A chainy Day

Went out on the bikes today, I've got a little recumberant, which seems to make everybody we see, smile.
This evening I was lucky enough to get another entry on Radcliffe and Maconies' "The Chain". The previous record had been The Streets with "Dry Your Eyes Mate", so I went for Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry", can't believe its never been on the Chain Before.
Did some sketching with charcoals too.
We're both running home from work tomorrow - Cols running in to work too, but then again his work is only about 8 miles away mine's 13.

A scary day!

Saturdays' scarecrow festival in Underwood, Nottinghamshire was really lovely, and the scarecrow's were much smarter than the one in our garden - he really does need a new coat and hat!. The different creations really do show how people can all start out with the same brief of creating a scarecrow and come up with such different ideas.

Later on I went to a presentation by Sue Lawty, a weaver, and came across this fantastic website www.vam.ac.uk/worldbeach -the idea is that people create artwork on beaches using only stones (seaweed, sand, shells are definately not allowed), photograph them, log on to the website and click which beach in the world you created the art on, and then leave the photo for every body to see.

a patchy day

Nearly finished my "topiary lady" bag - I think I might have a go at trying to sell some of these, as I think shes a bit different from a lot of stuff thats around - although I'm going to have to get quicker than this, she's taken hours!

Its been a really lovely sunny day today, hope it lasts for the weekend

a very lucky few days

We've been really lucky just lately, and met some very nice people

Col found a great "find" on the allotment yesterday - its an old decorative cupboard door handle, its really lovely - think we're gonna use it on the green house that col has just made .
I've been making a collage bag for my college work - its a stylised face, which I'm hoping will work quite well - if it works out OK, I'm planning on making some to sell
My fellow freecycler's have been incredibly generous, I've been gifted a big bag of material, which will be useful for making bags/doing my course work, and an old freezer for our surplus crops from the allotments. Not only that the freezer lady, has emailed me a recipe for chocolate courgette cake - MMmmmmmmm - will try soon, and I've managed to get some manure from a farmer for our allotment. How lucky have we been.
Gonna put some stuff on freecycle, as a thank you to everyone, and to keep up the good Kalma

no more cauliflowers day

Well I'm a bit fed up of cauliflowers now! I think this might be the last one for a while.

Despite the threat of grey skies from the volcanoe, its a beautiful day, so think I'll put the fabric veg to one side and concentrate on the real thing down at the allotment

a no elephant day

Made some more felty bags to sell today - Col cycled past the allotments tonight on the way home from work - someones taken over the last one, there's a lot of work for them to do, but they're cracking on.

Disappointed not to hear the rag and bone man today, last monday we were in fits of giggles, as we heard what I first thought was an elephant bellowing (turns out it was some one blowing very badly down a copper tube - - and shouting "scraaaapp irooooon, bring out yer scraaaaap irooooon"

living the dream eh?

before we went to the allotment today, I had a quick go at sewing with plastic bags, creating "supermarket veg"

a slow day

Well, I've finished the first part of my textile caulifower - and am just exploring how to make a more 3d one by moulding bits of material soaked in a combination of glue and water over buttons and marbles - its quite a slow process so I'm hooping its going to work out.

Think I'm going to book myself a place on a talk about "slow" crafts too - textiles definately fit into this category!

its never to cold for ice cream day

Cols been down the allotment this morning planting the first of the seeds, while I was working on my textile cauliflower - I plan to make the sketch above into a collage.

Had a walk through shipley park this afternoon, and were discussing how the overheard snippettes of coversation like "its never to cold for ice cream" and "if you keep trying to screw my ears off I'll put you down" are much more fun when they're heard without the rest of the conversation.

We went over to my sisters later in the day, and finally managed to get a photo of the dog coat I'd made for Ralph the winter before last, then before heading home managed to get a supersize waterbutt into the allotment while the parents of 2 small children tried to persuade them that it was a container to put naughty kids in (have to say they were only vaguely concerned)

shed day

Today has been a busy one . I have now completed clearing and digging over half the allotment and now ready to start planting when the weather permits.
Also my extension to me shed is nearly finished on the outside only the fascia to go . Then can turn my attention to the green house and shed interior. The shed is now nearly 3m square and I could swing a cat in there.
Only 3 more days till I see my physio and have my legs and back tweaked. I know its going to hurt but I'm sure my IT band is playing up . on a run to work the other day I could feel it twinging and had to ask for a lift home . Thanks Richy
Gam