Focus on Life Challenge - Food

Over at the fabulous Studio Sublime is a weekly photographic challenge that I have recently found -  and this weeks prompt for a photo is 'food'.  So I used that as the perfect excuse to buy this delicious home-made Dorset Apple Cake from a local stall.

I loved the way it was wrapped, with the pretty mint green ribbon - it almost looked too good to eat - but not quite!

I am also linking up with Mary over at Mosaic Monday.

WOYWW #207

Some of you may vaguely recognise the printers tray in this weeks post - it was on my desk about a year ago, as a project that I was in the middle of.  Well, it has been on my desk ever since - pushed to the back with things piled on it! I finally got round to completing it and putting it on my new (or rather not so new) bathroom wall this week.  

And on my actual desk this week is a fab article and some beautiful ribbon sent to me by Lynn from One I Made Earlier Today.  A huge thank you Lynn, and I love the postcard of your beautiful embroidery. 

 I am linking up with Julia over at WOYWW - where we all have a good nose at other peoples work desks!

WOYWW and Red Coral Embroidery

If you saw my previous post you'll know that I am in the middle of a wonderful embroidery course by Karen Ruane and I am having great fun.  This week I have been working on a piece of free machine embroidery based on the theme of red coral.  On my work desk is the first page of a sketch book I started a while ago on this coral idea, a selection of red threads and felt beads and a gorgeous piece of silk sari strip that I was desperate to use but it just didn't work with this!

I free machine embroidered the background on dyed cotton scrim, I wove red ribbon through it and then started the hand embroidery - I don't have much more to do but I do want to embroider the felt dome and possibly add another one.

 The design for the little flower was taken directly from the torn out coral picture on my desk - I was going to do several but I wasn't happy with how it turned out so I decided not to.

I am linking up with WOYWW, where people get to nosy about at other people's work desks - it's great fun, why not go and have a peep!

Embroidering like Crazy!

I have been so enjoying the two week course I joined, run by Karen Ruane.  I have always enjoyed free machine embroidery but have not done much hand embroidery, so I felt this course might offer some new ideas and inspiration - and I wasn't wrong!

This is my first piece of work - I have been totally immersed in it to the detriment of the laundry, house-work and all those other mundane jobs!  I even sat through my book club having unsociable thoughts that the evening might be better spent embroidering!

  I tend to usually work with slightly thicker silks and cottons, so using delicate antique laces and very fine silks has been a learning curve!

The finished sample and close-up detail

WOYWW - Butterflies, Bulbs and Bags!

This week I finally finished a project that has been in the 'idea' stage for a long time - it is on the windowsill right next to my work desk - hope that counts, as I'm linking up for WOYWW this week! 

 I fitted an antique light bulb into an old oak candlestick and attached vellum butterflies and moths to it with little glue dots.  Not my own original idea I'm afraid - there are thousands of art pieces combining light bulbs and moths around, and I know I've seen very similar to this on several occasions,  but I  am very pleased with the end result and would like to give credit where it's due to all those people who have given me the idea!

I also had a wonderful surprise today when Lunch Lady Jan sent me the most gorgeous tote bag in Union Jack fabric -isn't it just fabulous, and it's so beautifully made too - it was a swap for a print I sent her - I think I got the better deal! 

 A huge, huge THANK YOU Jan!  

 I think it's going to be for my knitting - it will look so smart taking my knitting and crochet around in it, although I'm also seeing it at the beach with our picnic in - although that might be wishful thinking because we had a few hours of sunshine at the weekend! 

WOYWW - Still Gelli Printing!

I have been continuing working on my gelli prints and have been developing the theme of gardens and enclosures.  I have always had an interest in the history of gardens and I love the idea of them changing from practical enclosures for planting food and keeping animals into areas for pleasure and relaxation. 

The stencil/mask is taken from an image of a Sumerian pictogram on a clay tablet dating from 3000BC.  It's an extremely early representation of a garden with a tree planted in the middle of a triangular enclosure.   

'Beyond the Enclosure'

If any one else is interested in this subject I have found some wonderful information and inspiration from two particular books - Penelope Hobhouse's 'Gardening Through the Ages' and 'The Invention of the Western Garden' by Vercelloni and Vercelloni.

I am linking up with WOYWW - why not nip over and see what's on other people's work desks this Wednesday!

Winchester Cathedral

On a recent trip to Winchester I decided to 'do' the Cathedral - armed with my camera I had a wonderful couple of hours wandering around enjoying the colours and sculpture, and listening to the choir practicing for a wedding that was happening later in the day - quite magical.

Down in the crypt is this amazing Anthony Gormley statue of a man contemplating the water in his cupped hands - it really is quite beautiful, and it looks even more stunning in the flood water that occurs during the rainy months!

I am linking up with Mary over at Mosaic Monday and Sally over at Blue Monday this week.

Palace House at Beaulieu

Although we only live a stones throw from Beaulieu we haven't visited the Motor Museum and Palace House for many years, despite it being right on our doorstep.  So at Easter we decided to have a day out to celebrate the hubs birthday!  

 I'm afraid the cars, James Bond stuff and Top Gear exhibition didn't really grab me too much, although it kept my Other Half happy!  

However, Palace House was beautiful - I was quite stunned by these fabulous ceilings.  

I'm sharing these Mosaics with Mosaic Monday