Colonies on Cloth and Tree Trunks

A week of fire and smoke 

Spring clean-up

but the eyes have it I think!

Textures growing around the wee bird

Stitches going down as randomly as possible.

Heavily ridged Ash 

great surface for random fungi colonization

though some prefer to march hither and thither

across Spruce bark

and this I presume could be dried sap providing protection
where a branch used to be.

Springtime Rituals

Wooosh

Spring clean-up

usually we shred

but this year there's much too much.

Brings to mind the beacons that would be set ablaze

all along the South coast of England

warning that the Spanish Armada was sighted..

The pheasant wondered what was going on

but was soon distracted by the potential of a game of tennis ball!

Threading the Holes

Working at just going where the stitching takes me

I've picked up this little bird piece again

Trying to stitch spontaneously on the background

Going where the needle and thread pulls me.

Trying to remain behind the needle

not thinking too far ahead.

Daily Scratching and Scratching at Ideas

'Twas  a lovely sunny day for our drive up the valley to the eye doctor.

Reflections often more beautiful than reality

except when we don't reflect our true self

our inner child

Even the reflection of one's true but messy child

is something to behold

and boy is my child messy

you should see my studio right now!

My messy child is drawn to this tangled corner of the pond.
Nothing but a grey mass of lines going in every direction.
How to stitch it?

Rockbound Stream Above a week of Scratchings

The babbling brook wends it way past

many a rock

sometimes passing by slowly and calmly

Some boulders case it to speed up and rush on by

Sometimes whole gatherings of rocks

force it to squeeze through nooks and crannies

Bursting from those crowded tight space

it rushes wildly into the open face of this

handsome fellow

who has been kept warm all winter long with a blanket of green and silvery grey.

scratchings tell the tale of a week that couldn't make up its mind

raining cats and dogs one day

blanketing us in snow the next

then another day of rain

A green strip for the Irish

Then silver bellied fish for a Pisces birthday.

Of a Certain Apple Tree and the Apple of my Eye

Us humans, the rusty pups and our friendly beaver

have all been known to enjoy the fruits of

the old apple tree up by the pond.

She's getting a bit long in the tooth

(the apple tree that is)

Do you remember the W palm trees in 

'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'?

She proudly forms half a W!

She has a lovely moss covered constant companion

Her bark is getting a little bit crispy crunchy

and evidence is building that

the woodpeckers visit her quite often.

Hope she's okay

and yet she still enjoys
stretching up towards the heavens

We're celebrating today the birthday of

a young man who is pretty darned well okay

my favourite of artists

the baby of this family

Happy Birthday

Mark!

Bringing More Texture to my Natural dyes

Playing around with my naturally dyed

on a thundery rainy day.

Arranged and pinned silks on the wall.

stitched and added in some wedding dress.

Really like this as it is.

It's about 22" square.

Threw it into the washing machine

and now it measures about 12"!

Tried different stitches

got different effects.

Tried different threads

got little specks of colour.

 

My favourite section 

of fine wrinkles

below those puffy rows.

If you want to know how

you'll find it in India Flint's inspirational book

"Second Skin".

I'm going to try for a gentler effect next time.