ANOTHER NEW SKETCHBOOK

 

I've just realised I haven't posted anything from sketchbook no 41 which I started in January with this title page combining some snowdrops from the garden with a simple numeral.

 

 

Here is the cover, a pretty batik fabric (thank you Juliet!) and my favourite pen at the moment tucked into the spine.

The pages measure 11 x 17 centimetres.

 

 

It's quite a small book made from some watercolour cards I bought last year but never used so they seemed perfect to make into a book, being already folded.

 

There were few flowers around when I started to fill the book and this page is one of my favourites, some hellebores from a plant given to me by Justine about 10 years ago.  They never fail to pop up in January and brighten up the dark winter days.

I have a few dried Hydrangeas in a vase and one day I noticed how well they co-ordinated with my little Canterbury pottery vase containing a few narcissi.

 

 

A few years ago when I cleared out my mother-in-law's patio pots she gave me the old miniature daffodil bulbs to take home and they are still going strong in a corner of the herb garden where I can see them from the kitchen window.

 

There are always bunches of tulips in the shops at this time of year and I can't resist bringing some home to draw and just enjoy of course! 

You might have seen some of these sketches recently turned into needlepaintings and there are a lot more to come too when I get around to the next batch of drawings.  I hadn't planned to make this a nature journal but that is how it's turning out although it was originally made for our trip to Italy last summer which we had to postpone.

Have a nice weekend, remember to cherish your mothers on Sunday, I'm busy drawing mine at the moment ready for tomorrow when I'll be posting it on Facebook.

8 MORE PORTRAITS

 

This week I've been drawing my grandchildren and my sister's children.

Here is Stephanie aged 4 after a birthday party with a butterfly painted on her face.

 

Stephanie has beautiful straight dark hair that feels like silk, I used to love washing and drying it in the days when I lived in England and popped in every week after work.

 

Kirsty, the redhead, has a beautiful smile that lights up a room.

 

As an adult now she is still full of fun and that hair is a wonder, very Pre-Raphaelite!

 

Jimmy as a baby already had his big greeny grey eyes.

 

He is turning into a handsome young boy now, the apple of his mummy, Jo's eyes!

 

My sister Juliet has a lovely daughter, Esther.

 

And a good-looking son called Sebastian.

A BITS AND PIECES WEEK!

 

It's been a funny week, I couldn't quite get down to some needlepainting so I decided to sketch my bunch of tulips from Lidl instead and straight away I came up with an idea for depicting them in fabric.  I got out all the bits of fabric and made a pile ready to get on with later, but first I had to finish off a few other projects.

 

Here are 2 new A5 notebooks ready for the garden party in April.

 

 

And half a dozen sketchbooks filled with proper drawing paper in 3 sizes.

 

 

I found a fascinating fabric backed cork textile in the sewing shop recently and designed a sketchbook to cover it with which incorporated a beautiful wrapping paper I've been hoarding for years.  I made the end papers with the turquoise as well as putting some on the cover, I just love this colour combination, don't you?

 

Yesterday in the post a lovely parcel of silk fabrics arrived from Kirsty and Justine and I couldn't wait to get started on making a couple more sketchbooks.  I've already torn and folded 7 large sheets of drawing paper and cut out the covers.  I'll be hard at work stitching and glueing this afternoon while Bob enjoys the rugby.

 

I've been wanting to recover this little lampshade for years and I finally got around to it this week on a rainy Wednesday morning.

So as you can see I've been very busy doing lots of  bits and pieces and maybe next week I will catch up with the portraits and a bit of needlepainting!

 

 

 

PORTRAITS CATCH-UP

 

A few more drawings from my portrait sketchbook, this first is of my little sister Juliet taken at the same time as the last two of Christopher and me from the previous portrait post.

 

 

Here's mummy with a big smile on her face just after becoming a grandmother to Justine in 1967.

 

Nearly 50 years later and here is her youngest great-granddaughter, Sarah. 

 

And finally a picture of Sarah aged 4.  I like to use co-ordinating colours on opposing pages and this pair looks really nice in the book.  Now it's back to work to fill a few more pages.

See you next week and hope the sun shines on you as spring comes along!