Been long time ...

Oohhh it's long time since I wrote a post! Apologies - been ever so busy crafting and also been away in Switzerland - snowboarding! It was amazingly - scarey but such brilliant fun that most of the time I overcame the fear!

I miss the mountains - Norfolk seems flatter than ever! Even the 'hill' I have to cycle up to get to work seems more like a micro piste now!

Here's a pic of some of my work at the last craft fair we had - my stuff is the badges all the way round the edge!

Got the urge to do some egg painting/sewing ...! Better get to it!

'Sucker for Love' range!

This morning I woke up at 6 and was inspired to begin a new crafting range especially for Valentines. I planned to get it done before breakfast and almost did - only had two cross stitches left which I finished while munching on my frosties!!

When I showed it to Manu - he looked sad and I tried to explain that it had ironic overtones because cross stitch is twee and sweet normally and which was what I was trying to subvert!!
But he wasn't convinced! So I took it to work and stuck it on my imac screen to see what reactions I'd get. It was all positive so I'm going to take it (and the rest in the range which I shall finish tonight) to the craft fair tomorrow!

I don't think I'll be enjoying many Zzzz's tonight ...!

P.s: Bingo was hilarious!! More on that later ... must eat banana on toast now!!

Roll up , roll up!!

Thought I'd better remind you that this Saturday is 'The End of the Line' Craft Fair! See you down at the Playhouse (St George's Street, Norwich) from 10a.m ... be sure of lots of lovely handmade stuff to make you smile! :-)

Jesus!

Something miraculous happened yesterday evening - I found a photo of Jesus!!!! I love the way it was all damaged - especially his face. I thought it was quite fitting that religion is on the wane and so symbolic that it was all battered. I think it is a rather beautiful find. Manu said Jesus must have been a hippy with his long hair!!!

I'm not religious, but I really like the use of symbolism often found in religious stuff. Been looking at amulets a lot just lately and they have given me lots of inspiration for lucky charm brooches I've been making. The weather has been so bleak (it's almost apocalyptic out there at righ now so we've shut the shutters in the studio to block it out!!) that have not had enough daylight to take nice pictures of them - might just have to make do with the old tungsten. Will try and post them on here when I get home tonight. I'm going to bingo tonight for the first time ever - with guys from work - think it could be fun!! Tell you all about it later ...!

Gemma Correll is a busy delicate bee

I just wanted to congratulate Gemma on getting lots of her Illustration work published - she has been such a busy bee of late and all her success both now and in the future is sooo justly deserved. You can find some of her wonderfully illustrated stuff here:

It's Nice That
Print Pattern
Gemma's Portfolio

Go Gemma!!!

Gardenville of Eden

How symbolic is this - My bike lock takes on a whole new Eden-esque quality alongside the lovely flower left for me by a someone I don't know - who says you shouldn't like strangers! Not me!

I am glad to tell you that I've already broken one of my New Year's resolutions! Promised myself to try to read books before seeing their film version - but I just had to watch 'Everything is Illuminated' last night! And no regrets - was incredible! Moving and funny at once - tragi-comic I guess you'd call it! I discovered it because of the soundtrack (Gogol Bordello) and which goes a long way in making it such a succesful film. It was playing on one of Milan Kundera's philosphies that you only benefit from the past by reliving it - heavy! One of the other themes I thought it was driving at was that we are defined by our actions. And that this is how we derive meaning from our lives. I really felt an affinity with Jonathan the Collector - I can't help collecting stuff - symptomatic of liking too much!

Speaking of which I can't tell you how completely over the moon I was to discover that someone had left a geberra on the handlebars of my bike only the other day- I left my bike in town and went to collect it Friday evening to discover the selfless offering - I shall live off this for weekes to come - thank you whoever you are - I am touched!!! Zxxx

Curb your enthusiasm!!!

Really really excited (can hardly contain it!!) ... I've just booked some crafty days at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich! Will finish this in a little while ... as gotta get me some work done...!!!

... Here I am again! Well it seems the names of the artists running the courses I'm going on is a great source of amusement to my boss who overheard me quoting their names - Fernando Marques Penteado (who's the artist in charge of the Fictional Stitches course on Feb 8th) and `Biddy Rychnovsky' (April 18th: Knitting Text) who I once met when I had an exhibition at the Bally Shoe Factory on Hall Road in Norwich (Fringe 2005). They sound really fun and if it's something anyone reading this might be interested in - here is where you can find out more:
http://www.clothandculturenow.com/exhibition.html
http://www.scva.org.uk/whatson/

Comics really do rule!

I've got comics on the mind and have just finished doing a story board for a series called 'Love's Comic' (hehehoho)! You wouldn't be able to make head or tale of the very busy doodles, I don't think, so I'll wait to show you some visuals which aren't quite so rough ... in the meantime the above is micro bit of strip art with a sentiment in keeping with how I feel right now! I drew it a while ago but it seems synchronistic (yet again!) that I discovered it my box of drawings today ... anyway back to the drawing board for me now!