The Lake District holiday.

 Just back from our holiday in the lake District where there was an amazing view around every corner.

 And textures to inspire everywhere too!

Progress and an outing to Llwyn Celyn.

 At last a black and white drawing I am happy with. Oat biscuits for the Avening recipe book. They were delicious too!

 I am struggling with this piece to bring it together but at least the bottom section is finished. Only the major part to juggle with then! It is always like this and no-one realises the work that goes in and taken out to resolve a piece of artwork, unless you are an artist of course. Not showing the rest until I find the answers.

 On Sunday we had a lovely day out with my friend Rosemary who lives in South Wales. We visited Llwyn Celyn, a mediaeval farm house owned by the Landmark Trust who rescue old buildings and restore them. They can be rented for holidays.

 This was built in 1420 on Llanthony Priory lands and is one of the oldest surviving houses in Wales.

 They were cooking medieval style too, in the kitchen and outside in a clay oven

 There were many outhouses and this is the barn. One of the barns has been restored for community and educational use.

 Wonderful old timbers and intimate views, set in a beautiful valley.

 The curtains and cushions were screen printed by hand from designs inspired by the house and research into its history. All fascinating.

Signs of Autumn and cake illustrations.

Signs of Autumn in the lanes and hedgerows now. The season of mellow fruitfulness. I am working on the cake illustrations for our community recipe book. Most will have to be in black and white for cost purposes. Not so much fun as colour. off on holiday again soon so want to get some finished before then. Making a large choice in black and white and hoping to get better at it.

Cake in fabric and thread and Rowan.

 I have a commission to do the illustrations for a community recipe book for our village cafe. Most will be drawings in black and white but I wanted to do some in fabric because that is actually easier for me than the drawing. Colour does help with cake illustrations! The village cafe is open on Tuesday mornings and run by volunteers in the Social Club. The idea was to combat loneliness and isolation in a small rural community without many buses. It has also helped to introduce newcomers to the village and be a hub for village life. Book swaps, garden produce swaps, knit and natter, workshops, recycling have also developed at the cafe. It has been a huge sucess and the cake recipe book hope to celebrate a year of opening( In November) You can only have a recipe in the book if it has been at the cafe and requested by a customer. So I am very glad to say I will have a recipe included. More of that another time.

 This week has been our daughter Rowan's fortieth birthday. Here she is on a birthday walk by the boathouse at Woodchester mansion N.T. Below is the card I made her from her Rowan tree in our garden. The colour is just beginning to turn.