Tuesday, 14 October 2025

WOYWW 854 New paints

Hi all, a quick post as I’ve not done much crafting this week. Firstly, sending big hugs to Neet who’s in hospital. 
Here’s my desk. 
I’ve treated myself to the new iridescent watercolour set from A. Gallo. They’re beautiful paints, and came with a new brush, swatch cards and Fabriano paper samples.
There’s a video of them on Facebook here:A.Gallo Iridescent watercolours (I hope this link works!)
  I found painting too painful for the moment, with the broken finger, but I’ll get to them soon. I manage to do a bit of crochet with Bella to keep me warm. She sends you all purrs. 

And finally…



Happy WOYWW
Hugs
Lynnecrafts xx


Tuesday, 7 October 2025

WOYWW 853 Exhibition, cake and accident

Hi all, Our exhibition got off to a good start last week:
Our tutor, Claire Sparkes, is in the middle left and bottom right photo. 
My paintings are on this wall:

My chickens and dragon went down well:

There were excellent paintings all around:






Unfortunately, my crafting has been stymied this week as I tripped on rough ground going from the car to the apple fair. 

Not the photo I wanted to take: 


A broken little finger on my left (dominant) hand so no driving, crochet or painting 🤬

Bella’s keeping me warm, of course, 😻, and sends you all purrs. Brian’s looking after me brilliantly but I’m pleased I managed to dress myself today 😇. Small gains but I remembered tricks from when I broke my arm 10 years ago (like putting on shirts with bad arm first and taking off with the good arm first. & Button up tops are better than pull on). 
We did manage to make my bara brith this evening. I’d put the fruit to soak before we went to the apple fair, so, rather than waste it, we made it today, with me reading out the recipe and finding measuring spoons etc and Brian doing all the work. 
Here’s my recipe, (which was published with my novel) and today’s work. 

It tastes great!
And finally




I’m back at the hospital tomorrow and will try to visit while waiting. 
Happy WOYWW
Hugs
Lynnecrafts xx















Tuesday, 30 September 2025

WOYWW 852 Art and chevron crochet.

Hi all, First of all, this week, Brian and I are sending big hugs to Julia and Bart, who had a major fire at their workshop. It’s hard to imagine how terrible it is for them with all they’ve lost. We’re only glad that no lives were lost in the fire. 
It doesn’t seem 5 minutes since last Wednesday’s WOYWW, shared courtesy of Sarah’s craftshed. Here’s my desk, as I finish my Hand of Autumn watercolour. 

I wasn’t at all pleased with the splodgy line down the left wrist so I disguised it with rosemary and bought the Fuumuui long liners advertised on Facebook and Amazon. They helped a lot; they are the short handled brushes balanced on my paint tin to the left. 
Here’s the painting: 

Tuesday and Wednesday are very busy this week so I’m scheduling this early. B had a Dat scan today (Tues)  which took about 5 hours as it included a tracer that needed 3h to get where it needs to be. I  took my crochet!
On Wednesday morning at art class, we’ll be starting a new project on funghi in situ. Our Helen has very kindly let me use her photos, and I’ve chosen these two:
The top one has better colour.
You do wonder what happened to the animal that bit a chunk out of the fly agaric! 
In the afternoon we have the opening of our exhibition in Sandgate. I have my olive tree /Mont Ventoux painting, two views of Salt Cellar rocks, my Beaujolais, two crochet chickens and my crochet dragon on display. 

Bella would prefer me to be at home doing crochet - she sends you all purrs. 

And finally…





It will probably take me till Thursday before I can visit. 
Happy WOYWW 
Hugs
Lynnecrafts xx

Tuesday, 23 September 2025

WOYWW 851 Travels

Hi all, I’m scheduling this early as tomorrow (Tuesday), tide and weather permitting, we’re going for a trip on the Paddle Steamer Waverley and I’ve my art class on Wednesday morning. Last year our trip on the Waverley was cancelled due to the rough weather. 

My Hand of Autumn is growing, but I’ve not done much this week as we went to Stoke for my aunt’s wake. We were lucky with the driving, but it’s a long way. 
On Friday we met our friends Steve and Lorna Plant at Two Doors Studio in Alsager. They’re lovely and it’s a gorgeous shop - I could buy it all. 

I bought some bottle kiln silver earrings, lots of cards and a few presents. 

They would potentially welcome Tilly’s felted pictures, Jo, and they have space for lots of workshops so I’ll send you their contact details. They suggest she gets in touch. 
Bella is very happy we’re back and is firmly putting me in my place as a cat lap. She sends you all purrs. 

It was tipping down at Folkestone when we got onto the Waverley. It’s an impressive ship, the last ocean going paddle steamer. 

The weather wasn’t brilliant but we enjoyed it. 
Unfortunately, they were late arriving on the Thames due to weather conditions. The highlight of the trip was supposed to be sailing under the open Tower Bridge.. They were too late for the bridge to be opened so we couldn’t get to Tower pier. They cut the trip short at Gravesend. An email detailing reparations is apparently on its way. 
And finally…
I love this. 



Happy WOYWW 
hugs
Lynnecrafts xx


Wednesday, 17 September 2025

WOYWW 850 the Hand of Autumn

Hi , I’m back for our weekly bloghop care of Sarah’s Craftshed. 

Here’s my art class desk first. We’re doing the Hand of Autumn in the style of Arcimboldo, and I’m loving our first project, filling the outline of my hand with leaves, fruit, acorns and a feather. We’ll gradually cover the outline with foraged bits and pieces, painting all the items as we go  



This is one of Arcimboldo’s, an Italian who lived in the 16th century. 

I’ve loved reading ‘Georgia’ a novel about Georgia O’Keeffe by Dawn Tripp and it inspired me to paint something different: My Beaujolais. 
Sorry  I didn’t get far round last week. I had to search through all my mother’s photos and memories for these photos of my aunt, Chris, whose wake is this weekend in Stoke (for which we’re making a flying visit). I confess it upset me far more than I expected, and I escaped into reading. 
This one is my aunt as a girl with my Grandad and Nan Collis. It’s typical of her so it was worth finding. 

I finished Miss Mathilda who’s coming to Stoke for my cousin. 

Bella loves sleeping on my lap while I’m crocheting and sends you all purrs. 

 And finally:


Sorry this is a mess. I put it in my poetry blog by mistake and only just realised. The original is here: lmcollis.blogspot.Com. 
I’ll be round visiting after class. Hugs
Lynnecrafts xx