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Stitchbook challenge, carving stamps and little embroideries. Oh, and tulips. Lots of tulips.

 


Apologies for not posting anything for a while.  I get side-tracked.  Or lazy.  Probably a combination of them both.  It's been a lovely spring here in my part of West Yorkshire, and my tulips have bloomed like crazy. 
I like the idea of having a restrained colour scheme in a garden, but in reality I got for the every-colour-under-the-sun approach.  
Some of the flowers are almost ready to drop their petals.  They've got that blowsy, nearly-but-not-quite-yet look to them.  Other flowers are still getting ready to open out as they're in shadier positions in the garden.  But they're all beautiful and very welcome splashes of vivid colour.  
On to other things ... 
I finished reading this today, and it's a terrific spooky read.  Very enjoyable, and I could easily see it being adapted for TV or film.  Next up, I've got another of S.J. Parris' books, 'Sacrilege'.  It's set in 1584, and features the author's regular character Giordano Bruno.  He's a 'heretic-turned spy' and is being stalked by Sophia Underhill.  It seems she's been accused of murder and is on the run.  'With the leave of Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster, Bruno travels to Canterbury to clear Sophia's name... As he hunts for the real killer through Canterbury's ancient streets, it seems all roads lead to the Cathedral.  There, in the shadow of England's holiest shrine, Bruno will approach the heart of a sinister and powerful conspiracy'.  Sounds like it should be good.  
The stitchbook challenge hosted by Ann Wood is getting nearer the end.  I've completed this page, and am halfway through this gingham one.  
I really love the effect you get from stitching on an old fabric tape measure.  I think if I do this challenge again I'll try and stick to a theme.  Flowers or landscape maybe?  
I've been sewing other little bits and pieces too.  I'd set myself a goal of learning basic embroidery last year, and was aiming to move on to needlefelting this year.  But I've stuck with embroidery, and enjoy it so much.  
This stylized poppy is being sewn into a fabric book I've made, along with random pieces of slow stitching.  
I also found in a drawer a square of softcut lino block, so had a go at carving a couple of printing stamps.  There really is nothing like trying out something to realise how tricky it is, and how only practise will make perfect.  
The wolf (yes, it's meant to be a wolf!) was done in a lino cutting taster session, and is just in the photo for colour/interest.  The two stamps I tried carving on Sunday are to the right of that print.  They were a cat and an abstract circular kind of shape.  They're quite clumsy, but I'll order more of the lino block and keep trying to get better.  
Okay, that's all for the time being.  My stomach's rumbling, it's lunchtime, then I'm heading outside to make the most of the sunshine as we're promised rain later in the week.  Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.  

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