Disappointment

I can’t believe that it’s the end of September already, where did that month go and what have I got to show for it?  

 

I’ve got the picture of the mask I made a few weeks ago, it peeled off the mould quite easily once it had dried – that took quite a few days – the picture of it shows it off quite well.

 

During the last couple of weeks I have been quite busy, a craft fair at Lark Lane where we did some fund raising for the  Macmillan World’s Biggest Coffee Morning,  went to see our daughter and grandson playing in a concert by Maghull Wind Orchestra at the Palm House in Sefton Park, and  a little bit of felt making and sewing.

 

I’ve been experimenting with nuno felting on different fabrics from my stash – I’m not even sure what fibres they’re made of.Some work better than others and some don’t really work at all which is disappointing.However, my first real attempt was using some printed synthetic floaty fabric which I’d picked up somewhere or other!It is cream with a random pattern in blues and gold so I decided to make a felt edged scarf from it.

detail of the nuno felt scarf
 

 

  I mixed white with three different shades of blue merino for the border and then made a few random circles in gold and turquoise and wisps of dark blue and turquoise all over. Once it was dry, I machine embroidered just inside the edge with a variegated blue thread. The texture of the scarf is wonderful and I’m delighted with it. I also made a felt book cover in red and oranges which I embroidered with freehand machine stitch in a leaf design.  

 

 

 

 

I’ve been trying to use up some of my scraps  of fabric and, so far, I’ve made 4 zipped make up bags and 3 iphone pouches and a covered 2013 diary  - I hope it's not too early for such things but   I am determined to free up some space somehow!

Last Friday, we heard that we have not been accepted for the Winter Arts Market at St. George’s Hall in the centre of Liverpool, this year.   We enjoyed last year’s event so much and were really looking forward to it again this year, however, apparently, there were so many applicants that the organisers couldn’t accommodate everyone so we’re hoping that they may get some cancellations and that we are near the top of the waiting list – we’re keeping our fingers crossed.     

The good news is that Liz and I went to an excellent workshop on creative photography by Dianne Owen, this weekend, and we’ve just heard that we’ve both been accepted to join like-minded photographers  who have formed a  group specifically to further their creative photography.   So it’s not all doom and gloom.

Indian Summer

 Well, weren’t we lucky?   We went away to Northumbria for 4 days with some friends – who’d have thought that we’d have such good weather, it was wonderful.   On the day we arrived we had a lovely walk at Alnmouth and the next day we visited Howick Gardens on the coast, near Craster.   On our last day, we did a whistlestop tour of all the places we love on that coast – Budle Bay, Bamburgh, Seahouses, Beadnell and Dunstanborough.   The other day, we went to Newcastle itself to look at the Tyne Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.   We also went to a really interesting gallery, The Biscuit Factory, a contemporary art gallery in a Victorian warehouse -  plenty to see, paintings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glass and some textiles; it  was a real treat.    On our way home we detoured to Gateshead to see the Angel of the North ,  Antony Gormley’s  sculpture.   Although I expected it to be big, it was larger than I had imagined and most impressive, although I  have to say it doesn’t beat Another Place which is, for me, far more moving.

Before we went away I did some felting – a book cover inspired by birch trees in an autumn landscape – which I’ve now completed only to have my granddaughter fall in love with it, so I’ve had to make another one.   Since we came home I’ve made another bookcover depicting yachts in a seascape –that was much admired today in Borrowdale.

 I have made great strides with downloading photos – I’ve even caught up enough to start working on those I took at the Motorfest – not great so far, but it was difficult to get clear shots with all those people milling about

Last Sunday,  I went on a nostalgia trip to see the church which I had attended until the mid 1950’s – it had been superseded by a modern building in 70’s and was open just for the  afternoon.  What a lot of memories it brought back, but sad to see how much it had deteriorated and how small it seemed to me 50 odd years on.   Still, there is a move afoot to attempt some restoration,  I hope it is successful.

On Friday I attended a workshop on making masks – it was very messy and great fun, my effort is presently sitting on top of the washing machine drying, very slowly.   I’m hopeful that, when it is fully dry, and I peal it off the mould, it will be quite effective.   Watch this space!

I do remember saying in a post in August, that  I was never going to do an outside event ever, ever again.  However, I had already booked and paid for today’s event in the Lake District.  The idea was to take our long-suffering husbands to Keswick for a night in a hote, l with a good meal thrown in, and then to attend the Borrowdale Show and Shepherds Meet the next day.   So, on Saturday, we left with high hopes of a pleasant walk around Derwentwater before our evening meal.   Because of a very long delay on the M6, we didn’t get to Keswick until  4.30 p.m. so a walk  was out of the question but we had a little walk around Keswick before our meal.     This morning, it only started to drizzle as we arrived at the show ground so unpacking wasn’t too awful.   Then it started, heavier and heavier, and it didn’t stop all day.    The showground got soggier and soggier, the cars had to be towed off the field which was being used as a car park and, all in all, it was pretty awful.   How sad for the organisers.   Despite the fact that we did sell a few things and, again, met some fascinating people  that is positively the last time outdoors in the English Summer..