Two Angels - angels & petals AND crafty angel

It's been a while

Yes indeed it has been some time since Ive blogged. Part laziness and part computer problems I'm afraid, but I'm back now.

Time to catch up then.
Well, we've done a couple of mixed media sessions. Always a good chance to let your imagination flow and Pat had fun making this Start of Spring canvas.

Hoop sessions have continued to prove very popular. Pictured is one of our April hoops, in its early stages. This one was beautifully embroidered by Sue.

This weekend the May's hoop depicted a May Pole and for the first time we added people to our work.Im looking forward to seeing these finished.

I've kept the girls busy with a few of the little challenges I like to throw in the mix, including a felted bags project. If you get chance please take a look at all the gorgeous bags we made which are in the shop window just now.

We've also taken delivery of some bags in this spotty print. Yes, they are waterproof - all ready for summer!

And so we move on to future workshops, which will include ........
 a decopatch deer head to hang in pride of place on your wall.

We've started a patchwork group on alternate Sundays,

and will be making lampshades too.

Ah yes, that one is mine. I can resist a bit of fur!

Please call into the shop if you would like any further information on any of the above.

Ladies if you've finished your felted bags, please could you bring them along to K&N this week. Thank you.

Mixing it up

Once again it was time for our mixed media class. Although a small group this time, we had a lovely afternoon and made some very varied canvas. My apologies to Judi, I have lost the photo I took of your beautiful fushcia & magenta piece. Here are the others though...

As always an interesting mix of ideas using similar materials.

These were tin can flowers that Trish made at a workshop yesterday. I think they'll be needed this spring outside in the garden. About the only thing that will survive right now!
Also, just wanted to tell you that we will be open on bank holiday Monday morning. Hope you can pop in for a tea & a chat.

Willow & Words

That was the basis of our Easter Wreath workshop today. The willow wreaths were made for us by Debbie Fowler one of our K&N members.

First we stamped tissue paper with text image in a choice of colours, decopatched some polystyrene eggs with the tissue and that was the starting point for our beautiful wreaths. Take at look at how they turned out ..............

This Is Emily's very pretty purple & green wreath. Emily struggles with 'pretty' but I think we convinced her she'd done a good job!

Clare's wreath just seems to shout 'Spring is here', with it's fresh, clean colours.

Sylvia sats quietly working away, obviously knowing exactly how she wanted her bright and very pretty wreath to turn out.

Apple blossom and eggs, would be the title I'd give this one Eileen made. A lovely combination, which her sister is going to be the recipient of, lucky lady.


I'm rather fond of this combination of colours too, which Sally rather cleverly put together.

They were all really lovely and I'd happy have hung any in my house. Sadly they all took them home!

 

You may remember from our previous Hoop 3 session, that Emily was working on a birds nest design. Well, here is the finished piece...

Quite lovely I'm sure you'll agree.

Hoop 3

It is had to believe that another month has gone by, but here we are March already and time to make our 3rd hoop in the series.

This time it was all about embellishment. We had a choice of two fabrics, one depicting Spring, the other Easter, which proved to be the favourite.

Dainty embellishment and tiny French knots enhanced the first of the Easter fabrics.

A beautifully embellished Easter tree and a die cut butterfly  and rabbit were central to this design.

Sarah was the only one to choose the Spring fabric, which she encased in a wreath of pretty die cut felt flowers.

French knots enhanced the little lamb and pastel shades of beads for the blossom here.

Along with the die cuts little wooden rabbit buttons added to this design.

An arch of felt flowers and ever so tiny beads were added to Joyce's hoop.

Emily also joins our monthly hoop sessions, but has her own ideas for a series of hoops for her home.

This month she's doing a birds nest on a branch, and I've no doubt it will look beautiful when its finished.

 

Fabric sample cushions

Over the years we all hoard samples of fabric, seemingly too small to be of any real use. Well, not to us they aren't! We made some lovely cushions this afternoon, which will have pride of place on the sofa tonight.

Molly chose a bold leaf design in a beautiful blue.

Vanessa Arbuthnott fabric is always a polular choice.

These pretty birds are from her latest Scandinavian inspired range.

 

A a pretty piece of French toile, made by Eileen, depicting a lady feeding chicken. Perfect for its farmhouse destination.

Heart in a hoop

It's taken me a week to work out our new computer, so apologies ladies that I wasn't able to upload your beautiful hoops before Valentine's day.

However, here they are, our hoop 2 session hoops, on the theme of Valentine hearts.................

Emily's hoop, as yet unfinished, was divided into 6, each with its own detailed heart.

Margeret chose pearl tear drop beads to outline her heart of felt.

Sue's delicate red felt heart hoop, was one I'd like to have taken home!

Chrissie's very feminine girly heart was very Chrissie.

Eileen's addition of petals made for a very beautiful design.

Rosemary's very tasteful and pretty hoop.

Pat has since made some alterations to this heart, and it is even more stunning now.

All of the hoops were gorgeous and now we look forward to our Easter/Spring hoops in March.

Wading in

Today our workshop was another decopatch session, but this time in 3D. We tackled these Wading birds.

The hardest part is choosing the papers,

but once that decision is made its pretty plain sailing.

Jenny's bird looked great in this paper, which had a real feathery look to it.

Eileen opted for the same paper, but with a different look for the legs.

Sally's bird was definitely an exotic species and looked resplendent in red.

Pat & I made the good time girls!

As ever, an afternoon of rippin 'n sticking was bliss!

Go with the flow....

One of the best ways to spend an afternoon on a wet and windy day is to pile a whole load of paints, stamps, inks, papers, textiles etc onto a table, give everyone and blank canvas, and say go!

So, that is pretty much what we did today as we set about dabbling with mixed media.

We had no set rules, and apart from an acrylic painted base, there were no similarities in what was produced.

Pat made a jungle scene with a beastie hidden within.

Sylvia's lovely textured piece.

Trish used a bit of map we had, of her old stopping ground, for a nostalgic piece.

Em had a certain person in mind when she made this pretty canvas. Best I don't say any more!

Eileen's combination of old and new, worked really well.

All worthy of a place on the wall.