I'm moving!

Liz explains the 'fruit reduction theory'

I was chatting to my good friend Liz and I told her I felt I was doing too many things, not sure which way I was going. 'Well', she said, 'abby, it's like this - you've got this big bowl of fruit and you're just deciding which fruit you really like and which fruit you'd prefer not to have in your bowl. At the moment you've got so many different types of fruit and you're eating it all, and it tastes good, yes it does, but over time you'll decide you have favourite fruits, you know, maybe you'll just want bananas, grapes and pineapple, and then, well, then you'll start removing the other fruit and in the end you'll just have a bowl of your favourite fruit!' Liz is very wise and knows her fruit.

And so, this is why I'm moving....over to my other blog - Shetland Raincoats. Shetland My Love, has, for now, run its course. It's time to move on and explore my creative journey in earnest. It's time to reduce the variety of fruit in my bowl.

It's a blog about me - my creative journey with the Shetland Raincoats (illustrations of folk going about their business in waterproof clothing), what inspires me, random musings, lotsa photos, tales of my travels - home and abroad, scribbles, doodles - whatever pops into my scatty mind.

I can also be found on the following sites - pop over for a chat, virtual cake and tea! I'd love to hear from you:

Shetland My Love Facebook

Shetland My Love Twitter

Promote Shetland newsletter: Click here

Shetland My Love has been a fantastic experience. I've met and corresponded with so many fab people, learnt a great about Shetland (still learning!) and perhaps, most importantly for me - the blog has got me back into my creative groove.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to all the people who have got in touch, commented, helped me out with SML, shared their stories, supported me, spread the bloggy word. You know who you are and I'm deeply grateful. I moved to Shetland April 2009 and the last couple of years have been truly amazing, crazy busy, and definitely life-changing. Let's see what happens next...!

abby

xxx

PS Images from my Fair Isle trip (the naughty shed!)

Electrifying Ten Tonne Dozer

Electrifying heavy rock band - Shetland based - Ten Tonne Dozer performed yesterday at Tall Ships event. They blew me away.

Vocalist Dave Kok was amazing to watch. A kick-ass performer. No words can describe. You have to see them perform.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Ten Tonne Dozer: Myspace

Ten Tonne Dozer: Shetland-Music

Ten Tonne Dozer: Facebook

Tall Ships Races and the excellent Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag

I'm still having problems pronouncing this band's name: Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag However, never mind what they're called, these Shetland guys are mesmerising and have many amusing stories to share! I saw them last night and they whipped up a fiddle storm in Lerwick (Tall Ships event 21st -24th July). Spectacular.

There's a fantastic musical schedule at TS and most of the gigs are free! I'm having a blast and will share more photos anon.

Shetland is blessed with a rich musical heritage and is Fiddle capital of the world.

Fiddle Frenzy (7th-14th August) is soon to be happening... another festival - more fun times in Shetland.

What's not to like?!

Tall Ships Races 2011 Lerwick

The Tall Ships are arriving in Lerwick! I watched this beauty arrive last night. Fifty-six Tall Ships, 2,000 crew and 46 Shetland Sail Trainees! The festivities start today until 24th July. Read all about it here and keep an eye on us all here (Lerwick Harbour webcam)!

Tall Ship featured above:

Alexander von Humboldt

Nationality: Germany

Length: 62.6M

Type: Barque

Year: 1906

Will be downloading more info/images via my Facebook page over the next few days.

My Shetland photo album

(image: Foula)

Just a quick note - I've finally got around to uploading some of my Shetland photos on Flickr. Link here and at top of my page on the right☞. I still have heaps of images to download, but I'm getting there! I will also be adding mini-blogs to each photo, eventually...... No need to sign up for Flickr, just click on link and peruse. If you add yourself as a contact - you can get updates when new photos are downloaded. I often don't have time to blog about all the things I do and see - so this is a great way of catching up with all my goings on. It's been wonderful travelling down memory lane and viewing all my Shetland photos once again.

(image: Shetland My Love sheep!)

Winter is my favourite time of year for photography and creative endeavours. Some may think me slightly crazy, but I love the light and stillness. I really look forward to hunkering down with the Shetland Raincoats, long walks across snowy hills and cosy evenings in front of the fire. Bliss.

I'm off this weekend to view Storm Petrels on the island of Mousa (weather permitting). They nest in the Iron Age Broch and return under cover of darkness. I've been told this is a magical experience.

Have a happy weekend all

abby

x

PS only 12 days to Tall Ships Races!

Come and say hi on the SML Facebook site - daily info. about Shetland. I'd love to see you over there (sign in and you'll arrive at my FB page 'Shetland My Love').

Shetland Nature Cruise

Sunday, 3rd July was such a memorable day. I went on the North Isles Nature Cruise with Simon King. Brydon from Shetland Nature, and his crew of experts, led a fantastic trip

Viewing Shetland from the sea is a wonderful experience and every time I make a trip by boat I yearn for my very own yacht (something small would do!) I'd spend my days fishing, pootling about, stopping off for picnics on deserted islands, watching dolphin displays, chatting to seals, hubby would serenade me with "True Love", make champagne cocktails at sunset..that sort of thing...

Back to reality - a modern Yell ferry and Lawrence Tulloch entertaining us with Shetland stories from the Bridge, in addition to regular commentaries from a team of experts about geology, archaeology, wildlife.... My yachtie dreams will have to wait!

The route took us north out of Yell Sound, past Fethaland and the Ramna Stacks, up the wild western coastline of Yell, and onwards to Unst. Viewing the seabird colonies of Hermaness (100,000 seabirds, including 50,000 Puffins and 17,000 breeding pairs of Gannets!) was spectacular.

However, the memory that will stay with me forever is the fishing frenzy. Hundreds of Gannets flying high, circling, and then plunging at high speed into the water, at close quarters, is one of those WOW moments, never to be forgotten.

I was also excited to reach Britain's most northerly extremity - Out Stack. More about that, and the lighthouse, in the next post. I'll be sharing a heart warming story, kindly sent by Vaila from Canada; a true love story involving Britain's most northerly lighthouse - Muckle Flugga

And...

Many thanks to Brydon and his team for a brilliant cruise, for sharing their knowledge as they socialised with everyone during the trip, and for steadying me/catching me as I wibble-wobbled and zig-zagged across the deck when seas got a bit choppy near Muckle Flugga Lighthouse. I had a wonderful day and met a lot of great people.

Nielanell - a Shetland treasure trove

I had a friend at Primary school called Sadie. She had corkscrew curls and lived with her mum in a higgledy-piggledy house nestled in a deep valley. The first time I visited her home, Sadie took me up rickety old steps to the attic. She showed me a battered wooden chest with thick leather straps. This ancient kist, when opened, revealed a cornucopia of fancy dress costumes. Overwhelmed with choice, and very excited about my new wardrobe, I couldn't decide what to try on first!

I realised the only thing to do was to wear several outfits at once, stylishly layered of course, and accessorised with tarnished gold necklaces and a wide-brimmed felt hat with an enormous pink bow. We pretended to be other people all afternoon, tottered around in a drunken manor in towering high heels, sipped imaginary tea, put on funny voices and giggled a great deal about nothing in particular.

My visit to Nielanell's studio workshop - specialising in knitted textiles and located in the pretty village of Hoswick - rekindled memories of my time with Sadie. It's been years since I'd thought about Sadie and me.

Nielanell's assistant - V, greeted me and was on hand to help me choose a present. She was brilliant! Together we pulled knitwear out of antique cabinets, capes off vintage mannequins, draped scarves and cardigans on the amber velvet sofa and talked colour and design! V was very happy for me to explore Nielanell's treasure trove and layer jewelled garments to my heart's content. Wonderful.

I found the loveliest pressy for a friend - a poncho (called a crocodile cape) in stunning shades of deep pink and wine rose; perfectly raspberry rippled together. V also showed me an intriguing jacket - it can be worn upside down! Ideal for my trips to New Zealand!

Gorgeous, contemporary, innovative, quirky, confident, ever so slightly cheeky, garments with, described by Nielanell, an 'urban bohemian edge'. Nielanell showcases adaptable artwear with attitude, designed and made in Shetland.

The shop is open from May to September (V told me they will open out of season, if you call ahead). I have my eye on a scarf - richly woven in saturated shades of blue. Another trip to Hoswick is planned in near future!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Nielanell is one of the creatives featured on the newly launched Craft Trail Leaflet (look out for signs as you travel around). Download the leaflet here or pick up from the Visitor Centre, Lerwick (and other outlets). I had a really fun time pressy buying. Many thanks to V for excellent customer service.