Here comes the sun

BBC4 GREAT BRITISH PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE

I love it when a tv programme stops me in my tracks and captures my full attention.  It’s happened twice this week.

The first time when I caught this new photography programme. Six amateur photographers taken under the wing of professional photographer and director Rankin.

I found myself nodding at his instructions and taking it all in.  He didn’t blind you with the science of photography but made you think about what you were doing and your approach to snapping even using your phone, which most of us do.

The other time I paid full attention to what was on the box was during Later with Jools Holland ( no relation) when he introduced a young singer/musician Holly Humberstone singing her self penned song The Walls Are Too Thin.  We both sat mesmerised and said wow when she’d finished. A quick google search showed she’s appearing in Manchester later this year. Hopefully we’ll get to see her.

YOU TUBE LINK TO SONG

Saturday morning and the wandering welder managed to get dressed and walk to the top of the lane. Although his back is far from right and he is moving about very tentatively. No trips out to the pub for him yet but at least he’s on the mend.

I popped out to see our niece Olivia to wish her a happy 16th birthday and catch up with the rest of the family for an hour. Where does time go ?  Olivia is off to college in September and is focused and on track to be a teacher like her parents.

Back home we spent the afternoon in the garden reading and I did a bit of stitching.  It was so peaceful and nice to see the sun at last.

I’m a big fan of American born style icon Iris Apfel.  This month as she approaches her 100th birthday she is featured in  the 100th issue of Selvedge magazine. Colourful Apfel has led her own textile company with her husband for over four decades, starred in her eponymous documentary, written a book and had her image reproduced as a Barbie doll in 2018.  The self titled  ‘geriatric starlet’ pairs haute couture with flea market finds, always worn with statement jewellery, as you can see on the cover.  

I enjoyed disappearing down the textile rabbit hole for a couple of hours before an evening catching up on Friday’s Gardeners World and the hysterical Would I Lie To You on BBC1.

Sunday dawned bright and warm and after breakfast my friend Sue picked me up for a trip over the moors to Oswaldtwisle.

Its great to get out together again catching up, having a little shop and a bit of lunch.  We both came home with plants for our gardens and I’ve replaced my tatty gardening gloves.

I’m hoping for another garden day on Monday.

Fingers crossed.

Enjoy yourselves.

Lynn

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FRIDAY SMILES ……. Well maybe not. Oh well go on then

The wandering welder has got a bad back, it’s gone into spasm.

Don’t worry my darling I’ll take care of you. There’s nothing to be afraid of.

I’ll soon have you back wriggling round in them boilers.

‘But I’m retired’  said He.

Don’t worry I can fix that as well’ said I.

Meanwhile back in the garden I’ve been doing my own version

of Springwatch.

Mum & Dad blue tit are doing an amazing job in keeping their babies well fed.

They are in and out of the bird box every couple of minutes.  We can hear the chicks

squawking for food from our front door.

Sadly I don’t think these two will hatch.  Mama thrush has abandoned

the nest.  She made it to low down and gets disturbed every time we

come out the house.

Enjoying the May sunshine are the blue and pink bells.

They are so pretty.

The other week when I found the antique chestnut roasters that

I’m using to weave into

We also came across this

It’s a piece of cut off scaffold board with rope tacked round the edges

and an old pair of clogs nailed on the top.  It may come back in the house

yet, I’m still messing about with it.

I’ve asked the garden fairy to provide us with some more sunshine please

and a bit of magic potion to make the wandering welders back

better soon so that we can go and open up our caravan for the season.

There’s always bluebells in abundance there and sweet wild garlic to be picked.

If you want something to smile about, pop over to 

ANNIE’S FRIDAY SMILES

Have a lovely weekend

The best is yet to come.

Lynn

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WOYWW ….. Zooming in on like minded folk

It’s that day of the week again when a group of us do a show and tell of what’s on our desks.  We also have a natter and last week we exchanged postcards and artist trading cards to celebrate 12 years of friendship.

I want to say a big thank you to lovely Annie and her sister Jo for sending cards to me and for the little bag of lace trims Annie.

Postman Sid brought me this super box of goodies from Instagram buddy Mandy Boxall aka The Dandelion Box.  The little packages have all been put together so beautifully.  Oyster shells from the beach, hops from the garden, homemade jam are but a few of the things included.  What a lucky lady I am.

Back to the desk, I’m coming to the end of the weave prompt at my No Rules Textile Society group.  Have I mentioned at least a hundred times how much I’m enjoying being with these like minded folk, even though it’s via zoom and not in the flesh. I’ve done more creating since joining than I have in months.

Last week I had a drive out with the wandering welder, we came across Forest Mill antiques centre at Water near to Rawtenstall in Lancashire, and I came home with these vintage chestnut roasters among other stuff.

They are proving very useful for the weave project I’m working on.  Ive woven strips of sari ribbon woven through the holes.

That’s it from me for this week.  I’ve got a man with a bad back to take care of, so I’m off shopping on my own.

There’s a link here to the blog post I wrote about my visit to see the Grayson Perry Art Club exhibition

in Manchester at the weekend if you missed it.

LINK HERE

Take care

Lynn

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HE’S GOT ANOTHER WOMAN

After waving my sister and Mum off back down to Oxford

it was a morning of bed stripping, washing and tidying in the garden.

After lunch we decided to get out for a walk while the weather was dry.

P.H. + T.W.

“Eh !, what’s this.  Have you got another woman. “

“Who’s T.W.”

Said I.

“Tuther Wife”

Said he, quick as a flash.

We spotted this on a ramble over the moors and into Healey Dell

Nature Reserve, both on the doorstep of where we live.

“Take my photo, there’s an article in the Dalesman magazine

to photograph your favourite bench” Said the wandering welder.

So naturally I had to get in on the act.

It’s beautiful in the dell.  It’s a place I’ve played in as a child

and visited all my adult life.

Back home I got stuck into some weaving ready for Tuesdays

zoom meeting with the No Rules Textile Society.

After a pasta tea we settled down to watch Between The Covers

on BBC2 and Long Lost Family.

And so another week begins and we are fast approaching the

end of May.

I don’t know about zoom meetings, time is zooming fast way

to quickly.

Take care

Lynn

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BACK TO LIFE, BACK TO REALITY

Wow, who could believe that life could get busy again.

My sister has arrived home after seven months apart.  There’s been lots of tears

and hugging and meet ups and meals out.

There’s been a visit to the wonderful Manchester Art Gallery to see

Grayson Perry’s Art Club exhibition.

If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about you can see the programme that

triggered the exhibition on BBC Iplayer.

All the works and programme were created during Covid lockdown.

This portray of Grayson was made using pasta and soya sauce.

Here’s me blending in with some of the artwork.

Barbie in lockdown made me chuckle.

The exhibition is, I feel, not about how good or bad a piece of art is,

it’s the stories that accompany the pieces and how we are all in this together.

How true 

If you can’t get to the exhibition the book that shows every piece of work

and excerpts from the programme, is available here 

AMAZON BOOK LINK

It felt very comfortable walking round, everyone was respectful of each others

space and we had a coffee and cake in the gallery’s cafe and visited the shop.

 There has been a girly meet up at our favourite tearoom, Park Farm, before Jill goes back

to Oxford.  She’s taking Mum with her for a couple of weeks for a bit of a holiday.

In Mum’s cottage garden with a beautiful Saxifraga plant from

Park Farm Garden Centre.

PARK FARM TEAROOM, FARMSHOP & GARDEN CENTRE

I’ve finished reading Jay Blade’s book Making It.  That was an eye opening

good read. Tonight I will be making a start on Brit Bennett’s novel

The Vanishing Half.

A story of twins, inseparable as children, who in adult life lead

individual lives. One twin as a white woman and the other as a

black.

There’s a bit of crafting been going on but I’ll save that for another day.

See you soon 

Lynn 

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