Eden project and Heligan.

 Been to Cornwall for a few days to visit friends and the Eden project - the vegetation has grown since our last visit. Lovely sunny day.

 very hot and humid in the tropical dome but the Mediterranean dome was more to my liking - dancing figures of Bacchus, lemon trees, spring flowers and herbs.

At the Lost Gardens of Heligan - the potting shed.

 the texture of the pebbles in the yard - perfect for textile inspiration...........

the sleeping mud maid.

Spring box for the sketchbook.

 Box made for the sketchbook! Bright sunshine in my window to photograph it.

 I stretch fabric and lace around mounting board, then stitch felt as a lining and stitch up the sides of the box. No glue involved to stain the fabric.

 Stitch along the hinge and a bead on the side with a buttonhole loop for fastening.

All done and away now for a few days.

Spring sketchbook tied.

Glued, tied and tasseled! Ready for the reverse side and a box now. Meanwhile I have been reading poetry and prose on Spring. Last night I read a piece by Laurie Lee about Spring in Slad, well it is about 10 miles from here and a similar village so sounded perfect to me.
" March is the time of spring's first hot certainties, melting the winter's sleep around us, when the dawn songs of these birds, robin, blackbird and thrush, are like drops of warm oil in the dark liquid sounds that pour softly upon on our deadened senses, healing us back to life." The English Spring from Village Christmas by Laurie Lee.

Book covers for the Winter into Spring concertina sketchbook.

 The covers for 'Winter into Spring' sketchbook.

 The front is Winter,

the back is Spring. I have plans to make it double sided and make a box container. Our weather seems to be alternating between both seasons at the moment but the colours have arrived. Bright yellows with daffodils and forsythia, flush of green grass and moss, a little purple from a tiny violet and pink cherry blossoms. Such an awakening of growth and activity. The birds are very busy at the bird cafe and we seem to have some resident long tailed tits this year, which are delightful. So this concertina is about that rebirth of hope, growth, joy and new life.

Winter into Spring- onto fabric

Working on from the previous posts- painting onto fabric so I can stitch this gradual change of colour.

Winter into Spring - concertina sketchbook.

 Continuing from yesterday- a new Spring concertina sketchbook ( 6.5cm x 60cm ) starting with the winter greys and slowly introducing Spring colours. It is wax resist and water colour paint and crayons.

Winter into Spring.

Yesterday in my sketchbook- a different approach to Spring emerging. The individual flowers felt rather rigid and staid, I want to explore the rebirth of Winter into Spring. Playing with voiding out the trees and colours appearing behind the trees.

Pebble pattern from 2004

I found this piece yesterday while having a spring clean sort out of old frames. It was made in 2004. I keep photo albums of work so I can look up pieces like this. I think my eye sight was better then! I will keep it to remember that theme of work - the pebbles on Budleigh Salterton beach. Having big sort outs like this is sometimes overwhelming- what to keep and what to throw out? It does give perspective too - but I need to ponder on that some more.

Sunny celandine.

Yesterday was a gift of a day, cold but bright sunshine all day. The celandine were bright yellow cheery sun heads. This morning it is raining - contrasts to deliver the message - seize the day. Or seize the yellow shininess.

Spring colours.

 Loop stitch in iris and crocus colours.

Miniature daffodil against blue...............

 

little patches of spring colour on fabric and paper. I am stitching in the prints of stitches behind the patches of colour. They look like writing- stitch language? A poem to Spring?