Two more paintings finished and more to come

I have spent most afternoons this week in the village hall making the garlands and decorations for the Fete de Music tomorrow evening.The forcast is very uncertain so we have made masses of fabric bunting which won't get ruined by wet weather as well as lots of flower garlands.We also made some
12inch covered and then decorated hoops to hang inside in the hall windows. I asked each lady to cover their,s as they liked so our colour scheme has become quite wild. It was great to see how they all turned out so differently. I intend to take photos tomorrow when everything is up.

I have also been painting at home in spare moments, but it wasn't so good as spending proper time as I think I didn't think things out.Still I enjoyed the doing.
                                                                                

Spending hours and hours trying to paint.

I have become almost obsessed with painting after reading Flora Bowleys book Brave Intuitive Painting. I loved her work so set out to do as she suggested,under the title of the book she says
                                       let go,be bold.unfold.
Something I am not very good at,but I thought here goes. You need to use paper ,canvas or a            panel   as  large as possible. I had only a small space and nothing very large to use so I set to on the  
biggest water colour paper I had.You need several sheets at once,you cover the first one as you like then while its drying you move to the next one and so on. When you get back to the first you add more paint
you do this several times until you are satisfied. The idea is that you look at the background and see what it suggests to you.

They are in no way what I expected to happen,have 3 not yet finished  maybe the size of the paper resricted me? I certainly enjoyed myself and have 3 more to finish.I like the second one most of all

I think the other two are too controlled.The last one I might print onto fabric and see if I can sew into it.
                                                                                                                                                           

Flowers, bunting,journal pages and the village sewing group

The last few weeks I have been busy making flowers and bunting to decorate the tent and all around the wood in readyness for the party we have every year for my birthday. Luckily the wood has about a 1/3 where there are few trees and its quite flat. We have two fabulous irish musicians coming again ,they are very versitile and the music is perfect to dance to or listen.In between I have worked on my other daughters journal,I found a photo of me with my father taken on his 80th birthday and still have many more family photos to use.The other page  is for her to write on. She loves bright colours and I am trying my best.

                                                                                 
 I worked with the sewing group this week and asked a friend along to show us some of the dolls she has made. Every one was very impressed and she explained where the patterns came from and hopefully will come back to show them how to make sculpted faces. Something I want to know too.

Though I doubt somehow I will ever follow other peoples patterns,I love to see them and appreciate how brilliant they are but prefer to muddle along my own way.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Wonderful French Brocante finds

Tony and I went to a huge Brocante at the weekend,it was 5kms of stands through a beautiful forest. The sun shone and there was so many wonderful items to buy as you can see in the photograph.I long to keep lots of them but have to remember that this house overflows and space is difficult to find .Tony bought most of it but I bought masses of vintage lace,so much in fact keep thinking I should put some on Etsy because I already have several large boxes full to the brim.

       As ever my photos don't do them justice  for example the walnut shell is carved with a hundred   
       faces,there are cherubs and pretty ladies  on lots of things. There is a sponge ware money box I      
      love as well.
      I just said to Tony I was going to bid on the wonderful tiny jewelled crown(perfect size for one of           my dolls)  and he has given it to me!!I am delighted.                                       

    

My not quite finished cloth doll

I have spent  alot of time trying to add the finishing touches to this doll,but couldn't reach a point where I was really happy with her. I feel I need to do something with her hands,give her something to hold maybe and hide them a little. I tried several things but nothing seemed right. I shall have to try again another day.In the meantime I must carry on with my two fabric journals.I wish time would slow down.