The hyacinths on my mantel are in full bloom and are looking very pretty indeed.
They have quite a light fragrance, much more delicate than the blue ones I had last month. But as lovley as they are, I confess I can't help myself from wishing that they were a proper rich, deep pink colour, rather than this very pale pink. I do really like my interior floral accents to be vibrant....
....like these tulips. Ahhh that's better, a good punchy shout of vibrant colour!
Aren't they gorgeous? I bought them from the market on Friday, five stems of happiness. Mr Plant Man had several buckets full of tulips of all different colours, but I instantly fell in love with these fiery coloured ones.
I have always loved tulips, I suspect mainly due to the vast, vivid colour range. They seem so luxurious to me, and yet a small bunch only costs a few pounds at this time of year.
Whilst I was tidying up the considerable mess on the dining table this afternoon and arranging my tulips, I also decided it was high time I sorted out my mantel. It was still bare following the removal of Christmas, and the jug of bare twigs was making me feel a little sad. So I strung up my crochet heart garland, and decorated the twigs with the Teeny Tiny Hearts I made two years ago.
And I put all the sweet little miscellaneous objects back up there that mean so much to me. The mug of feathers, the little tin plaque of Robin Hoods Bay (one of my favourite places in the whole wide world). The little house tin that holds my white angel feather, gorgeous Miss Fleur. The wooden ladybird that was given to me by my grandparents when I was three and has the date 1971 written on the back in biro. The china toucan that was given to me by a family friend when I was in my teens, and has moved through every single house move with me (thirteen in total). The ceramic house number 24 bought in Barcelona.
And there are a couple of new things up here too....do you like the sweet little tin globe I bought a few weeks ago from the local antique shop? It's an old child's one from the 1960's and I just fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I've been looking for a globe for years as for some obscure reason they really appeal to me. But I've never managed to find one that was affordable enough or charming enough, until this one that is.
Next to the globe, you can see my latest purchase which arrived in the post this week. Again, it was love at first sight, for I was deeply smitten as soon as my eyes touched upon it.
Isn't it lovely? It's a handmade mosaic picture made by the very talented Felicity at "Just Mosaics". I actually found it via her Facebook page :: Felicty was showcasing a number of her smaller mosaic pieces, and this was one of them. I really liked the sunflower and the sweet little clump of snowdrops, but it was this vase of tulips which really pulled at my hearts strings.
A few days after I bought this mosaic, I happened by chance to come across this image on the internet................
......WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Breathtaking eh? It shows an aerial view of the Dutch tulip fields, and I was completely mesmerized by it. Wow. wOw!! I couldn't stop looking at it, and was compelled to go and drink in more images (type "dutch tulips fields" into Google and you will drown in the gloriousness of it all!)
It struck me immediately how Blanket-like these images are.
And it also struck me how very, very, very, very, VERY much I would like to see these fields for myself. Oh my. Can you imagine?! Can you just picture me hyperventilating with excitement and leaping around at the edge of these fields like a deranged colour-mad loon?!
Gosh, yes, that sort of trip would be a dream come true. I am trying
unbelievably hard to persuade my family that we need a holiday to the
Netherlands sometime in mid April. Failing that, I will be trying very hard to persuade my family that they can do without me for a few days in mid April while I run away to the tulips fields. I'll keep you posted on progress.
Meanwhile, back on the home front, my own creative colour journey continues. I've been working really hard on the Little Squares blanket for the Red Nose day Dolls and late this afternoon I finished. One Hundred and Eight teeny tiny crochet squares all patched and stitched together and turned into the cutest little blanket ever. My friends, it looks a-w-e-s-o-m-e. Really. As soon as I've blocked it out I'll share with you, you're going to swoon!
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This mosaic looks great. It`s a real pain to create mosaic - you need perfectly shaped pieces or cut them, next you need to cover yourself in grout and thinset and afterwards almost always something went wrong and you need to remake. Fields are also looks marvellous. Color palette is astounding
Posted by: Yurii | January 05, 2017 at 03:04 PM
I have a mug of feathers too :) people think I'm crazy!
Posted by: Kayleigh | February 18, 2014 at 08:05 PM
Wow, to think that I've been born and raised here in the Netherlands, and I've never seen the tulip fields! Must go there this spring ^^ If you want to see some more Dutch landscape, google 'Kinderdijk' for some picturesque windmills :)
Posted by: Carmen | March 15, 2013 at 12:24 AM
I really love the tulips and the hyacinths as well as the fragrance its fragrance.
Posted by: Nelson | March 14, 2013 at 01:59 AM
loveing articl good site nice posting i like this blog,
Posted by: Hoedspruit self catering accommodation | March 06, 2013 at 06:47 AM
hi lucy I'M konya ,Turkey. tulip's motherland is Turkey.your pics are wonderful but. we have got a lot of tulip fields in konya .if you write ASYA LALE in google you will see . would you like to come and see these fields in turkey, april and may are the time of the tulips .in konya ,in istanbul,anda lot of cities in turkey you can see these tulips
Posted by: fatmanur şensoy | February 16, 2013 at 05:41 AM
I love your fireplace, makes me feel happy inside when I look at your pictures. Love your new Tulip Mosaic and especially love your little finch next to your globe. My dad used to keep Gouldian finches when I was little, he looks just like them. Have a great half term holiday. x
Posted by: Sara | February 15, 2013 at 08:57 AM
Somehow I managed to miss this colourful post until my Sis asked me yesterday at playgroup if I had seen you pictures of the bulb fields. Being a textile designer she was as blown away by the images as you are. And I am too now. They are amazing. I really want to go there too. We go to Belgium quite a bit and I keep saying to S that we should make a trip over the border one time when we're there. Love the little mosaic you've bought. Going to check out her other work now. Fiona x
Posted by: Fiona | February 15, 2013 at 08:06 AM
Hi Lucy,
We share a love of bright colours.
I love your granny square blankets and your blog!
Gina Affery
Posted by: Gina Affery | February 14, 2013 at 06:57 PM
Hi,I absolutely love your blog!Could you tell me where you got your little bunny on your mantle?Did you make it yourself? thanks.
Posted by: Rebecca Hooper | February 14, 2013 at 05:00 PM
Lucy that last picture that you showed us of the tulip fields was breath taking thank you it looked just like one of your blankets with all the colors lined up wowee what a beautiful picture it was wish I was ever so close to there as I paint also besides crochet and it would be wonderful but live in USA and cant even think about it only in pictures so thank you dear Lucy for all your beautiful pictures to take us there rar
Posted by: RUTH RYAN | February 13, 2013 at 04:03 PM
Hello!
I Live in the Netherlands... if you will visit; go to the 'Keukenhof'. A special place with even more flowers! Holland is great, you will love it! My mom knits and chrochet a lot. If I could help you out with anything with visiting Holland, let me know; [email protected]
Posted by: Lisa | February 13, 2013 at 03:49 PM
The next time I drive into town, I will stop at the florist to see if there are any pots of hyacinths available yet. But first, I must dig my car out of a snowbank...
Posted by: Quinn | February 12, 2013 at 07:28 PM
Wow! The Earth is the LORD's and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1 Thank you for sharing some of His fullness with us. I LOVE how His creation is so colorful and intricate.
Posted by: Cathy | February 12, 2013 at 11:07 AM
Tulips are my favourite flower and these pictures made me smile on a very cold and wintery night. You might enjoy the pictures here:
http://www.tulipfestival.org/store/posters
Tulip Love!
Posted by: Trickster | February 11, 2013 at 10:47 PM
I am sure it is lovely! By the way, with all the color in this post, I am reminded to finally ask you about the dolls on your mantel (1st pic in this post)...I assume that you crocheted them...where did you get that pattern? I love them, and I would love to make a set, but I have not found a pattern as cute as what I see on your mantel. Thanks!
Posted by: Pam | February 11, 2013 at 08:24 PM
I too love globes and your lovely new one looks very familiar. I was a child in the 60s and had one very like it. Does yours come apart round the equator? If it does then it's just like the one I had - when we bought it the inside of the globe held a bag of sweets!
Posted by: Nora | February 11, 2013 at 07:54 PM
The tulip fields look so beautiful. I can't wait for spring as we have fields of daffodils and then tulips for the Spalding Flower Parade. Fields and fields full of them! Have a great week. Chel
Posted by: Chel | February 11, 2013 at 07:12 PM
What fun!! I love the little blanket already. I had no idea that the Netherlands had such huge, lovely fields of Tulips!! I hope you will be able to see them sometime. I used to live in a little Iowa town that has a Tulip festival (Dutch ancestery). Those fields totally remind me of all the lovely tulips in springtime!
Posted by: Taylor | February 11, 2013 at 05:12 PM
Just wanted to say how much I love popping into the Attic, so much inspiration and yummyness (is that even a word?!lol). You've had my hook dancing away, now as I type I have yarn-birds (Girl-Bird 1 & 2, aand a rather harrassed Boy-Bird) Random flower's hanging, granny square's & ripples.... Thank you :)
Posted by: Jane | February 11, 2013 at 04:21 PM
Hi Lucy,
I love your bright, cheerful blog. Have been reading for a while, and thought I would comment for the first time. I am 50, and I used to have a globe pretty much like yours when I was about 8, and I loved it! And those tulip fields look so amazing- I hope you manage a visit. Have a lovely day,
Posted by: Gina | February 11, 2013 at 04:18 PM
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting those amazing images of the tulip fields!
Posted by: Laura | February 11, 2013 at 03:32 PM
Lucy you've done it again! Beautiful images and colours. But what's your secret? - How do you keep fresh cut flowers in a heated house?
Posted by: Sue | February 11, 2013 at 02:51 PM
These tulip fields look gorgeous !
Posted by: Sonia Petitpoint | February 11, 2013 at 02:23 PM
lovely, and I live near those dutch tulip fields, just 5 min by bike :)
Posted by: Rieni | February 11, 2013 at 02:20 PM