A Summer Studio Shed & my new Open Days . . .

There have been busy goings on around here for the last few weeks

and now at last a long held dream of mine has come true. After weeks of hard work by Mr O, middle daughter & her partner & me, cleaning, mending leaky roof and windows, sanding & painting woodwork, mending & making bunting & covers etc we have created a wee magical hideaway place for me to work in. 

I am so excited, so with no further ado I now reveal, my Summer studio shed!

Ta da . . .  Isn't it lovely.  I think I can safely say it was worth every bit of effort

I love that I can have the doors and window wide open to the world.

I can hear the wee stream that runs through the garden and the call of the birds.

 I wanted no distractions, no phone, no computers, now I can work in peace & quiet surrounded by nature.

Just in time too as recently I was rather pleased to be asked to join a lovely collection of  artistic ladies to make up the group "Stewartry Open Studios".  We are opening our studios during the summer months, welcoming the public in to view our work and our workplaces. 

Above are some of the works by the other 5 artists in the group: clockwise from bottom left ~ Pauline Saul, Susan Metcalfe, Jane B Gibson, Sheena McCurrach and Margaret S Milligan.
You can find out more about us as a group here on Facebook  here .

Here is a taster of what greets me every morning as I step over the bridge by the Summer Studio shed, the beautiful bluebell wood with the birds a-singing, and the stream a-babbling. Can you hear the thunder storm gathering at the start!

My own studio will be open the 3rd & 4th Thursday of the month from May to Sept 10am– 4pm.

May 22nd,  June19th & 26th,  July 17th & 24th , 

August 21st & 28th,  September 18th & 25th.

 If you can't make those days you can give me a call on 07841049023

and I will open specially for you if I can.

If you need directions e~mail me on ruthieredden@hotmail.co.uk

So if you are out and about do pop by if you can, you may yet get a glimpse of the bluebells in the wood as well as see my prints, originals & cards, my sculptures & faeries, works in progress, sketchbooks and doodles & my inspiration board & bits & pieces. The kettle is always on and it would be lovely to see you.

You can see more of my "Summer Studio" images here.

Lavender's blue, . . .. . .

Did I tell you I love sewing things, re-cycling, making & mending!  I have so many bits dotted about my studio; tubs of old buttons, some collected by my Grandma.  (Happy memories from childhood of playing with Grandmas old button box and marvelling at the jewels it held.)

I have piles of collected fabrics waiting for the perfect project, old pillowcases, lace tablecloths, remnants, ribbons & embroidery threads

A few days ago I decided to cut some wee fabric squares from one of the old cotton pillowcases. I sewed 3 sides together,  hemmed along the top.

I stitched a collection of bright buttons on the front and a ribbon tie at the top.

Filled them with the scented lavender collected from the garden last Summer

Hey presto, my wee lavender bags. I shall tuck one under my pillow and place some amongst the bedding in the old blanket chest.

Lavender Lore

* The Romans first bought lavender to our shores, it is said they named it from "lavare"  because of its use in washing, others believe it comes from “livendula” (meaning bluish.)

*  A lavender cross was often hung on the door to ward off evil spirits.

*  In the 16th Century, English women and men had lavender flowers quilted into their hats to "comfort the braines".

*  On St Luke's day in the 14 and 1500's young maidens would sip on a lavender tea and say.

"St Luke, St Luke, be kind to me, In my dreams, let me my true love see."