Silver Work

Hi Everyone
Ive had a lovely day playing with some silver jewellery making (I have also done chores etc - so not all fun). Ive been messing about with this idea for a while and have some more plans to develop the design. My photo story today is my creation. I started out with a simple length of square sterling silver.






I did wear my ring last evening to check out if it works as a wearable design. Ive been out for a family meal to a local restaurant and it worked well. I'm very pleased with the whole thing. I will add to the design but I do like it. Im wondering about setting a stone into the little raised 'arms'. Will ponder the idea for a while.

Thanks for reading.

Inspired by afternoon tea.

Hi Everyone
Today, my photo story is a little different. Following afternoon tea at a local National Trust property (Gibside) last week, we wandered around the shop and I noticed a lovely bag. I examined it for quite some time and then asked how much it was and thought - maybe. Then, my lovely husband said - yes, we will have it and promptly paid. Lovely. Ive been using it everyday since.






Thanks for reading.

Borrowed Images

Hi Everyone
The days are flying by ! Why is Summer going too quickly ? Yesterday, I managed to miss lots of time ? The only significant thing I did was to go Ikea shopping with my eldest boy after lunch, we had a lovely time. We even managed a coffee/cake ! (he's always always hungry). Several times, I needed him to reach up to get things from high shelves - this always makes me smile as he reaches up, I imagine him as a tiny baby !

Totally unconnected, here is my photo picture for today. It's another sketch from the Little Book. I'm referring to the work as The Little Book in my own head - so it's now officially become the Little Book.



This particular page is half the size of the previous and Ive incorporated the tree as above - to extend and 'borrow' from the background. I like this idea and plan to make more pages 'live' in each other's paintings. Colour is needed next. I'm hoping to get some more colours going tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

The birds have arrived !

Hi Everyone
Yesterday proved to be rather busy for me. Nothing interesting but time ran away ! However, I did manage a sketch (no colour) for a few pages of the little book. As yet, there is no title but a story is coming. The pictures are telling me to think about a few ideas. This is what I had planned. Here's my little sketch for today's photo.



Thanks for reading.

Page Three

Hi Everyone
Another few scenes from the painting story book. As yet there is NO story. Read back a few days for the idea.
It's a week,or so since my last entry in the book - so I'm hoping for something a bit different for my next painting. I'm hoping to do something later today.



Thanks for reading.

Little Books - episode 2

Hi Everyone
I'm sharing another painting from my little paintings book (see yesterday for background on this). This time, it's the back page.



Thanks for reading.

Little Books

Hi Everyone
Ive another little piece of Art as my photo story today. This is a small book Ive made while on Tour last week. Its made from a single piece of A4 watercolour paper, folded, torn and stitched. It's a series of unconnected paintings. I'm not sure why Ive chosen to paint each picture ? - just a whim at that moment. When Ive completed all the free space I will construct a story to fit. It's an idea Ive seen before but I enjoy making little paintings from watercolour pencils and this seemed a good way to make Art while being portable and fitting into short working sessions when activities permitted.
This is the cover painting. I will share more each day.



Thanks for reading.

Left handed scribbles.

Hi Everyone
I'm still sharing archive photo stories about part 1 of our Grand Tour (temporarily suspended - for work !) Today's photo is a little card painting produced while having a coffee in the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick. The museum shop is a place we can't resist - everyone in the family loves pencils and the extra accessories sold in the shop. We always spend loads of money and stock up on pencils we probably don't need ! The visit was made on the day before we left for home. After browsing we have coffee/cake and make some Art - the pencil people have a large sample of their pencils on the tables and it's always a lovely thing to do. My painting started as a left handed scribble and ended up like this :



Thanks for reading.

Rainy days are for painting.

Hi Everyone
One of the days we spent on tour it was raining (heavy) and we all decided to stay indoors and paint. My photo today is a few views of the painting I created. I used this handmade sketchbook which I made a few years ago. I have prepared each page with an acrylic colour wash. I always take the sketchbook on holiday and try to use it at least once.


I'm going to upload some more versions of the painting on Flickr later - check it out. Here is a link https://www.flickr.com/photos/gillmi/sets

Thanks for reading.

Grand Tour Archive

Hi Everyone
Ive abandoned the numbered daily archive reference - not sure what we did when or what uploaded at this stage ? The reporting of our Grand Tour has been a disaster but I'm OK with the stories - so we will go with that.

Today's photo story is a lovely walk we did up and around Ennerdale Water. The walk took about 3-4 hours but we stopped a couple of times for a pack lunch and a snack break. The weather was great too, a few clouds but very warm.



Thanks for reading.

Grand Tour Day 7 - Workington

Hi Everyone
Back to the archive on The Grand Tour :
On Day 7 we planned a cinema visit - How to train your Dragon 2. The cinema was in Workington - about 40 mins away. We also took in a food shop and were stocked for quite a while.
The film was great - bit of a 'tear jerker' ! We were in a cinema full of little kids - great fun and laughter throughout.
The cinema was part of an out of town complex so not very interesting - the complex was quite new but lots of empty shops - bit sad. Workington is better than I remember from a previous visit but we didn't have time to look around - maybe later in The Tour.

Here's a bit about the film instead.



Thanks for reading

Better late than never !

Hi Everyone
We are breaking our Grand Tour again for a week or so and then its on to Scotland for our final week. We are back at home now and technology is working well. The internet connection throughout the last two weeks has been useless. I'd uploaded the phone version of my blog app to cover all angles but alas no phone signal either so that was that !
However, I will publish a little gem from The Tour each day until we are up to date.
So, going back to Day 8 of The Tour (I think ?) - this is a trip to Stott Park Bobbin Mill. This was a fantastic visit to a museum showing how wooden bobbins were made.














I know this is more than my one photo per day but all the views are needed to get the flavour of the place.

I (of course) couldn't resist buying a couple of the bobbins we saw being made and will decorate them after the holidays.



The bobbin on the right is from another place - there's another story there ! I will get to that later in the week.

Thanks for reading.

Brief Tour Break !

Hi Everyone
We have suspended The Tour for 24 hours - to pick up our son from his own Grand Tour across Europe. We will be returning to our own tour ASAP.
Until then it's a bit of extra packing,washing and off we go again.
I've just inspected the tomato bush and I see lots of potential toms and a few cucumbers. I'm making this my photo for today.



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Thanks for reading.