Playing with Bondaweb and stitch. I do l ove seaweed.   It's been a while. I have been settling in and enjoying not traveling about too much. I have been exploring my local area, and enjoying all the colours, textures and patterns.  It is almost 2 years since I moved to my little slice of paradise on the Loop Head peninsula. It is continuing to be a challenge to support myself out here, but plans are in place to help with that. It takes time to discover what works out here. . and what doesn't!!  Seaweed in one of the rock pools in Ross Bay.  Seaweed and crab shell on Glasheen beach. I am thoroughly enjoying drawing and stitching seaweed and am now seriously into my dry stone wall series of work.  Getting out and about in this area I keep finding new places to excite - there is an alpaca farm not far from me that spins and dyes the fleece. They are all very well looked after and are fast becoming a great attraction.  Gorgeous alpacas

My house has probably only seen snow 3 or 4 times in its history. It is quite rare for it to snow on the Loop Head Peninsula. Have you all defrosted?? Are you thawed?  We had snow on Loop Head for the first time in 10 years or so. Most of the children living here had never seen snow before. I have never seen so many snowmen and snowball fights - great fun for a couple of days - then it is enough. Fashion, Embroidery ad Stitch next week - March 15th - 18th I had a chance to get on with some work while I was snowed in - I will have some of my new seaweed work on show on my stand at the Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch Show at the NEC next week. A few of my new pieces wrapped in plastic and ready to travel I will be on stand L22 and there will be 3 groups of my ex ExTex students exhibiting in the same area. I will have Paint and Bond for sale again as well some of the interfacings I use, and Tyvek. I will also be running the Vlieseline workshop. Here is a link

Oyster catcher feathers from my local bay. I have lived in Ireland for a year now - and I can safely say it is the best thing I have ever done. It was a big leap from Brighton, but so worth it. Where I live now is so very quiet, so different to where I lived in Brighton. I have made great friends here and have been accepted by the local community.  It has taken this long for me to find my reason for being here in this beautiful place. Which direction my work is going to go - I have fallen in love with seaweed and have become quite passionate about clearing our local beach of plastic. I never felt I could make any kind of  difference while living on the South Coast of the U.K. Here on this remote tip of County Clare I feel I can make a small difference. Ross Bay on a very chilly afternoon. My house is on the hill.    As the tide goes out, it leaves behind beautiful compositions. I just love the layers of seaweed.   Playing with Bondaweb backed polyes