Cooler days at last

The temperature is dropping very slightly at last, and with heavy cloud most of yesterday I was able to sit on the garden swing and stitch outside comfortably for a change.  My new new-found enjoyment of hand embroidery continues with another seam treatment on the crazy quilt block.

It´s so satisfying using up fabrics and threads that have been collected over years and years in some cases, together with beads donated by my sister.  Stitching, relaxing with happy memories.  I can´t think of anything I´d rather be doing.!   Never having done much handwork before, I was finding it very awkward doing some of the stitches, but a friend in my stitching group showed me how I should be working, and it´s much easier when you know how!

This is the view that greeted me when I drove around the corner on our track on my way to the stitching group this week.  Breathtaking.  There is a huge mountain shrouded behind this early morning mist and clouds.  What inspiration for an artist, Dad would love this.



Dreaded beetle arrives in Los Gavilanes!!

I´m so upset about this I´ve had to blog twice today to show you.  Well, here it is, I´d love to think this is the only one, but I fear it won´t be.  I found it in the garden this morning, it was dead but still alarming to find. About an inch and a half long and half inch across you wouldn´t believe it could cause so much devastation across the countryside.

          

We´ve been watching palm tree after majestic palm tree succomb to this terrible plague getting ever nearer and nearer our mountainside.  There will be a very close inspection now of all the palms, but it´s going to be a losing battle I think as these large beetles eat from the middle of the palm trunk out and you don´t know they are there until the leaves all start dying and that´s too late.  It will be a sad day if it comes to that.  After almost seven years the palms are looking glorious

Long Tuesday!!

What a long day yesterday turned out to be.  No tables in the meeting hall, and I´ve had to cancel my workshop on Friday because of yet another fiesta in the village.... 12 disappointed students.  Now I´m having difficulty re-scheduling as all the Fridays are booked up for the next 5 weeks!!

Had great fun going through our Design Group assignment, my sketchbook is almost up to date now.  Just a few photos to be printed and added.  It´s amazing how much we´ve achieved in the year we have been working on the exercises.  Other VSS group members looked at the sketchbook and were very impressed!!  I´m quite proud of myself, it´s the first time I have done anything like this and followed it through from start to finish.  Only five more exercises, hope to finish by the end of the year.

                        

                     

Aren´t these autumn leaves amazing.  I spotted them a couple of weeks ago early one morning in the garden, and was fascinated by the colours and how evenly the leaflets are all marked .  Within a day they had changed again.   At the time I was looking for inspiration for a homework assignment in our design course.  Unfortunately these leaves didn´t meet the homework criteria but  I must be able to do something creative with this inspiration at another time!

Today I aim to stretch some lining paper, which should dry ultra-quick in this heat.  Then to see what I remember about watercolour washes which I learned from my wonderfully talented artist Dad and Mum during my recent UK trip!

My First Blog!

Welcome to my first ever blog!!  The aim of the blog is for family and friends to have a peak at my life here in Spain with Frank, in our lovely home which we share with two crazy rescue kitties, Mishka and Ginger .



Sunset at Los Gavilanes in August

 This is the view from our porch where we sit most evenings looking back on our day.  At the moment it´s lovely and cool after a very hot sunny day, with the sound of crickets everywhere.

I made the little card shown below earlier today for my friend Jan´s birthday.  Turquoise is one of her favourite colours.  It´s made from a "colour catcher" (used to catch colour running from dark coloured clothes in the washing machine) which I use to wipe up excess paint from my brush and paint palette when I  work on a project.  This is backed with felt and a motif has been worked on a separate piece of felt, then attached to the background.  Further embellishment finishes the little card off, using sequins and machine embroidery.


Jan´s birthday card