in the beginning.......

ack!

I cannot figure out what is wrong with my camera- thought it was the batteries, but......it isn’t

it was the only one of my cameras that I can take close-ups with......as you’ll see from the photos below from another camera - completely blurry

I tried to take other photos of the postcard and goodies I received from Lorna - but they were so hideously blurry, I couldn’t put them in, so......will retake some photos as soon as I figure out what is going on

the below photos are my start for the new piece (is there another word I can use? am so tired of “piece”; plus, I always misspell it and have to go back and switch out the e and i........EVERY time!!)

uh.......where was I?

oh yes - so.......this is the start of my backgrounds - thought I’d try working on two at once and see what happens

I am also thinking of adding a rook, since this show is in aid of the “Rooks” team

not quite sure how......I have a very vague, fuzzy image somewhere up in the back of my head.....little bit to the left - but when I try to focus on it to see what I should do - it fades away

we’ll see how these take shape.......so far I have used some foreign language newspapers layered with maps, tissue and cigarette papers - I hope once it all dries I will be able to see through the layers enough - but not too much

thanks for stopping by.....

__a

short and .....sweet?

just a quick post today - mainly because I don’t have much to show you -

my camera needs new batteries and I haven’t taken the time to get to the shop (silly excuse, I know)

I finished my ATC swap which will be on its way to Lorna soon - so I cannot show you that as it will spoil the surprise!

one bit of very exciting news for me is that I have been asked to contribute some artwork for a local show with around 40 other artists! this is the first show I have been asked to join and will be great exposure for me!

I had to send them a jpeg of of something immediately, so had to go with an old piece - but will now have time to do something new too, which I am really looking forward to!

the show will be 8-11 July and will give more details when I have them - and photos of my planned piece

ugh.......am listening to US v Slovenia in the World Cup.........Slovenia just scored

come on, guys! gets some fire in your belly

after this - I then have to go watch England play Algeria with my husband - I like watching, but if we have lost, the smugness will be slightly unbearable!

have a nice weekend and come back next week where the visuals will be far more exciting!

ATC swap

what with all my travelling, etc - I haven’t been able to show you the results of my first ATC (artists trading card) swap! I did this swap through the Hand Embroidery Network (HEN) site I belong to

the one on the left is what I got sent to me from Lynn

the right one is what I did for her!

this was such a fun thing to and a good way to keep stitching as the size isn’t too big - and you get something back from another artist!

I also forgot to mention that while I was in Kansas City - I sold two of my pieces! I had made a cardinal picture for my mother and when she took it into a framers to have it framed.......the lady that owns the place really liked it and wanted to see more - after emailing back and forth, we decided to try a little collaboration; so I sent her two pieces I did (see photos below) and she will frame them and hang them in her shop/gallery for sale sometime in October. anyway, while I was in KC, I went to see her to see if she liked my work and she paid me on the spot for them!

felt good.......

this is just a quick post.......but plan on getting back to it a bit more - and start working on some new things!

thanks for stopping by........and have a good weekend

finally.......

I am finally........home

it has been quite a time away! I almost feel like a stranger in my own home.......and studio

slightly unbalancing

but am so glad to be back; sunny Spain was lovely........but glad to be back and ready to get back to my art!!

have quite a few plans and ideas and collaborations and, and, and..........so much!

won't even mention the cleaning, the clearing out and sorting that needs to be done.......sheesh

am happy to say the plants I planted at the studio before I left are thriving.......will be a wonderful thing greeting me each morning - not to mention the plants in my tiny garden at home - but that is not quite finished yet

I sat outside as long as possible last night in my garden surrounded by plants and flickering tealights.......so magical

am looking forward to more time there

(the sound of the new neighbour’s screaming toddler; not so magical)

am happy (tinged with waryness) to say my Dad is exceeding the doctor’s expectations with his treatments. he starts a new, more harsh regime next week, so positive thoughts for that......

the accumulation of poisons in his system have started to show (from radiation and chemo) - they were starting to be noticed at the end of my visit and have carried on; shaky steps when getting up, tiredness and hair loss; but he continues to walk as often as he can, which is amazing.....and just keeps going

I plan on going back for a few weeks in July

well, I think that is all from me right now - hope to bring you more exciting things in the near future; just as soon as I remember where I left everything!!

nice to see you - nice to be back

__a

more KC

well, as usual.....I am very behind with my postings! life just seemed to get in the way

I also have a hard time figuring out how to get the photos in my posts - I can get them in.......but they are never where I want them! I am sure it is easy to move them around........just haven't figured out how!

I had a few more photos iof KC I wanted to share - it is such a nice city with beautiful old buildings in the downtown area - and what I love is that they seem to be trying to use the older buildings instead of knocking them down

I met my sister for lunch - she works at the KC Star newspaper - is this not a lovely building??

we went to La Fonda El Taquito so I could have yet more tacos! I always fill up with tacos when there since I don’t have too many opportunities for GOOD Mexican in the UK

My Dad is doing better than the doctors actually expected him to - so that was very good news to hear the day I was leaving - I know it isn’t anywhere near over, but I am hopeful the worst has passed........I will be going back in July to stay for a bit again

My husband and I are now in Spain for a long holiday! So far, it has been really nice to just sit........altho the nagging feeling of "should" be posting to my blog is always in my head.......and not doing any stitching for weeks has been really strange too

AND, wouldn’t you know it; the FAMM monthly challenge theme in May was.......BIRDS!!! my favourite topic - and I didn’t have any time to do anything......

so.......hope everyone is doing well - and being productive - and having a nice late spring/ early summer so far

and I will leave you with two things;

• I have traded in the Baltimore Orioles in KC for a very squawky green parrot that sits in the tree outside my balcony - it is slightly startling to see this bright green thing swooping through the trees

• and two; my husband right now is in the Czech Republic playing in a golf tournament; he said he is staying in a very bizzarre hotel complex; he passed a snake pit and a live rabbit on the way to breakfast!!

as always; thanks for stopping by - soon I will be getting back to more arty stuff

__a

plants make you smile and giggle

my visit here is almost over......altho am now hearing the ash cloud is rearing its ugly head and might mess up my flights -

one thing I did for my mom is to help plant her plants - she and dad usually do this together, which of course wasn’t possible this year - she had such a big smile on her face when I showed her the two pots on the front steps

I thought I would go for a slightly unusual colour combo.......hot pink geraniums, purple and magenta coleus and a bright, acid green creeper, which I do not know the name of

we went to this amazing nursery to get the plants, Family Tree Nursery - I didn’t know this place existed......but they had absolutely every plant in every colour you could think of! the plantings they had arranged around the place were so beautiful and even more amazing - everyone working there was really knowledgeable about the plants!

they even had a really nice koi pond with beautiful golden fish.........an older woman was standing next to it throwing bits of bread into it and giggling at the fish jumping

er......at least that is what I am assuming she was giggling about!

yup, it really is me

hellllllooooo........I know, it has been quite a while since my last post

I guess family stuff has just taken precedence over stitching

not to mention I am thousands of miles from my home...and “stuff”

I did finally post the ATC to Lynn and am waiting to get back home to see what she has sent me! this is the first time I have done one of these swaps and hope to do more of them!

I have been loving seeing the cardinals in my parents' backyard, but the big news here is that they had 3 Baltimore Orioles! I tried over and over to get some photos of them to show.......but they always flew off by the time I got my camera

they are amazingly bright orange! they give the intense brightness of a male cardinal a run for its money! so anyway, I got a photo from a book to show you instead.......but will keep trying for the real thing

in between rain and thunderstorms - oh......by the way, here’s a helpful hint; if you are in the midwest and planning on going walking......might think twice if it is thundering and lightning with gusting winds.....chances are, you will eventually GET SOAKED!! yup, that's what happened to me this morning....duh

guess I have been gone for a bit too long - have lost my midwest weather smarts!

thanks for everyone for hanging in there with my non-posting

not sure when I can get back to it.......or have anything to talk about other than trips to the pharmacy, trips to the hospital.etc

but am gathering some materials and magazines to hopefully keep sparking my brain!