Tuesday 20 February 2018

Beetle-ing about


I have been sampling lettering and making a beetle this week.  I had forgotten how hard stumpwork can be at times. I modified the instructions and have ended up with my own beetle species. Think it will be okay for my needs so now have to start and make another one.  It will have to be a lonesome beetle as I am certainly not making a family of them.

Saturday 17 February 2018

Just look what I was doing today!!


Had a heady temperature of between 9 - 10 degrees today so risked going out on my bike.  I did just over 12 miles and ended up back at Croome as usual.  Jolly good cycling.  Just what I needed.

I even managed to include myself taking the photograph on this picture.


Friday 16 February 2018

Painswick Snowdrops


Vast carpets of what looks like snow, but are in fact millions of snowdrops. This was not my first visit to Painswick Rococo Gardens but they still have the WOW factor every time you go.


Lovely ceramic sculpture ....


Surprise seedheads peeping through a window ...



Beetling Around


I have been trying to draw some beetles this week and decided to get my Gelli Plate out to do some leaf prints too.  I found the cereal box stencil for this beetle amongst some of my printing stuff so decided to have a play with it since I had a roller and acrylic paint out.  The coloured version was printed onto a page that had never worked as I had wanted in one of my sketchbooks, so I folded the page in half and it has now added an interesting feature and surprise to my sketchbook.



Thursday 15 February 2018

Where Does the Time Go?

I seem to be achieving nothing at the moment. Lots of bits and pieces in the process of being completed but not much happening.  Perhaps it has to do with the fact that DH keeps losing parts of the door locks he has been taking apart and reassembling all over the house? We have ended up going to Worcester twice and the Reclamation Yard in Hereford once to seek out replacements for the missing bits. At least I got to rummage in the wooden print blocks boxes at the Reclamation Yard and came home with one or two more to play with.

I have also been truly amazed by this beautiful vase of flowers I received for my birthday.  They have been so beautiful and are just starting to fade now. Reminds me of velvet.


Sunday 11 February 2018

Yet more old Journal pages


Afraid because I was in a rush the photographs I took of this Journal have not come out too well and this is the only one that is of a standard able to be reproduced. So clever!!

At least I had another one that has better pictures, plus the needlework is by the same person and is a serious of pages that overlap each other to reveal parts of the page underneath.


The lefthand page is the artwork and the right is stitched.


All artwork this time revealing the stitched page through the right hand holes





Wednesday 7 February 2018

Spring is Just Around the Corner


I spent most of today clearing up branches that had fallen from the trees in The Dell, together with the rubbish that gets washed down the stream into our garden.  Managed to fill 4 garden bags and 1 huge bag with all the rubbish.  Unfortunately I then found some more rubbish, but had to stop as I had run out of bags to put it in. At least the sun was out and I was warm whilst I was working.  The temperature was awfully low.

Monday 5 February 2018

Hexagons in the Blue


Last week I started playing with some bits of indigo dyed fabric and very small hexagons.  Not sure what the outcome is going to be but it may have several layers of sheer fabrics and stitch added to it next.  I really should be getting on with other outstanding tasks, but sometimes a little diversion helps me to focus on the other things I am stuck on.  This is also something I can pick up and add a little to when I have a few spare minutes.


Hard Labour


Thanks to DH removing the mock marble front to this fireplace and discovering some horrendous tiles underneath, which were also cracked, I have spent several days getting rid of the tiles and finishing stripping the surrounding woodwork, which had layers of paint on it.  At the same time I managed to bruise my hand whilst using the hammer and brick boulster.

I am now stuck as I cannot get the edging tiles off so I shall have to find a nice fireplace shop to come and do some restoration work and put in a new hearth, which DH also threw out.


The fireplace is situated across the corner of the dining room, which has made it quite difficult to work on and I guess it is the original from the 1930's.


Friday 2 February 2018

More Sheds


Had a lovely day printing again on Thursday afternoon.  Viscosity inked one of my collagraphs and managed to improve my efforts on the second print.