New Project started...Raven

Started A Raven wall hanging last night.
Using a piece of 100% wool felt this time (Half price in the sale at Joann's store)
Rough sketch of a Raven head.

Added some Black tops needle-felted in then a little white and black tops for the beginnings of the beak.

Found a Button in Granny's button tin for the eye.

Puzzled a little and decided to add a Sun/Moon to the picture with pale yellow and some white wool.

 

 I have ideas on the next bit and would like to charge along ...but...slipped on black ice this morning and did something to/sprained? my little finger on my right hand so I'm resting it today and hopefully get on tomorrow!

Hope you are having a fun and Sunny time. (We had ice and snow this morning and Sun this afternoon!)

Finished...(well at least stopped adding any more)

The Wall hanging now hangs from the wall ....making it was great fun . There are things I would change ..things I have changed..lots of bits I would do differently...some of which I wish I had.
It's not balanced and has major flaws but I learned a lot from this piece and decided to stop and leave it as it is, and enjoy it for what it is.
A colourful experiment with pleasing aspects....and so much fun to do. It was such a nice change from the everyday aspects of life. When small things take over that shouldn't.
Working with rich colourful wool and cottons was really rewarding....now what to start next... several ideas are bubbling around in my head ....Ravens ? Wolves? Feathers?  all three ?   lol

Close ups of areas....

A huge THANK YOU for the Embroidery stitch "how to"   videos on you-tube posted by the Wonderful  Mary Corbet from www.NeedlenThread.com They are so clear and So helpful!

Yarn Along ...teddy bears :o)

Linking to Ginny's Yarn along  
Thanks Ginny!
My Older Daughter (just turned 14)has been knitting bears for the Mother Bear Project..these are bears 28 & 29!

"Library Bear"...knit during a visit to the library.

And "4 hour bear" Knit in just under four hours.... she chooses logical names doesn't she :o)
Three pals waiting to travel to their new homes.

 And some of their friends that are already on their way to new homes.

As Kate has done all the knitting I asked her what she was enjoying reading at the moment ...

and she chose InkHeart by Cornelia Funke.

She can't read when she knits but she can (&does) Listen . Audio book being enjoyed while crafting is Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery.  The girl has good taste.

In search of Beautiful Barn Owls....

I have always thought barn owls were beautiful. This love was rather strangely started with a stuffed barn owl that took pride of place in our Primary school classroom. The poor bird had met with an accident  but was beautifully mounted and gave a lot of country children a chance to admire such a beautiful creature up close. I have had a fondness for them ever since.

My older brother has obviously shared this smitten'ness as now he has a five acre field the first thing he has done is build an owl box. It is a very sturdy piece of work that he built himself at Christmas he then chose an Oak tree and fastened it securely and waited.

I was quite surprised at the size and heft of the box ...but thinking about it's intention to replace the nesting opportunities provided by a barn ...perhaps I should not have been.

Any way this week he sent me a photo of the box in place, and being a bit busy I thought "very nice, but I've seen this before" after a few cups of tea and a sudden thought I went back to his picture and enlarged it.
Now I'll have to ask if this owl has decided to stay!

  If you have never seen a Barn Owl in flight here is a beautiful video from the BBC.

Didn't he do well :o)

Yarn along (Felt along?)

 Joining in with  Ginny's yarn along.
And Still working on The Three Hares Wall hanging...still making it up as I go along :o)

Reading "Shackleton by Endurance we conquer" by Michael Smith

 Amazon quotes this review
"Smith, who previously wrote about overlooked Antarctic hero Tom Crean, makes a significant effort to discuss Shackleton’s personal and business relationships as well as his adventurous journeys. This look at his family, friends, and numerous well-known romantic entanglements both humanizes Shackleton and elevates his unusual achievements even further. He was a survivor who possessed near superhuman determination, and yet Smith makes it clear that he was also capable of the most common faults and failures. Through his use of reports, diaries, books, and the private papers of Shackleton’s contemporaries, both those who admired and those who reviled him, and, most importantly, the men who served at his side, Smith provides a well-rounded look at the renowned explorer. It is Smith’s writing style, however, that makes this biography such a page-turner and a wonderfully rich portrait of a twentieth-century icon. Shackleton has finally received the literary treatment his legendary life deserves." - Booklist

interspersed with

"The Unexpected Consequences of Love" by Jill Mansell  and am enjoying them both!

 

Library thing quote

"Sophie has no interest in finding love. But what happens when love finds her?
Sophie Wells is a successful photographer with a focus on putting the past firmly behind her. When Josh Strachan returns to the seaside town of Cornwall from the States to run his family's hotel, he can't understand why the fun, sexy girl has zero interest in letting him-or any man for that matter-into her life. He also can't understand how he's been duped into employing Sophie's impulsive friend Tula, whose crush on him is decidedly unrequited. Both girls remain mum about the reasons behind Sophie's indifference to love. But that doesn't mean Josh is going to quit trying.."

The Moon at 3.45am

Up at 3.15am to view the  total Lunar Eclipse . A very short eclipse but very beautiful. We also saw Jupiter and it's 4 moons and Saturn and it's rings ...and I saw the Big Dipper clearly over head which was  a first for me.
I can claim no credit for our girls viewing these sights. I was the grump that reluctantly set the alarm and vowed not to get out of bed. But when my husband dragged himself and the telescope out into the cold clear night/morning ..I thought I better show willing and the sights were beautiful.
Can I confess I was a bit tired later. I'm very lucky he is keen on sharing his interests and Wonder and knowledge with the girls it certainly makes life richer for us all.

Meg's snap of the Eclipse. Proudly taken with her own camera.
Mike's snaps.

Happy Easter

Wishing you a Happy and Peaceful Easter!
with Easter Cards from times past.....

 

WIP & Listening to....

Still working on the Three Hares wall hanging...when  it's a' Make it up as you go along' project it sometimes gets a rather unruly life of it's own ...this project is a bit of a roller coaster. Ranging from quite pleased with to oops what on earth? Still it's fun, and I like being able to pick it up and work some more stitches and see how they turn out...I'm still not sure of the final outcome.

Have started a little Spring cleaning ...this involves getting mucky and dusty and discovering dire spots in need of industrial efforts. Still I'm getting better at focusing on a defined (relatively small) area and having two bags and a box on hand (Throw away, give away, put away) and I'm actively pursuing the master escapologist Mouse (and hopefully not, but probably actually  his family too) that has decided he rather live inside than out (a broken  drier vent was the door to paradise ..well for a mouse) ...This mouse has decided that living in the warm with 4 retired Ancient Cats is fine ...they were wonderful mousers in their day but not now..darn it. I think the mouse could curl up in bed with them and they wouldn't care...still the youngest are 16 so I shouldn't complain (doesn't stop me).

Yesterday was the Seventh anniversary of nipping to the Doctors with the problem "erm I think I've found a lump" Never a good topic for the Doctors and going on April fool's day an added irony. Still I'm still here 7 years later and at my check up yesterday discussed feeling old with my oncologist who pointed out that being around to feel old was rather a good thing...he does have a point.

Oh and "Listening to" Agatha Christie's "Why Didn't they ask Evans?" and now "Hickory Dickory Dock"  Just the thing for Spring Cleaning.