greetings from afar...or, the wonders of modern technology

isn't it amazing what modern technology can do for a woman...here am I sitting on the top floor of my friend's wonderful Georgian riverside house in Cork City in Ireland (which she restored from a total ruin to sheer amazingness, almost singlehandedly) having a little holiday while working for my London "day job" and blogging. That this is possible is thanks to the equipment you see above, and not much else...(well, a hospitable friend or two does help)

I am in Ireland for a month in total but couldn't afford such a lengthy spell away from the "day job" so volunteered to put in a week in between my Hibernian travels. Intense rain on the West Coast meant that week should be this one. I left Mr G and the kids on a sodden beach in County Ciarrai (Kerry) having fun with their cousins and high tailed it back to civilisation.

I did get to have a 50th birthday celebration day out with all my sisters and my one and only brother last weekend. I can't remember the last time we were all together (we are flung about the globe and it is tricky to catch us all in one spot). It wasn't my birthday I hasten to add, but my darling brother Derek's. Happy Birthday Bro' - you are the best!

we had just had a delicious lunch in the pub behind (oooh, the crab was good) and I believe I was being berated for having my shades on...again!

No great photos of my travels in the beauty of Kerry to share yet, due to inclemency of weather.

But here is a snap of my pretty new shoes in case anyone is interested...

'cos I know you'll all be dying to see those...

and some lovely orchids I found in my friend's house...

Finally, news of a robot swap which I think you should all sign up for. I love robots. Just hope I'll be able to participate as I won't be back in the land of my fabrics, ribbons and threads for a little while yet.

right, I'm off to plan my evening with an old friend in the hostelries of Cork City tonight and my return trip to Kerry on Saturday...cross your fingers for a break in the rain!

(any internet villians out there - you may stop rubbing your hands with glee at the prospect of emptying my house while I am away, the Owens-Fernandos from Luxenbourg with their many beautiful children are in residence - I warn you : they are fierce!)

ILoveArtClub...and my first tutorial

As some of you know I run a Saturday morning Art Club. It started as a favour to a mum at my daughter's school who had an 8 year old in need of a bit more creativity than the school curriculum offered. I have three constant pupils and a number of dropper-inners. I have to say without a shadow of a doubt this is one of the best things about my week. Come Saturday morning I can often feel a little exhausted from my week of commuting in and out of central London, those 6am rises, the manicness of trying to get home in time to collect the kids from their various establishments of education and care but by the time ArtClub is over I am re-energised and buzzing with ideas again. Ms Reva joins us very regularly and enjoys the whole process a lot. We talk about Art History in an accessible way, looking at examples of our weekly topics from the Art World past and present. We've done colour wheels and mixing, mobile making, printing, observational drawing, collages...you name it.

Dad's Hat by M - great sense of colour and shape, don't you think?

In an ideal world I would provide more classes and for different age groups. I am mulling over how I can fit this in with everything else I have on at the moment and hoping it will organically transpire at some point in the (not too distant) future. If anyone has any fabulous ideas please share them!

Mum's Fashion by L
mixed media on canvas
painted collage, stitching, ribbon, buttons, what more could you ask for?

Last Saturday was our last ArtClub for a while as we head off to do our different activities over the summer break. The children had been working on a personal project for some time and we managed to get them finished in that session and staged a mini-exhibition in my living room. The kids were so proud of their finished pieces it brought tears to my eyes (literally...it appears I am a total softie after all) I am looking forward to next term already.

look - stitching! I love this...

seaside triptych by E
- shame about the bad photo -
this is a lovely piece with great colours and a nice simple composition

One of the children asked me to come to her birthday party to do Art activities with the kids there. I thought there would be 10 guests so happily agreed. In the end there were 17 (gulp!) but it all went well. The children had a ball and I did too. After much deliberation we did
tye-dyed t-shirts
(sorry about teeny tiny photo)

painted plates

and a banner for the birthday girl (and boy - the extra guests came with an extra birthday person too!)
I don't have anymore photos of the tshirts unfortunately (hard to photograph AND manage 17 kids along with 4 vats of dye - these photos are courtesy of my friend Maaya who popped along to check out the action, thanks Maaya) but there were some truly fabulous creations

birthday girl with her wonderful plate

And now...drum roll please...my first ever tutorial...

Take some old china plates and a couple of shot glasses (my plates cost £1.50 total, shot glasses 20p each)

Add some 5 minute Epoxy Glue to your set of ingredients

apply Epoxy on top and bottom of glasses in thin layer and press together with plates for 5 minutes (or however long it says on the tube you are using)

to achieve something like ...

ta dah...

this cake stand

add some cakes
(and tea for the grown ups of course)

then unleash the hungry gannets...Bliss!

Of course we took it one or two steps further but you don't need to do that...

unless you really want to

...the idea for this cake stand came from my dear friend Ms D who had bought one a bit like this from a neighbourhood fair...'twas made by an SE London collective called "The Skip Sisters", unfortunately I can't find them anywhere on the web to include a link and I thought the idea far too nifty not to be passed on...

ps thanks for all the lovely comments a couple of posts back about the scorched capelet, yours truly and the shades. Unanimous vote that my co-workers exhibited symptoms of stylefreakery. I may have to share this verdict with them, now that I am talking to them again...

Updated to say I have just had an email to say my upcycled kids castoffs have been featured on The Crafty Crow. So I get a really dinky button to put on my sidebar. Way hay! A big welcome to anyone who finds me from that mention and thanks to Cassi for including me. I love The Crafty Crow, it's full of great creative ideas to do with kids - if you haven't already done so make sure you check it out.

russian doll fabulousness...ness...ness...

imagine my amazement when I opened my Russian Doll Swap package from Jenny to find not one, not two, but THREE handcrafted items of total loveliness. Overwhelmed was I, and that is not an overstatement.

lookie here...
a rabbit, with fabulous russian doll fabric dress...so beautiful that I have told the kids they needn't even think about waging a whinge campaign to get her for themselves...this little beauty is mine, all mine. I'm not a woman much given to hoarding toys for myself, indeed the only other one I have is the doll my mum knit for me when I was tiny...but I am hoarding this rabbit and no mistake. It is so beautifully made, from soft soft white towelling, the dress is just gorgeous too, and the face is so delicately done. It's wonderful. THANK YOU SO MUCH JENNY!!!

as if that wasn't enough there Jenny also sent me this gorgeous lavender scented doll...


which you can see nestling on a wonderful apron, here ably modelled by Ms Bester, who insisted the lavender doll should live in the very handy pocket...


The whole package was accompanied by many chocolate goodies from Thorntons. In other words...I was totally spoiled...and I loved it!

My little parcel seemed quite meagre in comparison, but Jenny assures me she was thrilled with it. Kind woman.

Some hand embroidered nesting dolls...



were accompanied by russian doll buttons from creamrose picked up at wemakelondon...

along with Helen's tissue cover which also followed the russian doll theme...


I also sent some sweets and some of my favourite teas, which I hope Jenny will enjoy.

Thanks again Katy for organising this swap - as you can tell I've really enjoyed it.

I'll be back soon with news of my artclub end of year exhibition, and an Arty Party I did for the birthday of one of my pupils recently...we had a lot of fun.

defeat...no, victory...I think...

as a little diversion while knitting my forecast (progress: steady but slow) I decided to do myself a little summer quickie...the antropologie inspired capelet...mmmm, in a lovely soft silver grey Rowan Cocoon...mmmmm again (what is it with me and grey knits? I love 'em)

you'll note the capelet is designed in reverse stocking stitch, i.e to be worn purl side out

I knit it nicely in a couple of days on the No. 68 (upper deck)

and for once decided I must do what all those knitters out there swear by and block the little beauty (I mean, I had already done a guage swatch and everything)

well, imagine my delight, turning rapidly to consternation when I raised the sheet of protective fabric from the steam blocked knit to find this...on the right side out...

ignore the pretty heart shaped pins (filched from Ms. Reva's sewing basket, knew that would come in handy some day) look closely, you see those orange marks...they'd be scorch marks folks....

just in case you didn't see them clearly enough first time around

between you and me - I was almost weeping at this stage...

but then, inspiration struck...

I turned the little baby "inside out" ...


and smiled again...

phew!

ASIDE: do you know, almost the entire workforce of my office fell about the place laughing when I innocently put these shades on when we were out having a few drinks together the other evening...I mean I know they are large but do they really look that ridiculous? perhaps they'd (ALL) had one too many drinks...hmm, I like them regardless...(the shades that is, I haven't quite forgiven my colleagues...yet)

[vintage brooch from the regular Monday Jubilee Market, Covent Garden, London]

scentofwater photo swap...last day to sign up...

simplicity ... received

Megan has been running a photo swap for a few months now...so far we've swapped photos on subjects of simplicity and reflections...

simplicity ... sent

July's topic is in motion...there have been some truly wonderful images created and swapped in the last two swaps and it's been a real pleasure to take part

reflections...received

Why not check out the flickr group...there is still 1 day to sign for July's exchange (details on flickr) ...closing date TODAY

reflections ... sent

go on...you know you want to...