Rose ampersand

This is so interesting - from Wikepedia, the ampersand can be traced back to the 1st century A.D. and the Old Roman cursive, in which the letters E and T occasionally were written together to form a ligature. Traditionally, in English-speaking schools when reciting the alphabet, any letter that could also be used as a word in itself ("A", "I", and, at one point, "O") was preceded by the Latin expression per se (Latin for "by itself"). Also, it was common practice to add at the end of the alphabet the "&" sign as the 27th letter, pronounced and. Thus, the recitation of the alphabet would end in: "X, Y, Z and per se and". This last phrase was routinely slurred to "ampersand" and the term crept into common English usage by around 1837.

Puzzled pears

Don't worry, I am also puzzled about  this design ;-) My entry for the puzzle piece challenge at Theme Thursday.

Red hot chilli peppers

In case you didn't know . . . . the cayenne pepper - also known as the Guinea spice, Cow Horn Pepper, aleva or bird pepper or, especially in its powdered form, red pepper - is a hot, red chilli pepper used to flavour dishes and for medicinal purposes. Named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, it is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum related to bell peppers, jalapeños, and others. My entry for Three Muses hot hot hot challenge.

Tea for three

"Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company" Anonymous 
Linking to Brag Monday, the tea branch, cups and teapot from Graphics Fairy.

Waratah

An eastern Australian genus of four species, Telopea speciosissima - was proclaimed the official floral emblem of New South Wales. The generic name Telopea is derived from the Greek 'telopos', meaning 'seen from afar', and refers to the great distance from which the crimson flowers are discernible. The specific name speciosissima is the superlative of the Latin adjective 'speciosus', meaning 'beautiful' or 'handsome'. 'Waratah', the Aboriginal name for the species, was adopted by early settlers at Port Jackson. My entry for the Theme Thursday ATC with flowers challenge.

A perfect pear

I seem to have fruit on my mind lately ;-) The beautiful birdie, the crown and the nest are all from the Graphics Fairy - linking to Brag Monday.

Autumn

"Autumn is a second spring, where every leaf is a flower"
Albert Camus

My entry for the Autumn challenge at Theme Thursday

Orange blossom

I decided to use this black and white image from the Graphics Fairy for the fruit challenge at Sunday Postcard Art , while I was colouring it, I couldn't stop thinking about a summer cocktail called Orange blossom - here is the recipe: Shake up 1 part gin with 1 part Bianco vermouth and 1 part unsweetened orange juice. Pour over some ice cubes and decorate with a slice of orange - try it, it is delicious!

Friday freebie - seed packet

Don't you just love vintage seed packets? It's really fun to design your own version, click here  for the blank one that I made for this design. This is also my entry for the magic challenge at Sunday Postcard Art. Hope you have a magical weekend!