Embroidery for a Summer's Night

I've been embroidering the garden again, and using more of those tiny little vintage photo album pages!  I also used eco prints, black lace, antique tapestry and hand beading.  I'm pleased with how the black lace and dark eco print gives it a real night time feel.

I am linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

July's Forgotten Stash

Looking through my stash this month to find something that's been unused and forgotten about, I came upon this large postcard tag stamp from Hero Arts.

 I love it but have never got round to using it, so I decided to have a play!  I like the proportions of it, it's a substantial size being 12cm x 9cm so would make a good front for a card.
This is definitely a keeper and I know I'll be using it again!

 I'm linking up with Julia who I'm delighted to say is back at the helm of WOYWW this week.  

Summer Nights

While wandering round my local DIY store recently I discovered some new style paint sample cards, and they looked perfect for little pieces of arty crafty stuff!   Laid out in colour sequence they were totally irresistible to me!  

Working on my theme of the summer garden at night, I thermofax printed on them, used Infusion powders on clear texture paste and stitched velvet flower buds on top.  I wanted the effect of twilight sweeping over the garden, so I smudged the Infusions with a baby wipe, which I then didn't like as it just looked a mess, so that's why the other two look 'cleaner'!

 I forgot to initially coat them with clear gesso, so some of the texture paste flaked off - I quite like the effect though!

And here are the cards on my work desk!  I chose some lovely rich shades of red for Christmas, the blues for the summer night garden, yellows for spring, and a few pales that were actually to help choose paint for our dining room walls!

I'm linking up with Jan this week (who is doing a superb job of being Julia) for WOYWW.

Summer's Night Garden

'I often think the night is more alive and more richly coloured than the day'

                                                                                     Vincent Van Gogh

In the summer I love my garden more at night than in the day - it's at it's most beautiful in the late evening, just as the sun has gone down.  The scents are stronger and the garden is more alive with insects and moths.  The shapes and outlines of the plants are more highly defined and the although the bright colours are muted the blues and whites are quite spectacular. 

Here's a garden tag to celebrate the summer we are eventually going to have!

I am linking up with Jan (who is temporarily Julia) over at WOYWW this week.