Holiday Week

Well this is where I spent most of Bank Holiday Monday : a small Norfolk village which I had never heard of let alone visited. It was the day of the Village Fete, and it was a glorious day. I'd been asked by a new musical friend Lesley whether I'd like to join them as the  comedy act  musical entertainment in the Tea Rooms.  It was a really lovely couple of hours, just sitting there, playing folk tunes and being fed tea and cake and being appreciated.

       OK, not the best of photographs, but thank you to the member of the public who took it for us.

After all the sunshine - when have we ever had TWO bank Holidays full of sunshine? - the week was chilly and dull here, rain at times. Sigh. But today the sun is back and it is gorgeous. Quick nip into the garden to get some herbs for dinner.

                   Look, my beautiful sage flowers are just about to burst forth, aren't they lovely?

And the sage, lovage and mint story continues. Soon be enough mint for a mahoosive bowl of tabbouleh - that's when I KNOW summer is on its way. Lovage and chives into the bacon and leek casserole for tonight. And some for a large quiche I'm making for a special event tomorrow.

Quick update on the lino carving - I've been trying to sketch hares - well, cheating by copying them.

OK, so the haunches on this hare would launch a heavy horse over a five barred gate, but I think the general gist is there, isn't it? I quite like the carving to be honest.

And now, for the REALLY exciting event of the week: Yes! My new melodeon has arrived! Everyone has had a good drool over it, and it has been responsible for at least TWO very expensive purchases by Other People who Should Know Better!

Isn't that beautiful?? A Beltuna 'Alex' 3 voice, two and a half row, 12 bass  D/G melodeon, in cherrywood, hand crafted in Italy. Custom lay-out. (We designed it by juggling the Andy Cutting/ Julian Sutton/ Nick Wiseman-Ellis layouts and coming up with exactly what I wanted/needed. )

I have played it, it's quite different to my Saltarelle, also bigger and heavier. But so many extras I shall need a lesson just to have them explained to me! I took it to the session last night to be ooohed and ahhhed over, but I played my Saltarelle, no way am I going to be up to session speed on the Beltuna for quite some time to come!

So all in all it has been a brilliant week, and more to come tomorrow. But I'll tell you about that next time. Now I must take some time to read all your blogs, I just haven't got round to it for days. Have good weekends, everyone.

Lino prints and feeling felty.

Tapping away at my lap-top in rhythm to the pattering of the rain on the conservatory roof. Actually, I have a sneaking feeling of comfort and cosyness, despite the awful weather; I don't have to go out again today, Jim's away so no big meal to cook, chores done this morning so rest of the day to myself. Off to Norwich with friend Sue K tomorrow- we have booked lunch at Jamie Oliver's new (ish) restaurant, and we will be having a wander round the shops, no doubt. Then on to my melodeon lesson, always a high spot in the week. Thursday again, a take-it-easy kinda day , Friday quick whizz round the shops for mum then back home to pack...I am off for a weekend at Witney, Oxfordshire with a load of other melodeonistas for 2 days of workshops! Yay! And guess who is one of the tutors....yessssss! ANDY CUTTING! Phew, calm down Lynne. Anyway, I wil fill you in about that when I get back...blogging will be a little behind I'm afraid. I am thoroughly enjoying my low-key, kicking-back, sybaritic week.

A photo of the finished wool/felt cushion, I rather like the little 'tongues' round the edge, don't you?

And this is just a glimpse of a felty heart which has been winging its way to a bloggy friend.

And this is a glimpse of the dining room table which is going to stay like this for the next couple of days -  but I will tidy up before I go, promise!

Now though these next photos are not textile related, I want to talk about them for a couple of reasons. The first is that I love graphic prints, and these lino cuts are brilliant. And secondly I love to give a heads up to local Norfolk artists and crafters.

 I adore the work of  Angie Lewin, and pore over her book Plants and Places often; and a book by printmaker Mark Hearld is hopefully going to find its way into my Christmas stocking. I noticed these lovely lino cuts on Pinterest - sorry I can't remember whose - and clicked on through to read all about Amanda Colville, and immediately remembered reading about her as a winner in Country Living's Kitchen Table Talent Awards 2012 - the September issue. Amanda did a printmaking course at the College of West Anglia and went on to create these fabulous lino prints, using of all things, an old mangle! She has a blog  mangleprints.blogspot.co.uk and a website. Her prints are available on-line and at some interesting shops around the UK.....our nearest is at  Dalegate Market, Burnham Deepdale on the north Norfolk coast. A really good excuse for a trip out if you ask me!

I have contacted Amanda and have her permission to include her photos here. My post-header is of course one of her prints, too. I'd just like to wish her luck in her enterprise and hope she gets lots of lovely orders for Christmas!


Well that's it for now folks, just like to say I was a trifle overwhelmed by the response to my '50 shades of gery' hair colour! I hope you will be as fulsome in your praise for Amanda's work. See you after the weekend, I'm now going to settle down to more stitching whilst listening to Michael Jayston reading aloud to me from a PD James thriller - what's not to love?