Memorandum Monday ~ Shrouds

On Saturday afternoon I met a dear friend in Exeter and we stood in the sunshine trying to comprehend what was laid out before us. 19,240 figures. Each one representing a life lost on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

It was almost impossible to take in. My photograph doesn't even begin to portray the enormity of it. I wondered aloud, what we have learned 100 years on. After the events of last week, not much it would seem.

Linking up with Sian this Monday afternoon. You can read about the shrouds here.

Snap! ~ Wild Hearts

I'm taking part in Rinda's Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt again this year. The first item on the list is a "wild heart" - a naturally occurring heart. I've come across a fair few of these on my daily walks.

Here are some of them, making a set of visually similar images for Helena's Snap!

Memorandum Monday ~ A Referendum

There was great excitement in our house last week. My boy is passionate about politics and he was entitled to vote for the very first time on Thursday. We walked to the polling station together, in the evening sunshine, to make our marks.

Sadly, our buoyant mood was short lived. We woke the next morning to find that we were in the minority.

I feel social media must be navigated with care in the coming days and weeks.

A subdued wave to Sian and the Mondayers today.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #367

It's going to be short and sweet today as I'm heading out the door shortly for the school run. I also have a class this morning and the venue is between there and here. Not much point coming home only to turn straight back round again.

It's all butterflies and ditsy flowers this week. An antidote to the endless rain and rumbling thunder.

I shared the little box we made a couple of weeks ago and here are the cards.....

Two quite different looks from the same set and background stamp.

If you're interested in cloth dolls you might like to check out what I got up to at a workshop with Jan Horrox at the weekend.

Linking up with the Deskers.....

Memorandum Monday ~ Doll Making

My whole weekend was about learning new things. The many and varied processes of dollmaking. I was lucky enough to attend a two day workshop with Jan Horrox, dollmaker extraordinaire.

We jumped right in at the deep end, on Saturday morning, with the head. Probably the smallest pieces I've ever attempted to stitch together on a sewing machine.

The pins are to mark the features before sculpting with strong thread.

Onto the body after lunch.....

Sewn, turned and stuffed, ready to add the head and limbs.

Sunday morning was all about the hands.....

This is where things got very tricky. Turning those fingers right side out, after stitching, required a lot of patience. I was so engrossed in getting this process right I forgot to take any progress pictures.

After that, the foot and jointed arm were a breeze!

The legs follow the same principle as the arms. Jan also demonstrated how she makes wings and hair. I wasn't too worried about that as I wanted to get the basics down while I was there. I didn't expect to come away with a finished doll. Only one lady managed that and she had made dolls before.

It was a great weekend, made extra special by the company of a friend, who came up from Devon to take the workshop with me. I was absolutely shattered when I got home last night. Learning new things can be very tiring it seems.

Waving to Sian and my fellow Mondayers and wishing you all a great week.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #365

It's been a busy kitchen table in the past couple of days. I'm getting ready for my catalogue launch party on Friday and I had a class this morning.

Here I'm using the Balloon Celebration set. I always like to find a way to get the less obvious stamps off the backing sheet. The circular designs were ideal for making a pattern on my card stock before folding it up into a box....

Linking up with the Deskers again today, ably hosted by Jan for the time being. We're all rooting for you Julia and wishing you a speedy recovery.

Take a Note Tuesday aka Memorandum Monday

It was another slightly surreal Sunday, here in my corner of the world. Last week a peacock crossed our path, this week it was a bride on a beach.

When I shared the picture on Facebook at the weekend, a friend was quick to point out that I didn't actually *know* she was a bride. He was right of course, and I think it probably was just a photo shoot. "Random woman in a wedding dress, having her picture taken at the seaside" doesn't quite have the same ring, does it?!

Linking up with Sian and the Mondayers. Have a great week.