This is the second piece for the journal I’m creating for our Lake District holiday. It was inspired by the intense rusty orange of the dead bracken stalks on the side of the fell as viewed from the lounge.
I used a mixture of three different threads on my needle, a single strand of silk floss, a single strand of cotton floss and a length of variegated very fine mercerised cotton. A square of paper was backed with masking tape to stabilise it and I used free cross stitch, french knots and long and short stitch to fill the space as the dead bracken stalks filled the fellside.
Blocks of ‘stone’ were created by building up layers of gesso which were then painted to echo the colour of the green Langdale slate
Underneath the embroidery I used some of the amazing pencils I bought from the Lakeland Pencil Museum in Keswick to make colour swatches.
And I also stuck in a beech leaf, found on the aborted walk in question, which fitted in with the colours I was using.
Windows cut in the previous page give glimpses through.
Under A Topaz Sky 
Your work is so beautiful and inspiring. I get hundreds of emails across my three accounts daily. I always read your posts on the spot and often save them to inspire and give me a boost of joy. Thank you for your faithful blogging and sharing your creativity.
So very creative, and lovely.
Both your photo and journal page are so beautiful. The gesso work is a great touch, it looks like real stone.
The gesso looks really slate-y – very well done indeed!
Fabulous texture on the gesso – and the colours are spot on. This took me back to many happy autumn holidays in a Hawkshead cottage. Love it!
Oh Alex, this is just beautiful. Your stitchery, as always, is wonderful and who knew you could make slate ‘at home’. Its just a wonderful piece and will be such a grand addition to your journal.
this is wonderful work Alex….jaw dropping gorgeous…..you have captured that image perfectly….the Lake District is beautiful isn’t it….