Sky of blue and sea of green

Another lovely week whizzed by filled with happy moments

Friday 27th May I enjoyed an afternoon with my friend Terri
We had a long lunch at The Harbour Pool Club and then had a walk around some of the quaint cobbled streets of St. Ives. The weather was stunning, hot blue skies and white sand beaches ... but ... it wasn't a good day for the camera as there were too many long dark shadows on just about everything I wanted to capture on the back streets in downalong ... so will have to re-take another day

Later the same day I bumped into my friend Jo on the beach and,
as it was so hot, we went for a cream tea in Madeleine's Tea Room
for no other reason than "just because"

Saturday 28th May was the start of Cornwall Open Studios
I discovered that textile artists Sandra Hardy and Vivien Staunton were exhibiting just up the lane from me
so I couldn't wait to go along and meet them

Why had I not met Sandra Hardy before?

Sandra moved to St. Ives just a year ago but spent the first year renovating her home and creating her beautiful studio workspace and is now settled and about to offer textile courses from her home and sell her beautiful textile pieces

I treated myself to one of Sandra's collaged sketchbooks
and some postcards with some birthday money I received

Have a look at Sandra's wonderful website

Sandra Hardy

I love Sandra's style from her textile collages to her
very fine felted and machine embroidered pieces

cushions and home furnishings

It was great to meet Vivien Staunton too!
I greatly admired her beautiful woven textiles and
bought one of her cards but the photo didn't do her work justice

♥

On Tuesday 31st May I had a birthday

My hubby booked a stay at The Idle Rocks Hotel in St. Mawes
as a birthday treat and I must say I was thoroughly spoilt

I aged the photo I took

St. Mawes is a very small fishing village with harbour
not far from Falmouth on the Roseland Peninsular and
in comparison with St. Ives it was very quiet and peaceful
with a lot less hustle and bustle

when we first arrived we had afternoon tea on the terrace
it was a very warm day and we sunned ourselves
till it was time to get ready for dinner

I enjoyed a couple of pints of Betty Stogs
a Cornish ale brewed in Truro

and then a seven course dinner - very posh!

next day I had time to visit several lovely galleries and shops
and bought a few art cards for my collection

I had a very happy birthday

I had some really fab pressies

Surface Treatment Workshop book
Caran D'Ache water soluable crayons
Winsor & Newton watercolour paintbox
watercolour pens and new batteries for my camera
and a new sewing lamp
(so I have one upstairs and one downstairs)

I had these really beautiful space dyed threads
hand dyed by Nells Embroidery on Etsy
from my very dear friend Cathie

thank you dear bezzy ♥

and with it came this beautiful card stitched by Nell
I thought you would like to see it as the flowers are embroidered

also from my friend Cathie I received these wonderful sheers
and silk threads in pretty mauve tones

beautiful woollen and chiffon fabrics which Cathie says
came from The Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival
and a very pretty heart tag made by Cathie

gorgeous charms and wonderfully inspiring fabrics

April in Parisfabrics ... charms and
a nest and eggs magnetic notepad from
The North Carolina Museum of Art
(wow ... would I love to go there!)

and more fabrics ...

the wollen fabrics I shall use on my embellisher
and you know how much I love to use sheers!

everything was beautiful and so "me"
thank you so much dear Cathie ♥

my very good friend Jo always spoils me lovely too
she gave me these project pots of beads in gorgeous colours
that perfectly match the threads ... so inspirational!

also from Jo these wonderful homespun and pebble fabrics
she knows me so well :o)

and Jo made this gorgeous threadpainted card
it's so fab and so funny ... I adore it!

Thank you for my brilliant presents Jo ♥

a beautiful card came from Missy K ♥
because she knows I love Cornish cottages
as well as a gorgeous birdie notebook

Thanks Karen lovely ♥

what a lovely birthday!

♥

the very next day after I got home from St. Mawes I met up with
some blog buddies at the cafe next to Art Space Gallery in St. Ives

Noelle, Diane, Lesley and me

It was lovely to see Lesley and Diane again and meet Noelle
for the first time even though she also lives in St. Ives!

we enjoyed tea and carrot cake
(a nice way of getting one of your five a day in!!)
put the blogging world to rights and then
exchanged gifts as is customary in blogland

from Noelle this adorable seagull
which my hubby loves as much as I do!

Stanley Seagull

look at all the love that has gone into the making of this mermaid
she is heavily embellished with beads, sequins and charms

Noelle ... thank you so much ♥

from Diane ... a bag of fabric scraps for my birthday
a pretty satin heart decorated with lace and beads

and a lovely flower corsage with a beaded centre

thank you Diane ... they are lovely ♥

and from Lesley ... these prints of her gorgeous artwork
I love Lesley's paintings all inspired by St. Ives

land and sea 2010

Man's Head

Porthmeor afternoon

Thank you Lesley ♥
Seascape

and for the girls I gave them each one of my waxed cards
some of my painted beads and made them each a gardening heart
inspired by summer skies and the secret garden

it was a beautiful sunny day

the garden looks wonderful

in full bloom

featuring vintage style lace, machine stitched sheers
and text from one of my fave childhood books

The Secret Garden

each one has a silver spade (trowel) charm dangly

after tea I went beachcombing with Diane and Noelle
because a girl can never have enough beach treasure!

sea glass, ocean tumbled pottery and seaweed
ocean worn plastic and fabric altered by time

and a paddle in warm clear turquoise waters

followed by a visit to St. Ives Society of Artists
to see the members' current work ...
a weekend stitching on my quilt for FOQ
painting beads and papers for collage
... so busy all the time ...

how are you?
what are you working on?

Creative wishes
Carolyn
♥