He's gone.....to Australia

Well, that's the Youngest gone, waiting to fly as we speak! I was pleasantly distracted tho at a very successful craft fair today, probably my best, very happy!

 I managed not to be overemotional, just enough to let him know I'd miss him like bu%*$ry!

We had a fabulous weekend together, truly my very own Thanks Giving

Oh, they're all lovely!

I took a pic of a rock 

& then saw some circles

This one on the right the lovely DH gave me so I put it by some lichen

I got quite carried away; I'm sure there are some left if you'd like some ;)

Family weekend

Just a quick one this morning as the family is all together this weekend, for only the second time this year. As they're still recovering from going out for a drink last night - the 3 brothers legally having a drink together for the first time! - I thought I'd jump on the computer.

I did my first Christmas  craft fair yesterday about 16 miles away which went pretty well - couldn't not do the first of 3 & knew I'd be off early & back before they new it ;) Above is some new work I made last week, heart decorations & a new design of a star card & more doves from fabric paper which I designed last year. There's a cuff on the left I made from some bitty fabric I found tucked in my WIP drawer & a purse from the piece of fabric I just made, using the rest of it for the hearts - there are a couple of hearts there from other bits from that drawer.

 A couple more of the star cards, 'scuse the reflections - what, take a pic before I bag them up while the car engine is revving to go? Cuffs were the name of the game yesterday - great for gifts & small enough when travelling to see family. I'll be making a few more of those this week ;)

An overall pic - I decided to loose the tree that displayed he decorations - too bulky & I don't think people realise the decs are for sale despite the size of the price tag! I did sell one tho - they smell deliciously of French lavender, still smelling wonderful, even tho I asked my friend could I cut it back 2 summers ago on holiday there. When I did this fair in the summer my profit was £4 & quite despondent I was, but yesterday my target was 'a reasonable weeks shops worth' & I achieved it. Delighted I am. The boys were impressed, didn't think I'd get THAT much!

Despite them making a lot of happy noise when they came home last night, it's a wonderful feeling to have them all here & as this rainbow outside my French windows this morning proves, yet again, this is truly my pot of gold.

Oh, Monday Morning already!

Working hard to finish off 3 pieces for Skyeworks gallery Winter Exhibition, I totally forgot we had a neighbors party to go to on Saturday night - we never go to parties! So my post went out the window, as it did last night due to slight fatigue after a good long days work (not in the studio). Hunkered down in front of the fire instead to watch Homeland with the Youngest. We won't have many more nights of these family viewings as in less than 2 weeks he  heads of to Sydney, Australia......for 5 months of working & travelling. 5 months?

Welcome to my new followers, tried to follow one & no links on a couple of others - comment so I can come by, thanks!

Seedhead, based on the fennel in my garden. I had thought a hint of green but blue got in there....

 Landscape. very less is more for me, but the DH thought it was veering too much towards the less! I just laughed ;)

But these 3 variation pics have me stumped. It just seemed to get too busy, even with the added bits below

Better completely cropped? But now it's too small. The others are about 8x8" to be mounted on a canvas of 10x10" & if I crop it as below it's only about 5x5"

 & the Youngest described it as a bit grim - meaning too dark & said it looked like underwear. Wasn't happy when I agreed there was a bit of underwear in there.....but you shouldn't be able to tell should you? Specially when you're only JUST 18 end of October!

Strangely this one had actual real inspiration - I meant to post this pic last week - love this gnarled old Rowan tree outside the one derelict house in the village (I think every village has one) Then the image was reinforced at my Yoga class - during Yoga Nidra, the relaxation bit, we were to bring an image into our mind of the words Meg said & one of them was 'rowan berries against a blue sky' so in my pic I just shoved the berries along a bit. Anyway, would you cut out the business & give it a plain surround? In gold, rust, grey,  blue or white lace? I'd love your opinion.

 I was given a commission by some lovely holiday home neighbors, who've bought from me before......

 A coffee pot warmer. This caused me a lot of anxiety considering I'd never made one before & well...

 It could be something you wear up top, or a notebook cover, or really a great big cuff - that was my approach so I could get round the idea of making it. The DH couldn't believe how neat it was!

& look, I'm practically a quilter! (it has that squishy stuff inside & a top & a lining) They appreciated the Zophany & Sanderson fabrics & loved it...so I'm happy & that's what counts ;)

The made up purses & cuffs from last week, working on the rest!

Lots of bits around so I made a couple of cards.

 & then my first part of my shoe!

I have a confession to make, I have an addiction to chocolate, mainly snickers bars. I love chocolate but I don't want the addiction so I'm trying to make something a little crazy to keep me distracted, like the shoe & this above which will take years to come to fruition as this piece (the shoe piece is a better color representation) is only about 3x3"!

Some PhD's (projects half done ;)

I left production till the last minute this week, well, as usual, really.

I made a piece of fabric using some of the lovely gift from Heloise & got a chance to practice using my new gardening free machine embroidery gloves - fabulous! They're covered in little rubbery dots. It still 'pulls' in my forearms/elbows doing fme but the gloves make it less painful - I got one pair for the garden too ;)

Under my hands is one piece of fabric covered in purply snippets one side with purple organza & the other side pinky, orange & green bits covered with lime green organza - delicious stuff. It's the size of 2 pieces of A4 paper/computer printer paper & I couldn't find my bondaweb or a big enough piece of sticky stabilizer so imagine me grappling with a million tiny snippets under moving organza - lots of pins were used (but not hurt) in this excersize. You can be sure bondaweb & the other are on order!

 So I cut out 2 purses with 'buttons'

2 cuffs & 2 'patches' to decorate book covers

2 heart shapes for decorations

& was left with the above remains - I can see a couple of bookmarks, 2 or 3 brooches, lots of earrings & buttons. Quite pleased with the amount I got out of it. I ended up using small pieces of sticky stabilizer, ironing the pre cut shape onto the back of the fabric (obvs!) Oh, what a dream it is stitching with stabilzser instead of wriggling organza, why don't I learn?


Went off to Portree in the week to the North End of the Island to make 3 deliveries - some work to the Aros Center where the art group I belong to 'Aos' is having a winter exhibition, I hope we have a party! Then on  to Tippecanoe, a lovely little gift shop/gallery with absolutely everything you could want in it, with a small order of cards, then on to Skyeworks Gallery     with a top up of cards & a discussion about dates for giving a workshop, not till next year, now. All finished off with a delicious Latte & baked cheesecake in their bakery cafe, wonderful.