Season changes

It is early autumn now in Iceland, or should we call it late summer?

The berries are ready on the Mountain Ash (Rowanna tree) as well as other trees and bushes. It is harvesting time. People are making jams and juices from various types of berries.

We have had a wonderful summer and are now heading into darker colder days. But that is not all bad. We can now enjoy candle lights in the evenings and use our warm wool sweaters :-)

The changes of seasons always makes me think of what happened in the season passing, what I´ve learned and then start planning for a new one. What will I do this autumn, and this coming winter? So many things, so many ideas.

One of the main things I am thinking of is the exhibition of the Friendship Tapestry December 10th. That will be exciting :-)

August and this wonderful summer is almost over

The unforgettable summer of growth in 2009

This wonderful warm summer has given us some amazing things here in the north. We have a cherry tree in our garden. I was not sure if it would bloom but it did so this spring, beautiful white flowers all over. This last week, we were able to pick one red cherrie to taste. We even split it in three, so we (my husband and I and our little granddaugther) could all have a little taste, mmmmmm.... it was so good. It was the very first fresh cherry I ever tasted.
And now we have a lot of berries almost ready for picking :-)
For me, having a tiny little front yard and growing cherries, on this island in the North Atlantic, is nothing but close to a miracle. :-)

One of my cats had some adventure the other day (see another blog post). And is now slowly recovering from breaking his leg. Cats are an amazing creatures, he jumps around, runs and plays on three legs with no problem. The other animals (including us humans) in the household give him good cuddles and hugs and he is healing well :-)

Two of my latest stitching works. To the left is "The Guardian Angel" and to the right is an elf man we call "The Educator in Hvalfjörður". Both are images from my new elf cards. I printed my painted pictures on to fabric, silk in one and cotton in the other one. I use varigated threads including hand dyed silks ( I just love those!) and metalics for the angel. The elves staff is from one of my rose bushes in the garden.

Warm days in the north

This summer has been unusually warm and wonderful in Iceland.

Dúfa, my doggy, had to find the fragrance for herself, imitating both me and the bees :-)

I can never get enough of these wonderful rose bushes. It amazes me everyday how beautiful the colour is and the fragrance mmmmm ....

And for a thread and fabric addict like myself, I always start thinking of what kind of thread would fit best to stitch them ;-)

This little elf man, I painted and then printed on silk fabric. I used hand dyed silk and fine wool to stitch him and a branch of a rose(of course ;-) for his walking staff. This is one of the pictures on my exhibition last weekend.
The family enjoys ice cream in the little garden. Do you see the kitty trying to steal a lick from the bowl?

One of our cats, "Magni the little Viking kitty" broke his leg the other day, during some adventure outside. He is now home from the animal hospital, getting better and learning to use this strange stiff leg.

Poor little Magni, but the other animals and our dear little granddaugther make sure he gets a lot of hugs and comfort :-)

The family (some with two and some with four legs ;-) spends as much time as possible in this tiny little garden. I always carry with me a bag or a basket full of: a stitch project, my Elf cards, the phones and of course my coffee mug.

Today is cloudy but it feels nice though. My husband and I are working on the website www.ragjo.is it still needs some fixing. But have a look, check out the Friendship Tapestry pieces, there are some gorgeous art, curious kind of works, warm and cheerful, old style and new methods. The Friendship Tapestry is really a collection of ways to do needlework as well as showing friendship between all people around our planet.

My exhibition and a new website!

This beautiful weekend I am displaying my "stitched-paintings" in Eyrarkot cottage in Hvalfjörður, Iceland.

Saturday was wonderful with the perfect weather to enjoy the view over the fjord and mountains, along with the art work and chat over coffee outside.

We took short walks to visit with the elf beings in the neighborhood. The connection between Icelanders and elves is old and rich. As far back as stories go in this country, there is the stories of these beings living in lava rocks and mountains, streams and knolls.

We had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people Saturday and are expecting people today as well. The paintings on the wall are made by the artist Inacio Pacas.

The weather is beautiful today, wonderful to drive a short distance out of the city and enjoy a peaceful afternoon with nature, art and elves and of course us humans too ;-)
I am also introducing my new Elf Cards: "The Elves Little Oracle Cards". They include pictures of Icelandic nature beings, birds and animals.

I have opend a new website www.ragjo.is it includes the Friendship Tapestry along with pictures of my "stitched-paintings" and the cards.

Love and friendship to you all
Ragga /Rags

I love these lovely days in the garden :-)

A beautiful day out in the sunshine today!

The unbelievable fragrance of the roses and the variety of green and pink colours. The variety of shapes and texture .... mmmmm... just makes me want to stitch and paint :-)

I spent most of the day in the tiny little garden of mine. In the great company of good friends of human kind, cats, bumblebees, plants and .... well, these are my new "Elves Little Oracle Cards" ;-) My kitty Edda wanted to have a reading. It looks good, I think she is going to be playing outside some more this summer ;-)

My new website is: www.ragjo.is

The Elves Little Oracle Cards

During the week of midsummer when the nights in Iceland are bright as day, I published my new oracle cards. I call them "The Elves Little Oracle Cards".
The elves and other hidden beings in Nature have been a part of us Icelanders from the beginning. Almost every cliff, waterfall, mountain and knoll has beings living inside. Water sprites, dwarfes, the friendly elves and the "next door neighbors" the hidden people. They are all part of our history.

My husband Lárus is helping me making a new website www.ragjo.is for all my projects. In there you will find more about the cards and the Friendship Tapestry. The Stitching Elf embroidery patterns is in working progress. We will be adding new things to all the pages on the website in the next few days and weeks.

Enjoy the bright days and night in the north and the cool winter days in the south. :-)
Love and friendship
Ragga / Rags

The summertime and The Friendship Tapestry

It is summer time here in the north and everything looks green and beautiful. The fragrance from the Mountain Ash (Rowan Tree) and the birch trees fills the air after a midnight rain. My dog Dúfa and my cats play happily outside, while the birds sit high in the trees and sing for us. It is a good time to enjoy.

My husband and I are working on a new Friendship Tapestry website. I can´t get into the old one to add the new pieces I have received.
We are preparing for another exhibition of the Friendship Tapestry but it won´t be in Australia as we had planned before. Time changes, doesn´t it. I will keep you posted here on this blog when plans are clear, it will be soon.

Enjoy the summer, it is a wonderful time to sit outside and stitch :-)
In friendship
Rags / Ragga

Summer green

Spring is my favorite time of year! and of course summer is great with it´s long bright days and very short nights here in the north :-) Everything turns green, the beautiful healing feeling comes with that green colour.

Everywhere is a sign of new life. Rose bushes promising flowers in many colours right on top of that green.

The plants with it´s endless variety of texture and colour give inspiration to new stitching and knitting ideas every day. So, I´m going outside to stitch in my little garden and listen to the birds sing and my cats and doggy play around me.
Enjoy Life, it IS good :-)

Happy Easter!

Dear Friendship Tapestry friends. I have received two new pieces of friendship for the tapestry. I am hoping I will soon be able to work the website properly, so I can add the pictures of these wonderful pieces. One has actually been waiting to be published for quite awhile. But I hope I am forgiven.
Lovely Easter Holiday is here with hopes of Nature coming alive again after a long sleep of winter. Everything comes to life again at this time of year, here in the north at least ;-) It is of course vice verse in the southern hemisphere ;)

Last weekend we had the snow in the picture below, today it is raining and actually almost warm. A very nice day. Some of the rose bushes are showing life and my sherry tree is bursting! Such promises of brighter and warmer days ahead :)

I added a photo of my new bird pattern on the "Stitching Elf" blog, you find a link here to the right.

Happy Easter!

April in Iceland

It has been quite awhile since last time I blogged. Time just passes too quickly ;-)

For my Friendship Tapestry friends, I have some rather sad news. We will not be able to attend the "Beating Around The Bush" convention in Adelaide, Australia, next October, as was planned. Instead we are preparing an exhibition of the Friendship Tapestry in Reykjavík Iceland during the same time. I will keep you informed.

The photo above was taken last weekend, march 29th but now there is no snow on the ground here in the SW Iceland and a hint of spring fragrance in the air. I think.... hopefully, we will have spring time soon :-)
All the best to you dear friends out there
Ragga /Rags