On to the Next Thing

We've packed up the exhibition and brought it all home.  I know I saw quite a few friends from Facebook and even one or two from here as well.  It was lovely to see you if you came, thank you for taking the time.  

Up next is the Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta at the end of the month.  I will be upstairs with Maggie and Fiona again demonstrating something. Will have to work on what though. 

I do have another companion outside the studio window!! Some of you may remember the Robins who moved into the nestbox in 2014 HERE and went on to have a lovely family which I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to photo fledging too.  Well this year we have a Blackbird who has made her nest just below the nestbox so still right in view.  

The blur along the bottom are the numbers on my quilting ruler, that little access alley is only 3 feet wide so she's quite close.  She has been there just over 2 weeks now so hopefully she has become used to our comings and goings.  I will keep an update on the nest progress I hope. 

Not a lot else to report at the moment. It took a while to log and put away all the quilts from the exhibition and I'm only just putting my head straight so I will leave you with a picture of the four dogs having a blast on the beach this week. 

CAKExhibition

We are all set up and under way at the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.  

I'm there today so, as yet, have no photos but here is one just about as we finished hanging on Tuesday.  

It looks rather good even in the dark!  Lovely vibrant colours from all three of us. 

I was very honoured for the others to choose to put mine in such a way that you see some of them as a succession as you walk in the door.  

I have been asked several times at the Art Weeks and since if I have any of my landscapes.  Well you can see Strawberry Moon on the back wall above but I decided on Sunday night that I could make some more just not as big as the others.  So Monday I set everything up and got on with four more.

The three above are at the finished machine stitch stage and ready for me to add all the hand stitch and beads.  I have finished the one below, New Moon, so that is going to the Gallery today.  They finish at about A3 size.

I have also managed to put together another dog blanket for a friend too. 

I had a fab day yesterday as a guest at the West Country Embroiderers Dorset Day.  They have persuaded me to join them.  After my rather cliquey experience with the Embroiderers Guild I was happy to meet some really lovely ladies who made me feel welcome and so will be going to the first meeting I can in a couple of months time. 

The toes are healing fine though I did manage to put them in a roomy pair of shoes for yesterday's day out and have been paying for it with throbbing toes ever since.  Seeing as I'm not willing to encourage badly growing nails, been there and it's not nice when they have to be sorted, I am staying in flip flops or the like!  

I'm now off to the gallery! 

We Did It!

Yesterday Elsa and I walked 18 miles around the New Forest.

We had every type of weather you can think of from bright sunshine to torrential downpours, hail and gale force winds.  It was changeable enough to make it interesting anyway!  

The worst thing was the endless mud.  Some was just continuous squelch and other parts looked innocent enough and then tried taking your boot off.  Very hard work in some places.  

We saw some lovely parts of the Forest though and often wondered where all the other entrants were once the runners had passed us.  

I'm not the smallest or fittest of people so I am super proud I walked twice as far as I have ever walked before in a good consistent time too.  My feet are a bit of a mess but they will heal! 

I had already given my donation to Macmillan Cancer Care before it was posted on Facebook that I was doing the walk and several people asked where they could donate for me too.  I set up an Just Giving page if anyone is interested HERE I am very grateful to the donations that have come in already.  Thank you.  

The Brain Doth Fizz

I did finish the 2AM piece, it just needs a damn good pressing now as you can see.

I added some stitch and now it's hanging on the door just to see if it needs anything else.  The window position in the gallery is a bit ignored in the scheme of things but it's bright enough it might catch a few eyes and draw them in.  It's 43 x 28 inches. 

The last couple of days I have been using up the last of my lovely Harris tweed making A5 and A6 notebook covers.  I have a Folksy account as yet unused and I thought I should give it a go.  I didn't enjoy the Etsy experience as I found it just too awash with imported crap.   At least Folksy is UK makers only.  I know the stock will be few and far between but we will just see how it pans out and these will be the first things in there very soon. 

I know they have a rather strong Pointer theme but they will be profit to the GSP charity sales.  

I have a couple of thoughts swimming around in my head which I need to get on with and I have also been playing with some beautiful Prima moulds. Still a little un focussed on that one but there could be another WoW video for them.  

Off to have a light supper, my tum has decided to play up the past couple of days and I have a BIG walk this Sunday and I need it sorted by then. 

Have a great weekend!