The pages are now glued together and painted with gesso. I used Elmers pva which worked well. I did try using acrylic medium but couldn't tell the difference so as pva is much cheaper have used that although I used the acrylic to stick the collage with. I have found that if you get glue on the page it cant be painted over something that I hadn't thought of before. This was the first page I did and with practice it came out smoother. I used an old credit card and a roller to get the wrinkles out.

My first spread is a collage of photos taken in my garden. Behind the door you will find me in the garden with Bertha the lady scarecrow I made and I greet you on a lovely summers day with a glass of wine. Looking through the photos of myself and husband in the garden we always seem to have a glass in our hands. Just as well it isnt always sunny and warm here in the UK

The second spread is a Victorian Garden. I have hand embroidered the lady and some of the flowers onto a cotton that doesn't fray very much before I cut the embroidery out I lightly glued around the figures and let it dry. I have also dyed some lace.

This is the last spread I did. Its painted stamped collaged with paper napkin poppys and worked into with paintstik and other crayons. The lady was put into photo editing and turned into an oil painting this sounds as though Im good at photos but Im not I just played around with this its just a matter of clicking and using a slider. I havent yet worked out how to do layering its probably quite simple if someone shows you how to do it

I use a free programme called paint.net just enter this into search and its a free download. I have

now posted my book onto the next person.

atc from Jackie

This is the atc from Jackie for the hand embroidery net swap. This is the first atc Jackie has made I think she has done very well and finished of the edges very neatly with ribbon.

ATC Spring

Just one atc I have made for the Hand Embroidery Net the theme is spring. The daffodil has been taken from an old transfer-no-I cant call it old the popular word is now vintage. I have used double knot stitch buttonhole stem satin and chain stitch. Quit a lot of different stitches for this small embroidery but it looks quite good. I have a lovely card from Jackie that I have just realised I haven't taken a photo of but I will. See my link to the group on the side panel

Tulips on the Embankment

This weekend is our May Day holiday today Sunday has been grey windy and not very warm so just the day to go out in the car to visit the Embankment alongside the River Ouse that runs through the town. The colours of the tulips were wonderful eye candy every year the council plants the beds with a lovely display of spring tulips I only wish I could paint. One year I will try an embroidery of some kind. I hope tomorrow our bank holiday Monday the sun will come out.