I'm Still Here!

I feel I'm in a time warp. It's weird, the days are long and don't feel particularly rushed but the weeks are whizzing by with so much to fit in. Blogging as ever seems to have taken the back seat. We've had a birthday, well there have actually been four family birthdays in the past three weeks but only one for which I needed to bake. Stewart opted for a cheesecake over anything else so that is what he got. Lemon and raspberry which was rather delicious since you ask!

I am acutely aware that in two weeks time my home will be open for Cambridge Open Studios once more. At least I don't have to clean and tidy up, having the house on the market has done wonders for my standard of housekeeping. And Stewart has become quite the gardener. Weeding and grass cutting a speciality.

In between various other activities I have snatched moments at my sewing machine to make some small items for sale. Of course three months ago there were grand plans for all sorts of gift items to be stitched. But  they haven't really got beyond the planning stage. The bag of forty zips I bought for making a collection of little zipped bags will have to keep for Christmas... or possibly next year. There have been a few lavender bags finished off though.

However it is next week that it will be all systems go. I have a wedding cake to cover and decorate, no. 3 son to collect from Gatwick before we all head off to Greece for no. 1 son's wedding... Gatwick again at 5.35 am! We will be back home just in time (with three additional house guests) for my first weekend of Open Studios, then a small family only civic ceremony when son no. 2 gets married,  followed by punting on the River Cam and dinner. There is a small matter of 150 cupcakes to bake and decorate before we then have a big wedding party to celebrate son no. 2's wedding. And all this before 14th July! That's not even mentioning house viewings etc.

So when my lovely friend Terry asked did I want to join another couple of ladies learning to make mosaics with her, I jumped at a chance of a day out doing something exclusively for me. It was a lovely day where we worked in the garden under the shade of a tree. Not only did I finish this rather quirky bird but I managed to use up some paua shell that I'd brought back from New Zealand six years ago. If it had been the first time I tried mosaic I might have been able to clock up another 60 x 60 but it is the third time!

The first time was when I made this very well used, hence grubby, coaster that came as a free kit with Inspirations magazine. I used to love that magazine that was always packed full of fabulous stuff to make and interviews with really interesting makers. But it disappeared years ago. My coaster however lives on!

Then many years later I met Terry at Open Studios and a bond was formed over common interests of sewing and amateur dramatics. And she very generously gave me a one to one session where I made this plaque. It wasn't that long ago but I'd forgotten everything, despite wanting to make more mosaics (I never did of course), so it was lovely to spend Wednesday learning all over again.

And once again I would like to make more mosaic... although it's not going to happen over the next couple of weeks. I fact over lunch recently Terry said she didn't want to see me blogging over the beginning of July until all weddings etc are over. She has a point, realistically I probably won't have time but I might sneak back with an odd photo or two. You'll want to see photos of our gorgeous Mamma Mia wedding won't you?

I also found time to go off and do what will probably be my final 60 x 60 (although it is actually only no. 53) yesterday afternoon as my 61st birthday falls between these two weddings. I tried Circle dancing for the first time. It was outside in a beautiful garden where we spent a couple of hours dancing gentle rhythmical dances to lovely music, celebrating the arrival of midsummer. The whole chakra, lei lines, priestess, airy fairy floaty stuff wasn't really my cup of tea so it's not an experience I will probably repeat but I did thoroughly enjoy my afternoon. I won't mention the fact that I don't seem to be able to distinguish my left from my right. The strawberry and cake afternoon tea was rather good too!

And finally, I haven't forgotten... that Festival of Quilts ticket. I did a random names in a hat type of thing and the winner was Jee... I'll email you Jane.

Have a lovely weekend and you'll know where I am if I'm not writing here!

Changes

I bet you all thought I had forgotten about my flower brooch giveaway. And you'd be right! Well, I hadn't completely forgotten but it had rather slipped to the back of my mind. But in fact it doesn't really matter because as today is my birthday it seems more appropriate to be giving something away today. Judging by the comments there wasn't a huge demand for one of these little brooches, but names were put into a hat and a winner was drawn... Katy M. I'll be in touch about making you a red and/or turquoise brooch!

On the 23rd of this month I will have been blogging for nine years and things have changed dramatically in that time. In the early days, comments were few and far between and I was happy to have three or four per post... Until I held a giveaway and suddenly I had fifty plus comments! Perhaps it has something to do with what I was giving away but more likely the nature of blogging and bloggers has changed. There are very few of us still doing it after all this time. Bloggers come and go and new people come on the scene but very few of the people I knew from the early days are still posting regularly. Other social media platforms seem to have taken over. I'm still in contact with many people on Facebook and I'm aware that many are around on Twitter which I still don't understandt. Recently I discovered Instagram which I really like... Until they changed the app for the iPad and I can no longer post. I know I can use my phone but I just don't. I don't use it for photos and more often than not the battery is dead just when I want a crucial shot! Anyone else have this problem with Instagram on an iPad or. Is it just me? Whatever else may come and go I'll probably still go on blogging because I like the fact that it is a record for me... And I quite enjoy the reflective process of writing. And I'll probably still give things away occasionally... whether you want them or not!

This week, with only four days until I open my house for Open Studios, I was doing a bit of tidying up and found a dozen or so of these 6" wooden frames. I was on the verge of packing them off to the charity shop when I thought they would be good for an idea I'd had to make "stitched tattoos". Five hours later and my stitched tattoo had become a stitched tattoo portrait! Suddenly my head was swarming with all sorts of ideas for others I could make and and I felt an old familiar excitement return at the thought of what I might do... but of course, with only three days to do it all. Blogging may have changed but I haven't... always more productive with a tight deadline!

As a result, I have spent most of my birthday making portrait no. 2 "The Stars Look Very Different Today". Stewart has already named them my "Dead Singers" series!

I've got some of my own ideas for others... What about you... Who do you think I should do next?

I shall leave you with some images of some of the beautiful flowers I have received for my birthday... I have lovely friends and family!

Lots of beautiful flowers but no cake... which was entirely my choice as I am still trying to shift the several pounds gained since breaking my ankle.

We are going out for a meal this evening though and I'm looking forward to that!

Five on Friday... A snapshot of my week

I'd like to report that I'm feeling perky and back to my usual self but I'm still struggling to pick myself up and get motivated...  I need someone to come and give me a good talking to! My foot has been painful this week too which doesn't help... and although I try to keep politics away from my blog I feel depressed at the news this morning in the UK. But nevertheless life goes on and this is a snapshot of just some of the things occupying my time over the past few days

1. Lavender

I don't teach my regular machine embroidery class in the summer term. I'm not sure why, it's historic. I inherited the class about eight years ago and was told they didn't do the summer term because the ladies liked to spend the summer in their gardens rather than stitching. Hard to believe looking out the window at the torrential rain as I start to write this post on Thursday, but I digress. So, once a month throughout the summer the ladies abandon their gardening to meet up for afternoon tea. On Tuesday I joined them at Hitchin Lavender, where I had a very nice buttered scone, bought a bag of lavender and came home inspired to make some lavender bags. There will be virtually no new artwork on the walls at my Open Studio this year but I'm hoping to divert attention from the fact by bribing visitors with cake, puppy cuddles and lavender bags!

2. Birthday Cakes

June... sigh...  Three family birthdays in the space of two weeks but I managed to get away with only two cakes. Son no. 3, Joe, has reached the grand age of 27... Husband no. 2, Stewart is a bit older than that (but still not as old as me as he likes to point out). Both had chocolate cakes. I'd had the idea for the anti gravity Guinness cake for a while but it looked a whole lot better in my head than the reality. But at least it still tasted good and they both enjoyed their cakes.

3. A Commission

There was a third birthday cake but this was not for family members. I was commissioned to make this cake several weeks ago by a couple who had found me through an advert. My brief was a square fruit cake for Nancy, a keen sportswoman who cycles and plays golf and her daughter Jade who is a play therapist...  Really... you want me to make a cake to incorporate all that? I confess I was stumped by this one for quite a while but eventually came up with the idea of a golf course with children playing in the bunker. The hand prints feature on Jade's promotional leaflet. I was a little taken aback when Nancy's Mum, who commissioned the cake expressed disappointment that I hadn't included a bicycle, but overall I think they were pleased. I hope so!

4. Brooches

Not much to say about these flower brooches. They are useful little projects for those odd spare moments and they are great for using up fabric scraps. More Open Studio fodder! I was thinking of writing up a little free tutorial for them... That of any interest to any of you? I don't think I've done this before but humour me if I have!

5. Puppy School

Do not be fooled by those innocent eyes... He is a pest! He was a star at puppy class last week... Good eye contact and sitting on command, very well behaved... Everyone thinks he's gorgeous. Then the minute he gets home he digs up my vegetable beds again... Naughty puppy! Back to school again this morning.
Wishing you all a good weekend.

Joining in with Amy for Five on Friday

Afternoon Tea

This is where I went for afternoon tea yesterday!

The Palm Court at the Ritz Hotel!

It was a present to my Mum from my brother and myself for her 80th birthday but it has taken us all year to find a time when the five of us were free at the same as the Ritz could fit us in. Mum will be 81 on Wednesday! But it was worth the wait.

I thought it might feel a bit snobby or pretentious but not at all... it was just beautiful! The room, the flowers, the music, the china and the silver... all just beautiful. And the service was wonderful as might be expected!

We all had a super time and decided it was a pretty perfect way to while away a Sunday afternoon. Very civilised.

The sandwiches, scones and pastries weren't bad either! In fact we were so full up when they came round with the cake trolley none of us could manage anything else.

I think Mum enjoyed herself!  Look at her misbehaving at the grand piano... can't take her anywhere!

Afterwards we had a stroll in the sunshine in Green Park up to Buckingham Palace before heading home. All in all a wonderful weekend. And for me "Afternoon Tea at the Ritz"means I've ticked off another of my sixty by sixty! Two down... fifty eight to go!

I do like to be beside the seaside

When Stewart asked what I wanted to do for my birthday this week I knew straight away I wanted to go to the seaside.

 

 

We set off early Monday morning and headed to the Suffolk coast. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to go to Aldeburgh or Southwold but we plumped for Aldeburgh so I could see the wonderful Maggi Hambling sculpture on the beach.

 

 

"Scallop", a four meter high steel sculpture, is a tribute to the composer Benjamin Britten and the words "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" are taken from Peter Grimes. 

It is fabulous and wonderfully tactile.

 

 

I then indulged in a little bit of paddling... can't possible go to the seaside and not dip my toes in! I resisted  going in for a swim though as even in July the North Sea is a bit on the cold side!

 

 

We then wandered back up the stony beach to the town where we bought fish and chips, which we ate from the paper sitting on the Promenade.

 

 

As it was still early we decided we could manage to fit in Southwold too so drove up the coast via Snape Maltings... where we indulged in a little shopping!

 

Do not be fooled by the sun shimmering on the sea at Southwold... by the time we had walked along the pier the wind was whipping up a storm and we just had time for a quick ice cream before the rain set in and we headed home.

 

Back home there was a bottle of champagne in the fridge along with a box of chocolates and a DVD (The DVD wasn't in the fridge!)... a perfect end to a perfect day. Not exactly a day of healthy eating but it is only once a year!

A Rollercoaster!

Where do I start... do I do a blog post about the final Missenden weekend for my students? Or should I tell you all about the wonderful wedding celebrations first? Or perhaps I should combine both in one long wonderful post because it has certainly been one long wonderful weekend with a rollercoaster of emotions.

 

It started Friday afternoon on arriving at Missenden Abbey. I always try to fit in a walk before heading to the classroom for the evening and as it was our last weekend together after two fabulous years, a few of my students decided to join me. No sooner had we gathered to set off, the rain started! We weren't to be deterred and eventually the rain stopped, our jackets came off and we posed for photos... just to show what a great time we were having despite our very soggy feet!

 



 

Friday evening and Saturday morning were a flurry of activity of setting up exhibitions, meeting with the external verifier, signing off work and greeting visitors. Then at lunchtime on Saturday I did I bit of a Cinderella impersonation with a quick change into my posh frock before heading off to London... no pumpkin carriage  just the Bakerloo and Picadilly lines, but I did bump into my Prince Charming when I got to South Kensington!

 

 

And these four young men... All four sons in suits must be a first!

 

 

It was a wonderful afternoon and evening celebrating the wedding of James and Lizzie. Lots of friends, family, laughter, good food, great speeches and a glass of wine or two!

 

 

But just like Cinderella I left before the witching hour... or at least before the last train back to Great Missenden where perhaps I should show you the final exhibitions of my lovely year two students who passed their City & Guilds level 3 with flying colours!

 

A striking display from Jane

 

 

Terrific work from Anne... the wall hanging is inspired by the buildings of Dubai

 

Lovely colour co-ordinated display from Wendy.

 

 

Beautiful work from Ann

 

 

Really fabulous work from Tracey who has come so far in the work she has produced over the past couple of years.

 

 

Wonderful work from Linda who has also made amazing progress from starting as a beginner in machine embroidery.

 

Stunning work from Mara... more on that in a minute...

 

And last but not least an amazing display from Scilla.

 

And if all that wasn't enough I also had the news that one of my students, Mara had been nominated for a City & Guilds medal of excellence.

 

Each and every student has produced several pieces of work that might be considered for medals of excellence but every single piece of Mara's work has been of an exceptional standard and her accompanying written work also reflects that excellence with everything beautifully and clearly presented. There is still much hard work ahead, mostly for Mara, who will now have to put together a presentation for City and Guilds... but very exciting times too!

 

 

And now after a weekend of rollercoaster emotions of ever increasing highs, I'm winding down with a glass of rather good whisky and a slice of birthday cake... because today also happens to be Joe's 26th birthday (Third photo down, second son on the left!)

 

 

So... happy birthday Joe, well done C & G students... especially Mara and huge congratulations to James and Lizzie, wishing you a very happy life together.

A Birthday Bash

On Tuesday my Mum will be 80 and to celebrate we actually managed to get the entire immediate family together for lunch yesterday... all 14 of us! I had great plans to take loads of photos to mark the occasion but what with dishing up enough food to feed a small army and a glass or two of Prosecco too many, I forgot I was meant to be chief photographer! I did manage a few snaps only to inadvertantly delete them this morning. What a  twit! However with the benefit of modern technology and the advice from some friends I have retrieved them...

 

 

As it is rare for me to get all four of my sons together at the same time I thought it would be good to get a shot of them that I might be able to print out and frame... but this was their idea of posing for a photo!

 

Of course there was cake... an apple and blackberry frozen yoghurt cake which was rock solid in the centre but starting to melt at the edges... but still tasted good!

 

And a chocolate fudge cake with champagne truffles. I decided to forego putting 80 candles on the cake and had sparklers instead but by the time I got the 0 lit the 8 had burned out so no photo of Mum with a sparkling cake!

 

But at least I got a picture of her with her grandsons when they finally stopped climbing on each other!

 

Happy birthday for tomorrow Mum. xxx