Sunday 25 July 2010

At last.....

Hello everyone and thanks so much for bearing with me.

I am feeling much better, and just want to thank you all again for your lovely messages of cheer and support. I will be contacting you all soon. I am so looking forward to catching up with all of my favourite blogs and finding out what you have all been doing.

I am so pleased to be feeling better and to have more energy again. I had such a happy beginning to June but after the wedding I seemed to slump and just felt very low and really quite exhausted; everything seemed to be a major effort and I seemed to have had no energy or ability to do it. Between the continual problems with our renovation work, a bad time at work with lots of uncertainty about what will happen, two more bouts of urticaria and feeling very down, I decided it was to to switch off for a bit, try to sort myself out and try to get things back in perspective. I realised that I was starting to panic about everything, even not doing my blog on time, and trying to impose too many things to do and too many restrictions on myself.

So I've had a time out and feel better than I have for a long while. There are still a lot of things going on, but that's life. I decided that I won't stick to a weekly post any more, but will be more spontaneous!

Once I started to feel better, I began to do some creative things. I've actually almost finished 2 very different dolls. I can't show you either just yet, for reasons which will become apparent but I should be able to very soon.

I've been completing my Spring embroidery; and inspired by Melissa I have been making lots of hexagon flowers. I have found this a great pastime while watching a film or DVD, in the evening! I also had a lovely day with some great company at Wendy's box making workshop. Here we all are in her living room having great fun sticking and folding fabric.


I had no idea this was being taken!
Some of us made Victorian Etui boxes and other boxes with drawers. Here is my Etui box. I finally got a special use for the beautiful vintage daisy button on the top sent to me by my kind friend Rosemary in Australia. It looks just right.

And here is the box open.

Enjoying the sun in Wendy's garden with our finished works!

The other ladies are all local patchwork and quilters and have inspired me to perhaps have a go at quilting again this autumn. We all enjoyed ourselves so much we have arranged to meet up again for a craft session in September. Wendy also put me in touch with a lady who runs a local embroidery group and I have been invited to join them on a Thursday evening in the autumn, which will be lovely. It's so nice to make new links with other creative people.

I've been asked if I am going to enter some of the handicraft classes in our local show, so I thought I might enter one of my embroideries and maybe one of my dolls? I don't know which ones though. Any thoughts?

With all this new energy I have been getting up and going for a walk every day, and this morning I managed to take some quite decent photos of some of our summer flowers and butterflies.

Here is the view from the top of the hill, I thought it looked quite pretty through the trees. You would not guess the City of Bristol is over the horizon.


There is a grassland common at the top of the hill beloved butterflies, and I managed to take this marbled white enjoying a sunbathe.

All the hedgerows are full of this wild clematis which we call "Travellers Joy". The fluffy seed heads of this plant are called "Old Man's Beard", but I prefer the more picturesque name!

This doesn't look like much, but it is the site of an iron age hill fort (about 8th century BC), where there was once a thriving community, now it is covered in plants and trees and a haven for wildlfe.

One of the tiny blue butterflies that love the grasslands, they are so delicate and pretty.

This almost looks like an autumn scene already, there are so many blackberries this year.


Now I'm off to enjoy the sunshine for the rest of the day. Hope it is shining on you wherever you are. x

12 comments:

  1. Glad you are back,I always enjoy reading your blog and missed it.For me its a touch of England I sorely miss.
    hugs JIll

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  2. Wow! What a post! You MUST be feeling better!!

    I know exactly what you mean about the pressure. I have been there, too. If you remember, a while back I had a plan for a post every day of the week. For some folks that might work. But for me it turned a fun activity into something I was beginning to hate. Now sometimes I post several times a week and sometimes once every other and I feel OK with that and not one of my readers has complained. We want to know you are enjoying yourself when you post. We don't want to be your second job!

    Sounds like you have been so busy even while you were resting!! I can't wait to see the dolls and am glad you are enjoying the hexies. I love them in the evening like you do. I really like that box? Is is for sewing supplies? I think I might like to try that if I can find a pattern.

    I love Prima Vera, Herald of the Spring as a show and I love those embroidered Flora and Fauna pieces you did. But all of your embroidery is so amazing that picking just one should prove very difficult for you!.

    I still love the photos of the stunning area in which you live. Take care. Be healthy. Be happy. And welcome back!!!

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  3. Good to see you back. You have a beautiful smile. It is good to see you in the pictures. Your box is amazing. I love it. xJ

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  4. I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better - and I LOVE that box :)

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  5. Oh, I'm so glad you are ok. I was there in the UK for almost a month. When I returned I was saddened to hear you were not well. I knew something had to be wrong since I had not heard from you regarding my trip. As I've been posting, I do love the UK. The weather was very, very cold in Scotland and Ireland had rain a lot but I could feel the beauty anyway.

    Worries about "posting on time" plague me too. It really is silly when you think of it and put it into the scheme of things.

    I look forward to seeing these new mysterious dolls. I'll bet you are going to be published! Yeah!

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  6. So glad you are back and doing better girlfriend. I can relate to how you were feeling. Sometimes life just get's to be too many things to do and it gets overwhelming.
    Glad you had time to do a fun workshop. The box is beautiful!
    Hugs to you always,
    Shell

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  7. Glad to know you are on the mend and have had a lovely time even creating. Love the box it is beautiful. I look forward to seeing your new dolls

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  8. wonderful to have you back, but I sure do understand the lack of energy.

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  9. I had no idea you were not feeling well. I am so glad to hear you have good energy again.
    I love that box idea, wow. And your photos are so lovely.
    Wishing for your sadness to lift~
    sending a warm heart your way.

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  10. Glad you are are feeling a bit more energetic Jules-sometimes you just have to stop and literally smell the roses and watch the small creatures getting on with life. I find the garden the most healing of places.
    Looking forward to seeing the dolls.

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  11. So glad to see you back and feeling well!

    That box is amazing!! Thanks for sharing the gorgeous pictures. They were very soothing.

    ~magick~
    Melissa

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  12. Hiya Jules! So pleased that you're back. Real life sure gets in the way sometimes; and sometimes it's ourselves putting on the pressure!! Glad you're feeling better and rested; and still creating! ;) Love your new blog layout; your magic box (I collect boxes- mostly timber but that one looks divine!); and that butterfly on your header! I know your dolls will be beautiful and can't wait to see them too! Best Wishes, Sandi xo

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