Solar Print Bags

Sue had found some small pillow cases at the local scrap store and suggested to Carole that they might make good eco friendly shopping bags. Carole had some solar paints in her box of tricks and sent the group out to collect interesting leaves, flowers and grasses to make our solar prints from. 

The fabric was dampened and the pint was applied 

the leaves and flowers were laid on top and the pieces were carefully taken out into the sun so the paint could work it's photo magic! There were a few tricky moments, the wind kept twitching at the fabric, moving the carefully places stencils, the sun rain in and out of the clouds and finally everything had to be brought back inside as it began to rain!

After the shower passed and the sun returned the bags to be were taken out again to complete the developing process. We managed to create some beautiful, almost under water images and it was intriguing to see which leaves worked best.

we attached handles

stamped on The Green Patch

and left them ready to be fixed with a hot iron.

Great work everyone!

Bridge

This bridge is one of Carole's favourite parts of the Brampton Valley Way and one of the few remaining parts of the original railway line's architecture. 

Each year there is more rust than bridge left, the stair treads have been removed and it stands like a ghostly sculpture in the landscape.

The Northampton and Lamport Railway at Brampton Halt told us that would dearly love to move the bridge to the station and restore it's fragile rusting ironwork, 

but this may be a long way off as they have many other restoration projects underway at the station. It would be wonderful to preserve it, but then again, there is something graceful and strange about it's gradual weathering and decay.

Back in Carole's studio the Bridge mosaic panel begun at Stephenson Way continues to take shape, in spite of the thunder and heavy rain.

In the galley-like workspace, Carole has balanced one end of the panel on an open plan chest drawer and the other on the workbench in order to be able to work on the panel.

This is when the weather and the lack of space prove challenging, it is hard to check whether the colours are working and the lines describing the column are straight, even in the progress photograph, it's still quite hard to judge.

Having a limited budget, it is also a challenge to make the tiles we have and the colours we'd ideally like, stretch to cover the twelve panels. If you feel you'd like to help us overcome this practical concern you can make a donation to the project via our page on Localgiving.com. We would really appreciate your support, or you could wait until October, when there will be another Match Your Tenner campaign! 

Almost Autumnal

Whilst out for a cycle we were reminded

that it hasn't been the best of summer's!

We noticed that the acorns are fattening fast

the colours are changing

this feels like the bridging moment 

between Summer and Autumn.

  The sky is often bleached out by cloud cover,

 there are strange contrasts to be seen

seed heads and rust

 

lush greenery damp underfoot, interwoven in complex patterns.

There aren't many sloes but plenty of elder berries ripening, it's hard to tell whether things are coming on early or late! The Woodland Trust has an interesting feature about the weather and it's effect on fruiting this year.

There are still small bright patches of colour to delight the eye. 

It hasn't only been the weather that has been unpredictable, due to unforeseen circumstances it wasn't possible to stage an August Photography walk but there will be a return to Cottesbrooke walk. Details to follow soon, get your walking boots and cameras ready, the Sphinx awaits you!

July Photography Walk Northampton and Lamport Station

It was another rainy day

the clouds were ominous

the vegetation

lush, green and rain spangled.

Not the most photogenic sky

but a great day to road test wellington boots

and watch the rain making ripples in muddy puddles.

We had a wonderful time exploring the countryside

looking at the Evening Primrose and Thistles

growing wild on the railway embankment.

We found another signal box

and plenty of interesting rolling stock.

In spite of the rain there was still

 much colour to be seen.

We didn't forget to.....

before we reached the bridge on our return journey.

Slug by special request from the children!

The full set of the photographs from the walk can be viewed on the Flickr Set here where you can enjoy many of the textures and colours found on the engines and rolling stock in and around the station of the Northampton & Lamport Railway

July Brampton Up-cycle and Story Telling

When you see a sign that says Beware it's handy to have a Storyteller in your party.

 Luckily Carole and the children from Year 2 Priory Lower School

had Allan Davies from A Word in Edgeways in their carriage at the Northampton & Lamport Railway

He brought us tall tales and magical music.

We up-cycled empty cardboard snack boxes

creating colourful collages with tissue paper

cutout paper shapes

and glue

Having made boxes fit for treasure

we set about creating

fabric rosettes

to carry back to school.

The children said "This is the best day ever!" 

We all remembered the joy of a tale well told and a world where a cardboard box could provide scope for the imagination. The carriage may have been stationary but our minds were full of the sights, sounds, smells and textures of an old railway line which once carried people and goods through an even older landscape.