Dyeing, paper napkin and the rest of the trip to Kent.

Another piece of silk but this time bundled with Blue dye giving Eucalyptus leaves. I boiled it for 3 hours in the orange leaf dye. I loved the result, wish l had used a much bigger piece of silk. Oh l also added a few rusty tins to the bundle as well..just remembered. Also I used no mordents with this bundle.

The next is a piece of silk which was wrapped around rusty tins and then just dyed in orange dye Eucalyptus leaves. I have not finished stitching it yet, but can you see the cats l stitched? Ha!

Now for something different, as they say on the TV!!! This started out as a napkin, that l saw at my daughter's flat. The minute l saw it l felt l wanted to do something with it. Here is the result...a stitched spoon, knife and fork!!!! I love it .....anyone tell me what they would do with it now? maybe a prize in it for some one...thinks!????

The rest of these images are from yesterday's trip to Kent. I was so amazed to see some many, what l think of late summer plants, still flowering. These Pansies for example and there were also African violets as well...very strange.

Yesterday, if you remember, l stayed taking images while Tony picked his aunt up. Well l also collected quite a few things as well as taking images!!!!As if you weren't surprised! One of the things l collected were these black berries. I have a horrible feeling these are Tuscan berries which are toxic..dam! if anyone is ready this l can comfirm that for me..please let me know!!!

I love ivy but this particular batch of ivy really caught my eye. Why? I think it was because it is so varied in colour and is small in size. It just looked so beautiful l had to show you!!

This is what is called "Old man's beard" and l love it. It is so delicate and magical looking and when it covers a whole tree, looks like something out of a fairy tale.

In the village where Tony's aunt lives, is this one house l always try to drive slowly past. The reason being he has such funny things in his front yard. This time the first thing you cannot fail to notice is...a giraffi hanging over the front railings!

The next is in the form of a rather large black and white cow!

And last but not least...a gorrilla, a pig and a couple celebrating New Year! Not sure l want to be their neighbours but it does make me smile, when l drive past it!

I have now found out these berries are not berries at all but crap apples. Every tree l have gone past in the last week or so is suffering under the amount on each tree. This one's branches are actually breaking under the strain. Shame the people who own this tree have not done some thing about it.

Being a passenger in the mini, l was reading and  happened to look up, to be met by this sight. ( see next image!) Just for a second l was extremley panicked.....then realised it was ok! The lorry was not coming straight at us, the wrong way on the road but was on tow!Phew!!!

The motorway was not quiet!!

The next few images are of the wonderful sky that we had all the way home.

Not sure what l did to achieve this image of the moon...but l like it!

And the last image..what better way to end a trip out but a quick trip to Staples....Ha! when did l ever manage a quickt trip to Staples?

Herringbone material and old buildings

More eco-dyeing folks. This is a piece of herringbone linen which was a sort of greyish colour. It was bundled with leaves l found around my estate the gardener had just brushed up into a pile! Then l boiled the bundle in (orange dye) Eucalyptus leaves for about 3 hours. I am very pleased with the end results. 

This is a piece of silk which was bundled together with bottle tops and red and pink rose petals then boiled in blue Eucalyptus leaf dye. I really love the effect and also the pale pink/yellowish colour.

 This silk has been bundled with slices of oranges. It is a lot deeper in colour than it appears in this image. For some reason l couldn't get the colour correct.

Today we went to visit our Aunty and took her out to Lunch at a pub/resturant in a 13th Century building called "The Dirty Habit"!! 

It is a beautiful building!

Most of the buildings in the village are hundreds of years old and built in the lovely Kentish style. While Tony collected Aunty Mo, l stayed behind to photograph the village. BUT oh my goodness it was COLD!!!!

Are these meant to be flowering now? outside?

I love the colour of this door and l would like to have my kitchen cupboards this colour . I also thought the Christmas decoration on this door was very unusual.

 Here is another gorgeous house in this village of Hollingbourne.

 Also in the village, there is this amazing building called Hollingbourne Manor... sigh! Wouldn't you love to own this glorious house? Here's hoping for the winning numbers in the Lottery on Saturday!!!

This next image shows you the gateway to the Manor and the Coach House. Don't you just love those gorgeously decorated gates?

This stone plaque was  high up on the wall, next to the main gates. I was unable to read it because of the height but also the sun was shining on it quite brightly! 

 Now to see inside the Dirty Habit!

These antlers are hung over a doorway inside the pub, which is so low, most people have to duck!

 One part of the restaurant has a beautiful fire that burns wonderful smelling wood logs.

 Then there is sort of "cosy" area to sit while you wait for your meal or have a few drinks with friends.

Most of the seating is wooden benches, as if you were in a church and in one corner is special seating "for Monks"! Some of the eating areas have normal chairs but they are all different in styles, patterns and colours.

And the last image is of something l love looking for...fungi. But l don't know the name of these particular ones!!!

More dyeing and bits around London!

I just love the way "things" happen when you let Nature work it's magic. This was a bright yellow table napkin which l eco-dyed with blue eucalyptus leaves....Can you see a tree? Love it.

I found a small, white bodice top in a charity shop and l wish it had been my size!!sigh!!! Not even my trips to the gym could get me to fit into this!Ha!  I dyed and bundled it with "blue" Eucalyptus leaves and added some copper plant labels into the bundle. Can you see the oblong shape?.... that's the label. Really pleased how this turned out. When l start my Etsy shop l think that's where this will go.

We drove past Buckingham Palace the other evening and through the side gates can you see the Christmas Tree?  The main Christmas tree is out the front of the Palace and it was huge. I couldn't take an image, as we were driving quite fast and you cannot stop opposite the front gates, for security reasons.

I spotted this window design on a London building, when l was looking up to see the moon. The structure around the window always reminds me of the buildings l saw in Paris.

While we were stopped at a set of traffic lights, l looked up and saw this building decoration. The rest of the building is so boring and dirty and yet this level is beautiful and looks as if it has been cleaned recently.

While we were again at another set of traffic lights, this car drove up beside us...drool. It was a Lamborghini...but bright yellow..oh have some style please!

 Can you see a cow on top of the building? Don't panic it is not real it is plastic!Ha