This is more like it!!!!

Some flowers are now starting to bloom in the garden such as this Aquiligia.

I pruned my lovely clematis a few weeks ago, thinking that I had left it a bit late but look what I found yesterday!  Lots and lots of lovely flowers.

I am hoping that I will be able to take those green covers of the gaden furniture at some point. Lovely blue skies and plenty of warm sun meant that I got my first outdoor dried wash of the year!!  Love the smell of washing hung outside.

This is one of my favourite plants in the garden and it bloomed a few weeks ago.  The hard rain last week nearly finished it off but quite a few flowers are still intacted.

Sophie's play house....opps I meant newly named Design Studio... is looking good after a cold winter.  Everything is now growing quickly and flower bubs are fit to burst open.

These two fellas are looking after everything for us and spin round every now and then if the wind picks up.

This Azalea did not do very well last year but has already made an effort to bloom.

I was hoping that today was the first of several days but tomorrow is uncertain.  Anyway, a sign of things to come.

What sort of day did you have?

Le Challenge May - Wings

I like to have a challenge to work towards so when I saw Le Challenge I thought I would have a go.  I sadly missed the April deadline due to AS level Textiles work but this month I decided to do all I could to finish in time.

The theme is Wings.  Spent days pondering this one before I finally settled on the above.

I found the idea for the bird shape in Japanese craft book that I bought on Ebay a few years ago.

Due to time I decided to add the patterning with fabric pens to give it an almost decorated china look about it.  This is my first offering to Le Challenge and I am looking forward to see what the next theme will be.
Pop over using the link in my margin and see how it all works.
Take care all.

Cute Felt Kitty - OPAM May 2013

Gosh, I am on a roll this month!!

Another quick OPAM make with felt, which is one of my favourite fabrics to work in.  I have made one of these before ages and ages ago.

This little kitty is just the right size for a brooch or may be a keyring.

Cute kitty is too padded to put on the front of a card.  I am too old to make Cute Kitty into a hair slide (young at heart of course).

So, any ideas as to how I could develop Cute kitty here?

Fun to make and I was really pleased with the expression I managed to achieve with the hand stitching.

Take care all

xx

Knitted Mouse - OPAM May 2013

When I started knitting this I honestly thought it was going to be much bigger!!

I am not sure of this really qualifies for an OPAM finish or not but I was hopeing to make them at school with the younger students.  The size of the ear should have had alarm bells ringing.

So I followed the instructions thinking it would take me a bit to make him........However, even my  limited knitting skills soon had him knitted, stitched and stuffed (only a bit mind you!) to create this.....

He was made in 3 sections, body ,ear and tail.  Anyway, this must win the teeney finish prize if nothing else.   Bigger needles and chunkier wool may make a bigger version.

 Off to find something else to make that lasts longer than boiling the the kettle!

Have Fun!

xx

Needle Case - OPAM May 2013

My OPAM finishes have been a bit thin on the ground these past few months due to the amount of work needed for my AS Level Art Textiles course.  That has now officially finished for the time being so I am now officially OPAM back!

A fabric folded cotton needle case with roses and leaves printed on it.  used this fabric many times before for various projects and gifts.

A crochet flower using fine crochet cotton is in the centre. Need my stronger glasses for that bit!

To fasten needle cases I usually use poppers but for a change I attached some white ribbon and hid the attachment with a cute little flower button.

Felt pages for pins, needles and a few safety pins.  I added a small pocket on the inside front cover for small scissors or any other little item that I might find useful when using this needle case.

I do have another half made one of these that I will now complete as well.  It is amazing how many little unfinished projects you can find when you look.  We may only think about the big projects but I like completing the little ones in the evening.  This needle case may in fact be a present for my sister in law who has recently been given a sewing machine and a little sewing kit would be a useful addition.

xx

Days Out in....Plymouth Aquarium

We planned a couple of weeks ago that if it was raining on the Saturday Bank Holiday that we would go to the Plymouth Aquarium.  So it was duly raining when we (slowly) got up and drove the 45 mins to Plymouth.  As we got closer and closer the weather dramatically changed and by the time we got there it looked like this..............

Something resembling Summer!  (I think we may have side stepped Spring this year!)  A glorious day which was very warm with sunshine and blue skies.

The last time we came to the Aquarium Sophie was still in her pushchair and just about staggering around.  I remember that she still loved to look and point at what she could see.

This time we brought a growing young lady who is nearly as tall as me but still enjoyed pointing out certain things she could see.

I have taken some pictures without the flash and through glass and plastic screens but if you have never visited before it may give you an idea of something to go and see if you come to the West Country.

Our first stop saw some pretty large stingrays and various flat fish.  I am sorry but naming every picture may be a bit tricky but I shall see what I can remember.

This chap was quite brightly coloured and zoomed around the tank.

O love star fish even though if you are a fellow sea creature you might fell differently!  Quite pleased

They varied in size and each had its own spot.  Sophie did notice that one had lost most of its legs.

This tank had a coloured light but is one of my favourite anemones and was moving very gracefully as the water moved.  Took several pictures through a convexed glass screen, came out ok.

I would love to do a project on the sea for my second year A level project, but getting first hand pictures could be a real problem.  Got a bit closer with this picture.  Such graceful anemones with lovely colours.

Last one, I promise!!!

We then moved on to the next section of the Aquarium.

A massive room high tank with many different types of fish.  The conga eel was there but being nocturnal was in fact having a snooze but to Sophie's disappointment as she can not remember seeing the one at Sea life in Birmingham several years ago.

I tried to take more pictures here but the fish seemed rather camera shy and were swimming much too fast.  

We moved on again and I have found my second favourite - Moon Jellys.  They are so graceful and they would make a lovely source for embroidery with sheer fabrics and hand stitching.  The Aquarium had put some coloured lights in the tanks again and they moved very carefully.  Fascinating.

This was clear light but seems to have turned out rather blue(?)  Once I have published this post I am going to google them and see what I can find out about them.  Everything that we saw today comes from around the coastlines of the Southwest and shows that there is so much more below the surface than we realise.

We moved on through a glass tunnel and this chap who was at least 80 cm wide swam over head and then stopped.  He was massive.  The little children could not believe their eyes.

Any Nemo fans out there?  He was swimming right in front of me but would turn just as I clicked the button but just took a picture.  Lovely little fish,  great colour.

Lots of examples of corals and sea weed.

I found the coral lovely in this tank and would work well with stump work or applique.

Lots of texture and lines on them.

This chap did not seem too impressed having us all starring at him!  He was very very still for a very long time!

Meanwhile this fish loved gliding around the tank having everyone look in awe at him.  So many fins and glided around the tank,it was fantastic. This is a Lion fish  and a lot bigger than I would have expected.

Just as we were about to leave a large sea turtle called Snorkels came out from her sleep and swam around. She is blind in one eye and only has 20% vision in the other.  As she was swimming there were a few close calls with the sides of the tank but other than that she swam really quite fast and the crowd behind me watching was packed.

A great first day of the bank holiday and great weather to boot.

As we came out the sun was still shining so a toasted Pannini with cranberry and Bree was ordered and a sit in the sun.

If you want to visit the Aquarium in Plymouth it is cheaper and easier to book and pay for tickets on line and it will give you directions on how to get there.

What did you get up to today?

I need to get back in to my creative stride........

Despite having spent the last 9 months frantically drawing, painting, stitching, creating and basically drowning in a pile of fabric I feel that I have run out of creative steam!

I actually do not have anything to blog about which I am finding a bit unnerving after having this blog since 2007.  I only have one submission for OPAM this month and I am now in a position where I can now make anything I want and I am at a loss!!!

So my bloggy (is that a word?) friends do you have nay ideas of what I could have a go at which will help me to get my sewing mojo back as I seem to be a bit lost at sea.  Having had such a strong focus for so many months I feel like I have had my teddy bear taken away.

I am keeping calm but the Sew On bit is not.

I have really loved to course I followed and I have learnt a lot and once I get all of the work back  shall go through it with you all.  Might be of interest if you are considering a textiles course of some kind.

Well of to take a look at my fabric and books.................and find some inspiration..

xx

What a weekend!!

I have spent this weekend at a local college taking part in my AS level Art textiles practical exam.

It started at 9.30am on Saturday and finishing the day at 4pm.  Then back in again on Sunday at 10.30am and ending at 1.30pm.

We then needed to cut window mounts and tidy up etc so I eventually got home at about 4pm.

It was a very full on two days and I would love to show you the end result but we have been asked to put any images on the Internet until after the results have been issued.

When will that be....I hear you ask?   September or October at the earliest, I am afraid.

The image above plays a re part in the 10 week project work and I am really pleased with the outcome.

I am now just wondering what Grade I will end up with.

Due to the work load that this course has needed my other sewing projects and also this blog has had a bit of a back seat since last September.

Many thanks to everyone who has kept coming to see what I have been up to and I know that you are still with me as I had many visitors during Easter when I was able to post more often.

I do have many blog posts planned and hopefully over the coming weeks I will be able to have a higher presence at Indigo Blue.

Have a good week.

xx

Happy Birthday to....

Toffy is a rescue cat and he first came to live with us when he was 8 weeks old

We went to see all of the kittens when they were 4 weeks old and Sophie chose Toffy.  All of the others were either black or black and white.  Toffy looks like his Mum.  We did not tell Sophie what we were doing to start with.  We made up a story that we were going to look at some chickens, which we did but then we moved over to a chicken house and lifted the lid to show her the kittens.  Well the look on her face was a picture.  I had never seen kittens that small before and the Mum being a stray decided that the chicken hut was going to be their home.  The picture abouve shows Sophie holding little Toffy and it was at this point we asked her which one she liked and she said this one.

The question "would you like him/her to be your kitten wnet straight over her head.  So once she understood she did not change her mind.  It was Toffy all the way.

How did he get his name?

Well,  when we brought him home he had Toffy coloured ears..............not any more,but there you go!  The spelling is the result of  a 7 year old writing  down the way it sounds....but I like it.

We then brought him home at the beginning of July.  You can see that post HERE.

He was soooo small when he arrived.

Today Toffy is 3 years old!

He is a very well loved cat and he does belong to Sophie.  She loves Toffy and her new found crafting skills have been put to the test.  

The latest is for his birthday, his own mat.  He is moulting at the moment so we have been encouraging him to use this.  It is all  her own work which she designed and put together in 4 hours when she had to come into school with me during the Easter holidays.

Sophie was given some iron on badges at Christmas and she ironed these on as well.

She is loving the fact that she can have an idea and put it into reality.

She has already started her next project but more on that another time.

So Happy Birthday Toffy!!

xx

Well Done Hubby!!!

My Hubby and I have known each other for over 20 years (good grief where has the time gone!) and been married for 15 of those years.  So we have experienced a range of things in that time.  One landmark was coming back from our honeymoon to find out that Hubby had been made redundant!!  He was obviously upset, not an ideal way begin married life and was worried about me.  So I surprised him when I said that it was not his fault and that we had my job, etc etc, something new would turn up.  He was very pro-active in finding a new job and did lots around the house and garden, then 5 weeks later he was very lucky to have his first interview....and got it.  He worked there for nearly 10 years then the owners decided to sell up and retire.  Sadly the business was not sold as a going concern so again he found himself out of work.  This time I asked him what he wanted to do and he wanted to try something else, a new approach so being self-employed in his field of knowledge was born.  Over the next 5 or so years he did commissions, technical work etc and then applied to be  asurveyor and was taken on in a casual capacity.   

It all got a bit tricky when two people left and were not replaced then the work load suddenly increased which meant more driving, paperwork etc.  Not a bad thing but being on a temporary contract is very uncertain.  This has been the situation for the past 2-3 years.  The possibility of a permanent contract has meant the he has had to sever ties with his self employed work, any design work/consultancy/involvement in a company and basically burn of all the bridges built up to avoid a conflict of interest.  Then not knowing what would happen.  

Well.....................today he has had it confirmed that he is now a full time permanent employee!!!!

The worry of wondering if he had shot himself in the foot and would be left with nothing has now gone.  He did take a huge gamble by burning bridges before he got the job but he needed to have a clean break.  It all sounds mysterious, it is not but as a surveyor you are not  allowed to have a situation that could be seen as a conflict of interest.

The current job climate is of great worry and uncertainty for many all over the world and to see the look of relief and delight on my hubby's face just made my day/week/month/year!!!!!

He has gone out to run the Radio Control Car Club that he runs on a Friday, so we may celebrate tomorrow.  A good start to our weekend and I wish a good weekend to all my readers and visitors.

Tomorrow I am off to spend a day with my evening class tutor and fellow group members to work on our exam prep for the day.  Sophie has a tap exam on Sunday so it is all go this weekend.

Take care all

xx