New Years Resolutions

Things I did on New year's Eve.

• Didn't use the acronym NYE it annoys me
• 6 mile run
• Bought dad slim fliter tips from pound shop, brothers now think I have taken up smoking for new year.
• Ate an apple
• Ate some apricots and 3 figs and a handful of golden sultanas
• Bought a cookery timer (it was half price)
• Had a gingerbread soya latte and tea cakes with marmalade and apricot jam 
• Watched New Narnia film with Lily and mum
• Talked to dad, he liked the carrot and coriander soup-
• Made aubergine stroganoff with jacket potatoes- the aubergine was also half price.
• made granola for mum
• ate the granola
• ate some smoky vegan cheese and crackers
• told George to find funny Jools Holland 'no neck' youtube videos.
• Carried on embroidering bat
• Wrote some resolutions
• Put on my new pajamas. Blue and spotty.
• Organised trip to Morecambe
• Planned craft event for Valentines
• Thought about sewing puns for craftivism group.
• Contemplated making a origami heart for valentines event- maybe next year.

New Year's Resolutions
Finish what I start
Blog every day
Do work better
Read more
Eat less
Eat more
Don't feel bad, just do better next time
Listen and dance to science of sleep intro for ultimate happiness.
Listen to a story on tape or watch Bagpuss for childhood nostalgia.
Leave the house at least once a day (running may count)
If in doubt, just do it
Don't let the first word of the day be a swear word. ( I blame those cats)
Do a race
Regularly put money in somewhere safe.
find fun new music
up earlier
bed earlier
Always take an eco bag
make something everyday.
do a craft stall
Write letters and postcards to friends.
Smile, even if feeling rubbish.
start early, do better
can't do it all, do a bit
grow hair
Write to do lists before going to bed
be vegan forevers
be less angry
Eat little treats
Buy little treats
plan more outings
stop making sew many spelling/typos mistakes
read more
cinema once a month



leave it and go to bed.

Horse and Bamboo theatre

Over part of the summer, (most of June and a pocket piece of July) I worked at The Boo, home of puppet travelling theatre, Horse and Bamboo. A  puppet theatre nestled in the sleepy Lancashire town of Rossendale. My main jobs were to promote the puppet festival running on the 11th and 12th of July. I was assigned to cover the box office, (how many tickets would you like for Three Little Pigs?), write press releases for the puppet companies performing, hand out posters in the local shops, tidy up puppets and collect tickets. My favourite task was to run my own workshop to entertain the children, whilst they were waiting for a show to start. I made a house box out of paper and card to put all my materials in, a chunky yellow coloured house with two windows and an uneven roof top and chimney. I brought some of my puppetry books to inspire the children and brought fabric scraps and wooden spoons to create fantastic wooden spoon puppets! Hoorah!

Horse and Bamboo- Storm in a Teacup- touring 2011

 Micro puppetry

Wooden spoon puppets!

Punch and Judy on a summers day.

elf and safety

Is this an elf or friendly clown? Either way, he is NOT finished so do not judge. Go away I'm off to do some reading...perhaps.

Tick Tick Tock (revisted)

Tick, Tick, Tock

Tick, Tick, Tock
frosty Coloured Frock
Tick, Tock, Tick
a Mouse's nose twitch
Tick Tock Tick
a candle flame flick
Tick, Tock Tock
All our memories forgot
Tick Tick Tick
Tick Tick Tock
the mouse has fallen off
the clock

Rocking horse ship

I decided to create a rocking horse decoration for my friend Lauren, as a 3 day late Christmas present, using my favourite form of sewing, embroidery.

I first used an air erasable pen to outline the horse shape and then used running stitch to colour it in. (with an embroidery hoop to secure of course) I think he looks rather characterful with crosses and red button embellishing his body and his muddy brown eyes. I used liberty fabric for the back and sewed the wrong sides together, adding a purple ribbon on my way, then turning out. The toothpaste coloured blanket stitch hides any troublesome stray threads.  

All wrapped in vintage offcut blue satin and tied with scraps of ribbon and suitcase gift-tag.

Chestnuts roasting on a winter fire

Another gloriousely claustrophobic day indoors. Extending Christmas novelties, mother roasted chestnuts on our burning fire. Remember to inscribe them with an X or they shall most certainly explode! I love the nutty smell and the sharp crack of the bark as I dig my greedy nails into the trapped flesh. The splinters of chestnut are hard to pick out of my teeth.

Check out mother's divine stockings on her etsy shop here...... relovedathome

Tomorrow's travels- Preston

I shall be visiting my (twin) Lauren in her home town Preston tomorrow and hopefully going to see this amazing exhibition at the Harris art gallery and throw in a few charity shop snoops, sister heckles and parched peas. http://www.harrismuseum.org.uk/current-exhibitions/393-the-house-of-fairy-tales.html

Mr Fox name is revealed....

 He shall be hereafter named Freckles the fox, although he doesn't appear to be sporting any of the orange flecks upon his pointed face, the name nonetheless complements his orange boots, sagging bow tie and furry paws. Lily informed me that the french knots holding his threaded whiskers are like freckles. Well I say it is a rather fine name for the dangly legged one, what do you think?

Hummingbird gift

My sister Vicky recently did a illustration project on Hummingbirds, she has now become quite obsessed with the curious little things, delving through odd facts and sketching from cabinets of taxidermy at The National History Musuem.  According to my own brief research on the birds, they have no sense of smell, are the smallest bird, and their twig like feet are quite ornamental; mainly used for delicate perching on branches. I decided to turn my embroidered bird into a festive decoration for her. I first had stitched it on a vintage offcut when left alone and bored with toppling suitcases and camping bags at a train station in Ipswich last summer. I used ribbon rosette stitch for the flowers and running stitch for the outline, the beak is plumply filled with an orange fill in stitch.
Victoria's presents were mostly hummingbird bird related; an old Ladybird book with a child's pencil sketches on the back pages, the hummingbird bakery cookbook, a hummingbird decoration, minature kitsch diary and dolly print cupcake cases all wrapped in liberty fabric and fastened with lace that I found on a piano. I hope we can make some of the delicious cakes in the Hummingbird bakery cookbook soon, veganising them of course.

Christmas evening craft

This Christmas I wanted to make as many home-made presents as possible.My first creations were rocking horse stamps later attached to cards. Very Art Brut. I also made a lot of biscuits that I wrapped in cellophane and gave to my friends and Grampy. My finest creation was Mr Fox for my little sister Lily.

Transformed into rocking horse stamp cards for my friends.

Vegan spiced biscuits-marvellous. Later wrapped in cellophane and fastened with a jolly coloured ribbon for edible Christmas presents.

Merry Christmas from a visit to Grampy in Chester. I visited a book shop on the wall and picked up a picnic basket for mother's home-made hamper.

Mr Fox for Lily handmade Christmas gift

Introducing MR FOX- An absurdly formal name for such a wondorous creature. (He shall be thus renamed by Lily...)

Embroidered tail- rather flimsy I would say.

Bold orange button completes amber colour coordination to a T.

Christmas Eve impatience, sigh.

BRILLIANT! Thanks Rebecca.

Delcious vegan mince pies

On Christmas Eve I prepared the ingredients for vegan mince pies.

Pastry shaped stars trap chunky dates, ground almonds and amber coloured sultanas cradled in their pastry beds, and glued together with melted margarine. Sprinkled with bitter sweet icing sugar, that sticks to your teeth.

Monday Evening craft

Monday's Winter Craft

 Clown Mouse burrows for juggling balls stitched out of felt that he finds in holes in walls and unlocked suitcases. He was most pleased at acquiring three matching coloured balls which brought him a delight so great his button nose turned a fantastic bright red and crooked an extra spring in his tail.

Ingredients for gluten free, vegan shortbread.

Sunday evening card making and sleeping fabric owl.

 

  Ebony painted rocking horses

 

Mustard coloured shortbread with brown sugar sprinkles and buttons of raw cacao.