Beach

Sitting here feeling sorry for myself - bad week, long story - when the post came and in it was an Everyday Book that Skippy had sent on to me.
In it she asked about the beach.

So..... hitched up the dog and went to have a look.
Amazing what a little walk can do.

Neither I or the dog could get down the slope today.
Actually that's not true. We could have got down but not back up!!

So we just sat a looked down, watched the sea and listened to the birds.
Well I listened, the dog is deaf - goodness what a pair we are.

Anyway, thank you Skippy for making me feel much better ;0)

Serendipity

I love serendipity don't you?
Made this little bag yesterday.
This was the second time I had painted my own silk fusion. Was really happy this time - hey if it was easy there wouldn't be books and courses on this.

Anyhoooo, very pleased with said bag.
Excited too because I played with colours out of my usual palette of purple, blue, green and pink.
I think I use these colours as an expression of myself so it is hard to change. But I am glad I did.








The serendipity happened when I went to check on the colours and theme for the Everyday Book RR I am in.
The colours were Spice!

Well the left over piece from the bag seemed perfect.
I thought of The Spice Route.
The stitched lines are to represent sand dunes and the route itself. The jewels are the touch of exotica!

Hope Laura will like it.

Woven Fabric

Completed this bag at the weekend. Very pleased with it.
It is part of another of Sue Bleiweiss classes hosted at Joggles.

It is woven from strips of fabric that I painted first. The fabric for the strap and top flap were painted too.

The heart charm is one that Maz put in my altered handbag for me. I thought it looked great here.

Got so many ideas for the squares on this bag, want to add machine embroidery, hand embroidery, dominoes, bottletops, beads ... oh I could go on and on.
Must finish my courses first then, I think there will be lots of samples to play with. Not to mention all the painting techniques I am learning and relearning.

Oh boy I am having a blast!
Can't hang around got lots of things to do - see ya later.

Rubbish.

My friend and part-time neighbour was here this weekend. She came for a rest.
Did she get one? Not a chance of that.

The garden whilst beautiful was looking overgrown. In fact I wish I had thought to take before photos.
Well you couldn't see this wall for a start and although the way was clear on Monday, after the rain on Wednesday you couldn't get up the steps properly for the undergrowth.






Now as you can see it isn't a very big garden so.........












.........how did we manage to generate 9 bags of rubbish?





Whatever the amount of rubbish, we had a lovely time working together to make our garden a great place to sit again.
We were supplied with coffee throughout the day by my hubby Roger and Cath's daughter Chrissy - thanks guys.

We didn't do all of it by the way.
Chrissy got down on her hands and knees to clear the weeds from between the paving stones.
Sometimes being older has it's advantages and we can let the younger generation have some of the fun too!

We do this for fun!

Went dancing last night.
No not clubbing. Did that a long time ago, not any longer.

We are learning to dance "properly" you know Ballroom and Latin.
Mind you there is nothing "proper" about the way we dance. We are either giggling or arguing. Roger stood on my toe and I disrupted the class with my squeals - must remember to wear steel toe caps.
Anyway, I think I nearly broke his arm in a spin during the Cha Cha.

Our Square Tango is going well though and we are getting there in the Cha Cha but the Waltz! Well that's anothter story altogether.
Can't imagine why they try to teach you that one first. We loose all sense of direction and when we get to a corner, well you just may as well forget it.
I suppose we will get there in the end but where is anybody's guess.

We limped out completly exhausted saying "yes of course we will see you next week", thinking "no way!".
But we will be there next week. After all we are doing this for FUN.

Ironing!

OMG! I've been ironing. Yes proper ironing not just the crafty sort.
As part of my self esteem building I decided that I wouldn't wear anything that didn't make me feel good. Well that cut down the choice in my wardrobe I can tell you.

So when Roger had left this morning and I went to get dressed could I find anything to wear?
No!
Now to wear nothing would be liberating but it would disturb the animals that share my house. What to do?
Well I had to get out the iron and use it to make my clothes ready to wear.

Wearing them will have to wait however as the shock is just too much for me and I must go and lie down!!

Textiles

Years ago I started City and Guilds Embroidery. At the same time though, I didn't know it, I started with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Great year 'coz that was the year I fell down the cellar stairs at work and caused the damage to my back that changed my life.
Needless to say I didn't finish my City and Guilds Embroidery.

Done lots of wonderful things since and been a member of some fantastic Internet groups. Decos being one of my main activities for a good while.
Through all of it though I had the teddy bears and Isaiah Bears. I loved my bears, I love the creation of them and their little faces smiling at me. Yes like me all my bears had smiles!
Well since I had to stop making them due to pain in my hands I have thrown myself wholeheartedly into paper arts.
Well I say wholeheartedly but there has always been something missing.
I have learnt so much and loved every minute but there has always been that nag, nag that something was missing.

After going to Jan's in March and seeing her wonderful work the nag became bigger.
Now, you have probably realised I'm not always the brightest spark especially when it comes down to myself but it was only a couple of weeks ago that it hit home that it was fabric and textiles that were missing!! Duh.

So what to do about that.
I've experimented on my own trying to combine paper and textiles but I just need a guide to point me in the right direction again.
I didn't want to do the City and Guilds course, I don't think I have the staying power. I had a good search round the internet and found a great site in the USA called Joggles and low and behold they run internet courses.
Yippee!!
I signed up for a couple of courses with Sue Bleiweiss and I am having a wonderful time making silk paper and handbags.

I feel I have turned a corner and have started on another roller coaster ride. I am the luckiest person ever, each time I get off one roller coaster there is another waiting for me. Long may that continue.

Capricorn!

Capricorn!!!

Just had a look at my profile. Well it tells everyone I am a Capricorn - I'm NOT!
I am a Scorpio. Go on have a look at the tail. See not a goats tail is it? Just watch out for the sting that is all I'm saying.

Do you blog?

Do you blog I was asked?
Well no! I never have been any good at keeping a diary or a journal. The rows of beautiful books with one or two entries that grace my bookshelves are testement to that.

But everyone is doing it!
Well I never have been one to do the things everyone else does. In the 70's everyone flocked in the thousands to see The Exocist. I resisted for a long time but curiosity got the better of me and I eventually gave in and went.

What did I think?
Well actually I fell asleep!

So curiosity got the better of me again and here I am, giving blogging a try. How long this continues is anybodies guess. Just hope I don't fall asleep too soon.