Beautiful work

I've spent the morning helping David hang his exhibition at Attenborough Nature Centre.  He's been working hard toward it and has produced some really lovely paintings.  I really like these more abstract landscapes.

David Hallows. Untitled II.

David Hallows.  Untitled IV

The exhibition is on every day until the end of September and you can view the catalogue on line at Paper Pencil Paint.

A fine discovery

Postcards for Ikea by Maria Holmer Dahlgren

Mushroom picking

It was great staying in a caravan in the forest, though a little eerie.  At night you could hear the lonesome call of an owl.  We went foraging around a derelict church, gathering blackberries, where we disturbed a monkjack deer.  Down the lanes, I collected crab apples and some early sloes for sloe vodka.  I felt intune with all my forbears who have headed out into the late summer sun to gather what they can ahead of colder days.  On our last morning I took a walk across the fields and gathered mushrooms.  I have some sense about what I'm doing, I don't pick what I don't recognise, and mainly what I recognise are puffballs.  I felt exhilarated and so pleased to arrive back in suburbia with my crop.  I've gathered mushrooms before, but always chickened out when it came to eating them!  This time I sliced them finely, drizzled with olive oil and fresh basil.  They were so delicious!  None the less, I was convinced I would keel over, such is the power of folklore and our distance from nature.  I'm not sure if it was the mushrooms but I've been having the strangest dreams......

A fairytale inspired Folksy Friday

incywincystitches Little Red Set lobe Alice Sitting Natasha Morgan Alice in Wonderland Art Doll Paper Fish Plum Mushroom Charm Emma's Wolf Tin Moon Silent Theatre A dream within a dream Yasmin Bochi Mirror mirror on the wall earrings Hide n Seek Mom, this is my friend Penny Masquerade 'What big teeth you have' necklace

Choo! Choo!

The Bressingham Steam Museum, how exciting!  Two small boys and their Poppa were over the moon to see those trains!  The less train mad amongst us soon warmed to the beauty and charm of this day out.  Three rides on the Gallopers seemed to be the height of vintage holidaying.  I had tears in my eyes as I realised it was my first time on a carousel.

Sheringham

Beach art with washed up chalk and charcoal....

....by Dave.

A weathered beach hut

Blistering Barnacles

Sheringham Railway

I seem to have become a steam enthusiast!  Sheringham's railway adds to the charm of this very English sea side town.  Not overly tainted by tourism, the town leads to a number of beaches, divided by sea defences.  My favourite beach is a pebble one and we were merrily occupied in finding favourite pebbles, collecting and discarding, plopping them into the sea.  A picnic, ice-cream,  a walk to 'choose' a beach hut and then returning to the beach for fish and chips.  And all in the sunshine.

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

Lucie Rie Bowl c.1976

James Tower Vase 1986

I've visited the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia before and was really pleased to revisit.  Housed in a magnificent building designed by Norman Foster the gallery is full of light and dynamic spaces.  The building works really well as a visitor centre and from the exhibition spaces, to the cafe, shop and even the loos, everything is well designed.  Home to a beautiful collection of objects from around the world, there is an obvious passion in the collection for the archeological, for ceramics and for mid twentieth century design.  Unifying the collection is a pallette of muted tones and textures.  It's a very calming collection to be amongst and also very human with many domestic items and amulets, infused with a sense of the maker.

Sue Maufe 5000 Dogu 2010

unearthed exhibition guide

saltdough models

A museum

An exhibition of archeological figurines from many points of the globe, the unearthed exhibition worked well as an adjunct to the main collection.  Because they were representative of the human form, and because of their diminutive scale, it was hard not to engage with the exhibition.  Little Man loved it and was instantly inspired to make his own.  A few hours later and we all had our own saltdough figurine ready to bake!  The visit has spurred more creativity; this 'museum' logs the finds from our other adventures: pottery fragments from the river, sea worn glass from the beach, a birds egg from the silver birch copse at Anglesey Abbey.

Writing

I saw my beautiful Goddaughter whilst we were away.  Her sister is about to start school and has been bought her school uniform by her own Godmother, my good friend Else, who when she started school had the same honour bestowed on her by her Godmother.  It led me to thinking which time honoured tradition I would like to hand down to April.  I don't have a Godmother from whom to take my lead, but reflecting on life, I thought of my grandmother and the relationship we have had through letters.  She is now ninety nine and can still pen a beautifully crafted letter. 

I can't remember the last time I wrote a letter, but it is my intention to start writing again, with pen, on paper: to April, to friends and to my Grandma from whom I received my love of letter writing.

Silver Leaf Map Writing Set Alice Gabb Letters For The Regal Writer Penny Masquerade Murder She Wrote Typewriter Necklace Bee Brady Photography Letters Craftypagan Designs French Script Tags Karen Hilton Designs Red 1st Class Cushion She Draws Write Your Lovely Letters Here Hope House Press Leather Bound Journal in Pebble Red Beggars Bowl Handmade Miniature Silver Letter Pendant