Larkins toads

Larkin was a Poet and Librarian at Hull University and he made Hull his home for 25yrs. We have just celebrated his life and times in Hull with various events. One of which was the Toad trail which initially caused much controversy but in the end was much loved by the public and raised a lot of money for local charities. Go to http://Liniecat@Large.blogspot.com or liniecat blogspot for the low down on LarkinsToad Trail in one of her posts.
The children who live nextdoor to me were big fans of the toad trail and tried to see every one of them. The eldest one (8yrs old) wanted to make a toad for her dads birthday and this is what she made.

First she drew the design before making the toad with half a cardboard Easter egg, scrunched up newspaper and modeling clay. It was covered in Modroc before painting. She also took all the photos and intends documenting the stages in a booklet. 
I enjoy having the children round my house to make things

Chinese Dragon

This mask was made at a primary school  workshop for one world week by years 3/4. One world week involves a whole school participation exploring customs and food tasting from a number of countries.
This is a simple interpretation of a dragon head. We  also made a long body which was decorated with scales and a big tail which Incorporated a jacket so that the wearer would be able to swish the tail from side to side. They will probably use it again in February for the Chinese New Year.

cling film revisited

Here, I painted the paper blue and dropped the cling film on top. When I lifted the cling film off it still had a lot of wet blue paint stuck to it. I quickly painted another paper red  and dropped the blue- cling film onto it.
I also experimented by adding a second colour layer to a dry cling film print and covered it again with cling film and I drew into it with a stick over the cling film. I liked the effect so much that I used it straight away ! So, no photo. Will play with this process after my operation. wish it would work with fabric!

glass class

 This is what they should have looked like!










I started a glass making class at the local college and our first exercise had a disaster in the kiln!
Most of the pieces accidently fused together, here two mine and one of someone elses are fused as one ! The piece on the top is one of mine. Unfortunately I will have to leave the course to go into hospital for some unexpected surgery and follow up treatment, but I will go back and take it up again as I was enjoying it.

Welwick Heritage Weekend

Found my camera just in time to take on an outing with my friend Lyn to Welwick heritage weekend at Moat farm, however it had a low battery so failed to capture the flavour of the event ! This old barrow was pushed around for the visitors to donate to Dove House (a cancer charity and hospice) the Church and the village hall. The weekend event is centred around an agricultural auction and a Steam Rally, add to that a car boot, produce stalls with jams, chutneys and cakes, sizzling hot bacon sarnies, vintage cars, motorbikes and commercial vehicles, there was something for everyone. The steam rally had full sized farm vehicles and fairground organs playing, with the pipes, bells and drums steam activated along with the nostalgic coal fired smell wafting everywhere. Steam driven farm engines that made the farmers tasks easier in years gone by were being demonstrated. Model working engines in all sizes showing off the skills of the owners/makers were everywhere, some being attended to by young people which was heartening to see that the old skills were being passed on.

These were interesting to see again as I come from Kingston upon Hull. These would have been pushed around the streets of Hull by the army of street cleaners. One has cast iron wheels and the other has cycle type wheels . Next to them is a SMABO stop me and buy one Walls icecream  trike. These used to be  cycled around the streets packed with ice to keep the tub of ice cream cool.  So nostalgic for me.
There were stands with old farming implements, sisal sacks printed with name and produce of old firms, including Silcocks where my father used to work many years ago.  Silcocks made feed for farm animals.

 Vintage cars.

Old Dot (a familiar figure at these local events) was there with her stand which is set out to educate the children about where our daily bread comes from. They see what cereal grains look like as they are grown, she lets them grind the ear of wheat to flour etc. She talks in the old dialect of South Holderness and is always a delight to listen to. She wears a battered old felt hat with a feather stuck in the side and her trousers are tied up with string just below the knee. Sometimes she smokes a pipe. quite a character.  She is to be seen at a lot of the village shows

The medieval Church of St Mary was lovely, light and airy. The bright sun that shone through the windows high up in the walls caused problems trying to get photos. The church was laid out for harvest festival.  There is a  Gun Power Plot connection. Lyn may have more to say about the day out on her blog http:// liniecat blogspot.com.











Inside the church there were lace makers showing off their skills. The light was too bright to photograph the lovely old christening gowns. This piece of lace is very old and is unlikely ever to be finished but will be displayed at events like this one.

this was being worked on by one of the ladies

This is Doris who is holding up a 1ply shawl she had knitted. It had over 900 stitches on the outside edge  and ended in the middle with 8 stitches.see how fine it is draped over her hand.  She was just one of the talented ladies showing their work. There were painters and a display of old postcards of the area and a display by the local history group. The woodworker was busy behind a see through screen. He had platters and vessels of all sizes, puzzle balls and one twelfth sized goblets, just wonderful and we were invited to TOUCH !

 

will have to leave the photos like this ! Don't seem to be able to put them in a line! and I can't get rid of this blank space either. In edit it will reduce but on publish its back ! I keep  accusing the computer of haveing a mind of its own !

misplaced camera

I have misplaced my camera, it will be somewhere in this house but it could be just about anywhere ! My new years resolution was to use up what I have and not buy new resouces ......... lol...... impossible to do ! However I did find a box of birds I had been making and then got side tracked by something else. So finished off some of them and they "flew" away and I never finished off the rest and so they got packed away again while I did something else........ Anyway having found them AGAIN I thought I would finish them off and photograph them and put them on the blog....... Can't find the camera...... So I will share the birds when I do find it....... so long as I don't get side tracked again........ I am also trying to fix the washing machine AGAIN It's been out of action, got fixed and now will work but not drain away...... Had to have the central heating fixed as it wouldn't turn off...... even when it WAS turned off....a curtain pole fell off the wall, had it fixed and then had to get someone else to fix it AGAIN properly...... I think I see a pattern emerging here !