Monday 8 June 2009

If its Monday it must be.....




..books.
I don't make the books.
I buy them in bulk from The Pink Pig and work my embroidery magic on them!
Because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and like the minute things in life I have to add a little bit on the first page.
As if they didn't take long enough already.



















I enjoy combining the colours and stitching.
No change there then.















I am wondering if anyone reading this is planning on coming to Art and Garden?
It would be good to see you.
The weather forecast is 'White Cloud'
But there's stormy weather before that.












My son is moving home on Thursday.
Yes Thursday.
This Thursday.
His bed is invisible under the ironing pile.
His old room is full up with our big computer and all its accompanying paraphernalia.
And a Singer Irish Industrial sewing machine.
And all the stuff he left last time.
The spare room is booked for a visiting tutor and her husband later in June, and then three folk musicians the night after.
His timing is impeccable.
His belongings are immeasurable.
They include a washing machine.
If we get rid of the old piano in the wash house we may have a chance.
But the village is awash with unwanted old pianos.
I asked in the post office if they knew anyone who wanted an old piano.
They said 'Another one?'

43 comments:

arlee said...

OMG those would be awesome for detailed pretty pretty pretty work sketches......just so inspiring, i'd have to fill it then get more......BEE YOO ti FULL!

lilylovekin said...

Your artwork makes everything look beautiful.

Vicki W said...

These are wonderful!

Chris Daly said...

What a great idea Jackie. These will sell like hot cakes. Good luck finding room for your son. I bet your glad to have him home for a bit.

A time to dance said...

I love pink pig books, just finished my venice photo album ...well pink pig album...we use them at work for the art students...if you have any left will they go on etsy?...I wonder how long it would take for us to get to Preston?..is it a big fair ?love H

Jude said...

Oh, Jackie, they are gorgeous\!
I'd love a piano...we left ours in Cornwall.
Sorry, is you son moving in or out?
You could come and stay with us!!

lisa_crofts said...

hey jackie
Those notebooks look great. How old is the piano maybe you could take it apart and use bits of for assemblage art. I know nina bagley uses the ivory keys in her necklaces.
By the way I would like to send you an atc to say thank you for brooch which i will wear sat can you email me privately with your snail mail address.

lisa crofts.

Swirlyarts said...

The books are beautiful - really beautiful :)

Gina said...

I don't need to know that they move back home after they have gone... Lovely books!

gunnelsvensson said...

These books are wonderful !!!

menopausalmusing said...

Your writing style always makes me smile, Jackie. Always. The books are gorgeous. Thanks for the e mail and the comment yesterday about our day out which made me burst out laughing... (you know that I know that you know.......). Will try to put the link "thing" into practice tomorrow. Many thanks, Cathy x

Heather said...

Your embroidered magic lifts those little Pink Pig books into another dimension - they are gorgeous. Could you cover the old piano in your embroidery and sell it to a house makeover designer?!!!! Do all children leave loads of stuff at Mum and Dad's and then forget about it?

Gretel said...

Mmmm, what marvellous books!

WendyCarole said...

The books are wonderful.
We will be spending part of next weekend at Bradford Mela.

Our house is full to the brim so have no room for a piano much as I would love one and DD gave a home to one last year.

Mieke said...

Oh wowww the are to cute!!!
Love to buy one!!

nimblejacks said...

I'm amazed by your blog every time I visit such glorious colours and wierd and wonderful shapes! As for pianos we had that dilemma and sad to say after running out of option we had to break ours up. We had a send off with music, wine and laughter and sadly dismantled it, it didn't sound evry nice, was well and truly battered when it came to us but it was still a bit sad

Diana said...

Fabulous books! I'm sure they'll go really fast.

Unknown said...

lovely books, the little 'extra' on the first page is a perfect touch. Have you thought of freecycling the old piano - ours went in about ten minutes and we could have given away another half dozen, so many people wanted one!

Jo in NZ said...

Jackie, are you adding these to your ETSY at all? I love your work, but i am just not a brooch girl. I would want to use your art, and these are perfect way for me to do that.

jackie said...

Lovely books, and beautiful colours in the velvet as ever.

Kim Dellow said...

Wow, this are so briliant. Gorgeous work. Kim

JannArt said...

I love your blog and work. The are both so colourful. The books are great. I look forwarding to reading your blog each time.

I sympathise. My son has just re-joined the Armed Forces and of course when he is on leave brings everything but the kitchen sink with him. He spreads it all around a bit between our home and his girlfriends. I am still working on moving out the stuff he has left in the spare room. An ongoing task! Consequently he left some things he needed and my husband ended up getting a train to camp to take them to him. A long and expensive story! I know we all love our sons to bits but phew! hard work!

Sharne Gregory said...

I have read(at last) and enjoyed your article in Q.A., would love to stroke one of your works of art. Wonderful books, I am sure they will sell very quickly!

maggik1 said...

Thanks for the three brooches that I ran off with today - sorry that you'll have to work extra hard to catch up for Art and Garden! Now I think I want to keep all three! See you on Sunday with the money - oh, and yes, I think freecycle is a good idea. Your piano would be gone in no time! Why didn't I think of that?

Victoria said...

Those books and what you have done with them are delicious! Good luck on rearranging everything for your son's arrival back home. I recently went through this when my daughter came home for summer break. It is amazing how quickly we can fill up their rooms with our stuff, and how much more stuff they keep bring back home!

Jane said...

Your sketchbooks look beautiful and how clever to think of putting a bit on the first page. I now have a weird mental image of your village suffering some sort of plague of pianos - all a bit League of Gentlemen.

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

Beautiful books - so gorgeous - so full of treasures!

Elizabeth said...

Jackie!!
Your books are glorious!! Please put some in your Etsy shop when you have a chance!! I would love to buy a couple!! I have several friends who need special Gratitude Journals and these would be perfect!!!!!
Hugs!
Elizabeth

Joei Rhode Island said...

Embroidery magic INDEED!
Enjoy your son's visit ... however long....or short....with or without pianos and laundry =-)

Heather said...

It's me again - thanks for leaving such a nice comment on my blog. My gardening techniques are a bit hit and miss so you might not get such good crops from the allotment if I was in charge!

Jo Potter said...

Hi Jackie,
You have just won an award!:)
Please feel free to collect it from my blog if you wish.
Your textiles is beautiful so you deserve this award for all your hard work!
Best wishes. Jo.x

marie said...

lovely books!

Lille Diane said...

You are delightful! Just delightful. I found you through joanne May. I'll be back. I am a clone of your interest list... yep, a long lost litter mate for sure.

Beautiful work and detail.

Sandy said...

The decorations on the books are wonderful.

Karen said...

I would adore!!! an old piano, alas I don't have any room for one, ( I am kicking lumps out of myself as I write this, really, really hating the misssed opportunity) My son too has immeasurable posessions, lots of guitars being the most obvious. I can't come to art and garden as I will be in London visiting my little girl, and the books are beautiful.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

These would make such perfect journals! Lovely.

I had to laugh at your summer visitor schedules!! Life never stops, does it??

Anonymous said...

Hi Jackie
Love the books stunning !

Hope you find some space for your Son ,Nice to have him home I bet .

Love from sesga xx

Carol said...

Hi Jackie, I have one of those little sketch books with your embroidery on it! I used it when I went to Greece! I still have it - not all the pages are full yet! Theresa bought it from you for me when she met you years ago... you were setting up an art show, remember?

Unknown said...

The books look great, I love the Pink Pig books, I always use them for presents with some work on the front, so effective.

Kate Fernyhough said...

fabulous books! fabulous post. The last bit about your son is a poem, I love it.

Anonymous said...

These are awesome!

ArtSparker said...

Sad about the pianos...unless they could be made into to some wonderful corporate entity.

jeanette, mistress of longears said...

Ah the return of the "native"! :-) I, too, have experienced that....your pink pig books are stunning!



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