I can't believe that Nadal is out of Wimbledon, a brilliant match but you could tell by the third set that Nadal was not going to win, sad for him but great for the other guy. I'm going to miss his next match as we are spending Saturday in Bristol and going to an evening organised by Womad at Bristol Zoo. I am praying it stays dry, I'm not really a festival person even for one evening but we have to humour the other half sometimes.

Sea glass

Some of my favourite sea glass

 I have been sorting out my sea glass collection to make some more small wall hangings.

The glass has been collected during holidays, its quite hard to find some of the colours, mostly they are green or white but I have found very pale greens, blues and turquoise which are good colours for summer. As you can see I have some lovely chunks in turquoise and pale blue a very small pieces of pink, purple and dark blue. 

I had several in the Guild exhibition which have all sold so I am making a couple more.

These are the hangings, the warp is a nettle yarn from the Himalayas and most of the weft is silk with some dyed tops.

I will need to go away again soon to find some more, any excuse.

Waxing lyical

I have been working on my driftwood again today, I am becoming more and more drawn to it, its just a pity that not many useable get washed up on the beach. I feel that I am using something that nature no longer needs, the pieces are from trees and ivy that have usually been cut down sometimes before their useful life has been completed. Then they are washed by the sea and thrown up on the beach.

Small driftwood piece placed on my favourite chair

I am then giving them a second life, they are lovingly cleaned up, sanded, washed, and then thoughtfully adorned with wool and silk. What better way for a piece of wood to have a loving retirement than decorating some appreciative person's home.


This seems to want to publish with a white background, the emphasis is not mine.

A sunny day at last

What a beautiful day, have spent the whole day outside. This morning I was vegetable gardening with my brother and Mum and this afternoon I have been tending my own garden and also starting work on the ivy covered driftwood log I found on the beach earlier in the year. I have never tried cleaning up a piece as large as this and I think it is going to take a very long time, there is quite a lot of rotten wood which all has to be removed to avoid further deterioration. I have been attacking the crevices with my stone carving files, a craft I gave up on after about three pieces, anyway they all have pointed ends which is good for digging out loose bark, dirt and woodlice, but after breaking the end of one decided to be more cautious. I was trying to think of crafts that use strong pointy tools and then thought that having tartar removed from your teeth is a very similar procedure to what I was attempting to do. Now do I have enough courage to ask my dentist if he has any old tools he no longer uses?

Guild Exhibition update

The final tally of visitors was 134, it really was a great day helped along by a glass of wine. Its so encouraging talking to visitors who are complimentary about your work. Its difficult sometimes to stand back and assess your own work so its a great boost to your confidence when you receive positive comments from people you don't know.

Bristol Guild opening day

Birch Trees

 The birch tree tapestry finally finished and hung. Took quite a few goes to get the mounting right but I am quite pleased with it now. The photo isn't great though.

Our private view at the Bristol Guild today went very well, despite the rain and wind we had over 120 visitors and lots of positive comments both about our work and the way the exhibition was laid out.
I took quite a few photos but most of them are rubbish hopefully you can get some idea of the gallery space and how it is laid out.
I will try and take some better ones next time I'm there.

Peace and quiet

A day off from setting up, opening and private view tomorrow. Hubby away so have the place to myself, just mulling around and generally being lazy. Whilst washing up I was entertained by feeding time for the baby sparrows and pied wagtails. How the parents keep track of babies who are hopping all over the garden I don't know. We also get a lot of neighbouring cats in out garden so I was at the ready to rush out and defend the fledglings.

Went out to the garden (I can smell the roses as soon as I open the door) to plant Cosmos and pick some roses and it started pouring with rain, the vagaries of our weather.  Where has summer gone, all the blousey?(not a word apparently) flowers, the roses and peonies have been hit hard by the rain and wind, so sad. I'm trying to pick them now as the come into flower.

Anyway time for lunch and then an afternoon spent weaving.

Guild exhibition - progress

We have spent the last two days hanging our exhibition at the Bristol Guild, its looking great but I am exhausted and we still have two days to go, though I suspect we will be mostly finished by the end of tomorrow. I hadn't realised how tiring it would be as I've only held exhibitions in my own studio before and it doesn't help that the gallery is up a lot of higgledy piggledy stairs my knees are complaining. Its a great space and the light is fantastic when you finally get there.

Looking forward to the opening on Saturday, remind me to take the camera.

Wind

We have had devastating winds blowing up the Bristol channel the last couple of days. Luckily not too much damage in the garden though quite a lot of plants have broken off and there is a lot of wind damage to leaves especially my purple elder which looked amazing and now is looking very sorry for itself.

Impressions of Skye

At last a picture of my weaving, this is the last piece for the exhibition at the Bristol Guild.
I don't think it is going to be finished, we are starting setting up on Tuesday ready for the private view next Saturday. The tapestry is a little over a quarter finished and I am not very good at sitting all day weaving.

Garden

Night scented stocks

This looks like it turning into a gardening blog but the garden is looking lovely at the moment and I am weaving, honest. I've just started a new piece and am finishing off other pieces ready for hanging at the Bristol Guild exhibition which is approaching much too fast.
Gardening is a favourite hobby of mine anyway, you might have guessed. It is what I would prefer to be doing in the summer but deadlines call.

 I sowed these stocks last year but the took umbrage at next doors cat digging them up but this year they are beautiful, or possibly they are bi-annuals, I didn't check the packet, they came free on a gardening magazine.

 Alliums, geraniums and penstemons.

Giant alliums

Salvia Hot Lips

 Roses are blooming thick and fast

My Goji berry is taking over its right across the path
some fruit would be good but there are some apples coming on my two year old tree

 Purple elderflower

Perennial wallflower

I've given up trying to place photos where I want them on the page this machine likes doing its own thing