Post and patterns

Before we went away Kate offered a swap with some ATCs she had made. As I like Kate's work I offered to swap with her and yesterday I received said ATC from her.

It was very prettily packaged in a little parcel tied up with assorted yarns in my favourite turquoise and blues.

Inside the lutradur-like outer wrapper was the ATC I had chosen. The centrepiece looks like part of a brooch and I love the colours and the "wish" sentiment.

Also from Kate, from a giveaway on her blog, I received a bag of scraps which I had put my name in the hat for. As Kate has come to the end of her marathon giveaway we all got a bag. There are some lovely pieces in this collection which are tempting me to play. You can just see the top of a batik tree in the foreground which I love as I do all the pieces uppermost in this pile.

Back in Austria I was up to my usual tricks, taking photographs in the 'Ladies'! This fossil was on the surface of the counter round the washbasins in a hotel in Aachensee. I think the rock must have come from the same range of mountains as the Steinplatte, it's a beautiful surface.

This building, also in Aachensee, houses a fitness centre and echoes the shape of the surrounding mountians. I loved the reflections of the clouds in its glass.

It's funny what takes your eye, isn't it? This sandwich was at my feet where the wall of the mountain top cafe met the floor. I like the different textures from the cement wall through the lead flashing to the base surface (not sure what that's made of).

More interesting textures here from the play of aerated water over stones in a pool outside the fitness centre. Must be able to do something with this in Photoshop!