The Need to Bead

Last week I had a little bit of a tidy up in the studio.  (Yes, I know I had a hangup about calling it a studio before but I'm over that now.  It's a place to create and I do create things.)  After all that time making things for the City & Guilds, I was almost sad to see it all being put away.  The enormous feeling of relief soon outweighed that though!  I passed very happily with distinctions right through.  If you would like to see some of my work it is on the Design Matters student gallery here.  I must say I was quite scared of what photos Laura would post!  I think she has been very kind.

Well with no creative deadline to drive me around the bend and all the tidying done I have totally obliterated all work surfaces with 'stuff'.  I've been chopping and changing what I'm doing and actually quite enjoying it.  I found a project basket with some beads in that I had stashed.  In the bottom were some fabulous cabochons I had been picking up here and there.  There may be a project in mind but it's usually a case of just having to own and handle some of these things!!

Fossils...

Agates...

Jaspers and a little turquoise and bronze...

And I have been beading a little with a rather lovely bead made by glass artist Manuela Wutschke.

You can just see the depth of the iridescence inside.

I'm liking the Blogger reply in the comments!  I't nice to reply directly to you.  I know I chatted to a lot of you through email before but it always looks as though you've been ignored on the blog, and there are a few of you with no reply so at least you have one now!

I had the very exciting job of re measuring my tailors dummy the other day.  The diet is going quite well and there are a few inches missing now.  I felt quite smug actually.

The hazels are all out in the garden dripping their catkins, and their pollen.  There are not many things that  I have a reaction to but it seems over the past few years catkin pollen is one of them.  I'll just keep the pills handy.

The rugby is about to start for the rest of the day.  Have a fabulous weekend!

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Bereft!

I have just clicked 'send' to Laura with my last module of the City & Guilds.

I was full of needing to to other things a couple of weeks ago and was going to put the C&G aside and do them, then I had a change of heart.  If I carried on with them, the C&G folder would still be there, on the corner of my desk, glaring at me.  A feeling I have been almost dreading each time I picked something up that wasn't anything to do with it.  I girded my loins and hit the last couple of modules hard.

I think (hope) I succeeded.

Now just to wait on the results of 17 months of course work, mostly thoroughly enjoyable, but sometimes frustrating in being there when other things needed doing.  Not the course's fault!! I'm just not of the natural scholarly type and tend to buck the traces now and then.

Now that list of things needing doing.....

Totally out of reach and inaccessible in my head.

I can't think of anything that was on it!

Good job I have it written down in a notebook.

Somewhere.

It can wait.

A glass of celebratory wine calls.

Now did I cover everything that needed doing..........?


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I Knew it Would Take Time!

But boy oh boy, where has January gone?

Ellie has taken up quite a lot of it, as I'm sure you can imagine.  From tomorrow she is all safe to go out in the big wide world so that will be another huge step forward.  She is growing well and has a few basic things understood.  Mind you going out to the loo when it's pouring with rain isn't one of her favourites, and who can blame her!  Thankfully the dogs have their own area in the house and accidents are kept to a minimum.

We had the Openreach engineers here on Monday trying to fix everything.  Apparently last Friday one of the maintenance teams had been shoving cables down the wrong conduit in their eagerness to fix the storm damage and totally messed up the whole village.  There were crossed lines everywhere, quite a lot of door knocking with messages and diverted calls to mobiles by BT for those of us who had them.  Unfortunately the people we were crossed with didn't own mobiles so we were receiving their calls too, including one at 1am wondering if everything was all right!  By then tempers were a little short.  We seemed to have the most complicated problems because of having two lines, that new fangled internet thingy (not many in the village have internet, see comment about not having mobiles either, talk about back and beyond!) and other things attached like security and fire alarms.  The poor guy we had assigned was backwards and forwards between the exchange, the green box and us for most of the day and he had been given 15 jobs to do that morning!  Mind you sorting us had a sort of knock on effect for a couple of others but he still moaned that his targets would never be met that week.  Hardly his fault.  There were at least six other vans in the village too all trying to sort this mess made by one slip of a maintenance team.  Why do these this always happen on a Friday too?

I have managed to do some very quick bits in my sketchbooks.  Not many as it turns out but at least some. Just mainly sloshing a bit of paint around whilst waiting for a certain pup to settle at 6 in the morning really.

This was pure doodle.  And then a bit of paint.  And an alternative background added so a few mornings worth really.

I found a picture in a magazine and tried blending it into a background.

This one I picked up my pencil whilst sipping coffee and sketched a owl pincushion Elsa had made me but I put him on a branch

Ellie has been very good overall but one morning she did discover my box of willow charcoal.  With a piece that was left I sketched my mug and rug.  I may go back and fiddle with this one.

I can't tell you how hard I find it to do these things!  They are too naive for me!  I really am not used to just sketching quickly, I want detail and accuracy and I struggle with just accepting that all these pictures are OK in their own right.  The urge to rip them out of my sketchbook is huge but I am resisting.  I am not a great natural artist, I have to work at it so I focus on detail. I want to let go of that and just 'do'.

And I have done a little stitchwork.  :-)

 I have to do a few samples this morning for the C&G and this afternoon Elsa, Cat and I have a girly time in Salisbury booked.  Something to do with a wedding I believe, lol!

Thank you to those who commented whilst we were out of connection and those who emailed.  Hello to some new followers.  I have a lot of blogs to catch up on and I apologise if I don't manage to comment on any for a bit, there's a lot to plough through as well as life to live!! I've missed you all.

Have a great weekend.

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Woo Hoo We Made It!!

Happy New Year!

We puppy sat Remi while Elsa and Mike went to a wedding. Puppy tumbles everywhere.  Hard work but the new year arrived as it should.

No resolutions, they are only made to be broken.  I will be loosing weight though, the wedding is more than enough motivation!  I will also try and be a little more creative in all departments.

My painting has been non existent so a few weeks ago I signed up to a course by Flora Bowley .  I love her use of colour and she uses acrylics which is a medium have not really explored much.

I am trying to slot in the C&G when puppy permits but I am keeping her away from my room at the moment as she is still in super explore mode.  I do try to keep the room tidy and pet proof but it also helps that Ruger, Tully and Oscar are all laid back animals and not too bothered about putting their noses where they shouldn't.  All they usually want is somewhere peaceful to sleep.  My little room has been a haven for them over last month!

There is a lull in activity at the moment, all feeding, watering and exercise has been done so now they sleep!  I hope your New Year is creative, inspiring and productive!

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Out and About

We had a trip out to the Wimborne Food Festival a couple of weekends ago.
Lots to see,

 buy,

 and certainly smell.

 Even the Minster joined in.

And a little entertainment from the Quayside Cloggies morris group.

It was a lovely morning out and we come home with quite a few tasty goodies that didn't last long!

When we were in Dublin last month one of the galleries had the new book of Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales just released and I bought it because it is years since I thought about fairy tales and also because the illustrations were by Harry Clarke.

Certainly plenty of inspiration for some textile work one day and almost a forerunner of zentangling!

I have mostly just been working on the City & Guilds as far as creating is concerned.  I have had a few sudden panics about not actually doing anything that I want to do, only things that are sent out to do. Don't get me wrong, I am very much enjoying the course and I'm having tremendously encouraging support from both my tutor and John, I just keep having flashes of things I could make outside the course (like the trolls) but I don't really want to start anything new knowing there are some exciting things coming up in the course that should be taking priority and plenty of past things I should be finishing!!  A real war of the devil and the angel within. I am becoming better at telling them both to shut up!

With the knowledge that I really am terrible at keeping notes, using a journal and sketching out my sudden thoughts for future reference, I have signed up for Sharon Bogon's Studio Journal course which starts in February.   Still a long way off I know!!!  Plenty of time to start accumulating all those Post Its and scribbles.  The course is not on sketchbook work or art journalling, it's purely on using a journal as part of a design process.  Hopefully I can actually learn a discipline that will add to and enhance what I am learning in the C&G and to take forward, at least the course is only for 6 weeks.

I have managed to quick knit some fingerless gloves.  That's finally used up some of the sock yarn I had as part of the sock club from D&T Crafts last year and re-aquainted me with double pointed needles, something I haven't done for years and don't particularly enjoy!  In the colour way 'Aquarius', good for walking the dogs and hiding doggy slobber and mud anyway!

And Friday I managed to send off another section of the C&G  just as the dogs demanded their walk.  Yesterdays sandy charge around was back down to Studland.  A beautiful morning for it too.

Waiting for the ferry to Sandbanks we had this chap sit on the wall and tell us all about the castle on Brownsea Island behind him.

Thank you for the kind words about Foxy.  He is missed by his brother who has also decided being the only cat can have huge advantages.  No one has the heart to move him from in front of the fire or off the clean washing pile.  Even the dogs have given in complaining that he's taken over their bed.

Have a great Sunday.

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Happy Easter

What amazing weather!  Yesterday Elsa and I, (mostly Elsa) cleared up the vegetable patch at the top of the garden.  The onions and garlic are doing great, but that's it so far.  Mind you a false sense of summer security can be dangerous in the garden, we can still have frost in May so there's no hurry with beans etc yet. I must admit to still really, really struggling with the gardening and I am very cross as to where the enthusiasm has gone.  I am grateful that we spent five years turning the garden around and it now just needs mowing and tweaking and a few hours from the gardener each week, not watering or major replanting marathons.  Maybe that is part of the problem, I burned out and had too many incidents, knee operation, stings, ceptic cuts, nearly losing the top of my finger, I just had enough.  I'm still a little sad though.

I have caught up with home things now though and Tuesday, while John was fishing for bream, I played hard with Bob.

 It was my first Lone Star! (20 inches)  I confess to finding a foundation sheet of interfacing in Spain.  It was so quick and easy.  I would still like to do another the real way, but maybe in a while.

I finished the My Tweets centre panel, Miss Kelly (24 inches) and I'm just cutting and starching the next two blocks ready for stitching.

I've also managed a little more on the Stay at Home Robin with embroidery and quilting.  Yes the needle is still in there, I'm still working on it as it's evolving.

There are three more, and I think they are the last, bits boxes to find homes for and then my room is full.  I've enjoyed re discovering all the things I bought because I knew I would need them someday.  Ariadne the  longarm is sitting patiently upstairs with a quilt on it hoping to be finished at some point this weekend.  I want to put the little Lone Star quilt on and make that up so I had better pull my finger out.  The C&G is sitting patiently too so perhaps that will have a look in later.

Have a wonderful long weekend and keep cool.


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C&G Dying Again!!

Yesterday I put lots of fabrics and threads in dye bags with various mixes and today I have rinsed, washed and ironed them all.  I have a nice stack of fabrics all ready for the next phase of the C&G course now.  I have photos of them all open (!) but it would be a little overpowering to show them all here.  I am pleased with how they all turned out though.

These two are probably my favourites though.  The left one because of the crystalline effect and the right one because I was looking at the sky just after sunset the other night and wishing I could capture the lovely  yellow and blue with a green hue along the horizon.  I think I almost sort of managed it! 

The first block in the Erin Russek My Tweets (see link on the right) has been sewn and washed though the ironing is a little slack!  I haven't strayed very far from her original and I like the colours so far.

In the post this week I received this lovely bundle of Jinny Beyer 1 yard pieces.  She had the most wonderful sale and even after paying VAT to Mr HMRC and the bonus postage to Mr Parcel Force they were all still less than half the price I can buy them for over here.  A couple have been earmarked for the new Mystery Monday which has just started too. 

I also had this through the door today.  I ordered this forever ago when I was doing the machine embroidery course on Quilt University and I had totally forgotten about it.  I'm not sure if I can remember how to do the embroidery thing but I have notes and may be able to figure it out again one day!

And the old little conservatory on the side of the house has come down and Andy is wreaking havoc outside.  This is the beginning of the new big conservatory that will be my workroom.  (Nope, still can't call it a studio!).  It will be 5 x 3 meters of my stuff.

PS  It appears there is a problem with Picasa uploading blurry blog headers at the moment, please excuse mine, I'm working on it!

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Yesterday I Was Dying ;-)

I haven't dyed properly with Procion MX dyes before.  I've done a little with Dylon in the micro and had good results, but this was the real deal!

Would these mushy bags of colour actually turn into anything?

Of course!   Yay!!  I had twelve colours in the starter kit I bought from Debbie but I was supposed to be making a basic colour wheel so only used the red, blue and yellow as they were and as mixes to make the secondary colours.

I also threw in two types of mercerised cotton threads I had and, just to see how they would take the colour, some cotton parcel twine (white) and some beading hemp (mid tan). I was quite please with these too.

I think I may have another go at it later next week as I think the violet could be pinker and the green stronger.  I also have some linens and other bits I want to try too.

As well as Lisa's beading class, I have also been taking part in the Kim Klassen Skinny Mini Photoshop Elements course this week, (see button on the right), though I do have one night's work to catch up on.  I have had Elements on the computer for at least 8 months and every time I open it I have a quick look and then close it again before I start screaming in terror.  This week I have used layers!! AND adjustments!!!!! Kim runs these free little taster courses on a regular basis and they really are a great stepping off point.

Also this week Erin Russek has started her latest appliqué BOM with her beautiful design My Tweets, (also see button on the right).  I am strangely attracted to her use of colours, which is scary!  You know how I seem to like dark, strong and moody colours, well hers are fresh and vibrant and summery and I, yes me, am going to have a go at using similar colours too, not just because it will be easier to choose but to try and change a habit of a lifetime!   I also need some handwork for the evenings and take-outs.

Also a quick note that the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch is at the end of this month too.  In the wind we have at the moment the garden is virtually empty.

Now to find something for dinner, slimming of course!  Have a good weekend.


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On an Even Keel

I know last night was 12^th night and all the decorations are to come down but we are keeping some of ours up for a little while longer.  There is method in our madness and all will be revealed in time so please forgive us for a bit, we’re not the sad type who leaves them up because there is only 353 days left!!!

I have managed to tackle the room where all my ‘stuff’ is.  Finally all the Christmas ‘stuff’ is away and it has revealed all the other ‘stuff’ that was underway beneath it.  I have sorted through my cotton fabrics thanks to 5 x 33 litre Really Useful boxes (it’s not a vast collection of fabric, I’m quite strict with buying, but do I now buy more boxes or actually use some of the fabric...hmmm), replaced all the silks, velvets, tweeds and felts into their respective places, rewound rogue threads and put tools in their pots or drawers.  I feel much more in control.

Lisa’s online beading class started last night with some good videos, I’m looking forward to seeing where this little journey takes me.  I have only one quilt top left to quilt on the Avante and then it will be idle for a while.  I know some of my ladies have been enquiring about it; perhaps I should bite the bullet and do some just to keep my hand in. All the larger show dates are in the diary and I’m just searching around for the smaller ones to add.  We might actually visit a few too!

My back has been on and off over the past couple of days but I’m hoping I’m winning and the diet has lost me 4lb since the start of the year. (Just T – G in the evening Barbara!).  

We did take the dogs down to Studland beach the other day.  It was as grey as grey could be so I will leave you with a few photos, don't forget to click to enlarge.  Today I have promised a whole day of study!

Poole Harbour

Brent Geese

Only bath water is nasty.

Mother Nature's sculpture

Ever the opportunist

Isle of Wight Needles head on

Old Harry Rocks

Corfe Castle

All Quiet

Or not.  We've been a little busy with things other than me sewing so not a lot to post really.  I just needed to move a post on as John took the mickey out of me for using the word 'gota' in the last title!  I was very firmly taught that there was no need for the word 'got' in the English language, there is always a better alternative and so I really don't like that little word.  Me actually using it is very rare!  Strange what peculiar things stick with you from school (Thank you Mrs Robinson, I've never forgotten!).

I completed Module 1 of my C&G course and had a favourable report back.  It was really interesting, I can't remember the last time I did such formal kind of learning.  I've no idea of the structure these things are supposed to take so I just made it up.  Mind you the Module itself was superbly laid out and great to follow.  At the end I could feel my brain unlocking and seeing things quite differently.  I could probably go back and do the whole thing again totally differently, but that would lose the point of the journey.  I have added quite a few extra parts for my own peace of mind though.  Module 2 looks just as interesting and I can really see how the first part has helped me open up for the second.

John was fishing on Thursday and caught a 13 lb cod.  He was over the moon.  He had some for dinner last night and thoroughly enjoyed it, the rest is in the freezer.  I don't eat fish myself but I enjoy fishing, especially salmon on the fly, and prefer catch and release, but John manages to eat his sea catches.  I love looking closely at the fish.  They have the most beautiful markings on them that never seem to work well on camera.  I think it's the freshness and the movement that make the difference, not something you find on the supermarket slab!

Anyway, before my brain starts on another train of thought for a design...  I will pick up a needle this morning, the first in a few days! Sorry no pictures today.

Have a good weekend.

Ear, Ear!

You may have noticed I’ve had a little change in the decor.  I thought I’d better move over to the newer model of template, the old one was becoming a little unpredictable.

I’ve just finished catching up on week 5 of the Mystery Mondays hence the post title.  All those ears to snip Maggi!!!  Now just to do week 6 tonight and I’m ready for this Monday.  Phew!

I’ve also done this year’s Christmas ornament.  Silk with gold threads and beads with the date on the back.

The little Harvest Fields scrim piece finally had its binding put on too.

In the post today arrived these cops of King Tutt.  No there’s not a baby imminent, I just have a few tops to quilt that happen to be in those colours!

Also this Madeira Lana threads selection in the variegated.  So touchy feely and soft.  I think they will be more hand work than machine. (Don't ask me why they are sideways, it's taken me 1.5 hours to get this far!! I'm hating Blogger at the moment. (And now they're upright! !))

And last came a Procion MX dye beginner’s kit.  I’ve only ever used Dylon in the microwave up to now but the C&G will be using some proper stuff later.  Should be fun.  They were from D&T Craft and Design.

I’ve made a start in to the course, I think I’m happy with what I’ve done so far.  It’s over 20 years since I did anything properly educational so a new learning experience again (excuse the pun).  I’ve also asked to join in Barbara’s hand quilting day at Jacky’s shop in March, John will be going with me but he’s found a fishing lake or two to keep him busy.  Looking forward to that.

Dinner will be in the oven in a minute and then MM week 6 and maybe the SAHR too with perhaps a little Magical Minis thrown in for evening entertainment.