Bark Marks

You might remember my sketchbook work on tree bark

Finally working on a small piece

testing out ideas

Natural dyed silk Dupione beneath a layer of silk chiffon.

I'm thinking more of graffiti or marks

rather than trying to replicate bark.

Next time I think I'll use fewer thread colours

more subtle.

Scratched

Haven't been on my walk at sunrise all week

not getting enough exercise!

There was a time I used to teach a lot of fabric manipulation.

With nothing but snow and more snow to scratch about

my mind is wandering!

Thank goodness for Tuesday

Four of us gathered and made marks

then our handy hubby's joined us

and we sipped wine

and munched on black beans and salad.

A lovely, lovely day.

I wonder if the squirrels have been raising families in the snow this winter

there are SO many of them stealing from the bird feeders!

Strange that I decided to stitch a cruciform design.

Late that evening

Handy Hubby got sad news of a lifelong friend's passing.

On Saturday we huddled by the fire with no electricity

as the wind howled

blowing snow around the house.

Sunday was calmer revealing beautiful windswept snow piles.

We Were Lucky

We got off lightly

Not the snow we were warned of

but boy, the wind was mighty...

It created lovely snow lines around the house.

Of course the power was out most of the day.

That's why a wood fire is so important in these parts.

On snowy, windy days my mind always goes to the first settlers

and even the war brides.

no electricity

no automatic heating systems

no pumped water

no four wheel drive cars to pop down to a grocery store

Needle and thread would have been a luxury

and books too.

Women had no time for embroidery or reading

their days must have been spent just focussing on survival.

and survive they did

Women are amazing!

Roar!

There is Something About Standing on Top of a Mountain

Middle son, Brett, is skiing at Mont Tremblant this weekend.

We get to enjoy his travels along with him

thanks to the iphone!

When The Winds Came From the South

The wind said

I'll huff and I'll puff

and I'll blow your tree down

just as if it were a twig

So easily twisted and broken.

Scratching Time and Circles

A Birthday week scratched.

Days fly

Weeks swoosh by

and years zoom by!

On Monday I suddenly remembered

my licence had to be renewed by Tuesday.

So we made tracks down to the nearest motor vehicle office.

For Tuesday I had to fit sixty six candles

into one day's scratchings...that was hard!

On Wednesday I recorded the moon against that purple sky.

Boy, was Thursday windy...

I returned home after a day away

to find the driveway blocked by a fallen beauty.

The wind was from the south

it melted away all our snow.

A circle filled to the brim

Then a circle filled with a cross.

The snow returned.

Perhaps I'll fill more circles.

Do you See?

As we started walking

the 'Moonset' made me smile

It looked like a pair of eyebrows above

one eye open

one eye closed.

(How come we have the word Sunset but not Moonset?)

Polished tidal ice sculptures

I see a duck

perhaps

and a seal shape

seems appropriate

Some creature craning it's neck

watching us go by

A snowboard perhaps

I was just going to write 'violence' beneath this for some reason

then I saw the snake coming in from the top!

Anyhooo

have fun seeing things today.