Therapy .....

As I'm getting more immobile, with frequent pain from arthritis, and it seems unlikely that things will improve despite many hospital visits last year and more future appointments,I have decided to up my self help programme with different therapy techniques,

eg losing weight(very difficult!),relaxation (nice one!),SMILE(great but sometimes a challenge!),distraction (it often works!) ... and ... making sure my brain keeps going (doesn't always work!).
Last year I enjoyed the challenge of Take A Stitch Tuesday - TAST, and I have just received the Week I lesson of sharon b's GIMP for Textile Artists course.
I know using GIMP will challenge me, I have read and started practising things, some applications I knew, others are new to me.
The edited Alcohol Ink Abstract is my first print out.
I'm looking forward to moving on and applying GIMP to textile design.
I'm not a quilter but will hopefully design small pieces to develop as textile art. Whatever the results I'll be thoroughly absorbed - I am excited about this project.
Even thinking about it all has helped me forget those nagging pains!

Fabric & Grape Stalks ....

For several weeks I have been noticing the lovely Winter tree silhouettes everywhere.
This morning at breakfast - there was one when I ate the last few grapes!
I can't sew much at the moment - that arthritis again - so I made this layered collage design. I'll print it onto a linen Jet Ink fabric and hopefully add hand stitching soon.
I love picnic frames, so added one.

A Tree .....

..... stitched s-l-o-w-l-y,
a little each day.
It's too late for last Christmas but very early for next!
The pattern, with slight changes, is from JBW Designs'
"Christmas Motifs Sampler".

2011 .....

... well into January and no blogging, stitching, photos, or crafting.
I have struggled with stitching and even knitting, but arthritis in arms and shoulders is winning - maybe I'll beat it when the weather gets warmer!





We have many lovely wedding photos, (see previous blog), and after browsing I looked at some of the other photo collections
and made a "Mosaic Monday" of memory scraps:
... a rose, always a favourite,
lots of celebrations,
thank goodness the Vapourer didn't eat the whole apple tree!
yummy scone,
painting with watercolour pencils,
teddies that went to South Africa to live,
fun on a wheel,
was Barney really as small as that?
ceramic and pine needle woven mat, made by my dear friend Kay, in USA.
.. at 94 she still makes beautiful things like this!
lily bud and lace,
hand carved by a German craftsman,
lovely Victorian scent bottle, sadly now broken.
a favourite old small jug,
great grandmother's watch,
lovely threads,
sewing machine, long gone.

Happy memories - it's always nice to look back, but better to move on so I'll take a couple of pain tablets and come back to today!

Happy Wedding Day

Yesterday was so happy, and very special - our son's wedding.
Now there are nine of us.
Despite the mist, ice, and mud (hence red wellies!)lots of family and friends made it to the lovely old church at Blewbury and to the reception at a hotel on the banks of the Thames.
Both parts of the cake, traditional on top and cup cakes below, were made by friends.
This is a Christmas to remember!

Christmas Time

It's been a strange year - many weeks with arthritic pains in my hip, arm, and legs, problems with arteries, and always poor mobility - yet, many happy times too!
How lucky I am to have a wonderful family, friends at home and abroad, and so many special friends I'm in contact with via Flickr, in UK and around the world.
Lucky too that I so enjoy working with textiles and threads, painting and paper crafting at times, using my point and shoot camera around the house and garden, and spending many hours on internet, often doing jigsaws or word puzzles, exploring new interests and places on Google Earth, but mostly browsing sites of the many talented artists I am in touch with.
As long as my PC is up and running, and my arm lets me use the mouse and keyboard and stitch, I am never bored.
I was better for a time, after having a new hip in June, but now things have dipped -
more pains in the other leg, more difficulty standing and walking and I'm restarting the hospital and treatment rounds in January with appointments with Vascular and Orthopaedic consultants.
We always love family and friends getting together at Christmas, but this year it will be quite low key - until the real celebrations start at our son's wedding on
28th December.
The house has been, and still is, very untidy and messy, as we have had a downstairs shower room added - scheduled to be completed before now but still needing finishing touches due to delays caused by the unusally cold and snowy weather.
We are not even having a tree, for the first time in 53 years - I'll put up cards, pictures, holly, etc to give a festive air, (and hide the dust! LOL)
The picture above is a reminder of a lovely tree of a few years ago.
We will have a tasty Christmas day dinner at our daughter's, no doubt some lovely presents, and then that special day, 28th December!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my good friends.
Thank you for all the lovely messages and comments I receive here and on my Flickr site. www.flickr.com/photos/23261611@N04/5281195041/

Christmas cake time again ...

Each Year OH John makes a rich cake, from Delia's recipe, injects brandy liberally and then ices it using ideas from the book "The Idiot's Guide to Christmas Cakes"
This is the second time round for this design but this time the singers are older than the original cherubic choir boys!
I add a stitched band but haven't found it out yet.
It's on the pic of last year's cake - must search for it! ....