The day Doreen and I went to Bredbo to take pictures (see my earlier blog a couple of months back) we took lots of them (of course). Here are two more.

More necklaces

I have been busy making beaded necklaces for the last few weeks. These are just three of them. I have managed to sell a few and, given a few away to family (my daughter and grandaughter). I am planning to enter some in this year's annual exhibition of my local Embroiderer's Guild. I love getting the beads together choosing which beads go to make necklaces that are so different from each others even though the technique remains the same. It is very interesting to see how a change of bead size, shape and colour can make an original necklace.

Mythical Creatures

This little creature is one I drew for the drawing class I am attending. We were asked to draw a mythical creature and I decided I would do an underwater creature. After drawing we were asked to colour it. I used my Koh I Nor watercolours. I love these paints as their colours are so beautiful and the clarity of the colour is outstanding. I really enjoyed this activity and can see how they might be used in my textile work.

Beading

In addition to my felting and dyeing I have had a blitz on making beaded necklaces. So far I have made six. These photos show two of them. I will add the others to the blog shortly.

Dyeing and Felting

I am participating in the Creative Challenge for the Canberra Embroiderer's Guild annual exhibition later this year. The brief for the challenge is to use running stitch on a piece of fabric no large than fat quarter size to make a three dimension item. I have dyed two pieces of silk georgette, one of which I then felted (see Picture One). I based the colour scheme on the Australian King Parrot which has distinctive colouring of almost irridescent green head and wings and a bright scarlet body. I now have to do the stitching and turn it into something - I think I will make a bag. I still have to decide what I will do with the second piece of fabric which is not yet felted. Maybe I could make a nice scarf to go with the bag.

Creative Sketchbooks

Part of my most recent work for this course was to draw several sketches from a plant source. This is my work. (pictures 1 and 2 show my sketches) and picture 3 is an image of the original eucalyptus leaves and nuts. This course is really interesting and challenging but doesn't make you feel that you cannot do it. I know my drawing has to improve but nonetheless I feel this was a reasonable attempt for a learner.

Preserving

My husband Alf is a keen vegetable grower and here is his latest lot of tomatoes, capsicums and zucchini - turned into a sauce and preserved for winter. Don't they look good - it makes you want winter to arrive quickly - which in Australia it is not far away.