Popping in to say Hello

It's said that if you are travelling on the first of January you'll be on the road for the rest of the year.The travel bug has kicked in I think because I got home from God's own country on Sunday and I'm off again this Sunday for fifteen days to another part of God's own country.

The heat must have fried my brain because I didn't take a single picture and my camera was with me at all times. I think ten days has got me acclimatised so this trip should find me trigger happy and functioning normally.

One thing I did do was add to my collection of cast iron cooking vessels - yes I'm particularly partial to cast iron like some people are about designer handbags. I got myself an appachatti bought at a hardware store by the way.

I've seasoned the appachatti and had plans of making lace appam and chicken stew typical Easter Sunday fare in Syrian Christian homes but I'll be on the road and my appam making skills

will have to be put to the test at a later date.

Another one of my finds in the hardware shop. This one makes all manner of savouries which are either fried or steamed.

I hope I can squeeze in a post before Sunday or else I'll see you in April with a post high in fibre.

TAST completed

Yipee I've completed TAST ( Take a Stitch Tuesday). Here are the last three stitches - Chained Bar, Spanish feather stitch and Berry Stitch.

This means volume 2 of TAST can be finished now.

I'm going away for about two weeks on a project involving natural fibres. I'll be back with pictures and results of experiments involving tie and dye, marbeling and bleach. Until then take care and stay safe.

The Traveling pages for February

Pages for February have been sent and recieved.

Carmen chose Castle as her theme and this is my interpretation. It's turned out to be a mixed media collage of sorts. Taking a picture out of a magazine and mounting it on a piece of card and then stitching it on was a first for me but I think it works.The arched window has been appliqued and embroidered with metallic thread and sequins, the mango tree is embroidery and oil pastels and so also the sky.
This is the reverse of the page for Carmen. Sorry the picture is a bit blurry. Discovered that after the page was mailed to Carmen so another picture could not be taken. I'm in love with the plastic coated silver foil and I'm going to find ways to incorporate it in all the pages I create for this swap. It's going to be my singature of sorts on all the pages I create. Last month it was used to make the pocket on the back of the page. The oil pastels is becoming another favourite.
Here's the page Mandy made for me. She chose to interpret the vibrant colours of Autumn leaves. She's used opaque seta colours for painting the background, applique and reverse applique to create the leaves and machine embroidery.
The reverse of the page has a pocket into which I've tucked the note in which Mandy wrote about the techniques she's used and for a" bit of fun" she sent me a little packet of buttons shaped like leaves and acorns. That is so thoughtful of you Mandy, I do appreciate it. I'll be using them when I make up the book of leaves at the end of this swap. Thank you.

For March I'll be creating a page for Chris whose theme is Coastline. Need to get started this weekend.

Have a good weekend everyone.

TAST - Pistil stitch and Knotted Cable Chain