One week later...

I keep wanting to write a post, but have had nothing new to tell, so here is a little photo-archive show -


Woke this morning to rain.


Watched the children hurrying past on their way to school, and braved the rain to walk to the papershop. (Less than a five minute walk.)


Resign myself to a bit of domestic duty.


Still raining.


Do a little dusting (or just think about it!)


Get bored and sort out my pencils...


...and dream about the sea.


Marvin's dreaming too.

Keep snug,
Jill

011110

These pages look quite striking, but because there is lots of colour on the squares which are bleached out areas they did not take colour very well. There is always something to be learned when doing this sort of thing.  I was inspired for my November pages by one of my long term Flickr contacts who I have been neglecting a lot lately. Unfortunately I cannot download Diana's picture, but you can see it here. She had captured  autumn leaves amongst grey stones. Hopefully the grey days, which are squares of pastel paper from an old sketchbook will fill with colour.

Diana and I 'met' when we both joined the same Flickr group when we had the same camera and we shared a love of cats. However Diana is an amazingly prolific photographer and has an incredible range of subjects from beautiful formal still lifes to wonderful candid portraits often taken in New York . I would say she favours classic subjects, but she can knock you sideways with a stunning 'off the wall' shot. Definitely worth a cruise through her photostream or her website here,

Details

I've had a busy weekend, but thought I would just post some details of some of my sewing. You may have seen some of these before.

Have a good week!

Look out for my November calendar post - coming soon.

Tuesday

Time for a new post - that perm is getting on my nerves every time I log on. (See previous post - or NOT) so time to share what I have been doing.
My Art Journal gets used for more than the monthly calendar. Sometimes I keep a record of what I have been doing or thinking about - here is an October page,,,

and sometimes I record something that has more significant meaning. This Sandy Denny song always strikes a deep chord especially at this time of the year. I'll try and put a link to the song at the end of the post.

I am also working on some new patchwork, but in a slightly different way. I have made covers for some little 4"x3" blank journals I got from Staples in what I will call 'distressed' patchwork. I enjoy doing these for a change. It would be nice to find a different insert, and if I can find the time I may have a go at making some books. I thought they might make suitable  'stocking fillers'. Your thoughts would be welcome. These need finishing and when I can take some better photographs they will be in my shop.

Front cover with wrap tie

I have added appliqué and embroidery to the front panel

.

Here is a pink version

Still needs finishing off

Hopefully you can hear Sandy Denny singing 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' with Fairport Convention here:

OMG!!!

I am not going to say much but this photograph arrived this morning from our dear and long-standing friend Dave who has always loved photography and has taken some brilliant pictures. He is trawling through his archives and sent us this ...

The perm didn't last long - I soon had it all cut off,  and Mr T was always a bit of a poser. He is two years my junior and as you can see looks very boyish here, we can't have been married long . I have been grovelling around in the photo archives and have found one other picture of me with THAT perm dated Nov '79, and  also photos of me in summer 80 with short hair so we can date this to early 1980, I'm 30 and Mr T 28 - aaah - thought you would like a peek  

What's been going on...

My art and blogging seems to have taken on a different pace recently. I have established  a routine for myself that includes some aspect of art or craft most day. My camera is part of my life as is logging into my blog and now running my Etsy shop. I no longer feel the frenzy I had a year ago to try everything I could get my hands on. I miss that energy to a certain extent, but I feel as if I am on a plateau, consolidating  all the new skills I have experimented with. I have been busy doing this and that and haven't seem to have had the time to put a blog together - but today I have the time so here goes. (Two long phone calls later - see what I mean)

Last week I got an envelope stuffed with fabric scraps from Lesley at Printed Material. They burst rather magically out of the envelope so I filled this basket with them

After taming them with the scissors and hot iron

I ended up with a beautiful pile of Tana lawn scraps for my patchwork.

You may spot a couple of the pieces in my new creation - a spectacle case.

Which I have lined with yellow felt to cushion your specs.

Shortly to appear in my Etsy shop .

There are some more in the pipeline. What do you think?

I shall be posting this pair too soon.

Meanwhile I have been doing other things.

I am working on my Honesty seed-head book. There is still a lot to do.

...and I have been trying  some ideas for C******** stars.

When the sun came out this afternoon I thought I would take a quick walk round the lake at the park.

I grabbed my camera,  just in case there was an irresistible photo-opportunity. When I got there I thought I would snap as many different birds as I could - plus a squirrel. I made it half way round when I spotted the rather ominous black cloud that had been lurking on the horizon was now overhead and large , so I had to tuck the camera into my coat and rush back to the car park.

1. Pink Footed Goose (there only ever seems to be one), 2. Mallard duck, 3. Coot, 4. Grey squirrel, 5. Whooper swan (one of several), 6.The sun and rain from inside the car, 7. Feral pigeons

So my walk and photo session was cut rather short - I took a last photograph inside the car with the hail stones bouncing off the roof!

Writing this has taken all evening! At least the photographs up-loaded smoothly. Now I will take a time to catch up on everyone else's posts.

So far ...

Went to the hairdressers and went shopping. The beads I bought on e-bay arrived, 50 is so few!! 

 I'm so pleased I bought a hydrangea this year.

Met the Nutty Knitters.  Maxine a textile artist/designer, who I had met at Wrest Park craft fair e mailed me to join her and some friends for a fortnightly get-together. Said it didn't matter if I didn't knit! They are a group of ladies who are interested in all sorts of textile/arts and were very encouraging. Some were mambers of the Beds art group. Sat in Maxines lovely farmhouse kitchen and drank tea, ate home made cake and chilled out. I shall be going again

This should have been my image for Wednesday. But today I have been for a theraputic massage to try and iron out some of the knots in my shoulders. Computers and sewing machines don't help.

(Had a bit of fun in Photoshop Elements)