Astonishing Splashes of Colour!

...named after an amazing book by the fabulous Clare Morrall

I've been mesmerised by colours recently...choosing and ordering shades for a new project..watching the tones change in my current makes...viewing the vibrant sunsets and sunrises...and wearing my new trainers!!
Well, they are not strictly new..I've had them for a while, I bought them off the internet, the colour choice was made by the RW men, and they have been glowing like a Dr Who creation in the corner by the door ever since.
I decided I should embrace their vibrancy and headed off to the supermarket in my neon pink  footwear!

Its obviously very difficult to show the actual colour on screen or we wouldn't have had such a shock when we initially opened the box!
However I do love them..I kept glancing down at my feet whilst shopping, and have since cleaned the specks of mud and dirt off them - that won't last long!

My usual in front of the tv occupation (except during Danish subtitled dramas) has been flower looming. I have been using the wool I blogged about here..

  Knitcol by Adriafil 100% merino shade 60 Rousseau phantasy

I just keep winding the next flower from where  the last one left off but having used the whole ball a pattern seems to have developed...

maybe not as random as I first thought!

 The other very soft and fascinating yarn is
Rowan Colourscape chunky by Kaffe Fasset....100% lambswool 

in candy pink....shade 434 

Every flower is  different in shade to the next..some are very subtle and others less so...you can see the stages of transformation if you follow the photo below from left to right, right to left and left to right.... from purpley green through to purpley blue via orange and pink! All from a continuous flow of yarn.

Each contains flecks either large or small from the previous shade...some of the shades reminded me of  food...strawberry sherbets, raspberry sorbet, barley sugars...too many beautiful colours to put a name to..
the colours are so sumptuous up close...it really has been a pleasure to work with and I'm missing it now I have wound up almost all the hank.

I now have a deep boxful bursting with  blooms..next stage to needlefelt the middles and fulfil a suggestion from a while back..

Our carpets have been transforming into rainbows too...with odd threads of sari silk, fibre tufts, stray sock fluff (from new Christmas socks!!), yarn remnants etc...I suppose its a hazard of a colourful fibre fan!!

Random new thoughts!

The excitement in our house lasts through Christmas, New Year, Twelfth Night and beyond as we have a significant birthday in January. It has taken a while for things to calm down a little and for me to find time and coherent words to compose a post. Lots of things have been buzzing away and happening some of a woolly nature and some more random! 

I have been slowly emerging from my Christmas associated creative hibernation ...and have made a piece of poetry inspired wetfelt, and a needlefelted birthday card. Hopefully they will have their own posts soon.

In the meantime I have some newsy items to share:

 New beginnings:

An exciting independent wool shop, Fibre Flurry has opened close by.

It is a treasure trove of colourful (more than 70%) wooliness hosted by an enthusiastic proprietor.

There's lots of other items to catch the eye and regular knitting gatherings.

On my first visit I was very restrained and only browsed -  taking in the colours and textures as if by osmosis. I bumped into a woolly friend (who taught me to needlefelt...)I hadn't seen for ages and we had a bit of a yarn (hee hee).

At this point the wonders of the www come into play....

fairly recently Kate from Johnshaven (way up North) sent me a link to a Birmingham blog that happened to mention Fibre Flurry.

She also featured, a while ago, a handmade book on her blog (that her daughter had made...that was inspired by Jenny at Love and Peas*) that sowed a seed that I have been nurturing
soooo....I have been  back to Fibre Flurry and have booked (ho ho) myself onto a stab stitch book course.

OOOH how exciting...thank you Kate for the seed...

Lots of bloggers have been sharing inspirational words for the New Year...I have been pondering this (for a few weeks) and I am still searching for mine.

Going with the flow?....

I was going to have 'Go with the flow' (I know its 4 words).. aiming to be a bit more laid back..however as it also has connotations to following the crowd I decided it wasn't quite me!

Walking past the nearby Quaker meeting house a large bright red poster encourages passers by to 'Live adventurously' this is one of the  Quakers Advices and Queries

I think I might try to follow that advice sometimes!

Two of my bloggy friends Tracey and Jenny  are doing just that and have started new ventures. I would like to wish them every success as they continue to inspire and move their bursting creativity to another level. Must also wish Helen lots of success with her creating and selling ventures too! 

Perhaps there'll be others opening outlets?.....I'm hoping at least one stateside etsy shop might open sometime..?!

.....while I'm here - I'd just like to say: how amazing are the scents of hyacinths?!

maybe we'll have smellivision one day?! x

Twelfth Night!

Its all looking a bit minimal around here as all the decorations are down and the tree is waiting in the garage to be disposed of (hopefully before September like last year's - it didn't drop at all in that time!)

In my Being Creative Vintage post I talked about the groovy 70s decorations we embellished...well, as I gazed at Mum and Dad's tree there they all were!

....there was one that had a purple velvet band with pearly sequins and some of mum's tatting...it turned out to be lace...but there's tatting to follow!

a large one with  strings and a (made by mum) basket attached -  in which Santa perched in his hot air balloon, given to Grandad;

 and Grandma had a ...blue one covered in tatting and sparkles.

I found another that I had forgotten:

...tatting, lace, velvet, sequins and sparkles!

You can see where I inherited my love of crafty things!

.....As promised the favourite (post -war) decoration from my Grandad's tree...

my brother and I had lots of fun with this cheeky chappie!!

They are all safely packed away for another year....

Being Creative - Winter

When I first saw this topic, in the spring, I imagined sparkling white snow scenes, snow capped tree tops, snowdrops peeking through solid icy ground...how distant that seems at the moment! Although the wind is howling the temperatures are unseasonably warm!

So instead of posting my snowy trees...

....I will be registering a randomness of Robins!
We have some in the garden and they nest regularly - one family in the drain hopper by our back door. It was a delight to watch (and hear) the chirpy stages of their development especially when they poked their fluffy heads over the edge!

First up: some made by others:

a well loved commercial sample

Tracey's new to needlefelting beautiful bird inspired by Kirstie - I'm so proud to display your first fluttery felt on our tree!

a striking stained glass species by another good friend Vix. 
I love the texture in the brown glass and the shiny shadows it casts - if it is sunny!

one of my early broods - a bit basic and flattened over the years but the curly Wensleydale still fluffy!

 Remodelled and homemade wet felted brown feathers...something I only dreamed about this time last year!
 

 Class of 2011!

This little fella missed the mass photo shoot...he was the first of this years hatchlings and was put away to keep him safe, only to be found when all the others had flown the nest. 

I'm secretly quite glad as it meant we could keep him!

So this is my rather belated December Being Creative post...there's a new flexible format to Being Creative 2012 without monthly deadlines...great as I have been so late the last few months!
I've really enjoyed meeting new creative bloggy friends and being inspired by so many interpretations of  the themes. Look forward to seeing many of you again on Flickr...when I have got the hang of it!
Watch out for some more Being Creative blog posts too...but maybe more randomly!

Happy New Year!

Lots of new supplies....Lots of new ideas.....lots of new techniques to learn!

Very early new life in the garden.... these purpley blooms have appeared where our blue and white hyacinths were dumped....

A whole new bloggy year... to be creative!

I have had  a fabulous few months in blogland, 

I've made and been inspired by lots of new friends, and a few old ones!....

many thanks for all your support and amazing comments.

Hope you all have a happy, healthy, creative, successful and fun 2012!

 x