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

Little bits of this and that

I've been very busy, oh yes - Friday afternoon was a hive of activity, a burst of energy that saw me making piles of art cards for the little gallery that stocks them for me up in Lincolnshire, and some (I hope) for the stall Im hoping to have at the summer Craft Candy fair. All this printing and cutting and putting together whilst the little one napped, but I was on a roll, and when she woke up we embarked on a baking spree...
...Here I am modelling my new apron that I got with some birthday money! Without further delay, we got down to business of weighing and mixing and by teatime the house was full of a deliciously warm aroma of lemon and poppy seed loaf cake. We couldn't wait for it to cool down and tucked in while it was still warm, with a nice mug of tea!

You'd think Id be worn out by the evening wouldn't you, but oh no - I was determined to finish my ripple cushion that I blogged about recently. I was very lucky to find a lilac merino wool jumper to back it with in our local charity shop a few days ago, it was one of those you see delightful grannies wearing, complete with collar and brass effect buttons so I wasn't surprised when the nice lady at the counter eyed me and my purchase with some amusement as I went to pay!

Oh! Almost forgot - I got a lovely package in the post too, with my new wools for my next cushion - aren't they pretty colours? Im calling my next cushion 'Porthmeor' after my favourite English beach and I picked these colours to reflect the shades of the atlantic shallows and the creamy white sand on a typical sunny Cornish day.

I like to give names to some of the things I make, I always have done and I like that it reminds me of a special time or place. This next cushion Im going to make is much smaller than the one Ive just done, almost half a cushion in fact, and Im just trying to decide what stitch to use before I begin! I like that the colours are slightly similar to the one Ive just completed, but more blues this time so I think they will nestle together well on our bed.

Anyway! Without further ado, here is my finished cushion!!

I spent most of last night backing it and completed the crochet button holes this morning whilst the little one amused herself with Boogie Beebies :)

...and this is the back, complete with pretty shell buttons. I can't tell you how proud I am of it, would you believe that this time last year I couldn't crochet a stitch?? Its true! I taught myself last year whilst spending a week with my sister in sun drenched Suffolk. I followed the Happy Hooker book, and luckily my dear friend Niki who lives about half an hour or so away from sis showed me how to do the bits I was stuck on and I haven't looked back since!! Im totally addicted, I melt at the mere sight of a wool store and can spend hours looking at yarn charts and playing with colour combinations. Its the ultimate way to relax and tune out, and there are no expectations wiht it, its just simple, its soothing, its necessary. Its a comfort at the end of a bad day - its pleasure, watching balls of wool turn into pieces of usable stuff like bags, cushions, blankets and toys.

I love it, cant you tell?!

Well, the sun has finally come out! The only reason Im blogging on a saturday is that it got decidedly dark and started to rain, so the gardening plans I had were put on hold - however, looks like some blue sky is heading our way so Im off out to hoe, rake and sow...

See you all soon,

Love J x

Just for fun today...

Hello dear souls, hope your week is flowing in a lovely and sunny way - the weather has been glorious here, we are in t-shirts and slathering on the suncream, eating al-fresco and contemplating summer holidays!

As you can see, Ive been busy today on some new textile art - its a little beach scene that Ive done onto felt backing with a mixture of fabric remnants I have in my sewing box, although its not quite finished yet - Ive still got a fair bit of hand embellishment to do, such as adding sparkly fish and some embroidered text.
I wonder if you can see the lovely stuff that the little boat is sewn on to? Its a glorious product that no doubt many of you might have heard of, called Angelina Fibres which is the most magical and amazing thing Ive been playing about with today! For those of you who are shaking your head and thinking, 'haven't got a clue what you're on about' I'll explain :)

Angelina Fibres are lovely shimmery strands that look like angel hair, they are mostly irredescent and when they catch the light they glow like the wings of damsel flies in the sun. You lay down your choice of fibres (you can mingle in various other colours, you dont have to stick to one shade) onto a piece of baking parchment, and then when you are satisfied with your design, you lay another piece of parchment over the top and with a medium heated iron, just glide over the top a few times to bind the fibres...here's the best bit...when you peel away the top parchment, you have a piece of shimmery fabric!! The possibilities for this beautiful stuff are endless - oh, and you can also add in threads, feathers and the like for extra texture!

I thought this would be a great way to get the effect of a shimmery sea without it being too over the top. Im just beginning to hand embroider my little glittery fish onto it, Im after a shoal in front of the boat but my fingers are worn out today so Im going to pick it up again tomorrow.

Im now debating whether it would be fun to enter this for the art show...musing on it at the moment but I think I'll get the feeling whether or not its the right thing to do when its finished.

Indecisive as ever eh?!!

Onto other things now, the crochet cushion front is now complete (hurrah!!) and Im now on the lookout for a suitable backing, perhaps later in the week, the little one and I will pootle over to Ecclesall Road at the other side of the city to browse the charity shops (alot of them on there) and will hopefully strike lucky! I can't wait to have it finished and plonked on the bed :) ...Ive already got another cushion pad at the ready, so taken am I with this ripply style that Im planning another one in contrasting shades! Do I ever stop?? No.

Well, as usual there are too many things I want to be doing and not enough hours in the day to do them all, so I think its time to take a break - get the kettle on and make a nice cuppa to go with those scrumptious chocolate cookies Mr Tesco just brought! :D

Have a lovely week, sending joy~full surprises and sunshine to you

J x