Saturday 27 August 2011

This and that.

 Forgive me for showing these again but they were taken with my new camera and I feel they are better than my previous version.
 The background is a little on the pinkish side though. I will have to keep trying.The exhibition has just three more days to go..weekends only ..four if you include today. Astley Hall Coach house gallery, Chorley. Free admission.
 Poor Mummycat was put out of her misery a week last Thursday. Her ear cancer wouldn't stop despite two operations and much bandaging and dressing it was a big mess and couldn't be ignored so it was the only way. We buried her in the garden near this lovely bush. We were very sad, but our spirits were lifted by our little guest. Missy.
 The most adorable well behaved little mini Schnauzer. She's going home tomorrow so I expect I'll be a bit sad. Its a bit much to hope her owners might not want her back isn't it? We've walked all over with her. My Mum and I walked for two hours last Monday..my Mum is almost 84!
 We took Missy and my Mum  to Elterwater on Thursday, she helped us finish our pasta salad at Chesters, so we had to take her for a big walk after that! We don't want to send home tubby.

 Now: I know I was very optimistic in this post, and excited about my vegetable patch.
Well its a good job anticipation is so enjoyable because the outcome is not good. The broad beans fell over numerous times, allowing the snails to leap aboard their bendy stems. Some of the flowers went black and dropped off and I am still waiting for my harvest.

 I've had a squeeze at these pods and I'm sure they're empty.

 The leaves are holey and even my nasturtiums haven't flowered.
 And as for the garlic......well apart from most of it vanishing this is whats left. Impressed? 
No neither am I.
 Oh well. never mind. 

I had a belated birthday trip out with my friends last night. We caught a steam train in Bury and had a chug along the moors whilst eating a lovely meal.
 And drinking copious amounts of wine.
 All the carriages were 'first class'
Many of the passengers were in vintage costume to go with the train.
 This is a place called 'Summerseat'. I really must investigate from the roadside sometime.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Miniatures

Not many words needed. These are what it says on the tin.
 Little extracts from larger pieces, or should I say abstracts? Some of the areas I like from the larger pieces reworked as small squares.
About 4 inches square. SOLD.


                                                                         SOLD

 I love this bit where the silk fibres have spread over the wool felt, and make a sort of marble effect.
I think they look nice in a row.

Now listed on Etsy (Only the centre one available now)
Another little miniature that came into our house yesterday. 
Involuntarily. 
Jools our badboy cat was feeling bored with the expensive food we'd spread before him so went out out for a snack. He doesn't have many teeth so the snack escaped, besides he wasn't that hungry.
I caught him under a glass. The only damage was a wet back from the cat gums.

Sweet. Enormous eyes.
And now free.


Saturday 13 August 2011

This is not my work

Just a record of  a super but very tiring day out to The Festival Of Quilts last Thursday.
I didn't buy a programme so I can't tell you who these were by. I loved this called 'Colour comes to the back of Beyond'

 The traditional quilts section had some beautifully made pieces . I liked this one especially because in my UFO bag from the 1970s I have one using these shapes.
 The subject of this picture was close to my heart. The quilting stitches were all sorts of words like 'half a pound of sausages' and 'Fat' but I think they were all positive, right down to 'Chocolate coated statins'.
 I once had an idea to make a piece about being diabetic, with a lot of text , but I think this says it all.
 Beautiful quilts by Pia Welsch (?) with machine embroidered motifs on the surface.
 Fabulously shaded pictorial piece. The detail was amazing.
 I loved these fish. There were 4 altogether, and below , one called 'Manhattan' drew me in.

The one below which I love was made from knitted pieces and looked very comfortable.
We had a bloggy meet up and the one on the front row who looks like a barrage balloon is yours truly.  I've replaced that unflattering pic with one I've pinched from Sue K! Hope you don't mind Sue.
Left to Right: Julie, Mirim, Carol McFee,Carolyn Saxby,Margaret Roberts,Me, Gina, Chrissie, Viv Margaret, and Sue is seated.
It was great fun. We all said hello gleefully with much hugging like old friends, and  chatted and then stood about wondering what to do!


Inevitably we went our separate ways and then..AND THEN.....
these.

They bowled me over. 
 Each and every one was a stunner.
 But the prices. This below was enormous and was a mere £500 and some.
 Its telling that this mans hand is a blur.
 These smaller one were around  £100 and some were well under



It makes me embarrassed about  what I do and what I charge.

It was a grand day out.




Sunday 7 August 2011

What we did on our holidays.

The essay: Its a holiday diary for me to record one of the nicest holidays I've had for a while. We stayed in Morecombelake near Lyme Regis as you can see in the distance from part of the fantastic garden.
 The day we arrived was our wedding anniversary so we had the half bottle of champagne our friends bought us. We wished we'd taken the large bottle as well!.The vase of sweet peas was left for us by our lovely hosts. The scent was everywhere.
 On Sunday we ate at Downhouse Farm and were quite lucky to avoid the rain. They do clever things with lovely food and old drinks cans.
 Its all very tasteful. Then we walked across the fields to Eype Beach. delightful but slightly drizzly.
 Pebbles..we brought some home of course. Carefully selected for roundness.
 The village of Eype had some chocolate box cottages with gardens full of fabulous flowers.
 The garden below has a railway carriage to rent for holidays. I noticed this in particular because I harbour secret desires for a railway carriage in my garden..but before that, perhaps a garden big enough to accommodate one would be a good idea!
 The garden of our cottage was also a delight with a private little pond just outside the window.
 I had a good time with my new camera, recording the details of the lovely place.
 Just look at the beetles on that! (Or not if you prefer)
 This is the view from the other end of the pond.
 The outside staircase(because the inside one is a bit narrow and steep and twisty) goes from the kitchen downstairs straight into the bathroom above!
 There was a conservatory to sit in if we wanted. (Great for my husbands concertina practice)
The bedroom was beautiful with a very comfortable bed. (I always take my own pillow on holiday since a very lumpy sleepless experience in North Wales, but I didn't need it here.) We slept well. The windows had quirky wooden shutters for night time.
 
The cottage was lovely but the garden, the wider garden and house it all belonged to, were stunning. 

We were told to feel free to wander anywhere, which we did, marvelling at the flower beds, herb gardens, trees and hedges, scents and sounds all around.
 In this picture you can just about see the house.
 The scents of flowers and herbs were a delight.

 Textures of a variety of white flowers were carefully thought out. I love these poppies with their papery white petals, and there were some frilly ones nearby .
 And what are these? They looked like giant snowdrops, and the nearest thing I can think of is a yucca.
 Isn't it strange how something can just stop you in your tracks? Right in the middle of this I saw these antirrhinums, and was immediately taken back to the garden from my childhood. It was a council house for the first 7 years and snapdragons epitomise that ever-sunny-Enid Blyton- time.



On Monday we caught the Park and ride bus to Lyme Regis. I had my first and only'Cornish' pastie of the week. It was heavenly. Hot and delicious eaten from the bag whilst sitting on the sea wall fending off the seagulls and watching the world. Its obligatory. 

Lyme Regis is a lot of fun. There's something for everyone. 
The bucket and spade brigade, the fisherman, sunbathers, walkers, fossil hunters, sailors, swimmers, paddlers, shoppers, foodies, literary types. 
As we walked along the Cobb I was thinking about Captain Wentworth and Louisa Musgrave.
( I didn't think about the French Lieutenants woman because I really hate that book.)
I spotted this sculpture in a lovely area, near an old brewery and bakery using water power.
            This building below is home to an aquarium with a very old lobster..according the boards outside, 80 years old. (How do they know?)



An amusing encounter on the promenade.
 Lovely lichen covered rooftops.
This day would have been perfect. we were tired at about 6.30, having walked around for hours. So we went to the bus stop for the park and ride bus back to the car park.
If only it had occurred to one of us to have asked what time they finished! We waited..and waited...and eventually caught an ordinary bus. the driver was very nice as he said he was going past the car park he would drop us to pick up the car, but as we approached and saw that our car was the only one..we realised the gate was locked, and the key for the cottage was in the car. The lovely bus driver said 'Go and get it and I'll wait..but be quick!' My husband climbed over the gate and was back in no time, and the driver dropped us at the end of our lane. Fortunately the other passengers weren't in a hurry!


Tuesday was hot and sunny so we went to Seatown beach, where we had lunch at The Anchor:another obligatory food item, the crab sandwich, made even more delicious with a portion of chips!


Then we lay on the beach frying our skin and went for a wonderful swim in the sea. It was quite hard to get in because of the undertow and even harder to get out!

On Wednesday we had a day at Sidmouth (Via Abbotsbury which is I later found, in the opposite direction!) for the folk week. Here's the tail end of the procession of dancers. I had been to the old Sidmouth Folk festival in my youth. It was strange to be there over 30 years later, and also to see that many of the other people who were there were of a similar age.

Hairy Loch Ness monster too.
Our visit to Abbotsbury was to visit Lazyhill Gallery, where we met Rachel who made us very welcome and took some more of my brooches. The Gallery is beautiful, I am very privileged to have my work stocked there.
Wednesday finished with another meal at The Anchor' at Seatown.
This post is getting too wordy so I'll simplify.
Thursday:Rain:Axminster; River Cottage Lunch-excellent pork pie!


Ottery St Mary Collegiate Church, Organist practising gave us a soundtrack.





Mosaic by Butterfield over a tomb of a member of the Coleridge family with her feet on an Otter!

The River Cottage Cheese haul.Great, especially the unpasteurised brie, but indigestion ensued.
Friday: Morning reading in the garden.


Then to Bridport. Knitted Garden exhibit at the Arts Centre.

Then lunch in the Art Centre Garden . (Just a note...we ate salad they grew in their garden which was about 2 foot square-I love Dorset)
Best bakery I've ever seen:Leakers.

Hive Beach for the afternoon, home then back to Hive Beach Cafe for a FANTASTIC meal. 
What a way to end a holiday. Scallops overlooking the sea. 
This little hill kept popping into view throughout our travels so I had to get a picture.
Home via Wells, another great cafe for lunch 'The Good Earth' and Cheddar Gorge .

A week in Dorset. Hope its not too showy-offy but I want to write it so I remember it.


Mo
st of my pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

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