A catch up post

Life is moving at quite a pace now the countdown is on to the great escape and I have not had the chance to blog but have favoured the quicker option to document things via Instagram. 

Today I've started some packing so I'm just taking a break from the dusty task of rummaging through some of my stuff to write this and post some photos of things from the last month or so, it will be stuff my IG friends will have seen already so apologies for it being a bit boring.

First up, an interesting sculpture in a field in Holderness not too far from where I grew up. It's the gunpowder plotters, 2 of which, the Wright brothers, where from Welwick which is the location of the site in E. Yorkshire.
The monument celebrates the defeat of the plot to blow up King James 1st of England in the House of Lords on Nov 5th 1605.

 Continuing my theme of farewell visits, I made one last trip to the Hornsea Museum to see the pottery collection, there is always something fresh to see and inspire. I love the colours of the 1950s/60s pots in the cabinet below.

Below are pieces I hadn't seen before, the dove grey Jubilee pieces created for a development range in 1999-2000, however the pottery went into receivership around this time and these pots didn't make it into production. I love the simple grey, black and white design, it was a nod back to the hugely popular Contrast range in brown and white from the early 80s.

Lovely little muramic pin dishes below, rather like catherine wheels.

Food out with Bob. We met friends in Bridlington for a "last supper" a few weeks ago and we went to the Mexican / Hawaiian restaurant appropriately called Aloha. It was great fun and we had non alcoholic cocktails and delicious veggie food.

One of our party was celebrating a birthday and once you alert the waiter to this, the lights are dimmed, they bring you a courtesy cocktail and they play the Hawaii Five O theme tune and everyone joins in :) such fun.

Bob was along for the ride when I took my sister for a birthday trip out. Sister was back in the country to help take my dad for another operation so I decided she needed a treat out for her birthday. We were again in Bridlington and had this very nice cake at the Spa, it was Angel Sparkle cake and was absolutely lovely tucking in looking across the bay and with the Spa cafe pianist playing too.

 
I did the tourist thing with my sister, we went and saw the new Gansey Girl sculpture on the harbour, she was sat knitting a jumper!

We did a drive past the Hockney house and then a quick tour of the Old Town. Some of the shops on the High Street were still blacked out from the filming of Dads Army.

Things I've been making. I've had quite a run on needle cases.

I've also been crocheting some wrist warmers and a tweed wrist cuff.

I won something, a little competition to design cut and sew Christmas decorations, I revamped my nutcracker kits for this and added a sugar plum fairy cut and sew.

I also entered this calendar tea towel into a comp and I came second.

I've been working on my Dorothy Doll cut and sew kits which I probably won't have chance to sort out for my shop until next year now. I'm getting very near to having to stop making things and put my craft things away. I'll go mad if I put it all away so I reckon I will keep out something easy like crocheting stuff.

Something I bought recently which I have never owned before, a pair of DM's. I have always wanted some but I fear the stiffness of the leather is something my feet would not get along with. However, they have started doing softer ones so I am giving it a go and I hope I can break them in.

In all the sorting out we have dissected an old G5 power Mac and salvaged the case which will be made into a little stool, it's very sturdy so will be fine. Also I just love the brutalist design of the heat sink CPU's which are the pics below, I think they will be recycled into a piece of sculpture at some point!

I think that's me caught up for now.
I will have to stop work next week and turn my attention to packing, what a horrible task and it's blooming freezing cold now too. Such bad timing having to pack and move in the middle of winter but it was bound to happen.

Keep warm folks.

Almost ready for Let Hope Bloom

I've immersed myself in crochet flowers this week as I get ready for my crochet workshops at Let Hope Bloom.

The printouts are done and the mini balls of wool are bagged up.

I've also been making some wearable things to inspire the crochet flower makers what they could go on to make if they master a few basic stitches.

Here we have some new brooches.

I've also done bracelets and a ring.

I've made a scarf with dangly flowers which I was going to wear but I think it will be too warm.

Instead I will wear this neck-tie.

There are so many things a crochet flower could be used for, bunting, hanging decorations, wedding trimmings (see below), placemats, coasters, lots of things which I didn't have time to do samples of.

Time to bag it all up now and get organised. Happy weekend everyone.

New work, crochet and flowers

May had a slow start but I've ended up very busy, mainly with design work and that is keeping me tied to my desk at the moment.

It's the time of year I do label designs for my vineyard client and this year they are releasing some new wines with my illustrations on the labels. I can give you a sneak preview of the new East Coast and Dalesman wine which sound delicious.

The wines are doing very well and picking up plenty of awards these days.

http://www.ryedalevineyards.co.uk/

Next in my in tray is a new client which is something completely different, a logo to design for an American space science institute, wish me luck with that one!

In between proper work I've just completed a commission for a crochet flower garland necklace which I've made in some lovely bright cotton threads.

To continue with a flower theme I'm revisiting a craft I used to do many years ago, or rather trying to get back into it for an idea I have and that is the folk art style decorative painting you see on canal boats.

I got my paints out last weekend and started practising the brush strokes. If I can paint a selection of floral motifs then I will try and create a fabric design. I just need some time to spread my paints out and get on with it, it's difficult when you have to work on the kitchen table and pack it away at meal times. Or rather not pack it away and we eat with loads of stuff on the table! Oh the joys of living in a messy confined space.

Hope the weather cheers up for the bank holiday :)

Spring is trying to spring into life

It seems a late Spring here and last bank holiday weekend was so chilly that I went back to my thermals I'd recently stored away and had to warm up with vest and long johns again. Don't you find the chillyness always seems to happen when the central heating has been turned off!

Gladys the Great Tit has been visiting me and landing on my hand sometimes 3 or 4 times daily for a bird treat. Sometimes she stays on my hand for more than a second and looks at me and tweets, it really is quite sweet. From previous years of having bird best friends, this will usually last until they have their final brood and then they disappear rather sheepishly so I enjoy her friendship whilst I can.

The blossom on the cherry tree was looking lovely on one fine day the previous week but it has been so windy and wet this week it has virtually all blown off now. 

The Daffs peaked but have been battered this week too.

As some of you know, I find this is a pretty grim place to rent with all it's problems but this time of year it looks a little better with a splash of colour and with the thought of longer warm days.

The cool bank holiday weekend was an excuse to stay in and watch the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race in our area. Nice to see them whizzing through Brid, Scarborough & York but shame there wasn't more TV coverage for the villages nearer to us.
I had designed a beer label for this event for the Malton / Norton area the race was passing through.

The weekend also brought about yet more summer scarf making. I have used the crochet moss stitch I like to make this pastel coloured scarf.

With a new ball of soft alpacha wool I've had a go at a lacy shell stitch scarf. It doesn't look too good here but it's a lovely duck egg blue & speckle.

I've also been doing some teeny tiny embroideries which I've tried to show the scale with a 5p. These will turn up in some textile brooches at some point.

And finally, a delicious little thing to share with any embroidery enthusiasts out there.
A lovely parcel arrived this morning.

Beneath the intriguing wrap was this.

This is a box of vintage embroidery threads made in Sweden in the 1960s.

This beautiful yarn is made from flax and has been hidden away for decades after the factory closed down in Sweden. It has been recently rediscovered (I don't know all the story but will link to the site) and is now for sale. The colours and quality are wonderful and having such amazing vintage thread will make a project truly unique.
Check out the site to find out more and if you'd like to buy some, I can thoroughly recommend it.

http://linladan.com/