Hello April …….

Hello….  I only seem to come to my blog now when there’s lots of loveliness going on, and April is not only bringing sunshine there’s been some good trips out over the early part of the month.  I like to use my blog as a visual diary for myself to record the good stuff.

After a workshop was cancelled in Nottingham, we took the opportunity to make our first trip of the year to our caravan in the Lake District.  It’s 27 years old now, we’ve had it 17 years and although its blumming cold at night in it, it’s still  a wonderful peaceful place to be.  Lots of birdsong, deer roaming round and nature at its finest.

A visit to Grange Over Sands wouldn’t be the same without lunch in our favourite family run hotel, Clare House.

Even though it’s literally 15 minutes away from our caravan we often treat ourselves to an overnight stay.  Later this year we are booked in with friends to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary and my 70th birthday.  How did I get to that age so fast .

Back home Philip set to repairing the rotten fascia boards on the garage and I got stuck into tidying the garden and planting up a wall climber I bought last year.  Isn’t it good when you can start having your windows and doors open and hanging your washing on the line again.  

Our No Rules Textile Society have been looking at Texture as a project this month and one of our members led a mindful meditation during a zoom meeting.  It was so calming.

As well as layering up fabrics and lace, I’ve been experimenting with tissue paper and dress paper patterns.

Adding a fine layer of olive oil (any oil will do) by rubbing it over my hands first I then gently screwed up the paper, straightened it again several times until it had a fabric feel to it. Once dried I machine stitched into it and tore some pieces back.  It’s difficult to get back into crafting when the suns out and you’re pulled to be outside.


Plus we’ve done quite a lot of socialising. Well what’s retirement for, if not for seeing friends and shows haha.

We went to a local theatre who were staging an adaptation of Bill Bryson’s “Notes From. Small Island”.  It was brilliantly funny and insightful to see how the UK has changed over the years.

Tuesday afternoon I went to the cinema with mum and my sister to see the musical SIX about Henry Vlll wives.  Honestly it was genius and if you get a chance to see this recording of the live London show, don’t miss it.  It’s so good I’m going again on Saturday afternoon with hubby Philip.  After which we will be going to friends for a chippy tea, followed by salted Caramel Vienetta (we’ve just discovered it in the shops).  We know how to live up north.

If you’re still with me thanks for following along.  There’s plenty more to come this month, a trip aboard the Northern Belle train next week, a visit to Stockport Vintage Fair on Sunday, Monday afternoon at the Polished Knob pub in Todmorden where there’s live music and dancing. Who knew that Mondays could be that lively.  A visit to the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester to see Abigail’s Party. An 80th birthday party and of course Wednesday afternoons are all about Philip’s stint on the radio.  Oldham community radio 99.7fm 1pm-2pm Phil’s Country Music Highway.

Thanks for tuning in folks to my ramblings.  I’ll be back with more soon.

Lynn 

xxx

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Can you believe it’s March already. Are you looking forward to longer and warmer days and all that nature brings us.

Snowdrops are always the first signs of Spring in our garden 

This week I’ve been sat in my studio doodling in my sketchbook, mark making with Sharpie Pens.

Some of the artists I’m inspired by -
Sally Hollingworth. Fran Squires

The mark making even found its way onto scraps of fabric that I added machine and hand embroidery to.

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I’m sorry I haven’t been able to reply to your comments, for some reason blogger won’t let me

Have a great week

And thanks for popping by

Lynn x

Where Women Create

Hello, hello, hello ……

I’ve not been here since October. Look at this I have been featured in an American publication -  Where Women Create

What an honour that was.  The editor spotted my instagram accounts and asked if I would write a piece for their Winter issue.  I couldn’t believe it but thought why not.

Lynn.vintagehabit Instagram account

So here I am in all my glory. Well my garden heehee.


It was a 16 page feature filled with images of my studio and home and the view from the windows over the Rossendale countryside.



I still can’t get over that I’m in print. I’ve had quite a lot of lovely comments from folk who have read the piece and I’m very grateful for each and every one.


There’s lots more news to come, but I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so I’ll come back next week hopefully.  Wishing everyone at What’s on your workdesk Wednesday a good creative week.  See you soon.

Lynn xx


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September sped by in the blink of an eye - woyww

Where on earth did September go ………. It went in a whirl of culture and textiles.  One week we went to four different events.

A local venue played host to a Spanish Flamenco group touring the UK and Ireland.  We were mesmerised throughout.

This year I’ve been introduced to National Theatre Live.  London stage shows are streamed to cinemas live around the country.  You get to experience the exact same thing as theatre goers for a fraction of the cost and at a cinema close to home.  It’s an amazing experience.

I’ve never seen the film Edward Scissorhands, nor did I know the story.  This was the musical version and was a ballet.  

We’ve had a few days at the historic Welbeck Estate at Worksop, where we stayed in a cosy 1890’s cottage.

Our reason for being there was because I attended a two day textile workshop at Hope & Elvis.

The brief was to reimagine a favourite painting into something else.  I chose a canvas by Rachel Grant that hangs in our kitchen.   I made this fabric pot.

It was a process of mark making, printing and hand stitch 

Here’s me with Wend the owner of Hope And Elvis Studio

Back home my textile group were working on a print prompt during September.

We’ve also been to the British Country Music Awards, seen the Kate Winslet Film “Lee”   A true story about a female American photographer who covered the atrocities of the Second World War.  It’s compelling watching and I can definitely recommend it.

We had a lovely family meal with Philip and his twin sister Elena to celebrate their 75th birthday.  An added surprise was the arrival of the American cousin who moved to Florida over 40 years ago.

I can’t say that October is going to be any quieter.  We’ve never been as busy.  Loving this retirement malarkey.

I’ll be back with more adventures as we go along.

Thanks for popping by.

Lynn xx

 

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A good coat of looking at …. WOYWW

As you can see I’ve been doing a lot of thinking

Giving jobs a good coat of looking at

and experimenting 

Started off gelli printing 

Then got sidetracked

 I couldn’t get this You Tube video I’d watched on turning paper into fabric out of my head

 So I had to have a go. It’s a Japanese technique called Momigami.

No idea where I’m going with it, so I’ll come back

with the results another time.

To make way for it I’ve moved all my No Rules Textile Society

work to one side of the wall.

Then I got distracted again and rejigged some of the shelves in my studio.

Honestly it’s like that thing with housework that you end up with six jobs

on the go at once.  Not that I do a lot of housework, so I’ve no idea how I

would know that fact.

Have a lovely crafty week deskhoppers.

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