Back to School . . . for teachers

Back to school goodies from Folksy for all you teachers out there, have a good term!

1. Laptop Sleeve Scattergood and Farmer

2. Orange Notebook Susan Green Books

3. Soft Black Kimono Style Cardigan iLEAiYE

4. Pencil / Glasses Case Covetables

Florence Friday

One from the archive this morning as I'm still in Northern Ireland without my own laptop. This little diptych shows two images taken by jumping up with my camera held aloft through sheer nosiness as I really wanted to see what was causing this lovely glow to emanate from behind the rails. A chandelier shop of course!

Home

I've been back home in Northern Ireland for just over a week and am having a splendid time catching up with my lovely family and friends, including the two beasts pictured above who are probably faring better than me after a weekend ploughing through the waves up at Benone. My right shoulder is aching after throwing Shadow's beloved ball, just check out his focus! I do feel hugely fortunate to have a family I adore and I don't just mean the dogs!

As I'll be going back to school in September I am having quite a few holidays this summer and have a happy amount of photographs building up! Next week I'll be back to work making up new designs, re-stocking my Folksy shops and investigating my new photographs.

Duomo Candles

A helpful hint from a helpful man

Yesterday I travelled home with a well known economy airline. Like many I went for the cheapest possible option selecting online check in and hand luggage only. I meticulously measured my little case to make sure it would fit within the hand luggage restrictions, weighed it and even removed my beloved laptop so it wouldn't exceed the weight limit. Even though I had travelled with the same airline and the same case before with no problem I was a little nervous. Why? The cage of doom which the supercilious staff demand your case fit into before boarding the plane. At the gate I was sneered at when the my little case wouldn't fit in and blushingly stepped back to let the man behind me have a go with his nearly identical case whilst the £30 demands were made by staff. The man's case went in no problem and he whispered to me as he went by "put in in upside down." So I did and it worked! The little case slid in and the two staff members, after consultation with each other had to admit me and my little case with no extra charge, their faces suggesting they might have just missed out on a bonus for swindling innocent travellers but ha!

A great £30 sized dose of gratitude to the kindness of strangers and for all of you travelling with little wheelie cases remember to stick it in the sizing cage upside down so the wheels don't block it's chance of proving it is as tiny as it looks!

The Sunlight on the Garden

The Sunlight on the Garden

The sunlight on the garden
Hardens and grows cold,
We cannot cage the minute
Within its nets of gold,
When all is told
We cannot beg for pardon.

Our freedom as free lances
Advances towards its end;
The earth compels, upon it
Sonnets and birds descend;
And soon, my friend,
We shall have no time for dances.

The sky was good for flying
Defying the church bells
And every evil iron
Siren and what it tells:
The earth compels,
We are dying, Egypt, dying

And not expecting pardon,
Hardened in heart anew,
But glad to have sat under
Thunder and rain with you,
And grateful too
For sunlight on the garden.

Louis MacNeice

This week started with looking forward to birthday and wedding celebrations and ends with saying goodbye to a dear friend of R's. Walking about the Lake District last week we laughed at tales you, T and R cycling a long way there and back, being forced to share a tent and going your own way home! We weren't expecting to be hearing the same story at your funeral just a few days later. I am thankful to have met you, goodbye Iain.

Florence Friday

A beautiful panorama from R this morning

Mr Tony Johnson

During our trip north we paid a visit to the Chain Bridge Honey Farm near Berwick upon Tweed to have a look at R's Dad's paintings. R had told me about the paintings his Dad, Tony Johnson, had been working on but I wasn't prepared for the sheer scale of work which he has produced. Several wall spaces in the visitor centre have been painted with local scenes, flowers and, of course, bees!


On the vast back wall of the main centre is a huge, intricately detailed pictorial map tracing the River Tweed along the borders and features over one hundred different scenes. It was this painting which really made my jaw drop, as the visual impact when you walk in the door builds ever greater as you move in to study each individual scene, fabulous work!

the pictorial map - so big I couldn't fit it all in to one photograph

It was wonderful having a guided tour by the artist himself as we were treated to all sorts of fascinating details about the paintings including where Mrs Johnson is hiding in one and even a cameo appearance of R's old car!

detail from pictorial map

details from current work in progress, photographed from below hence slightly odd angles

Congratulations!

Congratulation to the two winners of my blog giveaway! Yes, I decided to split it into two and give a way a photograph and an item of jewellery, so with the help of the random number generator I am pleased to announce that . . .

a blue silver plated charm bracelet will be on it's way to Skinner Studio


and a print of 'Down to il Duomo' to Kitschy Coo

Thank you for all your entries and Birthday wishes, we're back from our trip and have had a fabulous time! I'll be posting some images over the next few days of some of the gorgeous sights we saw. I'm going back to Northern Ireland next week to catch up with my lovely family and friends and one of my missions is to work through my bulging folders of photographs so there will be new ones listed soon.

P.S. Did you notice my new Artfire Rapid Cart to the right, you can now buy prints directly from here, hopefully there will be a wee jewellery one coming soon.

Coldingham

Great coastal walk which brought us both the sandy shores and a rocky beach at Coldingham. Separated by a small grassy hill we enjoyed the contrasts and collected even more sea glass on the the rocky beach before venturing over a further path to lovely St. Abbs.