Gelli printing with leaves

Although I was supposed to be working on gelli printing Christmas tags, I got rather more enjoyment out of printing with leaves ...somehow it is too early to be thinking of Christmas! I know it isn't given the number of events I have got lined up, so guess it will be another last minute chaotic season of Christmas art and crafts!  

I did do some Christmas ones but I'm not happy with them ...

I think I may well just stick with textile tags which I can then photograph and stick onto tags with a tiny bit of hand embellishment by sticking fabric berries on. 

Aughertree fungi

A brief walk this morning - good to see a variety of fungi in the grassland - being as the battery level was flashing red on the camera opportunities for photos were limited. 

A bit more water in the pond than last time we were there! 

Dog's vomit slime mould. 

A selection of fungi....

As always: on-looking Swaledales. 

Needle felted fungi

The other morning I led a needle felted fungi workshop. It was a lovely morning and as it was poorly attended allowed me to play too! 

Roman Fishing weight - Mawbray

 A breezy day; good to be out! 

A tideline of duckweed after the recent  heavy rain. 

Roman fishing weight. 

Oystercatchers...and below. 

Curlew.

Natural Connections

 A great day, attending and contributing to the 'Natural Connections' day at the National Trust's Allan Bank property in Grasmere....and what a fine building it is! After an introduction to the watercolours of Beatrix Potter, by the Armitt Trust, we were able to look at the original artwork - wow! Then after a really enjoyable and accessible 'lichen walk',  I led a fungi/lichen inspired lino cut workshop - there was some great work produced and it was really nice to work with a range of organisations where participants all had a common interest. 

'Pepper Pot' lichen.

Parcel tags

While we were away in Norfolk, rather than do a traditional diary I decided to do a series of parcel tags - just quickly each night to record an image summing up the day ....

I took a limited number of fabrics, threads and paints and the subject matter had to relate to that day - I wrote on the reverse of each tag what we had done ...I found it both very enjoyable and challenging - mainly from the point of view of getting it done on the day and staying on course...ie not having a glass of wine and falking out infront of the TV.

Apologies for the blue tint - the weather isn't good for photography! 

Stubble fields in Lincolnshire as we drove down.

Cabbages and stubble.

Saltmarsh colours.

Flint off the path.

Cone detail.

Earth Star - rotate it left and the half earth star is on the right.

Oyster shell fragments.

Pebble detail.

Mussel.

Piddock.

Saltmarsh colours. (Rotate left) 

Muddy fens.

Reeds.

Creek with the tide out. 

 

Autumn has arrived

A lovely day and walk with lots of fungi now appearing...

Bottom: hedgehog fungi and chanterelles.

Turkey tail; amethyst deceiver, cep and black helvella.

A happy slug!

Shaggy incaps ...and others.

Horn of plenty and white helvellas.

Right - emmerging fly agaric and white helvella. 

Burnham Overy Staithe wander

With another glorious day forecast, we parked up to the east of Burnham Overy Staithe and walked down to the coast and along the Norfolk Coastal Footpath opposite Scolt Island. After a while it became a less interesting walk so we turned round and went back along the path and through the dunes towards Holkham. Not a lot in the dunes yet fungi wise but what a beautiful sunny day! 

Burnham Overy Staithe.

Boats...

Windmill...

Mud....

..and reeds...

Many...

..many reeds. 

Dunes...

..and colourful saltmarsh.