Has it really been 7 weeks?

Oh gosh, that's my worst break yet.......but I have been very busy, honestly :-)

So what have I got to show for all that time away? 

Well......a couple of weeks ago DH and I decided to visit Mum's cousin Irene in Devon. We've never met before, so it was quite an emotional moment for us both and we spent a happy 3 hours together, chatting about the family and looking around her studio. Irene is currently painting for two exhibitions and there were pieces everywhere....I was totally in awe. I wanted to buy one but they were all needed for the exhibition, but I was stunned when she presented me with one of her original paintings that she did a few years back...and I absolutely love it! I reminds me a little of my mum when she was younger....

A treasured reminder of a special day......

(Update: For those of you who asked, you can see more of Irene's work here )

After that we spent two days in Padstow and Port Isaac.....

( I had a good look at Doc Martin's house, of course).

Then spent 2 days in St Ives ....where I fell in love with an amazing view

...and where I was ambushed by 2 of these and they took my WHOLE ice cream cornet!!!

 Bad, bad gulls :-(

We also visited The Lost Gardens of  Heligan

 and The Eden Project (climbed up to the new viewing platform at the top of the rainforest biome)

and finally ended up in Mevagissey, where we stayed an amazing b&b. It was the cheapest of all and the best  ......owned by the most delightful couple. It was a bit too nippy to use the pool...but maybe next time ;-)

Trennicks Guest House

We've also been to 2 weddings over the last fortnight and visited Knaresborough for the 3rd time this year. Plus I organised a workshop at my house for 6 lovely ladies last week.

So you see....I have been busy :-)

I finally completed the Stef Francis piece....its going in a frame.

I also completed a scrapbook of my photos from Cornwall...... this is page 2 out of 20.

Peachy helped of course...he loved watching the Cricut machine cutting out letters....

.......but then he got bored and fell asleep in my card drawer.

I've been photographing wildlife in the garden ....

...he'd just wrapped up a wasp for lunch.

And I've become rather obsessed with hydrangea flower skeletons......

 ....so very pretty.

Well I think that's about it..... I'll show you the quilt I'm attempting to make in my next post. Which will be very soon... ;-)
Now I need to start blog-visiting......

My Colours....

I've been happily working with my favourite colours over the past two weeks. Maggi and I spent a great day together at her house just over a week ago. She showed me how to do nuno felting in her fab garage/workshop.......

Maggi at work

First attempt below; front and back. I worked on a piece of dyed silk and laid wool and silk fibres on top before wetting, soaping  and rolling. The final step involved whacking and bashing - great fun :-) Hopefully if you click on it you can see that the silk puckers and creates a lovely effect.

Second piece; front and back.......my fav one. Looking forward especially to sewing on this. Not sure which side to use though!

Maggi kindly gave me a piece of blue cotton velvet to use for my Spirit Cloth cushion.

I extended the stitching out onto the velvet.....

......et voila!

I now want to find something to stitch around the edge........maybe :-/



Peachy has been helping me choose fibres and fabrics for my latest sewing project.....

...he doesn't damage them. Honestly. He just goes a little crazy sometimes.....
I can empathise with that.... ;-)

The elegant Nectaroscordum has almost finished. It's now making me think of fairy castles.........

........so sweet.

And finally.....DH and I decided to make the most of the glorious weather and went to Monsal Head in Derbyshire last weekend. We haven't been there for years and had forgotten how stunning it is.
(Click on the photos)

 The viaduct used to be for trains...but now its cyclists and walkers only.

If ever you get a chance....go there :-)



Its a wonderful day.....

We're having some wonderful weather in England at the moment....I can't believe how warm it is! Hope you're managing to make the most of it..... :-)
I'm awaiting news from Kim Klassen; I joined her 'Test Kitchen' and the digital fun starts today.
Whilst I'm waiting I'm playing with PSE...the above piece is from a photo I took at Hidcote Manor Gardens. I used various textures, some free ones from the very generous Jerry at Shadowhouse Creations  plus PSE filters and a clipping mask from Kim.
Here's the original....

 

Do you think Kim's up yet...... ?

Peachy and Bess......

This is one of a series of mixed-media collages I've been making over the last couple of weeks in preparation for my class at the Beetroot Tree on Monday. I've used images transferred onto fabric, lace, text, organza, dyed silk, pressed flowers, background papers, beads, silk paper, sari silks, machine and hand-stitching.

I'm looking forward to this class; it should be fun......

I've also been scanning all my inky backgrounds into my PC so that I can use them as layers in Photoshop. Here are just a few......I've got dozens! The great thing is you can enhance the colours and improve the look of them in PSE.
I used this one.......

with this photo I took in the gardens at Hardwick Hall....

to created this.......

I think I'm going to print it onto silk fabric.

We visited the beautiful Hardwick Hall last weekend.....it's about 25 miles north of us near Chesterfield. The house was built for Elizabeth Shrewsbury (hence the ES on the roof) but she was better known as 'Bess of Hardwick' - quite a formidable lady and the richest woman in England in the 1500s after Queen Elizabeth. She had 4 husbands and her wealth increased with each marriage. She left behind the legacy of a 400 year-old collection, known as the Hardwick Hall textiles; the largest collection of tapestry, embroidery, canvaswork and other textiles to have been preserved by a single private family. I did a special study of these for my A-levels many years ago.
There are some fabulous paintings in the house; I love this one of Bess.......

Here's her wonderful Elizabethan house.... (she also owned Chatsworth)

and the typically English pub at the edge of the estate where we had our lunch.

We looked after Peachy whilst my daughter was in Zante last week. He was quite a handful and LOVED rummaging around in my studio. He soon found the felt bird I'd made (and pretended it was real :-) and after causing mayhem fell asleep in my box of silk papers every day........

Liz collected him on Monday; its very quiet here..........

Nature's Artistry

I found these poppy seed heads in my garden yesterday and photographed them on some of my inky-splattered paper. They are so sculptural - like little minarets.

Couldn't resist altering the colours in Photoshop......

..........and fiddling with some layers.

Now they're making me think of strange writing implements!
Hoping to use these as inspiration for a fabric collage/embroidery.

I'm a little obsessed with hydrangeas at the moment and bought another one today to add to my collection.

Such gorgeous colour variations all on the same plant - and each separate flower is different; ranging from 3 to 5 petals. These are being pressed for future fabric and paper collages.

And finally..... I'm rather impressed by the way a branch of our clematis has decided to attach itself to the back of the garden seat. Nature's artistry eh?

(click for a closer view)

In Need of Some Beauty Treatment......

I've been working on my cloth and clay doll for the past couple of days...but I can't believe how ugly she is!!! I think tomorrow is going to be the crucial day - I can only hope that paint will be her saving grace. In fact, that is what I shall call her.........Grace.
Here she is waiting for her legs to be sewn on. Her skirt was soaked in coffee (deliberately - not an accident) and is now hanging on the line. Now you'll have to come back tomorrow, won't you.......if only to see if I can perform a miracle!

We had a day in Nottingham on Saturday and I bought this fabulous candle from the Token House; it smells amazing. But the pot is the best part....... how gorgeous is that!
Yesterday I gathered up all the hydrangea heads in the garden to dry them...such pretty colours.


And finally......in watercolour mode........