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'Patchwork Owls'

Hello!

I've been working on some animal/bird character sketches this week, and this is one of them above ~ I'm calling them the Patchwork Owls.

These are what I call my Paint Sketches, I work from pencil sketch drawings and then render them with colour. They are only small, about 10cm square and give me an excuse to play. Oh I like my paint sketch time very much indeed! There is no pressure to perform and execute a brilliant piece, its just painting for paintings sake (if you get my drift)...working on a Real Painting involves a bit more pressure at times, and attention to detail, and blending, and so on...paint sketching is just simple, wonderful, messing about.

In my mind I have a whole zoo of animals that are waiting to be put onto paper, and I've really enjoyed doing the owls, I want to work with the animals expressions a bit more as well.

It's been a while since I really did any animal characters...I think the last ones I painted were for my nephews a few years back. I did each of them a painting when they were new to the world, one was of a train full of different creatures with a letter on each little carriage spelling the eldest's name, and the other was a procession of elephants walking trunk to tail with a lettered coverlet spelling the youngest nephews name. These were done in watercolour but I find myself working more and more with acrylic nowadays ~ I love the way it dries quickly and how you can layer the colours over one another to give some great depth, and you can also water them down so they are almost as transparent as watercolour paint.

I have also been sketching some ideas for my next Small Original, I was over the moon delighted to sell the one I showed you last week (Tulips & Boats) and it is now happily on its way to a lovely new home.

The next painting will most likely feature the following: Beach Huts. Sea. Bunting.

...and, I will post pics as soon as it's done!

So how are you all this week? Have you had the awful cold snap that we have had here?? My goodness, we took ourselves off to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park on bank holiday Monday and nearly froze to death, despite putting several layers on! We also got caught in some icy cold rain showers and had to shelter in some bluebell woods (right next to a badger set) 'til it passed over...but it was worth it, the Wildlife Park is a fairly new attraction in these parts and we really enjoyed it. The Lemur experience where you are allowed to walk through their compound is magical, they are swinging about in the trees right above your head, and sitting not a foot away from the path you are walking on, warming their little tummies in the weak sunshine!

I think with this shock cold spell, I have been driven to a spot of nesting. Brownies have been baked (thank the Lord for Rachel Allen) and much crochet has been done of an evening. We have read lots of books and magazines, built lego towers, napped, made dens under the dining table with blankets, had a thunder storm and lamented the loss of all the blossom on the cherry tree, thanks to nasty gusty winds that blew it all off. We have pretty much harboured ourselves at home this week and I must say, I have enjoyed it very much. The gentle pace has been quite necessary.

Here is a little peak into our world of home made egg cosies, books, the Tiny Allotment (aka a patch of dirt in the back garden), crochet, and other bits and bobs:

Talking of domestic bliss, I have to tell you that I shocked myself the other day. My iron broke. And that meant I had to get a new one...oh dear, I actually felt quite excited at the thought of a new appliance...good grief, that would never have happened 10 years ago!! And so, the new iron was purchased, as was a dinky Cath Kidston ironing board cover (luxuriously thick and pretty) to replace the old one which was so thin you could see the metal through it. Why oh why did this delight me so much? I don't especially like ironing to tell you the truth but there is something about a New Iron and a New Cover that has me itching to get my hands on a fresh pile of laundry and get cracking. Perhaps I need help, or perhaps this is what happens when one is sequestered away in the confines of their home for several days...

Anyway! Im going to have a cup of tea and the other half of my lunch time brownie now - I want to say 'Welcome' to some lovely new followers (eek, they're nearly at 100, how did that happen??), it's nice of you all to stop by and please do say "Hello" if you feel like it, it's always smashing to hear from you, and it means I can come and visit you at your little blog too!

I hope you have a warm weekend, and I will catch up with you all again soon.

Mucho love,

J x

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* Edited to add that the above mentioned Cath Kidston ironing board cover sadly had a tear along the seam and so it has been sent to the land of Returns and I am left with the above mentioned tatty one for the time being!! (Heart actually sank upon discovering it, my dream of ironing amongst the colourful flowers horribly dashed! Bah!)

Flowery goodness

'Fiesta'
'Strawberry Sundae'

'Citrus Twist'


Hello dear souls. I have managed to find a few spare minutes to drop in and share my latest crocheted goodies with you all - I couldn't resist letting you all have a sneaky peep at what Im making up for the fair in July and there they are, three of them all finished and ready to be put on little display cards.

I managed to get hold of some delicious ceramic buttons for the centres (which you can see on the corsages above in the pics), so Im making some with those, and some with little clusters of vintage ones which hail from my Mum's old tin - me and the Little One spent ages looking at all the shapes and colours, making little piles of our favourites and every now and then you'd hear me 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over long forgotten ones, that once found suddenley conjoured up faded memories of a pretty sundress or a hand knitted cardigan by Nan all those years ago when I was small myself.


As usual Ive been busy beetling away in the evenings but on Sunday, fatigue or something caught up with me and I surrendered to the most shocking tiredness Ive experienced in ages and was in bed fast asleep by 8pm! I think it was my body's way of saying slow down...well there's a big dose of Slow Stuff as of friday when we are officially on our hols - hurrah!!


We actually spent most of Sunday in York, I lived there for a while a few years back and now and then we all like to go and have a wander round. Despite the forcast being depressingly overcast, the sun shone all day and it was gorgeous. We had a picnic in the park watching the boats race and then wandered round the shops a while...I accidently stumbled into Cath Kidston and found myself sometime later with a little blue carrier bag in my hand...(chuckles wickedly :) How did that happen I wonder!! I treated us to a white enamel soap dish for our kitchen (which Ive had my eye on for an age now) and a pretty floral bowl which will suit a heap of strawberries or at present, a pot of home grown basil.

Anyway folks, thats all from me for now. I look forward to seeing you all after my week away, when I will visit all of your blogs to catch up with what you've all been up to.


Lots of love, thanks to all of you who visit my blog and leave such smashing comments - they really do mean the world to me. I know that most of you lead busy lives and that you take the time to come and read my ramblings let alone leave me a message...well, it just makes my day! :)

Sending love to blog friends old and new,
Love Julia xxx

Its all rather blue!

Don't worry dear souls, this isn't a post about being blue as in gloomy, no - it just occured to me how drawn to the colour blue I am right now. The mosaic above was made after a trip to North Wales on sunday and it just so happens that it seemed to fit in with my 'blue' theme of late.

We had a lovely time visiting Rhos on Sea and Llandudno and despite the forcast being totally wrong, we did manage to catch some sunshine (as you can see in some of the photos) and got the tot on the sands three times in between dodging the raindrops! North Wales is a very beautiful and dramatic place, the peaks of Snowdonia national park all windswept and majestic behind us! We ended our day out at a lovely little pub in Walton, just on the outskirts of Warrington - a hot roast dinner being just the job after braving the April elements all day long! It was so good for the spirits to see the sea again, I always feel refreshed and revived when I go to the coast - I suppose its breathing in all those negative ions that breeze in off the water that make us feel so light and happy!

But back to more things blue....

The second cushion cover is coming on a treat!! I picked the shell stitch after much deliberation, it seemed fitting for a cushion I had named 'Porthmeor' (after the beach) before Id even started it, and Im really liking how the shells are taking on a wave like effect as the different colours flow into one another. I don't know whether you'll agree, but I was aiming for a sort of tidal feel to it, the dark of the sea turning into those brilliant turquoise shades you find in the shallows before meeting the creamy white sand...what do you think?

A trip to town a couple of days ago saw me splurge on some delicious new fabric - also blue, surprise surprise :) Im making up some decorative fabric hearts (Summer fair preparation) and thought this fabric would be just right!

Ive also started to make some more corsages, the other evening I followed one of Lucy's patterns (at Attic 24) for making flowers and I was delighted with the result - I love how simple her instructions are and Im hoping to try out some variations and make some for the stall - which Im still not sure if Im being allocated as it seems its very popular and the group have had a million applications from people who want to take part...I'll let you know if I get picked, it would be very exciting if I did and Im keeping my fingers crossed :)

Im looking forward to a bit of a relaxing afternoon now - this morning I went back to the Children's Hospital to run an art workshop. I had come up with a 'Magic Garden' theme and drawn an outline of the picture onto a large board for the children to paint and decorate with fibre papers, glittery gels and crayons. I was working with a smashing little girl who was in hospital receiving treatment for bone cancer - whilst we were working, she was asked to take part in a hospital dvd which was being filmed for patients families to watch, and somehow I was drafted into it too!! Whether my little bit part will end up on the cutting room floor or not I don't know! We had to 'act like the film crew weren't there', and get on with painting and colouring - great fun!!

Sadly we didn't have time to finish the whole picture (what with all the filming going on), but I left some materials behind and hopefully some of the other patients will be able to finish it during the week. It was a brilliant experience and Im so glad I was invited along :) Its quite moving at times, seeing all the little people and knowing that some of them are very sick - its hard not to feel affected by it all and my heart went out to them and their families. However, the staff there are all fabulous and it was a pleasure to have met the ones that I did on my two visits there.

A cup of tea is beckoning...the sun is shining...and my little one is waking from her nap.

See you all soon,
J x