A new blog!

I have decided, now that my time in Cyprus has come to an end, to start a new blog based on what I'm up to now I'm back in the real world!

I am concentrating on my embroidery work once again, but this time using my experience from Cyprus to enhance my ideas. To follow this new blog please go to:

http://www.sarahhomfray.blogspot.com/

You can add yourself as a follower if you like....

On yer bike....

This is my inauguration into the biking world! Having been stuck in traffic several times this week I have decided getting onto two wheels might be a good idea. This particular set of two wheels is Jonathans bike and don't worry I sat on the back and not in the driving seat! Thought this would be a great place to start:

The helmet, jacket and gloves are mine (it was an expensive day!). Had a great ride, I would have been grinning all the way if the helmet would have let me do so!

This is what the professionals look like....

Artistic DIY

Well the only painting I have done since I have been back is the ceiling and the walls! Trying desperately to finish my studio space so that I may get on with some work in it, but forces seem to be against us. We thought we had nearly finished when a floorboard nail went through a copper pipe (stupid place to put a pipe) and all the water leaked through the floor and the ceiling below! The pipe is mended (see picture) but now we have no hot water!

Consequently, we are going backwards and the studio is in a worse condition than when we started. Now there is a big hole in the floor!

I am considering a set of embroideries based on DIY as this seems to be dominating our life at the moment, and why not use this as inspiration? Copper pipes make interesting shapes when they criss cross each other not to mention the cobwebs hanging from the single light bulb up in the attic above the hot water tank.

Also battling with slugs in the garden. They munched their way through a whole Lobelia plant the other day, little ********'s! I am imagining a stupwork slug leaving a trail of silver thread behind it.....

It's amazing where inspiration can come from!

Being back in England

Well, I've been back for 3 weeks now and Cyprus seems like a long way away. I've been making myself at home again, unpacking boxes, painting walls, assembling furniture and digging my garden. Put 5 fish in the pond and haven't seen them since. I was looking forward to sketching those!

I've been back to the RSN (Royal School of Needlework) this week. It was great to see my colleagues again and catch up with all that is happening there. Lots of new exciting changes going on; they are getting ready for the new courses starting in September. I shall be on another plane by then, heading for Oregon, USA for a class in traditional samplers.

At the moment I'm currently working in a half decorated studio (running out of enthusiasm for stripping wallpaper!) on a design for an embroidered Sari. Enjoying the design process immensely. I haven't had much chance to do any drawing since I came back so this process has been extra enjoyable. I have to draw a design of how the sari is to look. I've never done any fashion drawing before so this will be a challenge for me. Hopefully, the life drawing I did in Cyprus will come in useful.

Well, it's been quite an intense week so I'm off to relax for the rest of Friday night...

Going home....

Well, my bags are packed and my studio is cleared. It's time to go home. Keep watching though for the next part of the journey.....