Art

Just spent a happy hour down at The Landmark in Teddington's Midsummer Art Fair. Never fails to amaze me just how creative and clever artists can be. I always come away bursting with inspiration.

Here's a little peek at my favourites. Do check out  their websites, I guarantee you'll be enthralled.

Joseph Silcott - each bird, heart or butterfly has been painstakingly cut by hand.

 www.josephscissorhands.co.uk

                              

Wirework artist Helaina Sharpley - these images don't really do her work justice. The play of light on their 3 dimensionality casts lovely shadows against the blacks they're mounted on.

www.helainasharpley.co.uk

Glyn Walton - Life in miniature. these exquisite domes are only a couple of inches high. I adore the way that rabbit is poking his head above the corn.

www.glynwalton.co.uk

And my favourite ...

Kate Newington

www.katenewington.com

Kate is not just a talented collage artist but an extremely nice person. I commissioned her to do a collage of the boys for my husband's 50th and it now has pride of place in our kitchen where I spend most of my time. There isn't a day goes by when it doesn't give me pleasure just looking at it.

It captures the very essence of the boys at a time in their lives in a way that fills my heart with joy. Isn't that what art is all about ? The picture incorporates everything the boys were wild about at that time... for Theo it was dinosaurs, Pokemon, purple Starburst sweets and a video he loved called Baby Mozart. For Max it was wind chimes, the lullaby I used to sing to him at night and even the smear of lipstick on his forehead that I'd leave behind on my way out to work. Beautiful.

Lace

Love a bargain. This beautiful piece of cotton lace cost me 50p from a charity shop. Can't bear to think of all the work that's gone into it and then it ends up in the bargain bin. Still, its ended up in a good home.

Just finished this layout

I have a little suitcase and inside that suitcase is a little trinket box and inside that little trinket box is a selection of treasured finds ... which I raided to complete this layout. I'm loving gold at the moment . The tape down the right had side is actually a roll of decorative masking tape with gold labels. I've filled each one with a little treasure. There's a little secret message to my son on the card inside the glassine paper envelope and I've managed to sneak a few birds and butterflies in there too. Quite liking the A4 format these days too. More pleasing on the eye somehow. Oh ... and the man in the moon stamp is from the latest Studio Calico kit as my son always tells me how much he loves me in terms of trips to and from the moon.
Isn't it funny how you don't notice things about a layout until after you've photographed and uploaded it .. like the fact that he has a birds nest sat on top of his head and that the gem in the top right corner is wonky ... oh and that I forgot to attach the strip of gold German scrap to the frame. Ah well.

Dontcha just love it ...

... when you're out shopping for mundane items like shoelaces and something for tea and you come across little beauties like these ....

... and this...

The badges came from Habitat and the little birdie photo holder came from Bentalls. Now you may wonder why I'm in either Habitat or Bentalls when all I need is spag bol and a pair of medium black laces .... well you see , my route to Sainsburys is quite circuitous and takes me right past Habitat's front door and Bentalls ... well I have to walk right through the stationery department to get to the multi story car park. Sort of makes grocery shopping almost bearable.

Incidentally the photo is one of my favourites of my eldest knee deep in mud in the garden when he was 4 years old. That was the summer his baby brother was born and his best friends in the world were a plastic beach spade and the garden hose. Who needs Centre Parks ?

Tell me what you're listening to at the moment . I've just downloaded Ralph Vaughan Williams' Lark Ascending and I'm still dumbfounded, since the day I first heard this,  wondering how on earth a human being can produce such an extraordinarily beautiful sound to almost rival nature if that were even possible.

Choosing to Die - Terry Pratchett

I'm feeling overwhelmed having just watched this documentary on iPlayer.

I cannot get the image of Peter Smedley and Andrew Colgan  out of my mind, all the crueler for the latter given his young age. And then there were their nearest and dearest , Peter's wife and Andrew's mother -  stoic to the last.

What struck me most was the surreal and yet at the same time the ordinariness of it. A total juxtaposition which left me reeling with emotion.  A cup of tea , a choice of meticulously wrapped neapolitan chocolates with which to mollify the bitter taste of the poison.

Reading the reviews I see that the usual 'against most religions' argument has been wheeled out again as a reason to condemn the taking of one's own life, as if it is anyone's business other than your own.

This might well have been called Whose Life is it Anyway . Who on earth has the right to judge whether it is right or proper for a human to choose whether and when to die and the manner of their own death.

All the sadder for this last trembling act  to have to be played out on foreign land in a foreign language in a small, blue, rather impersonal house, ghettoised onto an industrial estate for fear of upsetting nearby residents, with a couple of kindly and compassionate 'hosts' ready with the Kleenex.

I was touched by the irony of the yellow and black chevron safety tape adhered to the front door step , a nod to health and safety , as if the potential of a grazed knee caused by a stumble upon entering can even begin to compare to what is about to happen inside.

I can barely begin to imagine how this must feel for those in the precarious position of finding themselves trapped in a body or mind that has deteriorated to the extent that 'normal' life, whatever that is, no longer seems possible.

The documentary was compassionately edited , sensitively filmed and possibly the most haunting piece of television I have ever watched. One can only hope that the debate will now be widened to allow those with a real say in the matter to decide for themselves. Those whose lives are theirs to relinquish without the overbearing voice of moral jurors breathing down their neck ( as if they were even entitled to have an opinion ) bearing judgement on the actions of a desperate and dying , yet dignified soul .

The Deed is Done...

... I have just submitted my application to become Lord Sugar's next Apprentice. These youngsters haven't got a clue. Move over there's an 'oldie' coming through.

   You're Hired !

At Last ...

.. I've finally found an excuse to buy some of those wonderful little bottles of Windsor and Newton's inks. I've always lusted after them in art shops but wondered how I might put them to good use. Well yesterday I was in one of the world's greatest stationery and art shops ( Coleman's - if you haven't been then go - they're a chain in the Midlands and the last word in personal service , I can't fault them ).

There they were , all lined up tantalisingly and the  polar bear on the bottle of white ink seemed to be imploring me to take him home ... so I did along with a quill pen - cheap and cheerful - extra fine nib which you can store inside the handle thereby avoiding the risk of poking your eye out in transit.

The perfect marriage . Beautifully drawn fine white lines . Beats my Uniball Signo white pen hands down and I thought that was unbeatable.

The only problem is , the inks come in a range of about 20 colours with lovely names and even lovelier packaging. I feel a new collection coming on but then at just over £2 a bottle it's cheaper than wine which I'm not drinking at the moment.

The little birdy is one of Marianne's Creatables. I'm not sure who Marianne is but thank you anyway wherever you are Marianne - your dies are delightful.

Bargain Flip Flops

Amazing what a trip to the Supermarket can lead to . Bought these rather plain flip flops for the bargain price of £1.50 ( £2 originally with 25% off at Sainsburys) .

Loathe to pay the exorbitant prices of Accessorize's decorated flip flops ( £20 and upwards ) I set to with my glue gun and an assortment of buttons and brads and pimped them as follows ....

Whether any of it stays glued remains to be seen .. me and glue don't go very well together.

I'm sat here dabbling in my scrap room when I really should be at Sports Day. It was the black cloud/monsoon icon on this mornings weather forecast that persuaded me to stay home and now I'm paying the price ... Mummy Guilt ! Nothing that a home baked cake won't resolve ... why is food the solution to everything ?

Scrap A Mia

Now just a distant memory .... a lovely weekend spent scrapping chatting and laughing , the best sort. No photos sadly , compact camera has gone AWOL .Can't even upload any of my layouts as I'm ashamed to say I haven't finished any of them yet and wouldn't be able to photograph them if I had .

Favourite class had to be Emma Trout's using Webster's Pages. I am insanely jealous of Emma's sublime attention to detail and her innate sense of style and composition. Her layouts are a joy to behold. When I grow up I'd like to scrapbook like her.

In the meantime I'm muddling along with my own layouts and have this page to show you. A class designed for Lorraine at Scrap Revolution featuring our little kitten Jack , hence the title.

In respect of all things British I actually consulted the official Union Jack website to use the exact proportions and layout of the Union Jack flag. 

I also need to tell you about a new magazine I've just discovered called Mollie Makes. OOOh , what a delightful little publication. I devoured it in one sitting and now have to wait a whole month before the next one. I feel a subscription coming on.

Anyone else at the end of their tether ?

Just 2 words .... exam revision ... oh and 2 more ... teenage sons. Enough said.

My Royal Wedding Top Ten

1. Drinking Champagne with the girls , the cheaper the better

2. Eating cake , homemade of course and piled high with red , white and blue sprinkles.

3. Making paper chains with the boys - you can never have enough.

4. Making bunting - ditto.

5. Watching telly in bed with a mug of tea in my brand new Union Jack mug, of course if I'd known our own little Jack had tasted it first .....

6. Getting dressed up in my wedding dress.

7. The look on my eldest son's face at the the sight of me in my wedding dress with a jauntily placed plastic tiara on my head and a glass of champagne in my hand - priceless.

8. Caviar for tea ( gift from very generous friend).

9. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Flypast. My father was a Lancaster pilot during WW11 and it never fails to bring a tear to me eye.

10. Watching it all over again in the evening.

You can't beat a good wedding, especially when you haven't had to shell out for an outfit or a toaster . How was your day ?

Hellisters

I've discovered a whole new shopping hell on earth . It's a place called Hollisters . The designers and architects had a field day on their drawing boards. The branch at our local shopping centre can only be described as a Hawaiian / mock Tudor fusion with colonial overtones. If you're ever trying to find it a your local shopping centre just look for the hoards of pre-pubescent texting tweenies hanging around outside .

Once over the threshold, past the leather wing chairs and Victorian candelabra ... oh and you sometimes you have to queue up outside ( crowd control ) as if entering a hallowed nightclub,  the light levels dip to about the strength of a 20 watt bulb. You don't need to actually see the merchandise as it's all identical - sherbert coloured T shirts sporting Californian slogans like 'Surfs Up' or 'Beach Bum' or maybe even ' I'm only buying this to show that I can afford £25 quid for a T shirt and all my mates have exactly the same one ' .

I stumbled my way past the throngs of twelve year olds fingering the merchandise, looking for something with an affordable price tag . Fat Chance. The sales staff are on permanent T shirt folding duties as everyone seemed to be doing the same thing - pulling out a T shirt from an immaculate pile , looking at the price tag , mouthing the words " How Much ?!"  then replacing it in a crumpled pile for the folders to do their magic.

Deeper inside this hell-hole , your eyes begin to acclimatise to the dingy lighting but not quite enough to avoid serious injury to your ankles as you trip over the 5" high plinths clearly designed to catch you unawares. The teens presumably have memorised the floor layout in their sleep and can navigate their way around blindfold. Bruised but  not defeated I rounded the corner and entered the preppy area where the clothing was emblazoned with fictional college emblems 'Californian Surf School Alumini 1963 ' and the like. Oh dear. It was all getting much worse than I'd dared imagine. The cotton felt nice though until you realised that it had probably been harvested at the expense of a 9 year old child labourer for the cost a bowl of rice a day.

Eventually I found a 'bargain' garment for  £12 and made my way to the till where I found a snaking queue of at least 30 people clutching their  prospective purchases . You could just about make out the whites of their eyes - difficult to determine whether this was due to a heightened pitch of shopping fever or a nervousness at the prospect of parting with a day's wages.

Gasping with disbelief I plonked my T shirt back on a random shelf in a crumpled pile - well , you have to give the brigade of T Shirt folders something to do , and groped my way to the exit, past the bamboo plantation, round the next bend , hang a right at the Georgian mahogany library shelves, emerging , blinking, into the sunlight.

I don't think my 11 year old will be too upset that I failed in my conquest to bag him an uber trendy T . Bless him - our local Oxfam is his favourite shop.

Next time you're in town , take a look at the passing shoppers. You'll be able to spot the Hollisters customers a mile away . They will usually be a 40 something Mum with bruised ankles and an empty wallet with a texting teen tagging along with a big grin on their face.

Poor old Martha Stewart

She must be exhausted . So far this month she's planted a forest, made all her own soap , appliqued a squillion eggs, hand carved her own herb labels and by page 120 she's held an Easter egg hunt for a bunch of kids dressed in linen suits. It's called a " casual Easter brunch ' , so casual in fact that all of the grown-ups have clearly been instructed to wear yellow whilst sipping champagne ( presumably from her own hand planted vineyard ) before helping the kids decorate their goose eggs at the craft table ( don't think little Johnny's felt penned mess is going to cut the mustard with Martha ) . I'm exhausted already and I haven't even ventured on to page 158 where she tackles cleaning her oven , which includes a step by step tutorial on how to unblock your fuel ports with a paper clip. And how come her duck egg blue apron is spotless ?
Just out of shot are the crew of 100 who doubtless actually do the unblocking for her.

It's easy to have a pop at Martha but it's such fun and that may account for why I shell out £3.90 for her monthly mag , it's the best laugh I've had since watching Michael Mackintyre judge Britain's Got Talent last night on telly.

Flipping through to end of the mag I found a section on how to look bloody marvellous too. Not content with laying your own eggs and crafting your own rugs, she's now telling us how we should dress. Strange though , everyone's upside down , maybe its for the Australian market ? No you have to turn it the other way round apparently and start from the other end to make it look like a whole new mag. What will those clever marketing chappies think of next ?

Incidentally my Easter egg hunts normally get rained off and involve an indoor version with a  handful of the lurid foil wrapped cream egg variety squished behind sofas and hard to find places which , unfound, turn up months later -  a real bonus when you're clean out of chocolate sometime in July and have a desperate urge to stuff your face with something from Cadburys.

I'm currently also reading , as if a glutton for punishment, a book about simplifying your life. I usually have at least one of these on the go on my Kindle at any one time. They're usually another source of guffaws. This one tells me I need to eliminate and simplify . So that's how you do it ? And here's me been cluttering and complicating my life for years with unnecessary burdens. So this morning I'm going to simplify my life by eliminating the ironing and I plan to go out for breakfast and let someone else do the washing up. Actually there are a few gems in the book which I plan to put to the test so if some of you don't hear from me in the next few months it may be because I've eliminated you from my email list. Apparently email and the internet is the scourge of 21st century living ( an element of truth) and we spend 30% of our lives attending to it . So , switching off now so that I don't get lured into the den of the internet iniquity known as the shopping cart. but not before I've checked out Martha's online clip art page which will show me how to print my own rhubarb compote labels.. trouble is I was supposed to plant the ruddy rhubarb plants last year and I clean forgot. Too busy scrubbing down my garden statue collection with baking soda no doubt ( p132 ) .

Bunny Humour

Seeing as it's nearly Easter ...

Oh , I've just checked my blog and seen that the picture above has disappeared to be replaced by a menacing little blue square containing a question remark. Anyone techies know why that is ?

Qualy

I have one problem with this design company. I want one of everything . Feast your eyes on this scene of loveliness.

Oh ... just tried to post a picture but it won't let me ... hey ho , you'll have to look here instead .

Oh , so now it's letting me copy a picture ... ah well , have a look at this little lot.

Trouble is , I can't find anywhere in the UK that stocks their products and as much as I'd love a visit to Bangkok , that would be one shopping trip too far. Incidentally , the white bunny's ears are a pair of scissors and his carrot holds paper clips.

Tut tut HARRODS

What a ghastly place it is really ... serves me right for going but the promise of a Swiss themed store event and a confectionary department fit to burst with Easter chocolate was too tempting.

As we sat in the stupidly named Ca'ppucino coffee bar ( and yes that is where they put the apostrophe ) my 11 year old son dared to open a cellophane bag containing fudge which we'd just purchased , at which point the snotty waitress appeared and humiliated him by informing us that it was against store policy to consume any food other than purchased in the coffee bar. For crying out loud. He is a child and it was a sweet. What next ? No farting on the premises ? I only wished he had. That would have given her something to justify the 'smell under her nose' look she gave us.

Anyway , undeterred I had the audacity to ask for a glass of water to drink with our ice cream. well that nearly finished her off. What a horrid experience and one I'm happy not to repeat any time soon.

Harrods ... you scored 2 out of 10 and the 2 was only for the chocolate . Incidentally the crimeful piece of fudge that my son consumed scored even lower - truly disgusting.

The lure of London during school holidays never lives up to expectations. I always go with the boys with high hopes of experiencing our capital city in all its glorious loveliness but I always return on the sweaty train at the end of the day feeling distinctly disappointed , penniless and as if I need to have a damn good wash of my hands as soon as I get home.

Been a long time

.. since I posted any layouts. Sadly they're sitting in a pile above where I keep my albums awaiting their final resting place . So I' thought I'd take the opportunity to photograph a few . A mixed bag . I'm really enjoying scrapping all my photos of the boys from their early childhood. I carry them around in my scrap tote and they're my first 'go to ' photos when I start a layout.

Thank you Sandra for setting the 'red theme' challenge in aid of Comic Relief at our crop for which I produced this.

Thank you 7 Gypsies for producing this sumptuous collage tissue which I used for this.

Thank you Emma for putting together this kit for me for our Ally Pally £3 page kit challenge.

Thank you Kate , likewise,  for putting together this kit for me for our Ally Pally £3 page kit challenge.

Thank you Max for loving me all the way to the moon .. and back.

Thank you Fowey Hall for being our favourite child friendly holiday when the boys were little.

And finally one of the old man !

I quite like posting these on my blog - it gives me the chance to look at them objectively and spot what looks wonky and needs fiddling with ... ( the layouts that is ... not the old man ... although maybe .....)

Everything is Going to Be OK

 Wish I could believe it , although this lovely item could turn me into an optimist. So, might as well fly the flag and proclaim it from the treetops in style with this bunting. Another of the flags reads " You can still do a lot with a small brain". How true.

And as if fate almost intended , I found a delightful bag at the weekend with that very sentiment printed on it . One of the things I love the most about it , apart from the fact that it describes my brain size to a tee and the wonderful artwork by Rob Ryan, is that it's beautifully made and will last a lifetime.

 Must go find a picture of the bag now too ...
here you go ....

Rob Ryan aficionados will be familiar with this artist's work but for those of you who have yet to discover his charm , have a look here. If anyone has found anything else by Rob, please let me know .

Butterflies and Buttons

I promised myself that I wouldn't spend another penny until payday ... and then I realised it was payday - which was just as well because having seen this in the window of an antique shop on the way back from this morning's lesson it would have seemed criminal not to have set it free .

So it's now sitting on my scrap desk and just waiting to be filled with some pretty vintage buttons.

Just as well then that I found these little gems in the same shop. Now they have the perfect home.

You can never have enough charm bracelets

What scrap-booker wouldn't want this in their collection ?

The purchase was justified on the grounds of

a) I've worked my socks off this week

and

b) My new rule - not allowed to go shopping unless it's on my bike which means I not only save money on the car parking but also on my purchases as I can only buy what you can carry on a bike.

Mind you , it's amazing what you can cram into a pair of XXL bike panniers !

All You Need Is ...

I have a fetish for pretty purses and this one tops the lot. I only wish I had enough money to put them to their intended use.

As the say "money talks , mine says "goodbye" '

It's Spring

It's Spring when, according to Tennyson, young men's fancies turn lightly to love or maybe its the start of the footie season but then that seems to go on all year now ... whatever ... anyway my fancy turns to brightly coloured objects of beauty.

I've just been shopping for custard powder, school shirts and stamps but somehow managed to come back with these little beauties instead.

For some unfathomable reason this was reduced in John Lewis from £28 to £14.

Then I found this ...

... which I intend to use for my sweet little pots of Cosmic Shimmers and the like. I was going to buy one of those silly Tim Holz tin cases just because I have a couple of others , in fact you can just see them on the left of the picture, but this is SO much lovelier and half the price too. Sorry Tim.

And finally there were these shouting BUY ME from their shelf in Marks and Spencer and again for some unfathomable reason were reduced in price. Well, how could I NOT buy them ?

And who needs custard powder anyway although I'm not sure what the boys are going to wear to school on Monday.

Just in case you were wondering how cute Jack is looking these days ( renamed Kung Fu Kitten for obvious reasons) , here's a little shot of the cutest Kitten in England.

Retreat

Dictionary definition : A quiet or secluded place to which one can retreat for rest and relaxation.

I'd go with the rest and relaxation but I'd have to draw the line at quiet or secluded - but thankfully in a nice way.

I've just returned from a scrap-booking retreat in Warrington. Our retreat hosts Sarah and Lianne were exemplary in organising a wonderful weekend, full of treats and surprises .  All 6 classes were gorgeous ( as Mary would say ) , only surpassed by the company. Thanks to my table mates who provided hilarious comedic moments and company throughout to which the photos below will testify.

And is if it couldn't get any better , there were unsurpassable stash shopping opportunities, a delicious old fashioned sweetie shop ( I can recommend the Strawberry laces) at our disposal and fresh coffee on tap. I think it might even have been sunny all weekend not that I would have noticed as my head was buried in a mountain of pretty paper, buttons and ribbon. Bliss.

I let the train take the strain this year and apart from the expense , not just the train fare but then the exorbitant taxi fares to and from the station to the hotel, it was bliss. Wouldn't risk traveling without a reserved seat though. VIrgin must be coining it. Speedy too, no sooner had I opened my Glamour magazine than we seemed to be sailing into the station.

Notes for the next retreat .... bring larger suitcase (check that the wheels aren't about to fall off ), forget changes of clothing as they'll end up covered in sandpapered chipboard and glitter whatever you wear, bring wine, leave chocolate at home, persuade kindly fellow scraper to get you to and from the station, don't forget glasses and leave heavy tools behind .
So roll on November when we get to do it all over again !

Getting ready for the 14th

Yes I know it's a sham the whole Valentine's thing, dreamt up by Hallmark to increase cards sales after Christmas, but I still love it .

What's not to love about hearts and red and pink and chocolate and teddy bears and all the other nonsense that goes with it. I try not to spend a whole heap on tat and clutter but the odd item slips through under the net , like this year's coca cola lip smacker balm packed in a special Valentine's heart shaped pack, justified on the grounds that the boys get through tons of the stuff trough the winter months thereby killing 2 birds with one stone - cute and useful.

Not to mention the pack of Cath Kidston heart shaped buttons which will doubtless find their way onto a layout before long , that is if I can bear to rip them from their sweet packaging. I have an embargo on buying anything by Cath Kidston as we live in the epicentre of the Cath Kidston sheep-following, handbag-toting Yummy Mummy Brigade, who can't be seen out of doors without at least a dozen of her sprigged floral accessories, stuffed into their status symbol oilskin handbags. Who wants a handbag made of oilskin for goodenss sakeand is there anything she hasn't had manufactured yet ? (  I haven't seen a Cath Kidston range or toilet paper yet , but then it's probably only a matter of time )  but this was an exception as you can never have enough buttons.

Oh and there's the card I've bought for my husband , which made me think it had been made especially for him ... yes me and millions of other wives...

Husband and I are past the lovey dovey stage, that usually manages to sustain from honeymoon through to 1st wedding anniversary if you're lucky , but that doesn't mean to say I can't indulge in a little celebratory nonsense with the boys who still make me heartfelt Valentine's cards and cut heart shapes out of toast . They must get it from me as indeed I did from my own Mum who loved a good celebration , any excuse , but then that was probably the Irish in her.

So , Sunday evening will find my baking heart shaped cakes and lining up the heart shaped cookie cutters, the heart shaped sugar sprinkles and a bunch of other pink red and white stuff in preparation for Monday's mornings lovefest breakfast for my boys. They love it and so do I , so that's all that counts.

And talking of cute .... meet Jack our latest addition...who is filling out hearts with love right now.

I've just eaten a slice of lean ham for my lunch. On the back of the pack it told me that a traffic light system was in place to let me know how healthy it was. I'm just wondering how long its going to be before food warden turns up and gives me a ticket for overeating.

Love Songs

I reckon about 99% of all popular songs are about love and when I listen to them I laugh at that teenage , hormone driven , love angst thing they all sing about ... and usually in their teens and early twenties when they haven't had the life experience to really feel its depth and pain.

But then I went and heard this ...




... performed by Adele ( and I understand also by Rebecca recently on the X Factor although her version is a little too warbly for me ) and I was stunned to learn that it was written and originally released by Bob Dylan. Anyway, every single word is divine and has filled my head since the moment I first heard it . When I listen to it ( and this now numbers several hundred times ) I think immediately of my boys. I can never hear enough of it and I'd like it sung at my funeral please if anyone is reading this that might be there.