to expand if and when we need to. I've learned more in the last couple of months than I would have thought possible - about combining colonies, dealing with laying workers, assessing viability, all topped off yesterday with a day's learning about queen rearing.</div>
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An unfortunate side-effect of being so busy with the bees has been that the allotment has suffered and we haven't grown as much as we'd have liked. There are only so many hours in the day and we've had to prioritise - the bees need us. It's a shame but I'm certainly not complaining! And we have still managed to grow some things - nothing tastes like fresh peas straight from the garden.</div>
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My sketchbook is full and still growing, but I am so far behind with scanning and posting things online that when I do get around to it there will be a deluge. I might leave that for the colder months to remind me how lovely summer was. </div>
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In between all of this, the working and beekeeping, digging and tidying, picking and packing and putting things in jars...there have been so many moments of magic. Times when we went for a walk, had a picnic somewhere beautiful, or discovered a new place and enjoyed a beautiful view. And those are the times that remind me just how wonderful life is. </div>
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<i>You can see all the photos above on my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/" target="_blank">Flickr page</a>.</i></div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-34246782850823552352014-05-31T22:23:00.000+01:002014-05-31T22:23:39.188+01:00Stretching our legs<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been a while since we went on a proper walk, and we certainly hadn't planned to this afternoon. But the weather was nice and we didn't have our beekeeping gear...so why not? I met Chris after work and we took a picnic lunch up to Brading Down. Lots of planes, microlights and autogyros taking advantage of the still, calm weather.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14128367939" title="20140531_151410 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531_151410" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/14128367939_fd8df79b99_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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To work off some of the excess lunch we decided to stroll down, across and back up. We've done this walk before and there are always good things to be found. I didn't have my proper camera with me today but I was very grateful for my phone:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14128391050" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140531_150138 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531_150138" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5313/14128391050_e5dbd5b86c_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I do love bees. If I'm honest, I might love bumblebees a little bit more than honeybees. I mean, look at them! They're so cute and almost cuddly. And their ridiculous bodies that look far too big to fly...how can you not love a bumblebee? We saw so many all the way round on our walk, lots of different varieties as well which is quite pleasing. Definitely a sign of a healthy ecosystem.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14128507457" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140531_151948 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531_151948" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3737/14128507457_e550986fff_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Wild roses were out in bloom, and we also saw our first blackthorn. Late spring/early summer can be a tough time for honeybees to find forage as we traditionally get a 'June gap' when the early flowers stop but before the next ones blossom. But with blackthorn out already, it looks like we won't have to worry about that this year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14128445560" title="20140531_155317 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531_155317" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5198/14128445560_855533b088_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Chris and I have very different styles as we walk. He is very much interested in the animals and wildlife that we find, can tell what sort of bird is which and is always the first to spot something interesting like a lizard sunning itself on a leaf (we found one of those today too). I love to see all these things, but I also really love all the different plants and flowers that we see. I really want to get better at knowing what things are, and I think my next purchase is definitely going to have to be some kind of field guide to wildflowers. In the meantime, I shall settle for taking photos and identifying plants once we get home. I'm pretty sure this is the Common Spotted Orchid, but I'm happy to be corrected if anyone knows better! Quite a thrill to find as I've never seen it before, despite the 'common' in its name.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14128534087" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140531_160424 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531_160424" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2935/14128534087_ff4aba272a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even though we were walking on bridleways and established paths, the vegetation was so lush and overgrown that it felt as though we were exploring unknown territory. I could have easily stopped here for a long time and looked out at that landscape. I am constantly amazed by how beautiful this island is. </div>
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Our path took us past a small farm in the middle of the woods that had peacocks - really - wandering around. And as we walked past them we noticed a kerfuffle in one of the trees nearby. As we watched, two young jackdaws emerged from their nest in the tree and took their first flight. Slightly uncertain and distinctly wobbly, they were shaky to start with and one of them even crashed into the undergrowth nearby and then had a hard time trying to extricate himself from some stinging nettles. We could hear their parents calling from the branches above, and finally a third fledgling popped out from the nest and flew precariously to a nearby branch. I was quite concerned about them, but as we watched they all seemed to get the hang of their wings and flew away. A magic moment indeed.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14335234043" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140531_164134 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140531_164134" height="63" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5486/14335234043_9554b72c90_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was plenty more magic on our climb back up the hill: a group of four or five wrens hiding near a nest in the woodland; a baby rabbit that watched us get closer and closer before scampering to safety in the warren; and some neatly nibbled nutshells that are the sign of a dormouse - something Chris would dearly love to see. It felt good to stretch our legs and get out from the routine of Saturday beekeeping, and our efforts were definitely rewarded today.</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-35724817456981197292014-05-28T19:09:00.000+01:002014-05-28T19:09:45.924+01:00Photo vs. Sketchbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14290162582" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Wood anemones in Firestone Copse by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Wood anemones in Firestone Copse" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3703/14290162582_3984dfdf89_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I almost always carry my camera, and I definitely always have my phone on me. If I can't take a quick snap of something then I feel very lost indeed. I also generally have a sketchbook with me even if I don't have my full watercolour set. What I don't generally have is the time to sketch on the spot, especially if we are in the middle of a walk somewhere. I've been dithering a bit over putting sketches from photos in my journal, because it sort of feels like I'm not doing it 'properly'. Thankfully, I seem to have got myself over that now and I am enjoying transferring some of my favourite photos into my sketchbook.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14290139142" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="0414 030 Firestone Copseweb by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0414 030 Firestone Copseweb" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3729/14290139142_13254e7a35_z.jpg" width="394" /></a></div>
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Like anything, it takes practice. I don't want my pieces to be photo-realistic because I don't have the time for that, but I guess I'm aiming for a certain amount of realism. Working in the comfort of home means I can also take the time to sketch in pencil first without adding ink, and I'm enjoying this new challenge.Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-69084084064902906002014-05-23T20:15:00.002+01:002014-05-23T20:15:54.519+01:00Tea and scones<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">The trouble with sketching is that I need to sit down to do it. And I haven't yet got to the point where I feel comfortable enough to whip out a folding stool and leave Chris standing there while I do a quick sketch. Inevitably, this means that there is a fairly large number of food and drinks recorded in my sketchbook - mostly tea and cake. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14204886041" title="Tea and scones by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Tea and scones" height="479" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5273/14204886041_d55f7747de_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sometimes I feel self-conscious about it: "Oh no, I don't want to look as though all I do is eat." But hey, if it's good enough for <a href="http://www.lizsteel.com/" target="_blank">this lady</a> then it's good enough for me. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14208179895" title="More tea, more scones by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="More tea, more scones" height="449" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5073/14208179895_9f04076aa0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This page at Dimbola was an experiment in working straight in with a paintbrush rather than sketching first. I found it very difficult and the blue pattern nearly drove me potty. Looking back with the benefit of a couple of month's hindsight, though, I can see things about this sketch that I really like - the shape of that vase at the back, and the shading on the cup which was an interesting shape. I should probably make the effort to work without a pen more often.</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-27734697848393745412014-05-18T09:00:00.000+01:002014-05-18T09:00:00.850+01:00Fitting it all in somehow<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14146740684" title="0314 024 Allotment web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 024 Allotment web" height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5496/14146740684_9b3830dacd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I can't believe these sketchbook pages are from March and we are already midway through May. How did that happen? Time is whizzing past at the moment, and we are very very busy with all things allotment and bee related. At times like this I think keeping a sketchbook, and scrapbooking, are more important than ever. It would be easy to feel as though we are so rushed off our feet that there is no time to relax or enjoy anything. But the act of sitting down and sketching - whether it's from life or a photograph later - or putting together a scrapbook page, helps me to remember all the wonderful moments that make up our days. Reflecting on life likes this helps me to make sense of my worries and treasure all my joys. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14166621903" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="0314 025 Ducks web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 025 Ducks web" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7413/14166621903_179d7422ae_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anyway, I am slowly catching up with scanning all my pages to share them here and on my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/" target="_blank">Flickr page</a>. These are the last few from my landscape format journal. I was struggling with the paper in this one - much rougher than I am used to and too absorbent for me to work happily on. I tried persevering with it but I seem to have abandoned it now and moved on to a portrait format, smooth-paged journal. I do envy people who seem to have found 'the journal' for them and have stacks of them beautifully ordered. My OCD does not enjoy having books of all size and shape lined up on the shelf. Still I guess it would be very dull if I didn't experiment a little bit.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13959873367" title="0314 026 Camellia web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 026 Camellia web" height="434" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/13959873367_709c2c1604_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is so much to be grateful for. I am a very lucky girl indeed.</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-44771723355719363742014-05-14T22:47:00.000+01:002014-05-14T22:47:23.604+01:00Now, where did I get to?<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14000663788" title="20140505_150442 (768x1024) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140505_150442 (768x1024)" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5575/14000663788_e666b7b867_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's been a busy couple of weeks here at Bee Central. More captured swarms, more artificial swarms, and many many bees. Chris and I have to remind ourselves not to complain about the amount of work involved because it is all so good, but it is easy to get a bit overwhelmed at times. Today, I finally managed to get numbers on all our hives so that we can keep track of which one is which. When we only had a few it was easy to tell them apart, but now we have so many I need a spreadsheet to keep everything in order. I do love a good spreadsheet. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14000664328" title="20140505_135113 (768x1024) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140505_135113 (768x1024)" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2936/14000664328_198952150c_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Over the last couple of weeks our efforts have been hampered slightly by wind and rain which has made it difficult to get the hives open to do our inspections. But we have still managed to collect three more swarms, including one which was hidden in the long grass on the allotment. We had gone to the allotment to collect another swarm, and didn't even realise this second one was there until we went through it with the strimmer. Fortunately most of the bees were unharmed, and seemed grateful to be rescued from their plight. I think they must have been there for some time as they were very small - a sign that they had used up all the honey that they fill themselves with before swarming. They're now safely tucked in a hive and will hopefully grow and flourish.</div>
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In between beekeeping we have made good progress on the allotment itself, digging over several beds and planting some small plants that I purchased at the farmer's market. There's still a good bit to do, but it feels very good to have made such headway. It's hard to get things done sometimes because there is so much at the allotment to distract me, like this 'bee hotel' that hangs on the shed where mason bees nest. You can see some of the tubes are filled, some of them have had a bee hatch out of them, and there is a bee that was just visiting emerging from the side. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14184016601" title="20140505_162220 (1024x768) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140505_162220 (1024x768)" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/14184016601_e8e563e143_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We have spent today clearing some land that will be used for beehives. It's very close to our best apiary so I'm hopeful that it will be very successful. John and Sue, our apiary hosts, have been very tolerant of our rapid expansion but it will good to clear some space so that they can get back into their garden! </div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-50854936765926438792014-05-04T17:34:00.000+01:002014-05-04T17:34:21.416+01:00A week is a long time in beekeeping<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13912512488" title="20140428_164732 (768x1024) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140428_164732 (768x1024)" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5566/13912512488_92652a0715_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Last week was a week of two swarms, our second and third of the year. On Monday we were called after work to a very small swarm on the same tree in St Helens that most of our swarms land on. They had been there some time, but we got the call late and then couldn't get there until after work. They were still on the branch so we got out the equipment and set about collecting them as usual. Being such a small swarm, we found the queen fairly easily and put her into the nuc. And then we found her again. And again. She really didn't want to stay! I had recently cleaned the nuc with soda crystals, so we wondered if there was a residual scent that was putting them off. The skep has never been cleaned and is full of a good bee-ish scent, so we tried that instead. We managed to get them in and from there moved them away and transferred them to the nuc. Hopefully the bees would accept it now as their new home.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13912514038" title="20140502_171317 (768x1024) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140502_171317 (768x1024)" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/13912514038_2d6580d430_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Friday afternoon, another after work call out to another swarm. This one was slightly bigger, and strangely enough it wasn't on the 'swarm tree'. Instead it was on a branch of another tree nearby. Again, we hadn't been able to get there straight away due to work, and by the time we arrived it was starting to get chilly. The bees were quite grumpy at being interfered with and both Chris and I got buzzed at angrily. Despite that, these bees were actually pretty well behaved, and did all the textbook things that I've been told about and never seen. Chris got them in the skep first try, and immediately they flocked around the entrance and started fanning - a great sign that the queen is inside as they tell all the other bees that this is the place to be.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13912502790" title="20140502_172538 (768x1024) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140502_172538 (768x1024)" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/13912502790_48c146fb80_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The bees all gathered round and were trying to get underneath the skep as well as through the entrance, but almost immediately set up a little marching train going from the bottom to the entrance above. Perfect! We waited a while and watched, and the small cluster of bees that had been left on the tree melted away before our eyes as the bees realised that the skep was their new home. After that, it was a simple manoeuvre to transfer them from the skep to a nuc and leave it in a safe place. Well done girls.</div>
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As we were in St Helens, we decided to check the nuc that we'd put Monday's swarm in to. Empty. The bees had obviously decided they'd rather go somewhere else, and flown off. Not a bee to be seen. It's the first time this has happened to me and it is rather disappointing. I can't help feeling slightly responsible as I washed the nuc - but I'm not going to be too hard on myself about it, because they were also very reluctant to go into the skep. Maybe the fact that they had been there some time meant that they had already found a better place? I guess we'll never know.</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-82373924584161968572014-04-30T18:20:00.000+01:002014-04-30T18:20:59.464+01:00Making a habit of it<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the habits I am trying to embrace this year is to keep a sketchbook with me at all times, and to sketch wherever I may be. This is all well and good, but sometimes it gets really cold. Other times people start talking to me. I like people talking, I really do, but not when I'm sketching.</div>
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I've also noticed that I have a habit of drawing churches. It's not from any particular religious sentiment, mostly it's just that they are interesting buildings. It does occasionally involve freezing in a churchyard though. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14071760572" title="0314 021 ShanklinOldVillage web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 021 ShanklinOldVillage web" height="438" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5328/14071760572_e9c1519120_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am way behind posting my sketches on here, partly due to laziness because I can't be bothered to scan them, and partly because I do like to have one or two 'in hand' just in case anything happens and I can't sketch for weeks on end. No-one said this had to make sense, right?</div>
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In any case, it's probably safe to post these which I did in early March. We had an afternoon of terrific fog, a thick blanket that covered everything. Fog isn't particularly fun to sketch but it did make for some interesting skies, like this sunset behind the church. This sketchbook is the lightweight one I keep in my bag - it's not designed for watercolour but it takes it really well, and because it's a cheapo sketchbook I don't feel bad about drawing loose and fast and with lots of interesting lines. When I use my 'good' sketchbook I find myself trying to make my sketches much neater and more precise.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14051807836" title="0314 022 Churchgate web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 022 Churchgate web" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5441/14051807836_0d098a774b_z.jpg" width="449" /></a></div>
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The lychgate. Done in about five minutes just as I was leaving. Isn't traditional English architecture wonderful? I love the slightly wonky roofs and pointed Gothic arches. Once upon a time I wanted to be an architect, but you can't build that sense of history. I'll settle for sketching instead.</div>
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-1578633092895961342014-04-25T19:42:00.000+01:002014-04-25T19:42:30.714+01:00An Easter bonus from the bees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Easter Monday we managed to get out to check on some of the rest of the hives. One of the challenges of having so many now is that inspections - especially if something unexpected happens - can take quite some time. First thing was to take a look at the swarm we collected the other day. Although we didn't want to disturb them by taking the lid off, I wanted to see if there was any sign of activity at the front.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14028839203" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" title="Swarm settling in by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Swarm settling in" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7222/14028839203_98501a52e0_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Oh yes, they were busy! It's really exciting to see them so active and I'm looking forward to getting a proper look at them next time. After that, it was on to proper inspections of the other hives at this site.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14028835363" title="Disposing of an unwanted guest by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Disposing of an unwanted guest" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/14028835363_595e5e0b48_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Bees have a very orderly society; each bee has its role. These two are performing their duties and evicting a wax moth grub. I know they do this but I've never seen it before, and neither had Chris. When they got the grub to the edge one of the bees flew off with it and dropped it unceremoniously on the ground. Fabulous to see!</div>
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This is our most established site and the bees here do really well. As evidenced by this hive below, which was busily producing queen cells ready to swarm. There's a high probability that this is where the swarm on Good Friday came from. <i>(Queen cells point downwards, Chris is holding the frame upside down here).</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14005636912" title="Queen cells by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Queen cells" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2926/14005636912_4ab300d58b_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So, a queen cell means an artificial swarm into a nuc. But wait, what's this? More queen cells?<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13985715236" title="More queen cells by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="More queen cells" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2909/13985715236_9fb33a141c_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This hive did a similar thing last year, and we had lots of swarms to deal with. This year we are determined to manage the situation better and so instead of leaving these beautiful queen cells for the bees to deal with (often the bees will destroy unwanted cells, or a new queen will go round and destroy her rivals) we have pre-empted things by splitting this hive in to four. It's a bit more of a risk but we are still aiming to increase our hive count rather than maximise honey production.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14005623052" title="Eating the honey by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Eating the honey" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/14005623052_6c3795eb8f_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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These girls had plenty of space on the other side of the hive but had decided instead to build a load of wild comb in the gap here. <i>(Yes, we should have filled it but we didn't have a dummy board). </i>So when we lifted the lid, we broke the comb and the bees were straight in there to get their honey back. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/14008830825" title="Pollen packed in by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Pollen packed in" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/14008830825_773a87b7dd_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here, you can see that one of the cells was filled with pollen. When bees store pollen they head-butt it into the cells and you can see that there are layers of different colours and type of pollen. Isn't it beautiful?!</div>
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I'm hoping to document more of our beekeeping adventures here on the blog this year, especially as we expand our number of hives. The bees are endlessly fascinating and I hope you think so too.</div>
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-73647269299755314702014-04-21T21:37:00.000+01:002014-04-21T21:37:21.949+01:00Mandalas in my sketchbook<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13927105731" title="0314 018 Mandalas web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 018 Mandalas web" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/13927105731_601facc850.jpg" width="340" /></a></div>
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Often when I am sitting and waiting, or in front of the TV when there's nothing much on, I get my sketchbook out. I don't always feel like doing a figurative drawing but just moving a pen to make repetitive patterns is very soothing. These pages live in my sketchbook and I go back and add to them over time.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13950674904" title="0314 020 Mandalas web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 020 Mandalas web" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5191/13950674904_6941be38c4.jpg" width="368" /></a></div>
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After I've done my doodling, I will go back with my watercolours and add extra detail. Sometimes the page takes on a whole new life once I start adding colour.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13927105781" title="0314 023 Mandalas web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 023 Mandalas web" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3755/13927105781_4d593ecd40.jpg" width="357" /></a></div>
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Other times, I paint a watercolour background on some random pages in my sketchbook and wait until I have a doodle to fill them. Flowers and curves are very much my 'go-to' shapes, and pink/purple/blue is my colour palette of choice at the moment. Sometimes these doodle pages are where new ideas start to emerge and sometimes they are a 'comfort zone' where I don't really think about anything much. They're more about the process than the finished result, but somehow that makes me like them even more.</div>
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Thanks for sharing my sketchbook!</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-84098019242365814222014-04-19T21:54:00.004+01:002014-04-19T21:54:47.403+01:00Beekeeping begins for real<div style="text-align: justify;">
We've already been inspecting most of our hives and have been optimistic about their progress through the winter and into spring. Yesterday we got the chance to inspect the last three which hadn't been opened this year. Surprising doesn't really cover it! <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13939789464" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="taking off the first lid by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="taking off the first lid" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3813/13939789464_af0a7c4b2f.jpg" /></a></div>
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The first hive we inspected was number 16. The sheer number of bees was incredible - they're doing really well. It's really full and we shall be looking to put a super on them soon to give them more space.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13916233886" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="chris showing mindy how we inspect by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="chris showing mindy how we inspect" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/13916233886_b6b1e4a8f0.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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Beekeeping was a team effort as we were accompanied by our friend Henry, as well as Amanda and Jamie. Amanda received a bee suit for Christmas and this was her first chance to get it dirty. Beekeeping is not a particularly clean and tidy operation.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13916214221" title="these girls have been busy! Their hive was very full. by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="these girls have been busy! Their hive was very full." height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3666/13916214221_4260155f48.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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Luckily for me, having so many pairs of hands around to help meant that I was free to take photos. The girls were very tolerant as I got up close and personal with my phone to take some shots. I like to make the most of it, because as we get busier my chances to do this will be less and less.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13916224542" title="inspecting and hunting for the queen by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="inspecting and hunting for the queen" height="500" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2920/13916224542_1daac8b6be.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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So, first inspection done and all looking very positive. On to the next hives, which were moved here last week from one of our Newport apiaries due to some building work taking place. Both hives showed signs of bringing on new queens, so we performed artificial swarms with them both. This involves taking the existing queen out, putting her into a smaller hive (a nuc), then leaving the nuc in place and moving the old hive with bees in to another spot. All the flying bees should then return to the nuc, so we will be left with half the bees in each hive. It sounds straightforward, but the most complicated bit is finding the existing queen to move her. Sometimes queens are really easy to spot, but neither of these wanted to be found and we had to go through both hives several times to catch them and this took quite a while. One split was fairly straightforward, so now we just have to wait and see what happens with the new queen. The second split was a bit more complex, as the queen we removed looked very small - possibly a virgin queen. This suggests that the old queen had died and the bees had replaced her. However, there were still queen cells with eggs, so we risked either the new queen destroying her competition, or another queen hatching and the bees swarming away. Doing an artificial swarm like this will hopefully give us the best chance of keeping all our bees.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13916229706" title="big swarm by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="big swarm" height="500" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2897/13916229706_0768b735f8.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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This all took much longer than we were expecting, but it had been a great introduction for our new beekeepers and a great chance for them to see lots of action. But the day wasn't over yet! Chris' phone rang several times as we were packing up, so he returned the call to be told 'we've seen a lot of bees flying at the bottom of the garden.' You can never be certain about swarms unless the person calling you is a beekeeper, but as we weren't far away we popped along to have a look. Oh my. A huge swarm of bees on the same tree that we collected <a href="http://funkytales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/busy-little-bees.html" target="_blank">most of our swarms from last year.</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13939324755" title="teamwork! by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="teamwork!" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3706/13939324755_dfc81412c1.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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Another team effort - we all took turns in brushing the bees off the branch and into the nuc. There were certainly plenty of bees for us all to have a go. Once most of the bees get the idea then they will sort themselves out, but there were a lot of bees trying to go through a very small entrance so it did take some time.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13939770454" title="waiting on the branch by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="waiting on the branch" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3719/13939770454_145ffa922c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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The bees are all very calm, though, and I'm probably the least likely to get stung here than I am at any other point. For a bee to sting they have to bend themselves in half, but before swarming they've already stuffed themselves full of honey, so they really can't bend very easily. I did get one try and sting my leg, but that was mostly because she got caught up in my trousers rather than any real anger.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13916219166" title="watching them go in by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="watching them go in" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3703/13916219166_76fe99d3e9.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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There were so many bees that in the end Chris and Henry took the lid off the nuc to try and brush some of them in, and I think we got most of them. At any rate, those that weren't safely collected will find their way back to the hive they originally came from. And there is our first swarm of the year! Apparently we missed being the first on the island by one day, but this really isn't a bad start. I wonder what the rest of the year will hold...</div>
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-19681696921480208282014-04-06T20:49:00.001+01:002014-04-06T20:49:54.836+01:00A whole other language<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13543314663" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="0314 010 St Helensweb by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 010 St Helensweb" height="416" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7389/13543314663_8bb5635ca1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I was a little girl, I read a lot of books. I knew lots of words and I wasn't afraid to use them. I can remember teachers being very impressed by 'the range of my vocabulary'. These days, the language I am interested in is the language of art. If you read <a href="http://rozwoundup.typepad.com/roz_wound_up/visual-vocabulary/" target="_blank">this post </a> you'll see what I mean. How do I say what I want through my painting? Roz Stendahl, the artist whose blog I linked to, is constantly looking for new ways to say what she wants to on the page. If this is a language, I am still learning the alphabet. Quick brushstrokes to indicate sea or rocks. Soft, cool shadows to show land in the distance. Layering colour and creating forms.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13543315203" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="0314 011 Godshill web by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314 011 Godshill web" height="435" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2906/13543315203_cc6d5d93ef_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The thing is, like with any language I have to practice to get more fluent. And so I keep drawing, keep painting, and sometimes it clicks and everything falls in to place. Like when you manage to order your meal in a foreign restaurant without the waiter laughing at you. </div>
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These sketches are just from a couple of afternoons out last month. One done on location, and one from a photograph. I do enjoy sketching from life but sometimes it just isn't possible (especially when you're on a muddy walk). Either way, fresh greens and spring flowers make for much more interesting pages.</div>
<br />Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-7738618556804256012014-03-23T20:58:00.000+00:002014-03-23T20:58:24.618+00:00Tales from the allotment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13362758743/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Getting ready to dig by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Getting ready to dig" height="465" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7426/13362758743_01b1298d74_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Just like beekeeping, allotmenting came into my life with Chris. I think it was the third time we'd met when I went to see him on his allotment. Little did I know then! These days we tend the allotment together, as well as growing a small selection of vegetables at home. Last year was so busy that neither of us managed to do as much down here as we'd have liked, and the wet weather has certainly hampered our efforts so far. We managed to get out last weekend and start digging over one of the beds, and we decided to head down again today and make a bit more progress.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13362235825/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="This bee wanted to come home with me by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="This bee wanted to come home with me" height="508" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2807/13362235825_f32bfd52ec_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After checking most of our hives last weekend, we were hoping to do some more today but the weather was too cold. The bees were out and about but there were showers of rain and hail that made us keep running for shelter. If the weather picks up again hopefully we'll be able to get some more checks done next weekend.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13362624994/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Bees like to pose for photos by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Bees like to pose for photos" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/13362624994_da8a4ba348_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The bees are quite happy to come and see what we're doing, and often sit and rest in front of us. And of course I am quite happy to whip out the camera and take a few photos!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13362391503/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="First slow worm of the year by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="First slow worm of the year" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/13362391503_b1ed4f801b_c.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>This little slow worm was hiding in some of the long grass. Chris rescued it and put it safely in the greenhouse.</i></div>
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The allotment has two long beds and a bramble hedge down one side. Over last weekend and today, we have been digging over the beds on one side and reclaiming them from the grass that is trying to take them over, as well as chopping back the brambles. It's a brutal job, and at the moment everything looks quite brown and untidy. It's very satisfying, though, to see the spaces start to appear and the pile on the bonfire grow. We're going to have to be realistic about what we can achieve this year, because work and bees already take up a lot of our time, but I'm hopeful that we can keep on top of things and grow some good crops.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13362234745/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Sunshine and showers by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Sunshine and showers" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3779/13362234745_5f6c6dd3c9_c.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm learning to pace myself and take a lot of breaks for tea in the shed. And after our work today we stopped for an ice cream and admired the view. What a lovely way to spend our Sunday.</div>
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-56631862883970526182014-03-22T19:02:00.001+00:002014-03-22T19:02:09.007+00:00So...this Project Life thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13314995083/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="0314-12-January closeup2 (1024x768) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314-12-January closeup2 (1024x768)" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/13314995083_835397c9f0_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like all projects I start with good intentions there was a certain amount of fear that I wouldn't be able to keep it going. I'm working a month behind and I've nearly finished February, so things are on track so far. Most of January was our holiday in South Africa and I'm going to record that in a separate album. To make our '2014' album fit together, I printed three of my most favourite photos and did a summary page of our holiday, and then began with the 'January' spread.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13315210694/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="0314-12-January spread (1024x505) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314-12-January spread (1024x505)" height="315" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2858/13315210694_e3d93c38f0_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I looked everywhere for monthly title cards that I liked, and I couldn't find any. So, I've experimented with white card and black gouache to create my own. Although I do lots of sketching and painting, those things don't seem to make their way into my scrapbook albums very often. I like this change in style, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13315215714/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="0314-12-January closeup1 (1024x768) by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0314-12-January closeup1 (1024x768)" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/13315215714_0f6d345232_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">An unexpected bonus of pocket page scrapbooking is that I really like the small, defined areas to experiment with. I'm using papers I would never have thought of putting together and they are working far better than I ever thought they would. I am stamping, embossing, stapling, layering and having a grand old time. </span></div>
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Thanks for checking in!</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-74233568687856898772014-03-17T17:30:00.000+00:002014-03-17T17:30:01.172+00:00Life right now: beekeeping<div style="text-align: justify;">
Beekeeping started off as the <a href="http://funkytales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/busy-little-bees.html" target="_blank">thing that Chris did</a>. Then I got involved, and somewhere last year it became a massive part of our life together. I can talk the talk about slow living and being close to nature, but this is walking the walk - and I have the stings to prove it. Maybe they are to remind me that this is reality; I don't just get up and go to work in an office, <i>this</i> is real life and it's happening <i>now</i>. With the coming of spring and some properly warm weather it is also time to acknowledge that this is going to take significant chunks of our free time over the coming months. This weekend we began our first proper inspections to see how the bees had coped through the winter and if there were signs of new life.</div>
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This weekend we have checked on 13 out of our 16 hives. As you can see, the bees are pretty comfortable with us, and us with them! It is still slightly stunning to have a bee land on you, but once I remembered they just wanted somewhere to rest for a minute then it was easy to just let them get on with it. If you look closely at this bee you can see she's been out collecting pollen and is carrying it back to the hive in little 'baskets'.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13200623615/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="The bees are very comfortable with us! by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="The bees are very comfortable with us!" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2883/13200623615_5dc0fb3959_c.jpg" height="640" width="573" /></a></div>
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So, for the first time this year we got out the smoker and had a proper look inside the hives. We were looking for good numbers of bees, new stores of honey, and eggs and larvae which is a sign that there is a queen who has started laying. We've been seeing lots of pollen going into the hives so we were very hopeful. Chris is also trying out his new beekeeping outfit - wearing a whole suit is a bit of a pain, so he's gone for a hat and veil, worn over two layers of long sleeves. Much easier to get on and off, and I am tempted to do the same. (It also means you can wash your layers, which is excellent because they do get very mucky).</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13203154244/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Lifting a frame by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Lifting a frame" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3688/13203154244_702516d2eb_c.jpg" height="800" width="600" /></a></div>
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Pleasingly, all of our hives so far have got eggs and larvae in all stages of development - our queens are up and running. Some of the hives have more bees than others, but that was how they ended last year so it is not a cause for concern. What was most satisfying was that some of the hives we were most worried about - including this little one above, and the two that we rescued from the flooding over the winter - were all in good shape. We've removed the fondant food from most of the hives now, but we'll be looking to put new frames in and encouraging some of the colonies to make new honeycomb so we will have to give them some sugar syrup to help them along.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13202954953/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Bees flying in by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Bees flying in" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2726/13202954953_1d44480cd1_c.jpg" height="800" width="600" /></a></div>
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Watching the bees flying in and out is still one of the most relaxing things I know. They don't seem to mind me at all and just get on with their business, swooping past to drop onto the landing board and trot in to the hive.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13203064734/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Sharing fondant by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Sharing fondant" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3711/13203064734_7c51601948_c.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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As it gets busier it will be harder for me to take photos as we do our inspections, but for now I am enjoying getting to know our girls again and remind myself of all the things we have to do for them. Here's to a wonderful summer.<br />
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-43009531623702571212014-03-14T19:16:00.001+00:002014-03-14T19:16:56.531+00:00Two takes<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018953554/" title="Friendly by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Friendly" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3713/13018953554_0e1bf26843_c.jpg" height="640" width="638" /></a><br />
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It's no secret that I love my boys. I never thought I would have small fluffy animals in my life, but they are such a wonderful addition to our household. Their cage sits next to the sofa and we often open the door and the boys will come and say hello. I often seem to scrapbook the boys in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/10464884175/" target="_blank">greys and blues</a>, which isn't a deliberate choice but just seems to happen. Something about the pale delicacy of grey seems to suit their sweet little faces and tiny paws. The splash of red on this layout provides a nice contrast.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018560695/" title="Friendly closeup by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Friendly closeup" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2641/13018560695_5fc1559bd6_c.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Big stickers appear in lots of scrapbook collections but I find them quite hard to use. The quote on this one was so perfect that I couldn't resist, though, and I adore that typography.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018575975/" title="Baby degu by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby degu" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3507/13018575975_75fd2162d6_c.jpg" height="640" width="637" /></a><br />
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On this page I decided to abandon trying to match my colour scheme to the photographs, simply because this was taken indoors at an animal park so the lighting was terrible. If I had planned in advance I would probably have converted this to black and white, but I get all my photos done in one batch from <a href="http://www.photobox.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a> and I wasn't planning the layout when I sent them for printing. Inspired by <a href="http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/gallery/member/377449-erin-stewart/1975884-the-best/?source=pinit" target="_blank">this layout</a> from Erin Stewart I used a 6x6 paper pad to create the column of colour on the left. Bringing in the black patterns and elements helped to tie the papers to the photos.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018725163/" title="Baby degu closeup by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby degu closeup" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/13018725163_c293c33496_c.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a><br />
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That mouse on grey was from a sheet of paper, which I cut apart to make the perfect embellishment. Degus are just adorable, and baby degus even more so. I wish we could have more but I will have to settle for photos for now.</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-82035610412133105642014-03-11T19:51:00.000+00:002014-03-11T19:51:00.428+00:00Total scraplift<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are lots of ideas for scrapbook pages on my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kate_bucci/scrapbook-layout-inspiration/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a> that I can turn to when I'm stuck for inspiration. I often look through and pick out one or two ideas, but I rarely scraplift a page completely. <a href="http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/gallery/member/159135-christine-drumheller/1706480-40-feb-cocoa-daisy/?source=pinit" target="_blank">This one</a> was an exception, however. Something about the combination of graphic pattern with the textured, artsy background set me thinking...</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018962044/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Don't be fooled by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Don't be fooled" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3091/13018962044_cd352efc7c_c.jpg" height="638" width="640" /></a></div>
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Every time we see meerkats at any of the zoos or wildlife parks we visit, Chris will tell me how they look innocent and charming but will gladly attack anyone who threatens their family. Including humans, if they happen to get in the way. </div>
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Plain cardstock backgrounds don't seem to be the fashion at the moment, but I still love them. Sometimes I want my page to be restful, and despite the textured white paint, gold paint and liquid pearls (in 'bisque') I do feel that this is a calm, simple page.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018716763/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Don't be fooled closeup by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Don't be fooled closeup" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3758/13018716763_a7d9b10edd_c.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-41050220040279116922014-03-09T10:46:00.000+00:002014-03-09T10:46:15.749+00:00Scrapbook Sunday: the March edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
We're having a spell of spring sunshine at the moment, and oh gosh does it make me feel better. It has been so nice to get out for a few walks, to stretch our legs and see all the little signs of spring approaching. I am slightly concerned that we might get a late cold snap - it would play havoc with the bees and the allotment - but for now I am just going to be grateful for clear skies. </div>
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Lately, I find my scrapbooking is changing. I think it's partly because I sketch more now so I don't need a scrapbook page to feel like a work of art. And also, despite saying that I would never do '<a href="http://beckyhiggins.com/about-project-life/" target="_blank">Project Life</a>', after starting a PL-style album for our holiday last year I am finding myself drawn to a more immediate style of memory keeping for everyday. I have started a Project Life album for 2014 and I'll let you know how I get on. In the meantime I'm also doing regular layouts as usual, and the intention is to slot these in between the pocket pages.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018582755/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="25 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="25" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7384/13018582755_134ba0d6b7_c.jpg" height="632" width="640" /></a></div>
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Is my little sister really 25? I had to sit down and work out the maths. It doesn't feel like it's possible. Maybe if I had actually done a page for my own 30th birthday last October, I'd be able to face the reality of us being properly grown up. I think I am still in denial. But whatever age we are, I am so grateful for my sister and the fantastic relationship that we have.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/13018579125/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="25 closeup by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="25 closeup" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3174/13018579125_70762d628f_c.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-52701758625086122022014-03-01T21:15:00.001+00:002014-03-01T21:15:58.550+00:00One of those weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12843301304/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140227_131650 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140227_131650" height="480" src="https://v4s2.yimg.com/sk/3699/12843301304_fabb41f968_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It has been a busy week, which makes me even more grateful for moments of calm. And if they are accompanied by sunshine and blue skies, even better.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12842942095/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140227_125135 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140227_125135" height="640" src="https://v4s2.yimg.com/sk/3752/12842942095_952e3b0fdd_c.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I have a whole stack of pictures that I want to turn into paintings, but I'm pretty sure that if I painted those trees at that angle you'd think I'd gone crazy, right?</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12842817325/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140227_132449 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="20140227_132449" height="640" src="https://v4s2.yimg.com/so/7460/12842817325_639cb2b238_c.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And in the middle of a sea of mud, a whole bed of crocuses prove that spring is on its way. February was a tough month and I am ready to welcome March now.</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-59434735904119562742014-02-24T22:48:00.000+00:002014-02-24T22:48:00.135+00:00Beekeeping in winter<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first question anyone asks me about our bees is "what do they do in the winter?"</div>
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And the answer to that is - pretty much the same as us. They stay indoors, hunker down and wait patiently for spring. In the meantime, their food source is sadly depleted as there is no pollen or nectar around so we help them along by feeding them. At the moment we are checking the hives every few weeks, quickly lifting off the lid and putting a slab of fondant on the crown board. As it gets warmer we will start feeding with sugar syrup but in cold weather the fondant is better as it won't freeze.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12757146954/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Winter beekeeping by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Winter beekeeping" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5496/12757146954_f7be293ee8_c.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's too cold to take the frames out, so we can only assess how the hives are doing by the bees who pop up to see us as the lid comes off. We have good numbers of bees in all the hives, and they've been doing a good job of eating the fondant. (It's the same stuff you cover cakes with.) In a couple of hives there wasn't even any sign of the plastic bags, which was most confusing until we realised the girls had obviously tidied them away and out of the front door to be blown away on the wind. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12756842913/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Feeding the bees by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="Feeding the bees" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3677/12756842913_83f47ec839_c.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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The bees do fly out on sunny days even when it's not very warm. Just like us, they like to make the most of the sunshine and get some fresh air. We've seen them bringing in pollen in and they are enjoying all the flowers that are starting to blossom. It won't be long before spring is here in full force and they can start gathering nectar as well.</div>
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Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-38828941844657206382014-02-17T20:56:00.000+00:002014-02-17T20:56:43.709+00:00Life in line drawings<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12597104793/" title="2014-02-08 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-02-08" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/12597104793_178a257b98_c.jpg" height="408" width="640" /></a><br />
2013 was the year I made sketching a habit. My book comes with me almost everywhere, and Chris has learnt to amuse himself while I sketch away.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12596982535/" title="2014-02-01 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-02-01" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/12596982535_4d9f47d0cb_c.jpg" height="391" width="640" /></a><br />
Even after just a year, I can see the development in my work and (though I say so myself) definite improvement. More importantly, I enjoy it. And I enjoy looking back through my sketchbooks to re-visit the memories.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12597408434/" title="2014-02-07 by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-02-07" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3765/12597408434_c3c6765e04_c.jpg" height="431" width="640" /></a><br />
2014 will be my year of sharing artwork - I'm a member of lots of groups on Facebook and Flickr but I rarely post my work there. I'd like that to change. One of my favourite things last year was discovering other artists' blogs and webpages, and I'd like to return the favour. Even with sketches that are wonky and imperfect. It's still fun to share.<br />
<br />Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30889360.post-47407959471356090242014-02-07T08:30:00.000+00:002014-02-07T08:30:05.152+00:00Sunnier times<div style="text-align: justify;">
It feels like it hasn't stopped raining since we got back from South Africa. (Spare a thought for the people who have been <i>really </i>suffering). So I've been scrapping a few sunnier photos just to remind me that the sky isn't always grey.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12268462486/" title="0114-05-Breathe by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0114-05-Breathe" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3804/12268462486_b26b55796c_c.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Those bits of blue in the text are an interesting design technique that also conveniently covers up a mistake. Then once I'd done it once, I repeated it a few times to make it look deliberate. Only now I've told you, so that kind of defeats the object of the exercise.</div>
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I don't want to think about what the rain is doing to the garden and the allotment. Well, I only have to look outside the door to see that the garden is rapidly turning into a quagmire. Nothing is planted yet and it's too wet to do anything. We can't even inspect the bees when it's raining. When we had a brief sunny moment last weekend; so many bees flew out of the hives in the garden that we thought something was wrong - but they just wanted to enjoy themselves and make the most of it.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katebucci/12267889495/" title="0114-06-Harvest by kate bucci, on Flickr"><img alt="0114-06-Harvest" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7361/12267889495_644ec3ecaa_c.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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And so do we. As soon as the sun comes out again we will be outside digging, planting and growing new things. However wet and miserable things get, there are always sunnier times ahead.</div>
Kate Buccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17557882689217281721noreply@blogger.com0