A very good week

I had a wonderful exhibition week with generous comments like ' is this the local art groups work?' ' lovely use of color' & 'inspiring' What more could a girl want? Financially it was pretty good, too, encouraging us to think about doing it again next year......!

 My rout to the exhibition - this is one mile from home

(click to see the lighthouse)

We still have work left of course but inspired by a chat about integrity with my photographer friend, who told me he'd have all new work next time, it ocurred to me that I couldn't possibly drag all this lot out.....again.

arriving in Plockton

So I've started to plan a new body of work - daunting but exciting

 the inlet next to the Hall

And quite a focus!

Driving home (yes I did stop safely to take the pic, many don't!) I'm on the mainland so that's Skye over there in the delicious clouds

I think I'd have come to that conclusion on my own, eventually, about new work as I did think a couple of times 'if so & so comes all the way over here specially,  they've seen it all before'

a tiny detour to the car park so I could get a pic of the bridge over to Skye

It gave me a small feeling in the pit of the stomach but I can now say all that work was for the 12 months of '11/'12 all new for 2013 - wow, what a sense of purpose I have now!

So I finally got one of 3 cushions finished! One visitor said how awful for me to just have to sit there all day & I told her it was bliss as I could get some work done ;)

A too bright pic of the 'piping' - my version of piping anyway - I think I stitched it in a conventional way, no cord,  but the strip of fabric was made up of lots of different colors & pieces of fabric....as you can see. Very time consuming but the pieces are generally the size they are, leftover size.

I couldn't leave the back out, I love a bit of detail. So using my rotary cutter ( yes I actually own one!) I sliced the 'piping' strip & zigzaged it down, quite sweet I thought.

I put all the really tiny bits of fabric, dust some of it, onto a square of denim. As time passed I fiddled it (?) into 4 smaller squares - they did get knocked about a bit before I got to them, then I laid a piece of organza over it all stitched merrily & cut into 4. I intended to make cards with them until a visitor bought a brooch & I thought, Brooches! I did cut one in half & made 2 cards, above, along with a few simple shell stamp cards & assembled some Acer leaf prints I'd done before into cards.

I put together a few of these cards too - I keep my card designs in A5 envelopes & each envelope should have all the necessary component parts (they don't always!)  so that I can grab my 'kit' & a glue stick & make them up 'on location'. The star is a commercial stamp & the hearts is made from cutting card shapes & gluing them down into a 'stamp'. The cards are sitting on a painted background, 6 A4 sheets in various stages - I took over a mini studio so I could dash off some card/collage papers. I seem to be very disciplined when I know I'm going to be 'stuck' somewhere for a length of time - I usually take too much stuff tho but I can't bear the idea of not having anything to do, a sort of fear of boredom I think  (I never get bored!). With a note book always with me & calming Yogic breathing & relaxation, it's not such a worry any more.

 

Lastly, I made these earings. I had my very good customer come by & she bought the 3 I had - I'd hoped to have given her a better selection but she inspired me to make more, anyway ;)

The pics are the right way thank goodness - you did make me laugh with your ricked neck comments! I think as I'd forgotten to resize the last post pics & loaded them in a one-er blogger couldn't cope, not surprisingly. So now I have a little free time before the Xmas craft fairs production kicks in to come by all of yours & visit!

I'm Hung!

Consider yourself virtually invited to my third exhibition in 12 months!

We had a good day hanging our paintings & small hangings & I look forward to being in the same place for 6 days! Who know what fortunes I will receive this week but I know I've done my bit, I've enjoyed it & I'll enjoy sitting amongst  all our hard work. Thank you for all your kind wishes. My blog break was giving up something I really enjoy - isn't that always the way? -so that I could continue running around like a blue arsed fly chasing my life & finishing off things for the exhibition - I can hear the violins playing in sympathy! So, yes, one day I will have  quiet time, put my feet up, recharge, see my work flow naturally, enjoying the process & become refreshed...one day!

Meanwhile, look what I won! I got 2nd prize in Bois Fleurie's giveaway, look at the sweet face on the card & that hair, wonderful! The ribbons & wool on the left was a lovely extra, my colors exactly, too - so generous ;) thank you. Like her ? I love her! 

Above are 2 new pieces of work for the show, it's the first time blogger has laid my work down on their side! Tilt your head to the left, if you will ;) They are inspired by samples in my workbook, the top one  foxgloves & forgetmenots. I stitched my first bee, can you see her? She even has a little gold pollen stitched to her back legs. The bottom one is a loose interpretation of Clematis & Linarea. Good getting back to these.

the above 6 squares are the CD pieces from a while ago finally mounted up, pleased with them.

Below are (just) a few images from the Lochalsh Art Fair, I put one piece in this year, my large hanging at the end of this group.

Circles, another one on it's side - tilt right.

Encaustic wax, not sure if you can see the tiny strips of text

Lovely pieces, specially the carved seahorse

Oh dear, tilt left, lovely photo by Ken from my last post & some amazing carved cardboard crustations.

Circles in squares

& a lovely stitched fuchsia - I think she & I & the blue one at the bottom were the only stitchers.

A pretty watercolor with ink, tilt left

The one I chse for my best in show, top left if you tilt left!

Above, tilt right & that's mine bottom left. Some beautifully wrapped driftwood above mine.

Sorry for all the tilting!

We had a wonderful request to be witnesses to a German couple coming over here to get married - they stayed with us last year & lovely of them to want to come back. They wanted to marry on their own & hadn't realised they'd need witnesses & asked us to do them that favour. We said we'd be honored. She was very excited, as when her fiance suggested he hire a kilt but she had no dress she was recommended a charity shop down the road from where they were trying on their beautifully made wedding rings & she found one for ........I don't think she'd mind me telling you....£50

Look at it!

What  a backdrop, the Cuillin hills - they won't believe it was real - I was more worried about midgies than rain, it was so nice.

 There were 3 beads just hanging by a thread, I sweated & toiled (only coz I was nervous) & stitched them back in - so hard to see white on white!

 We were invited to lunch at Kinloch Lodge, fabulous, a perfect setting ( we could hardly go to the bar down the road!) Below, the view from the hotel.

 Oh, how frustrating! tilt left for his buttonhole

& tilt right for the blushing bride & her bouquet. I couldn't resist making it for her, from 'just witnesses' we became  friends, I was practically her bridesmaid! Truly, a fabulous day.

Wish me luck for next week!



Here's some info from Etsy, below that I was asked to share with you all. Hopefully it will inspire me to fill my Etsy shop , empty till after the exhibition ;)
edit, sorry, forgot this info!
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