craftdelight

a few tasty morsels

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:05:00 +0000

one of the most beautiful knitted pieces I've come across...ever...

my collection of metallic threads...I have no idea what to do with them...

a colourful elephant

3 smallest, littlest pets, tucked up

colourful kitties....

I've been trying to sort out my photographs. Can you tell?

easy come, easy go

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:57:00 +0000

We have an unexpected change of plan this weekend. We were looking forward to seeing some good friends but it's not to be. Lurg has laid R low. We must stay at home. Although disappointed, I find myself looking forward to forty eight hours of home-time. The kids helped me with the food shopping today. We have barbecue food for tomorrow. I don't actually need to leave the house until Monday morning. If our British weather can be consistent and do as it's told, it will be possible to spend the entire weekend at home.

I have plans:

- stick the colour-coded magazine clippings, cards and found stuff into the square sketchbooks I seem to be attracted to and get some mood boards going
- draw our new chickens
- make an embroidery sketchbook
- knit more lopi wool felt swatches
- do a little plan for my summer of creativity
- craft myself a little health and vitality book so that I can start my 40 days of health and wellbeing on Monday (see projectforty)
- work out what the point of twitter is and why I have felt compelled to sign up
- enjoy a little family time
- take some photos (apologies for repeat showing of the above!)

Let's see how I get on shall we? Will check back on Monday...enjoy the sunshine

buttons, badges, ribbons and hens

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:26:00 +0000

Buttons on my mantelpiece.

Chicken on my windowsill.

Badges on the lintel above my cooker.

Harmonious patchwork strips on my sewing machine.

Handmade comforter for O on my kitchen worktop.

***

My creative life has taken a somewhat chaotic turn. One day I draw. The next I sew. I knit in the evenings and I'm in the middle of what I am calling my 'great aunt makes'. I spent an enjoyable day yesterday with 6 other ladies on a workshop entitled 'harmonious patchwork strips'. We died calico, cotton and silk along with threads and other embellishments and stitched them together to make tonal wall hangings or pictures. I would like to make mine into a book wrap but with the current demands on my time, this may take a while.

It was fantastic to spend a day playing on my sewing machine. I can't be a proper stitcher as my sewing machine is not a Bernina. As with all hobbies and activities, the hierarchy of kit and equipment is immediately evident. I became increasingly covetous yesterday of P's collection of bobbins, pre-wound in a rainbow of shades.

I estimate I sewed for a total of 3 hours out of the 6. The longest I've spent machining, well, ever. I managed a few straight lines but my technique is, how can I put it? Organic. Possibly eclectic.

Today I made a ribbon blanket comforter for O. I hope he likes it. Or rather, I hope his parents like it. I learned of them at my knitting group. The babies like to feel the satin ribbon and the softness of the fleece. I have fabric left for more. I just don't have other babies to give them to. I'm off to have a trawl through my sewing magazines. I think knitting maybe about to have a summer break.

I have to snatch my crafting time from the jaws of other demands. I'm actually quite enjoying it. It makes me do more and it makes me appreciate the things I get to see or go to. I am finally beginning to accept that the more I have to do, the more I get done and the more 'free time' I have, the more space there is for procrastinating. What I need now is a little creative focus.

***

random acts of craftiness

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I love How About Orange and this endpage of a book I stole from my friend S (she saw it first at the jumble sale) reminded me of all the lovely things on Jessica Jones' blog.

I also love wool/fibre/yarn and find it impossible to resist new-looking-stuff. Hence the purchase last weekend of some 100% Icelandic Lopi Roving which, according to its label is 'unspun' and 'fragile'. I have to say, I think it's found its natural home in my house. My plans for it are also a little unspun and fragile although I think they involve bowls and felted baskets. Who knows? I am now at the point of project-overload with plans and ideas a-plenty and zero time to accomplish anything. Recognise that little scenario?

Inspiration has come from many sources this week and here, my friends, is a list....

my fabulous Aunties (we went for a beautiful walk with S at Westonbirt and saw this)

- ferns (the beginnings of which punctuated our walk)

- the Stroud textile festival where I saw some amazing new work by Michael Brennand-Wood and gleaned some good ideas from the vintage shop in Stroud and their collection of beaded and beautiful dresses.

***

bits and bobs

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:14:00 +0000

a small collection of small objects:

a vintage ribbon on a spool from Leigh, Lancashire (birthplace)

tickets to see favourite band Starsailor (you'll cry when listening to those lyrics - promise)

a small strawberry made by smallest child

a small book picked up on a recent visit to Columbia Road market

a milk bottle tag from a summer purchase

a representation of Audrey Hepburn's right armpit

you didn't know I had such an eclectic mantelpiece now, did you?!

can't stay long. I have the small matter of a kingsize duvet to wrestle with before I can go to bed. Must do it now otherwise bad mood will ensue when arrive by bedside with task to compete at 11pm.

will blog craftily again shortly.

***

the business of books....

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:06:00 +0000

I have started to practice 'morning pages' as recommended by Julia Cameron.

A book, made simply by collecting handmade papers, bought over the years and sandwiching them between some card.

More books, each made in a different way. From the top:

- A4 copier paper, folded into 16 squares, cut and folded
- A4 graph paper, cut and folded
- handmade cover, stitched signatures
- the handmade paper sandwich
- envelopes with rings
- my work diary (I didn't make this, it is just ever-present in my existence)

Inspired by lobster and swan, my collection of cuttings, tearouts, adverts and bits and bobs from magazines, newspapers and any other piece of paper I've had my hands on over the last few months.

I'd just like to thank....

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:55:00 +0000

Kathy at Little House in the Big Burbs for giving me my first ever blog-licious award and, not only that, a badge to pin to my crafty chest....here goes.

In the spirit of the award, I must now list seven things I love and pass the award to seven others. I think the first element of this process will be much easier than the second, so much so that I am going to limit the things I love, otherwise I could fill my love quota in a trice.

7 lovely things:
- bamboo knitting needles
- my embellishing machine
- sketchbooks - making them, looking at other people's sketchbooks
- embroidery floss
- my camera
- pens
- blank paper

As a recipient of this prestigious award, I will now pass it to:

Brown Dog at Little Brown Blog
Jackie at Stitchworks
Shani at Stranded Yarns
Anna at See.Be.Draw
Calico Kate at Calico Kate
Abigal Thomas
Garden Girl at All things lovely

I'm not sure what I do now. Do I tell them? I think I'll just wait for them to realise.

Happy Easter.

do as I say, not as I do!

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:23:00 +0000

My lovely embellisher with some fancy ribbon yarn that I bought in Leigh and seems to combine vintage and modern all in one strip of usefulness. I felted it to some fleshy felt and it's crying out to be incorporated into a collage or doll.

My lovely radio (inherited from my late, departed Grandpa. THE only thing to listen to whilst pottering in the greenhouse. I have occasional panic attacks about the analogue signal being turned off. What will happen to these lovely old wirelesses?

Referring to my previous post on slowing down and general, deeper contemplation of matters small and large....it's an interesting concept.

Mindfulness....a fascinating theory.

My most recent plan: concentrate and embrace mindfulness (ha!), work and live with more method and less madness (tee hee!). I thought it would be interesting to see whether I'd actually accomplished some of the things I put on my list last week....just for interest, not so I can beat myself up about not doing them...or, indeed, add a few more just to keep my adrenalin levels up.

- clean house for granny inspection (check - with help from my glamorous assistant)

- make easter egg tree displays (check - all my own work but fading fast)

- sow more seeds (sweetcorn, black and white kidney beans and parsley)

- pot up seedlings (courgettes, done)

- clean windows (are revolting - not quite so anymore)

- sew SOMETHING (nothing unless you count the sweater I sewed up for one of my knitting learners)

- do some more of newborn baby blanket (am not sure if three stitches of single crochet count)

- go swishing (last Monday - forgot due to memorable creative arts evening at eldest's school)

- book club (tomorrow - went, the book I chose was branded as twee - not impressed)

- girls' night in (thursday - very successful and everyone brought lovely things to eat and drink)

- get some flaming exercise as my bottom will start falling off chairs shortly if I do not (see sewing)

- write some reports (started, drafted, not finished)

- take stuff to the charity shop (took it and was told to take it elsewhere)

- be nice to children and husband (managed beautifully until this morning's meltdown)

- finalise a knitting project I've dreamt up (it's in the sketchbook)

- prepare for knitting meeting (meeting done and dusted, thank you, next meeting planned)

- draw a bit (started daily sketchbook - lasted 3 days)

- knit a bit (bought some beautiful colinette)

- watch ER (because I keep forgetting and it's the last series - FORGOT)

- clean the inside of our kitchen cupboards - well, no

- make new list for NRH - he's so efficient these days, he makes his own

So...you can see, a little room for craft and contemplation, but not much. It occured to me that the seedlings were teaching me a little lesson. No matter how many times I watered them or went to check on them, they were just getting on with growing in their own sweet way. Nothing I could possibly do would make them hurry. Maybe I should spend more time with them?

all in the mind...

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:28:00 +0000

My recent reading has been confined to quick bursts, magazines, newspapers, blogs, quick snapshots of what writers are thinking.

I've been reading about simplifying and calming and mindfulness.

I've found sense in articles about slowing down, taking time, conscious action and mindfulness. I've been trawling blogs for sketchbooks and journals and diaries. I want to take some time out to start recording and marshalling my ideas.

As usual I have been cramming and stuffing too many different things into what is never going to be a flexible amount of time. I thought I had a quieter week ahead but I find I am out most evenings and committed to various pieces of work.

It's the Easter holidays next week and its the first school holiday that I'm going to spend working since 1997. That's a long time and something that I will need to get used to for the foreseeable future.

My aim this week is to concentrate and embrace mindfulness. I am going to work and live with more method and less madness. I'm also going to:

- clean house for granny inspection

- make easter egg tree displays

- sow more seeds

- pot up seedlings

- clean windows (are revolting)

- sew SOMETHING

- do some more of newborn baby blanket

- go swishing (tonight)

- book club (tomorrow)

- girls' night in (thursday)

- get some flaming exercise as my bottom will start falling off chairs shortly if I do not

- write some reports

- take stuff to the charity shop

- be nice to children and husband

- finalise a knitting project I've dreamt up

- prepare for knitting meeting (I've dreamt of having meetings about knitting!)

- draw a bit

- knit a bit

- watch ER (because I keep forgetting and it's the last series)

- clean the inside of our kitchen cupboards

- make new list for NRH

seed stitch

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:38:00 +0000

I found these in my greenhouse. I like to make flapjacks and gingercake. I used to be given treacle sandwiches as a child. We have these tins around the house, filled with pencils, pens, plant labels and scissors. I was interested to see how they'd faded in the winter sun.

I cleared the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago and started to sow seeds. I would love to say that I am passionate about gardening. I am not. I enjoy the initial process of clearing and sowing, the hope and the anticipation engages me quite nicely.

I do not enjoy the weeding and nurturing demands of flower beds and vegetable patches. It's a time-heavy business and, frankly, who has the time?

Every year I nag myself to try a little harder and make a little more time, that the fruits of my sowings will be bountiful and useful.

This year is no exception.

I have sown tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, climbing beans, courgette, radish basil and pots of sunflowers as I'd like to create a summer hedge along our drive - just for fun, to see if it works. My seeds are starting to push through and I enjoy the patchwork nature of the seedtrays and the repeated patterns formed by pots and emerging seedlings. I have sweetcorn, rocket, parsley and beetroot and I am sure there will be plenty more. The months of April and May are my most enthusiastic (before the bindweed appears).

NRH (see projectforty) has fixed the waterbutt, cleared the base of the apple trees and is busy planning the new chicken run. He is an unexpected treasure in the garden. He takes on the jobs I struggle with, the edging, the digging and most energetically, the chopping without complaint as long as I have provided clear instructions and do not query the result (often quite drastic).

As you can see, I need all the help I can get. This is the allotment we share with my neighbour. It's right outside my kitchen window and it's big, and weedy and bumpy. We've had it for a couple of years and although we get some decent produce from it, it's always looked a mess. Our allotments are 200 years old this year so we're all agreed it's time to make a bit of an effort.

So, now you know, when I'm not knitting or sewing or thinking about knitting or sewing, I'm here, looking gorgeous in my wellies and my headscarf.

UK DIY

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:17:00 +0000

I visited the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh, Lancashire on Saturday to meet Elizabeth Smith, one of the artists exhibiting there.

I was born in Leigh, Lancashire in 1960-something-or-other. The Turnpike was opened just as I left. I recognised nothing. I saw no memorable landmarks. I had no recollection of anything I saw in Leigh on Saturday. I found that rather un-nerving.

The Turnpike is currently hosting UK DIY which is linked to the Manchester Craft Mafia and appears to be a collective doing great justice to the craft world in the UK at the moment.

I'd arranged to meet Elizabeth and talk about her work as part of an article I've pitched to a magazine editor. It's my first professional attempt at freelance writing so I'm keen that all goes well and I represent her accurately. Actually I'm rather nervous.

Elizabeth was inspiring, not only because of the beautiful work she brought with her and her exhibit at the Turnpike but also she made me realise that my aspirations are not that unattainable. I'm not sure my skills are comparable but my intention to work with and around textiles, be that stitching, knitting or crochet is strong and, really, I should just go for it.

In the afternoon, we went to St. Helen's, another blast from my past. Most of my family lived and worked around St. Helens including uncles, grandparents, aunts. Pilkingtons and Pimbletts were the familiar names and I remember being aware that Pilkingtons paid everyone's wages and Pimbletts supplied the pies. The latter has now gone into administration, probably pinched about by Greggs and supermarkets. Some of the back street names seemed familiar but, again, it's a town I don't recognise from my childhood. Am I really that old? Is it my memory that has dwindled or have these towns just been altered beyond recognition?

necessity - mother of inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:12:00 +0000

This is more a rant than a delight...so if you're feeling delicate, please turn away.

I am playing with my luscious (or should I say lurrrrrrrrrrrrsh as some do in these western parts) laptop whilst ignoring the news. It's about 10.15pm.

I loathe the news and it inspires me simply because the daily grimness is making me determined to make things better as much as I can in my own quite idiosyncratic way.

One of the newsreaders has just been promoting the UK Recession Tracker - now, what is the point of knowing that in Middlesborough there are 24 people chasing every job when there are 32 people chasing every job in Basildon? How does that make things better?

The internet was a mere blip when the last recession came. Our current financial crisis may be extended and deepened by everyone poring over online statistics and credit crunch horror stories instead of dreaming up great business ideas or money making schemes.

My solution? Move away from the screens, stop watching the horror and get those mindmaps buzzing. As I understand it, necessity has been the mother of invention since Billy caveman wanted to move the bison carcass to the cave and knocked himself up a wheel.

I'm going to concentrate on making and creating rather than watch our bank account dwindle. If I make money, fine. The overdraft won't shrink if I just worry about it. Far better to think of something to do to make the money than simply stand still and watch it as it disappears.

So....make, write, create, craft, stitch, knit, work and enjoy.

That's my plan.

seeing red....

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:01:00 +0000

I am obsessed by red and, in particular, red in combination with white.

I have a red watch, red boots, red shoes.

I had red nails last week.

I would like to dye my hair red (although with my complexion, that will remain an idea).

I like red pens, red ink, red pencils, red paint.

I'm partial to red flowers, dahlias especially.

I have spent the last two years lusting over, dreaming about and desiring a red laptop. If I had over a grand lying about, I would have opted for the Sony Vaio. Instead, I chose a little red Dell, just enough for my requirements and, more importantly, it's red.
*

Naturally, I opened the Saturday papers and Dell appear to have upgraded or up-specked or whatever they do but I don't mind. I love my red Dell and hope it will serve me well.
*

The laptop is one of several steps I am making to reclaim the space in our house that is, notionally, mine. I have blogged about this before and I do not wish to revisit my list of complaints.
*
Here is a list of things that need to be done:

- clean out the playroom (now family room) including remove guinea pig run and collection of cardboard boxes and wrapping materials
- organise all craft books so that I can herd them into my space
- unplug existing family computer
- transfer all music files from former family computer on to new family computer
- recycle all materials collected lovingly but realistically unusable
- find suitable boards/frames/pictures for walls
- sort out hoarded magazine stash
- clean desk
- complete stocktake (I already have a spreadsheet - how lame is that?)
- find a lovely chair and a lovely lamp to sit under for contemplation and daydreaming
*

Make a door.
*

Add a lock?
***
(My family is, in equal measure, both my greatest inspiration and my greatest distraction!)

near and dear....

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:42:00 +0000

A friend of mine who blogs at http://www.littlebrowndog-littlebrowndog.blogspot.com/ has, almost single-handedly, organised and produced a book about the 200 year old allotments in our village. Added to this she has been a bit of a star by organising BBC's Gardener's Question Time to visit our nearest town, Malmesbury. She is, quite simply, a marvel.

I met her a few years ago now and although she doesn't know it, as I probably wouldn't be quite so gushy to say it, she has been a bit of an inspiration to me. She is a writer and has written for all sorts of magazines - something I've always wanted to do. She is interminably positive and helpful and constructive - something I've always wanted to be!

I won't go on too much as I really don't want to go all SWF on anyone but I just wanted to say "well done!"

As an aside, I have an allotment on the 200 year old allotment site. It's right by my kitchen window. One of the reasons we came here 7 years ago was because there was an allotment next door. This allotment is the biggest manifestation of the rule

'be careful what you wish for'.

I am a terrible allotmenter.

I can just about manage to grow dahlias, courgettes, sage and rosemary and the odd onion - on a good year.

I share the allotment with my neighbour and, I'm sure she won't mind me saying this, although we both love the idea of an allotment, sometimes (or rather, most of the time) it's not right at the top of the list of either of our priorities. This time of year is just about OK as we have discovered the instant, although slightly brutal, black-plastic-covered-allotment-look. It's a bit eighties, a bit recessionista, a bit Debbie Harry but for vegetable patches. I've grown to love it - no-one else's allotment has quite such a look.

Despite the plastic-fetish, I do like the allotment to look pretty and tidy. I like to grow flowers and salads, anything that grows above ground. I like to sow and plant out and I don't even mind weeding but I really don't like proper digging and muck. It's all a bit Monty Python and serf-like me.

However, now I have a keen and redundant husband, I may have the solution. He is unlikely to know which is weed, which is plant in the garden but on the allotment that does not matter. Everything save three blackcurrant bushes, some rhubarb and a couple of wizened gooseberry bushes is, guess what, weed! He can dig and edge and tidy up till the chickens come home (he's supposed to be mending the chicken run too). I have always resisted being the sort of wife who writes out lists for husbands but the temptation this year is too much. I'm planning a spreadsheet - he'll like that. He gets jobs and I get more produce for less effort. Marvellous.

***

How far to "Remainia"?

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:54:00 +0000

Thanks to Kathy for this great holiday destination (see comments below).

Having had a euro-shock recently, I think we'll be making repeat Remainia trips all year - staying at home and making the most of what we've got will be a more manageable option than globe-trotting, or even UK-trotting.

I once read an article about 'home-holidays' and it sounded great. The writer suggested that you behave just as you would if you were going away - manic tidying of house, collecting guidebooks and lists of things to do, finding out where the nearest ancient monument is, and then you do it, all within 20 miles of where you live. You're not allowed to do silly things like pay bills or email work or open post.

It's an option.

a very bad girl....

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:34:00 +0000

I wish I could say I've been gallivanting and simply messing about for the last week or so but, unfortunately, I can't.

I've been working, working, working and busy, busy, busy.

I've removed my themes as, let's face it, I was being a little ambitious.

I'm just going to stick to general, random inspiration and see how it goes from there.

I am a reluctant inhabitant of a landlocked county. I have often dreamed of living by the sea. I lived in Brighton for a couple of years a long, long time ago and I was captivated by the water whatever the season, whatever the weather.

I am not sure where I would like to live if I ever manage to persuade my nearest and dearest to move sea-side. In an ideal fantasy seaside life, I would be installed in an art-deco mansion beside my own private cove with several small crafts, manned by several gansey-dressed fisherman, ready to take me to the nearest quay.

In reality, we don't do seaside much as a family. It's simply too far and unfamiliar for my small-ish, landlubbers. We're not great with sand, or rather food and sand, or indeed sand in places other minerals rarely reach. We're not lovers of traffic jams either or over-priced ice creams, or beach neighbours, or sand-castle-kicker-overers.

Let's stay here then.

tricoter?

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:27:00 +0000

I saw this beauty at the Musee D'Orsay on Saturday. I can't work out if she is spinning or knitting or sewing. She also had this little beauty in her hands.

On a more rustic note - anyone for a crocheted tree cozy?

this blog is temporarily unvailable....

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Back next week....

In the meantime....

Look here....http://maryruffle.tumblr.com/ almost too pretty

And here.....http://www.drawing.org.uk/ something I will get to one day

And here....http://www.sarajofrieden.com/

Also, if you fancy and have the time...

Send me some links you think I should look at....

A bientot mes amis!

creativity slip?

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 06:56:00 +0000

I am now, officially, a victim of the current economic climate. I have, somehow, during the last month become our family's sole wage earner (I haven't actually been paid yet but that is a secondary issue). This is a brand new experience and, I hope, a short-lived one.

This shift in our family roles and responsibilities is likely to be seismic for several reasons:
- I am the one who gets to choose if I do paid work or not
- I am the one who can spend days dreaming up ideas and projects
- I am the one who can fill my days with endless, fruitless activity
- I am the one who can look at a pile of envelopes and see art

Now, however, I appear to be filling my days with, firstly my project work - 3 days a week and, secondly my extra-curricular knitting/craft projects and, thirdly, it seems some (possibly paid) writing.

This leaves approximately half an hour every seven days for daydreaming and inspiration.

I'm going to have to be quick.

I'm going to Paris and London at the end of this week. One for fun and one for work (and fun). I live such a country-bumpkin life these days that the excitement I feel when the possibility of train or airtravel is slightly overwhelming. I have to look at my tickets - a lot. I plan my magazine reading. I spend hours working out how much I can fit in in the time I have on pavements and where I can get to, what I can see in the shortest amount of time.

We're taking the kids to Paris and there are so many things I want them to see. I want them to smell that Metro-smell that I associate with the city and see that amazing street washing thing they still do there and sit in a cafe with a hot-chocolate and watch the world go by. I want them to gasp in awe and wonder. I wonder if they will.

***

out of season

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:41:00 +0000

The weather was funny the first time...and from behind a window, with the fire on, wrapped in a pashmina and wearing 'improved fur' M&S ugg-style slippers. This morning, in the car, across various Wiltshire hills, it was just bleururururughh. Fog, hail, fog and ice. Nasty.

I went to a meeting. So far, so uncreative. However, I remembered a fantastic treasure I'd discovered on the way back from a meeting at the same place over two years ago. I took a detour on the way home.

It's a kind of mini-rural-shopping heaven....

There's a farm shop; http://www.planksfarmshop.co.uk/

There's a fabulous papercrafting shop: http://www.potatopatchcrafts.co.uk/

And there's a wonderful cafe slash homeware slash vintage shop http://www.mipo.co.uk/

There's also a plant nursery and I think some other things.

If you're ever travelling between Devizes and Andover, look out for it. It's a find, a rural hotspot of retail therapy and the coffee is fantastic.

thank you m-d

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:51:00 +0000

As inspired by the first Mason-Dixon knitting book - log-cabin knitting. My second attempt. Each square I make gets flatter and squarer, an improvement by anyone's standards.

I'm using the ends of any sock yarn I can get my hands on. It's going to take a very long time to make anything resembling blanket-size. That's a lot of socks to knit too.

better late than never....

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:48:00 +0000

No pictures today. Sorry. The light, you may have noticed, has been awful, either bright and harsh or dark and gloomy. I haven't been around at the right time or near the right light source.

I have, though, had a little embellish. I've been trying out russian dolls (I can't spell their proper name) and I'll get some photos posted asap, probably mixed up with something else. I've also been trying to draw with the felting machine, using yarn to create line.

Mmmm....that's going well, although I need to be more consistent in my approaches. Instead of sitting down with half an hour to have a little play. I think the better approach would be to put together a list of explorations I want to make and work, gradually, bit by bit and haphazardly through those explorations.

For example, while I am trying to 'create line', my daughter wants me to embellish a dalmation for some petshop game she's playing. Enjoyable, there is no doubt but sketchbook friendly, no.

As I've joined the world of work again, I also felt completely justified in my purchase of Embellish, Stitch, Felt by Sheila Smith. Coupled with the 2 books I have 'borrowed' from my old tutor and an embroidering neighbour, I've had a good look at a wide variety of techniques.

My main problem? I don't want to create seascapes and I don't want to make ornately embellished wall-hangings. I have a feeling though that I am going to end up with samples of these just so I can develop the technique and style that I hope will come and help me make drawings.

So...apologies for the distinct lack of imagery especially to my new follower. I've never had one before and I have to say I'm thrilled. Thank you for following and thanks to everyone who comes this way to have a look, even if I don't know you're there.

monochromatic, moi?

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:36:00 +0000

You may have noticed. I am a novice photographer.

It snowed yesterday and as an enthusiastic (but novice) photographer, I thought it would be great to trip out and take a few landscape shots of our sleepy part of the world draped in neige.

My problem? I love photographs but I can't take them.

The more I try to draw, create, anything really apart from knit or sew, I re-inforce my limitations and the subsequent frustration grows. I can see quite clearly why people become art critics, not artists.

It's so damned difficult to produce something that has impact, presence.

On a slightly skewy matter, I'm very interested at the moment in how parenthood and childhood are changing. I'm particularly interested in how maleness and fatherhood is becoming a kind of 'issue' for childcare professionals. In my day job people talk about 'dads and lads' as 'difficult to target', 'hard to engage'. It's as if half the population has become a minority, like we ladies used to be in the 70s.

Anyway, as I've been pottering about the webosphere, having a look hither and thither, I discovered this blog...

http://rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com/

It's quite entertaining, especially the post that says "if your art is bad, make it bigger...if it's still bad, paint it red".

Discuss....

tick tock

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:29:00 +0000

I'm completely off-piste this week, what with the job and the snow and the disappearing job.

It's time to think about time.

Here goes....

7 days per week (7 x 24 = 168 hours)
9 hours sleep per day (7 x 9 = 63)

Remainding, non-sleep hours per week 105

Per day = 105 / 7 = 15 hours

Paid hours per week = 22

Remainding hours = 83 (11 + a few per day)

Time to be spent eating, cleaning and sorting stuff out: 6?

That means I should have 5 hours a day to do something, anything. That could be stitching, writing, reading, knitting, crafting, arting, visiting, painting, embellishing.

How would that work exactly? And does my mathematics compute?

In the meantime, have a look at this.....www.embroideryasart.blogspot.com Jenny Ryan updating and writing about her stitchy collaborations etc.

a little premature

noreply@blogger.com (countrymummy) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Two good friends kindly donated a selection of their woolly fleeces towards my embellishing adventure. They are both keen wet-felters and are far more used to judging quantities of fleece and quality of materials. I have been making samples and test-patches on my embellisher with my patches of felt, scarves and fabric along with this new, inherited stash.

The tweety-pie above is most unlike my usual attempts at crafti-ness. I'm not a cutesy, birdy type of person, at all really, BUT, I did enjoy doing it and I liked the simplicity of its shape and it's illustrativeness. It looks kind of hopeful!

This was a mixture of yellow-based fleeces, craft felt, soya fibres and yarn. I liked the technique but am not keen on the colourway - at all.

I put this one together using layers of fleece together, slashing them apart and then re-felting them. I like the slightly more graphic effect this gives than the shadowy, shaded effect with fleeces layered on top of one another. It took a long time for a small piece. I think I need to look up a few more techniques.

A chequerboard of machine-felt, the potential background for some text-based work I think. I liked the texture this got and the fuzziness on one side was also pretty appealing.

As my job starts tomorrow, I was able to have a little amazon treat - embellishing/stitching books have arrived. I just need to carve out the time to read them!