Keeping Busy ...

I have been quietly crafting away in the background ... I've ventured into bag making and have entered a competition with one - I'll show it you once the winners are announced - I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  There's also another one underway as my second venture into Product Testing for Minerva, which should be finished after the weekend and you'll be able to see it on their blog soon. I've also made a brave stab at gardening - I take the Botanical Gardens near where I work as my inspiration and have just seen these lovelies on a lunchtime walk ...

I do love having a garden of my own, even though I don't have as much time as I like to tend to it.  It's perfect gardening weather at the moment - sunshine with regular showers - just got the plants in in time! 

100,000 hits ...

Well for a small blog, then that's not bad!  Particularly as I haven't been as active in the last year. Thanks everyone and to all who have stayed around ...  I already have a couple of new posts coming up and am looking forward to the new blogging year.  In the meantime, some 'Fair Maids of February' to cheer us all up and show that spring is on its way!

Spoonflower 12 Days of Design

I had hoped to take part in this but I only got as far as day 3 before I was struck down with fluey cold ...  The 12 days had a task to complete each day and ended in a finished design.  For day 1 I chose 'Botanical' as a theme to create a textile design with.  I have hundreds of photos from walks around the botanic gardens next door to where I work.

    
Day 2 consisted of creating a moodboard, which I made on Pinterest.  You can see it here:

https://www.pinterest.com/dianehudson9216/spoonflower-12-days-of-design/


The task for Day 3 was the creation of a colour palette.  I did this at www.colourlovers.com and was quite proud to have created an entirely new colour there, which I could name.  It's the 4th one along ...



I've named it BOTANICAL and you can see it here:

http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/3972574/BOTANICAL

Well, I may get to post again before Christmas, but if I don't I wish everyone peace and joy and a well deserved rest!

Love this time of year ...

In Cambridge Botanic Gardens ...

Eye, eye ...

I really thought that this tree in the Botanic Gardens was looking at me ...  Isn't nature strange ....

Share in Style - GOLD

I wasn't going to take part in this theme, as I've been on holiday this week and I couldn't think what to do ...   But Rosy 'twisted my arm' and I've managed to put something together.  This is my waterlily skirt, teamed with a pair of gold and silver shoes, which sadly don't fit properly anymore but I keep them as a souvenir.  They came from San Francisco - I wanted to bring something 'bling' home with me from when I went years ago.  These fitted the bill!  Especially as the shop I got them from delivered them in my (then) size from another branch in a stretch limo with the number plate 'Le Shu 1'!  They weren't very expensive either - I think they were in the sale...

I appliqued the flowers on to the skirt, taken from another that I found in a sale.  There's gold embroidery in the centres, which match the shoes nicely ...

We are having glorious weather this week, as you can see from the shine!  Talking of waterlilies, I have two coming out at the same time this year, which is a further improvement on none, then one. I'll try and get a photo at some point today ...

This is last year ...

And this year, two buds on their way ...

This close-up collage is especially for Doris Button, who's left a comment below ...

The flowers were originally on a thin, cotton skirt and I could easily cut round them, leaving a small hem allowance.  I machined them on carefully, turning the shapes as I went along.  The skirt fabric is 'hugs and kisses' by Anna Marie Horner - I thought the 'O' shapes looked just like lily pads ... I'm pleased with the outcome, considering I bought the skirt so cheaply in a sale, with extra money off it because the zip was broken.  Bargain!    

Before and After

Treated myself to a Gardener's Lunch and a cloudy lemonade in the Botanic Gardens today ...

There wasn't much left!

I am a little bit addicted to gardening at the moment - totally inspired by the Botanic Gardens.   I have a special, small, spade which is just perfect for a woman - I should take a photo to show you. There's nothing I like better than to be outdoors in the cool summer evenings, after work, digging any stresses away ... and it means I am getting a great place to sit and relax in too.  I ought to take some garden progress photos!  It also means my waist line is diminishing, which is no bad thing .... except to say that my custom made pattern from the Fashion and Textile Museum may need significantly adjusting - though I have the skills to do that now!  Anyway, looking forward to my leave at home next week - I can actually sew then ...

In the Gardens

I am so lucky to have Cambridge Botanic Gardens nearby.  These Digitalis purpurea are in flower at the moment - I make sure to have my little digital camera with me as there's always something to record.  I just love those spotty patterns inside the flowers!

Flower drawing (ie. painting - this was always called 'drawing' when I was in college, as you can draw with paint) has been a favourite thing for me to do.  I've recently had a couple of refresher lessons with a Botanical Artist and am giving some serious thought to taking it up again. Can't commit myself yet though, so I'll just keep observing for the time being ...

Chelsea Plates

My latest find - there was a large collection of these for only a couple of pounds each - I only bought three. They are the commemorative plates brought out for The Chelsea Flower Show.  Made by a different china company each year, these are by Spode, Aynsley and Minton.  My favourite is the orchid one, though all the flower paintings are exquisite.  I think they will end up on my living room wall.

Seen Today ...

A peony, in the Botanic Gardens ...
stunning ...
like the Pantone colour for this year ...

Designing an Arts & Crafts Style Illuminated Letter

A couple of weeks ago I gave myself the very special treat of a 3 day course at Cambridge Botanic Gardens.  I'd picked up a booklet there on one of my many walks and was intrigued by the title, especially as it involved the use of gold leaf.  Now I haven't picked up a paintbrush in months ... I've been under such other demands as work every day, doing my knitting course and the occasional bout of sewing. It really takes a lot of concentration for me to complete a painting, so taking 3 days out was just what I needed to get started again.  The course was held in a lodge adjoining the garden and our classroom looked out over tranquil gardens ... magical.  Georita Harriott, an award winning botanical artist, led the course.  I've seen and admired her work before and felt privileged to be taught by her.

We started out with a lecture on Arts & Crafts decoration, learning more about the work of William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and, unknown to us all on the course and a revelation, Lewis Foreman-Day.  They had all been influenced in turn themselves by medieval styles and had 'raided' works from the past to make their own designs.  Our decorated letter could take the form of either a boxed style or a more free flowing design and I chose boxed ...  I am thinking of designing a logo for 'Marguerite Designs' and thought this would lend itself to the development of that.

Anyway, we began by choosing a style of letter and scaling it up with a grid system.

After tracing our selected letter, we could then decorate.  I chose to use acanthus leaves entwining the letter 'D' - the acanthus was a typical Arts & Crafts motif.  While I was outdoors, lunching on one of the benches, I noticed the daisies, or marguerites at my feet and thought they would be a perfect accompaniment ...

  

We then had to select the area that would be decorated with gold leaf.  This process has to be done first, before any painting, as there is a danger that the gold can stick to the underlying paintwork.  I felt quite brave and decided to do the whole 'D' like this!  I also felt it lent itself to doing the daisy centres as a kind of accent.  A glue called 'Ormoline Gilding Medium' has to be painted on first - it's best to use an old paint brush for this, as it's hard to wash off.  It can dry quite clear, so it helps to mix in some Yellow Ochre watercolour with it to identify where it's been painted on.

   

Once dry, the medium has to be re-activated, which is done by breathing on it in succession around 10 times - this can be quite comical!  The gold leaf is then laid over the top and a smooth seashell, such as a cowrie, is used to polish over the backing paper.  The gold then separates itself from the paper and sticks to the medium.

  I loved doing this!  It seemed quite magical!  I really want to do some more ...  The next stage was painting in.  I quite liked the look of blue next to gold, which I'd seen in medieval illuminations, so I decided to use shades of it all over the background.  I found the candy stripe border around an Arts & Crafts style carpet illustration.

The Arts & Crafts artists, particularly William Morris, used natural plant colours and dyes in their works, so  I was keen not to use anything too bright.  I chose a chalky green for the acanthus leaves, in several shades along with an ochre centre.  I could use this in the striped border too, where I'd also used a strong crimsony shade to tone in with the daisy petals.

The daisy petals came next - they are not white as imagined - they have pink edges and the undersides are quite a strong shade.  Lastly, came the stems and leaves, in a yellowy green to distinguish them against the background, and finally some ochry stems.

I'm pleased with how everything turned out.  The course came along at just the right time, as I needed a bit of TLC and rest and recuperation.  I'm thinking about my logo now .... coming soon ...  

Fair Maids of February

Well, not strictly true in this case as these snowdrops have been out for some time ... Apparently, they are spectacular all over the UK at the moment - only one good thing to come from all the wet conditions we are experiencing.

These are in Cambridge Botanic Garden, where they are forming a carpet.  Looking closely, there are minute differences - some have pale green patterns at the centre, others are plain and some have bigger flowers than others - a bit like people really!!!  I believe there are snowdrop afficionados and collectors, known as galanthophiles.

Red

In the Botanic Gardens this week - no image manipulation necessary - it really was this colour - a Japanese Acer tree wearing a beautiful red dress .......

Red and Green ... and an unexpected visitor

There seemed to be red and green everywhere I looked in Cambridge Botanic Gardens today ...

and then this little fella turned up, right under my nose !

Nostalgiafest...

I've just been back to Manchester again, taking lots of photos as usual. I've been messing about with some colour effects in this collage. I've tried to make it look around 40 years old at least, not sure if it's worked ... This little bungalow is where I was brought up until the age of about 7. Underneath is a photo of where 'Butch' the dog used to live - I remember because he was very child friendly! The front garden of the bungalow is concreted over now, but my Dad used to grow dahlias and chrysanthemums. There just happened to be a Flower Show on while I was in the area - I think years ago, Dad must have been inspired by events like that ... It was great to wander round the displays ... brought back a lot of memories ...

Botanical Lunch

Natural Beauty

Photo taken in the Cambridge Botanic Gardens yesterday ... it let me go right in close without moving. I was so lucky.

Contrasts ...

Saw this stunning purple/yellow opposite colour combination in the Botanic Gardens today.

More Magnificence ...

The rhododendrons have been stunning ... they are past their best now but managed to photograph them before they turned ...

It's trying to be Spring ...

Very trying ... What happened to the sunny weather?  Is that it for this year?  At least this brave soul is surviving so far ...