As the weather has now begun to warm up it’s time to plant up the potatoes and get the garden going. We may still have a chilly night but I started a lot of seeds in my poly tunnel and they are already peeping through the soil.

My garden is very important to me as I get a lot of inspiration from it for my art and craft creations. I can look down to the sea from my garden and hear the breaking waves in a storm. So many insects use my garden and we have lots of hens and ducks enjoying it too.
I love to fill the garden around my art studio with things I make and paintings also. I love to enjoy what I create and they fill me with joy and peace. I love filling hangings baskets with flowers and pots with plants to place around my garden art studio. I also have a small pottery shed were I make little items for my garden and home.

I love my little seat outside my studio were I can sit and admire the
view. The clay face in the above picture is of a Green Lady I have made for my garden, I am waiting on her to dry and then bisque fire ready for decorating. 

it is an exciting time planning my garden but also my mind is filled with new ideas for art and crafts, lots of new embroidery designs and sculptures I want to create in my garden.
So it’s time to get up, get out and welcome spring.

Well I feel as today is St Patricks Day I should share my green dragon with you all. I have been stitching home for a long long time. 
His body was created from paper mache  and then cover in felt on to which I had stitched threads waste and spool ends. These were over stitched with lots of gold threads and beads. His eyes are glass dolls eyes and he has double wings. I created the wings from wire, find nylon and hot glue with lots of glitter added for fun.

I enjoyed embellishing my dragon which I still have to name. I love making little creatures who are fun and people in general seem to enjoy them. I am always planning bigger and stranger creatures so you never know what this summer may bring.
Happy St. Patrick’s day to you all ?☘️?

Canvas Module.
A few weeks back I began my canvas module with the RSN online. I choose to recreate , well try to , Lady Lavery who was on the Irish bank notes. I have always liked the image as it reminds me of my childhood and once been given a five pound note with her image on it.
Once I was all set up  I was excited to get sewing as in this piece I could use wool, embroidery threads and even add embellishments.
I did a number of drawings and eventually created a simple version of the image and set to work on it.
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Canvas work has a vast range of stitches , some with multiple names. They can look complicated in diagrams but my tutor Heather Lewis is very good at breaking it down and guiding us through it. 
it is important to try some samples of stitches, well actually lots of samples as you need to ensure you count the correct number of threads to stitch over. I all too often have got it wrong and had to rip back to correct my mistakes.
Canvas work takes time and a lot of counting. You also spend a lot of time setting up seven or eight or more needles with eight to twelve blended strands. And then do not forget to take notes for your own reference and for filling in your assessment at the end of the module.

My piece is slowly coming together and I feel I am making progress. I am preparing my mount card but feel a little nervous about stitching the canvas on as it is not very easy to fold. This will be one area  I feel I will need guidance from my tutor with.
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Through a WhatsApp group , our online class chat and share photos with our tutor and each other. Photos allow you to zoom in and see those mistakes that the naked eye misses. I have gotten to know to other ladies in my group and it’s nice to be able to chat and help each other.
So I shall carry on stitching and keep you all posted.
Chat soon.