Now Where Was I...?

After spending some time making samples for Brockenhurst I did put together this little book from a 1968, rather well used map of Dorset.  

It was falling to pieces along the mappish creases and so it naturally wanted to be pages.  I just added a few bits and stitched it together keeping all the lovely worn bits around the edges.  

There was also another couple of bags done for the Art Weeks.

I had a few scraps left over from the bags and, after pulling out my bitsa box, put together some cards in my Fragmental Cartouche style. 

Love making these!  Who needs to through stuff away. 

We had an amazing presentation of Elsa's Masters with Merit last week too.  I'm so proud of this young lady!! She has studied for her Masters at the same time as working full time, having two babies and training and running all over the place! Perhaps she's one of the ones who has found the secret door to another time dimension to fit it all in.  

Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta went well.  Two days of stitchy, creative people can only be fun really.  Maggie Grey and I before the doors opened.

The Greys Mandala has had a few rows added.  Now at 32 inches.

 I've also started the new CAL this week in colour.  This is Cosmic and is 21 inches across at the moment.  

I'm sure the colours will grow on me as they expand.  I'm just used to dull! I did have to change the greens though as I found them a bit too off my taste.  I've put in much more earthy ones, chosen from some of the colours in one of the Batik yarns used so they do go much better to my mind! 

Finally, this week we have started the prep for the Dorset Art Weeks, 26th May - 10th June.  John has dug out the signage A frames and attached the new roadside posters.  I've been making up arrows and numbers.  

I'm not going to blink or it will be here!!!  

Have a creative week. 

In Fine Style

Last Spring we flew up to Edinburgh to see the exhibition 'In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion' at Holyroodhouse.  It was wonderful to see all the paintings and clothing all together.  It was really interesting as John and I listen to a lot of audio books usually based in this period of time, Shardlake, John Shakespeare and the like and it really helps to paint the picture for the story.

Over the summer I started just playing with some fabrics and layering them up and adding lots of stitch and beading with the thought of making a sample book which was used by the gentry to choose the fabrics and adornment they wanted for their clothing.

I finally finished it last week.  7.5 inches square.

Back cover.

The covers and back sides of the concertina were clothing pictures printed onto fabric and free stitched.  The cover has a little gold paint on it too.

The zig side.

The zag side.

And the back side.

Lots of pieces of silks and velvets.

Fringing and slashing.

And beads with lace.

I really enjoyed the non structure of it and making it up as I went along.  A nice little thing to pick up and put down. 

Last Saturday we had a little celebration.  

One already!

Who can resist a piece of cake!!

We're just about to start warming the sofas up for a bit of the Six Nations.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

A Dogliday to Ireland (photo heavy)

We went over to Ireland last week to stay in Connemara with Elsa, Mike, Olivia, Owen, Lizzy and of course the dogs!

We had a wonderful house a long way from the road with a superb secure garden and it's own beach.

Which meant lots of this...

Usually followed by this...

Owen had to do his Ice Bucket Challenge but with lack of ice he did a North Atlantic with Seaweed one instead.

Trying to get anywhere near the fire in the evenings was a bit of a challenge.

John took the beachcasters and a lot of wishful thinking.

So everyone wanted to join in (Mike is in the background on the rocks).

One of the many local residents.

A nine month old pup being shown how to survey one's patch by a nine year old boy.

Wonderful sunsets.

A misty Croagh Patrick on the day Elsa and Mike chose to run up it.  Which they did in superb time too!

Kylemore Abbey.

A view from the Sky Road.  I just love the way that island tilts out of the sea!

The Twelve Bens or Pins seen from one of Ireland's fabulous roads.

A family group shot.  But we're missing one!

Oh no, there she is.

Olivia's first beach.

Four stages of swimming.  Kofi not too sure, Ellie the paddle steamer, Remi not wanting to go too far and Ruger in the background practising for the next Olympics.

Tully has this real thing about cleaning up the sea.  She has to bring anything she can ashore including seaweed. This was a huge clump still attached to rocks and she spent ages trying to drag it in.

Some more of the locals.

Up in the Twelve Bens.

And home again dreaming of still swimming and running and playing ball and warm fires and long views.....

Collagraph

I know one day I am going to do some of this with fabric in mind.  I did this once before with Sarah Ross-Thompson but she has now moved up to Scotland, a glorious location on Lochgoilhead but terribly impractical to just pop up to for the odd class.  We are lucky in Dorset to have some wonderful collagraphists in the area though and one, Genevieve Lavers, is just spreading her wings in wanting to give classes and Jan and I were lucky enough to be her guinea pigs.    

Last week we spent the morning making the plates. The first using all sorts of items to see which of the textures would do what with the inks and the other two trying to come up with a coherent picture in mind.

Today we went back as they had now dried and been varnished.

First to be inked was the experimental plate.

I printed the one on the right first and the one on the left was the ghost print with a roll over of a contrast colour.  Quite pleased.  It is a good record of which materials do what.

I then did the tree root which I was over the moon with.

And then the cactus still life.

there was time to do acouple more of each but the first tree root is still my favorite.

It was an enjoyable couple of days.  I think Genevieve has some fun times ahead teaching this class.  I hope Jan and I were good, and useful, guinea pigs too.

On the home front Olivia was 6 months on Sunday and John was a few years more than 6 months old on Monday.  I think they enjoyed sharing their day.

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A Christening

Yesterday was Olivia's Christening day at Salisbury Cathedral.  It was a lovely service and the choir sang beautifully.  The meal afterwards was really nice too and Olivia behaved impeccably.  She wore the gown her Daddy was christened in and some silk shoes I made for her.

Olivia with her Godmother Catherine, Dad and Mum, Godmother Elizabeth and Godfather Owen in front of the living water font.

Have a lovely week.


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