Autumn Look Back

What does Autumn mean to you? Cooler weather? The end of summer? Nights drawing in? Downhill all the way? Personally, I've always enjoyed Autumn. Possibly because September is my birthday month, but mainly because I've always seen it as a New Beginning. This stems from schooldays, of course, but decades later, that feeling lingers on. I look forward to a change in my cooking, what I'm wearing, and sometimes even an improvement in television programmes! I don't focus on the coming bad weather, or being clogged up to the knees by fallen leaves in our garden. Our cottage, dark even on the brightest summer day, comes into its own when the weather is grey, enfolding us with its thick walls;  the low, beamed ceilings and small windows keeping the warmth in. Autumn is a good time to pause and look back at the year so far, and I've been doing this a lot recently.

Remember in early spring, I said I felt an uncomfortable restlessness? That feeling manifested itself as a very strong desire to move further east of the county, to a lovely market town called Fakenham. I'm not going into the whys and wherefores, suffice it to say, that after a good deal of effort on my part, we shall NOT be moving. I'm very sad about it, but there we are, not up for discussion on here because to be honest a) it still upsets me and b) I am totally bored going over and over the reasons why and why not. Instead, we have an action plan for changing a few things round here, both in the cottage and in our lives. Sometimes out of sadness comes forth sweetness. I think that's a quote from the bible but no idea where.

So that, in a nutshell is why there have been few posts this year. Too much going on, and then, finally, too upset to post. Even my beloved Burwell Bash didn't happen for me this year, though we did drive over there for the Friday afternoon concert. It was a good move, and re-connected me with my "Other Family", in fact I was hugged to death, I felt so happy to have been remembered by everyone.

The moment when Tola Custy, fiddle tutor and internationally renowned fiddle player, noticed me in the audience. Also seen are my lovely friends Debs, Jayne, Thelma, and Jude, with Nicky at the back with a tree growing out of his head!

I have done a couple of craft fairs this summer, at the Fakenham Makers Market and also the second summer at Back to the Garden in Letheringsett where the sun shone both days, I sold a bit, got a commission, and interest shown by the owner of an interior design shop in Kensington. (I didn't follow this one up, as I don't want to change what I do, nor be burdened by deadlines, but it was very flattering, nonetheless.)

The hare cushion could have sold several times over! I must make another one of these, they seem popular.

I did the June Fakenham Makers Market as I told you in my last post; in August I didn't have a stand but had promised to provide some "musical wallpaper" with my two friends Marj and Rob. We played for two hours and enjoyed ourselves. Apparently we went down well with the punters and stall holders.  I'm busy preparing more cushions for this month's craft fair, at the moment.

Earlier this month I attended a great mosaic workshop with the lovely Carolyn Ash, who incidentally made one of the Go-Go Dragons exhibited around Norwich. I've always loved mosaics and am now busy collecting and smashing crockery to make my own. Here are some photos to give you an idea how we got on.

My effort, un-grouted. I could have placed the pieces closer together, but you learn as you go along.

My "Heart" mosaic, grouted and some glitter added to the spaces. I'm quite pleased with it.

Two small mosaics by the other students on the day. We had great fun!

                                One of Carolyn's mirror frames Oh! Look! Who's that??

A lady who was a student of Carolyn a couple of years ago, now makes her own brilliant mosaic art. Sue Welfare, a novelist, felt-maker, artist and mosaicist, lives in Norfolk and is also a regular on the craft fair circuit. I saw this wonderful piece on her stand at the Burnham Market Craft Fair a couple of weeks ago.

This is "Star-gazey Pie" and I love it to pieces. I have a very special place in mind for this which I'll tell you about in another post. I just love the amount of detail Sue has managed to suggest in this piece; the fresh sardines sticking their heads out of the pie-crust, sitting on the kitchen table next to a vase of flowers, in front of the kitchen fire-place. Absolutely genius! I'm off this week to see more of Sue and Carolyn's work at Mosaic Madness, an exhibition being held until the 19th September at the Dragonfly Hall in Watton, Norfolk. Do go and see it, you Norfolk readers!

So there we are, finally got my act together and got this written. Profuse apologies to all my blogging friends - having distanced myself from my own blog I found myself unable to even look at yours let alone read and comment on them. I have a huge amount of catching up to do! Fingers crossed I won't be as slow getting the follow-up written! Happy Autumns, everyone!