A girl needs a shed

Where did the time go?

The summer was very busy with all the family here - we had such a fun time, but all good things must come to an end.

I've finally got around to taking pictures of the 'stuff' I've been doing in the last few weeks, since everyone left.  Although I did have one completely non-productive weekend when Martin came home from the Middle East for a surprise long weekend.  It was wonderful - we did a lot of work in the courtyard, which was great.  Martin doesn't get too much opportunity to work out there and he loves it.  Mind you, we worked very hard - but we achieved so much.

Once he left, I got down to some work.  I've taken several beading classes - made some pretty jewellery for Claudine for Christmas and a Christmas decoration for a friend, so can't post the picture of that just yet in case she peeks!!

I've been browsing through my magazines and books and completing various projects that I've had my eye on for a while and the following photographs show some of them.

First of all, I made a wrapped cord handbag - which was super-easy but very satisfying.  I've done a blue one as well and will probably use this for my laundry pegs!

Raggedy bag photo

Christmas bag - and more beads......

I've just made this cute little Christmas gift bag.  The  pattern can be adapted to make a larger, for example a bottle bag.  It will make a change from the usual wrapping paper and bows.  Only took a couple of hours to run it up.

Starry box bag

 And this pretty set of jewellery is part of what we learned at the class on Monday.  I decided to make a necklace to go with the earrings.  I had some lovely violet Swarovski bicones which went just perfectly with the Miyuke seeds and bugles for this project.  It looks almost Roman to me.

Roman violet

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Fibre in Form Online Workshop

I have just started the first lesson of an online workshop being run by Lynda Monk and Carol McFee.  I'm having great fun, but would be having more if both my sewing machines were not being repaired/serviced!  I'm being introduced to new products and techniques which are great to work with.  Here are a few pictures of my first use of Moulding Paste:

 

In the first one I just scraped some of the paste onto a piece of canvas backed calico and then used a wooden stamp.

 

 For the second one, I made a simple stencil from an interesting  photograph and applied the paste through the stencil.  Then scraped a little more through a flower stencil at the bottom. 

 

 

For the third one, I have used some scrim, moulding paste and another stamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This piece is ready for stitching - when I get my machines back!  I have added scrim, lace and ribbons onto a piece of canvas backed calico.

 

 and here I have knotted some torn strips of  cotton fabric and added a piece of lace;

 

whilst this one is made up of hand couched yarns, French knots and Xpandaprint.

 

 

 

These are all ready for colouring and stitching.  I'm hoping to find time this week to carry on with the project.

 

In the meantime, I have been carrying on with my mosaic table top - here is a progress picture.  Nearly there!

 

Mosaic table WIP 3

Beads and Balls!

It's been a couple of weeks since I added any pictures of stuff I've been doing.  I did a class with Pat Dexter this week during which she taught us to make beaded beads.  They are so pretty and, as usual, when I got home I made some more.  I can't show you the first one I made - it was in a disgusting combination of pink and white and looked like a child's sweetie! - because I took it apart and went on to make the green ones.  I like these much better.

Beaded beads

I've also finished a couple of new Temari designs.  One of them is an all-over design, which I have to admit are not my favourites.  But that's just because I don't do enough of them, consequently I'm no expert.  However, I'm fairly happy with the way this one turned out.  I really must do more....

Mosaic

And here is the other one - I've shown all three 'faces'.  It reminds me of the sweet smelling jasmine which is flowering in the courtyard just now.

 

Proud Mum

I'm very proud that my lovely daughter Claudine and her equally lovely husband Iain did a 40mile cycle ride in Billericay, Essex,  to raise funds and awareness for Men's Cancer on Sunday last - 14th June.  Iain has been cycling for years but only in the last year or so has he taken it up seriously again and somehow managed to persuade Claudine to join him.  He bought her a new bike and all the gear and - it worked!!  She had an arthroscopy on her knee last November and I think she's done terribly well in her achievement.  Of course, Iain did a 'sportive' of 70 miles a couple of weeks ago, so it was a piece of cake for him.

They raised nearly £700 for the charity.  Well done, both of you.

They'll be enlisting the Boyz next (that's our two beautiful grandsons Cameron, 8 and Tristan 4).

 

CandI Bike ride pic

The Beast is Back

The 'Beast' in the heading is my computer!  I've been having mega problems with it since returning from our wonderful holiday in Peru!  It's been back to the technician 3 times now - the third time to a new person, who has turned out to be a real find.  So, I'm now back in the thick of it and have started being a little creative.

Our trip to Machu Picchu was truly magical - an early 40th anniversary and (for me) 60th birthday present.  It was all just perfect.  Location, hotels, people, organisation, food, weather etc etc.  We just didn't want to come home!  Alas, all good things come to an end......................

Here's a picture of Martin and I at MP, just to prove we were really there!

L & M at MP

Would love to go back, as sadly we didn't have enough time to see and do all that we wanted.  Time - there just is never enough of it, is there??

But to my latest creations, here are a couple of things I've been working on lately:

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This is a notebook case I made for a friend - who is heavily into pink and lime green - for her birthday.  I was rather pleased with the way it turned out.

Next, here is a Temari design that I have done several times.  Everyone likes this one and I have a hard time hanging on to it.  Maybe I'll get to keep this one:

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And yesterday I went to a beading class and made a lovely butterfly pendant - I liked it so much I made another one when I got home.  The first one is in white with blue seed beads and pretty AB cubes for the 'tails', the second is in white AB and mauve seeds with amethyst Swarovski crystals in the tails.  These will be useful for Christmas presents - all I need to do is to make some pretty chains to go with them.

 

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I've also been working on a mosaic which my friend Kate Madeloso designed for me when she was visiting earlier in the year.  Here is a part of it, showing a batfish, a regal tang and a moorish idol.  What do you think so far Kate?

 

WIP Mosaic

I have also finished the rainbow runner and am halfway through the butterfly fish.  Only one more fish to do and then it's on to the ocean!

Last, but not least, one of my birthday presents (last week) was wrapped in the most gorgeous handmade paper.  I was almost more excited about the paper than the gift!  Only joking, the gift was lovely and just what I wanted.  Anyway, I just had to do something with the paper, so I made this:

Birthday Paper Notebook Holder

Aren't those colours just to die for?

First, I machine stitched around the flower motifs, then added lots of beads for the two large flowers.  Then I just did a little hand stitching and added a few more beads here and there.  The colours aren't quite as they appear here, the darker reds are more of a chestnut colour and the rest of the red is more of a deep pink. 

Beautiful - thank you Bernie.  For the gifrt AND the wrapping!

Rose Garden Temari

I've just finished this Temari.  I remember seeing a fellow classmate stitching this one when I first started doing Temari and thinking 'Gosh, that's beautiful, I'll never be able to do anything as complicated as that'!!  Well, a few years down the line and I've finally got around to it.  I have made this as a gift for a friend of my daughter's - her name is Rose and she's pretty sick, so I'm hoping it will cheer her up a little.

Rose Garden Temari

Wild Women!

And here is a photo of the Wild Women KateMadeloso and I made whilst she was visiting.  I only have two of mine, so the other four are Kate's. Mine are the punk centre top line and the buttoned lady, bottom right.

Wild Women

I know she won't mind me sharing pictures of hers as well - one of them is going to have a 'chain' added so that she can wear it round her neck at one of her embroidery guilds!  What a great idea - much more original than a conventional name tag.

The next one was made...

The next one was made from a commercial fabric which I just love.  I bought at the Knit and Stitch Show at the NEC a couple of years ago.  I added some strawberry coloured seed beads and topped with a very pretty button which matched it perfectly.

Silver black book cover

Book covers

I've been having fun making a couple of book covers as gifts.  This one was made with painted Bondaweb on a dark blue felt background onto which I added scraps of pink ribbon, gold voile and eyelash yarns.  Then I covered it with tulle and machine quilted it.  The colours are very striking!

Pink blue book cover