Hello...

I don't know where the time goes, it's an age since i last posted with all sorts of plans, which have been on my mind, but as usual life happened in between which couldn't be helped.

The workshops have finished here at Indigo Moon and we've been developing the Indigo Moon shop at full pelt, including extending some of the show room to the workshop area.  It's been a hard slog with huge amounts of work involved, but we're almost there now.

Gav has his workshop for restoration in the shop area and i have my own studio again, it allows us both to get on with what we enjoy.  It also means that Gav will be spending most of his time in the shop leaving me free to get on with the creative side of things.  More news on that soon.

I'm having a huge sale of 'older' work, unfortunately,  i haven't got around to putting it all in my Etsy shop as it was selling well here at Indigo Moon.  However there are still some pieces left which i'll photograph and create a separate page on here, if anyone's interested let me know and i'll check if it's still available.

In the meantime, in amongst all the chaos and mayhem i've managed to organise my studio and get on with some new paintings.

These are very small pieces and will be for sale unframed and unmounted.  I'd like to put together a series of small affordable art work.  It's been hugely cathartic getting back to painting, i've been experimenting with mixing acrylics, gouache and watercolour and playing about with collage.

I love working the backgrounds on these pieces, it's a technique well within my comfort zone...pushing the heavy rich paints around a substrate with anything other than a paintbrush, creating texture and a sense of space.  When i look at the background, i feel there is a vagueness, maybe silhouettes of people hovering nearby!

Some other new paintings i've been working on:

I wanted to experiment with bold lines and colours, i'm a great fan of brut/outsider art, and any sort of graffiti brings joy.  It's very hard to replicate, you have to have a command of 'unbridled' thinking (an oxymoron i know).  I just can't seem to let go enough, i get so far and then i have to 'tidy' things up, however it works in a 'sort of' way.  

I've also done huge amounts of work on my 'Boro' stitching and have now finished four scarves, "Part of your Story" 
but more on that soon.

XOXO

Hello December

Winnie the Pooh and the blustery day

I love this weather, as long as it's not too cold.  Either sitting inside drinking hot chocolate and stitching/reading or being out walking and crunching through the fallen leaves or them swirling around your feet and your hair being blown in all directions....lovely!

To be honest it's been all go here these last few weeks, mainly getting our Indigo Moon Shop stocked up and prepared for Christmas.  There's always those last minute worries about whether we have enough stock or if we have the right things, we always find it difficult...however, it always turns out to be ok and so far this year there's no exception.  The shop has changed drastically over the last year and it's definitely for the better.

As you know, i've been concentrating on Japanese 'Boro' style stitching projects, something that i'm really enjoying at the moment.  I've made two 'experimental' scarves:

This one was made from an old linen tablecloth, it was quite thick and heavy.  It works as a scarf but i knew i definitely needed something lighter and more luxurious.  The blue was a bit too bright for me too...

I set about picking out vintage fabric patches to sew onto it and having already used reds on the other one i decided to stick to different shades of blue.  I love this aspect of design, my workroom became a mass of colour (not to mention the mess!).  

 The other one was also a fairly heavy duty linen too, lighter in colour and easier to work with regarding the 'Boro-ing' as any combination of colours would have worked.

It was still a tad too heavy for my liking though so i bit the bullet and ordered some gorgeous 'washed' linens from 'Merchant and Mills'

The colours are amazing and here's the beginnings of a scarf i started making yesterday:

I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

I'm stitching away here in the shop today, although not getting much done as it's rather busy (not complaining though), but i can carry this around with me to stitch wherever and whenever i get the chance

XOXO

Boro Scarf

In my last post i mentioned 'rainy day reading', well there's been plenty of that over the last week or so.  It's been very lovely as my living space here at the armoury is at the top and we have roof windows...there's something so nice about sitting curled up with a book and a hot chocolate listening to the pattering of rain on the windows.

There's also a lot of stitching going on and some ideas and preparations for new things happenings here at Indigo Moon.  More on that soon.

The beginnings of a new 'Boro' scarf, this was at the stage where i was trying out colours/designs.  I wasn't entirely happy with the stitching colours and wished that i'd stuck to just plain white, but once it was done it was too much work to undo.

Inthe end i went for reds, browns and some stripes and it worked for me.  The linen i used is too heavy for a scarf so i'm experimenting with different types.

Overall, i'm happy with it.  It's completely hand sewn in the 'boro' style and very wearable, despite the thicker linen.

More soon

XOXO

Behind the counter...

Last week it was necessary for me to spend the week in the shop as gav was required to do, what i refer to as, the 'man jobs', i,e, putting up lights/blinds/fixing things to walls etc and to sort out the many 'man boxes'. emptied from the many 'man cupboards/drawers' he cleared (into boxes) when we moved our living space!

The CD sortage was the worse, in fact it was the only thing he managed to get done through the week as it was so vast. A result of sorts was achieved as i now have light in my bathroom as hundreds thousands of cd's have been removed from in front of the window and binned!

Despite having a very busy (and very profitable week)  whilst behind the counter i managed to get some stitching done whilst people wandered around.

I was in need of a new handbag!

Well, actually...it's a sort of quest for me....like the holy grail

I can never seem to find the right one

so...i thought, if i made one to my own specifications, surely that would be the perfect one 

...oh yes...and a purse, that's a quest too 

I maded this one with a little removable inner pocket (easier to find things)

Notes and cards one side, receipts etc on the other and change in the little pocket maybe

I still have a way to go but it's coming along just nicely

Have a look over at the Indigo Moon Creative Workshop blog to see how things are coming along.

XOXO

Boro and Selvedge

The day started with rain and horrible grey skies here in Montgomery first thing, but it soon cleared and now it's bright sunshine, much nicer i'd say and certainly better for my walk soon.

It's been an intense week or so here with lots going on.  The workshops development is steadily progressing in the background and i've even managed the odd creative hour here and there too.  These cute little 'Boro' rings i managed in the shop last week, they were fun to do and there were lots of nice comments from customers and requests for them to be in the shop, which i hope to do soon.

 I also managed to spend a bit of time on my stitch sketchbook, playing about with colours

 Don't you just love a bit of Gold Leaf

I also love red thread but try to move away from it now and then...yellows and mustards work well on this plain vintage fabric too.

Saturday was spent with my gorgeous dear friend Nichola Hulmston of Ninneynoo, at the Selvedge Fair and SIT Textile fair in Stroud.  It was great fun.  We met up with the very lovely Christine Kelly of Gentlework and Kathleen Murphy of Murgatroyd and Bean and the Daphne's Glove project as well as other artists, Alix Swann and Annie Hutchinson.  It was such an amazing day.

These were some of my purchases from the fair

 Gorgeous faded/worn scrap quilts

 Amazing threads from http://linladanembroidery.tumblr.com/

and a white vintage shirt (in the background, to embroider) from one of the many vintage shops we were constantly distracted by whilst walking around stroud!

I relaxed when i got home practicing my knitting, it's getting better, especially with the beautiful wool kindly given to me by my dear friend Diane Tinker-Foster.

 The week before i had a superb day with my 'Thrupenny' friends here in Monty, where they all trudged to give much needed help and advice on the workshop space, i felt so much better after talking to them.  

These gorgeous pictures are Karen Grenfell's of MimiLove Forever and i couldn't resist them, her paintings and stitchings are truly beautiful. 

And a beautiful box soldered by Diane Tinker Foster - Diane will be doing a workshop with me sometime next year.

New cupboard in shop

I'm trying to get hubby to part with it for the workshop rooms, but he's not having any of it.  I love it so much.

I have the whole day off today and have decided to rest and enjoy myself, no painting, no decorating, just some gentle creating.  

XOXO