Friday smiles and sunshine

The sun has been out and so have I.

Not without my thick tights and boots.  It’s not that warm yet.

We had a walk around the reservoir and watched the disabled water skiers.

Back home we spotted the neighbours through our privets, enjoying the fresh grass.

I came across a few funnies that are so relevant in our house

I had to include them.

I’m off to Todmorden today for a masterclass workshop with artist Alice Fox.

ALICE FOX LINK

As Mum can’t taste anything at the moment we’ve decided not to go out for a meal on

Mother’s Day and have opted for a buffet lunch at home instead.

I’ll get to see my sister, who lives in Oxford, for the second time this month

and my brother who I haven’t seen since Christmas.

Whatever you do this weekend enjoy yourself 

Sorry I’ve got to run.  Last minute as usual.

Lynn

xxx

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ANNIE’S FRIDAY SMILES

Woyww 668 - frayed around the edges

Yippee I’ve managed to sit out in the garden this week.

Doesn’t a bit of sunshine make a difference to the day.

This is something I don’t show very often, my messy desk.

There was so much stuff on it I couldn’t make out what I was supposed to be doing

Here’s a few bits I’ve been working on. I’ve been fraying fabrics, then I

made a fabric bowl with the pulled threads

One of the new lessons over at No Rules Textile Society has been working with

a stabiliser called Thermagauze. I’ve not quite got my head around it yet and

need to experiment with it more. It gives an aged effect to material.

Here’s a little montage of what I’ve been creating during March.

It’s taken from my Instagram page.

I hope all Julia’s deskhoppers are keeping well

and thank you for visiting my little blog.

See you next week

Lynn

X

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WHAT’S ON YOUR WORK DESK WEDNESDAY

End of an era

Thursdays will never be the same in our house after this week. Our beautiful talented friend and hairdresser Angela is off to pastures new as a tutor to hairdressing apprentices in Manchester. We’ve been friends for nearly30 years since she started doing my hair in her first salon.

That’s not the end of the story though as her gorgeous son and daughter are my godchildren and along with her Mum we count them as family.

Here she is looking very glamorous sat next to the wandering welder at Christmas when we had a trip on the Northern Belle. You can read about it HERE

So good luck in your new venture our dear friend.

Moving swiftly on before I start being a weeping Willy again, here’s a new book I started reading this week.  Think of a Chinese family running a takeaway in Wales. Lots of family secrets, throw in some funny bits and it’s making for a good read.

On Tuesday afternoon we took advantage of the Meerkat two for one cinema tickets and watched Belfast. It’s a great film, a little hard to watch at the moment with the current Ukraine situation, but worth seeing nonetheless. There’s warmth and laughter in amongst the angst and bewilderment of life in Northern Ireland.

I’m loving this retirement malarkey, after the cinema we treated ourselves to tea out at a local restaurant. I did all this with another precious friend Sue, not with Philip who was busy at home compiling trick questions for Elvista a country music local radio dj. I think Philip must be the only one listening to the station as he wins the competition every week and is awarded with two cd playlists of the programme.

 I’ll just slip this one in before I go. Good friend Vix wrote about the designer Dilly Grey donating 50% of the money on her sale items going to help the folk in the Ukraine. I’ve been wanting to own one of her dresses for awhile, so this felt like the perfect opportunity.

Read about it HERE  At the end of the campaign they had raised £10,400

When you can’t decide which frock to wear just wear one on top of another. Saves on wearing a vest as well.

I’ll be scrabbling around in my cave like wardrobe for further combinations as this one worked so well.

Have a good weekend. Spring is on its way.

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ANNIE’S FRIDAY SMILES

WOYWW week 667. - The men in white coats

Hello fellow desk hoppers and blog readers.  Thanks for dropping by.

How do you like this brooch that is not a brooch.  Well at least not yet.  It was a sample piece I made

for the water soluble fabric course I’m on.  It was pinned to the display wall in my studio and messing

about I shoved it on the front of my pinafore. What you can’t see is the pin that is holding it on and

sticking in my boob.  Hope I don’t pop heehee.

There’s been a couple of ‘Oops’ moments this week through either daydreaming or singing my

head off while creating.

Instead of stitching water soluble fabric to this tweed wool, I totally was not paying attention and

used baking parchment.  Not to be deterred I just cut through it to show the fabric underneath.

Then after using the correct stuff I put this piece in the oven to dry, forgot about it and scorched

it. The wandering welder will be sending for the men in white coats to haul me away any more

of it. Never mind the fact I stank the kitchen out and had to open all the windows.

Moving on I made a fabric bowl with the threads pulled from this scrap piece.

Below is the bowl before I dissolved the water soluble fabric and shaped it.


Well that’s me done for this week folks.

Sometimes I surprise myself in what I create.

See you all next week.

Lynn

X

Thanks again Annie for the lovely card and lace.

And in answer to your question Julia about where all the stuff from the blue shibori wall

has gone. It’s in a box file ready for its next outing.

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WHAT’S ON YOUR WORKDESK WEDNESDAY WEEK 667

The start of a new week…….

What a beautiful start to the week.

After a breakfast of porridge and berries and a couple of mugs of tea, we got wrapped up

and headed off for a walk around Cowm Reservoir, a mere five minutes by car from our house.

Along the right hand side of the start of the walk there is a length of memorial trees.

Folk can have a tree planted in memory of a loved one.  It’s particularly nice to see now

as there are lots of daffodils and crocus growing.

LIFE FOR A LIFE MEMORIAL TRUST

We watched a water skier demonstrating their skills.  Imagine our surprise to discover it was

a lady in her 50’s/60’s who was the skier.  Good on her I say (with envy).

The wandering welder did it very successfully on holiday in Mauritius some years ago.

In fact he was better and stayed up longer than the young chaps.

My sister arrived on Saturday from Oxford for an overnight stay to see Mum.

On Sunday morning we met up with friend Jane (we call her the third sister) for brunch

at the lovely new cafe bar that opened recently in Whitworth where we live.

I think I could get into the habit of going out for breakfast, it’s relaxing and social.

Back to today and after a stop off at the local pet shop for bird food it

was back home where I got stuck into rummaging through the fabric drawers

for some pieces to work on for the new prompt for the textile group I’m in.

Philip carried on with burning more of the paper work from our business. There’s more

than 40 years worth so I think he’s going to be awhile yet.

 We are looking at deconstructing cloth to reconstruct it into something new.

I’m going to start by fraying this piece that I found in my stash.

Back Wednesday with the progress.

Tomorrow I’m off to the cinema again.  This week we are going to see Belfast.

Tonight’s telly viewing is Robbie Cummings new series of Canal Boat Diaries.

It’s the 3rd series of his travels along the waterways of England on his 42ft narrow

boat The Naughty Lady. Robbie films it all himself. Tonight he’s in our neck of

the woods, Lancashire.

Hope the weather has been kind near you.

Lynn

X

A week more normal than it’s been for a long time - woyww 666

There’s been a fair bit of conscious creativity this last week.

On Friday I went on a workshop.  Yes actually attended one

with a friend, and we had a lovely time.

We did some drawing exercises then took them into

stitch.


Then some mark making exercises

Then some story telling doodling and stitching.

No they are not finished and knowing me it will

be a miracle if they do get finished.

Anyway, I’m off on one now.  I’ve got it in my head that

I want to do a range of textile samples in greys and creams.

I’ve stripped the cork wall in my workroom of all the

Shibori Blue pieces, ready for what’s to come next.

We’ve got a new prompt coming up on Saturday with my

No Rules Textile Society, I’m hoping to be able to incorporate

my new ideas into whatever it is.

Just time to add a book I’ve finished and a film I’ve been to

see at the cinema. My first visit in a long long time.

Definitely worth going to see.  A true story from the 60’s.

 Im back using my Meerkat two for one vouchers as well.

Next week we are going to see Belfast.

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What’s on your Workdesk Wednesday

WOYWW week 665 - Spring is on its way

Welcome to this week’s look around the craft desks and 

a general catch up on the past week.

There was a lot of interest in the paper making with gummy

silk last week, here are some more pieces I made. As you can

see I’ve machine stitched into it and added blue Distress ink.

We’ve had a trip over to Pontefract, West Yorkshire, for a

surprise 80th birthday party for the wandering welder’s brother, Jim.

We haven’t seen many of the family members for more than

three years, it was lovely to catch up.

I had to take a snap of the old table they have in their garden,

it’s exactly the same as the one we have in our kitchen.

Hasn’t it made a fabulous plant display area.

Spring is on its way at last.

On Friday I had a long overdue afternoon tea with a friend

at my favourite tearoom and farm shop.

PARK FARM SHOP & TEAROOMS

This week like many others I’ve been feeling grateful for where

we live and for having a home we can live in safely and open

space to walk freely.

So as we see the month of February out and the things

it has brought us I’m thinking of the people in the Ukraine

and hope and pray that they soon will be safe and have homes

of their own again.

Take care 

Lynn

x

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WHAT’S ON YOUR WORKDESK WEDNESDAY