Embroidery

Another new embroidery. I'm enjoying using black outlines and colour patterns. Quite a lot of my older embroideries could end up being a little dark so it's nice to be using some colour for a change!

This came from one of sketchbook drawings...

Embroidery

I've just completed another embroidery this morning. This one was taken from the original sketchbook drawing (see below) but i added a light pattern in the background just to give it a bit more depth. The outline uses uses two strands of embroidery thread and the details within each patterned section uses only one strand. 

Daily Drawing: Life Drawing

So I went to Life Drawing for the first time in ages! I don't normally go to a tutored class because I like to do my own thing and also we have some great classes in Glasgow that provide models but not tuition. I tend to go to All The Young Nudes at the Flying Duck. Its £5 and there's a choice of three models plus there's a bar so i'm happy!

Here's a peek at a couple of sketches. I tend to go for heavily patterned and/or simple continuous line...

Monday Musings: Amelie's Party

I can't believe it but my little girl is now 2! We organised a party for her at the weekend and of course I decided to make everything for it despite only having Friday night to do it all! The cupcakes were easy as i've made them a few times before but the challenge was making Amelie a strawberry birthday cake with animals on it. I bought the animals from a toy shop and used a few bits n pieces from a dolls house as well.

Glad it's another year before the next one!

Monday Musings: Cat Film Festival

Image credit: 'Milo wanted attention by Jahzyoga', Cat Festival, Walker Arts Center.

So the Cat Film Festival is coming to Glasgow. The Gallery of Modern Art will be showing some classic feline films and doing related activities. This is all part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2015 and I for one think it's great. Don't be mistaken, I am not a cat lover by any means, I just like it when festivals become a bit more accessible and less serious! 

Daily Drawings

A new sketchbook character...

Embroidery: Cabin in the Woods

I completed a quick embroidery over the past couple of nights. The window on the cabin is a bit wonky but it was all stitched free-hand so maybe next time i'll map out the basic image first!

Daily Drawing

A text drawing from my sketchbook. 

Monday Musings: Pantone 2015

The decision has been made, the colour of  2015 is ... Marsala! I actually enjoy the fact that the internet is going wild over a colour. According to Pantone "Marsala is a subtly seductive shade, one that draws us in to its embracing warmth". So here's to the colour we'll be wearing all year.

Embroidery: The Washing Line

Here is a new embroidery I completed about a week ago and completely forgot to post it! The design started as an illustration in my sketchbook ....

The clouds are completed in back stitch, the posts and the houses are satin stitch and the background pattern is lots of French knots. 

It took me around 5/6 hours to complete over a couple of nights, 
I'm cracking on with another couple at the moment so i'll hopefully have a few more to share very soon. Watch this space...

Monday Musings: PJ Harvey on display!

PJ Harvey is pretty much one of my favourite artists. I love how her style has evolved over time and was so excited to hear about a new project for her upcoming ninth album. Harvey will take part in a live installation at Somerset House in London where members of the public (for a fee) can view the recording of the album through one way glass. It will be interesting to see how the project is received when it goes live on 16th January but it should be interesting for all involved, artists and spectators.

Daily Drawings

A quick sketch for a new embroidery

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe another year has come and gone. I'm sitting here slightly gutted that I can't prolong all my festive decorations for much longer without looking like a lunatic!

All of my friends have been discussing resolutions for this year, albeit pretty easy ones like "Lets get into wine more this year.." or  " Let's eat out more often..." so nothing that's too different from what we already do. 

I feel if I write down some of my goals for this year here on the blog it means i have to at least make more of an effort to do it. 

1. The first thing I will admit is that it's hard to keep going with the blog and all related crafty things when i'm working full time as a manager in a museum and also running after my two year old daughter. In some ways the blog has been a really good guide for me to notice how quickly time is flying by. I sometimes feel as if I posted something yesterday only to look and see it was a week ago! I promise to post more frequently.

2. My aim is to complete a full scale embroidery project that involves all of the stories and characters that have been floating about in my head/sketchbook for a long time. Sometimes my work ends up being quite bitty and makes it difficult to brig together as a body of work. 

3. Do more regular DIY posts for the blog that are really useful for us as a family as well as being easy on the eye. I'm trying to be better at making sure everything we have is functional as well as beautiful. 

4. Bring a bit more of my life into the blog. I'm probably the opposite of some friends who display all aspects of their life online through blogs and social media. I think i have always been slightly wary of doing it, even to the point that there are zero photographs of me with my work. This initially started because i wanted to keep a clear definition of my day job and my play job but it ended up getting a bit ridiculous because people who I converse with online don;t ever recognise me at events!

Okay so that's me, what is everyone else doing?

Books I've Read: Gone Girl

A couple of months ago some of my friends were going to see Gone Girl at the cinema. For one reason or another I didn't make it and i'm actually glad I didn't. To be honest I didn't seek out the best seller book, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, I noticed it was on offer and decided to give it a try. The novel can be described as a crime thriller in it's basic form and follows the story of husband and wife who are in the middle of a media frenzy due to the wife's unexplained disappearance. 

The Plot

Without giving too much away, the novel is a crime thriller and follows Nick Dunne's life in the midst of his wife, Amy, going missing on their anniversary. As with most crime dramas the automatic assumption is that the husband is responsible. As the story cleverly unfolds with twists and turns we begin to delve into the lives and personalities of both Nick and Amy Dunne which becomes more interesting than the 'who dunnit' story which Flynn initially introduces. 

What did I Think? 

I didn't expect to like this book but I actually ended up really engrossed. The crime story fades into the background and I ended up much more hooked on the character's thoughts and feelings on their lives and current situation. This is expertly completed through Flynn's use of diary entries for both characters so allows us to know more than we would if it had been told from a narrator's perspective. At some points I went from being sympathetic to completely shocked and apalled by both characters actions.

Is it Worth a Read?  

Absolutely, it's a page turner. Don't expect it to change your life but it's definitely a good one for the commute to work.