Since Christmas the weather has been dreadful with high winds and lashing rain so working outside in the garden or going for walks has been out of the question. We did brave the cliff tops on New Year's Eve and almost got blown away!
The waves were spectacular and we were so glad to get out in the fresh air that we didn't mind getting blown about a bit and tramping through lots of mud! We noticed that the hedgerows are full of Butterbur and the air is full of their lovely sweet scent! Also, the catkins are forming on the hazel bushes. Just what you need to remind you that Spring is not far away!!!!
Now that Christmas is over, we're getting back to our daily routine and I'm beginning to feel more settled and able to start making things again. So today with the rain bouncing off the conservatory roof and the wind whistling in the chimney, out came the Gelli plate and the paint, stamps, sponges etc and I've been having fun.
It's so windy round here that, at the coast, the trees lean heavily in the direction of the prevailing Westerly winds. So on the theme of tree rhythms, I made a stamp to represent the way the trees look and using some hand dyed fabric, my Gelli plate and the lovely fabric paint my DH bought me for Christmas, these were the results!
This afternoon, I started cutting up the fabric pieces and made a collage that I think will be the start of my piece. It's quite small, only 30cms square, but I'm going to add some machine and hand stitch and see where that takes me.
If I don't like it, I don't have to use it but it will be good to get something finished even if it's not perfect. Indeed looking for perfection in anything is pretty much a waste of time and in the past I've wasted a lot of valuable time because I was too worried about how my work would be received and whether it would be good enough. Now the main thing that concerns me is that whatever I do, I want to enjoy it without worrying too much about it. Not that I don't take my work seriously and try to make it as good as I can, but once the fun goes out of it, and it becomes a chore, well that would be the end for me.
So even though I'm not really making resolutions for the New Year, if I was, mine would be just that. Enjoy making things just for the sake of it, and give yourself plenty of time to play!
