Friday, 31 December 2010

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.

Thursday, 30 December 2010

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.



Wednesday, 29 December 2010

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

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

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.

Monday, 27 December 2010

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