Lovely as a summer's day ...

Yay!! We finally got some nice weather today and as we got invited to a BBQ felt like wearing one of my most exuberant dresses. I tried it on and Manu gave me his most diplomatic 'please don't wear that' look! I did agree it was a bit larey especially with the knee high green sox I wanted to wear it with!! Anyway even though I didn't wear it in the end it did come in handy as I was inspired to make the flowers you see laying on my dress above - when we got back from the Barbey!

Tried to visit the allotment today and I won't need to worry about anyone pinching my rhubarb - it was like a fortress but despite not getting to see the plot I think I may have answered the burning chicken question - um sorry - don't worry no chickens to be burnt at the stake!! I mean it looks like we can keep chickens there -because we saw some ducks right near the entrance!!

Anyway this evening I've been busily hand scalpelling those plectrum stickers - they are a bit fiddly but I've been enjoying myself - I really rather love cutting (crafty things only - mind!)

Make a little bird house in your soul!

I stumbled across this marvellous bird house by Ryan O'Rourke which makes me yearn even more than I already do for a garden - well this week I got the next best thing...an allotment - wooohooo! I'm so darned excited especially as there's a chance I might be able to keep chickens!!

Don't you just love the detailing of the 'gargantuan sparrrow'?! Sparrows are altogether pretty stupendous if you ask me!

Hawaiian plectrums in progress...!

As the weather here's so un-summery I decided some Hawaiian themed plectrums might just cheer me up a little. They will be stickers and maybe even real life plectrums eventually! For now the general idea is that you will rush out to buy a ukulele so that you can stick these stickers on it!!

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 ...