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Last Sunday,  I went on a nostalgia trip to see the church which I had attended until the mid 1950’s – it had been superseded by a modern building in 70’s and was open just for the  afternoon.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..

Last Bank Holiday until Christmas

True to form, the Bank Holiday weekend was another damp squib!   Lark Lane on Saturday wasn’t too bad weatherwise but it wasn’t very busy – I think everyone had gone to the Matthew Street Festival.  

On Sunday, we braved the threatening sky and, with our husbands, we went into Ormskirk to see the Motorfest.   In the event, the weather stayed fine and was actually quite warm so we stayed quite a while, looking at all the veteran, vintage and classic cars.     Liz and I took numerous photos but it was difficult to get clear shots of the cars because there were such  crowds of people there.   I’m, hoping that I might have some half decent shots of the cars when they actually drove round the one-way system – but I haven’t downloaded them yet.   However, I have downloaded some shots from the flower show and the camera club’s outing to Southport  and there are some promising shots there.  

On Bank Holiday Monday, the four of us were going to go to Matthew Street Festival but it absolutely poured down all day, so I spent my time putting some new products onto my website.   It took forever – Liz is the expert , she seems to whiz through but I thought it was time I got into it a bit more – I suppose I’ll get quicker in time.    I still need Liz to check for any howlers though!

I can’t believe that, next week, the children go back to school – I’ll miss Adam, my grandson, who has spent quite a lot of time with us this holiday, but it will make me get back into some sort of routine again and down to a bit of serious work – that’s if I don’t get distracted by the Paralympics!

Felt brooch

Lazy bones

I have been a real lazy bones for the last ten days.   The Olympics were partly to blame – I’ve run every race, jumped every jump, thrown every missile, swum, paddled , sailed and cycled, to name but a few disciplines – I’m exhausted!    I compounded my laziness by going to Old Trafford to watch a day’s cricket at the weekend and I shall be skiving off to the Flower Show at Southport towards the end of the week as well, so not a lot achieved this week either.

A few weeks ago,  I helped one of my grandsons to make a couple of pieces of felt which I promised to make into a pencil case for him for when he starts secondary school – this week, finally, I put it together and put a zip in it – it looks super - I should have taken a photograph of it before he took it home.

I also did some nuno felt samples – I was checking which of my stash of fabrics might be suitable for the technique before I embark on any larger scale projects.    One of the samples, made using purple and  black merino on mauve chiffon, I have used to make a pretty anemone brooch with a  beaded centre.

As well as having a mammoth sort out of a drawer full of old photographs, I intend to try to make some sense of lots of clutter in my ‘workroom’ this coming week.   Wish me luck – I’ll need it.

Rain, rain, go away!

This week, like many other people in this country, I’ve been glued to television watching the Olympics so I haven’t been very productive at all.   I make the excuse that it’s only once every 4 years and won’t happen again in this country in my lifetime, so it seems a shame not to make the most of it.  

I did have one day when I made lots of jewellery using some of the beads I bought on holiday.   I think the total was 2 dozen pairs of earrings ,1 dozen necklaces/pendants and 6 handbag/phone charms.

On Saturday, we went to Bickerstock – a music festival in Bickerstaffe.   Luckily we were located in a marquee so, despite the teeming rain showers we were at least dry.    It wasn’t particularly busy for us but, among other things, I sold a felt covered sketch book which I was rather fond of and my favourite purple and pink felt scarf.   Liz sold a couple of bags and a pretty scarf.  However, I don’t think we’re music festival material, the noise levels increased as the day wore on and we were reduced to plugging our ears with paper tissues at one point!    We made our escape at about 5 o’clock with our ears ringing and our heads buzzing.

Today, we were again in a marquee at Knowsley Flower Show.    It all started very well, a lovely morning and the staff were very pleasant and even helped us unload.    The ground was quite wet when we arrived and, by the time we’d set up and  despite wearing strong walking shoes, we had wet feet.    I don’t know what time the rain really started to come down in bucketfulls but it was deafening on the canvas of the marquee.    Then the thunder and lightning started and the rain became even heavier – think Noah’s flood.    It seemed to go on forever, but the best was yet to come.   Suddenly, we realised that big pools were forming under our feet and  little rivulets were forming.   Then we noticed that, just above our heads, the canvas was beginning to sag ominously where a large volume of water had collected instead of running off.   Just as we were trying to decide on our best course of action, a member of staff arrived and ordered everyone to ‘abandon ship’ as the site was about to be closed due to flooding.    Forget women and children first, it was every man for himself.   I don’t think we’ve ever packed up as quickly (or as untidily).   We dashed for the car (that’s if you can actually dash and paddle at the same time) and crammed everything in as quickly as we could.   Getting off the site took ages, everyone, exhibitors, traders and visitors all trying to leave at the same time, some getting bogged down in the mud, but at least we were not getting any wetter.

Since coming home, I have unpacked, dried out and repacked.   If I am ever tempted to do an open air/marquee event again, I hope someone will remind me of just how risky it can be in terms of ruining all those lovely photographic prints and textiles and how very lucky we were to get back with everything intact.   And, if all else fails, remind me that were fortunate to not come home with trench foot!

Southport Flower Show Competition

This week, I have been spending some time with my grandson so, although I’ve been doing ‘crafty’ things with him, I haven’t made an awful lot of textiles.   One thing I have done, however, is to make some textile brooches depicting beach huts  - I’ve made 3 so far and actually sold 2 already – I’ll be making some more of them!

Lark Lane yesterday was very quiet, I think everyone was on holiday.   Nevertheless,  it was, as usual a pleasant day, old acquaintances renewed and lots of laughing as well as exchanging ideas.   It was lovely that Tina Leahy,  who has been having a ’sabbatical’, popped in to see us.  

Today, we went to Scorton – what a lovely village.  It’s always enjoyable there, plenty of people – although, again, probably because it’s the summer holidays, not as many as usual.   Strangely, apart from photo cards which always sell, and a couple of other bits and pieces,  I sold 6 hand-painted silk bookmarks – I usually sell only one or two per event.

I got a lovely surprise this week – I’ve been awarded 2^nd prize in Southport Flower Show’s the Stefan Buczacski Open Photography Competition.   I have to attend on the first day of the Flower Show to be presented with my certificate and cheque – I haven’t a clue how much the prize is worth and I don’t much care – I’m just so delighted!  The photograph is a portrait of an iris from my garden.  

St. Davids

Since I last posted, I’ve been away on a long holiday – 12 days in all.   We went to  St. David’s in Pembrokeshire – a place we’ve been to many times and which we never tire of.   Despite the rain, we managed to get out on 8 of the days and actually managed the beach on some part of those 8 days – for this Summer I think that’s not at all bad.

Needless to say, I took knitting and embroidery with me so that I could be productive.   I did not do a thing!   I was seduced into playing silly card games such as Free Cell and Spider on the computer – what a timewaster and so addictive!    I have promised myself that I will only ever play when we’re away on holiday – otherwise nothing creative will ever happen again.  

I always come back from St. David’s fired up with all sorts of inspiration and ideas and, having looked in various galleries, this time was no exception.   In fact, one rainy afternoon, I tried my hand at watercolour painting – I used to paint quite a lot – but the results were crude in the extreme and I put the paints away again in disgust!   I think, when I’m fed up with textiles and photography, I’ll have another go.  It just goes to show that you’ve got to keep practising or lose your skill.

As for photography,  the light was generally pretty poor. so I took very few photographs and I haven’t downloaded them yet .  |I don’t think there’ll be anything spectacular – just some ‘snaps’.

Since we came home, apart from lots of washing, I haven’t done much at all.   I did go to a super concert by Maghull Wind Orchestra  on Saturday at the Metropolitan Cathedral  - both my daughter and grandson were playing.

 I am intending to make up for my laziness in the coming week, so perhaps I’ll have something to show in my next post.   We’ll be at Lark Lane on Saturday, catching up with everyone and hoping to sell some wares.

Outdoor Events

Well, the worst did happen.  On Friday we went to Ormskirk Market again – this time it was a complete washout.  Although we were much more expert at setting up the cover over the stall, but to no avail – the rain came down in torrents and the cover was of no use at all.  After less than an hour and a half, during which the weather  continued to deteriorate,  we were in danger of getting all the ‘stuff’ soaked, so we decided to call it a day – we were both soaked through to our underwear.   It was really disappointing for the Chapel Gallery staff who had worked so hard under such difficult circumstances and we were so sorry for them.   

Today we have been to a Craft Fair in Ainsdale; it coincided with Ainsdale Horticultural Show, and we though that might add to the footfall.   Unfortunately,  because the weather was so good, most people went to the outdoor event and didn’t come indoors at all!    We can’t win   However, we enjoyed our day and I sold 3 prints, more than I usually sell in one go.  It was nice to meet up again with Margaret from the Soap Corner and Nicola from Good Girl Designs who had some lovely new brooches and some really unusual mats.

 During the week I’ve been quite productive – half a dozen lavender bags, the promised felted iPod case, a couple of scarves and some more heart-shaped brooches.    No bad eh?