Springtime in My Little Garden Continued

Springtime in My Little Garden

Another Rainy Bank Holiday

But are my spirits dampened, well just a bit but only because I've come down with a cold and I'm feeling sorry for myself.  Still, playing around with my free motion embroidery foot and some transfer paints sure raised my spirits again.  I'm along way from being proficient but luckily I don't mind it being a bit loose.

And I've made some birds to put on my deconstructed lampshade.   I'm loving all the lovely little floral prints I got from Fabric Guild.

Hoping you're having drier and happier times wherever you are.  What have you been creating recently??

Been Doing My Homework

 

But first I had to make a journal to put my homework in.  Whilst I love making journals I think it's probably more of a reaction to when I was at university and we were told what size sketchbook to use and we weren't allowed to decorate them which was crazy beings as we were doing a creative degree.  Enough said, rant over.

The theme for this term's embroidery class is Summer so I immediately thought of gardens (and daytrips to cemeteries) so I used pages from old gardening books and some of my stash of floral wallpapers.

 

I began playing around with fabric transfer paints.  When I was in class a stray thread had got in the way of the transfer but I liked the happy accident so decided to explore that further, using threads, lace and gauze as masks.

 I also painted a clematis design and transferred that to cream poly-cotton fabric, ready to embroider. 

Journals in Progress

I'm working on a little journal in which there are five sections, one for each of my cats. So when someone says 'Do you have any photos?' I'll be able to whip out my little decorated journal, well, that's the theory, my handbag is already full to bursting most of the time. It is based on my recollections of a tag book I saw online a while ago but I forgot to note the link. So if you recognise it let me know and I'll link it.

I was then looking at the small scraps of watercolour paper I had left over from a making another journal. If I folded them I would have a very tiny signature indeed so I decided to make fabric spines for them.

I just have to figure out a way of binding them and attaching a cover that doesn't cover up the fabric as I rather like it showing.

Trip to London

I've been endulging my passion for victorian gothic cemeteries again, this time with a trip to Nunhead in London. One of the magnificent seven cemeteries that ring the capital. (Only another 3 to do, Norwood, Abney Park and Tower Hamlets and I'll have visited them all).

As with the others I've visited they have seen better days. There are lots of trees that have been allowed to grow up and disturb the graves, alot of vandalism and neglect but this cemetery still has a lovely, calm, peaceful feel to it. I could have stayed here all day, soaking up the atmosphere and the sunshine.

It was like walking through a woodland only there were gravestones everywhere. Green parrots and jays were chattering and flashing their plumage high in the canopy. Ivy scrambles everywhere and spring flowers adorned banks and graves alike.

Nunhead is high up and there were clear views over St Pauls and the London Eye from certain parts of the cemetery.

In this cemetery there were not that many angels when compared to say Highgate or Brompton but I still managed to find some and get some photos for my journal.


After Nunhead we headed back into the city and made our way to Somerset House on the banks of the Thames to see the installation of thousands of ceramic flowers. They made a really stunning display.

Catching up with Billyboy and friends

All that blogging yesterday and I didn't mention my boys once - shock, horror. That will never do, so without further ado may I present little Billyboy!

He's having a bit of trouble out on the mean streets and in the garden, some cat is picking on him and he ended up at the vets with an abcess under his chin. I think the expression says it all, he's ready to leap from the basket, invincible now he's had his shot of antibiotics. Let me at him!

I thought I'd try to capture a few spring shots in the garden but this is the only one he'd pose for

then he was off, too much to do to be posing.

Someone mention posing??! Is the camera on? Point it my way!

Merlin is always up for a pose, pass the shades please :)

The big old boy, Mickey, is notoriously difficult to photograph as he is mostly curled up like a big russian hat, snoring but managed to catch him showing his fangtastic side with a cat nip bag.

Is it safe to come out yet? Hutch is still shy and nervous but he's slowly getting more adventurous.

He's a super old boy, cheeky in a very quiet way and keeps me company watching the tv at night. Absolutely loves his cat milk and he very nearly runs for it, he just manages a quick waddle, he really is a complete pudding of a cat.

Archie was 4 last weekend and continues to be a delight and a total gent. I still can't believe someone abandoned him, he's a super cat.

Talking of abandoning things, the needlepoint cushion at the back of Billyboy was put in a rag bag for disposal! Ok, it has a small stain on the velvet back but really! Luckily my sister-in-law knows how I love recycling old fabrics and saved it for me.

I was going to applique the floral design to a denim skirt but then thought it would look good on the cat chair in the garden room.

I'm still collecting flower paintings for the garden room, getting quite a collection now, but still plenty of wall space to go :)

A quick shot out of the french doors from the garden room. A lot of tidying and prettying up needed in the garden but lots of plants coming up, bursting forth. I'm hoping to spend some time out there at the weekend when hopefully I'll have finished decorating the bathroom. Gosh I ache, some of the positions I've had to get into today to paint behind the bath you wouldn't believe, lol. Hope you've enjoyed this furry update, happy purrs till next time!!