And it is still snowing!!!

Even though I have tackled the huge pile of ironing, helped Kezzy sort out her pig sty, sorry, bedroom, made Rocky Road and a Bread pudding, I managed to finish stitching this panel.  It will be several days of cutting out now before I can start embellishing.
Nickie and I are supposed to be going to our FET meeting on Saturday, but if the weather is still bad which according to the weather forecast, seems likely, I don't think we will going.

It's a white out!

 Woke up to several inches of snow this morning, and now at 1300 GMT it is still has not stopped snowing.  School is closed for the day!:0)

 As the roads are so slippery, I was going to walk to work, which would have taken over an hour, so, instead I shall sort out my newly acquired beads.  I phoned my friend and said that I wanted to buy them off her-she was not surprised, she knows me too well.

Beads and bits.

When I met my friend on Sunday to go shopping for a Wedding present, she gave me this big box of beading bits she no longer wants, asking me to sell it for her.  I have had a look through and there are some wonderful beads- I might just have to buy it myself!

My friends Wedding was held at Gosfield Hall, I had never heard of it or been there before.  What a stunning venue! 

This was one of the four Christmas trees around the ground floor.

We found this huge log fire to sit around and catch up on everyone's news, as the live band were so loud we couldn't hear each other.

This is the painting that was on the ceiling, it was so high that I had a job to get a decent image of it.  After our natter we danced the night away to the live music- they played some great music that we could jive too.

I just had to take a photo of Tim in his kilt,(in the Library)  I have known him since he was a baby, often babysitting him.  He did a great job making sure everything went smoothly for his Mum.

Ready.....

To start stitching my flower panel.  I have spent the evening layering up the fabric and tacking it all together.  I hope to get some stitching done tomorrow before going to a wedding. 

Young Embroiderers'.

 Whether it was the weather or Christmas shopping, we didn't get as many girls as usual  to our meeting.  When they see what the girls made today, I think they will regret not being there.  Libby had designed Christmas trees for them to make. 

They were covered  in lace and as much bling as they wanted.  Libby also demonstrated how to make a beaded fringe.

 One tree is missing from the photo's, as  one young lady had to leave early.

The girls made some lovely trees and their parents were delighted with them too!

On a cold and frosty morning........

 I had to leave home before the freezing fog lifted to go to Young Embroiderers'.  As I could see such lovely frost patterns in the hedgerows  on the country lanes to Chelmsford, I decided to stop at Galleywood Common to take some photos.

Stitch free zone:0(

I've not been in very long, it has been Speech Night tonight at school- a celebration of some of the children's achievements from the 3 year olds to those who have now gone on to further education.
Our new Range should have arrived today, but it must have got snowbound as it was coming from Yorkshire.  Our old cooker was disconnected last night, so it had to be a toast and microwave meal tonight.
Tomorrow it is Y.E., the girls are making something for Christmas.
We were supposed to be going out for a Chinese meal tomorrow night but that has been postponed until next weekend- it means I will get some creative time:0)

Yesterday's........

Post bought a lovely A.T.C. that I won in Artymess's Giveaway.  Thank you Lorna!!!:0)

Vessel.

I have been to the hospital for a test today and it meant I couldn't drive at all.  I was therefore at work very early today, and managed to complete constructing my vessel.  I quite like them smaller.  I think I might make some more this size.
Tomorrow night I have a Regional Day committee meeting at June's, she always has lovely biscuits for us to eat.:0)

My hand stitching this week.

This is the vessel I started constructing at my Craft Arena demonstration day.  Just the right size to take to work to finish stitching in my tea break.  This vessel is seven and a half inches high.
Last night, I traced off my flower pattern onto water soluble fabric in readiness for making the next flower panel.

At last.........

We have had the phone call to say that our new cooker will be delivered on Friday!!!!

The kitchen continues.

Alan managed to gloss paint the skirting's, door and window today. I hate the smell and how long it takes to dry, but I do love the sparkling white wood.  As the painting took sooooo much longer to do than anticipated we were very late eating our evening meal. I also managed to make a bread pudding,  keeps hubby happy too!  My daughter and son in law came round this afternoon with my grandsons for a couple of hours.;0)  I am lucky that they only live a couple of miles away.So, although I have done some stitching, it is nothing worth showing.
We are still waiting for our cooker to be delivered. We cant start the tiling until it arrives.  The question I keep asking myself is, will the kitchen be finished by Christmas?

Demo Day

I had a lovely day at Craft Arena.  To be able to sit, stitch  and talk textiles-sheer bliss!! I almost constructed a vessel as well.

I shall be doing another demonstration day early next year.
Now it is back to my wall hanging for the A.V.G. exhibition in February and the dreaded kitchen decorating.

By the skin of my teeth!

Completed the final sample, packed the last few bits and I am all ready for tomorrow-fingers crossed.  It has been such a hectic week that I haven't had as much playtime as usual.
Things look busy next week as well- doctors, hospital, committee meeting, possibly another meeting( trying to get some help for a young friend),  and Speech night!

1 more to go.

My free time this week has been very thin on the ground.  due to my family.  What little free time I have had, has been spent getting everything ready for tomorrows demo day at Craft Arena.  I have just one more batch of samples to finish and then I can pack the last bag.

Production line.

Tuesday night already!!, and I am trying to get all my samples finished, ready for my day at Craft Arena on Saturday.  Luckily it should have been a committee meeting tomorrow night, but that has been moved to next week which will give me a bit more preparation time.

If you get the chance......

To hear a talk by Lee Ault, you will be in for a treat.  She came tonight to our Embroiderers' Guild to give a talk called 'Rights of Passage'.  She is very entertaining and informative.  The clothes she bought with her tonight were for babies, weddings and mourning.  When I asked her how she had acquired such a fantastic collection, I was told it was family heirlooms.  I did take a picture of Lee with a wonderful wedding bonnet, but unfortunately, I had dropped my camera minutes before hand and it hasn't stored the photo.  Need to talk nicely to my son:0)

Yesterday, the we managed to get the walls painted in the remaining half of the kitchen.  I decided that I would try painting this tile to go in with the next colour scheme.  It had been terracotta originally,(sorry, forgot to take a photo prior to painting it) but needed to fit in with the metal/ black colour scheme that I will eventually have.  I used Paynes Grey and Silver to achieve this effect.  I am happy with how it turned out and even my son liked it!
We have our E.G. meeting tonight.  The speaker is Lee Ault. 

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Butteflies have made their way to Trudi now.  Check here to see the butterflies that arrived in this weeks post.

A very long day.

Yesterday it was off to Cottenham for our F.E.T. meeting. Nickie and I had to take all our work along that we would like to be considered for the AVG exhibition in March.  It took some very careful packing to get it all in my little car.  All work selected  yesterday, has to go back again in January for the final selection.  I was given the go ahead to get on with my flower panel, a lot of work to do before January to get it finished on time.
When I got home from Cottenham, it was off to the Range and Ikea at lakeside with Hubby, looking for additional items for our kitchen.  Ended up with just a few beads and some buttons from the Range.  We took the very 'scenic' route home, over the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and then straight back through the tunnel, as Alan had taken the wrong road out of Lakeside.

.

We didn't get home until 10p.m so it was a very quick evening meal and off to pick Kezzy up from her boyfriends.  When I got there it was to find that he was not well, (he had been suffering since Thursday with stomach pains and seen a paramedic Friday night.  He was told to go to hospital if it was worse on Saturday)  Anyway, to cut a long story short, I ended up taking him to A&E.  We arrived at Midnight and got home this morning at 5.30!!!    Luckily it was not his  appendix, but 'mystry-something-itus' or that is what it sounded like when the doctor told us.  So I am feeling just a bit jet-lagged today, hopefully a few cups of coffee will soon put me back in the right time zone!

Onto the next one.

I have managed to find a little time for stitching tonight, so I have started to embellish another vessel ready for next Saturday's demo.
Tomorrow, Nickie and I are off to Cottenham for our F.E.T meeting. Hopefully I will get the go ahead to carry on working on my flowers.

And still it goes on.

The kitchen is making very slow progress.  Hubby has sanded the walls and I have got dust everywhere. Half of the kitchen has been painted and the remaining half will be done this weekend.  I am not very good at living in a mess, I am not house proud, just like order.
Nothing to show creative wise as tonight it was EG committee meeting and I have just finished typing up the minutes.  Hope to do something creative tomorrow.

Finished.

Finished stitching the last two sides on my pro to-type.

 I have used the piece of Carn pottery I bought in August from St.Ives for my inspiration.  I love the way that it has a rectangle base,

but a diamond top.  I wont be embellishing the edge of this vessel as I would normally do, as it only a sample.  Now to start on the real thing.
I had an appointment for my flu jab today, but they wouldn't let me have it as I am still coughing and wheezing, got to go back in two weeks time.

Spider repellent.

One of Kezzy's friends who came round yesterday, was admiring the  bowl of Indian Horse Chestnuts.  He told me that 'Conkers' in the room keep,spiders away.  Diane might not get all of those nuts, as I have a phantom spider who keeps spinning tiny little webs on my light. 

                                       

In between being go-for and and assistant to Hubby's DIY yesterday, I managed to do a bit more to my sample vessel.  Two more seams left to sew, all being well, I can then make the 'real' one.

Two down, two to go.

We had a good morning at Writtle, we have managed  to get a lot sorted out.  It was lovely to see the blue sky after the grey skies yesterday, couldn't resist a picture of the sky through this tree.  I thought it was a walnut tree, but on looking up the name when I got home, found out it is called Indian Horse Chestnut.

 I collected some of the nuts for Diane  to draw or paint for her project.

I have manged to stitch two sides to my sample vessel, not sure when I will get the other two on.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

 Here is the vessel with a second coat of paint, as you can see the colour is building up.

When that coat was dry, a third colour was worked into the surface.   As I was babysitting last night, that is as far as I got, apart from colouring some Evalon and Lutrador for the linings of the two vessel's.  Zach is frightened by fireworks, and he woke up at ten by an exceedingly loud explosion.  It meant that I got a lot of cuddles:0)

Today I am off with Nickie to Writtle College to have another viewing of the facilities to help us with planning Regional Day in July.   I have also got to go out with Hubby to choose new lights for the kitchen:0(

Tomorrow sees the start of decorating the kitchen as the new cooker should be coming next week.  I don't think I am going to be getting much sewing done this weekend.

Just got time to put the final layer of paint on my vessel before Nickie picks me up.

Grey day!

What better way to cheer up a grey wet Friday, than to join in Silverpebbles 'Splash of Colour'.  I have

 All these photos were taken when I went to Barleylands this afternoon. 
This an Iris or Lilly seed pod that has recently burst open.

 Beautiful red Autumn leaves.

As well as being wet, it was also windy, the leaves on the Rheus   tree looked like colourful ribbons blowing in the wind.

Last of all, the Cottoniaster berries.

Today.

As Kezzy was well enough to go back to school today, I decided that I would go to the new Hobbycraft that has opened in Chelmsford.  It is bigger than the Basildon Branch, so I was able to find some lovely embellishments to stash away for a rainy day.   

I have continued working on my vessels.  Here the pieces have all been painted with emulsion to seal the vilene.

The small vessel pieces were then painted in turquoise.

 When that coat was dry, I then applied a coat of silver paint.

This vessel has had Goldens Nickel Azo Gold painted on it.

I bought some glass slides several years ago and only recently found the frames to mount them in.  While waiting for the paint to dry, I had a play.  The butterfly embellishment is from a pair of earrings I bought from Primark- not to wear but to re-purpose. (coloured with alcohol ink)  They cost £2 and had 18 butterflies on them, so plenty more for other projects!