Moving Away from Neutrals!

 On my desk is a little needlecase I made this week.  Last week I was wanting to move away from the neutral colour palette that I work with so often,  but despite envisaging a bright and colourful week of embroidery, somehow it just didn't happen!   

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week

Never Ending Sorting and WOYWW

I decided that I needed to move my lace making equipment off the book shelf it had been sitting on for years to make way for a pile of books that are currently homeless - what should have been a simple job has taken two weeks of re-shuffling and re-organising virtually all my belongings!

I have eventually made a small gap on the book shelves and the lace stuff is being sorted to see if I can stuff it into a much smaller box that will fit on another shelf!  Why oh why did I start this!

So this week my desk, unusually for me, is an absolute mess - old bobbins that need new spangles (spangles are the beads that hang on the bottom end), a large jumble of beads and all the supplies that go with the job.

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Winter Weaving

Whilst having a sort out in my studio I came across a piece of weaving I did last winter - the original idea was a frosty garden with hibernating seeds buried deep and starting to come alive.  It's been lying in the 'winter' box untouched, and although it's rather wonky because I used different thicknesses of yarns and ribbons in the weaving I felt it needed to be finished and filed away!   This week I've added pleated silk, bits of old lace, pearl beads and lots of embroidery as surface decoration.   

 I am linking up with Julia over at WOYWW today.

Stay safe, and if anyone gets stir crazy or overwhelmed by the whole process of self isolation and social distancing please do contact me and I'd be very happy to 'chat'!

Spring is in the Air

'Spring is in the air' over at Tag Tuesday, so here is my Spring themed tag - 

with Pussy Willow stems, hard frosty ground and hints of new growth.

Rust Printing, Book Making and WOYWW

I have spent the last few weeks slowly making a gift for my dear blog friend Terri over at Art-Life-Rust, which she has now received so I can show it!  She recently sent me the most beautiful water colour painting and I wanted to send her a little something back to show my appreciation.  I knew I wanted to make a little notebook but the blizzard binding needs very accurate folding so I had to wait until my hand was recovered enough from my recent operation to fold and put pressure on the paper.

Little by little it's come together - using rust printed fabric I stamped some text on to it, then embroidered, beaded and collaged.   

I remembered to add ribbons for closure just before gluing the inner lining to the covers - something I forgot to do on the last one I made (here)!

I have used Khadi paper for the pages but the nature of a Blizzard binding means the pages can be changed around or replaced with different papers.   

I am linking up with WOYWW and the Mini Album Makers Challenge.

Orange and Duck Egg Tag Cards and WOYWW

    Using my favourite tag stamp again and some left over bits and pieces.   

I found the rolled paper beads on Etsy and fell in love with them - I always knew I'd find the perfect use for them one day!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW - why not pop over and see what other people have on their desks this week. 

Fleur de Lys Tag and WOYWW

 I had a lovely, relaxing 'play' session in my studio yesterday and made this rather fussy tag for no reason other than the fun of it.  I flung everything at it - I stamped, crackled and foiled!  I then added some vivid blue glass beads simply because they are my latest passion!   

  

I'm linking up with Julia this week over at Whats On Your Work Desk Wednesday.

Textile Birthday Card and WOYWW

October is a busy month for birthday celebrations and this week it's my sister's birthday, so here is the card and gift bag I made for her.

I picked up some lovely tweed fabric squares from a charity shop a few weeks ago and decided they would go very well with the beautiful rusty orange coloured silk velvet.

I embossed the velvet with a leaf stamp, covered a couple of buttons with the same velvet, die cut some copper sheet and added some hand embroidery and beading.

I made the origami envelope but needed paper nearly A1 in width to get it to the correct size (6"x6") - it's open so the card just slips in, which is fine when it's not going through the post!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Happy Anniversary WOYWW!

I've inadvertently been taking a blog break - it wasn't planned but I just haven't had the time or the inclination to get stuck into things in my studio!

However, when Jan reminded me it was the 8th anniversary of WOYWW this week I knew I had to pull my finger out and join in.

On my desk for the last 3 weeks has been a bag of stash I purchased at the Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta, a great yearly event I try never to miss.  So I pulled my finger out and went to great effort last night and took the items out of the carrier bag to photograph them - hopefully I'll have them put away by next week!

 I have two bundles of sari silk ribbon - I was seduced by the colour, hand-dyed embroidery yarns and velvet for a couple of projects I'm planning, and I just can't get enough matte cream beads, as you probably guessed!  

Happy 8th Anniversary WOYWW - and a big thank you to our host Julia who does all the hard work to keep this great party going!

Tree Houses

 I've been gently getting back into a creative frame of mind, and messing about with tree houses!
I've always loved them, ever since Peter and Jane had one in a Ladybird book when I was a child - anyone remember?!  I yearned for one, to no avail - we didn't have a tree for a start - but they still hold a real fascination for me. 

I've just been down memory lane and found the original image on Google - I remember in my tree house I wanted an easel in the corner so the wood grain wouldn't show through the paper, as I'm sure it must have done on Peter's drawing - I was pernickety even back then!   

I'm linking up with Julia this week over at WOYWW

A Nature Themed ATC Swap

 I have recently been involved in a lovely ATC swap with Elaine over at
 Craft Shed Girl - I was so pleased when she let me know she was up for a swap, as we have similar tastes and a love of nature in our artwork! 

This is the ATC and matching box I sent to Elaine, it's based on my current work around the moonlit garden ...

... and this is the beautiful ATC holder and gift tag Elaine sent me...

 Elaine very cleverly designed and made the holder herself - it's absolutely ingenious and such an effective and beautiful way to present the ATC.  I felt I was opening a birthday present when it arrived!

As you can see once you undo the ribbon holding it closed, it opens up to display the ATC which is held in the card groove - and what a stunning ATC it is. Elaine thoughtfully and carefully worked with images, colours and subject matter that she knows I like and if I had sent her a list of my requirements she couldn't have got it more right!!!

This has been such an enjoyable swap - thank you Elaine!

I must add that for anyone interested Elaine has listed her supplies and techniques over on her blog.   

I'm linking up Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Summer Night Garden Velvet Tag

I'm enjoying working on the night garden theme - and I love this blue/mauve velvet which has a bronze thread in it and seems to glimmer as if in the moonlight.

I used Infusions for the background and sprinkled them liberally on clear texture paste through a stencil for the darker shapes - does anyone else find the powder gets everywhere, or am I just a messy worker!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Spring Pinks

 Getting a little tired of the bright green I've been working with lately I decided to add some vivid pink - a choice helped along by the beautiful bundle of cerise sari silk I found at the Needlework Fiesta few weeks ago.

I used the little frame stamps from May's Forgotten Stash post here, and I made a series of little Spring windows again.

Th backgrounds are Brusho's on clear texture paste - a technique I found on the Country View Crafts blog, although they were using Infusions and not Brusho's.  I have recently purchased the Infusion powders but felt they weren't as bright and vivid for what I wanted on this project. 

I received another beautiful ATC in the post this week from Jo (Twiglet), and I'm thrilled with it - I love the colours, especially that beautiful bright pink -  very appropriate for my 'pink' mood this week and very gorgeous!  She also included a card showing close-up the beautiful and intricate work of her daughter Maxine (Tilly Tea Dance) - a big thank you Jo!

I am linking up with WOYWW this week.