New website and Early Blooms !

At last I have a new website , bettybib.com and although it is still a work in progress ( I have yet to sort out p&p on it and learn how to manage it , it promises to be simple enough for me to update it more easily. )

I have also been recording the latest fairy activity ( of which there has been rather a lot with all this wonderful Spring weather .)

The Manolia Stellata is out and must be enjoyed as it so fleeting ... Nothing like swinging on it's branches ...

This green clad fairy was spotted loitering by the white crocus ...

This one was found warming her wings on a hydrangea bloom in amongst the daffodils I spotted a rare pink fairy tip toeing about. Must write up my notes now - it's always hard to keep up with Mother Nature and the Fairyworld at this time of year and I'm caught slightly on the hop as everything is blooming so early ... Most fairies are still hybernating in March except for the hardy types like Willow and Chestnut who always seem to show their faces first, so all in all it promises to be a good season for fairy spotting !

New Gardens

 After a winter of rain and major technology problems ( I have lost two of my websites but hope to have a new one up by the end of this month ) we escaped to Thailand and I made sure that I picked and pressed some of the lovely flowers there for future fairy magic ! Above is some while bouganvillea which I think will make some great wings , and a frangipani flower. I don't know what the red flowers are but I love their shape and hope that they don't lose too much of their vibrancy in the pressing.

 Before going away I had a good old boil up on the Aga of various plants and flowers and decided to use some of the colours in some new garden embroideries ...

 I was very excited to get some really nice blues from Hyacinths which inspired this 'Mediterranean Blues' piece -( all following measurements are of the textile size , they are all in mounts which will bring them up bigger.)
29x13 cms  £90

 Detail; I have incorporated some wild carrot and twigs from last summer's gatherings and pressings. I also confess to having a stash of old ties which are perfect for tiny prints such as in the paving used here.

 Rosebay Fairies 19x13 cms ... lovely pinks made from avocados.  £65

 Daisy Chain, 20x13 cms £65

 Fly Away Home, 12x5 cms £30

 Twilight and Wild Border Fairy, both  15x11cms  £45 All embroideries are a mixture of hand and machine embroidery with some areas padded from behind and embellished with sequins and twinkly bits. Twilight has some dried rose petals in the foreground. I am enjoying this mix of the naturally dyed fabrics with the dried and pressed flowers  then mixing them with prints and lace.

There's some wild carrot  in this one too ... it's got such a tiny and delicate form and presses so beautifully. The mauve has come from adding vinegar to my blues.

 As I write this the sun is shining and Spring feels just a bit closer ... I predict a lot more fairy activity next month as it warms up !