Beautiful Things

New Blog

2011-05-31T11:41:00.001-07:00

These days I am mostly blogging over at

tattersandfrills.blogspot.com

Three Sisters

2011-03-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

I've been struggling with a nasty cough for over a week now. Combined with flogging this dead horse, something had to hit the back burner as I spent the week on the sofa. This is something I knocked up a couple of weeks ago when I was inspired by a couple of projects in March's Craft Stamper magazine. I guess you could spot which two if you went through it page by page.

I had the frame handy - people often pass things on to me and I can't bear throwing them away in case they might prove useful. And sometimes they do. It was gold. It isn't now, but looks much better. The whole project is a piece of paper from my Olde World stack, distress ink, paper labels and die cuts from the Cricut Heritage cartridge. Acrylic paint on the frame. Easy peasy.

Half-term Half-time

2011-02-23T08:20:00.001-08:00

It's been a quiet week so far. Lexie is always happy just to watch Spongebob so I have been able to get on with a few things while she chills. Fizzy had a friend over for a couple of days and has therefore been out of my hair. We have run a few errands in town and done some washing. Yay (well, I'm glad it's done but it's not my favourite chore lol).

My first pizza box came today.

I am half thrilled, because it's lovely, and half panicked, because I don't really know what I'm going to do with it. It all matches. Stroke.

Today we also went to KFC with Lexie's boyfriend Jack and his family and had a lovely time. Jack's a Cub, and I commissioned him to make a birthday card for my sister-in-law as it's bob-a-job week (month more like!). He made this fabulous card, which I'm delighted with, and I'm sure she will be, too

Penny's book

2011-02-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

When Penny saw Karen's book she asked for one to take on her trip to Barcelona. So this is Penny's book. I went for the grunge-y/clean look and was delighted with how it turned out. And so was she. Right, here goes. Papers are Dovecrafts Sugar & Spice. The green panel is the faux wax resist technique. The alpha is from the Cindy Loo Cricut cartridge, cut on font layer, and the deer are from there too - and blue googly eyes! Lol. (Vintage Photo Distress Ink pad as well.) The owl tag is from there as well.

Ribbons pulled from stash.

Slide pocket from HOTP stencil. Stamps are 7 Gypsies journalling stamps. Except for the others which are varied. Docrafts,

Tim

and my favourite (for this book) - no idea where that comes from! (She laughed!)

Owl frame from Cindy Loo. It turned out great.

And how to: Cut 2 pieces of cardboard 5 x 7 inches. Cover (both sides) with paper of your choice. Punch 3 holes (see picture) in each cover and add eyelets. Cut lots of pages 6 1/2 by 4 1/2 and stamp them as you choose, after you've punched them as well (line them up with covers and mark with a pokey tool through the holes). I like to use lots of different papers, plus playing cards, envelopes, scrapbook papers. Use what you have. You could stick die-cuts on the pages, or punch shapes. Whatever you like. Decorate your front cover as you choose. I like something 3-dimensional (see Gift Book entry for flowers), but Madam wanted it to be flat so she could put it in her bag. Add 3 book rings. Tie ribbons/fibres/tags on the rings, as you like. Stick lots of fab things inside or journal - whatever you want. Have fun!

Made a nice piece of wall art yesterday, inspired by this month's Craft Stamper. (There's been a bit of discussion this week about what's being inspired by and what is just blatant copying, for personal gain. Personally, I like to look at what's out there and if I'm moved to, maybe make something while I'm thinking about that particular thing. Not copy it, because that's a bit dull. Yes, I know I'm cutting lots of things with my Cricut right now, but I don't pretend I invented them, and I don't sell 'em either!) Picture tomorrow. And I'm working on a super duper secret project which is so exciting that I may burst, but I won't tell you what it is, no matter how you beg.

Gift Book 1

2011-02-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is the book I made yesterday (and the day before!). The box is decorated with Cindy Loo cutouts.

And here is the book. With the little bitty gift card.

And the book itself. 'Wax resist' paper, by me. Flourish from Cindy Loo. Red tissue and newspaper flowers made by me (oh how that Cosmic Shimmer mist stains!) Selected fibres.

All the pages have a stamp on them, or a punch out, or a punched item stuck on.

And here is a 'detail' shot of the 'wax resist' paper, and those fab flowers.

And did she like it?

Oh yes.

Yay.

A card for Doreen

2011-02-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

The lady who acts as escort on Lexie's school bus is poorly and, as my new Cindy Loo cartridge arrived today, a card seemed in order. I have become quite enthusiastic about my poor old Cricut lately. When I bought it, I used it about twice. I didn't much love the George & Basic Shapes cartridge, and others were just too pricey. However, after making some nice valentine cards using the much-maligned George, and discovering other cartridges which were a)fab and b)affordable, I have made some investments and am now the proud owner of the Cindy Loo and also Heritage. (And another on the way.) And I have taken my cardmaking to the 'next level', whatever that means.

I know that cards aren't the most fascinating thing in the world, but for someone who feels like she is emerging from a chrysalis of non-productivity and self-induced failure, they make a great route to recovery. I made a book today. Pictures tomorrow.

School Disco

2011-02-14T12:22:00.001-08:00

Friday was the long-awaited school disco and here is Lexie in her new dress.

She looked lovely. She had a super time and danced and jumped and rolled on the floor. The usual.

And this

is a card I made for her teacher who spent Saturday doing this. I thought the least I could do was make her a card.

Faithbooking

2011-02-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

I am not, as everyone knows, a scrapbooker. I don't get it. (I understand why, just not how.) But recently I came across a by now well-established US trend, Faithbooking, and that seemed much more what I want to do right now. Having been encouraged by Paul at Wow Factor*, I had a go this afternoon, and here it is. Melody Ross Soul Food, and Old World stack paper, Distress Inkpads (Vintage Photo and Victorian Velvet), Cricut Heritage die-cuts, flowers made by me (and Cosmic Shimmer Mist-ed). I know it's too simple, but it's a start. And Philippians 4:13 is one of my favourite verses.

*Paul runs a website called Wow Factor Crafts. They operate on a not for profit basis, and they sell lots of good stuff, made in the UK! Go at once at buy lots of things. Tell them Kate sent you.

Makin' stuff

2011-02-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

Feeling better takes a long time. Sometimes there are setbacks. Oh well. What's a few days between friends? I got a bit discouraged for a while. You know how it is. You make things, you show them to people, no-one likes them. I should be used to it really, but I'm keeping on anyway.

Phil and Penny and Tony (that's Penny's boyfriend, keep up) worked some loving magic on the studio and I now feel able to go in there and....and.....and make stuff. So today, Penny (inset day, it's fine) and I went in for a few hours and made Valentine's cards and I also did this quick canvas. Such fun!

Lots of die-cuts (Spellbinders fleur de lys, butterfly by Marianne D), Tim Holtz clear stamps, Distress inks...the usual suspects. And lovely paper and a family photo.

I popped it up on the wall near the fireplace.

No-one noticed it.

Altered matchbox teaser

2011-02-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Lexie has been ill for a couple of days which has meant just hanging around for me, and it can be quite trying. The diet of Spongebob and Penguins of Madagascar (with a soupcon of Scooby Dooby Doo) has been a little draining as well. I did decide that I wouldn't enter the Craft Stamper swap that I had been doing, because I was so pleased with my work I didn't want to swap it for something lame. So this is a little taster of what I was doing for my altered matchboxand you will never guess in a million years what it will be. Just the thought of my brilliance (in idea terms) is cheering me no end.

I did get into school today, and the consensus appears to be that I should go in and do craft demos again. I was afeared everyone would be cross about last week but actually they were very positive. So we're going to do some applique, some faithbooking, and a card with accordion flowers on. Quite exciting.

More Beads

2011-01-31T11:43:00.000-08:00

This is a landscape bead that I made under instruction from my friend Sarah. I do quite like making beads, but it isn't my favouritest thing ever. I'm still looking for myself and I am sure that when I finally turn up I am more likely to be a textile worker (still, sadly not a proper artist!) who adds her own glass beads on occasion, when she hasn't added something paper-y. At present I would like to stick some card in the printer and make a card, as seen on My Craft Studio because at least that would be making something. After the Stampin' Up debacle last week I feel that I should be making all my friends do one as well, just to cheer ourselves up. The feedback was unimpressive, from 'I didn't like my card' to 'when I got home I changed it completely'. I just left mine somewhere. We'll not be going down that road again!

I have spent the day indoors today because Lexie was honking like a goose this morning so I decided to keep her home. Missed a meeting, too. Never mind. Phil promised me a glass of wine and a listen to records, but is currently playing Gran Turismo 5 (which is really annoying because the music reminds me so much of ToeJam & Earl III that I can't concentrate on anything). I had my choice last night on the turntable, so it may be DeepPurple tonight. Ah me.

Fizzy's Final Piece (and Squiddy)

2011-01-28T10:11:00.000-08:00

This is Fizzy's final piece for art textiles.

Not much textiles in it, but there is an organza flower in the middle. She has worked very hard on this and her teacher liked it a lot. These days I don't really get 'art' as a subject. When I was at school we just did horrible pictures in poster paint (and I went to three different secondary schools - nothing changed), and sometimes we drew a shell or a pine cone in pencil. They seem to 'study' artists I've never heard of and then do pieces of work in the same style. I don't quite see the point totally, but I suppose it makes some weird sort of sense. I can't say which artist they've been studying because I instantly forgot his name. She hid a tiny bird in the top flower made from my new SU punch. Lol.

This is Lexie's bestest toy ever, 'Squigward'.(She loves loves loves Spongebob. Squigward is a better plushie than Spongebob because he has a wobbly head and is great for stimming*.) This is how she left him the other morning when she went to school. He was tucked up on the kitchen table with her headband as a pillow and her Hungry' Caterpitar' apron as a blankie. And told to behave himself. (He was very good.)

*This is, obviously, a made up word. I can't find it in the dictionary, which is a shame as I didn't make it up. I got it from an article in a Sunday supplement (probably A Life in a Day in the Sunday Times) where a very posh lady was going on about how ghastly her life with her autistic daughter was. Poor woman had to have her home from boarding school once a fortnight and only had one full time member of staff to help her. I don't know how on earth she coped - she confessed to 'carer's fatigue' - there's a luxury no-one I know can afford! She used the word, and I thought it must be a real one. There you go. It means 'waving back and forth in a monotonous manner'.

What I'd like to do next

2011-01-27T07:35:00.001-08:00

I'm not ready to make anything else yet, but here are a couple of shots from this book which fired my tiny imagination up a bit. I am seriously considering fairies in jars.

Not so sure about tinsel on a (rubber?) lion,but I guess I could go that far. It's a great book, anyway. Lots of eye candy.

Penny went to Cardiff yesterday for an interview (she drove! but Daddy drove back). I still find it hard adjusting to them being grown up. She says it went well, but time will tell. When she was asked if she had any questions, she enquired what parts of their course would help in her ambition to be a speech therapist. Good for her! I'm so proud. (Answer: non-committal waffle.)

I've been in school again today, just for a change, visiting one of the senior classes in my capacity as a school governor. Great fun was had by all. I love special school.

Cards

2011-01-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

I've been at school doing a workshop today, card making with Stampin' Up. I will not be showing my card. Here are some much better ones that I made at home for nothing. We did have a nice calm morning, however, so it was very pleasant.

This one is a card I made for a magazine website sketch challenge. It didn't win, but I still think it's a pretty good card.

I made this one for my sister because the card I posted to her didn't arrive. I thought she might keep it up for a while, so I didn't put any greetings on it. It's from a Debbi Moore CD of course, but fun to do and looks great.And yes, she did like it. Yay.

Chickens in the Snow

2011-01-25T05:04:00.000-08:00

These are our two chickens, BooBoo Chicken (black) and BigBeak (red).

Lexie named them, of course. They don't care for snow, and they don't get out of their run during really bad weather. Having said that, they're out right now and it's raining. They don't seem to mind the rain.

This weekend, I had a sudden whim to visit our old favourite crafty store over in Evesham. I hadn't been since November, when a group of us went over to do a little workshop. You will notice that I haven't done a little linky thing. No. That's because they moved. They never even mentioned it when we were there (except to say they might have to move in April). Three weeks later they had new premises, all ready, and they moved in. Like they didn't know. Obv don't want my business then. So, I made poor Phil drive us out to here on Saturday afternoon. We hadn't been for a couple of years, and they have made some changes which makes it an even more appealing shop than it was before. Good prices on lots of things, particularly Inkadinkado stamps, Distress inkpads and Spellbinders dies. We used to pop in on the way home from the Stroud Farmers Market until that turned into a kind of outdoor supermarket experience (you end up just buying the same things every week), except you pay cash. I spent far more money than I needed to, especially as my Stampin' Up order will finally be in my hands tomorrow. How many stamps does a girl need, I wonder.

(Lots.)

Big Cushion

2011-01-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

Last week, I posted a picture of some fabrics I bought from Dunelm (fabric buying stores are very thin on the ground round here. For preference I would go to the Rag Market, but it's a bit of a way, so I only go for a treat). I bought it because I had been having a cup of tea with my friends after our Monday morning walk round the pond and saw some big orange cushions which I rather liked. However, the colour was wrong, the inners were polyester stuffing, and the workmanship left something to be desired. They were a good size, though. But even in the sale, not worth the £12 each. So I nipped over to Dunelm and picked up 2 big feather cushion pads and the lovely fabric. And, finally, my perceived 2 hour job having extended beyond my wildest dreams, here is the first of those large cushions

And here is a detail

Of course the voile doesn't show up in the pic, but it is there. One more to go.

And this is another experiment I tried last week. I had read, in a 30 year old book, a throwaway line about making felt in the washing machine, and it was lodged away in my poor brain, just waiting for various things to come together (buying net curtain, finding the roving...summoning up the courage...) Friday was the day, and here is a shot of the result.

It does need another go in the machine, but the potential is very exciting. I had trawled the web looking for some tips and it actually wasn't until I had the thing in the machine that I finally found a thread about it (from the 90s). I think they were all being a bit precious about it, because it seemed really easy to me. Here's a detail

This is definitely an experiment which will bear repeating. I think we could make felt with kids with special needs, too.

Beads and Brownies

2011-01-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

These are some glass beads I made last summer.

There's silver wire and silvered ivory in these. They were my first lentil beads, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with them, although I see the faults. I wore them on a simple asymmetric thong arrangement until the thread started to wear. I will rethread them.

And here is a picture of Lexie taking her Brownie Promise (again. She already took it at Slimbridge, but we wanted to see).

She loves Brownies.

Another project catch up (and a bit of an explanation)

2011-01-20T06:07:00.000-08:00

It's really cold here today. I expect it's my fault for making pale blue flowers yesterday! I am wearing mine though, as I love it. It just cheers me to look down and see a little wisp of Spring on my long black cardi. On the subject of things made, here is a pic of the cushion I made for my friend G for Christmas

It was just made from fabrics pulled from my stash, cut out according to the drawing I made first. I Bondawebbed and ironed the pieces on, and then stitched around them with running stitch in embroidery thread. The tree was kind of patched, and so I herringboned the joins. Oh, and backstitched the birds' legs. And French knots for their little beady eyes. (The little owl got sequins.)

And these are the flower brooches I made for my girlfriends at Christmas. Love that pink.
My poor eyes are hurting this afternoon as most of the books I ordered the other day arrived. I wanted to immerse myself in beauty and creativity and finally get myself back. I have already examined this one and this one. And when I have finished here, I'm planning to have a look at this one. So much loveliness. I should have ordered one a week. But I do feel bursting with enthusiasm, particularly to make some kind of assemblage. Such fun!

I kind of sloped in yesterday like I was late for a lecture or a committee meeting. I thought nobody would notice me taking a seat at the back. Everything had overwhelmed me, for a lot longer than I had ever dreamed possible. I was lost. In other areas. too. I went on strike at home for a bit (no cooking, no running around after everyone) and at least one child cheered. I played a lot of computer games. Then I got involved in parent groups at Lexie's school, joined the PTA and became a school governor. Part of coming back, I suppose. I made an effort to catch up with the washing and (hid the rest in our bedroom as we) hosted Christmas. I like to have big family meals, so that was warm and friendly. Then I got my Rachael Ray cookbooks out and started to read more craft sites. I think is was Sister-Diane over at Craftypod with her posts about Free who made me want to be here more than, a while ago, I hadn't wanted to be. I so like looking at things on the internet; following ideas and inspirations; sometimes using a tutorial; enjoying others' creations. I had posted several free tutorials myself. I had contributed, in my own small way, to the community, but that was in the past. So, deep breath, here I am again. Half of me feels better, half of me knows that in order to feel better I need to reclaim the parts of me which were lost. And those parts won't get found watching Murdoch Mysteries and playing Shopping Street. I want so much to feel like myself again, which is quite contradictory as I've always felt I don't like myself very much. But I like being a person who makes things, and I think I make things better when I am an active member of this community.

Spring flowers and a mystery project

2011-01-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

I made several of these burnt edge flowers for TAs and friends at school for Christmas, and today the receptionist, who was wearing hers, said that someone had asked for one. I had forgotten myself as well when I made them before (in my colours!) but in the moments I am not freezing it feels a little springlike, so I went with soft pastels.

They are a bit of an internet staple, though hopefully I added my own little twist. (Sequins.)

And a quick card to go with, although the light had gone by the time it was finished. Have to make use of my new Grand Calibur machine, so there are two squares on it. I am really liking the sheet music background (possibly more than the card, but it does look better in real life). As it happens, the lady who wanted the flower is one of the teachers, and does still work with Lexie so I was more than happy to oblige. She had home-made cookies for Christmas, and probably deserved something more anyway!

And here is a selection of fabrics I picked up on Monday (well, the plains are from my stash, I just bought the fancy upholstery fabrics and the voiles from my favourite store) for a special project I have on the go. I hope that all will be revealed at some point, and not too far in the future, either.

It just happened to be one of those projects which makes my wrists hurt. I have struggled with RSI for more than 25 years, and am generally famous for wearing elasticated bandages. I have been out of elastic for a few months now, and am not keen to get them back on, so I am taking my time with this one.

Snow

2009-02-06T00:11:00.000-08:00

Fizzy likes action shots. Despite appearances, she is merely taking a dive in the snow for photographic purposes.It's worse today.
The snow, I mean. Snowing quite hard. Snow days for all.
We are keeping inside (apart from Fizzy), there's milk, bread products and something for dinner later (might be tuna!). Phil's walking weekend in Yorkshire was cancelled. For which we had cancelled our annual Bird Day festivities. We seem to have got used to cancelling everything.

Phone case and other stuff

2009-01-22T02:46:00.000-08:00

I bought a new phone some months ago. I have never taken the plastic off the screen because it needed a case. I have been known to drop my phone! But everytime I looked at it, the little piece of plastic mocked me.
No more will it taunt me! I got my finger out, and here is the fruit of my labour.Acrylic felt, embellished with roving, lace, net, angelina and yarn (cos it's not wool!). We're just waiting for the big girls to get home so they can tell me where they tidied the heat gun to, and then I can finish off those ends.
The back
A detail shot
And another!
I like this as much as I've liked anything for ages, which I guess is a good sign.

Some people hit the ground running after the Christmas holidays, but I just hit the ground this time. I think my low point came at Sixth Form Open Evening on Tuesday, but, to be fair, Phil went for a job interview at 2pm and I hadn't heard from him by gone 6. (He left at 1, the interview started at 2.) Who interviews at 6pm? I figured he'd either had an accident or left me (frame of mind might need a bit of a boost!), like you do. I dragged everyone back to school for the fun, and he called just as we got there at 6.30. After upsetting one of Penny's friend's mothers, inadvertantly (she caught me on the hop, phone in hand, confusion in brain, stress levels through the roof) because she's American and it was Tuesday and I wasn't bothered (face? look? you know the drill), we had a speech ordeal, which Penny wasn't allowed in the hall to hear. What was the point of that, I wonder. I'm not going into Sixth Form! V boring man, forgotten most of it. On the way out I was cornered by another of Penny's friend's mothers, whom I know because she has a lovely son with Down's. He's a cracker. She wanted to tell me all about this meeting she'd had about Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT), but she made the mistake of assuming I knew all about it, which I didn't. So I said I was sorry, but I didn't understand. 'Why not?' she raged. 'We need more SaLT!!' 'Do we?' I blundered, 'We have all that we need'. 'Well good for you!' she yelled as she started to storm off. Anyway, I calmed her down a bit and tried to get her to explain and it turns out she'd had a meeting with the education department (I guess) and someone had agreed to more SaLT because, as she said 'some of us parents don't want to have to put our children in special school in order to get it!'
Well, I have smarted about this ever since. Mostly because I don't think I deserved it. But I have realised a few things. Firstly, she was incredibly angry with me because I chose special school for my child, and for some reason that seems to spin her out, like we have been disloyal or something. We agonised for years about where to send Lexie, and I do mean agonised. And in a way, we still do. Did we do the right thing? I wonder on a regular basis. Particularly after my MiL was going on about how she is 'too clever' for special school on Saturday. So far, I have only met children I don't know who go to mainstream school, and they have consistently been shy and withdrawn (which isn't a given for Down's, Lexie certainly isn't backwards in coming forwards). I would be so interested to come across the ones I used to know who moved from special to mainstream school, just to see if they've changed at all. I think that would help me a lot (not that I have any intention of moving her, regardless of the outcome).
Then I thought about all the things that made us choose special school in the first place. Battledown, where she went for 3 years, was started as a specialist centre for...wait for it......SaLT! One of my last duties as a governor was to agree funding for a third therapist. This woman's child is 2, just the right age for there, but she would rather send him to a nursery attached to a mainstream primary school and then bitch about there not being a SaL therapist! At Bettridge they have a SaL therapist, and, as they do in Battledown, they communicate with the classrooms so each day is filled with SaLT without the children even noticing. At Bettridge, we can see our community consultant so we don't have to take our child out of school for most of the day. Hearing and vision people come into the school. There are at least 2 physiotherapists who come in every week, and if I had any doubts about what they do they were dispelled when Lexie's phoned me up to tell me that her new boots meant her orthotic inserts were wrong and needed replacing, she got me an appointment, and was even there when we turned up to explain to the orthotist. There are also 2 dedicated music therapists. None of this would happen in mainstream school.
I have given this subject a lot of thought and at the end I decided that Lexie has Down syndrome. It isn't going to go away, or get better. Yes, she is coming on and really is quite clever, but, and it's a massive but, she's clever for her. We can see how far she's come. Drop her in a top infants class and she would drown. Put her in Reception, and she'd drown. Very quickly. We chose special school for her because it's where she needs to be. Her friends have SEN too. Her friends will always have SEN. However lovely and charming she is, no 'normal' teenager will want to be best mates. So it's better to face that now and give her what she needs not what will make me feel better about myself. Yes, she will have to live in the 'real world' when she leaves school, but that won't be the same 'real world' that 'normal' school-leavers live in, no matter how much we love her. Her friends will always have learning disabilities.
And it's the same for this woman's little boy. He's a lovely lad, but he isn't going to be Professor of Difficult Sums at Sheffield University. He might be a trolley boy at Tescos. I don't mean to be nasty, it's realistic. Lexie'll probably be inside stacking the fruit.
In a way, she's helped me realise that we have chosen the right place for Lexie and I shouldn't worry about it anymore. I'm still annoyed with her for her attitude - that in some way Phil and I have let the side down by not making all our lives almost intolerably difficult (most of all Lexie's!). We fought for Battledown to stay open so that children like her's could have SaLT - as much of it as they need. It's a bit like having a lovely cake shop in town. It's been there for 20 years and makes the most delicious cakes. This woman wants a cake, but she wants to buy it from the greengrocer, and he doesn't sell cakes. So, instead of going to the cake shop, she decides to get angry and shout until someone gets her a cake. I'd prefer to go to the cake shop myself.

Getting on with it

2009-01-09T01:45:00.000-08:00

Well, after all yesterday's hilarity I figured it was time to get back to business, of sorts. If I want to feel better then I really and truly have only myself to rely on. I am now the proud owner of two teenagers and a little person with learning disability, so I can't rely on them for any sensible help in that quarter. Except for Lexie of course. I was sorting something out this morning in the washing room (utility) and I could hear her shouting 'Penny! You hit me!' That's likely! (Penny tapped her on the head with a plastic plate, like you do.) She keeps us on our toes. She had to be physically prevented from making a snow angel on Monday morning as we waited for the taxi. Yes, she made one later. After school. And then got changed.
New year, new look, I thought. This is what my banner sample looked like after I had ironed itIt's by way of being a book cover. I wanted to try making a book without a harder cover and kind of firm it up afterwards. The pages are actually less pink than they look, though I suppose they could do with a bit more darker paint on them. I guess I knew it was all wrong, which is why I put it aside and didn't do any writing in it. This was done late-ish last year, so maybe I'll have another go at it. I liked the felt though.
Here's an ethical pickle. I have been thinking that I should embrace further the ideal of Use What You Have (there's a good flickr group for it, too) on account of world and personal circumstances. Or, is it my civic duty to continue to patronise independent retailers on account of they might go under. And then where will we get supplies from when we finally get some money? I was so pleased to realise I have a nice little group of places that I like to do business with, and can get pretty much everything I want (still struggling with fabrics) that it worries me that their businesses might fail. It was horrid when the craft shop I worked in closed. Apart from the fact that I had no nice little job anymore. I used to think, Oh yes, that's in the back room by the... and then wonder where on earth I might get whatever it was I needed. So then I had the brilliant idea of making stuff to sell. Gosh, that's such a brilliant idea! No-one has any money! And it will soon be next to impossible to sell anything to the US and I have never met anyone in this country who wanted to buy anything handmade. (I know they do exist, but they are thin on the ground I fear.) What people want is for stuff to be super-cheap or else it isn't 'worth' it. So then I thought, I'll open a little shop on Folksy, that looks like fun. I could only find one person who had actually sold anything at all. So I still have the dilemma. To make stuff, or not? Do I buy stuff, or not? When I think about it, if I go to Bee Crafty and spend forty quid, surely that's better than my terrible White Company habit. Or will they do what Liberty did and close their regional branches? Oh no, the worry!
Am I the only one finding Masterchef suddenly very, very annoying?

A New Year's joke

2009-01-08T02:11:00.000-08:00

This was only marginally more hilarious than it would have been on Christmas Eve.

Yesterday evening, Phil came home from work with a folded paper in his hand.

I kissed him Hello, and, feeling happy that he was home, thinking about the meal I was preparing, and concentrating more on getting Penny to tell him about her mark in her music exam, I asked

"What have you got there, Dear? Your cards?" (secure, of course, in the knowledge that it was no such thing. The place where he works having work on for the forseeable)

"Yes" he replied.

Not quite done with Christmas

2009-01-05T04:30:00.000-08:00

Well, who'd have thought it? Bettridge is closed (as from right this second - 12.30). Apparently the taxi will bring her home and it's a sub station power cut so all will be all right tomorrow. We'll see. Ironic really, as we spent all the getting ready time this morning listening to the radio trying to work out if school would be closed! On account of the inch of snow. Anyway. That's the afternoon dealt with. I hate the first day of term, so I shan't be sorry to have her back early.
So here is a hastily taken snap of my Christmas mantlepiece, because I shall be sad to take that down tomorrow. Maybe next year I'll do the shelf edge I planned (any one, doesn't matter!).I always get a bit low (heck, no!!!) when we take the lights down. I think it's really bad planning. Everything is so bleak. No-one has any money. Everyone's given everything up (not me!). Wouldn't a few pretty lights really help??!!
This year, however, we do have something to take our minds off it.
I'm a bit ashamed to say that this is what we've been doingIf that means nothing to you, then I guess you're lucky. Or not. I don't know. It's a drum kit from Guitar Hero World Tour. It's the most fun you can have with your children. (Yes, we have the guitar, and a mic as well.) Our embarrassment factor has gone up tenfold! Yay.

Forgot to say that child R (the girls' cousin, in receipt of handmade paper dog tag necklace pictured below), loathed her gift. I don't think loathe is too strong a word. If I could think of a stronger one, I'd use it, cos that would sum up better her distaste and displeasure. Couldn't bring her 16 year old self to say a word. Not one. Not even a casual 'Oh thanks' and move on. Shame. Had I realised she'd hate it that much I'd have kept it.

New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T08:05:00.000-08:00

This is Lexie feeding Rudolf and his friends on Christmas Eve.Penny's boyfriend's family gave the children Reindeer Food for a little fun gift. I think the reindeer liked it as it was all gone when I looked!
And in the as yet ungiven Christmas gift section, here is the dogtag necklace Penny and I made for her cousin R who lives in the frozen north (Blackpool, nearly). We hope she likes it, as we do, but we fear that she probably won't. According to my SiL (her aunt), the child doesn't wear make-up or jewellery, or listen to music. She's 16!! We don't see them very often, the last time being the sad occasion of Great Grandma's funeral just before last Christmas, so there wasn't much opportunity to get to know her a whole lot better then either. (Incidentally, Lexie often talks about Grandma Blake, bless her.) My MiL protests that R does wear the bits of jewellery she gives her, so I am hoping that she'll at least accept it in the spirit in which it is meant. And it was a whole lot more bother than buying some rubbish she doesn't want either.
We took our inspiration from Altered Paper Jewelry, but kind of went our own way. Okay. I give in. Penny made the hearts tag and I made the rest. (All right, yes, she helped me with the origami. I got stuck at step 11.) We could get into this kind of thing big time, I think. It feels a bit like a something for nothing kind of thing to do. Which is one heck of a joke when you consider what I have spent on papercrafts materials in the last couple of years! At any rate, I don't have to rush out and buy anything else! For a while.
Well. Another year draws to a close. I have a horrid head cold, and a fridge full of fancy party food from M&S. Best of all, I don't have guests coming! We like to party with the girls on New Year's Eve. If Phil can master Guitar Hero we might even have a laugh (he gets a bit cross with himself. It is hard, though!). Just waiting for Penny to get home (she's gone to www light with T and his family. That's 'w' as little kids say it (w for worm) - not doubleyoo. We were baffled for ages until we went along the flyover at the end of the M32, passing the dread blue and yellow shed on our right, and Lexie shouted, 'look, it's www light' and the penny dropped! But we still have no idea why!) and then I'll get out my smoked salmon treats.
Whether you have smoked salmon treats from M&S or not, I hope you have a lovely evening, and a happy, healthy and hopeful new year. Thank you for reading and sharing. I shall raise my glass to you later. Cheers!

Christmas thoughts

2008-12-24T00:30:00.000-08:00

Phil and I have been married for 16 years now. I realised that we have spent more Christmases together than I was ever aware of spending at home as a child (the first few being, naturally, unremembered, and the rest kind of merging together). But we still think of our Christmases in relation to how our own families chose to celebrate. As I lay in bed last night, thinking of the loaded cupboards and fridge and whathaveyou, I realised that, to my mother, Christmas was an unnecessary and rather tedious expense. It has occurred to me of late that she always hated cooking (which explains why she embraced ready meals so thoroughly), so Christmas Day was one big chore. Except that, instead of enfolding her turkey in a tinfoil tent and abandoning it to its fate like Delia, she would set the timer and go and baste it every 20 minutes, whether we were opening presents or not. I wonder now if she did it deliberately. Of course she did. No-one else's turkey was basted quite so thouroughly as ours! Her 'treat' shopping consisted of a box of chocolate covered nuts from M&S (I think there were 3 kinds), and some nuts in shells. Oh, and drink. Always the drink. After all, you can begin boozing at 10 on Christmas Day quite legitimately. Eight o'clock if you consider whisky in your tea 'drinking'.
We love Christmas. I suppose it helps that the religious significance isn't lost on us. We got married at Christmastime. Two of our three children were born at Christmastime, too. So it's always a special time for us, on top of everything else. I love the decorations, the music (this year my most favourite is the Pretenders 2000 Miles ('Why can't she sing, Mummy?' - 'It's Chrissie Hynde - she doesn't need to, she's just fabulous!'). I love the films (The Holly and The Ivy is my favourite, but they don't show that anymore - black and white!), the 'nostalgia', but I'm not nostalgic in the way I think I am. After all, the Christmases I had as a child only had magic because my childish spirit put it there myself, because I believed in the magic of Christmas.
When I was a child, the gifts were always much better than you'd asked for (unless it was the Sindy horse, which I never, ever got). You'd ask for a Raleigh bicycle and would be given a very grown up ladies shopper bicycle, with plaid shopping container on the back. Any woman would have been thrilled. Unfortunately, it wasn't a child's bike. My ingratitude was never, ever forgotten, or forgiven. Now I am a grown-up, I understand, to a degree, the desire to trade up as it were on one's children's Christmas dreams. Except that we mustn't. Because kids don't ask for an i-Pod Shuffle because they are too sweet to ask for the Nano. The Shuffle is what they actually want. (And neither of my big girls has any kind of i-Pod for Christmas, I hasten to add!) I really, really wanted a traditional Raleigh bike. A girl's bike. Maybe with a basket on the front. Certainly with a bell. I wanted to be able to jump off and throw it down on the grass as I rushed to another adventure. There simply wasn't time to put down the stand (what was it? a motorcycle??). Everyone else had gone. To be fair, nobody else even wanted to come in the first place - too embarrassed! I also understand other things that were lost on me in my youth. The lavishness of the gifts was most likely directly proportional to the amount of guilt felt about the rest of the year. My father was always generous - but not with his time. He was always at work (or elsewhere, I guess). He didn't love me or my sister particularly. Neither of us cut the mustard (well, we were girls, after all!). And although we were girls, we weren't dainty and pink. Failures all round. (And not alone among children of high-achievers - we lack ambition. Mostly because we understand what that costs.) But at Christmas! Let's show everyone that everything is all right!
These days I would make everything if I could, but I admit to getting a little excited when we've bought the children something we know they will like. I don't think they'd get the same feeling about something home-made, bless them. But Penny has been making cuffs as gifts for her friends (not her boyfriend - he has something boughten!), and here they areall her own work - well, I put the cord on. I think she had run out of steam by that time, and we did have to make button loops at the same time. I think they're fab.
And here is Lexie with her Minnie Mouse toy. She wishes you a very Happy Christmas, and a Happy New Year. I hope that all our kids have a super day, that we don't buy them the wrong thing, or begrudge them a chocolate treat. I hope that they all look back on their childhood Christmases and remember their mums were all there opening presents and having fun, not slaving in the kitchen. And that, if we made them something, it was good, and they loved it.Happy Christmas xx

Christmas Stocking Tutorial

2008-12-21T01:36:00.000-08:00

I needed four Christmas Stockings, but didn't want to pay £5 each for them, so I decided to make my own. It was pretty easy, and really much better value. If you would like to make some - and if you set up a mini-production line you'll be surprised how quickly everything comes together - this is what you do:
Gather together your materials and equipment
Newspaper, pencil, paper scissors
Depending on size, and quantity of stockings required, some fleece fabric (I bought a 'throw' from Primark which was pretty rubbish quality 'pleated' red fleece, but it cost less than £2, and was more than enough for 4 stockings)
Some heavy weight fabric for the cuffs (I used a furnishing toile de joie @ £5 a metre from the outlet store, and I used about half a metre)
A small quantity of calico (muslin) for tags - you'll see
Matching thread
Pins
Fabric scissors
Tape measure or ruler
Alphabet foam stamps
Red ink (I used Adirondack dye ink in Cranberry)
Eyelets and setting tool
Length of thin ribbon (I used gold)

First, you need to draw your pattern. I find that the design of stockings is very much a preferential matter. Some of them I really hate. I was going to put a pdf of mine, but decided against it as there's the sizing issue and actually it's very easy to draw your own. The secret to this project is to cut as many patterns as you need, in the size you need. I take the Sunday Times purely for occasions like these, and used one of the broadsheet supplements. Mine is a very simple, standard stocking. I drew on the page with my pencil until I was happy, and then cut out 4 copies, all at the same time. Then I pinned them all onto the fleece, folded in half so that my pleats went lengthwise. I moved the pins after I took this picture, so pin a little further in. You will see that I cut across the top of the stocking pattern because we're not sewing that bit, but I rough cut the rest so that I could get the fabric under my machine. Just take care as the fleece is a stretchy, movey little so-and-so.
Stitch around your stocking pattern, doing a little reversing at both ends. You will need to adjust and move your foot a bit (but not your needle, so make sure you start in the down position). Just take it slowly - it will be fine. Then remove the pattern and cut out your stocking. I gave it an allowance of half an inch or so. Clip the curves. (Those silly little pleats make it look like ribbed knitting, so I was pleased about them in the end!)
Now you're ready to make the cuff. You will need to take some measurements. Mine measured 10 and a quarter inches between the two seamlines, so I doubled that measurement and added a half inch for the seam allowance and cut my cuff 21 inches wide. I decided to cut it 11 inches deep, because once that is doubled up it gave a nice deep, but not too deep, cuff. Once I had cut my four pieces (which I did by eye using a yardstick, so don't panic about it!) I also cut four strips for the hanging loops, 11 inches, by about 2. I made them all the same, pretty much.
Right, sewing the cuffs. It is really very easy, but do it sober, take your time, and if you are at all worried, just check before you sew. Fold the cuff pieces in half widthways (that is, so the 11" (or whatever yours are) ends meet, and stitch them with the half inch seam allowance.
Turn it through, and then iron the seam. You'll have to do this from each end.
And now for turning. My fabric definitely has a right way and a wrong way, but if you keep your head it is quite straightforward. You need to fold the fabric in half again at this point so tuck the bottom edge up through the middle so that the edges meet at the top. (It feels more natural to do it the other way, but don't. ) I have tried to illustrate this in my photo below. You can see that the rough edges are at the top, and the pattern is upright. Press the cuff with the seam on one side.
Make the hanging loops by folding in each long side and pressing, and then folding in half again. You have done this before. I topstitch down both sides just to make it the same.
Turn your stocking the right way out.
Fold the hanging loop in a nice loop but with the ends one on top of the other and place it inside the stocking, along the back (heel) seam so that the loop is down inside the stocking and all the raw edges meet and pin it in place from the outside (so you can easily take the pin out later). Then tuck the cuff inside the stocking (raw edges meeting again), matching the seam with the loop seam, pin on either side (as the seam will be too bulky to get the pin in!), then match up the other side of the cuff (which has a pressing mark) to the other seam at the toe side of the stocking, then pin the rest of the cuff.
Carefully stitch the cuff to the stocking (because it has pins in it, not because anything will go wrong!) using a half inch seam allowance again. I began and ended at the loop side, and went over it twice for strength. After you have stitched the cuff to the top of the stocking, and removed the pins, then zigzag around the top, clip your thread ends and turn the cuff over. The top will look like this
At this stage, you can go and have a cup of tea and consider yourself finished. Or

you can add a nametag to each one, which is a good idea if you made 4.
I like a rough edge, so I tore a strip from my length of calico (muslin) about 3 inches wide across the whole width. Starting at the left edge, and leaving a little for the pointy end, I stamped the name using my regular ink pad and stamps. My stamps are quite large, but you could use smaller ones and just make a smaller label. Or you could stencil it. Or you could use a fabric marker and just write it.
Once my name was stamped, I snipped and tore the label to length and then tore a piece the same size (by placing the first piece back on the strip, snipping in the right place and tearing). Then I folded both in half lengthways and snipped off the corner to make it look like a luggage tag. Then I took it to the machine and stitched both pieces together with the red thread. I 'roughed up' the cut edges with a pin after sewing to make them look a bit less 'cut' as well.I used my Cropadile to make the hole for the eyelet and to set it. If you don't have eyelets you could buttonhole stitch around a small hole. Some sewing machines have a function where you can sew one (a round hole). However you make your finished hole, thread a shortish length of thin ribbon through and knot the ends. It needs to be long enough for you to be able to get the label through to keep it on the hanging loop.
And then your stockings look like this, so you can go and have a cup of tea, or...go on then, have a sherry. It is Christmas after all.The usual tedium applies, whatever the season. I know a stocking's pretty much a stocking, but I worked all this out myself so please enjoy my tutorial and I hope you find the pictures helpful, but don't copy them. But if you do knock up a stocking, I'd love to see, so leave a comment with a link. And have fun now! xx

Christmas Tree

2008-12-19T04:27:00.001-08:00

This is our Christmas tree, taken just now in broad daylight. It's just a dark house. A drab day. But I think it's a nice tree with lots of variety. There are homemade decorations, boughten ones old and new, some posh Cath Kidston ones, and some German blown glass, and some really horrid ones from when we had no money at all, which the girls remember from when they were little and want on the tree. That's what I like the most about Christmas really - the fact that there's room for all.
This morning was Lexie's carol service. I still think that the real meaning of Christmas is encompassed by these 'special' children. Unconditional love, tolerance and acceptance. Supporting and caring for each other. Oh, and a bit of worship thrown in, too, for good measure. Lexie was the angel. She walked up the aisle, on her own, beautifully. She stood in the tableau so patiently. She didn't tell the drummers to be quiet, or put her hands over her ears. My friend S took some pictures, so hopefully I'll have one to post before too long. I cried quite a lot (it's allowed). The headteacher is a business-like no-nonsense sort of woman, and her efforts to keep herself together as she spoke of a student who died 3 weeks ago was one of the most moving things I have ever seen.
My big girls finish school mid-afternoon. Not long afterwards, Lexie will be home.
Christmas starts today.

Christmas bits

2008-12-18T03:12:00.000-08:00

My favouritest Christmas book ever is this one. Despite the pretty hefty price, I would say it's worth every penny (though my mother in law and sister in law both hated it!). You have to be a fan of the American Country style, and home cooking, and traditions, and making stuff. Oh, and Gooseberry Patch as well would be a start! I have made several things from here even though it's been an ArtFreeZone for a while. The tag books for wish lists are brilliant - so easy, so lovely. I could do that. And I did.They don't look much like the one in the book, though. They are on the midnight blue velvet table runner I got from the White Company yesterday. It's lovely, but I am glad I only spent £19.57 on it and not the forty quid it was at full price. (No, I don't regret the tablecloth. I shall Make Do.)
Mostly, though, I have been cooking, using the recipes which don't call for corn syrup, because I have no idea what to substitute for that, or cake mix, because we don't seem to have anything approaching what's called for (white cake mix?? What's that?? Is that like Victoria Sponge mix?? Oh, and I dream of Pistachio Pudding mix!!). But I made the Christmas Pie (I substituted double cream, whipped, for the defrosted Frozen Whipped Topping) and that was great. I've done lots of the kids' recipes too - throwing frozen chips onto browned mince mixed with condensed soup before baking is inspired! So little trouble, everyone eats it.
And then the teacher gifts. Well, I struggle a bit with that, having put two girls through primary school already and seeing the competition that turned into. However, special school is a bit different. Quite a few of the parents are a bit special themselves, so I don't think the staff get much in the way of gifts. I wanted to give them a little token, and also Lexie's taxi driver, so I made Merry Munchers. They turned out like this
They are so good, you want another one before you finish the first, so perhaps not so great... They have no flour in them, though, so perhaps that counts for something (if you ignore the peanut butter, peanuts, chocolate chips and M&Ms, never mind the butter and 2 kinds of sugar!).
So most of my preparations are complete. I forgot to order a turkey, but that's a small thing.

It appears to be Christmas

2008-12-17T04:14:00.000-08:00

I have been in a very dark place. But something happened to me this morning: I had a little cry because Fizzy lost her history homework, and then I thought that perhaps it was time for all this to stop. All the pointless weeping, I mean, rather than the history homework which I would say was important, but she knocked up a better version in 10 minutes. Anyway, I went into town, which is not noticably empty for the fact that no-one has any money, and bought myself two pairs of jeans and a new clarinet book, and a midnight blue velvet table runner to make up for the fact that I was too cheap to buy a new cloth (it was £68 - reduced!!). And then I came home and booked an appointment with my hairdresser. And then I somehow felt more like myself.
And then I went into the art room and had another go at my Christmas cards, which I just couldn't get right on Monday. Okay, I started over completely, and they are probably assisted by the vague haziness of the shot, but here they are, nonetheless.Yes, they are die-cut baubles, stuck on with foam pads and with Goldfingering as the strings. They won't be fussy enough for Penny, but I wanted simple and straightforward. The greeting is implied (and will be inside!).
Thank you to everyone who e-mailed me (not that I have been reading it very much, as you may have noticed). I think I am coming out on the other side, and will try very hard to pick up my pieces, as it were. I have wanted to see what everyone has been doing for Christmas, but even that has been too hard. Maybe I will be able to do that now. If you have had patience with me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Penny and I are learning to play the clarinet.
It's red.

I won

2008-10-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

My winning parcel came, from Jennyflower, who must be the nicest person on the planet. Look at the loveliness.

And inside those beautiful little parcels was just the superest collection of gorgeous brownness. There was chocolate (yum) and fabric (yum). Just look!
I have photographed it really badly, but the metal at the top right there (below) is a kit for weaving metal. How fab is that! There's stone chips and leaves. Oh, wonders, really, that's all.

The brooch is on my new cardi, and it's just perfect. I am feeling very spoiled. Thanks again, Jenny!

Just briefly, on other topics, I have been unwell for the last couple of weeks, but I have now been to the doctor and got some medication, and in a few days we'll see if it works or not. In the meantime I am dry-mouthed and a bit spaced out, so am mostly to be found curled under a blankie.

Lexie and I were chatting about what we were going to have for our dinner yesterday evening. She wanted 'chippies' and I said we were having leftover lamb, so we would probably be having rice, or cous-cous. "Yuk," she said, "and yuk as well".

Thinking of Christmas...

2008-10-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

Computers are so frustrating.

We got so fed up we went out and bought a Mac.

I took some pictures, loaded them up, and they are portrait instead of landscape. So I took them off again. Perhaps the Mac will work better, so I might try again later, but my arms hurt too much right now.

We were moving furniture yesterday, and it was too heavy for me, but it had to be moved. I'm bandaged up and sorry for myself (and still have to do the washing up!). So I'm away to think of Christmas.

You're not supposed to do it this way

2008-09-30T02:19:00.000-07:00

Now here's a thing.
I have tolerated RSI for 'twenty years' (I'm pretty sure I have been saying that for longer than I think!). I wear elasticated wrist support bandages for driving, and for other activities. There are things which, from experience, I have learned I can't do. Wet felting is one of them. Free machine quilting is another.
I have tried.
I have tried rolling it up and holding a roll in each hand.
I have tried the Quilt Sew Easy tool. For me, it isn't. I'm probably doing it wrong, but it really doesn't help.
So this morning I decided to try something else.
It was a bit mad.
It wouldn't work for everyone.
Mainly, it's a sewing machine issue, and I am happy to say that I buy Janome and you get a good sized working area, particularly on my machine (the 6600P).
Enough was enough!
I popped the quilt in an 9" embroidery hoop, and it works a treat.
There are kind of conditions, though. I am doing vermicelli, so any inclination to circularity is purely not noticeable in the end. And my quilt is thin. I don't think it would work with polyester batting.Here it is from the back. You need a screwdriver to do the screw up and you have to move the hoop often, but it is so much easier.
Having said that, I'm still taking a break. Probably until tomorrow if I have any sense.
Now the thing which is really bugging me is that I should never have done the jolly vermicelli in the first place. It makes the quilt kind of stiff. Oh well. It may wash soft.

Shopping, but not in a good way

2008-09-29T01:37:00.000-07:00

Penny and Fizzy went camping with the Guides this weekend.
Penny is, of course, too old to be a Guide now (!) and has been one of the (young) leaders for the last couple of terms.
As they were off having some fun, Phil took me to the new Cabot Circus shopping centre in Bristol. I just thought I would mention it, as every time I turn on the television or pick up a paper, there's someone lecturing me about how no-one's got any money. Well, tell that to the people of Bristol. And I expect it's the same everywhere.
This is a shopping centre with the emphasis on high-end spending, there's no escaping from it. They've tacked it on to the old, depressing and uninteresting Broadmead, and it is a joyful confection of establishments purely designed to part you from your cash or get you in the s&%t, finacially speaking.
There is not a store with any pretensions about 'saving' you anything. It's all rampant and delicious consumerism. It's enough to make one wish one was skinny.
We're a bit provincial here, so I was blown away by the brightness and metropolitanness of it all. It was a bit like going to London, but smaller. I enjoyed myself enormously, and didn't have to spend much (no big girls to make me!), and I thoroughly recommend it, but only really if you need clothes. It's all about the clothes, and I'm not, which is how I got off so lightly! I loved Zara though, and the miniature Harvey Nicks. American Apparel was a huge disappointment. I was expecting good value, good quality cotton jersey clothing. Not cheap t-shirts at £13 a go!
Anyway. I'm writing about shopping because I'm feeling a bit low still from last week. I'm getting better, but colds always take longer to clear up than we hope, don't they! (I think it's officially two weeks, but I always get bored after about four days.) And there was another scene this morning because the 'help' I thought I had organised for Fizzy turned out to be 'counselling' which isn't what we talked about at all, and, of course, it singles her out for more 'treatment' - "Are you going to Learning Skills?" and all that. Though why they have to tell you this at 7.45 I don't know. I had to knock up a hasty letter and tell her not to go. I've asked for a phone call, but the woman won't bother. They never do. It makes me furious. I suppose it's typical of the school to make it worse, and I shouldn't be surprised. I offered to go in and knock the boys' heads together, but for some reason Fizzy didn't seem enthused (only joking).
Well, what do you know. She just called. Seems there's very little she can do, surprise, surprise. So, we'll see...
In the spirit of arty reflection, here is something Penny did over the holidays. I like it a lot. I still have my quilt under the machine, waiting for me to feel well enough to give it another go. I need to be strong.

Here's us

2008-09-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

I remembered why I don't do machine quilting!
It all came back to me.
That's why the stash remained there, unloved, and forgotten in its nice box.
Because it really, really hurts!
And it explains why most people do it in the ditch!
Clarity is a wonderful thing.
In celebration of my newfound knowledge, here's the picture that poor Lexie had to take into school the other day, for History. The wretched class now has it on their wall. Oh well. Fizzy's eyebrows look nice anyway!

Camping

2008-09-25T02:13:00.000-07:00

We (that is, Fizzy and I) put Lexie to bed last night, and Fizz went off to change. She could hear little footsteps, so when she was ready she was interested to see what Lexie had been doing.
She had been moving her pillow, duvet, and Lazytown to her tent, where she had decided to spend the night.Which she did.
I did wonder whether we should move her, but she seemed happy, and in the morning she was up bright and early (but no change there!), seeming no worse for her experience.
Her pillow case is from Cologne & Cotton. Lovely shop. Only place I know where you can buy them new.
This week, I have mostly been working on her wheelchair lap quilt. I'd like to say I'm done, because Goodness knows, it's hardly huge, but I have a basting issue (I find it jolly basting boring!), and I hurt my finger. Nobody cared. Anyway, it's now ready to quilt.
I have spent half an hour trying to sort out the tension on my machine before I begin. I finally settled on 7, insanely, but I can stand the back that way. And now I am waiting for the Sue Ryder man to come and turn his nose up at the furniture in the garage. Apparently, he'll be here soon, so I thought I wouldn't lose myself in sewing (and swearing) until he's been and gone. My plan, pathetic as it is, is vermicelli on the centre panel, bubbles round the edge, and probably bubbles on the orangey/birdy bit, too. Nothing on the thin borders. And then bind it with the yellow, cause I don't have anything else. It'll look great. Oh yes, yellow thread for the centre panel, and pink for the bubbles. I'm quite excited. Ok, that's a lie. But I'll be pleased when it's done.
And I have a cold.

I've been doing stuff

2008-09-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

And it's been useful and creative.
First things first, here is Fizzy's new 'do'. She has also had her eyebrows done now, so imagine them! She won't like this picture of course, but it shows the hair really well. I think she looks a little like the Mona Lisa in her pose. I expect that's what she was aiming for.While we were in Devon in the summer, we went to the fabulous Stone Fabrics in Totnes (sorry - no website!), because Phil didn't come and we felt we could make the effort. I think we must have put the wheelchair in the car and made Lexie walk a bit. Anyway, while we were in the shop we bought some lovely fabric, and I have used some of it to make my new bag.
I just love it. It's so bright and cheerful, and I love the way it's painting by numbers. Just a bit mad. The lining came from our local quilt shop which I shan't mention as I don't like it very much. I think they stung me £11 for that orange fabric. It's a crime. Or at least, it should be! The pattern is from Bend the Rules Sewing, of course. I had a couple of issues with the pattern and the instructions, but it's probably just me. I did however make my handles twice as long as she says, and they're not too long by any means!
The wallet is my own thing entirely. It's a real cashless wallet, with 10 pockets for cards, big enough that more than 1 card fits in each pocket. It opens like a little book. I should have photographed the inside, but I'm an idiot. I made my own peacock button, too, which doesn't show either. I had lots of fun making it - colouring the vilene for the cover, dyeing the fabric for the pockets, and shrinkying my button. Oh, and I stitched the peacocks (there are 3) and put some Starry Night Stickles on as well. I have plans for my change purse, but they're still on paper right now. Maybe next week.
This morning I have been doing this
I found a little pack of 5" squares I got from an ex-quilt shop in Bristol. Patchwork House. I still miss it. I cut them in half and joined them all back together, and used the leftover bag fabric for some borders. It's still only 26" x 29", so I need more fabric! My plan is to make it sort of crib sized (whatever that is. I'll find out) so that Lexie can have it over her knees in her new chair once the weather turns. So I'm off to browse in a new quilt shop I found the other day. It's lovely.

What Fizzy did

2008-09-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we were also working on Fizzy's winter coat.It's very nearly finished. The hem wants doing, and then three big buttons and holes and that's it. I might catch down the front facings for her, we'll see when the buttons are on. Here's a cautionary tale for you. If you are forced to buy your interfacing from Hobbycraft make sure it's what it says it is. I thought I was buying iron-on, but I've been landed with sew in. Not the same kind of badger at all. V cross. (In answer to your question, I stuck it with spray glue, as used in sewing rooms everywhere. And no, it doesn't stay stuck.) Anyway, this is Fizzy's own work, in the sewing department. She put the tailor tacks in as well. I cut out the pattern and the fabric, and I also would like to point out, in case you are planning a cosy fleece coat, it is really hard to cut, pin and sew. I think we did a good job. A quick trip for buttons soon. Oh yes, and you can't press it properly, as it melts! (Use wool, I say!)
Thanks for the positive thoughts re bullying. I didn't want to say too much about it, but it turns out that the boys in her year (8) are saying that she's the ugliest girl in the school and will never have a boyfriend. Nice lads, obviously. Trouble is, she's sensitive, not conventionally pretty, and clever, so she's open to it from all sides. I hated every second I was in school, so I'd really hoped my girls would have a better time. I think, for the most part, she just gets on with it until it all gets on top of her (she fell out with Penny's boyfriend yesterday), so I try and encourage her at home. Hence the dressmaking. And she's off for an eyebrow wax tomorrow. Ouch. (I've never had one, but she has quite a lot of hairs going the wrong way so I thought if a beautician sorted it out it would look a whole lot better than it would if I did it!)

My secret shame

2008-09-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days. I was a bit sad on Thursday (it was that boy's funeral). On Friday I found out that Fizzy has been being bullied for 6 months. I was a little upset, and panicked and spent most of the day trying to sort something out. Which may or may not have made things worse. I have also been doing this (and don't ask me why it's the wrong way up. I don't know why. I can't do anything about it. It isn't the wrong way up on my picture manipulation program, and I even took the rotten thing on landscape, but I can't fight technology anymore).
I don't know why piecing a quilt top is a secret shame except a) I have a fairly extensive fat quarter stash from the 1990s (hence quilt top in the first place) and b) I went out and bought some more!!! Oh, help me Noddy! The block is Disappearing Nine Patch and I got it from here. Mine is, of necessity, a scrappy one. I plan to construct a lap quilt in the Quilt As You Go fashion, so wish me luck. I'll be surprised if I ever finish it.
We have some bird feeders (note that, squirrels?). This was the view from my kitchen window yesterday teatime. We're looking down on the peanut feeder (there are steps), so it is hanging, I don't know...6 feet from the ground. How the heck did he get up there? I guess he must have shimmied up the drainpipe. Wish I'd seen!This morning as we went outside to wait for Lexie's taxi (it is a condition of School Transport that you are ready and waiting. I am the only person who does this, obviously), she turned around to look at the brightness in the sky. "Look, the sun!" she exclaimed. "It's working!"

Goth Fairy

2008-09-10T02:06:00.001-07:00

I was like a dog with two tails yesterday, and worked hard on this project all of the morning. I had had my idea, and let it sit in my brain, going over it until I was sure it would work. And then I put everything into practice.
I don't know if I did it 'properly' or 'sensibly', but I did it anyway, and finished it off with a few studs, and I'm pleased with it. I've another on the go, as I was able to use my Special Method twice, but that one isn't dry at all. This one is still slightly damp (which is why I put it on the dress form over another shirt). I wasn't sure whether it needed net and dangly bits, but I decided in the end to err on the side of caution, and keep it simple. Let the design speak for itself.Is it Vince-y enough? Only time will tell...

It's a time machine really

2008-09-09T03:32:00.001-07:00

This picture was taken on the last day of the holidays. I can tell because she's wearing her horsey t-shirt (it's last year's Joules I think). The box brought my new dress form. Yes, I know I'm not famous for my couturing skills, but Fizzy has a yen to be a fashion designer, and as we just spent more than we could afford on Penny's flute, it seemed a little churlish not to buy the dress form if I could afford it (which, as it happens, I could). I got it from Jaycotts. They're the best. I don't even shop around anymore. If I want something in that line, I know they'll be the best place to get it from. We talked about it at Sunday dinner; ordered it that evening; it arrived on the Tuesday. The box is, however, a Time Machine (of course) and I haven't the heart to chuck it yet. Bless her. You can even see she's got bi-focals in that picture.
I have been working on my Mad Plan this morning (mwah hah hah). My fingers are turquoise. I started off with a miserable trip round the Out of Town this morning as it was raining elephants and rhinos, never mind domestic animals. The so-called 'super' market doesn't sell washing soda crystals. In case I eat them by mistake, presumably. It's getting very hard to obtain some of the everyday things we need for our Art! But they did have cheap salt, so that was something. And I was off to the Range anyway, where they did have the soda. It was 79p. I nearly had a fit, right there. But I paid up. I was looking for spray bottles, but no-one seems to keep them. I know where I can get them, but it's the High Street and I wasn't going there! I have progressed nicely with my Secret Plan (which is also a bit mad) and will take some pics when I'm a bit further on. It's not terribly interesting right this minute. While I was rummaging under the sink though, I came across a packet of dried up cleaning wipes, and it did occur to me that they might 'come in' for something (cleaning, probably!). Experiments are continuing.
And this is what I think of as my 'bubble necklace' with matching earrings that I made last week.I like this one a lot, but the earwires make me a bit tetchy after a while, so they won't get a lot of wear. I know they don't match the jump rings. I made those myself, and bought the earwires because it was easier. I might try some nailpolish on them. The fluffy stuff in the cord is the selvedge from a piece of ultrasuedey fabric I bought to make cushions with. See? If you keep every little tiny scrap, you'll have Just the Thing one day!!

Away with the fairies

2008-09-08T02:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Penny and I went and had some fun with Tracy Curtis. If you ever have the chance to do a workshop with her, then I suggest you do as we had lots of fun. I have been embroidering with my machine for some years now, and confess that I have been the Stabiliser Queen, and Doyenne of the Foot. This Saturday, I took my darning foot off and I don't think I'll look back. It was SO much easier. I could see where I was going, and I didn't need the nasty underneath. I could almost get the machine out now and get on, except it's cold and because of one thing and another, it feels like the First Day of Term today, and I might just curl up with a book and a blanket.
The workshop we did was Away With The Fairies (or Angels), and we started off with a bit of light silk painting. My (f)avourite (sic). (Not!) Tracy and Wendy had the silk all stretched and ready for us, a choice of pictures to trace and all the gutta and paints set up, so we just went for it, and I have to say that it came out really well. We 'did' silk painting at college, but it would have been much better to do it this way. I went a bit mad with the salt as I firmly believed (from college experience) that you need sea or Kosher salt. You don't. See?And this is Penny's - much more restrained!
We took pictures in case we spoiled them, but we didn't. Penny pretty much finished hersand she got great praise from Tracy, which was well deserved. She worked hard and did very well.
I had a bit of a mishap with mine. Not being used to a hoop, I caught the edge underneath and had to send a miserable half hour unpicking it, but I got the wings done, some of the dress and a bit of the grass, as I had green in the machine.
It's quite a scary process. Washing out the gutta with one of those shower scrub thingummies felt like madness, but worked really well. I could quite get into silk painting, I think. And embroidering silk, too, which is something I tend to avoid like the plague! Here's a close up of my unfinished elf/pixie/fairy personage
I am very pleased with the results, and felt the day was extremely good value. We'd go again! And hopefully will. Next year's courses include books, stonework, waterfalls and my personal favourite, Celtic inspiration, so I favour that one. And there was plenty of good tea (a rarity!) and it was an easy venue to find, with sensible parking. Great all round.
This left Phil with two little problems, so they went to Dingles and had fun (I think!) and to Plymouth for an ice cream before they came and broke up our party. And we met up with Phil's parents yesterday for a lovely lunch before setting off home for the best journey back we've had in a while, so all round a nice weekend.

More necklaces

2008-09-05T00:44:00.000-07:00

This is the necklace I made for Lexie. I used Versamark on it first, but it doesn't really show. She likes pink and yellow, but the yellow doesn't really show, either
And this is one I made for myself at the same time. Same colours, different cord (3 strands of pink Goldfingering as it happens). They are very light and easy to wear. I was thinking idly of starting my own Etsy shop and putting some of these in, but, having done a little investgation, decided there isn't much point. I thought a fair price for a small one would be £5, and £7.50 for a larger one, including handmade cord, but, translate this into dollars and it begins to look like silly money. The nearest thing I could find for comparison purposes was a 1" square, handpainted tile on a leather cord, $6. So I shelved that idea for a bit. It seems to me that most of the jewellery on Etsy is underpriced. I can't decide if it's an e-bay type thing - sell low or don't sell at all, or if it's just that everything is much more expensive over here. (I know that comes into it!) But when you consider my usual marker - a packet of cigarettes - my price seems totally appropriate (I am assuming that cigarettes cost a bit over a fiver a go these days, but confess I could be out of touch as a non-smoker!).
Anyway.
Yesterday was a funny day. Phil took Lexie to the hospital and on to school, and it turns out I could have gone with as the wheelchair didn't arrive till almost an hour after he got back. We were making a start on what will be the Spare Room, putting things in the loft and so on. While he was putting the wheels on the chair, the school nurse phoned to say Lexie was unwell, so we went to pick her up. And, I have to say, she really wasn't well at all. And when you consider that she had earlier woken Penny by sitting on her and shouting 'Too wit, too woo', it was all the more surprising. Here she is in her new chair
It's fab, but enormous. My friend L says she can't get it round the queuing system in Boots, so I'll have to have help everywhere I go with her! I'm not sure it'll go in my car, even with the wheels off, but I'm not even going to try until it stops raining! We did try it out on a rainy walk yesterday evening, and it's great. It came with 2 raincovers - because I asked for a footwell extension, so it will need another bigger one then. She was cozy and dry, and perked up a bit afterwards. She's not so bad today but I kept her home to make sure. She says she has a tummy ache, but she is smiling and happy. I am wondering whether a lot of this isn't the result of our adventures in toilet training (which is made considerably more difficult by the fact that she wears nappies rather than pull-ups and I can't change until October). She might just be beginning to feel sensations she can't name or describe. Sorry, TMI again!

I'm sad and out of sorts today as when we collected the girls yesterday they told us that a sixth form student had died the day before. He was in school during the day, so it happened after school and we don't know any details. Which in a way makes it harder to come to terms with. They have counselling in place already, with the local vicar (who does Christian Union, so lots of them know him) there all afternoon yesterday. I just feel so desperately sad for his parents and his family.

I'm a hammer!

2008-09-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

Lexie often says this, much to the bemusement of whoever she's talking to. It is, of course, the catchphrase of Pat the Hammer from Handy Manny, and here she is, actually able to make Pat tell Turner (the screwdriver) what's what.
And this is all thanks to Susan, who very kindly and generously agreed to do a swap with me.
I got lovely goodies, too! That soap smells gorgeous, and the pomegranate lip balm came at just the right moment!
Susan got Green Gate goodness, by the way, in case you didn't see her entry. I was a bit worried when she said she wanted coffee cups, but they got there all right!
I know this seems like pretty extreme lengths to go to to get a perfectly easily available toy, but over here...well, we went to the Disney Store in town the other day. There's a section for Nightmare Before Christmas (what? why?!!! Ever, I mean, not just this time of year). Most of the shop is High School Musical and WallE. There's not even a My Friends Tigger and Pooh section anymore. There's Tigger stuff. Soft toys and nightwear. Backpacks for school. And we found a small pink zipped bag with a plastic front so you could see the contents, which was plastic containers - a pretend soap dispenser and some cheap white plastic jars, probably a 'beauty' set - labelled Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for no reason that I could work out. Who would want this? No, really. Who? They don't sell Handy Manny toys. Or Bunnytown. Or Johnny and the Sprites. Or Higglytown Heroes. They show these things on the tv, but we can't have the merchandise. It seems insane to me. And the Tools? They are fab. They'd sell millions. Lexie loves them. They go to bed with her, they go out in the car, they went on a trip out the window (not of the car!). She has a fine time with them. So, Hooray for Susan! Thank you, my friend.
Penny made a card and gift for her cousin's 16th birthday on Saturday (I'd better get down the post office!), and here it is
I really liked her style, so I have made a few of my own. Here's the first one
And I've made a few more, including a pink one for Lexie whom I caught wearing Rachel's. "Not Rachel's - Lexie's!" I'll show them tomorrow so I have something to write about.
Phil is off today so we can get some serious work done. It's raining. He's taken Lexie off to the hospital for her appointment, and I'm waiting in for the wheelchair to be delivered. Just in case it comes this morning. So, it's useful to me that he's home, but not much is going to get done at this rate. Oh well. I feel that I don't see much of him these days anyway, so if we had all gone to the hospital together it would have been better...

Red light

2008-08-27T00:50:00.000-07:00

Phil was concerned that my description yesterday wasn't very clear, so here is a photograph of the red and orange lamps we now have in the sitting room

There are 5 in total, 3 red and 2 orange. The orange is like streetlight, so it's a bit strange. When it gets dark, it looks even better. This picture doesn't show any colour in the walls at all. They look white. That paint is a bit strange, too.

This morning we are off to try and find Fizzy some school shoes. I think of this as Day One on the glorious expedition. I would rather Phil was with us as I prefer to trust his judgement than my own. And she wants yoga gear. Did you know you can't do Wii Fit properly if you don't have all the gear? I didn't either. My fragile personality won't take the Wii Fit abuse, but I might try when they're all at school next week. Lexie is 'obese' apparently. Which is just silly and plainly not true - she's a toddler in a six year old's body, and frankly, even if she wasn't so, I would never, ever classify her as anything other than a bit chubby. I would never define any child in that way! Except a boy in Fizzy's class once who was very fat (he had to wear trackie bottoms and someone had to run for him in the sports day relay (did you ever hear of such school abuse!)) and was called Sam, so we called him (not to his face) Sam Widge. I question the Wii definitions. Are they based on Japanese data? Westerners have a different physique, after all. I don't know, but it worries me a little. I think you have to be super confident to step onto the balance board, and I don't know how helpful that is if you need to lose weight!

Lovely nightie

2008-08-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

It's still the holidays of course, and we've just had a nice long weekend, so not much artistic nonsense has gone on around here. We have been shopping. The White Company have some of their new range in, so we had to buy Lexie a new nightie. It's totally fabulous. I love what she does with her hands when we photograph her.Over the weekend we tried to DIY. (I think it's the rules!) Phil finished painting the sitting room, which has now shown up the curtains for the absolute horrors that they are. Even cleaning them won't help. But I really, really don't want to make any! So I'm just trying not to 'see' them. Oh, yes, I can't escape the colour. It's so dark in there, so we went for the Dulux Light and Space range. Nordic Spa in the hallway and dining room, Lunar Falls in the sitting room. So, very pale eau de nil and buttermilk. But there is something about the paint, in light reflective terms, and the green in particular changes with the light. We have been having dreadful difficulty finding suitable light fittings for the sitting room. It's not a room which has anything other than ambient lighting, so we have gone for single spots and coloured lamps which arrived nice and bright and early from Screwfix this morning (they didn't have any in stock in our local branch). We have a bit of a thing for coloured lamps. We have 2 blue spots in the kitchen, and 2 green in the hallway. They use so little power, but add a lot of interest. So it's orange and red for the sitting room to add warmth and colour. And we have a nice selection of table and standard lamps for actual light. So that'll be Phil up a ladder again later (hopefully). He's a trained electrician, she adds hastily.

We have done some work in the studio. It's a case of make some mess before organisation comes upon us, but I can almost see the point at which I will be able to have workshops.

In our family, probably only in more recent years, we play a 'game' called 'I like your...'. I expect Lexie started it. Someone says 'I like your jumper', say, and the recipient of the compliment says 'Thank you' and it's all very heart-warming. The other morning, I went to get Lexie up and she looked at me and said 'I like your......' and was casting around for some moments before inspiration struck...'glasses' she finished, triumphantly. So sometimes it's a lot funnier than it maybe first appeared. Penny was just off to bed last night when she told us she had been chatting with Lexie earlier. 'I like your freckles', Penny had said to Lexie. 'Thank you,' she replied. 'I like your spot.' Then a silence. Then Lexie again. 'Say "Thank you"!'

Recycled Fabric Corsage Tutorial

2008-08-23T03:23:00.000-07:00

I made a corsage for my sister-in-law's birthday next week, and thought another quick little tutorial was in order. This is an activity which has an initial fairly large time investment (though how big depends entirely on you!) and the rest just flies by.
Read through before you start.

This is what you need:
Fabrics (I have used a 'patchwork' effect print that someone passed onto me, and some more of the chambray top, plus some scraps of a leafy print. You need a reasonable amount of your fabrics, but not a lot. You'll see in a minute.)
Rotary cutting equipment (but you could do it with a sharp pair of scissors if you're sober!)
Sharp scissors
Sewing machine (both feet)
Thread
Scrap of acrylic felt
Vintage button
Brooch thingummy or a safety pin
Small piece of cardboard and paper scissors/pencil
Hand sewing needle/thread/thimble
Iron
Heat tool

This is what you do:
Press your fabrics and, using your rotary cutting equipment (or your sharp eye), cut some half inch wide strips. I did quite a lot. Don't be too precious about it. They're going to fray anyway, so don't bother neatening the edge before you start, or worry if you go a bit wonkyThen use the sewing machine, feed dogs up, regular foot on, and the thread of your choice to join them together. Just feed each one through carefully and as you get to the end of each strip, overlap (or underlap if you like that print better!) the next one slightly and keep going until you have a long, long length. I made quite a lot and rolled it altogether into a ball of 'yarn'
It looks great! In reality, you probably only need 2 or 3 feet for the corsage, which is what I meant about the time investment. But on the positive side, I'm ready to make another (or 10) at a moment's notice!
Find a jar lid, or a can or something which is the size you'd like your corsage to be and draw round it onto your cardboard. You'll need two of these. Cut the centres out, so that you have quite a big hole (we're not making pom-poms here!) and wrap the fabric strip around the cardboard circles, starting at the edge, and overlapping carefully as you go round in a spiral, like this
Now you need to change the foot on your sewing machine (to the darning/embroidery one), put the dogs down, and stitch around in the centre of your corsage a few times to hold it all together. Mine was very firm indeed and made the hand sewing more difficult (I couldn't find my thimble!), so you might want to be less diligent.
Now take your sharp scissors and cut carefully along the edge of your corsage to free the cardboard circles. It all starts to fall apart here (not the corsage!), but the cardboard starts to want to come away before you're quite ready, so work slowly and hold it firmly as you cut between the circles, and it will look like this
Next, take a small square of acrylic felt (an inch and a half?), fold it into four and trim the edges whilst holding the centre so that when it is opened out you have a 'flower' shape. Whip it to the sewing machine and quickly stitch a few 'veins' or whatever, to give your 'flower' some structure. It's quite tricky because it's so small, but, again, you don't need to worry too much about it. Here's mine
Melt it briefly with your hot air gun until the edges of the 'petals' curl up and you are happy with how it looks. Handstitch it onto the centre of your corsage with a vintage button (or any non-shanked button!) to keep it in place (this is so much easier with a thimble!). Then flip it over and sew on your brooch back or safety pin to finish.
And you're done.

All the usual conditions apply (please don't use my pictures etc without my permission), but do make lots. They're going to be all the rage in the New Season, apparently. You could put one on the pouch you made last week.

Hooray

2008-08-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was results day. Penny has only just finished Year 10, but she took a few subjects early. She got 3 As and a B, so is very pleased with that. We are probably more pleased than she is, and that's what GCSEs are for, isn't it! (That's French, Chemistry, Biology and the B is for Tech.)
And in other good news, we have received a grant for a new wheelchair for Lexie from the charity Newlife. I'll post a picture of her in it once it arrives. (It's a very complicated business, of course, and I don't actually see any money, thankfully. They will be ordering it on my behalf, hopefully soon!) They point out they are providing things for disabled children which really ought to be provided by the state, and this is one of the tough things about having a child with 'special needs'. A 'necessity' for us is an 'unjustifiable expense' to the powers that be. For shame. Anyway, they are doing a sterling job helping us families, so please pop by and look at their website. I think they have a petition going on on there, too. And Ethel & Edna - get thee to their superstore and buy more stuff!! (That's such a good excuse for you to go shopping!)

Recycled Pouch Tutorial

2008-08-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

As the holidays are nearly over and good parents everywhere are thinking what they need to buy for the dreaded Back to School, it occurred to me that a bit of recycling was in order to make a top notch, totally unique pencil case. So here it is.
You will need:
Some old clothes - doesn't matter what, but you will be using the buttons as the closure, so bear that in mind. (I have used a buttoned shirt, a bit of a chambray shirt and a little t-shirt fabric. Use what you have.)
Something to decorate your pouch with, although this is totally optional.
Thread
Sewing machine
Pins
Iron and board
Tape measure
Sharp scissors
Rotary cutter, ruler and mat if you have them. It totally helps when cutting the lining.

This is what you do.
Cut the front of your shirt, across where the buttons are, so that you end up with a piece of buttoned up fabric which is the size you want your pouch to be (bearing seams in mind) once it is folded in half. My top fabric is the check, and the blue underneath is my lining. I didn't measure my piece, but it's a little over 10 inches wide, and the pouch ended up about 8 inches deep, so I guess it's about 16 inches long, give or take. I cut mine along an obvious line, and it really doesn't matter. Press.Now the fun part. I chose to trace one of my illustrations I was talking about recently onto greaseproof paper, pinned it onto some t-shirt fabric and the front of the pouch, with some paper behind, and stitched it with the feed dogs down. When I had finished, I picked out the bits of paper on both sides with a tweezers (but I didn't go mad on the reverse), and cut the jersey to size.
Then I stamped some more t-shirt fabric with Stazon (let's hope it does!), cut out the motifs and pinned them in place. Obviously, I sewed the lower one first (dogs up), pinning the other out of the way, then flipped the second piece back and sewed that too. The tracing is just a word (why Don't? no reason. I was feeling a bit punk-y) from the front of a magazine. Behind it is pinned an extra piece of the lining fabric. I sewed around the letters (twice) with the dogs down so that I could cut out the middle of the letters and the 'lining' shows through
Like this
Then, when you are happy with your decoration (I added some vintage buttons), fold the fabric in half, right sides together. Don't forget to undo the buttons! And sew (dogs up, proper foot on...) round each of the three sides. I used quite a generous seam allowance as the fabric has quite a lot of 'give' in it. Do reversing at each end. Clip the corners, turn through, and press.
Here is my lining. Once I had sewn the pouch, I measured the actual size of it and found it to be nine and a half inches wide, so I made sure my lining was exactly the same. My fabric was the back of a top which had darts in it, and this really doesn't matter as no-one will ever look. Fold over a generous hem and press it in place. You want your lining to sit just under your buttons and buttonholes.
Slip the lining snugly inside the pouch, and pin carefully where you are going to topstitch it in place. Then topstitch away. And you're done.
Pop in some pencils and other essentials, and you're ready for school!
There's room on mine for lots of badges, but if you don't want badges on yours then you could put your decoration a bit further up.
Have fun!
Oh yes, the usual. I thought this up all by myself, so please don't pinch my pictures etc. Make lots for your kids and their friends. Let's keep old clothes out of landfill! Yay!
And if anything isn't clear, let me know and I'll try and make it so.

A photo I wish I had taken

2008-08-13T01:35:00.001-07:00

Another photo by my 'award winning' photographer daughter. Penny has pointed out that there wasn't much competition when Fizzy won her awards, but, to be fair, this photo of Lexie is pretty much perfect. I would be very happy if I had taken it myself. I love the hands, especially, but the face is spot on. I'm only sorry the Flower Show was last week as it would have won a prize for sure.
And one from me
The play area looks quite good in this picture. It really needs replacing, but I think the people who own the park (but not the chalets) couldn't possibly afford it.
Here is a double page spread I did while we were away. When I say 'did', I mean 'started'. It needs more. But that's what I like about journalling. You go back over it later. You can see the key plate punch outs on the orange page, and on the blue page are some pages from Penny's book which we pulled out. It's a questionnaire about shyness which I thought was quite funny. Or apt.
I posted a picture of a table centrepiece from the 20th century that I particularly loved a while ago, so we took the book away with us to see if it would really be that difficult to draw in that style, and it turns out that it's reasonably easy. I would say I am not able to draw in the sense that I am aware that if I did it every day (all day, possibly!) I would get better, but I will never make my living as a person who draws (even if I did all that, which I won't). I know, I am not going to make my living in any artistic capacity, but I have more chance in other areas. I am a firm believer that drawing is a skill which can, to some extent, be learned. And having, as I do, come from parents who both drew/draw very well indeed, I feel I ought to have a bit of an edge there. Had I ever been encouraged at all, it might have made an impact in that area! As it was, I was always discouraged from pursuing any artistic endeavours, so it just goes to show that Art will Out in one way or another!
Anyway, back to the drawing. This was just a quick one, and I'm reasonably pleased with how it turned out
and here is a figure
I know there are lots of mistakes here (I ran out of page, for one!) and I think the proportion went a bit wrong at the bottom, although I was keeping faithfully to the original. Anyway, the point is that the style is a lot more straightforward than I originally thought. It's mostly shapes, embellished with line, which is a style I could adopt quite easily. My plan is to develop this style and make it my own, and then do some embroidery, so that that is my own, too. But I think my main thought about it is that many of us fear the pencil. Design is another word which terrifies us. And I think it's a shame. Which is why I went and did City and Guilds, although I didn't feel that much better about it by the time I stopped doing all that! Perhaps we ought to start a drawing thing (like Technique Tuesday, except called Drawing Doomsday!).

More holiday pics

2008-08-12T01:08:00.001-07:00

Here is the main house. For some reason they have opened a hairdresser and tanning salon this year. Not quite what I plan to do when I go here, but I guess I'm not normal! The bar entrance is the blue door in the middle. Inside is a good old traditional rotten English pub. And long may it remain so!Fizzy and Lexie like to climb on the traffic island (but Penny's above that, of course!)But she consented to gaze across the river (Dart) towards the Noss Marina, which is where we usually launch our boat. Apparently they are doing it up, so this may be a 'used' to launch our boat thing.Fizzy took quite a lot of pictures when I wasn't looking.
To her credit, she has won prizes for her photography, so here is Lexie in the doorway of the 'little house'and inside, playing with her dolly, Lazytown. Note the new blue cushion made by my mother in law. Good action shot, I thought!And, in case Lazytown isn't clear enough in that picture, here she is, climbing a tree. Penny bought Lazytown for Lexie a few years ago (2? 3?) for Christmas. At that time, Lexie was watching CBeebies, and liked the show Lazytown. On being given a doll with pink hair, she wanted to name her for the character, Stephanie, but didn't really know that was her name, so she called the doll Lazytown. I thought that was quite brilliant, actually. Unlike Fizzy, who had a boy doll for Christmas one year and called him Colin (my mother, who gave her the doll, was distraught!).
While we were away, we took our journals. Penny was working from prompt cards (we got them from Gallery Textiles), and she did some very interesting work.And this one I like a lot, too. It's an advert, wiped with a baby wipe to take the shine off, and then she has coloured it with water soluble oil pastels. It looks great.She has used an old book as her journal. I am not fond of ripping up books, but this is an out of date text book. That's okay by me.

Holidays!!

2008-08-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

I took the girls to Dartmouth last week. Yes, just me. I must have been insane. Four and a half hours on the M5 in a C3 with 3 girls. We stopped in Taunton Deane to change Lexie's nappy, and no sooner had I whipped it off than she weed on the back seat (I have to change her in the back of the car as they don't have facilities anywhere (on Earth, probably) to change 6 years olds, and it was raining, so I couldn't do it on the grass, more's the pity). On the way back, 5 hours on the M5 (we queued from Exeter to the M4), so we went to Sedgemoor services and by that time the poor child was drenched up to her armpits. And it was raining!
Apart from the travelling nightmare, we had a pretty good time. I'm not accustomed to driving in Devon, but I did my best. Although, to be fair, all the ducking and diving one has to do round town does go a little way to preparing one for the lanes.
I managed to get us to Trago Mills, Totnes and the Cider Press in Dartington, so I didn't do too badly! However, shock, horror, the Cardew Teapottery has closed down. Whatever will wacky teapot collectors do now? (Collectors of wacky teapots, I mean!) And Fairies on the Rise in Totnes has gone, too. (I'm not surprised, but the girls are sad).
Here is 'our' chalet. It's not ours really, but we call it so because it belongs to Phil's parents, so same thing. And here are Penny and Lexie going for a walk. They are walking towards the pub, but as it happens this was the afternoon and we were going to the playground. It all looks a bit run-down and horrid, but it's fine really. The house, which you can't see terribly well, I'll post another picture tomorrow, was where Arthur Sullivan used to live, which is why the bar is called Sullivan's. ("Why did you think it was called Sullivan's?" laughed my M-i-L when it became apparent I hadn't known this. I said I'd assumed it was trying to be an Irish pub, but without the bicycle in the window. Well, honestly! You associate Gilbert & Sullivan with Cornwall!)
The pictures are a little thin on the ground today on account of this computer being sooooooo slow. I'll do a few more tomorrow. I'll show you inside. Wow.
The reason I took the girls on my own was purely because Phil went sailing with his big bro in the Tennants West Highland Yachting Week. They didn't win. I was a bit annoyed with him for abandoning me, but we did get the chance to go in some of the shops in Totnes that we usually mayn't, so that was nice. And we could spend as long as we wanted doing our browsing (browsing? Who am I kidding? Spending). We bought lots of fabric, punches (keyplates and a key, fab) and beads and so on. So we had fun. And we discovered we liked Goldfrapp, which was a surprise.
This morning we have been Febreezing the car, buying Goldfrapp CDs and vegetables and washing Phil's sailing clothes (9 or 10 blokes in a 40 foot yacht makes for a bag of smelly clothes!!).

Red carpet

2008-08-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

It's out this morning, for the awards of course!
I just had 2 - from Susan (the top one) and from Liz (both), and I am always extremely chuffed (that's an old fashioned way of saying Happy) to be honoured by my friends, so Thank You girls, very much, for thinking of me, particularly when I have been having a bit of a hard time lately, and haven't been around as much as I like to be. It's a wonderful reminder of how many Nice people there actually are in the world and awards giving allows me to make a little speech, so I shan't stop myself waffling for a minute.
I have been thinking a lot about blogging recently. One of the things I really hate about it is when bloggers I have been following faithfully suddenly (and cryptically) decide they've had enough and will take a prolonged break because they're 'giving too much of themselves away' or some such rubbish (which people like me never even noticed, of course (the 'too much' part)!), so I didn't want to say I was feeling bad, because it looked kind of the same. But I was. I have remembered how much keeping my blog means to me, and how helpful it is to write in general. But, and here's the silly secret part, it has long been my dream to keep a Craft Blog, in a proper way, and when I was feeling depressed and ill it felt like I was letting myself down. I hadn't made anything for so long, how could I even think I was a Craft Blogger? So it was easier just to walk past the room where I keep this pc and not log on, because then I wasn't letting myself down anymore. And if that isn't 'too much' of myself to write down, I don't know what is!
This! For me, real life is much more lonely and sad than the blogging community. I was cruelly and instantly rejected by my peers when Lexie was born, and this rejection has continued ever since. In 'real life' I only get to be friends with people who don't mind the fact that my daughter has Down syndrome - so any friends I have have disabled children too, and that is our reference point. What this has to do with anything really is beyond me! Everywhere we go we leave a trail of unwelcome behind us, like slime. I can't get Phil inside a church anymore (in fact, he gets quite angry when it's suggested to him). However, on here it doesn't matter. On here I don't cry with frustration because the same old thing has happened now we've moved. I have been approached by neighbours, and have seen the look on their face when they find us wanting. Their darlings couldn't possibly play with Lexie. How ghastly! Unthinkable! Oh well, at least it's universal in this town. I'd hate to think it didn't affect every strata of society! (And yes, I do think it's just this town!)
Anyway, enough of my slough of despond. My awards have renewed my faith in the kindness of people in general (which didn't really need renewing - to be honest, it was knowing the kindness and infinite patience of Blogland which made me feel that being Not Okay for a while would be okay).
I am back. However, it is the five week holiday, so it's not an everyday posting kind of back! But it is a back as much as I can be under the circumstances, back.
And that leads me to my own nominees. I am giving the angel award to Susan (she, naturally, has the other one already!), and I award both awards to the following girls
Hettie
Angie
Sam
Claire
because I can, and I want to. I haven't done the 7 thing, so I reserve the right to make further nominees in the future. Congratulations everybody!!
While I'm on the subject of how much my blogging friends mean to me, I just wanted to say that I used to read the famous bloggers: they are what got me turned on to blogging in the first place, but you don't see them in my list and I don't often go round to theirs for a play anymore. I think of myself and my little list up there as being every bit as interesting, but less showy. Lol. I have noticed some new names appearing in my (and others') comments, and I am hoping to be making friends properly soon. It is my intention to get down to some serious reading and commenting soon. Just as soon as we've been to the hospital and been to the home... You know how it is. Over the next weeks. Oh, and maybe do a tutorial or two. I like doing those.
I know I've been bad and have slipped (very considerably) down the list, but I would be so happy to hear from you if you have 2 secs to say Hi. If there's anyone there...Hello...***looks around hopefully**
Before I go, because I know I have been long-winded and indiscreet, here is Lexie in her new apron
She's doing a twirl. You can see how bad her feet are, poor wee mite. We're off to the orthotist this morning. That's 'orth' for 'straight' and 'otist' for 'funny man who does splints'. We think her inserts aren't working and she needs ankle splints.
P.S Just in case you ever wondered. And why would you? But in my labels I have General Condversation. I know how to spell. It's Waynetta Slob, of course "What did you get me a braaaaan [car] for? I don't like braaaaaan". I loved her. Not enough to call any of my daughters Frogmella though, even if it is exotic!

Cute apron, and a heartfelt plea

2008-07-31T07:20:00.001-07:00

Here is a little apron I made for my darlingMy little model is currently resplendent in a yellow Joules polo shirt and a pair of pink surf shorts, which is so not a good look under a pinny, so I'll take a picture of her in it another time. You get the gyst though. It's made from tablecloth for hardwearingness with tiny pink gingham pocket linings. And vintage shirt buttons. It was super easy (in a quite complicated way), but it turned out lovely, and I am very pleased. However, I feel it's more for effect than cleanliness as all the food will catch in the ruffle! Maybe back to the drawing board then!
As well as this, I have been working in my journal a bit (b*&%^!ring it up mostly!), so it's all good.
I fixed the Gallery Textiles link (didn't check it - apologies). It's a tiny shop, but jam packed with goodies. I recommend the Medici Mixed Media sprays. We go for the Aqua Fortis ones. And free p&p in the UK till the end of August (over £15 order, I think, but that's nothing!!). She keeps all those weird non-wovens that apparently you can buy from florists for 20p (but you can't really) as well.
I bought myself a 'new' book this morning as I popped to the bank (the disabled parking is outside the Heart Foundation bookshop). (That sounds as though either I am disabled (which I'm not) or that I went on my own (which I didn't). It was perfectly above board.) It was a copy of Needlework School, and in the machine embroidery section is this fantastic tablecloth thingummy. I don't think I've ever seen a piece of machine embroidery I have liked more. It is described very briefly and in an offhand way as though it was nothing (being merely 'drawn' with the needle!), not even credited. I have never seen a piece more precisely and beautifully done. I'm in awe.You can see the book on the dresser in this picture of Lexie I took just now. She's shouting 'Handy Mandy' although you can't tell, of course. Look at her. Isn't she the cutest!She is a little girl with a dream. She loves Handy Manny. She longs for her own Filipe and Turner. But they don't sell them over here. It's such a shame. Anyhoo - I went to the Disney Store website and they sell a set of plush Tools for $16.50. On e-bay these are £32.99 ($65) PLUS postage. I was wondering if anyone felt like doing a bit of a swap with us. A set of Tools for Lexie for...whatever. Please e-mail me if you feel like playing. I can't think what to suggest in return, but you may have a hankering for some English thing you can't get otherwise. (It doesn't have to be a toy!!) Oh, by the way, she is making cheese scones in the picture, which is why she has flour in her hair.

Shopping - not much sewing

2008-07-29T02:42:00.001-07:00

Well - it's finally the holidays. It seemed like they'd never come, and then I got the worst cold I have had in a long time. Throat so sore I couldn't speak for a whole day - a Sunday, too, lucky Phil! So the children have been amused by my purchases from the Book Depository and the tv, and I have been lying down miserably. Penny bought the Fabric Jewellery book with her birthday gift token, rest made up by me, of course, and that's a cracker. A small but perfectly formed book by Theresa Searle - makes a change to have a book by an Englishwoman, too. There's nothing we can't get in there! Sew Pretty Homestyle is cute and pretty, but there is a major error in one of the patterns which would be extremely annoying if you happened to want to make that particular thing. (I don't as it happens, so there you go!) And the Softies book. On first look, I loved it. But on delving deeper I'm not sure there's really anything I need to make. And the instructions are those lazy kind that purport to be for beginners but have me scratching my head and saying What? Are you sure??!! So, I don't know. But for the money (less than £8) I guess it's a nice one for the kids to look at. I have told Penny to be very careful if she makes anything. There's at least one which says to sew right sides together (their emphasis) when they plainly mean wrong sides together. And I think that's a biggie. Frustration will ensue, for sure.
On the Saturday before I became ill (feels like a month ago, but really a week and a half!) we went to Gallery Textiles up near Droitwich for a fun treat. We spent lots, as usual, and got Quilting Arts as well as Cloth, Paper, Scissors. We, amazingly, left the Somerset Studio in the shop. Well, at the money they cost you can't buy them all. We bought some nice sprays and things, which I have never seen anywhere else, so it's always worth going there. And then we went to Webbs of Wychbold, which we haven't been to for such a long time we were surprised to see they had a full sized (but of the smaller variety) Hobbycraft therein, so we had a quick browse in there for fun felt (not pictured, but we did get ladybirds, 50s cats and red leopard print).
The kids were getting stir crazy by the end of last week, so on Friday we went to the All New Craft Shop Run by Bees as it is known in our family; Bee Crafty to you. They have just moved out to a massive shop in Blackminster (Evesham) and we had a fun time there. Grungeboard and lots of punches. We especially loved the new punch n emboss thingummies, so we got a leafy one. It's probably called a Leafmaker. And some lovely shimmery mica powders. I have no idea what we'll do with it all. I was just feeling rotten - they put it in the basket, I paid.
Yesterday, they dragged me around town to buy a new swimming costume. Oh help. They're going to make me go, I can tell! I got one in Laura Ashley for a tenner. It's a bit groovier than I probably would have picked had I had the full range to choose from, and I think that's a Good Thing! And last night I actually didn't spend most of it coughing, so I'd like to say I feel better. Still feel as though I'm playing catch up... And we're off to a Family Fun Day later. Fizzy objects on the basis that anything called that isn't going to be. I'm with her, secretly, but we're going anyway. (Penny's bf is running it.)

Meet Pete, the Unsuccessful Pirate

2008-07-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

You can see in what way he is unsuccessful!He's a mouse (or is he a rat?)
And I like him a) because he is made from old clothes nobody wanted and b) because he came out pretty much how I planned him (see pic). He's for Lexie of course. Penny says she'll be freaked out by his hole, but I don't think she'll notice. I think she'll be more bothered that he doesn't have a mouth. Fizzy says he needs a cannonball accessory, but it'll just get lost.
I bought Penny a copy of Plush You! for her birthday, despite the bad reviews. She loves it. It shows you that you can make a doll pretty much any old way you like and it'll come out great. And it's very easy to throw away everything you 'know' about dollmaking and just 'go with the flow'. I always stress about getting it just so, but I think plushies are about 'charm', they're not so much about having removable clothes and lifelike faces. What I have always hated most about dollmaking is the stuffing, and this one is much more casual. I wanted him to have a 'drawn' feel, and lots of unfinished edges, and he has all that. I used lightweight iron on interfacing because most of the fabric was jersey, and the chambray frayed like billy-ho, and it was easy peasy. I took step by step pictures, but wasn't sure if anyone would want a tutorial, so haven't made one as yet. Might do it another day.

Apologies...

2008-07-15T02:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry! It's the end of term, and what with one thing and another, I haven't done anything worth writing about. I feel bad. I feel so bad, I generally walk right past this room where the pc is so I don't have to think about it.
I have been trying to get some exercise, which is a Good Thing. But there is still so much to do around the house it feels like it will never, ever get done. My craft room is still pretty much non-operational. Phil and Penny very kindly spent some time in there for me, but they piled stuff up around the outside. I have no idea what's going on...
However, I have a Paper Towel Project going on in there, and hope to be back in business, so to speak, very soon. I have a plan...

Birthdays and blues

2008-07-11T01:22:00.001-07:00

It's Penny's birthday today. She's 15. Or she will be at five minutes to midnight. We always try and tease her that she can't have her presents till then, but it never works. I feel a bit bad this year as she didn't get a whole lot. We ordered her a new flute, and now she needs a professional instrument so they cost quite a bit. You could buy a car with the same money. Not a brilliant car, admittedly, but one I'd drive the family in. So she didn't get the I-pod she wanted. She asked for a new bible, so I chose her a good one, and she had some CDs, a book and some make up, so she did all right. Her birthday is often a bitter sweet occasion for me. Her birth was quite traumatic. But she's a lovely girl. We're going out to eat tonight, and taking her boyfriend with us, because we're a normal family, and that's what normal families do. I've been trying to imagine my parents even considering taking any boyfriend of mine along for my birthday dinner, and failing miserably. I would never even have suggested it!
Note to self - Let it go.
This last few days has been difficult. We have had a cancer scare with my mother, and despite the fact that she's in a home partly to make my life easier (let's not beat around the bush - if I could have looked after her I would have done, I'm not a total monster. Except I can't. And she certainly can't look after herself), and the cost of that makes Penny's new flute look like a 99p recorder, I have been doing the usual running around that I had hoped they might do for me. (Some hope!) Anyway, it wasn't cancer, which is a very satisfactory outcome. I had to virtually discharge her myself in the end. I don't feel hospital is the best place to be, for anyone, and it was awful. And I'm not scared to say this, because anyone who works in that hospital should be ashamed. The nurses were sullen and lazy. The wards (and I have seen a lot of them because they moved my mother around willy nilly without telling anyone) are dirty. Dirty! Nobody washes their hands. It's a shambles. My mother went in for a procedure which took an hour and a half, and could have been done as an outpatient. She was in there for three days. And they would have kept her longer if I hadn't insisted on taking her home. They wanted to keep her in because they had to wait for her meds to come from another hospital. ????? I despair.
And today I have Lexie off school - all day - because they gave her an appointment at 11am. So not only am I back in that hell-hole shortly, but I have to have Playhouse Disney on all day. I confess I have cried more than one little puddle on the kitchen table this week.

Pinch, punch

2008-07-01T02:27:00.001-07:00

I did something.
Finally.
I made a necklace.I'd like to say I made it all up, but I got the swirl idea from Sweater Surgery.
I also realised that this is the only thing I would ever make from that book. Although it's a nice book, and I do recommend it.
I made the beads, and the wire work, and the cord. Used the clasp from my stash. It needs nail varnishing to make it pink.
And here is something I learned.
If you are going to make your own jump rings - which you should as it's super easy - please hammer them before you use them in your project. Phil says this makes them tougher, and then they won't open. Just a thought.
Oh, the other thing is - Buy a pair of jeweller's wire snips. They are sharp and they do the job. Pay the £5. Don't be mean. You will never, ever make a successful jump ring if you have a cheap pair.
Oh, the necklace. Made from scraps, it only cost me the best part of £8 in wool and wire (had to get 2 kinds to try), but other than that, it was completely free!
(I have a photo of Phil Lynott on my dressing table because I took it (on a really bad camera) when I was 14, at a gig in Hemel Hempstead. I found it recently, and I had not remembered it at all, so it was a lovely surprise. He was fabulous. And a maroon. I was furious when he died - it was such a stupid thing, and such a waste. I think I was more upset than when poor old Freddie went home.)
Yesterday, Fizzy said she would like a crucifix (her word) that she could wear at school for religious purposes. That was a 'proper' one rather than something bling-y she'd get told off for. I thought I'd go to Argos and see the 'mythical wardens of the treasure' and get one for Fizz and for Lexie. I thought silver. Anyway, just to be friendly, I asked the woman on the counter to help me, and we had no end of trouble finding one. Then she had a flash of inspiration - 'Does it have to be a cross?' she enquired helpfully.
Yes.

Sprains and sausages

2008-06-23T02:06:00.000-07:00

Well. I sprained my ankle last week (see - I told you exercise was dangerous!). And my computer has a serious overheating problem. So I shall do my best to post some pictures today before it cuts out.
Here is the T-shirt I made for Penny's boyfriend. He was being baptised yesterday. The font is Hamburger Heaven. Deeply appropriate as he also works in McDonald's. It is a nice M&S shirt, and he looks good in it.And here is the dresser with my mother's old plates on it. Pity there wasn't a fourth, but I filled up the end space with a tile Penny made in pottery when she was quite small.And here is the close up. I think my favourite part is Ireland Island. They're Wedgwood. (The others are Royal Doulton, so I hope they don't try to edge each other off!)Yesterday we went to Bristol to eat in the Clifton Sausage where Phil's cousin is head chef. Lexie did me proud and ate smoked salmon, bless her. The website is disappointingly out of date. I have no idea who Simon is. It was a lovely occasion (Phil's parents' wedding anniversary). Lots of us all together, and very spoiled.

Do Up Your T shirt Tutorial

2008-06-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

Plain t shirts are just too.....plain. So here is my plan to do them up. Please read through the instructions first.
You will need
Sewing machine
Ballpoint needles
New t shirt
Reclaimed jersey fabrics
Contrasting thread
Sharp scissors
An idea for a picture (or words!)

My design is an homage to the Woodstock festival, so I printed out 'Woodstock' in the nearest font I could find to the movie poster (that'll be Bauhaus 93) at point size 200, and I did a drawing of the original Woodstock poster birdie (but not the guitar), which is very cute. Now I am ready to get working.First of all, I traced the bird onto greaseproof paper because I am cheap and it works really well. I pinned him to the shirt, with my piece of fabric underneath the tracing, because this is an applique job. I left the rest of it for you to see that I reclaimed this jersey fabric from a discarded shirt which has a stain on it. See, we're saving the world, too. Behind the bird (on the inside of the t shirt) is a piece of tissue paper to stabilise it. Now you can start sewing. You will need a ball point needle in your machine. It makes it so easy. Don't skimp - they don't cost much. I had a practice first on some scrap fabric, and I suggest you do this to get a good stitch length. I had the feed dogs up and the 'proper' foot on, and I used a stitch length of 1.8.
Don't forget, your motif only wants to go on the front, so take care not to pin or sew the back at the same time! Here is is, stitched up, apart from his feet.My stitching was precise and slow, but I think he looks good. Take out all the pins, and tear off the greaseproof paper and the tissue paper from the reverse. Then, cut carefully around your stitching, making sure you don't cut the shirt at the same time. And now he looks like thisI have attached a different reclaimed fabric (stretchy, too) for his feet. This time I put the dogs down, and used an embroidery foot to do it freestyle, and it was a lot easier. And here he is, finishedNow the back.
This picture shows how I have placed the tissue behind first. I pinned it, but when I turned it through to pin the words and fabric on, I took out those pins so they didn't cause a problem when I was sewing. I made a tracing of my words on the greaseproof paper again, but I photographed that before and it is just the same.
And it's a Fairtrade t, too! How good are we being! I sewed around the letters as I did the feet, and I have to say it was easier. I went round twice. The cutting out afterwards was a bit tricky, but as long as you take care it will be fine. Just watch the middles of those Os!Now my homage is complete and ready to wear!
Have fun!
Please don't take my pictures without permission, but do brighten up your shirt!

Computers!!*&^%$£

2008-06-09T06:35:00.001-07:00

Well, I finally got my laptop to recognise my SD card. So, here is the countersitting prettily on my new kitchen cupboards. The first thing we did was park the toaster oven so Penny could melt some UTEE in a bottle cap (art project for school, don't ask!). Now I can get in there and begin to sort. Except today I moved some stuff, did two loads of washing, went for a walk, the usual. Maybe later. There's so much to do these days.
We went to Tyntesfield yesterday to see the olde worlde crafts, which was fun. Days off are good. There were some nice wool ladies, and I'd like to recommend Spinners Weal in Clevedon. I bought some roving and fluff from her (Leicester), and she was very nice indeed. I haven't quite worked out the website yet, but it might be better to phone anyway.
Penny was invited to play with a proper band on Saturday, so we had to take her to the park and have a listen. It's always too loud for Lexie, poor thing, so we didn't get to sit through all of it. It was such a lovely day for sitting in the park, too.

Hoarding is great!

2008-06-05T04:21:00.000-07:00

I am here, honest. I apologise wholeheartedly for the whole 10m of reclaimed garden thing! I feel bad now. But we used to have a rubbish garden that was really small, so it is nice to have a big one now. Lots more work, though. And I have to say, I'm not that keen. I would rather sew something. But I think I could get used to sowing something!
I think it's so funny that Aldi is in America, too! That feels way cooler. The coleslaw was really good. Even Penny said so. (After all the moaning!)
I have been shopping today. Proper, in town shopping. With expense. And no kids, which I'd swear is cheaper! Bedlinen. White bedlinen. What was I thinking? (I was thinking it might be nice, really!!) And throwing stuff out. None of which is getting the Studio any nearer to a usable space, but at least Phil knows how sad I am about it, and I know he wants to help sort it out. I found some great plates in the cupboard I was clearing. I'd forgotten about them, but they are so going on my Welsh dresser. It was like looking at a piece of my childhood again. I don't think they've seen the light of day for 25 years!! No, longer. I hate to say it, but it's probably more like 35 years! See? Hoarding is great.
I'll get the stitch group site up and running soon, so I can neglect that hopelessly in the future.

Look what I found on my SD card...

2008-06-03T01:31:00.000-07:00

Last week was half-term. I was physically kept from my laptop by various things (children, mostly). But obviously they went out and pinched my camera as well, because I found about 100 photos on my memory card of this little rabbit having fun out and about! She has a little friend now (who may or may not be evil, I'm not sure!). Great rabbit, though. Fizzy went off and made her by herself, using The Cute Book, of course. The instructions were simple enough to keep her happily occupied for a while. For only a few pounds and a bit of cheap felt. I'd recommend it. I had Sweater Surgery and Jean Therapy, and I'd recommend those, too.
During the hols, I finally managed to finish my piece for Susan, so here is a taster of that. It ended up being a bit of a City and Guilds sample, but never mind. I really like it, so I am just enjoying it for a few more minutes, and then I'll post it off! (Promise!!)
We have also been doing a bit of garden clearance. I hatched a mad plan to grow vegetables behind the house and not only does Phil not think it insane, but actually seems quite keen himself. We cut down loads of manky overgrown plants and reclaimed about 10 square feet of garden. Which we will soon, hopefully, dig up.
I've been a bit low. I know I shouldn't let myself get so down, but it's been hard not succumbing and trying to get back into everything again. My studio has been taken over by boxes which shouldn't be there. There's too much housework. Coleslaw has just gone up too much. It's been a hard few days. Hopefully, I'll get my countertop at the weekend, and then I can start trying to bring some order to the chaos, and then maybe make some art. I knew I should come and post my pic of the little rabbit having fun, but I just felt too...sad. And posting it so late has made me feel a bit...sad.
On the subject of coleslaw being too expensive, I've started getting some of my shopping in Aldi. Can I recommend it? Their coleslaw is 65p. Lovely fresh veggies. Okay, they're not organic, so wash 'em! This week it's pineapples, galia melons and white nectarines (6) all at 69p each! I could just see that fruit salad dancing in the bowl! You can't buy everything there, but there's some astonishing bargains. Tinned tomatoes 27p. There, I've said enough.

FITs???

2008-05-23T01:25:00.000-07:00

Fantasia Internet Textile group, is what I mean.
It came to me this morning in a rush of inspiration! A group. Online. We can encourage each other, share woes and worries, and have an exhibition....on Flickr. It will give us a target to aim for. Okay, it will give me a target to aim for. I am so fed up with not being part of a group. Let's have one! Go on. It's free!
My pathetic plan is to aim for a virtual exhibition by, say, the end of August? With a theme. Like 'Tradition Gone Bad'. Something we can really have fun with. Wonky cross-stitch. No hems. Traycloths with inappropriate motifs. Hand or machine stitching, or both. Something useful? I've a mind to make a bag. There will be no prizes, but we can provide notes about our motivation and inspiration! Perhaps we should post progress pictures every now and again. When we feel like it would probably be best. What do you think? Sign up now and we'll decide exactly what we want to do.
What gets me really excited about it is anyone can be in it. Anywhere. And then anyone can look at our work when we're done. How cool is that! We'll be famous!! (Well, actually, we won't, thankfully. I'm just trying to fire you up!!)
I have managed to draw out my plan for the Garden Swap - I'm not stressing Susan, honest! I really want to get on with it, but I am a girl who plans in her head a lot, so when the nitty gritty finally comes, the work goes quite quickly. And it's only a small piece, after all! I might even get it done this weekend.

We took Fizzy to the hairdressers yesterday, and she looks super cuteIt is one of those shorter at the back bobs, which, of course, doesn't show in my picture. She looks great. And it still looks good today, which is a bonus.
Penny doesn't have one of those school ties anymore. She is now a Prefect, and has a yellow one. I must take a picture of her, too.

The brown eyed monster

2008-05-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

Lexie is off school today. And until after half term, so we're having a lovely holiday together. So far we've been shopping and made a cake and a rhubarb, apple and orange crumble (yum). Both are in the oven so there's plenty of time for disasters! She's not ill, but I don't dare send her. (And there's a 48 hour rule for gyppy tums). I'm not saying I'm regretting parts of my morning, but it's never nice when you're having a lovely cuddle and your lap becomes unduly warm!
While we were in town, I picked up a copy of Sewing World which I haven't had for a while. I was seduced by the offer of a free DVD and a pattern for a jacket, I'm ashamed to say. But to be fair, it isn't the worst issue they've ever done. I'm vaguely irritated because (long story coming), a while ago I joined a group of very annoying (for the most part) women who were 'expert' machine embroiderers. I hated some of their work so much I would have enjoyed destroying it with my car. They thought I was an idiot. I probably am. Anyway, one of them - a particularly annoying woman, for whom everything in her sewing life is astonishingly and bafflingly easy - has won a prestigious prize with a piece she made in that group. It is a piece I would like to douse with petrol before running it over. I can't work out why she would win a prize with something so lame and bland. I see pieces every day online which are far more inspired and interesting. It must be me. Perhaps I need my eyes testing. Perhaps I should just stop kidding myself I have a creative bone in my body and just carry on making cakes. I wish I could say which piece it is because I would like some idea of whether it's just me!!
I'm panicking a bit about Susan's Garden Swap, but I had another idea this morning, so I might be able to turn it around. You know when something isn't quite right so it doesn't get done? That's what had happened with my secret plan A. It was a little wonder in my head, but in reality it didn't seem to come together. So now I have a Plan B, which will need to wait until someone else is home before I can try it out. It will be slightly less mad and more in keeping with what everyone else has done, which feels like a Good Thing!
Now I am off to boil my jealous head and order some books off Amazon to cheer myself up. Lol.

Just popping by...

2008-05-20T02:14:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting how often one gets ill when one has children/husbands! Phil came home with something tedious on Saturday, and I've had a very tiresome weekend feeling out of sorts. Yesterday was spent on the sofa, snoozing. I was determined to feel better today, and I have so far kept myself upright, but I'm not better by a long chalk.
So, due to general lethargy and not doing anything-ness, here is a shot of how my lovely package from Susan is shaping up. Very slowly. I have an idea what I'm doing, but it's my usual winging-it. The machine, though the same as Ethel & Edna's, is my number 2 machine, usually referred to by my two elder daughters as 'mine'. It was the nearest one. Oh, the shame!

Buttons and beads

2008-05-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the decorative buttons and beads I made yesterday. The Fimo is white pearl. I am quite pleased with how they came out. The toaster oven is tiny, but it just sits on the counter doing its cooking and I found the results very satisfactory. I have even been considering that mixed media book about using polymer clay, but I think I might just bumble along on my own for a bit. I think, in some cases, it might even be better for shrink plastic than a heat gun. And here is my little Lexie in her new nightdress. It's from my new favourite shop The White Company. It's a proper, traditional, cotton nightie. Beautifully made. She loves it. And it wasn't that expensive. Considering.
Because it was raining again, I've been at home all day, up to no good. I've stamped my beads, painted the faux stained glass I started yesterday (it's for the bedroom window. I'm trying it out. We'll see) and been out to do some shopping. In Argos among other places. I always think of Bill Bailey and his 'laminated book of dreams'. The 'mythical wardens of the treasure' are quite chirpy in ours, but it's still funny. Yes, I know, but I got a lovely dish drainer. I'm really pleased with it. And I have hoovered the whole house (apart from Fizzy & Lexie's room because Fizz said she would do it) and done my polishing. So I've been a good girl.
Lexie's trip yesterday was good, despite the lack of suitable rainwear. Apparently she 'enjoyed looking at the pictures and the sculpture outside'. Yes, I bet she did! I'm not sure I would have chosen the word enjoy, but anyway, I don't quibble! In fairness to her, we do take her to lots of places, so it's nothing new to her to look at things. She 'enjoyed' the massive tank at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. I could tell!

Post!!

2008-05-15T04:04:00.000-07:00

My postman looks a bit like David Walliams, and not in a good way. But he's very chirpy and I like that in a postman. I like him especially today, because he brought me my package from Susan. Yay. I won her draw about 6 months ago, and it finally arrived. The poor girl posted it weeks ago, so I think it came on the back of a turtle or something. Anyway, it was most certainly worth the wait, and I feel the real Lucky Duck today. Drool over my booty. There is a project there, I just have to get my ideas together.And speaking of ideas - here is the oven in action. When it's done, it goes ping. It smelled really awful before I put the Fimo in, so be glad you're not in my house right now. It'd put you off your coffee if I had any milk!I just went to the Range to get Fimo, so I could have a play. I have this obsession with buying white stuff so I can colour it afterwards. I fear, in this instance, I may be courting disappointment! While I was in the Range, a few extra things popped into my basket and I spent more than I bargained for. Oh well. I needed the glass paint for the bedroom window, and we all need more fairy stamps, don't we!
It's pouring with rain today, so I sent Lexie on a school trip with a fleecy hoodie. What was I thinking? But at least my term as a governor at Battledown is over, so I never need go there again if I don't feel like it. I thought I'd feel more relief at the end of the responsibility, but I am just so moved on.

Journal pages

2008-05-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

I think this must be one of the most amazing products, ever. It's called Aquawax - Paper Batik Medium, and I just was having a little play yesterday and it began to have a feathery appearance, so I went with it. Left it to dry overnight (I think half an hour would do) and painted over it with Lumiere paint just now. The possibilities are endless! I got mine from Ario (dot co dot uk) when they were at a college show. It was very cheap.And this is the cover of my journal. Paper napkin, tiny butterflies, bit of yellow ribbon, some yarn tied around the binding. Obviously, more will be done. Love those napkins, though. I always buy nice ones when I see them, as they have so many uses. I like sewing on them, too. Must try that again.
The studio is still making me spin out a bit. I am on a promise, and that has caused girls no end of trouble from the dawn of time, except this promise is 8 feet of top quality kitchen countertop. I have cupboards (bought especially) and a set of drawers, all assembled and awaiting their new crowning glory. I guess I'll get it in three weeks or so. Once I get that, I can start to bring some order to the room. Well, that's the plan.
I decided last week that I wanted to get into polymer clay, but I can't stand the thought of putting it in my oven. So I had this brilliant idea of getting a toaster oven. For some reason, they are like hen's teeth over here. I finally tracked one down to Wilkinsonplus, where they were in stock in their online store - free delivery to your local branch. If I had known it would take over a week (some 2-3 days, eh?) I might not have been so keen to part with my cash. However, it was only fifteen quid, and they finally phoned to say it's here. So I'm off to fetch it later. Watch this space to see if it's any good (at baking clay, I'm sure it makes super cheese on toast).

Journals and stuff

2008-05-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

After working very hard yesterday, I took today a bit easier. I've been to Cleeve School to help out at Christian Union which I do when I can. And I have done a few pages in my new journal. Not being able to find the other one means I have nothing to entice people to come and make one with me with. I have completed (!) a couple of pages, but the ink was drying on others, so that's what's in my picture. I was determined to be more positive in this one, but straight away I have done a page on learning disability. Oh well.
This is what Penny has been up to. I suggested we did three pieces, and then joined them together with stitch afterwards to make one piece, and here's her work so far (mine is just three orange pieces of paper....). The girl is her great aunt, I've no idea who the lad with the bike is, and the little lad at the bottom is her grandpa. He had rickets as a boy, and he's looking a bit rickety in the picture!I'm quite annoyed with her for doing such good work. She needs to do something about the writing at the top, though, so I guess she's having a think.
I updated House of No Secrets.

The difference between what you want to do and what you actually do

2008-05-12T03:10:00.000-07:00

This is a new thing for me. In the past I have had no conflicts in this area, because I lived in a state of perpetual chaos. Nothing I could do made, or would make, any difference. I knew this, didn't like it, but couldn't fight it. I thought it was depression. I think now it was despair. Chronic despair. And now, my situation is different. This morning, for example, what I wanted to do was catch up with Penny, because we started a project on Saturday and she has gotten way ahead. This is because I was cooking roast chicken and clearing up, giving Lexie a bath, ironing tablecloths, making rhubarb crumble; the usual. It's really hot here right now, because we are having summer now to get it out of the way, so we can get back to the typical English state of grey and a bit drizzly. I have been so thirsty and hot and bothered, because what I have actually been doing is filling the boot of my car with books I wasn't sure I had anywhere to put, and any other ephemera that fell under my gaze, unloading it all again this end, and putting everything away. And then I had to do a load of washing, which means folding and putting away the last lot. And changing Penny's bed because I bought her new bedlinen in Next (I know! What were we thinking!). And what I really wanted to do then was write my post for today, but the pc kept logging off...So here I am. Finally. Having a little break with a little glass of sun-brewed iced tea*. My kitchen bookcase is full to overflowing. My cookbooks now outnumber my shelves. I had better cook something! From a book, I mean, rather than memories of Rachael Ray.
*Just in case you want to know, fill a large jug with cold water, add 4 teabags and a dessertspoon of sugar and a few mint leaves. Stir. Cover with one of those lacy things with beads round the edge (or improvise) and leave outside in the sun. It takes about an hour and a half or so. Take out the teabags and serve over ice. Mmmm, lovely. (I find if you keep it in the fridge it can go cloudy - it'll keep fine just on the kitchen counter.)
When Fizzy was littler, in Reception as a matter of fact (that'll be 4/5) she had a bit of a butterfly mind. I fear she's kept it, too! Anyway, one parents' evening I went to meet with her teacher, who was a diamond, and she didn't have many of those during her primary education, and as I looked through her work, I kept coming across a picture, always the same one, different books, different subjects, great picture. And I just found one, so here it isIsn't that just the best lion? I remember laughing so hard I almost had to go home! It's a cracking lion. I'll have to think of something to do with it. There's lots of ideas online.
As I was hanging up my tea-towels just now I got to thinking. I hate most of them because they are hideous. Because even when they start to fray around the edges, even if they get a little bitty hole, they still dry up really well. I can't throw them away. They are, of course, vintage. Linen usually. I bought ones I like from Habitat, but they are just not as good. Cath Kidston ones are pretty, but they shrink dreadfully. Those old ones just keep on going, with their horrid flowers, printed badly. I can't throw them out. I hate them. I can't be the only one. I feel a project coming on. What can we all do with the vintage tea-towels we hate? Any ideas? And while we're on the subject, what about bedlinen?
And now it's lunchtime, so I am off to start a new Healing Art Journal, because I just can't find my other one! Because I want to!

Hair and bikes

2008-05-09T01:07:00.000-07:00

I phoned up the hairdresser wailing Help me! the other day, so I am off there later for a cut n dye. Hopefully, I should feel better as a result. I have always hated the hairdresser. For me, it's on a par with the dentist, but more humiliating. The embarrassed silences, the horror when they're done...it's all a trial. This is a new one, anyway, and so far it has all been very nice. (I had to pop by for a test before they'll do the deed, of course, litigation being the new rock n roll.) The girls like me best with pink hair, but this is a nice soft brown, I think. With a bit of copper in it. Should be quite stylish. Better than the browny grey I have at the moment.
Lexie has a new bike, and is very, very excited. Phil picked it up last night, so she knew nothing about it until this morning. I am hoping it won't rain after school so we can have a ride. It's so pretty, of course. Red and yellow. We got it from a friend, who had it from another friend. It may have been paid for by David Beckham. Apparently he's very generous like that (I looked them up and they support a great many varied charities, so Good for them!). I was pleasantly surprised by how generous a number of celebrities are. It feels as though most people are a bit miserable at the moment, so it's reassuring to see some folks doing good things.

Britain's Next Top Model

2008-05-08T01:13:00.000-07:00

My lovely model is happily wearing her new hat. Poor girl has to wear bovver boots in spring, too. I don't know if we'll find some suitable sandals for later. Probably not. I don't suppose enough children need ankle support. Her dress still fits, though! I do need to buy 4 more, however. This one was hastily washed last night (it's Play-doh, okay?), and I prefer just to have lots of school clothes so there's always something clean. And lots more socks. If she wasn't off school today, I'd have gone shopping.
Nothing wrong with her, I'm happy to say. She just was difficult to wake and didn't want her breakfast. And she doesn't have SATs or anything (!) so I figured a day off wasn't out of order. We have looked at our seeds (7 mange touts!) and watered all the plants, and now she's watching....Playhouse Disney, of course. We'll go to the Disney Store later as Fizzy has a party tomorrow and needs a gift. A 12 year old who likes Disney? Oh well. At least she likes something. She doesn't speak. She phoned Fizz at the weekend, so that was fun! Well, she does speak, but not so's you'd notice. She's a nice girl, though. That's all I ask from my daughters' friends.

Hat badge tutorial

2008-05-07T04:10:00.001-07:00

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and, of course, school has asked for a hat. I couldn't put my hand on one, so popped one in my trolley in Sainsbury's this morning. Only £1. I opted for a dark blue one, because it's the nearest to school uniform, and then I thought, how will I make sure she doesn't lose it? Identifying marks is the answer! Yay.
This is what you do.
Draw and cut out two little paper patterns for your letter. We are doing an initial because it identifies the hat, but doesn't give anything away to Strangers. I did the small one first, put it on the paper and drew a larger one outside it. My big one is 3.5 inches and ended up a little close to the air holes in the cap, so you may want to take this into consideration.I cut the larger L in the green felt, and the smaller in pink.
Put the smaller letter nicely on top of the larger and, using some contrasting embroidery thread (2 strands), just run a line of running stitch along the middle, to hold them together. Make sure your thread is on the wrong side when you finish. Don't secure the end.
Now, all you have to do is pass your needle through the cap where you are going to start sewing, and sew another line of running stitch along each side of the first row (on the same letter), but going through the cap each time. Make sure you don't pull too tight, or catch the hatband, all the usual. When you have three rows of running stitch on your smaller letter, change to another bright colour and do a row around the larger letter. Don't forget to finish your thread nicely when you are done.
I felt bad that the hat was still a bit dark, so I did a few lazy daisies. I might do some more if I have time. I don't know if my victim likes it yet, but at least it shouldn't get lost. I'll take a picture of her in it when she gets home from school.
There! Easy 10 minute fun project which should only take an hour or so, depending on how much time it takes to find all the bits and pieces.
If I was doing this for an adult or a teen (to put on a book cover, for example, rather than a hat), I would probably do it on the machine. I might do one when I can set up my machine. I'm quite inspired!

Art old and new

2008-05-06T02:13:00.000-07:00

I like this piece. I made it when I was at college. We all chipped in a piece of fabric, and we all made something on the theme of India. This is a door hanging, and is finally hanging over a door! It was on a mirror for several years. I did lots of research, which is why it is the way it is, why the birds are the shape they are, and why there are big fat hairy chenille stem pom-poms on it. My tutor hated those, especially, but probably the whole piece. I think it's fun.And this piece is one of Penny's. It was her homework (we never had homework when I did art at school!). Their task was to make a cling film and sticky tape casting, and she chose to do a shoe. They have been drawing shoes lately, and this is one of those horrid white plastic stilletoes we bought for art play. The sequins were my idea (**grabs imaginary lapels in Vic Reevesian fashion**) and I think make a huge difference. It's a shame it won't last, but maybe that's okay. She took this photo.
We have had a wasteful weekend. We had lots to do, but went to a jazz concert on Saturday morning, followed by the picnic at Lexie's school. The jazz thing was because of Penny. They used to have a Concert Band at school, which she played in willingly, but then they changed it to incorporate the jazz band as well, so now it's a Jazz Collective. I suppose they had their reasons, but I am not a jazz fan. I'm more of a blues-y girl. So we dropped Penny off in the park and went shopping, and by the time we had bought a baker's scrapey thing from the posh kitchen shop (Rachel Ray uses one. I wanted one. Bite me!) and sauntered back, they were just going up on stage and we got to watch the whole thing. Colin Salmon was introducing the bands (poor man, but he seemed to be keeping his chin up). I enjoyed it, all things considered. That mostly meaning that when Penny had finished, we left. Then we went to the picnic, which was hosted for us by the Noise people from Trinity. Referred to in future as the Purple People. They freaked me out just a tad. And I am, by inclination, a churchgoer, although I haven't felt comfortable enough to go to a church for a while now. That's nothing to do with God. It's all about the people. Anyway, in my trawls round the churches in town, of which we have tried several, I have come across a couple of people who have been greatly damaged by the whole massive church experience, so I am always a bit wary. These folks were friendly and pleasant, and all had purple tees on. They didn't try and suck us in or anything, so it wasn't that. There were just so many of them. I think I upset one poor girl because we were chatting and she expressed sadness that so few families had turned up, so I tried to explain why. It never comes across well. It is a truth, not universally acknowledged, that people don't really enjoy being considered Charity Cases. Families like ours are used to being 'given' things (that we don't usually want), and what broke it totally for me was when my children were given Christmas gifts from the local collection for poor and underprivileged children. We're not poor and underprivileged. We have a family member with special needs. Well-meaning folks like to organise things for us and expect us to be grateful, but the beneficiaries of the experience are usually the organisers. I expect the purple folk had a lovely rosy glow this weekend as they thought of how they had helped the families of those poor children. Actually, mostly it's quite patronising. They don't want to be friends. They wouldn't normally want to spend time with us. I'm reasonably confident that if we went to their church we would be about as welcome as we've been in every other church in town. Yes, we went and took their free cheese roll, and some of us did some 'crafts'. We had an okay time. But we can make our own fun on Saturdays, it isn't really a problem. Maybe in the depths of the summer holidays, during the week, people might be keener for it. But mostly (and I didn't say all this to the poor girl, I promise!), families like ours are pretty much like every other family, and we can manage ourselves. We went along because we're still new and we hoped we could meet some other families from the school, but that didn't happen at all. Penny and I did some crafts. Push-out decoupage cards (help!) and we each sewed a little lavender bag, astonishingly like thisbut, although we had a nice time sitting and sewing for a little while, we didn't learn anything. We know how to sew (and ours turned out better than the demonstrator's). Penny's is the yellow one, mine the pink. Phil read the paper. There was nothing else for him to do. Except get cross that we weren't moving furniture. And we didn't move any, all weekend.

Excellence Award

2008-05-02T03:28:00.001-07:00

I was very excited indeed to be awarded this splendid trophy by the lovely Ethel & Edna (Thank you!! xx) and now that she has nannied me through the process, I am able to pass it on to my own 5 nominees, and here they are
Susan
Liz
Sam
Angie
Maggie
because they all inspire, inform and delight me.

Oooh look, it's a post with some 'art' in it!

2008-05-02T02:01:00.001-07:00

When I read Susan's post yesterday, I got all excited, and thought I would join in her swap, and then I remembered the terrible, hideous mess that awaits me in my Studio. So, then I remembered we have agreed to bring a bookcase up this weekend (I think I might need 2), so there is hope for a bit of reorganisation next week. And it began to grow and germinate (look, gardening metaphors!) in my mind. I followed MeggieCat's link to the British Museum (shame on me - I should have a link myself!) and was really inspired by an ancient tomb garden drawing. And then Fizzy and I had a chat this morning, and an idea popped, fully formed (just like Harry Potter!) into my poor worn out brain. So I have swept a load of stuff off a table, and made some fabric paperand I fully intend to take my plan to the next level. I'm really liking this sneak peek. It's a bit richer in the photo (no flash, you see!), and it's wet still, and I have learned from bitter experience that a)it dries differently and b)if you don't do this on cling film, it will stick to the newspaper. This is all I will show for a while because I don't want to spoil any surprise. But I am thinking 3D. Oooh, I'm excited.

I'm back. Abnormal service is resumed.

2008-04-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Well, you won't believe this, but we're online!!

And I've been tagged, so I'll do that first.
Oh, the excitement!
Claire is the culprit, so if I'm not interesting enough, blame her for tagging me!
I have to write down 7 random facts about myself.
So....
1) All my music/film/tv favourites are ugly.

No, they are.
Hugh Laurie as House. John Cusack in Grosse Point Blank. Julian Barratt as Howard Moon. And, of course, the joy of my teenage years, Freddie Mercury (it was a very manly moustache!!). Oh, and I have a bit of a thing for Jemaine Clement as well. Or is it Bret McKenzie?
2) I am pathologically afraid of sharks. It's a terrible phobia which keeps me from surfing and scuba diving. I have had this fear since 1975. I may have gone to the cinema around then! (Even now, I can't watch all of it!)
3) I am very funny about meat. If I have to buy it from the supermarket, I will only go to Waitrose. My favourite place to get meat is the Riverford farm shop just outside Totnes, but I'm not there often enough. Some days we're vegetarians. I watch Rachael Ray through my fingers sometimes. Oh, those pink sausages!!
4) My father was a trained artist who actively discouraged me from making art. Any artistic thing I do is probably in defiance, on account of I never rebelled.
5) Phil and I were introduced by a mutual friend. When we met, I just recognised him as The One. And he was.
6) I always wished I had been a housewife in the 1940s. Preferably a vicar's wife. Probably a vicar from a Barbara Pym or Agatha Christie novel. Afternoon tea and gossip with the village ladies. A little light gardening. A maid. It's funny, because I have never been famous for my housekeeping skills (but they are pretty good these days, if I say it myself!).
7) I used to be the (female) singer in a Christian rock band.

I knew I'd surprise you at the end, Claire! I missed out my computer games obsession because I didn't want to copy another girl's work. And I didn't mention my love of Hallmark and Diva TV because I am ashamed.

Oh, b&%$*r, I just remembered I have to tag 7 people, too. I can't think of only 7 people! I'll just be lazy and say I want to know all about You (I do, as it happens). So consider yourself tagged and then I can find out all I need to know!

I am having a hard time today. I had a bit of a shock yesterday, with regard to blogging in general, and am now wondering whether I should continue at all. There are some things I hadn't considered, and I probably need to get my head straight. Phil says I should keep on, so I know I will, but I'm keeping a little of myself back. I'm sad that I feel this way, but I can't explain. (I can explain, I'm perfectly literate! but I prefer not to.) Sorry to be cryptic. I always hate it when people make posts like this and then come back after 2 days carrying on as before. I think I need to do some art. I want to enter Susan's garden swap, but my Studio is such a mess. Everything has just been dumped there. I can find nothing. And I feel I've run out of strength. Perhaps I should just go and do something garden-y, and then enter the swap...

I am so honoured to have been given an award by the lovely Ethel & Edna (I understand the two people thing really!!), so I am just looking around now for my nominees. I shall post about that later, for certain sure.

Further to what I was hinting at above, Phil has expressed the view that I shouldn't be posting pictures. (He can be a bit grumpy.) So, bearing in mind his opinion, here is my new sofaIt looks quite small, suddenly. It is lovlier in real life.

The phone is being cut off today...

2008-04-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

I have no idea when the phone service will be lost, so I am here to blog a little (without pictures because I haven't really taken any) while I wait for the Virgin man to come along and do his dirty work.
We have moved an awful lot of stuff, but I keep hurting my back (did it again just now), so my trips here for general bits and bobs have been curtailed. The sofa came yesterday from Laura Ashley. It's fab. I'm looking forward to photographing that later. And the Sky man came in his rocket yesterday, and Bunnytown is resumed. Lexie even called the 'new house' home this morning (I made her). She'll settle easier now. I still prefer Virgin to Sky, but what can I do? I'll just have to adapt...
The littlies have a pretty nice bedroom now - little iron bedsteads (well, I did my best, but they are only from Argos. But they look great!), mosquito nets (coloured ones, from Ikea, very cute) and I have been liming furniture for them. They have a chest and shelf combo and a table so far (it's quite boring to do). Penny's room is a bit sparse, poor girl. She's been promised my nice desk, so she'll be waiting a while longer for that.
My Studio has been filled with piles of things, awaiting a better home. I knew that would happen. But the blinds look great, and over the years I have learned to look past stuff to the good.
They cut off my phone.
I still appear to have broadband though, so am soldiering on...
I think I might post this now, and then edit it, just so I get something up today.
Oh, it's not the same without pictures. I so miss seeing what everyone is doing, and I miss making 'art' (I did Penny's RE homework the other day, I was so in need of doing something, and she was too busy. It was busy work; I wouldn't do it normally. It was a collage About Me, so I cut a few things out of Heat and the Style magazine and stuck them on a picture of the Feeling. I think it helped.)
Oh, important news! The lovely Ethel & Edna (I want to be two people, why didn't I think of that!) has honoured me with an E for Excellent award, and I am so proud! I shall be doing the business when I have my broadband sorted at home. See? I said At Home. Any time now, though. We have router, we have password, we await telling we can do it.
And I am so happy that I won Susan's prize draw! Yay.
I think I might have to have a draw when I get back, just to make up for having been so out of touch for several weeks. And because it's fun.
Right, I am off to see if I can read anyone's blog before the broadband goes.
Normal service will be resumed as soon as internetly possible! I do so miss everything.

I hate not having broadband!!

2008-04-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can tell, we moved in (ha!) last week, so I have been conspicuous by my absence. The girls have had a boring holiday. All back today (taxi late, traffic dreadful, late, oh help). Lots of differences and lots of money spent.
The blinds are up in the studio, and look great. The Sky is ordered. We have to wait until we have had the BT line for long enough before Sky will send us a router, but we're counting down now! I never wanted satellite television, but we have no choice. At the moment we have about 8 channels, with a poor signal on 5 and no 4 or ITV channels (except, bizarrely, ITV2+1). I missed House last week. And this series is my favourite so far. Oh well...
So, I just popped down here to collect some more china, and it's raining, and I'm sitting on the floor... I'm kind of dreading being in the 'new house' on my own for the first time all day. So I appear to be taking my time.
Lexie keeps saying, 'Let's go home'. She misses Bunnytown.
Don't know that I feel 'at home' there myself yet.

Just a quick one - now with pics

2008-04-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

I took a photo of the curtains hung up (but not ironed or shortened or appliqued, just hung up), and left the camera up there. I'll fetch it later. They're kind of a jungle green - it's nice. I feel at home nowhere right now. Penny and I took 2 (small) car loads up yesterday, so there are lots more gaps down here. I can't see why we wouldn't go and sleep there soon. Tonight? Phil's keen. If he hadn't run out of time off, we'd have moved up yesterday. I'm beside myself with worry about everything. I know. Breathe. It says 146 times in the New Testament not to worry. I wish I'd listen.
Once we move, I won't have an internet connection, but the Virgin man isn't coming till the 30th to take away the modem so I will be able to keep it up until then at least, until we get Sky.
Here are the curtains. The window isn't dirty (well, it is a bit, but not that dirty!), the double glazed unit is broken. We just have to endure.Here are the £4 shoes, before they get their makeover.And here's my kitchen corner. I like this bit. Those hanging basket plants are in the hanging basket now. You can just see the edge of my birthday herb bucket.

Monday again

2008-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Phil has gone back to work, leaving me feeling a bit...lost. Lexie is watching Playhouse Disney (oh, help! She won't understand when it's gone...) and the big girls are asleep. Apparently, it's a teen thing. I indulge them (it's only 8 o'clock) because it's the holidays.
Yesterday, we had a nice, quiet day, messing about. I read the paper, and we went to the garden centre to buy some hanging basket plants. There's a Laura Ashley there, so we popped in and bought a lampshade for the Children's Suite and some bedlinen for Lexie. We also went to Wilkinson for some dye to dye the curtains for the Children's Suite. It was one of those compromise projects. The curtains are big and heavy - canvas from Ikea (£24.50 since you ask, and not that well made). So I bought 1 pack of dark green dye so that it would be watered down considerably and make softer green curtains. It is my plan to applique them, but that won't happen until we move in. Curtains are a difficulty for sure! We bought a pink roller blind for the other window and I think we'll get away with it. Good job we're quite eccentric.
While we were in town, we popped into the cheap shoe shop to buy a pair of shoes for art purposes. I have never done that before. We were looking in charity shops, but with no luck. We wanted pointy stilletoes, and we found some white ones for £4. I can't imagine what it looks like, arguing about which size to buy without trying them on. Penny has a shoe project to do this week, and I suggested she alter a real shoe as part of it. I wish it was my own idea, but I got it from the Sharon Soneff book. The problem with doing any art project is that the Studio has become a bit of a dumping ground, and not everything is up there yet, anyway. But I guess there is still more available art material there than most of her friends have (I am only just seeing how excessive my shopping has been).
The downstairs carpet at the new house is a neutral beige-y colour, with brown speckly bits. The speckly bits might not show in the photographs. I often get confused between cleaned carpet, and carpet littered with dead woodlice (pill bugs?) waiting to be vacuumed up. From a distance, because dead woodlice are about the same size as the speckles. However, there is a bit of a path worn away in said carpet, in what will be our dining room, to where the drinks trolley used to be. I only mention it because I have been thinking about addiction, and how I really, really don't get drugs. These days, I don't care for drinking too much, mostly because I don't want to feel awful in the morning. For many years now, I have preferred to have a less alcoholic drink when I have one, and sometimes even enjoy two or three, rather than something stronger. By which I mean I'd prefer a lager or a glass of toy cider to a Scotch or a gin. For me, that kind of drink is too easy to drink too many of, which I guess was my father's problem. A long drink lasts longer, and also, being fizzy, you can kind of get 'full' before you get drunk! So, I struggle with the whole excessive drink and drugs thing that famous people seem to do - it really doesn't make any sense to me, particularly with those vaguely famous people who don't get mobbed and papped everywhere they go. The ones who seem, to us useless and boring un-famous people, to have a pretty great life: recognition of their skills, mild exposure and a good paycheck. If you saw them, out and about, you'd maybe have a moment when you thought you'd bumped into a friend, and then swiftly remember before you embarrassed yourself (I'm a member of the Facebook group 'I saw Justin Lee Collins in Bristol'). I'm thinking this morning of Mark Speight with some sadness and a lot of bafflement. A children's tv presenter who felt the need to live on booze and cocaine? What's that all about? Surely that's a kind of dream job. It makes me quite cross, although I have been feeling desperately sorry for his horrible recent predicament. It makes me glad I don't know anyone famous, I expect they'd all be very dull.

Would you like to see upstairs?

2008-04-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

Upstairs isn't as nice as downstairs, yet, but it is a lot lot cleaner now than it was this morning. This is Penny's room. She's the only one with a bed. That other furniture is on the landing now.Here is the other end of the room. It's not massive, but it'll do her.
This is Phil's and my room.
The furniture is from Harrods. Who am I to give that to the clearance man? It was in the main bedroom, but was moved in this afternoon. There are built in wardrobes
but I have a roll of delicious wallpaper to stick on the doors and drawers. This is where the bed will go.This is the yellow bathroom. There is a green one as well, but I haven't photographed that because it is very awful. So awful in fact that Phil said don't clean it, he's going to change it soon. This one has been cleaned to within an inch of its grout, and is still quite rough.And this is the Children's Suite. This is the aforementioned French doors, and Fizzy's bed will go here.It's hard to take photos and get the light right (and the house is quite dark), but here is the spot where Lexie's bed will go
Fizzy is standing by the door into the green bathroom. The open door is the dressing room. It's a little room with two wardrobes in it. And here are all three girls showing the door into the corridor. The yellow bathroom is on the right, and the door facing is Penny's room. Our room is behind where the girls are standing.
And here's one for MJ. With Phil looking at the camera. He's more handsome in real life. Lexie has a Christmas bauble she found, which she says is a 'pink egg'. She is keen to know what's inside!Here is Lexie walking along the corridor from what the girls call the Toy Room, which is, at the moment, another store room until we get sorted. That furniture from Penny's room is looking a bit dusty!Fizzy wanted to be photographed at the bottom of the stairs.
She's sat outside the cloakroom door. The sliding door to the left of her leads to the porch and front door. There is a shoe and coat cupboard down there, as well.
And that's the rest of the house. I've had my in-laws up today (parents and sister), cleaning the oven, the yellow bathroom, and the windows. Still a few kitchen cupboards, my wardrobes and the downstairs windows to clean. And I need curtains for the Children's Suite.
We could be moving soon. I'm getting keener, but there will be no cable. No cable. Help me Noddy. We'll have to have Sky. Which will take time. But I would be very surprised if we weren't living there in one capacity or another by next weekend.

Pictures! Lots of them.

2008-04-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

The piano movers turned up at 8 am yesterday, for their 9.30 appointment. This set us all in a bit of a turmoil, but gained us back a fair bit of time, so we were free at 9 to do as we pleased. What we did was pop back down to Ikea to get some more white Billy bookcases for the Library. Ha! Not only did they not have any, apart from in the showroom, there was no longer any indication that they ever had had any.
However, the piano was moved, and here is Lexie showing how pianos should be played. (It's a small room, and hard to photograph, so you'll have to take my word for the metal bookcases beside the door with music books on.)And here is my lovely model showing off the Library. This used to be the dining room, but we decided to put the books here. There are a lot. We made up the Billys without the hardboard backing, which saved time and I think it looks better anyway. I cleverly took this shot so you can't see the desk which is on the left, piled high with things we have to file away somewhere. That flowery light fitting needs to be moved somewhere else. (Penny cut her forehead when she knocked out that lightbulb!)We have worked very hard today, and have cleared the living room. This part with the tomfoolery going on will eventually be the dining room. Which is why we were able to turn the 'real' dining room into the Library.This is the sitting side of the living room, with some hastily arranged furniture. Most of that will be deployed elsewhere. We took down the nets this afternoon, so it's quite bright now. There was a lot of very dark furniture in here.And from the far corner it looks like this. You can see Phil coming down the steps. Only one of the wall lights works (and it isn't one of those two!)Here is my new kitchen table. It fits 5 quite easily, but there's a leaf under it to make it an oval table that will sit loads. We'll be able to eat together every day. Oh, giddy me!And here is the island, all cleaned up and ready to go. The cookbookcase is filling up nicely, and the new Cath Kidston hooks are looking nice. My birthday apron and Paperchase teatowels are hanging up for show. The infamous washing up liquid is on the top of the bookcase.
All the cupboards are now clean except the tall food cupboard there. On the table is a box of straws and napkins in a plastic holder. Ikea is a wonderful place (sometimes). It was about 10.30am when I took this shot. Rainy, though. The door there goes to the Studio Reception Area. The light fitting is on its way out. We found lovely little chandelier thingummys, one for the kitchen and one for the Music Room. Phil is refusing to put them up until we live there.

Much progress

2008-04-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the piano mover is coming. First thing. We phoned, and he was available, so we are going with it. The Music Room is about ready for an instrument. We have a Library, too, although, like everything else, it isn't finished. The girls and I worked very hard moving around and sorting books, after Phil and I put together 4 white Billy bookcases (which we got yesterday). We need more. There is a table in the kitchen. It's round! And it looks great. We moved the rectangular one into the Studio for working on. Our new home is coming together, and I'm almost at the point where I could actually live there.
Nothing else happening round here except cleaning and sorting. Pictures tomorrow.

Kitchen pics

2008-04-07T10:25:00.001-07:00

Here, at last, is the kitchen.
It's not finished. Those wall cupboards have been cleaned. The one over the oven hasn't - the difference is amazing!I have worked hard today, cleaning the countertop and those cupboards, throwing or packing stuff away. Still lots to do.
This is Phil doing the gloss. The room off the kitchen which is pink (pink? it was supposed to be dark red!) is the Music Room. In the foreground is the island, with lots of stuff on it. The door to the right goes into the hallway.
Here is the ceiling with skylights. I'd love that wood to be painted, but it ain't gonna happen! Too much hard work.
We put the bookcase here (by the door into the Studio Reception Area) to put cookbooks on.
And here is the SRA in all it's robin's egg blue glory. And the pie safe (with a few jam jars on it). That shelf might go on the wall above it where that little embroidery is now (which I didn't do!). Sometime.
I'm really digging those colours. I love the red, it's perfect, and I no longer plan to paint the cupboards pale blue; the red really makes the green zing. And I really, really love the robin's egg blue. Against the white, it really, really works.

Monday morning

2008-04-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

We're back!
It was my birthday last week. I guess I am at an age where people expect me not to be that bothered about it, but I do enjoy a birthday! I still get a touch of that special feeling. And now there is the happy coincidence of three 'little' girls who like to buy mummy a present, and a Cath Kidston shop in town! Yay. The combination brought forth a lovely apron (and some washing up liquid!). I also had a new radio for my new kitchen, which I am very much looking forward to setting up. I wanted one with a CD player as well, for when Jeremy Vine's on. (On Radio 2) And the one they got me has an MP3 player, too. I am hoping that the red paint we chose actually is Cath Kidston red, like it looks on the container. (I know - had I bought Cath's own paint, it would have been! But it's £21 a tin and I can't afford it!) My new accessories make the idea of a Cath Kitchen much more attainable (and I didn't even know I wanted one before!)
Us girls had a lovely relaxing weekend, even though I had to drive both ways with a dodgy gearbox. I am not over keen on motorway driving. While we were there, we went on a couple of little outings, going to a nice farm shop which has animals (miniature pony, emus, goat, ducks, geese, sheep) and the new dolls' house shop in Nailsea. Fizzy wanted some dining furniture for her house, and they had a nice little set for her. We always have a nice time when we go. I just love not being in charge of the cooking. I think food tastes better when someone else cooks it! Right then, nose back to the grindstone!

Grumble, grumble.....

2008-04-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the weekend. No, it is, because Lexie broke up yesterday. Phil painted the kitchen white this morning - he did the ceiling and then went over the dark wallpaper a bit with the white before we paint it red next week. I took some books out of a bookcase so we can move that into the kitchen. And put my mother's jewellery in a safe place (turns out she wants it all with her, I should have known!). I found her old wedding ring, so she now knows that she wasn't robbed by the carpet fitter after all. I was hoping I would find that damn ring - I have heard the story of how the carpet fitter stole it (why?) many more times than I ever cared to. That may be the sole reason she has refused to have a tradesman in the house since. I have found many things that have upset me: Embroideries I did which she had removed from the frame to use it for something else and put the work in a drawer. (Wouldn't it have been better just to throw it away? Wouldn't that have been nicer than letting me see how much she hated it? Nice frame, though, obviously.) A matchbook from a bistro in St John's Wood. I used to live there (in the same bedsit house as Phillip Schofield, as it happens), so they would have had a lovely meal there when they came to visit me. Nice. Hope they enjoyed it. And some unmentionables. Here is a top tip which I share with all parents, especially. When you begin to become infirm, think of whoever will be clearing your home, but especially your children, and throw away things you think they might prefer not to find. This can include books, tubes of stuff and open packets. I'll say no more. (But whatever horrible thing you just thought of, you're correct.)
Phil is off sailing this weekend, so I'm taking the girls to their grandparents. I was feeling guilty about not doing any work this weekend, but I need a break. I will approach it all with renewed vigour next week. We have affected a phenomenal change so far. There is an end to the tunnel, and it might come sooner than I originally thought. I have, however, done no artwork for so long, I have forgotten that I ever did any at all!
I wanted to get a picture from Google Earth to show how far (not) we're moving, but I haven't worked out how to do that yet. If I manage it in the next few minutes, I'll post it before we go for the weekend. My YouGov cheque came the other day, so I sent off for some books. Well, I don't have many! I'm really liking Terry Taylor's Altered Art, and the Sharon Soneff Healing Art Journal book.

Oh heck, is it Wednesday?

2008-04-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

So far, a week of drudgery...
Phil has been off work yesterday and today (my car needed sorting out for a kick off!), and he has kept my nose to the grindstone, for sure! I am used to working the mornings, coming home for lunch, and then recovering during the afternoon before cooking for everyone when I've picked them up from school. This last two days we've popped home for lunch and then gone back up again. We have painted the Studio Reception Area in a lovely shade of robin's egg blue. We moved the pie safe out there this morning - I'm going to keep jam jars on there. And we moved out the table and as many other things as we could. Phil is trying to take out the extractor fan thingummy as I write. It was very large and I think made the whole room very dark, but it's a bigger job than we thought to get rid of it.
I have been cleaning today. It's a horrible job. I'm not the world's greatest housekeeper. However, I have cleaned my house more than my mother cleaned hers. Those cupboards were an eye-opener. Until her stroke, my mother smoked for most of her life, and obviously just didn't notice the brownness that this causes on one's surroundings. I cleaned one wall cupboard and I had to change the water halfway through as it was the colour of black coffee. The actual kitchen is more of a spring green colour than I thought!
The blind lady turned up and sold me 6 blinds in all. The Studio Reception Area gets a new blind, too, as it's 3 windows for £99. Except, of course, that it isn't! It came to just under £250 for the 6, but I was happy with that. The blinds are a kind of honey yellowy colour (it was that or burgundy or bottle green) and will come in 2-3 weeks.
The auction movers come in the morning. It turns out that we can't sell or give away some things because of the fire resistance regulations, but we can remove them from the house, so we'll do that after the big pieces have gone. And soon the house will feel a bit more like we could live in it.

Work done...now with rubbish pictures

2008-03-30T01:13:00.000-07:00

I have worked hard this week, being mostly at the new house and not online. I reached a kind of burnout yesterday and sobbed into my drawer of saved (undone) Times crosswords. I just thought that, if you'd saved half a dozen and not done them, wouldn't that have been a good place to stop? Why continue to save them by the drawer full? When would enough be enough? As it happened, enough did finally become enough, and the sadness of a drawer filled and abandoned (and it was more than one drawer, I'm afraid) consumed me.
I complained (yes, I did, in my shame) to Phil that, after a hard day's work, it needs at least 2 more hard days' work in order to see any kind of difference. I have done much in the kitchen. Penny helped me take down the tiny pictures and collection of keys from the walls. I removed the hung up kitchen utensils. I emptied a cupboard, with the help of my beautiful assistant L. And we half cleared a shelf unit as well. Then I went through a pile of correspondence (saved, as I promised) and leaflets (binned) where I found several copies of the same thing, again. The kitchen is still full.
Yesterday, we took my mother to the garden centre, and it was a disaster. She had to have a free catalogue of garden furniture. (Why?) In struggling to put it in her bag (I looked away for a minute, I had Lexie with us) she fell backwards into a gazebo. It sounds funny when I write it, but, obviously, it wasn't at the time! Luckily, a more senior member of staff came to our rescue and was very concerned, which I appreciated. I had to report her to matron when we got back, but I am not looking forward to any subsequent outings with much enthusiasm.
I have been reluctant to take photographs until we have had some impact on our surroundings, but will take my camera today to show the studio progress. You could nearly make art in there. Just need some central work surface.
I spent the first part of last week adding my supplies (there's lots more, but sorted into boxes), and then the paint kind of got moved into the studio so we could paint the Studio Reception Area. Which didn't get done yet because there was a washing machine, tumble drier and fridge freezer to be moved first. Which are only getting moved just right now. New things are the curtains are back up (temporarily - the Hillary's Blinds rep is coming on Wednesday), and the cleaning cupboard. I thought it might work. We'll see.I put up a clock, and put a little table in the corner. It's waiting for a nice chair to sit by it. The furniture in the middle is going to auction this week. Apparently. I am waiting for the man to phone me and tell me when the van is coming. I have changed my mind about some pictures, so I'm hoping that doesn't p@*& him off so he cancels the whole thing. Why it would, I don't know!Today we have mostly been moving the aforementioned white goods. The tumble drier ended up on my hand. Boy, that hurt. We have also cleared all the furniture I agreed with the auctioneer to send in, ready for the removal men. We cleared the Music Room pretty much of everything - it was a set of conservatory furniture for my friend G who happened to mention she wanted to buy some. Why buy some when I have some I want to get rid of? Phil and I spent some time in the kitchen. He took nails out of the wall. I took down the rest of the pictures, some of which - oh, let's not lie, most of which, were additionally held up by BluTack. Nobody realised a) it isn't necessary if you have a nail and b) it sticks permanently eventually. I tore the wallpaper. I'm only annoyed because I wanted to paint over it, and it will not look very good with torn out bits. Then we knuckled down and threw out a load more leaflets and business cards. I lifted a chair cushion and found a huge pile of shopping till receipts. Years' worth. Rather than check each and every one in case there was identity-stealing information on them, I shredded the lot. I think it took half an hour. It felt like longer. And the kitchen is still full.

An explanation

2008-03-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

I think I may not have been clear. I haven't been clear in my head really, which is probably why. In fact, I've only just started telling people about it in Real Life. We are moving into my mother's house. The house is full, pretty much to the brim, with two lifetimes of accumulation, and no throwing out. Nothing was thrown away. Ever. I have thrown away things which should have been tossed out years ago. It is exhausting, both emotionally and physically. Mostly emotionally. It has taken me a while to come to terms with the move, because I suppose it is almost impossible for me to imagine their house with my things in it. We started with the Studio, which is now 'mine'. I feel perfectly at home there now. We will move through the house, redecorating and moving furniture out as we go. And when we're done, we'll move in. We have done small things in the kitchen, so it rolls along. I've been up there this morning moving my art supplies. I still feel a bit awkward about everything, despite the fact that my mother is very obviously better off in the home where she can be looked after properly. One of the things which makes me feel awkward is the location of the house and what that means locally. It is a much better part of town than where we live right now, but I suppose it will make a change to have people make value judgements about us based on the location of where we make our home rather than the fact that our daughter is disabled.

Progress Report - now with pictures!!

2008-03-24T01:53:00.001-07:00

We have been working very hard this weekend, and I will take my camera again today. The amount of work done and left to do is staggering. I have thrown away 5 bin bags of dead dried flowers, and 2 and a half bin bags of plastic food trays and pots. I reached a stage yesterday where I couldn't go on - it just felt that I was moving things from one place to another (even if that place was the garden, in a bin bag). I emptied a fridge-freezer, a fridge and a freezer (one person has been living here!) and half of the larder. I had to wrestle a plastic container of St Michael pasta sauce (how many years is it since M&S stopped branding their food St Michael?) from the ice in the freezer which has been filled with food but probably not opened in years. In the larder, I found lots of old things, but my favourite was probably the lemon curd from 1994. Did you think it would go brown? I can barely drag my self up there today, but Phil has gone already to get on with the painting. The pink needs another coat, and there's gloss to do, too. Unfortunately, this is only the first room - there's so much left to do. Have to look forward and not be discouraged. That's a good word. We are really needing courage for this project!
Here are the photos I took this morning. The three front windows (the frames and sills are now white)The pink glow - it's amazing! And the two side windows.
(I've run out of windows now.)Here are Lexie and Penny modelling the entrance and steps, and admiring the pinkness. In reality, it is a little less bubblegum and a little more purple. Phil is putting on the top coat of paint, which is, apparently, metallic. It certainly has a bit of a sheen.The office carpet is now gone, and there is lino tiles with a top coat of glue. I guess if we walk about in there for a bit it'll get a little less sticky.Behind the girls is the utility room, which we have renamed the Studio Reception Area (the SRA). Just because everything has to be made to sound posher than it actually is.
We have taken some more furniture to my mother, and books and what Phil calls 'trinkets' (that covers all possessions, generally), so hopefully she'll be feeling more 'at home' too.

Sometimes, you don't see things...

2008-03-22T00:23:00.001-07:00

I think this photo is a good example of how it is possible to just not notice things!
This is my new Studio.
No, really, it is.
Penny is demonstrating the Potential of the roomWe worked very hard all day, and it doesn't look like that anymore, but what horrified me, thinking about it, was that I had never noticed how bad it actually was before. My excuse, and it's a good one, is that it wasn't my room at the time! Every time I went to the house and had reason to go in there, I was so used to how it was that I didn't see it. I am appalled at how much more work there is to do before we can move in, though. We started in the Studio because it makes things easier at this end, and means I can be moving things up next week by myself. There are steps down into the room, which is why it looks like I've taken a photo from up a ladder. The carpet will come up, and most of the furniture will go (indeed, has already), and we will be making good and painting, soon. I have white paint and some lovely pink metallic for a feature wall. I want to take the curtains down, but don't know if I should wait until I decide what to put up instead. The Studio is at the front of the house, and I have sewing machines to go in here, so I am reluctant to leave it all open to prying eyes. I know people would have to come up to the house to look, but you don't know what people do when you're not there! Were going to paint the bricks.

Planning

2008-03-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's excursion went quite well, apart from a vase getting broken (and not by me!). I think we have pretty much decided to pack up and move as many of the small items as we can and put them in the (now defunct) sauna room. There can be room made in the garage for some furniture, and then we need to find somewhere that will take most of the big furniture. We are planning to work this weekend (I can sing hymns at the same time, I guess) on what will be The Studio and then the kitchen. And there's lots of cleaning to do. Phil's mum offered herself and Phil's sister to come and help clean the aluminium windows in a couple of weeks, but I think that will be a bit late. I can't see them not getting done this weekend. I will need to measure for curtains in the children's room and maybe make them myself (drat!). The Children's Suite has one small window, and one French door set (onto a balcony, Fizzy's made up!), so I could buy some for the doors, but the window is another matter. The curtains up at the moment are diaphanous and were no doubt once pretty, but are really too thin to keep out the light. Lexie is an early riser, and prone to friskiness in the morning, so I dread to think what she might get up to before everyone else is awake, particularly with an en-suite bathroom in the picture. This laundry basket is my starting point for the room decor for them. I am hopeful that it will get done. I just love the colours. The walls will be mostly white, but I think a pink wall would be nice. But I am mostly thinking about my Studio. What colour should that be? What furniture should I put in there? Will it ever be nice, or will it be the usual 'shove everything over there and it'll all work out in the end'? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
I just spoke to Sotheby's about the 70s furniture, and need to photograph it this weekend, so I'll do a 'before' pic of the Studio. And hope against hope that I'll make it nice enough to one day do an 'after'...

Visitors

2008-03-19T02:28:00.000-07:00

My lovely in-laws are coming today (they don't read this!), because my M-i-L is a bit of a collectibles dealer (ret'd). She wants to look over my mother's stuff before I get the clearance guy in (coincidentally, he's Lexie's taxi driver), on account of it must be worth something. I don't think it is. I think it's mostly 80s repro. But, and this is the amazing part, she's only been to my parents' house once that I can think of. Maybe twice. I think she's interested. I would be! And it was nothing to do with my in-laws that they didn't go to my parents' house. My parents were a bit peculiar, I think. Now my mother is in a home, she has to do as she's told, so that's removed a number of the quirks (like she can't choose to be stand-offish). She can't choose who goes and visits her now, at any rate. I don't know why my folks never wanted to mix with Phil's. It was all one-sided. There's not even anything 'wrong' with Phil's parents: Dad was a university lecturer and Mum was a school secretary (in the days when one poor soul did everything!). When Lexie was born, and we were whipped back into hospital, it was Phil's parents we called to come and help, despite the fact that they lived an hour away and my parents were only 5 minutes up the road. On account of a refusal often offends. I went up yesterday at Phil's behest to remove a picture from the wall and hide it in the back of a wardrobe. Did I mention my father was a trained artist? Anyway, there are some charcoal sketches that you don't want your mother to see, apparently. (He didn't do anything about his children having to see it!) Luckily, I found a print of Haworth in the cupboard, and I'm sure no-one will notice it doesn't fit the shadow of the other. (My mother would, obviously, but she's not going!)
Funnily enough, it turns out that Penny's boyfriend's mother is a scrapbooker! I would never have thought it. So, I shall have to ask her if she'll give me a hand with my mum's album. See, I'm not standoffish! (I'm so keen not to be seen as so that I am probably a menace. There's nothing wrong with his parents, either, incidentally. There's probably more wrong with us!)
This is why I have a few issues with my family, but I'm working on it...
Phil went to see my mother yesterday evening - his family is one that believes we're all family, regardless, and so it is perfectly normal for him to go and see her - to see if she was okay and make a few suggestions (buying a new television being uppermost). Apparently she has had a flu virus (the cold sort), not what matron said at all. But she looks bad. So I'm not looking forward to seeing her. I find it hard to cope with my mother getting old, so soon.

Help me, Mickey Mouse

2008-03-18T03:43:00.001-07:00

I think there are loads of hobbies and skills, and probably it's difficult to master them all, so I tend to stick to the things that go well from the first. I enjoy doing things I do well, so if I don't do them well immediately, I think twice about carrying on. That may indeed be petty. I am feeling that way about scrapbooking for my mother. She's not a lover of frippery and flowery stuff, so there's no flowers and stuff stuck on. And, you can tell I didn't scraplift anything! All my own design, so help me! I did follow some guidelines, though. Double matting my main picture, for example.I picked out pictures which are difficult to group together, and I'm certainly not going to do any journalling. I'd have no idea what to write. My plan was to do a few pages, and then take her the album to look at. On the bright side, she doesn't know that other people could do it better! And, on the other bright side, it means I don't have to be a scrapper.
The printer was pronounced dead yesterday, so Phil bought a new Kodak printer while Penny was at flute choir. Apparently it uses loads less ink. Let us hope so! I had so many crying children who couldn't print out their homework (2) - 'She won't accept it handwritten!', wailed Penny. I said she'd jolly well have to, if Phil couldn't get a new printer. Luckily, Darling Daddy saved the day (as usual).
Things are a bit weird here at the moment, which is why nothing much of any interest is happening. My mother seems to be finally deciding to stay in the home, and she's ill right now, so it's not something we can talk about (I'm keeping well away, actually!!). There will be lots to organise, so I'm girding my loins (whatever they are) and reserving myself in preparation. And my in-laws are popping up tomorrow, and the house is a mess. It'll stay that way, too. I've got some yellow paper drying in the kitchen that I tried to 'knock back' for my next page. (I never thought it would take a morning to do a single page! It's not like it's even any good!) So, back to the chopping board for me. (I even had the Cricut out!)

Failing already

2008-03-17T04:04:00.000-07:00

Having decided to try my hand at scrapping my mother's pictures (well, some of them!), I have hit a frustrating wall already. The kit is pretty poor. Luckily, I have lots of ribbons and things, so I can add extras, but the paper is poor quality, the stickers are thin, so most of it won't get used. And my printer has now refused to print after copying one sheet of photos. Had I known, I'd have grouped them together by subject rather than worked the size angle. So I don't know if I can actually get anything done. My mother was ill at the end of last week, and doesn't appear to be any better today, so now I'm stressing about that, too.

Oh no!

2008-03-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

There is, in my possession, a scrapbooking kit.
I bought it for my mother last year as she had a big box of photos, and I thought she might enjoy sticking them in an album. Well, in my defence, she wasn't exactly doing a lot else! In actuality, she is a talented watercolourist, who hasn't lifted a brush for 15 years. And I have no idea why; she won't say.
So, yesterday, it taunted me as I was in her house, so I brought it home, along with a handful of photos to do it for her and then she can look at it. I found some pictures of her as a girl, and some of me being a toddler, and some of my grandparents' wedding - very 1920's, it was lovely. So, the plan is to procrastinate by trying to make decent quality copies of them, and then have a go at scrapping them. And as I have no idea what I'm doing, it should be interesting. It's only a Partner's set - I just thought if she had all the stuff she might do it, but of course she never even opened it. (What do you give people who have enough of everything and want nothing anyway?)

Just checking in....

2008-03-14T02:50:00.000-07:00

It's Gold Cup day today. Yippee. (Means it's all over in a few hours!)
Just waiting for my friend to come round for coffee again. We might go out. We'll see.
Lots of things happening at the moment, as well as computer and hand issues.
Watch this space for, hopefully, interesting news soon.