Snowed in

Well, that was an interesting week with the weather!

The "Beast from the East" meets "Storm Emma".  Siberian snow and 60mph winds meant we had a good 8 to 12 inches of snow in places with deeper drifts.  The "fuss" is that we don't get snow like this in Cornwall, not that often and not this thick!

We were snowed in for two days but it felt much longer especially when we had three power cuts, the longest for four hours.  We were very grateful for our wood burner and a well stocked fridge.

It all looks so pretty through the window but feeling cut off and isolated makes you realise how much you take everything for granted ... especially electric, keeping warm and making tea!

The snow has inspired my collages this week.  We are now on week 10, following the theme called "decollage".  Adding lots of layers and then tearing back to reveal images underneath.

"darling girl"

I used an advert from a 1950s magazine, a beautiful tarnished spoon, a snowy landscape, a few snowflakes from a card insert and some gelli printed tissue paper.  I like the feel of this one but I deliberated over whether to fill the white space, and then decided not to.  It Is enough.

Only last week ... I said I would be making only one collage a week from now on!  However, I find I get on a roll and this week I wanted to try working a collage on fabric.  This one has a cotton linen backing.  I worked some white gesso over it to prime first.  Then I collaged the same as I would on paper, using the layering/tearing back technique for this week.

follow in nature's footsteps

Other elements are waxed sewing pattern paper and a skeleton holly leaf from my garden.  The bird is a "blackcap".  The collaged background remains soft enough to handle and stitch into.  I have put it to one side to work on over the next few days.

My collages are 5 x 5 inches in an 8 x 8 inch sketchbook for week 10 of the collage project that I am doing with my sister Evelyn following the weekly prompts in The Collage Workbook by Randel Plowman

"snowed in"

Also on my desk ... a snowy heart I have been stitching with lots of layers of thick chiffon snow and glittering snowflakes.  I used some of my painted textured cotton fabric too which, as I used it, made me think of compacted snow ... you know when snow has uneven bumps and ridges.

I also have winter beachcombing on my mind and I've started another with very pretty beach finds including a tiny barnacle, pearl shell and a lovely mussel.  The simple pleasures of admiring sea treasures, taking time to select fabrics and quietly stitching a shoreline walk.

I will share the snowy one and the winter shoreline walk quite soon.  Meanwhile, here is one I found when I was sorting through a box in my studio.  I made it a while ago and it's one of only a few that I have left in my personal collection.  The two baby mussel shells are still attached in a tangle to the mother shell.

"along the beach"

Thank you for visiting me here x