This morning's thunderstorm...

...was good for the gardens

This slightly soggy poppy exposing her stamens to the sky in the Quaker Hall garden was just delicious

Goodbye Stall

More than twenty years ago, I had this made as a custom-built kite stall, by a little man on a back road in Lincolnshire.. it has served me well, and been to lots of places, but in the last few years the game of pick-it-up-and-take-it-there-and-bring-it-back palled so badly (and the profits thereof were so small) that I haven't been anywhere with it except into my yard.. We put it up for the last time today, covered it with excess tat from my house and Abi's and sat under it in the rain, watching the Art Car Boot die a soggy death.. As with all these things, I'm sorry and glad to see it go.. And it has been sold..

End of an era..

A productive week

 Been making a lot of mess

, 

and nice new blocks

and John has been clamping clocks

All while watching the rain falling madly..

Runner Bean Weather!

Jo Budd Workshop

 At her studio in Bungay, which is conveniently close.
I have long been an admirer of her work and it was interesting to see her methods
Above, Heather's samples

 Mine on the right. We did all manner of resists-by-medium, watercolour technique on rather unlikely fabrics with a pigment-and-binder system, and monoprints.. That was Saturday

 Sunday, iron to fix, wash out (not needed I think) and pin to the wall for looking.. The lovely Hannelore Baxter was Workshop Slave, made lots of tea and ran around madly all weekend

 Nice bird from the garden, which was a fantastic mix of bees, butterfies, vegetables and huge water-butts.  It rained (lots)

 Some of my less-promising samples encouraged into a semblance of use by cardboard L shapes and advice

And a moment of sun, shadow from vetches..
And now I'm Really Tired

What Is It About Hats?

Sad Hat 2, in the rain