Juju Loves Polka Dots

A Bit Tipsy on Valentines Day

More Embroidery Inspiration

Is that Ronald McDonald in the middle of the embroidery? Who knew?

I love these guys. Especially the one with the giant cup on the right.

Just Drawing

I've spent a lot of time drawing in sketchbooks over the past year ~ collecting ideas and interepreting them in line. I know I will go back to working with colour but I'm finding the focus of working just in black and white helpful.

I've moved out of my sketchbooks onto watercolour paper with black gouache and lovely brushes. And I am recomposing some of my ink drawings in photoshop.

They are the usual cluttered chaos of most of my work. I'm okay about that. I don't know exactly where all this is leading. Sometimes this makes me nervous. But sometimes the limitation of no colour just makes me want to draw compulsively and not worry about it.

I Carry on in ceramics but I'm having a lot of kiln room disappointments at the moment. That's how it goes though.

Folk Embroidery

I spend a lot of time drawing from old embroideries in my sketchbooks.

I love the combination of embroidery, crochet and lace making on this tablecloth(?). This was part of an exhibition of traditonal handwork at L'augille on fait in Paris a couple of years ago.

If you haven't seen the amazing Muhu Island book have a look at some of the pictures from it on the Loop blog. Every page is awesome!

 

 

Some wooden friends

I love this lion. Saw him in an antique shop in Ontario last summer. Couldn't afford him but I got his picture. He had some horse friends.

More lion love. No one can afford him on ebay, but there he sits waiting.

winter blues

Dark months ahead.

Without a frock in sight.

Lions

I'm having a thing for lions at the moment. Particularly wooden ones.

Christmas colour

Now that my book is done I can relax and enjoy Christmas.

Flower vase by Jenny Mendes.

Cup O'the Month ~ July

Cup O'the Month for July came from a shop in the distillery district of Toronto, called distill gallery.

He's made by Jama Burford (I hope that's right). I'm on holdiay in my cabin in the woods now and I have my coffee in this chap every morning. Heaven!

Cup O'the Month ~ June

Cup O'the Month for June was made by Daphne Carnegy. Daphne has a new book about tin glazed earthenware Maiolica out now and she will be my tutor next year. I'm delighted with my lemon mug and glad to say that it and all my precious cup collection survived the flood, although not much else in my kitchen did. They were in a special place, being special, loved and lucky.