day out

had a great day out today......visited a gallery....had lunch in a quirky cafe bar with Lyn.....to see pictures pop over to liniecat@linecat.blogspot or look up The Ropewalk at Barton's website. There are two galleries, an artist/makers shop,a number of artist studios, a museum and a wonderful cafe.
Martin Waters had his show "The Passage of Time" in one gallery. His inspiration for the Poppy Clock came from his collection of postcards of the floral clocks in municipal gardens. We had one in our local park when I was a child....a visit to the park was not complete without seeing the clock before we went home. Sadly it stopped appearing when the man who maintained the clock mechanism retired and no one took it on.
There were two collections of floral clock postcards on the wall....all celebrating one moment in time....the exact time the photo for the postcard was taken....which is unknown ....often the photographer is not named nor is the person who designed the floral layout of clock for that year and gardener(s) who grew the plants, planted it up and maintained it not to mention the man who maintained the clock movement. So many unknown men....remembered not by knowing or name but through these postcards.
Known and unknown people at the moment in time on the Poppy Clock are Remembered and Honoured in many countries for the sacrifices they made. For the last couple of years Martin has invited  the public to lay a poppy on the floor of Holy Trinity Church and a sea of red flowed around the church in remembrance.
In the other gallery Alice Fox showed her "Textures of Spurn" a body of work from her Residency at Spurn National Nature Reserve on the narrow spit of land that juts out into the North sea and the River Humber. Each year the road is breached to some extent.....sometimes the road is washed away. I remember a WW1 railway track down the middle of the road.....long since washed away now. It is so precarious now that the Lifeboat Stations families who lived there have been moved off. And more of the wild life moved on.
Hung on the walls of the gallery were large textile pieces covered in marks and stains of rust, and imprints of ?wooden groynes. Some lovely collographs of found objects, seaweed etc. Folded books with collographs, tide marks, stains etc. Hauntingly beautiful
Check out the ropewalk and the artists at www.the-ropewalk.co.uk   www.alicefox.co.uk   mawa.karoo.net  

nightmares !!

When I wallpapered my bedroom I was really pleased with the effect.....the wallpaper was calming and the bedroom was an oasis of peace and calm........for a few years.....I saw a pairs of lovey dovey peacocks......The paper was a modern take on a traditional style....turquoise and off white with silver highlights.........

Then I was ill with a high temperature....and the light from the landing.....highlighted.....perfectly in a complete oblong......the green man face.......scary.......now all I can see is the scary face.......

what do you see first? the peacocks or the scary face??????

ice on the roof

Went to the new big shopping centre in Hull....St Stephens....it's freezing due to the access to the underground car park for the supermarket at one end.....even the security men wear heavy woollen overcoats, hats, scarves and gloves!!!! Anyway....rushing in and out as quickly as possible....I glanced up..at the roof...I only took one snap ..... it's breath taking....the melting snow blown into folds .....frozen.....more snow.....other panels looked even better......how much do I miss rushing about not looking up.....not looking even ???

the down side of son learning to drive.....

Number two son learnt to drive....I was over the moon for him.....
Passed his test one day, looked at a car the next day,drove the car home on the third day and drove to leeds airport on the fourth day to fly to work.......
A month later I am bored of said son being able to drive...the novelty for me is wearing off....It's his new "thing" I know he is sensibly getting driving practise in....but...I'll forget how to catch a bus soon.....I'll take you....pick you up......do you want to come home?.....do you want to go anywhere ?....do you want to go to shops.......Just popping out...(means he's going for a drive) his friends have seen more of him than ever.....now wants to fit this that and the other to the car......and.....If as he keeps talking about..... that he does leave home....lifts will stop or at least be timetabled ....
He needs the garage emptying to get car in....garage built in 1958 for a little Standard 8 car... his is not a little car.....he might get it in but have to crawl out the hatchback...if he has enough headroom to get out...lol
Spent another day sorting out the full garage.....his stuff is filling the large hallway awaiting some "day" when he will sort it out......he says most of it will be thrown away.......so I have to navigate through the mess until the arrival of the "day." I have given away stuff to someone who does car boots and to someone else who paints furniture.....stuff I was saving to enjoy doing up when said son leaves home and I have his bedroom to redo. ( leaves home ? he's 27)
I have repositioned stuff that I knew where it was.....now in a new position.....will I remember where it now is...? No o o o. Guess I'll have fun opening stuff up to find what is in them.
I am messy....I like to spread....BUT it's my mess.....lol. It's creative........
The more my health improves the more I get diverted away from sorting my mess....gerrrr. Still, if he does move out...I'll gain a bedroom......In theory I'll have some indoor space and all the time in the world to sort my stuff...or will I ? It might be like when my daughter left me with her accumulations from her uni years....and the contents of her little house when she moved away....the remainder is still stacked up in my wardrobe.....there was more....we are down to one wardrobe full now.....He'll leave stuff for me to look after? Will collect later.........we'll see.......heard it all before...lol
The intensity and exuberance of relative youth......when I have the energy to plod plod plod. It tires me out....
Although I have to say it was great that said number two son drove me to see number one son and his wife and children at the Kinderland place. They were over from Italy. Younger grandchild 2yr old Luca encouraged me through the labyrinth crawling on hands and knees to the top of an enormous slide and gleefully gave me a push to start me sliding d...o..w...n stomach left me in several places and I'm sure I got friction burns to my bum...it was red hot....and with my weight I thought I would shoot straight through the cargo netting at the bottom.....great fun!

gadgets

Whilst looking for novelty stocking fillers for my three grown ups "children" I came across CSI cookie cutters  "gingerdead men" and a CSI towel......for daughter who is an avid fan of the series. Gingerbread men that have been partially nibbled, skeleton and zombie ones.....Gingernija men....cookie cutter nail polish shapes, hairdryer...lipstick...as well as kiddies TV and film favourites....transport, fish, tools....even cookie cutters for moustaches which seem to be the "in" thing. Flexible moulds for fondant, chocolate and ice.....robots, hotlips, sewing notions, pirate coins, scottiedogs .angels.....alsorts.....even....bullets and guns ! Surprisingly I think CSI deadmen cartoon-like shapes are OK but guns and bullets...no.
But, I got completely sidetracked by pizza cutters.......in all shapes and sizes......chainsaw....circular saw....trick cyclist monkey.....an acrobat....vespa style scooter and an Italian syle moped.....Marg and Bart slicer and grater....even a starship Enterprise ! and many more...... a plastic tenon saw cake slice, a Karate hand chopper for lettace......An alarm clock that you strap on your wrist and it vibrates you awake !! A lot were amusing to see but I wouldn't buy......
I did buy some alphabet cookie cutters that are double sided....one side cuts shape and the other impresses the letter.  .....I may not actually use them for culinary purposes..........I AM thinking of buying the Moustache cutters and impressers......again not for culinary purposes........can anyone guess what I might use them for I wonder.....Lyn already knows, I've told her....she said I don't need them.. !
Wishing you all peace and contentment for the New Year

books books books

These are ebay finds......as I have never heard of the titles or authors I never know what I am getting.......until they arrive...... I only think I know what I am getting....... All these are 15yrs old or more.
the crochet book has a really interesting cover....all freeform-y....the blurb listed all different types of crochet.....sounded quite exciting....an early freeform book ? yummy ! oops no ! it is very clear instruction book on how to do different types of crochet.....after initial disappointment....pleased with it.
Applique book....well it was the mother of pearl buttons on the front that seduced me ! Contents again not quite what I thought I might find.....but very interesting, origins, makers profiles, things to make.... so yet again very pleased with my cheap purchase. (with apologies to seller)
The Pat Olson books....well never heard of her either......but wanted something with painting techniques in like the American primitive style ornaments........step by step how to paint each one....... wish you could have seen my face when I opened these........my jaw dropped.......I couldn't believe it...........
..I......HAD.......BOUGHT......GLORIFIED........COLOURING BOOKS..............! Line drawings to colour in....like a child's colouring book, not a cheapo one, true....but not what I was expecting at all.......then the penny dropped.....like it said on the front of the book....they were PATTERN BOOKS...not what I expected....but in a way.....better than I expected....dozens and dozens of patterns to copy and use, some in several sizes.....really pleased with these.....even though the book is not what I thought it would be!!! As I looked through the drawings I was inspired, I had colours in my head, 3D shapes, wall hangings, applique style etc.....etc.
The moral of this story ? don't buy on ebay without actually having some idea of what you are buying, READ what it says on the book and especially.......don't buy on ebay with a glass of VINO in your hand......because next time....I may not be so lucky !lol

This one was published in 1977....its chock full of ideas. Yes some are dated.....but you just revamp them. It smells a little fusty so its being left open and pages turned occasionally in another room.

two ruffle trees and  a coat hanger tree, a maypole tree.

bottom right trees are made from egg cartons !
At the moment wool embroidered felt ornaments are "in" .......in 1977 they were "in" too! The shapely christmas stockings were in vogue then too.
When I get rid of some of the fusty smell I shall be going through the book seeking inspiration, sketching out my ideas for next years craft fairs.....lol

owls in the bargain book

I bought this old book for £1 from a charity shop...... it fell open at .....the wonderful owls..... so I had to have it. Typically of the 1970s early 1980s it dosn't have the detailed instructions we have got used to today.   ...a pattern to graph up...a small amount of text and the picture of three embroidered owls to be inspired by and copy in your own way. Wonder.....is that why I rarely follow a pattern ? Some really dated things in the book but plenty to revamp. Great find....