Off we go.....

Here is my interpretation of the Shane Pickett painting which Debbi chose as our inspiration for January in the Calendar Girls 09 exchange.You can see the original here

First of all I must thank Debbi for her choice. As I said below this was a completely new world to me and I have loved exploring. This site gives many in depth explanations.
I was at a loss how I was going to interpret the picture, then when I was looking at a Christmas present from my son an idea popped. The present was a set of mica flakes,

I have eight little pots like this and as you can see they are of different grades of thickness. I thought this might help me give and impression of depth.
I put three bands of medium and tried to show the swirling of a dust storm.I then built up layers of Golden Liquid Paints. Lastly I added the dots. I have to say I am quite pleased with the result. I feel I have learned a bit more about the use of paint and mediums. There are already some great cards on the Calendar Girls Blog go, see.

Brrrr.....

Severe frost with patchy freezing fog is the weather forecast for today, this is what it looks like in my garden

So something to amuse......

One of my big problems with altering books is that I love books...I now have a large box full of books which I bought to alter and then couldn't touch them becase they were interesting, beautiful or charming etc. Before Christmas I bought a book purely for it's size, about 7x5 inches and only about a third of an inch thick. Perfect. But, at home, on looking at it closer I found that it rejoiced in the title of "Better Done in France" by Lucille Devoy, intrigued I sat down to read...and I feel I have to share. The Foreword starts with the words "In these days of rigid economy as regards time and money", no change there then. It was published in 1947, so I hope I am not infringing any copyright, if anyone has an issue with this leave a comment and I will remove the posts.
So 1947 not only a different country but a different world. This is a little digital collage I made to accompany the extracts.


FRENCH WAYS WITH SILK HOSE
"To obtain extra wear from silk stockings, to ensure them keeping soft, and to prevent shrinking, use "sock boards" when drying the stockings after washing. These sock boards are made by pencilling around a new pair of hose, and from the pattern cut out,make or have made a pair of flat "legs" in thin wood or strong cardboard.
The newly washed hose are slipped on these wooden flat legs immediately they are laundered and hung from the line by a hook or loop".

So remember this next time you are disentangling your tights........Watch this space for occasional tips on what to do with to do with grey silk hose, butter in hot weather and other useful tips.

This is the next best thing to being able to visit the
Cyber Fyber video exhibition.
Thank you to those kind people who left comments

Wonders...

This arrived for me today, I have been picking it up and peering at it, running my fingers over it and just gazing in pleasure.

This is my last card of the Calendar Girls 2008 challenge from Lynda of Purple Missus. It has been a wonderful year of learning and sharing and I feel priviledged to have been part of it. If you haven't looked already give click here you will see that a couple of the girls have already completed January.

This year instead of working from one calendar for the year we have each made a choice and each month it will be a different calendar. For January Debbi chose Australian artist Shane Pickett, I knew nothing about him so did a little research and found a link here and here Wonderful stuff. The picture we are to work from is called "Wanyarang Storm Against the Wind. I looked up Wanyarang as I thought it must be a place, but no, it means Autumn and this (confusingly was April and May) Traditionally was a time when "those who have recently matured to adulthood pair up and prepare their homes for courtship. Meanwhile, nature prepares itself for the next cycle." This information found here and this is the picture.

Fabulous but help!!!!!


This wonder came from Russia found on a via a link by Ullabenulla just look at the wonderful details both inside and out here


Last of all don't forget Cyber Fyber and Lynda and Carol are running Fibre in Form, Textured Surfaces again on Friday.

CYBER FYBER....

The Cyber Fyber postcards are on display and they are well worth a visit. A huge bouquet should go to Susan Lenz for the idea and for the incedible amount of work it must have taken to put this all together. It looks wonderful, at one time I was hoping we just might get there but in light of recent events with my beloved(who is now recovering slowly) it is a good job we hadn't booked anything, as long haul flights are definitely out!!



This is my own offering and I am delighted to see it, as I lost the picture when my machine crashed last year.

I managed to get some ATC's away so I hope they get there in time for the swap.

Happy New Year.......

everyone, mine hasn't quite got off to the start I would have wished as DH is in hospital having his blood sorted but hopefully he will be home tomorrow or the next day.
In the meantime I have been doing some Family Treeing and catching up with some blogs. If you have time on your hands they have made a film of Neil Gaiman's
"Coraline". I was terrified by the book and the film looks charming but is probvably scary too. But there is fun to be had here Coraline and there is some fascinating stuff on how the effect were achieved including a video of how they knitted the tiny clothes for Coraline but you will have to search to find it. Have fun.


If you have been hooked on altering books by Maggie's lessons then you should enjoy this fascinating little video by Roberta Lavadour I found this link thanks to Laura K.

The Cyber Fyber exhibition starts soon and the work of the invited artists is now on dislpay here Congratulations to you all, it is going to be a wonderful exhibition. I am still hoping to get some ATC's there in time for the swap.

A new year, new beginnings and new challenges.(A new header, not satisfied with it yet though) A new Calendar Girl 2009 challenge will be taking place and it promises to be an exciting one. I failed in the Take it Further challenge, I fell by the wayside in November and am not sure if yet if I will commit to the new one which starts on January 15th it is called Stitch Explorer details here.

Good game....good game....

(for those of you outside the UK this is a catch phrase of a TV personality)

Christmas Day we had a lovely day with the children(Yes, I know they're grown up but...)
it was only marred by the fact that DH had a pain in his leg. To cut a very long story, involving emergency doctors and 9 hours in local hospital, short he has a suspected Deep Vein Thrombosis, they are treating it and hopefully he will soon be fine but it certainly made for a different holiday break...anyone want some cold turkey???..... They kept asking if we had had a recent long haul flight...I wish!!!

The other games I am referring to I found thanks to a link from Carol and I see Anna is also playing. This is how they go:

You look where you have stored your photographs and you chose the 6th folder and then the sixth photograph. This is mine

This was in my Digital folder, one of my playtimes with displacement maps.

TRhe other game was to take the nearest book too you, no choosing, just the nearest....then you turn to page 56 and take the 5th sentence.

Well there is a reason why the book I had nearest to hand was there but that is for the New Year. Here is the sentence...

"For example, sheets that are getting a little worse for wear as "sheets" can be cut right way down and the sides hemmed up, and turned into a pair of curtains suitable for a backroom window, or for the nursery."

So darlings off you go and get busy.........and thank you Carol

I wish you......

Strictly the last word....

so Tom and Camilla won ...

and I must say Saturday evenings will be a little duller without the glitz and the general silliness.

I had to go to the National Theatre to change some tickets and found my self in the foyer of the Olivier Theatre (I always get lost in that, to me, confusing building however this time it was good because there was an exhibition called Dazzle it is mainly contemporary jewellry but there were two textile atrists on show, here are links to see the work ofLaura McCafferty and
Claire Coles

Have you put your sprouts on yet........

Only one week to go, shopping nearly done, the threat of present wrapping beginning to loom large. I have to confess, I loathe wrapping presents. I think it comes from the years when I was still wrapping presents at 2a.m. knowing that they were going to be ripped open at about 6a.m.

Thank you for the messages about Electra. It really is strange not to have a feline friend in the house.

Just in case you think I have put away my needle here is a picture of a piece of my extremely slow cloth
. One of the best parts is that it keep my legs warm while I'm stitching.

Have you seen the little videos that Susan has made of the Cyber Fyber postcards and ATCs? It must have taken her ages. See here

Retail Therapy.....

Well, window shopping really. I needed to go to London to buy a Christmas present and I also wanted to see the Giacommetti statues at the Royal Academy which ends January 2nd.

I like these small exhibitions at the RA, you don't become so overwhelmed. After the exhibition I made my annual pilgrimage to see Fortnum and Mason's windows. This year the story was the Ice Queen,



The a drool through the Burlington Arcade and up Bond Street, didn't dare take photographs in these in case they though I was planning a heist. Though I did take one of Fenwicks in Bond street. Gorgeous model don't you think.
More fun for the kiddies in Debenham's windows


Selfridges next with Father Christmas getting up to all sorts of things.



I don't know what the genteel ladies who used to buy their dimmity and lawns from Liberty's would think of this window
. A wander down Carnaby Street
and a final look at the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square which is a gift from the people of Norway.

Oh sorry did I not mention the visits to VV Rouleaux, the Bead Shop and a shop selling old fashioned Sweets!!!

Electra

For some time now our last remaing cat has been showing signs of her 19 years. She has been lonely, I think, since Thomas died just before last Christmas. Last Sunday evening she started to walk into things and we realised she had become blind. We thought we would have to take her to the vets then but for the whole of this week she has been amazing, she has found her way around, even going out, much to our concern. Last night however there was a marked change she became disorientated and was mewing in some distress and this morning we said goodbye. She was a pretty little thing and a bit of a flirt, always made a beeline for any men coming into the house. It is the first time in 33 years that we have not had a cat in the house and it seems very still and quiet. The weather isn't helping, grey and dismal. I think this is the time to try out that Rocky Road recipe!!!!!

My Calendar year....

These are the cards that I made for this years Calendar Girl 2008 swap, it has been great fun and I have learned a lot but most importantly I have made new friends. Thanks girls.

"Christmas in Australia

on a Blazing Summers Day". A quote from a very different Jingle Bells from the one I know.It comes com[lete with translation. If you want a taste of what Christmas is like in warmer climes than the UK take a look at this post from Paula Hewitt You can also take a look at the beautiful sewing set she has made for her little daughter. I love that pin cushion!!.

And for after Christmas

Two exhibitions at the V&A Magnificence of the Tsars starts 10th December and Quilts starts March 2009

Christmas started....

a week has gone by since we had our "Christmas" meeting at the EG(we don't meet in December) I meant to post these days ago. These are the results of our Christmas challenge, to make a tree decoration to be swapped. Good fun and some lovely work.




There were 25 takers for the next challenge, more of that nearer the time.

Do you think ........

this is what Maggie has in mind for the catalogues?

The work of artist Alex Queral found on Damn Cool Pics.

Cold enough for you?.......

This is just one of some stunning photographs of Russia which I found from a link on Les passions de Solange

Can any one tell me what "incentivising" means heard in a BBC Television News report? Because I didn't know "incentive" was a verb!!

I don't like to say I told you so.....

Of course I do........., see here and then see here what I had to say. Manufacturers please take note.

Ideas in the air.......

When I started blogging I was very much "into" altering books (hence the title of the blog....)then as I entered further into the blogging world I was drawn into other delights and didn't do much altering. There seems to be a plot afoot to get me back into it. When I spent the day with Jessie Chorley she spent some of the time preparing a book and that sent me home thinking I haven't done that for ages. Then Maggie posted the requirements for lesson 2 and it was an altered book. Finally I was contacted by someone from the Yahoo group Altered Books that I belonged to but hadn't visited for an age.

I rummaged around and found a book which I had half prepared. i.e the boring bit was done and I have tuned it into a journal. The book is blank pages ready for those meaningful thoughts but this is the first page, something I have wanted to make for ages.


Anyone who gets hooked by Maggies lesson will find the group very useful as there are loads of tips and experiences and some great pictures.

One of my big problems with altering books is that I think I have found the perfect book to alter and then when I get it home I find it is just to interesting or charming to alter and they are added to the other books I can't bear to part with. This happened when I was looking for a small book for Maggie's lesson. But more of that another day.

Bits ands pieces....

My favourite are out of Strictly Come Dancing, I have loved watching Jodie Kidd and Ian Waite, they have been so refreshing in their attitude and their sense of fun. Won't be the same without them. Love this video of their "best bits"


While wandering I found these links. On the V&A Webb site Doroty Hogg is an artist in residence and has started a challenge which is open to all it is called Find..Make..Wear and has produced some very interesting jewellry which you can see onV&A Find Make Wear flickr. The rules are on this link

I found this fascinating and well worth watching on many levels."Don't let it all unravel"


STOP PRESS Helen Cowans has started a new blog in which she is going to document the History of Embroidery

Take a little gesso......

Two similar techniques, very different results.
I took two of my recent experiments and worked with them to see where they lead me. This is from the Firbre in Form workshop
Possible book or box lid cover I think.
This is the one from my first dib into Maggie Grey's Textile Translations

A little personal reminder to me of magical visit to the caves at Niaux in France a few years ago.
For all of you who have been playing with gesso these last few weeks here is an inspirational page by Michelle Ward.
By the way who pinched my Links list?.........well I guess I must have, I was carefully (I thought) moving things to the new blog list (which I like) and when I returned my old list had vanished, so if your names not there yet it isn't because I don't love you anymore...