My 7th birthday postcard

I opened another  card today from Linda Stokes at Linda Stokes Textile Artist (blogroll)

It is exquisite, more lovely favorite colors & all that stitching, fabulous.

I am overwhelmed with it all.

I had the great honor of photographing a Wren for the first time thismorning, I barely even see them, usually just hear them. Is she not the sweetest little thing, just hanging on to the edge of the urn?

Birthday card No 6

no. 6

My 6th birthday postcard is from Norma Bullen (nee McPherson) a friend of Ro Bruhn. I was delighted when Ro put my swap on her blog & suddenly I had people wanting to swap from Austrailia, the UK Sweden & Denmark. Others have since come from Linda at Blue Eyed Girl & Mixed Media Julie. I'm delighted that everyone is putting my postcards on their blogs - I feel totally famous!

Norma doesn't have a blog but is lucky enought to have regular sessions with Ro, over there in Victoria. We can enjoy all this vocariously & I'm so glad the slow tantalising opening of these cards is appreciated by more than just me & my family - they do try to get out of earshot as I open them!

To her card!

This is inspired by the outback & I can just imagine walking thru these lovely colors, as intended by Norma; soft to the touch, embellisher felted & beaded with sparkles.

This card is wonderful, I feel warmed, thank you

I have had some great comments - the clematis does well here - even tho a thug if it's hardy, I'll have it (well, within reason) . Yes I would gladly come to New England to plant one!

Hello to sparkly fairy, I can't see your blog!

This is the first collage that's come out of the postcards & in the true spirit of a swap I've given it away to my good friend Jo (no blog or computer even!) who's birthday is tomorrow. We had a delicious lunch & she brought the cake - I was going to make one, honest ;) Excuse the glare, I really should take the pic before I foil it.

I'm behind/missed seed sewing but I had my first rather unripe strawberry from the greenhouse 6 days ago. Today they were sweet & juicy. I've got 3 pots I bring in early spring & lots of pretty flowers on the plants ouside.

It's still sunny & a breeze to keep the midges away - I'm off out to get the cabbage plants bought last weekend in!

My 5th postcard

Today's postcard is from Ro Bruhn at Ro Bruhn Art (blogroll). It is stunning, how did she know I loved flowers so much? Those colors, & I'm so amazed at all the work that has gone into all these cards, lots of beautiful, careful  stitches.

And I looked on the back of course for the happy birthday message everyone has kindly written - it's double sided!

I am so happy & so grateful.

It's raining, first time in ages. Luckily I took these pics of clematis Montana earlier this week.

My fourth postcard

I got a card from Jo Reimer - One A Day (blogroll) & it is fabulous. It's  a colorful 'remains of the day', a collection of bits & pieces, colors & text & a beautifully drawn  palm tree I can just imagine I'm sitting under, with all that buzzing around me.

I am in love with it, thanks!

See the inner envelope smooshed with paint

Below is the order I'm opening my lovely cards - it's a spread out stack of them taken yesterday so Jo's is at the bottom, next up is tomorrows! Oh the restraint!

My third postcard

My third postcard is from Marion at Embroidered Origionals. I'm hoping to meet her at Gardening Scotland next week, but we might not be there on the same day.

What can I say? I knew Marion was studying ethnic patterns, but look at this.

This is gorgeous, finely cut sparkly organza, such colors. All three cards have had beautiful tiny stitches.

I am spellbound. Thank you so much.

Last night I went on a studio visit over to Plockton, about a 40 minute drive on the mainland, with a friend from the Sleat peninsular, Patricia Shone a ceramicist. It was organised by a new group called Aos (said ooze, meaning a collective, I think, in Gaelic) formed when the Art Certre in Portree closed down. They arrange visits, talks & workshops & send regular info about what's happening here & away. Vital when you're living on a faraway island. The Treeroot Studio is owned by Jane Inglis, showing her jewellery & mixed media pieces, her mother Barbara's textile pieces,Patricias pots  & another member of the group's work, Emma Noble, a printmaker. All of it really beautiful work.

On the way home the view just before the house looked pretty great, so I took a shot - you can just about see the narrow rainbow in the passing shower.

My second postcard & a bee in a flower

Today I opened my second postcard from Penny at Fibrefrolics (blogroll)

It is so lovely - I nearly came across it on her blog, had a small heart attack & switched off! I wanted to be able to touch the soft velvety pieces first.  The colors of them both, they might have been planning it!

I am so pleased. Thank you.

My squares, They are quite wordy this week, once you (I) start collecting you keep seeing & then I'm ripping, &sticking. Can't help it, really!

I finally got a pic with a bee in it! It seemed very important to me to acheive that ( ! )

The first roses, Rosa Rugosa, very hardy, perfect,  oh the smell!

I keep going to look at my cards, to touch them.

My birthday Postcards

My brthday postcards have started to arrive! I am beside myself - I asked Beate what she is doing, opening them before her birthay? I can't have them sitting there wating.. for a whole month! I've always opened them as they arrived - my D's family put the date of the birthday on the envelope 'for June 24th' & he had to wait. Well, of course it's for that day!!

But 3 have arrived, just now! What to do? My heart was pounding, I want to make this excitement last, I will only open one a day, from the top, as the postie hands them to me. Oh, the anticipation!

The first is from Jackie Bowcutt, at Stitchworks (blog roll)
It is absolutely beautiful, the "Lamentation of Leaves", I am so delighted!

There are even a couple of kisses & a hug in there, & so many falling leaves.

Thank you, Thank you.

I'm back, even tho I haven't been away!

I think it must be the recent mugginess that's eaten some grey cells, altho it was beautiful early this week! The older I get, the quicker time seems to fly by. Thank for your words of encouragement & I'm glad to see some postcards are arriving - I'll get the last batch off in the week (unless more join in thanks to Ro Bruhn!)

I've been doing  little order

but something had to give - one of my squares didn't make it :(

Bits box, stitched rusted paper, mixed fabric & paper, woven end pieces & decades in packaging...it's getting so close!

I did go to the local craft & garden fair yesterday, well, I had to check out the competition! It's set in the most beautiful of gardens & even tho there was no light as the mist was on the floor - forgive the odd focusing, the camera couldn't cope - I took some pics.Just glance thru, I wanted to give a feel of the place despite the heavy sky.

 The last one is the ferry arriving at the pier, I had to darken it a bit but it really was like that!

Time Flies when you're having fun!

I find this week that I'm being torn in at least 3 different directions (which will keep the bank manager happy!) Hopefully I'll be more available tomorrow ;)

It's nearly tomorrow

Just a quick post tonight, i'm yoga tired & need to lay down!

I've been so obsessed with my postcards, I nearly forgot my squares, more hours in the day would be good ;) Truth be told, I had so many bits & pieces from making the postcard laying around (I do love them so!) that I made 4 of the squares together - mini postcards! plus one 'remains of the day' one & some stamp samples, why waste them? They are all the diary of my week.

I've had such fun making these cards, & really appreciate the uptake, nearly half of 50 & I'm delighted. Certainly room for more if anyone else interested, but I'm happy with who & what I've got, thanks!

A birthday Request

Next month I reach the incredible achievement of 50 years of age. Looking at it there in writing, I can hardly believe  it!

As a present to myself,  & thanks to Beate (blog roll) for letting me copy her idea, I decided to ask 50 blogworld artists whether they'd like to join me in a postcard swap. I can think of nothing more wonderful than to have a wall covered in  fabulous creative colorful work from all these great people I've met in the last few months. I'm half way there, I think, I've had a great response & I'm delighted!

Is there anyone I haven't met who'd like to join in the swap? Below is a pic of the kind of thing I'll be swapping. E mail me studio@heavens-ocean.co.uk if you're interested!

Can I avoid politics?

I'm feeling a little sleepy today. My D, bless him, took it upon himself to start watching the election results at....3.30am! He did warn me, but I assumed (never assume!) he meant 6am, that I might have a guilt free luxurious coffee in bed (instead of my usual guilty one ;) )with a gardening magazine or something. No, I tossed & turned, flushed hot & worried weather my middlest was still on his 6th yr night out! (we had the phone call, got off lightly there with water bombs over the balcony ruining one or 2 school lunches, tsk, tsk, high jinks indeed - we'll have a word later) Did doze a bit, but feel like I've been to an all night party, without the party bit! The tv is red hot, too :) Just wait till Chealse week!

I found a bit of paper with stencil like cut outs, possibly from making a little collagraph. stuck 'em down & colored 'em in. Similar to one of my cards, ripped up tobacco waste, Bits of the papers I've been painting, an adaptation of an excersise on Quilting Arts Daily by BerylTaylor, love her stuff, & bits from my box.

Linda at Blue Eyed Girl (blog roll) said she visited a friend who was showing her desk. Ran out (on Wednesday) to see what mine was like. Don't know how the flower book got there! The painting table looks so neat (yes, that's neat for me) as I share it with D who uses it toframe  his pics using pristine white mounts, & I had to tidy it away. the plyers are there to open the tubes of paint, they're so old. One day I'll be able to invest in a new set of colors, meanwhile, I WILL use what i have!  Not ideal know, but it's a great new space we're learning to share. The desk, well, a door, really,  is ALL mine & altho not finished since the sort out, I love it..

A month of Squares

Happy May Day!....or not, depending on where you are. Nothing happens up here but in Oxford, where I grew up, thousands of people would gather by Magdalen Bridge to listen to the choir sing from the tower at 6am. Most had been to a ball the night before.Seemed a perfectly normal thing to do to me but when I moved to London all those yeas ago,I realised it was fairly unique happening. Memories!

The last 6 squares of the month.

Can you guess what the first one is? The second, cigar rubbish, some sweet wrappers from the staff room - yes, I had to eat them first! My friend from Buckinghamshire, the village where I lived for 6 years as a stepping stone beweeen London & Skye came & stayed with us to look for a house here. I took a day off to be a support & have a nosy ;)  Finally, some seed sewing is taking place! And on the 3rd day of looking, a house was bought! Well, the long process was started. It deserved a toast - the best of luck to you!

Another month gone. I'm surprised that the squares have become more of a diary recently, perhaps because sometimes when faced with a simple 3"x3" committment I can find only a physical reminder of what I've been doing that day to use, perhaps influenced by some of the wonderful journals out there in blogland made from the "Remains of the Day". That's a great title of a class, isn't it?  & I've enjoyed seeing some of the videos, can't think of any links really, except Jo Reimer had a video.(in the blog roll.)

The garden is certainly coming to life, along with the weeds! Lots of rain recently & a bit of sun with some stunning rainbows. I need to make some time to finish off the winter clear up (yes, in May!) & carry on with the seed sewing. We do have a couple of weeks grace up here, but any later & the shorter season will mean things don't ripen. I'll do what I can do.

What do you think has eaten my beautiful Fritilaria?  :(  Earwigs?

Not much light in some of these pics, sorry.