A duet of adorable cute

It is with great honour that I share with you that today I shall become Godmother to my twin nieces. I am already Godmother to their sister. What a lucky lady I am.

They celebrate their first birthday this week too. A duet of adorable cute keeping their parents dancing. You can't look at them but shower them with hugs and kisses.

I would also like to share that this picture up top is at last the finished piece I have been working on for too long. I had despaired of ever having the perfect gift and, if you saw Friday's contribution to Paint Party Friday you will have learned the fate of versions I and II of this piece... It became an eye... That canvas just did not want to be a fairy, I am telling you. What can I say? I am weird!

There I was lying in bed this morning trying to convince myself of good reasons not to get up when I spotted the soothing portrait of Madonna and child that I have by Flor Larios. At last it came to me how my piece should look. I attribute this to Flor's wonderful style - you should pop by her websites and take a look if you are not familiar with her work.

Sharing this piece and the rather special one below for my nieces, Sunday Sketches and the perfectly appropriate Illustration Friday theme of Duet.

Let me present to you now Len and Sid. Firm childhood favourites, this little pair of scamps reside in the Blackberry Farm series of stories. My son and I thought a picture of them would be most appropriate for the other twins in our lives, and given the mischief they are apt to get up to, well we couldn't very well pass up the opportunity to turn them into a card now could we? I admit he had a little help... I sketched the outline and then, as it was for a very special occasion, let him loose with my Inktense pencils to colour in. We turned the pencil to paint together (I did the small bits!). He was over the moon when I said I would share his work of art on my blog!

Double Delicious!

May I present my twin nieces born just 5 days ago. Jessica and Sophie. Aren't they lovely!

I had forgotten just how tiny newborn babies are. These two lumps of gorgeousness are about 6lb each in weight. There was a rush of broodiness abounding. Even the other children in the room (aged 6 and 4) kept their usual exuberance toned down in honour of the occasion. Sitting with a baby on a lap was quite the most magical thing they had done I think.

Earlier, in anticipation of the visit, my son said he wanted to ask me something. "I'm very confused Mummy" he told me. "I know that the babies grew in Auntie's tummy, but how did they get there in the first place?" I caught the eye of my boyfriend who was waiting with great amusement to see how I would handle this. "It's very complicated" I explained. "I think you'll understand better when you're a bit older". I thought he would be having none of this for a pathetic lesson in the birds and bees, but it was enough. "OK" he smiled, then ran off to play with his cars and make some noise. I think I got away quite lightly there!

Well, what more can I say other than "Ahhhh". So lovely.

Hello Dolly! Hello Dolly!

This is Dolly the Sheep. I drew her for Sunday Sketches then she cloned herself for Mixed Media Monday - how very convenient for a busy weekend!

I'm not sure what I feel about cloning. I wonder how the world would cope with two of me for example, though it would of course solve that age-old woman problem of how to be in more than one place at the same time or having two pairs of hands.

Speaking of doubles... I met my twin nieces for the first time today. Ahhhh, I am sooooo broody. They are absolutely gorgeous twin bundles of loveliness. Photos tomorrow....