Sew! This is Christmas

I never got around to putting this post's title in an embroidery hoop as I intended but here is a little glimpse of some of the sewing I did get away with this Christmas (the advantage of being a visitor rather than visited at this time of year). I've become quite absorbed with making these soft sculptures: another mussel shell ( to partner the first made in the summer hols), a starfish and an as yet unfinished jellyfish.

And here are some of the new toys/tools I got for Christmas - a soldering iron and some hole cutters. I think m&d thought we could put the hole cutters to some DIY use but I have crafting plans for those!

Hope you all had a great Christmas and got at least a little of what you hoped for. 

I'll post some snaps of my new crafting toys in the coming days but in the meantime here are some photos of the collections at the amazing toy museum at Sintra. 

(anyone else find large groups of dolls sat together a little spooky, and what is the collective noun for a group of dolls?)

Unseasonal trees

During a break in Portugal over the autumn half term I became slightly obsessed with a cloud-like group of trees that stand on the hillslopes close to the World Heritage Site of Sintra. Sintra itself is an amazing complex of palaces gardens and woodlands top off with a moorish castle. I spied the "broccoli trees" (as OH and son named them) during a tram ride between Praia das Maçãs (beach of apples, apparently they used to wash down onto the beach from the orchards) and Sintra but it is pretty tricky to take a photograph from a moving tram,  even more so when it is peeing down with rain. I was keen to start working on this print when we got back, but by the time it was finished in early December it felt a  little bit out of sync with the season so I put most of the edition to one side, and I think I will probably leave it there until spring. 

Last minute shopping...

Just a little reminder that there are still beautiful art and crafts to be had at

The Art Market Showcase at Huddersfield Art Gallery

Printmaking@Central Hall, Keighley

Crafts for Christmas at the Cooper Gallery, Barnsley

As well as the independent retailers featured to the right

(Do check the links for opening times to avoid disappointment!)