New Inspiration: Close to home and in Italy

I seem to have been busy busy busy, recently and not enough stitching has been going on but I have been enjoying myself! I need to get on and finish my current work because I have been collecting new inspirations. Last week we had a long weekend in the Italian Lakes, which had previously inspired my Lake Maggiore piece and I think it's the sunset pictures that I will turn to again for inspiration.

In February, I had a new camera for my birthday but it only came with very brief printed instructions and it wasn't until I was on the plane to Italy that I got to read the electronic manual that I had downloaded.  The next two photographs used two of the settings I discovered.

I like the effects they created but unfortunately I can't remember which ones I used!

Back in England, we had friends staying with us this weekend and yesterday we enjoyed a very warm trip to the Hampton Court Palace Flower show. Philip is the gardener of the household but I couldn't resist buying this plant. I thought it looked like a living pin cushion.

Today we walked through the fields at Hitchin Lavender and now my trousers smell nicely of lavender - I should be very nicely relaxed by bed time!

Although the lavender fields have been opened since 2000 and I live quite close, I didn't even know they existed. The entrance price entitles you to pick a bag of lavender, so looks like I could be relaxed for some time to come! Although it is very nice to come back with some lavender, it was the seeing the purple fields that I enjoyed the most.

Hopefully, I will be able to get some stitching done this week.....deadlines are looming....