Stretching ideas on the Isle of Skye

I have just been to Timber House on The Isle of Syke with my dear friend Rachel Hazell.

It's the perfect place to rest and dream and stretch ideas, as Rachel put it so well. It's a good place for stretching your body too and there was lots of yoga time for me 

and feet up time too.

We like to talk about our businesses and how it's all going and make plans over many cups of tea and Rachel likes to make books.

Rachel is a paper loving, bookbinding artist who has a marvelous e-course called Paperlove which runs in only a few weeks time so there was much buzz about that. Has anyone reading taken her course? Everyone who I have spoken to has loved it.

While Rachel perfected her coptic stitch ready for her Driftwood Binding workshop on Iona later in the month I had short rambles up the hill behind the house in between the hailstorms and driving rain.

The colours are so good on Skye.

And the air is so clean.

And I always notice the mosses too 

and I have to get up really close

There's an old derelict cottage up the hill behind the house.

It's surrounded by the gnarliest old trees. 

The trees were covered in the most incredible mosses.

It's always a shame when it's time to leave the wilderness

but the journey back on the train was astounding with snowy mountains, deer and wild rivers.

Then I had a couple of nights in Edinburgh at Rachel's house which is full of papery wonders and piles books to devour.

There was shopping

and more cups of tea.

Thankyou Rachel for another lovely Timber House time. 

Please visit Rachel's lovely new website and if you are a paper lover too then Paperlove starts in a few weeks time. Check it out here.