Books - Catch Up

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

I finished this book a bit ago.  I wanted to document my recent read before my from the blog for a bit.

I was surprised to find this book was first published in 1925.  Anthony Cade is doing a favor for a friend when he heads to the UK from France. A simple delivery.

Well, when he arrives at Chimney, the grand estate in the late evening he senses something amiss so decides to leave under the cover of dark and return in the morning.

There has been a murder! The story was very well done and Anthony uses his charm to get to the bottom of it and into a woman's heart.

It was a very good read.  I will keep an eye out for more of her books.

It's always good to reconnect with Kinsey Milhone in B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton.  This is the second book.

Beverly Danziger is looking for her sister Elaine Boldt and hires Kinsey to locate her. 

Elaine does go to Florida for a few months in the winter but her pattern of behavior changes just before she leaves. She takes off a few days prior to her plan, she leaves in the dead of night and where is her cat?

There has been a fire in the house next to Elaine's apartment building in Santa Teresa. Elaine knew Marty Grice her neighbour. 

Kinsey heads to Florida and finds Pat Usher living in Elaine's flat.  She is subletting she says.  No sign of Elaine.

There is a connection between the fire and Elaine's disappearance and as usual the final chapter things turn completely upside down.

Great read!

Another great book! The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley.

Verity Grey is asked to join an archaeology dig in Scotland to uncover an ancient Roman site. She leaves London and takes the bus to the town of Eyemouth, Berwickshire then makes her way to Rosehill estate a good walk from the town.

Peter Quinnell has searched his whole live for the Ninth Roman Legion. Verity is reacquainted with a past boyfriend and there is David Fortune an archaeologist who teaches at University of Edinburgh and is part of the crew on the dig.

The gatehouse at Rosehill estate houses a small family - Brian, Jeannie and Robbie McMorran. Brian is a fisherman and is away a lot, Jeannie is the cook at Rosehill and Robbie is a very special young boy.

There are romantic interests, the sound of galloping horses when none are about, and those who have the second sight.

After a couple days, I had just sit down and finish this book. The history recounted in this story is wonderful. 

I found several Sue Grafton books at the thrift store a while ago so I picked up about 5 of them.

K is for Killer by Sue Grafton is this one.  I missed Henry Pitts the landlord this story. 

Janice Kepler is a grieving mother who can't leave the death of her beautiful daughter Lorna alone.

 
Kinsey pieces together Lorna's young life: a dull day job a the local water treatment plant spiced by sidelines in prostitution and pornography. She tangles with Lorna's friends: a local late-night DJ, a sweet, funny teenaged hooker, Lorna's sloppy landlord and his exotic wife.

This story was full of suspense and twists and turns and really finishes with a bang on the last few pages.

 

Christmas Store - Spruce Grove Gallery

I have a table at the Christmas Store.

• Tree Scent Ornaments - add essential oil to the felt to give your artificial tree a seasonal touch.
• Oil Diffusers in Travel Case - stitched felt applique designs stored in a plastic travel case
• Fabric Coasters - 4x4 inch coaster set of 2 in cotton/linen fabrics - some have been stitched 
• Bottle Bag - A tall bag to carry a bottle to an event - be it wine, vinegar, flavored oil
• Book/Craft Bag - a bag to carry and protect your current read - can be used for needle project
• Brooches - Stitched felt ones as well as shrink plastic designs
• Needle Cases - Containers to safely carry your applique and stitching needles
• Post It Note Holders - 3x3 notes tucked into a sleeve with photo - just tug on the tab to pull out
• Magnets - My watercolor art printed onto photo paper made into magnets set of 4

Slow Stitching - No. 048 - Cloth Gathering

Next piece of  K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024.

Week 48 - Cloth Gathering.

I chose this soft yellow cotton fabric. I cut a piece 3 times the length of my anticipated final piece (5.5 x 3 =16.5 inches). 

I used pieces of embroidery floss longer than the cloth by a few inches.  I chose them from my ORTS tin. I think I did 9 rows of running stitch.  Make sure your knot is secure - a back stitch would be helpful.

I then pulled the threads to scrunch up the fabric. It feels really nice.

I really liked the stem stitch along the top edge which was just stitched to the top of each fold in green thread. I put crosses in blue on the left.  I did not find adding stitches to this piece easy except the stem stitch.

Drawing - Quick Doodle

A quick doodle with a graphite pencil after a day of packing more of the kitchen.

I used a Faber-Castell Ecco Pigment pen to add more details.

The washes were added with Payne's Grey and Deep Red watercolor pencils by Faber-Castell.  Got deeper color by letting it dry and doing it over again.

Like it!

 

Slow Stitching - Extra Squares

Another extra square of slow stitching. I have used up the supplies I had packed for being away so I will have to dig out some more.

White cotton top layer on a foundation piece.  I did not learn my lesson about now covering the front with fabric as well which makes for a thick piece.  In all fairness, I did not have a plan when I started.

I chose strips of purple fabric in various patterns. I stitched the horizontal lines first in running stitch with purple thread from the ORTS tin.

Then I did the vertical ones with bright pink thread. Along the way I had found the lace flower I had dyed a while back and decided to use it.

I tacked it in place then added a purple circle which I over cast stitched to the piece. Then I added a lot of French Knots in yellow in the middle of that.  That was very thick with 4 layers of fabric.  Turned out nice.

Slow Stitching - Extra Squares

Another Extra Square for my slow stitching project.

I decided on a landscape composition.  I invisilbe stitched my white layer to my foundation layer.

I added a couple of pieces of blue for the sky with a yellow sun.

Two grey mountains and a green layer of trees.

A deeper blue layer at the bottom of lake and a brown piece for land.

Mostly running stitches on these pieces. A bit of seed stitching. 

I did triangles on the green for trees but it is not very visible.

Slow Stitching - No. 047 - Wrinkle Stitching

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024

Week 47 - Wrinkle Stitching - wrinkling a piece of cloth then stitching along the fold lines creating a random pattern. Filling in the spaces you have created with the stitched lines.

I chose three pieces of pink linen as I needed something perky.

I scrunched it up then basted it to the foundation piece. The stitching in pink the same as the fabric is the original wrinkle stitching. 

Then, I got carried away.  I wanted colorful but I may have filled it in a bit too much.

It is what it is.  It is what I needed today. 

Ink Drawing - Flowers

A pretty set of flowers today drawn with another Staedtler pen - cool roller.

Turns out it is not permanent so no watercoloring this bunch of flowers.

I love these nice smooth lines in this cool ink color.

I am working on the kitchen today and leaving just bare minimum dishes to facilitating feeding myself. 

Still waiting! 

Watercolor Painting - Green Leaves

I created this green leaves piece last night prompted by a photo challenge of green.

I used my rag tag watercolor pencils and the pencil sharpener to get some pencil shavings onto my watercolor palette.

With 2 greens, 2 yellows and a grey I managed to get a variety of colors for this collage.

Once it was dry I added the lines between the squares with a marker.

I then used a fine marker to draw leaves in the spaces. All kinds and shapes with a bit of help from the internet.

It's nature wonderful.

This morning looking at it I'm not sure that I will do for a photo challenge.

I will scour the place to find something green to shoot. I do have plants if worse comes to worse.

Slow Stitching - Extra Squares

Sewing Group

I have joined a group who meets to do sewing the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.

The last group shut down when the pandemic hit and our leader moved away.

I got a call in early October to attend the first meeting. We brainstormed who we could find from the old group to invite? What was the purpose of the group? When were we going to meet? 

A women's group. Tradition quilting is the focus but all are welcome with whatever project they are working on.

We will meet from 10 to 12 Noon then have lunch together for fellowship.

I missed the last meeting due to commitments here at home and made it for a bit of lunch. 

Today, was our third meeting and fortunately I was able to attend.  With most of my stuff packed I brought my slow stitching.  The 2024 challenge will produce 53 pieces about I think I need 56 for the project so there is room for a few free lance pieces.  I pull some fabric bits, some foundation pieces, my tools box and the floss box and a bit of lunch and headed out.  It was a great time. Three of the ladies are working on their own traditional quilting projects, another brought knitting and me with my slow stitching. We shared our projects and then 3 of us had lunch together it was great.

I cut my foundation pieces 5.5 inches square from white cotton - top white and the bottom stained. I brought pink fabric scraps and some green.  I cut the petals and leaves, pinned the pieces and stitched them down. Added the yellow center circle with running stitch and French Knots. I added blue seed stitches to the upper part of the background then some green below.  A bit of a brown strip at the bottom. I think it was supposed to be ground but now it's just a random element/.

Watercolor Art - Christmas

I tried a Christmas art drawing last night.

A Bethlehem Star front and center.  A night blue sky with stars.

A stable with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.

Sand dunes a plenty.

Penciled then went over with a dip pen and black ink.

Watercolored with my rag tag pencils.

 

Slow Stitching - No. 046 - Kantha Motifs

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024.

This week's prompt Nakshi Kantha Motifs which is part 2 of last week's Kantha Stitches.

I chose the fish as my motif.  I drew a circle which I stitched in black stem stitch. Then added my 2 fishes going around in it.  The central element is a lotus flower reflected.

I chose two different shades of green threads and alternated them on each fish.  

I used blue thread and seed stitches for inside the circle.

I used the Double Running Stitch in blues for the background quilting stitches. Alternating with single running stitches in darker blue. 

Remembrance Day

I am grateful for the service of our men and women of the Canadian Forces and those around the world who aim to keep us free.  I have a couple of men in my close family who served as well as uncles who served in years gone by.

I pray for freedom and safety for all. For unity and peace in all countries.

Watercolor Art

After getting my last few watercolor pencils I gave them a whirl.

I created an abstract with foliage and other elements.

It was good to be drawing again after the long haul of Inktober 2024.

I will have to translate some of these into cards when life get back to normal and I have access to card making supplies again.

Maybe I should be trying some Christmas images.  I think I will!

Watercolor Pencils - Set of 12

I was wanting a set of good watercolor pencils to use while I am away from home.

I have collected a rag tag selection of them from the ReUse Center over the last couple of years.

Some are high quality which made me realize that my Artist Loft set need to be replaced.

I had the case so today I went to Delta Arts and got 3 colors to round out the set.

I got a red, a grey and the silver. Thanks to the staff a Delta I got 3 watercolor pencils in the same brand. She pointed out the watercolor pencils are hexagonal in shape. I had 1 of the 3 right. Great customer service.

I have documented them all in the front page of my sketch book.

They all dissolve completely and it should be a treat to paint with them.

The brands are 

Staedtler Karat to 

Kohinoor Hardtmuth Moneluz to 

Caran d'Ache Prismalo and the new ones are 

Faber Castell Albrecht Durer. 

All the basic colors and one metallic.

These will last for as long as I need them.

The technical pen is still working great.

Needle Case for Floss Organizer

I made a needle case for one of my sisters.

We had supper on Thursday night as we both headed to meetings in the evening.

We had talked about organizers for embroidery floss a while back and she found one in her de-stashing. 

I exchanged 10 applique pins. I bought a box of 150 so I could easily let a few go.

I needed to transport them safely so why not make a quick needle case. I included a needle as well.

The alcohol ink is packed so it had to go as it was.

This organizer has fixed dividers which has it's advantages and it does hold the commercial floss bobbins as well as my DIY ones.

I dropped the needle case off this afternoon.

Nice not to have go shopping for what we need and we each get what we want.

 

Slow Stitching - No. 045 - Kantha Stitches

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024.

Week 45 - Kantha Stitches

I made a sandwich of thin linen, gauze in the middle and cotton on the back. I did invisible basting around the edge and down the middle.

I chose heavier thread for all of these and it made it harder at times.

I liked the double running stitch in blue and pink thread. 

I was familiar with the stem stitch though I made my stitches too long. In deep pink thread.

The cable stitch = French Knot and a chain stitch. I several several and had a heck of a time taking them out with all those knots.  I just settled for the chain stitch in yellow thread.

The Mala Stitch I did not even attempt.  I have been packing boxes today and this one was just too challenging.

Patterned Darning was really cool. I did three rows so I could alternate the stitches in each row.  Done in blue thread.  Again, pretty physically and mentally tired so I skipped the wheel/swirl pattern.

Convent Stitch which is a fill in stitch. Here done in greens. Basically couching which is familiar. Lovely stitch.

Jali Stitch - Creating diamonds which was great. Done here in turquoise thread.

I am not likely to have time to practice my stitches with the packing that needs to be done.  We shall see.

Drawing - Sepia - Tech Pen

I doodled last night with the new to me Staedtler marsmagno 2 pen with a super fine tip.

I am sticking with the 5x7 size as that will make one A7 card or two A2 cards.

I drew lines with a ruler which works well with this pen and it's metal tip.  Then I added lines in some spaces and washes with the Sepia ink diluted with water.

Then I decided it need a bit of color so I worked with the few high quality water color pencils I have in my stash.  

Then I dipped into my watercolor palette for more color. 

I did add some metallic with my new metallic colors from the dollar store. What a great buy that was.

With these small spaces I was able to achieve a smooth watercolor wash in some of them.

I filled the pen with ink and considering that it is permanent I will not get it out of the cartridge if it dries in there.

I will consult with my sister the art school girl to see if it will be okay to leave it or not.

Next time I will not put so much ink in the pen.

Books - Catch Up

 August

Live the Dream by Josephine Cox - It's 1932 and Luke Hammond is doing the right thing by his wife Sylvia who has been ill for a while and things are not improving. She has dark moods and their servant Edna is home to take care of things while Luke runs his business in Blackburn.

On Tuesdays, he takes refuge in a cottage in the woods and paints. He has lunch at a cafe in the village near the cottage.

Daisy runs the cafe and her friend Amy with her small son drops by to help when she can.  She must work to provide a roof over their heads.

Along the way, Daisy and Amy wonder about the man who comes in for lunch every Tuesday. Who is he? Where does he come from? Where does he go?

Luke has noticed Amy and eventually he invites her to the cottage to see his paintings.

Luke's factory suffers a major fire. Sylvia and her sister Georgina continue their push and pull relationship to a disastrous end. Amy finds love in the end.  Great book.

October

The Orphan Sisters by Shirley Dickson  - In 1929 Etty 4 years old and Dorothy eight years old are dropped off at Blakely Hall Orphanage by their mother.  They await her return but it never happens.

In 1940 both girls are finally released from the confines of Blakely Hall but freedom comes when the country is in the grip of WWII. 

Both girls find love in the midst of war and the difficulties that brings with it. Husbands off to war for home and country.

Babies are born, the war is over, celebrations take place everywhere.

Etty receives Olga and friend of her mother's in 1920's. She brings news of why the girls were brought to Blakely Hall and why she did not return.

Another great book.

The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish - Set in London in the 1660s and the early 2000s. It is the story of Ester Valesquez, an immigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi before the plague hits the city and Helen Watt an ailing historian with the love of Jewish history.

Helen is called to see a newly discovered cache of seventeenth century Jewish documents she find a young man Aaron to help with the work. He is American and needs an intervention in his life and Helen provides it.

Ester and Helen separated by centuries have life choices and sacrifices to make to reconcile heart and mind.

Wonderful book!

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin.

Sara Smith runs her little bookshop "The Bookshop on the Corner" in Ashford in a low key style with a warm community of friends close by. Business is slow.  Her long distance boyfriend Ridge calls from his across the world job as a correspondent/journalist.  How exciting!

Sophie owns a bookshop in Paris called "Once Upon a Time" located along the banks of the river Seine.

Sophie has had a big break up and wants to swap places with Sara.  Sara's is stuck so jumps at the chance to be in Paris for Christmas. Her first plane rides take her to the City of Lights.

The Paris bookstore is a hopping place.  The city is huge and runs at a maddening pace.  The shop has a variety of employees.  There is daily paperwork to do and reports to be sent to Sophie in America.

There are many bumps in the first months of Sara's stay in Paris. Slowly she turns the corner on the employee relationships and the business.

Christmas is coming and Ridge has only visited 1 day while Sara has been in Paris. Very disappointing!  A wonderful surprise comes with Christmas day!

The Sum of our Days - Isabel Allende - one of my favorite authors.

This was a different read because it was not a novel but a collection of events from Isabel's life. Written often as recollections to her daughter Paula who passed away.

I learned about her early years in Chile and husband #1 Paula and Nico father. 

How she found husband #2 Willie Gordon and their life in California.

How she loves to have her large extended family close to her.  The adoption of friends into this large circle as well. 

The separations, divorces, travels, trips, births and deaths in the large family.

Very interesting dynamics between Isabel and her children  and grandchildren. 

I will be looking for novels!

Technical Pen Refurbished #2

I found another Staedtler marmagno 2 technical pen in my stash of pens. Amazing.

I have picked up these pens second hand.  They looked like quality pens. 

Yes, it took another 24 hours to clean out this one cartridge of ink so I could refill it.

I have not been able to find out what the numbers mean or when they were manufactured.

This one makes a very thin line. 

The number 1 on one side and .45 on the other side.

I decided to try this FW acrylic ink which indicates on the bottle that it can be used in technical pens.

I have several colors but chose Sepia to have a neutral.  I would have liked black but I decided to shop my stash instead of buying new.

You see that permanence is 4**** which is good. I will test it out a bit later.

So here is my set up once the cartridge was cleaned.

I put some FW Sepia acrylic ink in this small glass container.  I did add 8 drops of distilled water to thin it out a bit.

I injected it into the cartridge with my blunt syringe and screwed the nib in place.

Put it into the barrel and let it stand for a little bit to allow the ink to descend into nib assembly.

I discovered this feature this second time around. Last time I used pliers top loosen the nib.

The cap has the wrench to loosen the nib!  What a cool thing.  

These are very well engineered pens.

Yes, the Sepia acrylic ink is waterproof.

You can see the writing I did with the pen once the ink was coming through the nib.

I just washed over with a water and a brush.

No movement.

Very good!