Manu's new breakfast set...

This is the rather kitsch breakfast set I picked up for Manu from the 'vide grenier' last weekend. I was soo excited when I found it - there's racers on it and everything!! He assures me he's pleased with it - but hasn't used it yet and didn't use it this morning. He claims the cooked breakfast was too big for the plate! Mmmm...cooked breakfast!

Dear old boys

Met the loveliest elderly gent this morning sitting outside a charity shop while on my way to pick up some bread (was going to make some but fancied an early morning wander!). Manu was up for making a cooked breakfast and I really fancied a (fake!) bacon butty - so some chunky white bread from the co-op was in order. Really glad I bought instead of baked because I had the wonderful fortune of meeting the charming fellow in the picture above. He told me his accordian was from 'Czechoslovakia'. "Well it's an extra special accordian, seeing as the country doesn't exist anymore" I replied. I don't think he quite got but it may be because I didn't speak loudly enough - he had hearing aids on both ears.

Wished I'd remembered to ask him his name. He was soo old - must've been in his late nineties but played with such vigour and empathy. Proudly told me how he'd won competitions at holiday camps, of which there were photos stuck into a file where he had his scores. I told him "thank you for playing your wonderful music" and he replied with a empatic "no - thank you!" Aww - he really got me thinking about volunteering to work as a carer. He was soo sweet. Would you believe it that a few paces from home I ended up bumping into Mr Mumble (another elderly chap who has such a thick Norwich accent that it sounds like he is mumbling - always stop to try and understand him before he scuttles off determinedly in the direction of Great Yarmouth!) Maybe it was a sign - may well see if I could do some home support work - not too keen on working in a home ...

Jemima's been born!

Look - I've given birth to a doll - ohh err!! Inspired by the doll of the same name from my favourite (until Thunder Cats came along!) childhood tv programme - Play School, and also a reaction against those bloomin' hideous Bratz that my neice mysteriously has such a hankering for! Motivated aswell by watching Science of Sleep - so completely moved me - the horse was just adorable and mesmeric.

An unexpected bonus is that I now have someone to talk to other than George Lamb (bi ekk he's yummy!) on mighty radio 6 when I'm working! Still neither are great at talking back! Though George did read out a text I sent him last Thursday - was dead chuffed - thanks Georgey!! ^^

Anyway, next step is to create a love interest and animal entourage for Jemima (not one and the same!) + some illustrated backdrops to photograph her against - awww soo exciting!!! Must get down to getting stuff together for Pikapackage now though - craftiness/ scene designing must
wait for now!

Twitter talk

As mentioned on numerous occasions, I really dig birds! This week I've been narrowing my birdy drawings down to some Norfolk classics, with a bit of observational wit on their names - here are the three I chose... and yes it's true Oyster catchers don't eat oysters - silly name choice or what? They'd actually much rather a mussel! Oh -and Black headed gulls are often mistakenly called hooded much to their discontent!!

Here's my preliminary sketch of the Oyster catcher - I looked at a lot of sources to see the different facial/body characteristics. Got confused about his beak which I realised wasn't curved at all and the neck too because the American Oyster catcher which looks pretty similar has a much longer neck, but it could just be that the Norfolk variety is prone to contracting his!

Bzzz!

Started working on a book with a bee theme today - here's a sneaky peek of the preliminary sketches ...

La Mome

Over the bank holiday weekend, we finally got round to being mesmerised by 'La Vie en Rose' - that stunning Edit Piaf film. I knew it was it going to be good but it really was truly compelling and Cotillard was just totally engrossing. It was soo upsetting that I felt an immediate desire to go and make a sparrow brooch. It's known as 'La Mome' in French (Piaf's stage name when she first got noticed). Always loved sparrows and their budgie like chirping that I used to wake up to in our neighbours overgrown garden in London... The poor little fellows are endangered now so it's not just about my interest in the bird, the singer (who I incidentally have more songs of than is healthy) or the film, but to bring greater awareness of the plight of this sociable little bird. Here is a sketch I am using as a guide for the brooch...

Wowsers...!

I've been getting busy doing stationery the last couple of days - here's a voucher I've just designed to be sent out with my orders ...

Incidentally I have free postage until the the end of the month on Dawanda at the moment - only 5 days left!!

Anyway, must keep this short as have a blue corsage which needs posting...!

Clutter City Crafty fun day!

Excitement abound! It was the second Clutter City Craft Fair yesterday at Norwich Arts Centre and boy - what fun we had! We were 'clap bang' in the centre of the main performance hall and met lots of lovely new people on surrounding stalls (Amy 'Heavenly Hotcakes' McLachlan Sayer) who's scrummy cakes I got to eat all day long - including the cherry topped one above!!

Also nice seeing regular fellow crafters, like flame haired Flamingo Amy looking as glamorous as ever with her stunning hair pieces and also lovely Jessie Begley and her sweet handmade books! But mainly it was a day of welcoming new yet old faces to our merry band. Friendly fellow Art school chap Dave Bushell (yes - that's him in the photo pondering what he's let himself in for!) became the latest human FCF member to offer up his wondrous talents - returning all the way from Canada just so he could get involved!! I was also dead (sorry!) proud to introduce a new taxidermy member - Gladys the Red (squirrel) who got introduced to Larry the Grey. Was more amicable than expected 'though eye contact was strictly limited to side way glances. We braced for it to kick off between them ... (looks like Gemma's cowering slightly in the above pic!)

Altogether a top day - especially because I ended it in the best possible way - dancing my blue tights off all night long at a friends 50's - themed b'day bash held in Take 5's Crypt - a darn fine start to bank holiday weekend. ^^