Beetles - sketches and stitched.

These are from 2010 but a friend asked for some pictures to show to a budding entomologist who is nearly 3. We were remembering AA. Milnes poem Alexander Beetle.I made lots of boxes some paper some stitched with wee beasties inside.

The real thing! A bloody nosed beetle.

Spots and summer garden.

I have finished the reverse applique spots and am adding to the design of summer greens. It is very different from my recent illustrative work and is strangely compelling. More about stitch textures but I still have a summer garden in mind in an abstract form.

Also painted the background for the summer garden. It feels imperative to get this started while the summer is still with us. Lots of rain has made the garden into a jungle with bright spots of colour.

A few more stitched cards.

 A few more stitched cards made for the exhibition. I had my plucky blackbird in mind. The one with feathers missing around his neck. A cat pounced maybe or magpies attacked? Last year I saw a pair of blackbirds fighting off magpies to protect a young chick. Very distressing because magpies and jackdaws are persistent. I know, they all have to eat and all have young to feed.

So yesterday it was back down the Fosse Way ( an old Roman Road) to Chipping Campden, a picturesque Cotswold town with yellow stone cottages, topiary, hollyhocks and tourists! The exhibition is small but very pretty and with tempting things to buy which I succumbed to straight away. I enjoyed my morning very much - new earrings and a new scarf! Well you can't have too many can you?

Judy Martins reverse applique dots.

I ground to a halt chasing ideas that didn't work out. So I tried Judy Martins reverse applique dots - peaceful mind restored- all is well. Sometimes things don't work especially when you try too hard. Now I have a slow piece to stitch and will see what develops with a calm mind.

Handmade embroidered cards.

Cards for the Summer Delights exhibition. The birds in the garden and feeding at the bird cafe are a delight. There have been many baby birds. The blackbirds have been successful this year. Old man blackbird is faithful to the garden and waits for me to go out with food. I know it is the same bird because he has been in the wars and lost a chunk of feathers at the back of his neck. I am still pondering and working on some ideas to produce a summer garden piece.

Chipping Camden- exhibition at the Court Barn Museum.

 We delivered my work for the exhibition in Chipping Camden yesterday.

 It is at the Court Barn Museum, I will steward there next Fri morning so will be able to see more then.

 We went to Hidcote for the rest of the day. A wonderful N.T. garden nearby. It is a garden divided into many rooms.

Tiles inside the summer house above.

Lots of colour again!

Sketches at Newark Park, Summer flower borders.

Going for colour! Nothing clashes in the garden but I was brought up on never mixing your oranges with your pinks. As for shovelling in pinks, yellows, purples, scarlets etc well! Sometimes you have to be brave. These aren't brilliant but they are joyous and they do record the day. ( Last Friday at Newark Park). Must add a few bees and butterflies - yes, will go and do that.

Newark Park, Glos. Summer garden.

 What a glorious place to be- a summer garden filled with colour.

 Bees a buzzing and birds singing.

 If you can't get out at the moment imagine yourself here.

 Lush growth covering the sculptures,

 the stone dogs were garlanded.

Newark Park, National Trust house and garden last Friday. Our summer visit for our exhibition there next Spring. Our title will be The Seasons in Silver and Thread. Joining me, my two friends Rosemary Cochrane, jeweller and Liz Hewitt, textile artist.

Pennant has arrived from Australia!

My piece of wedding dress has arrived from Mo in Australia. See Its Crow Time - blog on the side bar. Thank you Mo. I will begin to dream what to do ...............

Summer garden- splash of colour.

Montbretia or crocosmia- vivid splash of joyful colour at the top of the garden.

Summer garden 2

Inspired by the colours in the summer garden. These roses begin life dark red and get lighter but the camera sometimes isn't quite true to the real colour. The hypericum is glorious in its yellows, buttery and lemon. I put that with the purples of buddleia and a terracotta daisy. It is all about the contrast of colour as well as the bright hues.

Summer garden.

Roses and lavender. 15cm x 5cm. Machine and hand embroidery, applique on turquoise linen. 2.5 hrs work. I have work going to an exhibition in Chipping Camden, that's North Cotswolds next week. The exhibition is called Summer Delights and its at the Court Barn Museum. So it is time to consider Summer in my theme of seasons. The sea birds come into that theme but I am celebrating the colours in our garden. The dark red roses stop me in my tracks every time I go out in the garden.

Puffin in progress.

 I decided to start again on my puffin embroidery as the first try was not working out. Not enough thought at the outset and I didn't want the padding. So after more drawing in my sketchbook

I decided to embroider the page on fabric. That is really what I want to record- our marvelous day on Skomer. So I cut out 2 rectangles of calico the size of my double page, painted the top layer with white acrylic paint to stiffen it and make it easier to draw on and tacked the 2 layers together. I have begun with the face side view to get to know the exact markings and colouring.

Birds exhibition at The Guild at 51, Cheltenham.

 Collecting up all my work for the Birds exhibition at Cheltenham and delivering today.

 2 concertina books and their travelling bags, this is the feather book.

 The Spring swallow

 and Winter Birds- straight from the framers.

Falling feathers hanging. There are cards and 3 unframed pieces on feathers too. The show within the gallery runs from July 25th-10th Sept. And Hello to some recent new followers, thanks for looking in.

Winter bag for the concertina book.

Yesterday I made a bag for the winter birds concertina book. A bit strange to be embroidering winter trees on a hot July day but I have a deadline!

Daisy crosses etc.

 Other interesting things from my holiday photos- the car park at Dale had these daisy crosses,

 sand patterns from the beach

and rock lichen and flora. So much inspiration for painting and embroidery.

St Davids cathedral- sculpture at the main door.

Dragon fly on the pond at Hilton gardens.