How Time Goes Faster As You Get Older.blog

I stayed with Lizzy, Sarah and Rafi for 4 days in Faras, Kefalonia in Greece. We had a marvellous time as did Barbie and Carlos.

Limnisa is my go to holiday. It is a yoga and writing retreat where we are silent in the morning, have delicious food and watch the most amazing sunsets.

On going to the Taverna

6th September 2025

Dreamcatchers inspired by some stickers from Sostrene Grene.

7th September 2025

Using plants and feathers.

8th September 2025

Using stencils and stamp ink pads

9th September 2025 (3squared.3squared.5squared)

All plants this time.

10th September 2025

Using only the centre part of the stencils.

11th September 2025

Using the shape of the square tin and purple pipe cleaners with embroidery.

12th September 2025

I needed to finish off my paper supply and as I was heading off to the airport they needed to dry quickly. Simple yet sumptuous!

Just before I left Limnisa, I offered my fellow writers whatever dreamcatcher they wanted. I was delighted that 12 had been taken. Amazing. Katarina who works there took 2 last time and on 2 different occasions, she left her window open in her car and they were stolen from her dashboard! Fame at last….

It was wonderful to photograph the moon over the ocean. I learnt hot to alter the exposure and take some videos.

I decided to make Sunday 17th August 2025 a crafting day. Firstly the auspicious number. 17 is a prime number and 17 + 8 = 25. Whoohoo!

I went back to Bad Coffee in Hackney Wick for a special morning cappuccino. Then scootered off to the Tufting Class. I wanted to make a mat for Harry and Gemma to stand on to change Luna in her bedroom. Boy oh Boy. This tufting gun is the best fun. As Luna is a moon, I made a green rug with a cream moon. So very satisfying.

After lunch with Nicky and Dee in Stokey, I scootered to meet Deborah for my lovely birthday treat – mending broken pottery with glue and gold!

I found this knock off Barbie for £3 and so just couldn’t resist. I come annually to stay with Fran and Phil in Mallety, France in the summer. We had fun and games.

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I come to Mallety, Limoges, France for a few days in the summer between work weeks when I am in the UK and stay at the most wonderful barn that used to be part of crafty retreats. I stay with a fabulous couple, Fran and Phil. I bought A4 sized card and used their guillotine to chop it in half to make 30 A5 pieces. I always make dreamcatchers and because I brought with me lots of ink stamps and a set of the English alphabet, I made a set of 26 using the letters and the stencils I had also brought with.

The letter stamps, the stencils and the whole alphabet. And the bags I made for them to keep them contained.

More items to come soon!

I found these two characters in Hydra, Greece and knew I could do something with them at some point. I took them when I went to see Sandra in Berwick upon Tweed for a wonderful 4 day visit early July 2025. It was wonderful to see into her new life after spending so much time with her in Long Buckby.

She volunteers at the honey farm at the Chain Link bridge with her partner Hugh and lots of other lovely people. We had an Indian meal out one night and she cooked all my favourite usuals (including fish pie). I swam early every morning and even did an aqua fit class. Enjoy.

I love to look at Eventbrite for last minute craft workshops. The one with Steph caught my eye. It was at 09.30 on Sunday 13th July 2025 at Hackney Wick. This felt auspicious. It was my oldest son (Harry’s) 28th birthday and we had cycled along this towpath without the use of phones from Highbury to the Olympic Park many moons ago. We were taught about foraging, what was safe, how to do it expertly and without significantly depleting natural resources. We had a tote bag with gloves, bags, scissors and secateurs for the morning.

Cardboard loom

This is a simple loom that is quick to set up but the cardboard always remains in place. I used the yarn from the baby blanket I am knitting for my first grandchild (now a week overdue). As Harry and Gemma don’t know the gender it is a lovely sage green colour.

Hazel loom

Steph brought along some sticks of hazel and I used string to tie them together and make the warp.

Foraged loom

I then made a loom out of some sticks I had foraged and used pink raffia to tie it together and make the warp. I found a piece of heart shaped bark and wrapped some raffia around that too and attached it centrally.

A wonderful morning workshop. Thanks Steph

And then I went to Mallety, near Limoges, France and carried on.

And this time used lilac embroidery thread to keep the moss in

One for Fran and Phil

This one needed reinforcement as the top branch broke repeatedly. I have put in moss with a ring pull just for Phil who is a coca cola addict!

One with some prickly holly and feathers

One for Miriam from the local area and her lovely garden

I spent the Monday with my colleague Eli. She suggested we go to an exhibition at Tate Modern by Do Ho Suh. He was born in Korea and lived in both New York and London. He uses embroidery, paint and builds amazing things out of brightly coloured nylon.

Embroidery pieces

Man at the end of a spiral

Man running with his house on his back

More buildings

Paper rubbings from a building, let it age for a year and then put up as a new “building”

Repeat patterns

Dress of Do Ho Suh’s children with memoroabilia

Putting his house from Korea into his New York appartment

My favourite bit – colourful fixtures and fittings from properties

Fixtures and fittings

Doors and walls

Eli and me!

See it for yourself!