Not much to show

Well today I don't really have anything to show you, I am still waiting for my printing to dry!!!!!!!! every time I touch the papers I get printing ink all over my hands grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

Today I did a refresher course with a guild member on needle-weaving. There isn't a lot to show yet as we were doing sample pieces and it takes a long time.

I've also been playing with some rayon ribbons for my knitted beads BUT they got all ravelled up and it took me hours to untangle them.

So it's been a busy day if not a productive one.

Bracelet

Well I haven't got any further with the project I had in mind for the beads I showed you yesterday. However here is the Python bracelet I made last night. I was going to make another necklace but started to run out of the 20mm wooden beads, so it became a bracelet instead.

My papers have now been trimmed and printed on. (I just had to use the new stamps I got from Colouricious today!) Here they all are. I have plans for them but you will have to wait to see what they will become. Can you guess?

More paper and beads

I have made another paper using the kitchen towels painted the other day. Note the paper markings are a much brighter colour.

Compare today's paper with the one made yesterday

Now which of these beads will become part of my next completed project? Sorry the photo is a bit dark and you can't see them properly.

Dry papers

What I didn't tell you was that yesterdays papers had two lots of colour on them. The first time they were too pale so I added more colour and these papers are the result.

they are still very pale, I had forgotten that Koh-I-Noor does go much paler when dry. I'm going to live with it though as there will be more put on later.

Below you can see one of the papers that I tore up and stuck back together mixing up the colours. I used Golden Matt Medium to stick the papers down and couldn't wait for it to dry before taking the photo, hence the slight sheen which will disappear as it dries. I like matt medium as it combines the papers without curled up edges

I made another very large bead and completed my first necklace. It's not that spectacular as they are all my practice beads. I'm now working on another one and I'll be a bit more careful about the bead placing. More to come later.

Back to playing

Not sure how many people are still following my blog. I have been very remise over the last year or so. But I am back to playing again so I do have pictures to share again.

Here are some papers I am preparing - we will have to wait for them to dry before I tell you what I am going to do with them. They are still very wet. I've used Koh-I-Noor dye paints so the colours are very vibrant. The slightly see through papers are kitchen towels.

Here are my first attempt at making beaded, knitted beads

I have made more beads and hope to make a better necklace as my trials progress. Playing with different yarns show how different they all look. I'll let you see more as I play.

Please let me know if you are still with me as I'll feel very lonely if you don't.

Sorry I have been absent

Yes I know I have been absent for a long time. My apologies. I will try and rectify this soon.

I hope everyone is getting excited about Christmas, coming soon! Yesterday we went for a visit to York to see the St Nicholas Fair. It was a long day, the trains we were booked on were cancelled due to the weather and it was COLD. 

We did a lot of walking and there were lots of people round the stalls. The best event was inside the Guildhall and it was free. Some of the other inside events charged entry. 

DH took a lot of photos of the flooded river at night with all the lights. I haven't seen them all yet. He spends ages playing around with them. It was quite spectacular but not fun for those businesses effected.

Bye for now.

Off on my Rambles

This Wednesday I am off on my rambles again. This time it is to Egypt with Colouricious. I will be doing a block printing course with Jamie and Marilyn. DH is coming as well so he can do some scuba diving. We have been told that the Red Sea is the best place for scuba diving and that the fish there are fantastic. So we will both be happy.


I hope to be able to let you see what I've done when I get back.

February

Hello everyone, February is here and I am now a year older. Thank you to all my friends who sent me greetings or cards and threads. It is lovely to have so many lovely stitching friends. yesterday I went out for a meal with DH. I had seen my sister last Wednesday when she had a preview evening of her beautiful art work in Spennymoore Leisure Centre.


Here she is with her friend Catherine Howard If you would like to see more of Lindsey's work go to Lindseysatrbornart

Catherine can be found at Catherinejhoward and she is a very talented textile artist. Well done girls on a fantastic show.

I must take a photo of my Ruby Wedding Sampler which is now complete but it will have to wait until daylight. Today we have snow and I had to go out in it as I went to a friends 60th birthday party. A good time was had by all. I have also made a patchwork bag but again don't have the photos. Next time I promise a better run down of my work.

January

Well we are half way through January and I still haven't said Happy New Year to you all. So belatedly Happy New Year.
Having arrived back home on January 1st I have started an online workshop run by Strathmore Artists Studios.
Here is the first paper I made.

I then started taking small portions of the paper so I have nice close ups

Because I am an embroiderer I then did some tissue samples using similar techniques to the papers. These are serviettes I collected while away on holiday. The first one has been sprayed, stamped, then doodled. When everything was dry I then attached the papers with Bondaweb (Wonder-under) onto a wadding and stitched the piece by machine and hand. It's lovely and will be the front of a sketch book.

The second one is not finished yet

My next photo shows the progress of my Anniversary Sampler

Sampler progress

Today I completed row 5 of my 11 row Ruby Anniversary sampler. 

I'm pleased because I only started this as we set off on our holiday on the 4th December. So I'm doing quite well because I had to finish Dragonscape Hanging while I was away. It is for DS for his birthday and I wanted to give it to him on Boxing Day as I won't see him on his birthday later this month.

 I can also show you Purple Rain felted Hanging number 3 which I gave to DD and her partner for Christmas. Purple Rain 2 is mine - I posted a photo of that before and number 4 is very similar and went to DSis and her husband for Christmas.

I feel as if I've completed quite a lot over the last few months and am very happy with the results.

Happy New Year to you all, enjoy the last of the holiday and raise a glass with me at 12 midnight on the 31st.

Christmas puddings

Thanks to Chittle Chattle for her post which reminded me I hadn't written down the dessert I concocted for Christmas Day.
A few mornings before I had seen Gordon Ramsey make a dessert and we decided that we didn't want a heavy Christmas pudding. I found the ingredients on the web but no instructions and on Christmas Day I couldn't see the programme - I can watch it again now The One Show 21st December - it will probably disappear soon so I must get it down now before I forget.
I don't like cream so decided to substitute marscapone instead of whipping cream and fromage fraise instead of single cream. So here is what I made on Christmas Day. (My substitutions are in brackets)

Sheila's adaptation of a Gordon Ramsey Dessert

Christmas ice cream and fruit sundae

• Ice Cream (any flavour G R recommends ginger or honeycomb) I used vanilla

• 200ml double cream
 (marscapone cheese)
• 100g honeycomb
 (2 frozen crunchies)
• Caramel sauce
 200ml
• single cream 
(fromage fraise)
• 100g mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries etc)

• 10g sugar
(less - it doesn't really need any!)
• 2 peeled clementines
 (I forgot to put these in)
• Chocolate shavings
 - melt chocolate on baking parchment and curl up when not quite hard - do this in a cool atmosphere as the chocolate melts very easily)
• Crushed roasted hazelnuts

1. crush nuts
2. spread caramel sauce into iced glass
3. put in berries, honeycomb (or crunchies, frozen to make it easy to crumble), clementines
4. mix caramel sauce, mascapone and fromage fraise
5. spoon into glass
6. make an ice cream ball and place on top
7. more caramel sauce poured on top
8. spread crushed nuts on top
9. put chocolate shavings on top
10. serve
    
    
    Sorry I don't have a picture as we ate them all it was agreed that they were much better than Christmas pudding.

40 Years and Counting

Well our big day is now over. Yesterday was our Ruby Anniversary. It was a beautiful day in the sun. We took a trip out to what could have been a tropical island - Pigeon Island - not an island now as they have build a causeway to get there. It is a nature reserve and permanent museum to colonial rule in St Lucia. The first British garrison left their mark in the form of ruins where they lived and the look-out point where they placed their guns is well worth a look-see. 


I spent most of the time at the beach because we had explored the rest of the island on our first visit there The waves were quite strong but not as bad as at our resort beach which has been dangerous the last three days. I tried the snorkel but there was't much to see, the sea was too murky. DH managed to see one fish when he swam quite close to the rocks. I also realised today that I had left the snorkel and mask behind - boo - waste of money!


Lunch was at the island's only restaurant It was lovely sitting and watching the boats in the bay. We could have been there on our own, it was very small and shaded by the trees. Beautiful. Do a Google search on Pigeon Island and see the reviews. 


We went to a restaurant called Buzz in the evening which is just over the road from the hotel and this is my before dinner drink, fantastic glass!

 and here we are trying not to look too drunk!

The day ended with a final drink talking to some people we had met in the sister hotel next door.

Today is our last full day and I have to pack tonight. Shame the trip is nearly over but then we go back to the UK and straight into Christmas. Great. Hope I packed enough warm clothes!


DH has gone out to take some last sunset shots and I've had a shower and must go now and start packing. See you all on Wednesday.

Weather

OK I know everyone in the UK is experiencing bad weather at the moment. Yes I know I'm out of the country and it's beautiful here in St Lucia. However I was reading this blog today and it got me thinking. What is it that we dread? Bad weather - why? Missing appointments? Being late for a meeting? Letting someone down? Missing a dead-line?

Sitting here writing my blog at 6.45 in the morning I thank my blessings and start to think of all the good things, my loving DH of 40 years - yes it's our Ruby Anniversary on Sunday - that's the reason we are away on holiday at this time. My two adorable fluff balls who are being looked after by my DD. My two children - well not children any more I know. My art, my crafts and my sewing which fill my days quite amiably.

My work while I've been away
2 Cards

My Blackwork Anniversary sampler, I'm on to row 3, a red heart, now why is the picture flipped? I took it with the internal camera on this machine and having posted it now just realised it's flipped. I'll have to look at that and try to put it the right way round.

The final piece of work I can't show you as it's a present so will post a picture of that after Christmas.

Please everyone look on the positive side and write down everything that is good and what you have achieved this year. thanks to Marlis for helping me look at all the good things in my life. Yes I did make a list of all my accomplishments this year and they did surprise me. 2011 has been a good year for me. Thank you to my family for making that possible. Also a big thank you to all you bloggers out there who give inspiration and chat. Thank you, have a great festive period, however you might celebrate it and I hope 2012 is a good one for you.

Beachcombing

Look what I found yesterday. Sorry it's poor quality. I am playing with new technology getting my Mac and iPod to work together.

St Lucia

A 9 hour flight and a one and a half hour small bus journey later we got to Rodney Bay on the North West corner of St Lucia,  Dropped our bags after being delivered to the wrong hotel! Ours was just next door and all part of the same complex. Then explored the grounds in the dark, had a sandwich well to tell the truth it was a big meal, fries and all! Then dropped into bed. Our watches said 7.30 but that was local time so it was really 11.30 UK time and we had been up since 4am. A long wait and the airport and a very long flight. It will have been worth it.

This morning I was up at 6, my normal time so must be adjusting well after a short walk along the beach it started raining and I mean raining hard but it was warm. It was quite a shock to put our feet in the water and it was warm - lovely. The rain got heavier and we took shelter for quite a while. DH took some photos of the boats in the bay. When the rain let up a bit we set off back for breakfast. I will hope to show you some photos at some point during the holiday.

All for now.

Ruby Anniversary Jaunt

We are finally off on our jaunt. Yesterday the car was packed with bags for both hot and cold climes - different bags, two cats and their acutriments, Christmas presents all wrapped. To say the car was full is an understatement. We set of from Tyneside in the rain and it was quite wet all the way down to London to stay today with DD. Cats travelled well and seem to be quite happy in their new temporary home. I will be acting as taxi for DD today with a variety of jobs then one more sleep and St Lucia here we come. It will be a very early start as the flight is at 9.30am and we have to get from Surrey to Gatwick. I'll wave as we leave. Thanks so much for reading

African Goddess

Thought it was about time I showed you my African Goddess hanging. Thanks to Helen for her help with this, I am now working on a new piece but can't show you it yet! I have also made two felted hangings but again can't show them until after the festive period.

I went down to the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate over the weekend and had a lovely time, meeting up with friends and spending money on paints, dyes and a small magnifier lamp which can come on holiday with me. Yes it's only ONE WEEK now until we fly off to St Lucia, to say I'm excited is maybe underrated. I AM VERY EXCITED! We will be away for a fortnight to celebrate our Ruby wedding anniversary, 40 years whow where have they gone? it seems like yesterday

New work

I think it's safe to post photos of this LARGE brooch. I made it last night and am wearing it today. The photo was taken with the webcam and it was very easy to crop. I just hope it shows up well when uploaded on your computer.

You can see another new piece of work on my Facebook page here the image is on my main computer and today I'm working with the small laptop. Too lazy to go upstairs and download it again! The colours look much brighter when you click on the image.

Where has this month gone to?

I have been so busy looking at other blogs and reading messages on forums I have forgotten about my own blog. Very naughty. So here is a LONG update.
Remember those little pieces for my coast piece? It is all completed now. 

It went into our Embroiderers' Guild Exhibition last week along with my Memories hanging

 And this small needle-felted square which was left over from the needle-books I made.

and my Australian hanging. All these fabrics and threads were sent from my EG e-friend in Australia. I think you have seen sections of this before but now you can see the whole piece.

These two pieces are works in progress still. The stitched papers, there are two of them now, and will become a single 3-D object - eventually. 

The Christmas Tree will be a cushion front.

This rabbit/hare will be the panel on a bag

 

Finally two photos taken in Gran Canaria. The first a lady doing the most intricate Canarian embroidery, yes that is me looking on in awe and the last piece is a journal page I gave to the trader who gave me some lovely wooden stencils. They quickly put it into one of their driftwood frames and doesn't it look lovely. I wonder if anyone bought it?

Thursday's Challenge

My Family, Mum, Gran & Great Gran

Playing with photoshop

Does it matter if the image is mirrored?

Or manipulated?(Masked)

I have used this image quite a lot in my work