Don't bug me!

Yesterday a friend gave me these bugs in a box......I LOVE them!!!! They are made using bindis.....isn't that clever!

 So, I decided I wanted to have a go at some of my own.......I knew I had these little jewel thingies somehwhere so after a bit of a search I found them and this is what I ended up with!

 Louise was very clever and drew the legs etc on her bugs.......I cheated a little and used this stamp.

 Here they are together soyou can see just how small these things really are!

Once upon a time

I thought it was a good idea to join in with a calendar page challenge.
I have been sorting out in my studio (again.....it seems to be a never ending battle with the piles of "stuff") and came across this page.......I never even started filling it in!!
 Oh well, it seems that deadlines and me don't go together!

Long stitch

Today was a bookbinding day!

Sweetest little

BABY face. After the previous post I couldn't let you think things were going to get conventional around here!! So, it's back to the dark side:)

 I used this stencil from Andy Skinner to make this page.

 

The finished Shrigley book

 I got around to finishing off my shrigley binding book. Decided to decorate my pages using my Gelli plate to make the background......adding some stamping of letters and numbers in red and some random red paint

 there was enough paint left over to make 3 sheets of prints to be used at  a later date!

 This is the finished book...........used a ribbon and beads to add a tie fastening

 You can see the folded pages stitched onto the acccordion

 and the seperate decorated pages added into the folded corners

some of the pages.......I added flowers made with stamped faces in the centres and hand drawn petals and leaves

Shrigley binding

Have been thinking about bookmaking quite a bit lately........was browsing around online yesterday and came across something called "shrigley binding". It looked interesting especially as you can remove sections from the pages to work on them and then put them back. After searching around some more I couldn't find any instructions apart from a Youtube videa that I couldn't get to play so after studying the pics I found I think I have figured it out! If I haven't got it exactly right I think I'm pretty close.

 the edges are folded over and then the corners are folded to give these sections that the loose page slots into

 on the back of the same piece slits are cut in the corners to hold the loose page on this side

 I made 4 pieces so that gives 8 loose pages that can be removed and decorated

 these pages are now going to be sown onto this accordion folded spine and then covers will be added.............not got that far yet!

Watch this space for the finished book!

Happy New Year

Better late than never in wishing a HAPPY NEW YEAR!I had a friend staying over the New Year and we were out and about on New Years Day doing what we like best......visiting churches, walking in the countryside and then a pub lunch!! Perfect!!

 This is All Saints at Siddington

and this is St James and St Pauls at Marton, one of the oldest timber framed churches in Europe

 

 the third church we visited is one I have been to a few times before.......St Peter at Swettenham (right next door to the Sewttenham Arms pub)..... but it has never been open, this time we were lucky and it was open! 

It is also a timber framed church......you can see some of the original wood building inside......... but in 1722 it was encased in brick and a tower added!

 

 outside is this strange thing......it is the family emblem of a local family, the Mainwarings......an ass's head coming out of a ducal coronet!!!!!!

 I love weird stuff like that!!!

Finally, views over the Cheshire countryside and some red and orange crab apples!