Wednesday 20 November 2013

A Winter Hello

It's been a while but I'm still here!


 One more craft fair to go this Saturday! There was a good turnout of tables selling lots of wonderful things at the fair last Saturday, but sadly, not enough of a crowd spending. We'll see how it goes this coming Saturday ;) chin up!



 Going back a bit to mid September, I had the honor of a visit from Julie of Mixed Media & her lovely husband Stewart, staying in our B&B for a couple of days before their week in a cottage down the road from here. It's amazing, you chat to someone thru blogs for 4 years & when you finally meet them in person, they're exactly as you thought they'd be; warm, kind & great to get to know more about. It was a lovely visit.


 She very generously brought me a notebook covered by her fair hands, beautiful fabrics


 reminiscent of her wonderful Horizons quilt, I thought & now I have my own mini version! I've been
using it for notes & sketching.




 In return, I gave her a cuff & an earring to match - I did offer to make an as near as I could matching earring as a pair but now we are twins in our single earring wearing ;)

 When my sister in law visited the following week, there was one day available around work/guests arriving that we could  go off & explore. We chose to visit Sandaig, where the DH had been before with the kids, but in 14 years living here & looking at the Sandaig Light every night from our house, I'd never been. I was looking forward to going over to where Gavin Maxwell (of Ring of Bright Water fame) lived & looking back to my home on Skye.

 I wasn't sure I would be as sure footed as the DH on the 'bridge', specially as I was carrying the small pack at the time... So sil & I went along the path thru the person high bracken instead...which enabled me to collect 5 tick bites, 3 of which reacted with a red circle large enough for the Doc to give me antibiotics for 2 weeks to prevent Lymes Disease. 1 in 20 ticks carry it apparently so I had a 1 in 4 chance & the fall out if you don't have the anti B's is awful apparently. Next time I'll cross the river!


 In the middle of the pic above is a small byre & to the left of that was where Gavin Maxwel's house was, just behind the grassy mound. It was knocked down, what was left after a fire & buried to prevent visitors collecting souvenirs I think.


 & the above is a small part of what he would have seen. Skye is behind the rocks on the top right the coast of the mainland, left.

Such space

 a blocked up window in the byre


looking up from the grass thru GM's boat, well, there had to be rust

& one of the many rock mark pics I took ;)


Here is the actual lighthouse removed from the rocks by Sandaig, when replaced by a modern 'light' (I do find it comforting to watch tho, day in & day out altho at the moment it's invisible in the mist & stormy waves!)  renovated & saved for a tiny information point by the Glenelg to Kylereah ferry crossing, lovely to step right inside a lighthouse.


October was meant to be used for a production line towards the November craft fairs. I didn't want to leave lots of things to make for when I got back from my flying visit to meet my daughter in law to be's parents, & my family. Well, I made a start...


I also put 4 CD sized pieces into Inchmore Gallery, selected & cropped from a pile of monoprints in a wip pile. They've got to live somewhere, haven't they? They'll look good mounted up with a few inches of white around them when they come back.


I made up some hearts from the fabric I was making way back in September at my exhibition & stitched up a couple of books too. Then I got on with some red & blue reconstructed fabric, oh so many tiny pieces to stitch - I may go bigger next time. I took it away with me to hand stitch during moments of inactivity, marking out on the back  the things I wanted to make as I went along.

 



 Back home I started to cut & free motion stitch a purse, a book cover, a button & a card & a couple of cuffs, with a coffee warmer (I know), a coupe of hearts, a couple of glasses cases, earrings, more buttons, a needle case, maybe even some bits & pieces left over for some tags, inspired by a beautiful one that Sue sent me attached to a Brother bobbin. Oh yes, I bought myself a little Brother, the basic computerized one - frightens the life out of me every time I turn it on as it chirps hello!






18 comments:

Julie said...

A lovely catch up Emma, living up to your blog name. :) I'm sorry people weren't in a spending mood at your fayre. Stewart found the same when he was trying to sell his cards recently. I am very proud of my cuff and earring :) I hope you're keeping warm in this bad weather that's up your way. I keep dreaming about escaping to Skye to watch for the Northern Lights but maybe not this side of winter. lol

Living to work - working to live said...

Wow- you've been busy. I can hardly keep up!

Those tick bites sound nasty. Occasionally Whippet X gets a tick. They really make me feel squeamish!!

chocolatefrog said...

Great post Emma, love both the landscapes and the textiles but you do make me feel lazy!
A Brother "chirrup" sounds much nicer than the infamous "Bernina burp" that I suffer.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking of you this morning and wondering where the heck you have been? Then I thought I missed getting your posts...Looks like you have been ever so busy, which is great. Lovely work going on there and the views, of course are gorgeous. xox

Virginia said...

I'm new to your blog - thanks for sharing your creative journey, it is inspiring. Lyme's disease rang a bell with me so I checked it out - it really is awful. Thank goodness you sought treatment for those bites. If you go to this link you'll see why!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8635546/Tick-bite-leaves-woman-with-rare-disease

jackie said...

You are so busy,and now a new machine! Great things to come.

Jill said...

Lovely to catch up. Always good to see your work and the wonderful scenery where you live.

Jan said...

Good to hear from you and to see what you have been up to. I have heard that Lyme's disease can be devastating and long lasting, glad you took steps to fend it off. always love seeing what creative things you have been doing. Good luck with your next art fair, it is always disappointing to put in so much good effort and then not have good sales. Your work is certainly inventive and well constructed enough to be worthy of sales.

Jan said...

Nice photo of you and Julie. Is that taken in your studio? It looks as messy and well utilized as mine! I love seeing people's studios when they aren't all tidied up for a photo shoot.

Aileen Clarke Crafts said...

Hi Emma, just came looking for your blog as I seem to have lost track of my reading list recently. Looks like you are having a lovely and productive time. Love your craft fair display! Your blog is always very inspiring with all your colourful work and beautiful photos from Skye.

https://tastytextiles.blogspot.com/ said...

Hi Emma,
Fantastic post as usual and beautiful work - as I always expect from you. I read with some jealously about people visiting and I really hope I can come someday too! Gilli x

Iz said...

Hello! My, you've been busy prepping all that work. Love the CD sized pieces. And thank you for the photos, I love the scenery around you, so inspiring and such a lot of space and air (and wee creatures..) New machine - exciting, not scary, surely?!

Anonymous said...

Loads of fabulous pictures. reading all about your work just makes me hungry for some more pictures! Sounds like you had a great time with friends and family too. Here's hoping that people will be more in spending for Christmas mode at the next craft fair.

Robin Mac said...

What a wonderful catchup post - isn't it lovely meeting blog friends in person? You have been so busy with your stitching too, producing some lovely stuff. I am sorry you had the tick bites, but I don't think I would have braved that bridge either. Looks like the walk was worth everything however. I loved reading the Gavin Maxwell books all those years ago.

Cheers.

Linda’s Textiles said...

Lovely to see your gorgeous pictures of Skye and what you've been up too - lots of wonderful work!
Good luck for your next fair.

Kim Henkel Creations said...

I too enjoy your post. Beautiful images, what looks like a lovely adventure, a visit with a blogging friend, and images of your beautiful creations. Life is busy!! Thanks for sharing it all here. I hope your past weekend sale was more successful. Your work looks lovely, would love to see it in person.

MulticoloredPieces said...

Hi, Emma. I finally got a chance to stop by. Your work is always so lovely--hope sales have been good. And the pictures of Skye are beautiful. Wishing you a happy holiday season with your loved ones!
best, nadia

Gaby Bee said...

Dear Emma, I wanted to send along some wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Gaby xo