Holiday

A Brahman cow and calf making use of the waste water. We flew into Cambodia to Siem Reap and it poured and poured but we still had a great time I was going to post the photos of Angkor Wat but blogger is playing up so will post them later. The typhoon which hit Manila came on through to Cambodia a lot of the roads in Siem Reap were under water, this is a small hotel.

Life carried on much the same they still rode their bikes and everyone worked so hard at clearing up, even though some of them had flooded houses and nowhere to sleep and they were still smiling.

The water buffalo have very regal faces.

We flew back into Vietnam to Hoian which had had 2 days before water 3 meters deep, some of the hotels had to close due to damage and down by the river it was still wet and muddy, our hotel had some damage to the roof.Health and Safety would have a hissy fit here ,they were repairing the tiles no hard hats no safety harness nothing, but they sure got on with it.

This is My Som a temple complex just outside of Hoian, quite a few of them were deliberately bombed my the Americans, they are made of brick.

This is part of the gateway to a Buddist temple at Cham Island.

We did a cookery course, which was great as we found out the ingredients for the fantastic food we had been eating, it is very fresh and clean tasting they use a lot of coriander and different types of basil.The tutor spoke superb English and we made spring rolls, Wassabi soup, tofu balls,stuffed cabbage rolls ,chicken and shitaki and banana flower salad it was all delicious,I came home with a suitcase full of dried shitaki, and a great gadget for doing julienne strips.

We even managed to make tomato roses.

We went on a sailing trip for 2 nights around Halong bay, on a boat like the one below.The bay has masses of small outcrops of rock, some of these are small some have caves which you can kayak into [you get to realise your age getting in and out of a kayak!] and some have fantastic grotto`s with stalactites.

People live on floating villages the photo below is of the school

and the village

One of the grotto's from the sea.

The islands are stunning but it was always misty and my camera is only a basic one so you do not see the masses of islands disappearing into the distance,it would make a great textile piece with organza.

Vietnam and Cambodia

I have not blogged for ages as we have been away on holiday visiting Vietnam and Cambodia two fascinating countries.We flew into Ho Chi Minh which is a fairly modern city where everyone seems to own a motorcycle which entire families ride together, this makes crossing the road an art form as they do not stop at crossings and not always at red lights.They park the bikes on the pavements and even ride on them if it means cutting the corner, to cross the road you have to walk out slowly and the bikes go round you, if it is really busy you wait for a little old lady to take you across. They carry everything on the motor cycles and pushbikes

The children get taken to school on them,they wear the masks not just for thr fumes but too prevent their faces from getting brown, a sign of a field worker.

They rest on the bikes.

and this is a coffin being transported I ptesume it was empty.

The food was superb very fresh and piquant,we did a mornings cookery course and made vegetable rolls with shrimp, soup, fried tofu and shitaki balls and stuffed cabbage leaves. My favourite is Pho a clear chicken soup with rice noodles mushrooms and chili which is eaten for breakfast.I came back with a suitcase stuffed with dried shitaki,they are so cheapthere but then everything is to a Westerner.

Roadside barrows selling grapes, pomelos, dragon fruit all manner of fruit.

The markets were a wonder all kinds of delights most of which I had no idea what to do with this photo is fungi.

Beans and pulses and

Lychees

I shall post some more photo.s later if anyone is interested

Henry Foyle and our Exhib.

I managed today to find time to whizz up to Redditch to get to the Needle Museum to see the Henry Foyle awards, I had suggested to Sharon that she took part and she was excepted and made this superb hat below, so much work in it and so well thought out.The theme was " Freedom" and Sharon was using the hat design to express her own creative freedom,well done Sharon. This all seeing eye is under the flap of the hat.

This is the winning entry the textile artist is doing her MA and had made the piece to fit the spot which it did brilliantly, it is made of fishing lines with words embroidered over.It is the first time I have agreed with the decision of the judges.

Choosing where it was being sited really gave it the edge it looked part of the decor and was an inspiration.

This man was great, painted fabric a la Lynda and Carol.

This one won the workbook award.

And this piece received the award for technical excellence.

I should have posted about our exhib. at Ledbury but first I had the shingles and than 10 days without an internet connection while we were trying to up grade it, so the exhib. is now on as part of H A week or open studios in Hereford week.

This is Pennys work her mainn piece Icarus was exhib. at the FOQ><

Some of her lovely smaller pieces all on the theme of the sea , including a felted bowl.

This is Cheryl`s work she paints onto canvas and then machine stitches over and into the painting they are very colourful and quaint.

These pictures are Pennys,

Sue`s theme was beatles and she did the most glorious stump work and goldwork pictures, click on the photo to enlarge it my favourite is the red beatles they glow.

These are Angie`s two new pieces inspired by her ballon flight and Hunderwasser.Dyed and foiled velvet machine sewn.

Angie`s moving piece inspired by John Masefields poem "I must go down to the sea again"

And lastly my corner all ammonites.I was really pleased with the final piece which is the long framed one,but shock horror it cost £128.00 to frame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New camera and ATC`s

I have been using a Casio QV-R camera for the last 5/6 years and it was sent back to be repaired costing me £82.00 I did think at the time it might be more sensible to replace it but as I am a bit of a Luddite it suited me well,Last week it gave up the ghost again ,I rang Casio and they said put it in the post and if it is the same fault we will repair it free of charge when I complained about the cost of sending it reg.mail I was told they would send me the packaging and free postage.To my amazement a few days later I received a package with a brand new Casio camera similar to the type I had been using I was thrilled it is not often you get such excellent service and I wanted to sing their praises if anyone wanted to know what Casio`s after care is like . I have been taking part in Kate's ATC swap and I am posting up some of the ones I have received they are lovely and varied in technique and style. This one and all the fabric is from Di Thompson This one in luscious velvets from Ann in Durham the photo does not do it justice

This is from Anna my favourite colours and with beautifulhand made beads and threads to use.

Lovely purples again and themost wonderful little handmade booklet.

A great flower from Lynne

Pretty in pink fromWendy

Delicate beaded flowers from Aine in Ireland

Tea leaf and gold from Shelina and a great bookmark

Lovely delicate colours transfer painted onto felt from Norma who very kindly sent the pearl headed pins as well,just what I need I keep deheading mine.

A "smile" ATC from Leah and lots of fabric pieces

You cant beat mauve and lime green and the dog bis so cute,both from Mary.

A lovely one from Kate who organised the swap, deeper colours in real life and a piece of oriental fabric.

Bright zany needle felting from Norma in Arizona

Big beaded flower from Marga makes you feel sunny just looking at it

Lovely texturedATC fromWil with a super hand folded card

Joyce sent me this ATC it has glowing colours she very kindly sent me the lovely skeleton leaves

Sheila¬s ATC also glows with colour and a most unusual card, many thanks to you all I was quite overwhelmed,

Goodies to win

Nip over to the Stamp Mans blog and see what you could win