Easter Blossoms....like snow on the ground....

My friend Bernie called last evening and she hadn't been up our avenue when the cherry blossoms were blowing around in the light breeze, almost like snow....and the covering of pink all over the ground never fails to be something beautiful....just thought I'd let you see her photo, one of many which she took as she left me.

Easter Blessings

May I wish you Every Blessing this Eastertime.
Today, Good Friday we remember His suffering but on Easter Sunday morning we will rejoice that He has risen that we may live with him forever.

My piece of calligraphy today was written probably 25 years ago....apparently it was written by someone in prison who was supposed to be demented but surely these words, along with the other verses of this hymn, could only be written by someone who was certainly in their right mind.

Best wishes to one and all whatever your plans are for this holiday.

An Easter Ring

Just a very short post here to show you this Easter ring made by, and held by my friend Ailsa who is just ace at this kind of creation....the detail is incredible. Again my close up photos were hopeless but I can assure you it is a lovely item...she used this when she spoke to a group of Seniors recently. It alll starts with a plastic hoop which is covered in greenery and then all the other little embellishments are adhered to the greenery.

No cards but yet more calligraphy...

Here is a piece of calligraphy I did for a Women's Institute competition some years ago...we had to use an old style of writing alongside a contemporary style...mine was Rustic and Italic.....it was worked on very heavy watercolour paper - I sponged and splattered the background (splattering with a toothbrush) to make it look sort of old. Worked the Rustic up one side and the Italic as normal. Although there is not much writing - and the big empty space is important to highlight the text - it did take a while to complete...think I did this was the 3rd attempt...the first two did not even get near the look I wanted. I did well in the competition - saying no more than that...it was a challenge and I enjoyed it all.
(Sorry one of the photos is too far away but I know not how to get rid of it from this post!!)

Freestyle Embroidery

Many years ago a wonderful needlewoman had a series on the BBC about Embroidery...not as our older relatives had worked it by transferring a 'pattern' unto fabric and stitching a numerous variety of stitches to make a picture...they made runners for tables, cushion (pillow) covers, tray cloths and much more beavering away with their threads and needle. I still have some of my Aunt's work.
The embroidery displayed here is so different yet calls on long forgotten skills to create it. It is supposed to look like a border in a garden...at the bottom there are hosta leaves edged with chenille yarn which are made of velvet and then long- stitched over to keep them in place. then there are French knots to symbolise Michaelmas daisies...then taller stems to look like long grasses. I just started with the hostas and stitched as I felt was sort of right...no planning other than casing an embroidery Jan showed on the programme. Again there is no glass covering it and some of you will be horrified...and yes, this is now beginning to look a bit sad but I think I could spruce it up if time permitted. There are no rules nowadays - if you want to enjoy freedom try something like this!

A little more calligraphy.....

Some years ago I created this piece of calligraphy to record our granchildren's names and dates of birth. I will be totally honest and say that I have used a layout previously written by Lorna Bambury, sadly now passed on. Lorna had written her grandchildren's names like this only much better than I did of course. I thought it was such a great idea I wanted to do one too. My gilding is nothing like hers but I didn't want to post it without giving her the credit. She was wonderful at gilding....I once had the honour of sitting beside her when CLAS had a regional day in Dublin....there was also an exhibition of calligraphy and I came away from that totally 'drunk' with letters, colour and layouts...augh, it was just wonderful to be among like-minded folk. A once in a lifetime experience for me.
I regret that the photo is not so good - out of focus but as you know I'm challenged in that department!

Now for something completely different!

I thought I would show you a few things which hang on the walls hereabouts.
This is something which hangs in our hall. It is some Moygashel linen (factory now closed) stretched with another piece of squared fabric superimposed on top and then over some of the squares I've adhered a square decorated with this and that...the top panel is more fabric and I've adhered terracotta 'maple leaves' which used to be a mobile. Alternate leaves have been dipped in UTEE to add more interest. It is 'framed' in a Habitat frame with no glass. I like things to be touchy feely and it gets the hoover run over it occasionally. It is years old and looks good even without glass to protect it.

Prayer Changes Things

A friend has asked me to do some writing for her. She is using a poster from Open Doors (www.opendoorsuk.org) alongside these two thoughts and a few more headings to highlight our need to remember those Christians across the world who are being persecuted day and daily. Now folks these are written very quickly with little planning beforehand so go easy on me! Some may be interested in knowing that they've been written with a Pilot pen...with no ink in the barrel at all but using the wonderful nibs in these pens with gouache and just dipping the nib into the 'ink'. I find they make for quick writing and fairly good results when time is of the essence.