tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13698095926757975342024-03-13T03:43:54.649+00:00niminy fingersChrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-18823968666042519372012-11-28T10:37:00.001+00:002012-11-28T10:37:49.641+00:00And just where do you think you've been, young lady?!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Do you think if I sneak in at the back and just join in nobody will notice I've been absent without leave for months and months ...... ? There are loads of reasons why I haven't blogged for so long, but none of them would sound very convincing on their own, though they seemed real enough at the time. But a couple of weeks ago I fell head-first into the bottom of a brambly ditch and it seems to have knocked some sense into me at last. So (though don't hold me to it!) I expect to be back blethering fairly regularly. And if I can remember how to dowload photos from my newish camera then we might even get some pictures. Huzzah! </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hUFecKPv8ik/ULXmlRXZv4I/AAAAAAAADPY/puUhH1mbZaA/s1600/P1060220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hUFecKPv8ik/ULXmlRXZv4I/AAAAAAAADPY/puUhH1mbZaA/s320/P1060220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just for now I've managed to find and download this lovely wee fellow who was wafting in the breeze, quite unperturbed by the crowds, atop the flora planted around the Olympic Stadium this summer.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2LvX254Gw8/ULXn8GKXbtI/AAAAAAAADPg/HpDNRohHYy0/s1600/P1000185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2LvX254Gw8/ULXn8GKXbtI/AAAAAAAADPg/HpDNRohHYy0/s320/P1000185.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, many apologies are due to the lovely friends whose blogs I have been neglecting of late and I hope to put matters right before too long - I've missed you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Chrissie x</span></div>
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Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-73633318276630951982012-03-05T11:39:00.000+00:002012-03-05T11:39:28.170+00:00"No Rum .... No Fun"<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Or so I was told by the crew member who doubled-up as barman on our catamaran trip. I discovered that it's no use asking for a non-alcoholic drink - the Bajan's don't have a way of removing the rum from a fruit punch! Anyway, I'm sure a strawberry daiquiri is purely fruit, ahem...</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ad4a5iYcfEk/T1SiTW7J6oI/AAAAAAAADNM/VEv9qzFRoTU/s1600/crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ad4a5iYcfEk/T1SiTW7J6oI/AAAAAAAADNM/VEv9qzFRoTU/s400/crew.jpg" uda="true" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Another thing I learnt during our week away in Barbados was how you <em>really</em> tell the sheep from the goats. A lot of animals on that island are masquerading as goats, but turns out they are black-bellied sheep, which don't need shearing. This information was one of the gems imparted by Hettie, our bus driver on the journey to Bridgetown to meet the catamaran. Incidentally - what you need to know is that goats' tails stick up and sheep's tails hang down. Who knew? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Hettie could point out where Sir Cliff's mansion was, where Cilla had her condo, how to tell a 'reggae' bus from a local authority bus, and why every driver toots his horn all the time. Apparently you must toot when about to overtake, during overtaking, if someone looks as if they might step into the road, if someone has already stepped into the road, if you see someone you know in the distance, or driving an on-coming vehicle, well, just about for anything really. Somehow the tooting always seems really good-natured though, not the road-rage blast on the horn we're used to in UK. Hettie generously loaned her bus microphone to the lovely Emma who led us all in rum-fuelled community singing on the way home. Goodness knows what possessed me to launch into 'Donald Where's yer Troosers' .....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So, snorkelling. The kit for this was freely available at our hotel, and, having done a stint of snorkelling about half a century ago, I felt fully qualified to give it another bash. But, oh, you've never seen such a carry-on, me trying to get my flippers on in some quite strongly-crashing waves without losing my mask and snorkel. Inevitable outcome was that I was flung onto the beach from the shallows, dragged back out to sea in the undertow and my right knee ligaments, which are prone to such, locked out and I could neither straighten my leg nor stand on it. While I was floundering in the surf trying to formulate a workable three-point plan for not drowning, a big wave came and knocked my knee back into place. I sheepishly (or was it 'goatishly', no definitely 'sheepishly', as I had my tail between my legs) returned my equipment to the beach store. Isn't it amazing how a well-honed skill can desert you in the space of only 50 years? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I was reminded, too, that gentle flattery can also make your knees a little weak, leading to another humbling tumble. One of our wedding party was a handsome young man from Portugal, who, with a perplexing generosity of spirit (rum, probably) whispered that he thought I was most elegant and regal and, indeed, beautiful. Now, while this did make me uncomfortably self-conscious for a couple of days, I gratefully relinquished any pretentions when I was told that he also adored the Queen Mother and has a portrait of her above his bed. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--hvK2jSZHMk/T1SWng_80PI/AAAAAAAADNE/cnZ1cHz1brk/s1600/clare+and+sean+wedding+feb+2012+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--hvK2jSZHMk/T1SWng_80PI/AAAAAAAADNE/cnZ1cHz1brk/s320/clare+and+sean+wedding+feb+2012+180.jpg" uda="true" width="254" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>me being regal</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sorry about the view up one's regally-flaring nostrils - I was obviously experiencing a little <em>ennui</em> while the official wedding photos were being taken - but at least you're spared the double chins!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Have a good week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em>Chrissie</em></span></div>
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<br />Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-86446162566795336032012-03-05T08:10:00.001+00:002012-03-05T10:01:17.650+00:00Monday mosaic<div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 15px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skiddler/6937576743/" title="Tuesday (not Monday) Mosaic by makeyourpresentsfelt, on Flickr"><img alt="Tuesday (not Monday) Mosaic" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6937576743_4df1690c26.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<i>Via Flickr:</i><br />
1. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/63641728@N08/6780855152/">Cubes (blue patchwork)</a>, 2. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/35880755@N07/3679506685/">· perros de acuarela ·</a>, 3. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/51468196@N08/6912186053/">8ème arrondissement</a>, 4. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/12989781@N00/2192217401/">.</a>, 5. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/63637372@N08/6740598663/">Tulip </a>, 6. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/8006576@N02/6189084772/">home sweet home pillow</a>, 7. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/48600096274@N01/6429996915/">outra vez</a>, 8. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/70929619@N03/6480285903/">DSC_0025</a>, 9. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/23560018@N06/2536236680/">Scottish Castle</a><br />
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Created with <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/" rel="nofollow">fd's Flickr Toys</a>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-65538944547093128752012-02-29T16:35:00.002+00:002012-02-29T16:35:27.822+00:00Bajan Beach Treasures<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh1GCDrLdNc/T05Qyo5q5zI/AAAAAAAADM0/WrzGjI-6Clc/s1600/shells+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="82" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh1GCDrLdNc/T05Qyo5q5zI/AAAAAAAADM0/WrzGjI-6Clc/s400/shells+009.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've brought you back some tiny treasures from our trip to Barbados - (niece's wedding)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wish I could have brought the blue seas and sunshine too</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VuXwHfAcmho/T05QQLpF44I/AAAAAAAADMs/aDGL4H2Yskg/s1600/horses+swimming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VuXwHfAcmho/T05QQLpF44I/AAAAAAAADMs/aDGL4H2Yskg/s400/horses+swimming.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-kyl6y_y1A/T00XUofJoWI/AAAAAAAADK8/QoV0mYtodbY/s1600/the+view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-kyl6y_y1A/T00XUofJoWI/AAAAAAAADK8/QoV0mYtodbY/s400/the+view.JPG" uda="true" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">the sign leads to ... Atlantic breakers on the N E coast</span><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXWtjqRwHUE/T05KIb72d4I/AAAAAAAADME/Eh9e2qW1GNY/s1600/atlantic+breakers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXWtjqRwHUE/T05KIb72d4I/AAAAAAAADME/Eh9e2qW1GNY/s400/atlantic+breakers.JPG" uda="true" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">not far from the peaceful West Coast beach...</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a neon sign .....</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29oQnB-Q5vk/T00Ydt_FzmI/AAAAAAAADLU/yubKT_bHXTc/s1600/neon+fish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29oQnB-Q5vk/T00Ydt_FzmI/AAAAAAAADLU/yubKT_bHXTc/s400/neon+fish.JPG" uda="true" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> advertising frying Flying Fish ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">billowing sails....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">above the Wedding Belles ...</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KRSNKwxLBvE/T05LinTxL4I/AAAAAAAADMM/QYkRu9KyRTI/s1600/wedding+belles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KRSNKwxLBvE/T05LinTxL4I/AAAAAAAADMM/QYkRu9KyRTI/s400/wedding+belles.JPG" uda="true" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">who had been swimming with turtles ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">rum-punch toes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">which had been following a</span> yellow brick road leading to ....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">green monkeys ....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a </span>shell-seeker ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">sunset dreamer...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I heart Barbados ...</span></div>
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</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-56890322647304250412012-01-03T11:08:00.000+00:002012-01-03T11:11:23.016+00:00Promises to Keep<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">woodblock print</span> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/teaandinkstudio?page=1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">from Tea-and-Ink Studio - Etsy</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Robert Frost</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Whose woods these are I think I know.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">His house is in the village though;</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">He will not see me stopping here</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To watch his woods fill up with snow.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My little horse must think it queer</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To stop without a farmhouse near</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Between the woods and frozen lake</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The darkest evening of the year.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">He gives his harness bells a shake</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To ask if there is some mistake.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The only other sound's the sweep</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Of easy wind and downy flake.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The woods are lovely, dark and deep.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But I have promises to keep,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And miles to go before I sleep,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And miles to go before I sleep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You have until Sunday <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6th</span> January to listen to </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b018fv67/Stopping_by_Woods/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">the BBC iPlayer broadcast</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> about Robert Frost's poem and his home in Vermont where it was written. Strangely enough he wrote it early in the morning on 21st June, the longest day. The narrator of the broadcast, a Scots poet, recounts that when he asks groups of children who they think is telling the story, they invariably say Father Christmas. Frost was very happy for us to have our own interpretations, so I hope you find a way for it to speak to you and have the time to listen to the programme (30 minutes).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The fabulous woodblock print is a card I bought from Etsy long ago and thought the title was joyfully evocative - I had no idea then that it was a line from what has become a favourite poem. You can click on the photograph and see it better in close-up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Apology: Every cloud has a silver lining, if you are of a mind to make it so. But sometimes the grey lowering weather front takes a while to pass overhead and you can lose your confidence in the certainty of a shining lining. The last few weeks have taken me into some <em>terra incognita, </em>full of dragons, bewilderment and sometimes despair. The details are someone else's story, so will not be related here, but I claim the right to use it as a reason for the lack of blogging. But I'm back. <em> I have promises to keep.</em></span> <br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"> Chrissie</span></em>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-21341156728269423772012-01-01T23:10:00.000+00:002012-01-01T23:10:44.938+00:00"Life is what happens while you're making other plans"Happy New Year!
Thank you to all the kind people who have asked where I've been for weeks - I hope to be back blogging very soon.
ChrissieChrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-59459037534732135472011-09-15T10:16:00.001+01:002011-09-15T13:04:40.090+01:00Magic Feathers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0PAq_2SFsyM/TnG4lHs96aI/AAAAAAAADF4/FDOKV4Tc3TA/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0PAq_2SFsyM/TnG4lHs96aI/AAAAAAAADF4/FDOKV4Tc3TA/s400/003.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jude Hill, of <a href="http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/spirit_cloth/2011/09/a-happy-feather-story.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SpiritCloth+%28Spirit+Cloth%29">SpiritCloth</a>, is gathering 1000 embroidered feathers from around the world and sewing them together. She says: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>"<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Magic Feather Project is a collective stitching project focused on creative sharing and giving. The magic feather has been my personal symbol for almost forever. With the idea of making it a symbol of something bigger than just myself, I thought I would share it with you and you in turn might stitch one (at least) and send it to me so I might, in turn, sew a bunch together and put the larger cloth to some charitable use.</span></em></span><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My target for any charity efforts connected with this project is children. Their well being and education. I may give or donate some of the cloths directly or donate them for auction. We'll see."</span></em></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">She also has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/spiritclothmagicfeatherproject">Facebook </a>page</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joodles/sets/72157627306006169/">Flickr page</a>,</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">if you would like to see some of the wonderful donations she has already received.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14S1LIhDWe8/TnG4m4pNnEI/AAAAAAAADF8/7C1qrnybPvo/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14S1LIhDWe8/TnG4m4pNnEI/AAAAAAAADF8/7C1qrnybPvo/s320/002.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm finding them a bit addictive to make.... These are sewn on a piece of roughish cotton which I indigo dyed at the shibori workshop I went to earlier this year. <a href="http://niminyfingers.blogspot.com/2011/05/shibori-and-tramp.html">The one</a> where I had to walk home 3 miles carrying a bucket and drainpipe and looking like a bag lady. Oh, don't remind me. Anyway, the bits where the dye was resisted look a little bit feathery in places, so I though I would use silks in similar shades to create some harmony. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JUCvfRUaOGc/TnG4t6K2nnI/AAAAAAAADGA/O9yLtCcAtEg/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JUCvfRUaOGc/TnG4t6K2nnI/AAAAAAAADGA/O9yLtCcAtEg/s320/001.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The backing cloth in this one is an old soft thick piece of cotton which was an altar cloth in a previous life. It's actually a bit more of an ochre colour than it looks and is gently faded in the folds. The thread was some hand-dyed I bought years ago from <u><span style="color: #0066cc;">Myfanwy.</span></u></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jcQwbjENtUU/TnG42l_k0RI/AAAAAAAADGE/uSwMRvgS7gg/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jcQwbjENtUU/TnG42l_k0RI/AAAAAAAADGE/uSwMRvgS7gg/s400/013.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VfK-6-GxgCw/TnG44-pHaFI/AAAAAAAADGI/Qa8Wf-eZrpw/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VfK-6-GxgCw/TnG44-pHaFI/AAAAAAAADGI/Qa8Wf-eZrpw/s400/026.JPG" width="256px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In between feathers I've free-machine stitched some little brooches. This poor bunny perhaps needs reporting to the RSPCA, with its dislocated tail and withered back leg....</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syRMN6cJhHY/TnG47WLxFmI/AAAAAAAADGM/A33cHKIGAgs/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335px" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syRMN6cJhHY/TnG47WLxFmI/AAAAAAAADGM/A33cHKIGAgs/s400/027.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhtzfzHxuns/TnG5E4ZkRxI/AAAAAAAADGQ/ZGIQ_R8wyec/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhtzfzHxuns/TnG5E4ZkRxI/AAAAAAAADGQ/ZGIQ_R8wyec/s400/019.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Job for today: removing Bondaweb glue from the ironing-board cover before my husband permanently fixes his work-shirt to it....</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em>Chrissie</em> </span></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-83947385356727733022011-09-12T12:42:00.001+01:002011-09-12T12:46:23.301+01:00pussycat pussycat, where have you been<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k68ixc6Rk9M/Tl3i6ryMWHI/AAAAAAAADB8/BZJqV7LmLgg/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k68ixc6Rk9M/Tl3i6ryMWHI/AAAAAAAADB8/BZJqV7LmLgg/s400/013.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Not to London to visit the queen. But to South West France, deep in the countryside in the Lot valley. Along with quite a lot of the population of Holland, it would seem!</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HsfkLmCp66M/Tl3j6jUajgI/AAAAAAAADCI/5m0gSxQPLL8/s1600/070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HsfkLmCp66M/Tl3j6jUajgI/AAAAAAAADCI/5m0gSxQPLL8/s400/070.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Eating chocolate pud and creme anglaise a la menthe</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lecaillau.com/?lang=en">here </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oa_Q3fQ7bUQ/Tl3kemI8xqI/AAAAAAAADCQ/MxcgpKB7eF4/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oa_Q3fQ7bUQ/Tl3kemI8xqI/AAAAAAAADCQ/MxcgpKB7eF4/s400/043.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">watching the twinkling reflections of the stained-glass windows in a tiny hill-top village church</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VP8eIkXTeIk/TmTWPSAkxBI/AAAAAAAADE0/nN9zm3YB-iU/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VP8eIkXTeIk/TmTWPSAkxBI/AAAAAAAADE0/nN9zm3YB-iU/s400/007.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>fois gras</em> central in St. Cirq Lapopie</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ml3mLr1ub8/TmTWYR1EADI/AAAAAAAADE4/W_hDDi10tcM/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ml3mLr1ub8/TmTWYR1EADI/AAAAAAAADE4/W_hDDi10tcM/s400/010.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">ancient village on a very steep cliffside overlooking the river Lot</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0GhZJnMEmY/TmO6lzXExEI/AAAAAAAADEo/AUgLmp0_ZCc/s1600/080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0GhZJnMEmY/TmO6lzXExEI/AAAAAAAADEo/AUgLmp0_ZCc/s400/080.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgVsknCvelw/TmO6nV7dsaI/AAAAAAAADEs/c4P5y_I7xK4/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgVsknCvelw/TmO6nV7dsaI/AAAAAAAADEs/c4P5y_I7xK4/s400/017.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDOOzG3Dp9Y/TmO6o8oT8mI/AAAAAAAADEw/8bk3CgzSGP4/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDOOzG3Dp9Y/TmO6o8oT8mI/AAAAAAAADEw/8bk3CgzSGP4/s400/015.JPG" width="242px" xaa="true" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">33 degrees C at 9.15 a.m., so made a very sweaty retreat back to the house and into the pool......</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zhkPRIrkPFE/Tl3l1hHJ1zI/AAAAAAAADCY/Rk_uUTGz70Y/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zhkPRIrkPFE/Tl3l1hHJ1zI/AAAAAAAADCY/Rk_uUTGz70Y/s400/033.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJCkHUMunC0/Tl3oagCt5jI/AAAAAAAADCk/RFJrxAXHpHM/s1600/099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJCkHUMunC0/Tl3oagCt5jI/AAAAAAAADCk/RFJrxAXHpHM/s400/099.JPG" width="276px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0rd2CgQmJE/Tl3o7zAlSbI/AAAAAAAADCo/8JKtPOf4Ojc/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0rd2CgQmJE/Tl3o7zAlSbI/AAAAAAAADCo/8JKtPOf4Ojc/s400/011.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A very special treat the day before we set of for France was a quick train trip up to Birmingham NEC for the Festival of Quilts. And it was worth it just to see this masterpiece by Carolyn, a kind and lovely blogger friend. See more about her quilt <a href="http://love-stitching-red.blogspot.com/2011/09/shape-of-sweet-little-cottages.html">here</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OSsSgaWpIc/TmOqOknNtFI/AAAAAAAADCw/DjxOsKo5YrU/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OSsSgaWpIc/TmOqOknNtFI/AAAAAAAADCw/DjxOsKo5YrU/s400/024.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I took some more photos, but in my excitement and because I hadn't invested in a programme, I didn't have the artists' names. So sorry</span>.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7BnTidVeVM/TmOqe15KPCI/AAAAAAAADC0/OC09DAdIE98/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7BnTidVeVM/TmOqe15KPCI/AAAAAAAADC0/OC09DAdIE98/s400/022.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">little boxes and indigo</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5apUqm_Yqoo/TmOsGW4sLbI/AAAAAAAADDQ/52OQZ_PnZ2w/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5apUqm_Yqoo/TmOsGW4sLbI/AAAAAAAADDQ/52OQZ_PnZ2w/s400/008.JPG" width="318px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtfboGNJxWI/TmOsBRgLkUI/AAAAAAAADDM/QBufGYSQ_TY/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtfboGNJxWI/TmOsBRgLkUI/AAAAAAAADDM/QBufGYSQ_TY/s400/009.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">domestic scenes</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ordoviiJL4c/TmOrNVmbLBI/AAAAAAAADDE/AlONTlX9df0/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ordoviiJL4c/TmOrNVmbLBI/AAAAAAAADDE/AlONTlX9df0/s400/018.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KXAPtHhNPhk/TmOq_EY77wI/AAAAAAAADDA/ceMNYebv_10/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KXAPtHhNPhk/TmOq_EY77wI/AAAAAAAADDA/ceMNYebv_10/s400/011.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgdLETMD1rE/TmOsL3DVqXI/AAAAAAAADDU/yApNBzgVRzE/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgdLETMD1rE/TmOsL3DVqXI/AAAAAAAADDU/yApNBzgVRzE/s400/004.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GiiDosj66c8/TmOsPC8vIuI/AAAAAAAADDY/OHbF78IxRuk/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GiiDosj66c8/TmOsPC8vIuI/AAAAAAAADDY/OHbF78IxRuk/s400/003.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">unfurling ferns</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BEEcHvcSkLY/TmOscFgGwxI/AAAAAAAADDc/Pe1UsBMjMm0/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BEEcHvcSkLY/TmOscFgGwxI/AAAAAAAADDc/Pe1UsBMjMm0/s400/002.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">no visit to FoQ complete without some purchases</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QmR_WTwcpjA/TmO5rwXrNwI/AAAAAAAADD8/KMuD9Wbiwnk/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QmR_WTwcpjA/TmO5rwXrNwI/AAAAAAAADD8/KMuD9Wbiwnk/s400/017.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div>sari silks<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kx8_DJJIWEA/TmO5t6W8VcI/AAAAAAAADEA/r8jR1TWFNa0/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kx8_DJJIWEA/TmO5t6W8VcI/AAAAAAAADEA/r8jR1TWFNa0/s400/015.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k6AfaYzUvzc/TmO5wGQmDhI/AAAAAAAADEE/N_twWas4Mm4/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k6AfaYzUvzc/TmO5wGQmDhI/AAAAAAAADEE/N_twWas4Mm4/s400/012.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbXsjtJYIzM/TmO5xwMsBDI/AAAAAAAADEI/v4YIumJBZnk/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbXsjtJYIzM/TmO5xwMsBDI/AAAAAAAADEI/v4YIumJBZnk/s400/011.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div>and threads<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8BH0CY6nnQ/TmO5zqRRedI/AAAAAAAADEM/C20E-6w9MXA/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8BH0CY6nnQ/TmO5zqRRedI/AAAAAAAADEM/C20E-6w9MXA/s400/009.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div>BIG ceramic hearts<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KEJTNNZNH2k/TmO51cGH-2I/AAAAAAAADEQ/ThBSX5d_mSM/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KEJTNNZNH2k/TmO51cGH-2I/AAAAAAAADEQ/ThBSX5d_mSM/s400/008.JPG" width="338px" xaa="true" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">REALLY BIG ceramic beads in lovely shades</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X5r0ao1mdJ4/TmO6Bgj9JaI/AAAAAAAADEU/y2J-1ibgA4A/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X5r0ao1mdJ4/TmO6Bgj9JaI/AAAAAAAADEU/y2J-1ibgA4A/s400/006.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">slightly smaller versions</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YSlQYooA8F4/TmO6JdyWHdI/AAAAAAAADEY/1HuDAIcQqW4/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YSlQYooA8F4/TmO6JdyWHdI/AAAAAAAADEY/1HuDAIcQqW4/s400/004.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">sweet little free-machine stitchery on felted blanket by Janet Clare </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(v. cheap, so treated myself!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--pgrNudwWEM/TmO6i6-DMtI/AAAAAAAADEg/njYWuUrCHpA/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--pgrNudwWEM/TmO6i6-DMtI/AAAAAAAADEg/njYWuUrCHpA/s400/002.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0DG4AJxyhfY/TmO6kAay_yI/AAAAAAAADEk/NvUHTjDSB5Q/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0DG4AJxyhfY/TmO6kAay_yI/AAAAAAAADEk/NvUHTjDSB5Q/s400/001.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And another one which became a brooch yesterday</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kcvgYDRut9A/TmTWeQGVtoI/AAAAAAAADE8/qRckpZ7F7X8/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kcvgYDRut9A/TmTWeQGVtoI/AAAAAAAADE8/qRckpZ7F7X8/s320/001.JPG" width="273px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Talking of brooches, there was quite a <a href="http://hensteethart.blogspot.com/2011/08/im-wild-again-beguiled-again-simpering.html">gathering of bloggers at FoQ</a>, photos of which you've probably seen on other blogs, and I met some of my heroines that day. One,with quite unexpected generosity, pressed this awesome beauty into my sweaty palm. I was quite overcome and couldn't believe my eyes. I love <a href="http://hensteethart.blogspot.com/2011/09/lets-make-best-of-situation-before-i.html">Viv's</a> work and just wish I had a smigeon of her artistic talent and freedom of expression. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuNajM6DXfg/TmO6SzzR62I/AAAAAAAADEc/b19ONmr_8Dk/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuNajM6DXfg/TmO6SzzR62I/AAAAAAAADEc/b19ONmr_8Dk/s400/003.JPG" width="300px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cakey interlude - three types of plums from our garden</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c9yRExrBaOA/TmOubYhl9_I/AAAAAAAADDk/gN8ZFGjG6sU/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c9yRExrBaOA/TmOubYhl9_I/AAAAAAAADDk/gN8ZFGjG6sU/s400/002.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And another 'birthday treat', something I've wanted to do for years-and-years and eventually managed to get to a few weeks ago - <a href="http://www.giffordscircus.com/">Gifford's Circus</a>. They travel around the Cotswolds area during the summer months, camping out on common land with their traditional vehicles and bite-sized marquee. We went to see then when they were on Minchinhampton Common, for a matinee performance on a beautiful summer's day. I have to tell you that I haven't laughed so much for ages and was completely transported by the effervescent theatre, gymnastics, music and 'pure magic'.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZklLxg7BcpU/TmOu082UsgI/AAAAAAAADD0/0BIlACl6yss/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZklLxg7BcpU/TmOu082UsgI/AAAAAAAADD0/0BIlACl6yss/s400/008.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IC1Rxf3mj8U/TmOuiOPmK6I/AAAAAAAADDo/6aMnj_GtLjw/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IC1Rxf3mj8U/TmOuiOPmK6I/AAAAAAAADDo/6aMnj_GtLjw/s400/009.JPG" width="292px" xaa="true" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">OK, so this smart-alec can not only play the violin, she can do it dangling from one leg from the topmast of a circus marquee</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5FLnMJdCif8/TmOupeHM9HI/AAAAAAAADDs/DNSZJaj1Uq4/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5FLnMJdCif8/TmOupeHM9HI/AAAAAAAADDs/DNSZJaj1Uq4/s400/022.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HrJ0bzETb6E/TmOuxai16fI/AAAAAAAADDw/U8UQERfdeOU/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HrJ0bzETb6E/TmOuxai16fI/AAAAAAAADDw/U8UQERfdeOU/s400/014.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZACuKT95MM/TmOvDnNbSNI/AAAAAAAADD4/j6XjvXZKJ3M/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZACuKT95MM/TmOvDnNbSNI/AAAAAAAADD4/j6XjvXZKJ3M/s400/013.JPG" width="400px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">sorry to have been gone so long - I'll be back soon, promise .....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em>Chrissie</em></span> </div></div></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-8348634786875718802011-08-02T10:26:00.002+01:002011-08-02T10:33:00.233+01:00In which we consider incongruity and birthday treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w5LTtsO9SIc/TjefeQZWuuI/AAAAAAAADBQ/cUfq68DfKOg/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w5LTtsO9SIc/TjefeQZWuuI/AAAAAAAADBQ/cUfq68DfKOg/s320/020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've been thinking about incongruity. As one does. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I don't know if you remember <a href="http://niminyfingers.blogspot.com/2010/04/trials-and-tribulations-of-mid-morning.html">Tony</a>, my roughty-toughty motorcycle racer neighbour? The one who once got cross and (allegedly) set fire to Nick-the-Wig's toupe in the pub? Perhaps I didn't mention that bit before... Anyway, yesterday I was having a bit of a lie-in, still recovering from a lot of singing and dancing on Saturday evening, of which more anon. I was in a half doze, when I heard someone outside singing '<i>Morning has broken</i>'. I stuck my head through the gap in the curtains. Tony, bare-chested and with a car battery tucked under one arm, was serenading Peter the Postman.</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> I nearly</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> wept to hear 14 stone of muscle and metal plates giving a sweet, falsetto, and just about word-perfect rendition of a hymn that he must have learnt at junior school. I gathered from the look on his face, and a retort that I didn't <i>quite</i> catch, that Peter was contemplating incongruity too.</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Village life isn't always so touchingly harmonious and there's recently been the divisive topic of someone's neighbour noise issue which should have been resolved between the two parties involved, but sadly became front page news in the free paper and hotly-debated topic in a local radio programme phone-in. Nigel the cockerel was the villain of the piece, but such was his notoriety after this publicity that there was even talk of him being invited to open the village fete.</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5yZabl49RNQ/Tjefapoj0aI/AAAAAAAADBM/SPvocbPTd64/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5yZabl49RNQ/Tjefapoj0aI/AAAAAAAADBM/SPvocbPTd64/s320/022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've been indulged with quite a few lovely trips and treats lately, mainly to do with a recent Big Birthday. I'm the same age as Dennis the Menace. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MJZguwuPyBE/Tje948Mn8JI/AAAAAAAADBo/ittE-YJv0jQ/s1600/dennis-the-menace-and-gnasher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MJZguwuPyBE/Tje948Mn8JI/AAAAAAAADBo/ittE-YJv0jQ/s320/dennis-the-menace-and-gnasher.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our first treat took us to London to the Imperial War Museum to see the exhibition of </span><a href="http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.24678" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Women War Artists</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">. One of the most striking paintings was by</span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/anna-airy" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Anna Airy</a> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">of a </span><a href="http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConGallery.130/imageIndex/1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">munitions factory</a>. <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The exhibition is on until the end of November and it's certainly worth a visit if you are likely to be in London.</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We also had a stroll along the South Bank to see some of the exhibitions staged in honour of the anniversary of the Festival of Britain (also 60 this year) and happened to bump into my lovely neice who was having a birthday outing too - now wasn't that a coincidence?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Another rare treat was the opportunity to see all the exhibitors and trade stands at FibreEast, the first event of its kind locally in support of <a href="http://www.campaignforwool.org/">The Campaign for Wool</a>. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There's a button on the left to link to their website. Two marquees full of fibre to bedazzle the eye and tempt you to touch. What joy! Lots of it was aimed at spinners and knitters, but that didn't put this felter off, oh no siree. No chance of going home with any money left in my purse that day!</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> One real delight was to meet </span><a href="http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConGallery.130/imageIndex/1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sara</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> whose fibres I have used in my felting for a while. It was brilliant to be able to see some of her limited edition batts up close and I did eventually make my mind up about which two to purchase.</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Further round the marquee I watched someone felting with a proper multiple needle-holder and realised that this was what I needed instead of the single needles which which I'm always drawing blood. So, with new needles and some of Sara's artistic batts, I have made myself some hearts, using the batts as a base and embellishing them with alpaca fibres I got in a swap a while ago from Loco Lindy the Lama Farmer</span> (<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">true).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELgk3muuVWM/TjefNaEw6_I/AAAAAAAADBA/G_JXIRg0mIs/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELgk3muuVWM/TjefNaEw6_I/AAAAAAAADBA/G_JXIRg0mIs/s400/035.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2fZ6chAU_E/TjefQgIwhhI/AAAAAAAADBE/FrP2z7UuEI4/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2fZ6chAU_E/TjefQgIwhhI/AAAAAAAADBE/FrP2z7UuEI4/s400/032.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bn_eCG0CY1I/TjefJ177NAI/AAAAAAAADA8/1L_rz6j34So/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bn_eCG0CY1I/TjefJ177NAI/AAAAAAAADA8/1L_rz6j34So/s320/038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I also bought some bits of lightly-felted blanket in lovely shades and some cute ceramic buttons with doggies on them and made a few brooches just for fun.</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">These fairtrade buttons are made in Johannesburg and sold in this country by <a href="http://www.injabulo.com/">Injabulo</a>, who are having a stall at the Festival of Quilts. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KlRdnVWDDqY/TjfEPhlF5HI/AAAAAAAADBw/Jq7iziRaVBw/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KlRdnVWDDqY/TjfEPhlF5HI/AAAAAAAADBw/Jq7iziRaVBw/s320/025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> I loved their beads made from magazine pages too, and I'm planning to make some felt beads to go with them and construct a necklace or two. They are made in Botswana </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">under the auspices of <i><a href="http://www.mothersforall.org/how">mothersforall</a></i>, a charitable organisation teaching skills to women who are caring for children orphaned by AIDS. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Saturday's treat was an outing to Audley End for a picnic concert. So we joined the 9,998 other people sitting in the blazing sunshine on the hillside behind the house and ate our picnic listening (on headphones) to Test Match Special and the thrilling end of the first day's play in the second Test against India at Trent Bridge while we waited for the main attraction to appear on stage. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8SSsigiI5Y/TjegDcZ45EI/AAAAAAAADBk/mr-JGHMUT0Y/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8SSsigiI5Y/TjegDcZ45EI/AAAAAAAADBk/mr-JGHMUT0Y/s400/008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxH9Xu46T1k/Tjef_m7YwOI/AAAAAAAADBg/7ccU8rDF1Z0/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxH9Xu46T1k/Tjef_m7YwOI/AAAAAAAADBg/7ccU8rDF1Z0/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">No idea who all these people are, but <i>somewhere</i> in there was <a href="http://ginaferrari.blogspot.com/">Gina of Fan My Flame</a>! Please go and visit her blog to see the wonderful snippet of video she took of the occasion</span>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">You'll see from her clip that the star attraction was Tom Jones! He certainly gave us a magnificent evening's entertainment, I can't believe what a wonderfully strong voice he still has at the age of 71. And, of course, we boogied (is that the right word? I'm so out of touch with these things....) and sang along to Delilah at the tops of our voices. What a fireworks display there was at the end - surely the best I've ever seen - just magic.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hhTR7ZYHyqQ/Tje951BDR6I/AAAAAAAADBs/rB42W3ZEPxw/s1600/audley-end-fireworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hhTR7ZYHyqQ/Tje951BDR6I/AAAAAAAADBs/rB42W3ZEPxw/s400/audley-end-fireworks.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> (not my photo)</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm sorry my blogging has been a bit inconsistent lately, not only v. busy, but having trouble with laptop and IE, so trying Firefox just to see if it helps. So far so good ....</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Have a great week - what have you got planned?</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: x-large;">Chrissie x </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></span></div><br />
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</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-3810085053782837392011-07-10T07:23:00.005+01:002011-07-10T07:32:51.549+01:00CAKE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GtORRyDdd84/ThiOkEVa9YI/AAAAAAAADAc/Lie0L_aCUtM/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GtORRyDdd84/ThiOkEVa9YI/AAAAAAAADAc/Lie0L_aCUtM/s400/001.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I find that CAKE usually gets the attention of bloggers! This was my offering for the table at our fund-raising teaparty in a pretty garden in the village. We had so many kind people offering to bake cakes that I was able to be very generous with the size of the slices we served to go with the dainty cucumber sandwiches. Can you see my bunting on the trellis? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBw0OhfoE3k/ThiOZEw2KDI/AAAAAAAADAY/UBCCXeYYRcI/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBw0OhfoE3k/ThiOZEw2KDI/AAAAAAAADAY/UBCCXeYYRcI/s400/003.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">More cake - this time for my birthday lunch and made for me by a kind friend. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EFKyiuMnM94/ThiN7x9maAI/AAAAAAAADAQ/IIZkRF5zl6A/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EFKyiuMnM94/ThiN7x9maAI/AAAAAAAADAQ/IIZkRF5zl6A/s400/015.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some tomato tarts, heart-shaped in honour of my neice and her fiance who joined us for lunch to share news of their wedding plans for the New Year.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D_6GRV2xIzc/ThiOIWvAJPI/AAAAAAAADAU/H67uLBIKGio/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D_6GRV2xIzc/ThiOIWvAJPI/AAAAAAAADAU/H67uLBIKGio/s400/011.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And some scrummy punnets of fresh fruit to end the meal, just to counteract all those cakey calories!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXLHDCvi_BA/ThiOpdsgznI/AAAAAAAADAg/8SHeiXcD0JE/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXLHDCvi_BA/ThiOpdsgznI/AAAAAAAADAg/8SHeiXcD0JE/s400/016.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Today is the exciting day that the Postman's Knock cards are all received. This stunning version of my <em>New York! New York!</em> theme is from Joanna, who made a lovely envelope out of an old map of North America and inside was the very bling version of Liberty against a backdrop of the Manhattan street grids. Liberty is portrayed as a version of the goddess Kali, who is perhaps enticing emigrants into Ellis Island with promises of prosperity. I thought it was a most thoughtful interpretation and a very precious addition to my collection.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ3X0MDKRiI/ThiN0k6GMQI/AAAAAAAADAM/ZyQXGnaqbC4/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ3X0MDKRiI/ThiN0k6GMQI/AAAAAAAADAM/ZyQXGnaqbC4/s400/034.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I forgot to take a photo of the <em>Taking Flight</em> one I sent to Lesley this time, but it's on the <a href="http://postmansknock.blogspot.com/2011/07/taking-flight-8.html">Postman's Knock</a> blog if you care to see it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Another big treat today was a visit to <a href="http://ginaferrari.blogspot.com/2011/07/fifteen-minutes-of-fame.html">Gina's Open Studio</a>. And it was 'two for the price of one' on meeting-the-bloggers front, as <a href="http://vintagerockchick-gill.blogspot.com/2011/07/photograph.html">Gill from VintageRockChick</a> was there too. I had met Gina before when she came to talk to our Embroiderers Guild, but it was great to get to talk to Gill for the first time, having laughed at her blog for so long! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We knew we were in the right place when we caught sight of the red phone box that Gina had decorated with her <a href="http://ginaferrari.blogspot.com/2011/07/fifteen-minutes-of-fame.html">mobile-phoning figures</a>. They were incredible close-up! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I think my favourite thing when visiting someone's studio is to explore their sketchbooks - I love to see how ideas develop and are recorded, which is something I'm just hopeless at. Gina's were real works of art. I did have a bone to pick with her, though, because her tidy studio was held up to me by my husband as the epitome of how a workroom should be kept. He rode rough-shod over my stuttering excuses. Nothing for it then, I'll need to have a clear-out.......</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">If you can get to Gina's studio, it is open again next weekend and the details are on her blog. There's lots of exquisite work on display and great fun to be had with her sock monkeys and 'More Tea Vicar' teacosies!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Hope you're having a lovely weekend!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em> Chrissie</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-75469913401769899692011-06-26T08:45:00.000+01:002011-06-26T08:45:25.434+01:00heart bunting - vintage stylie<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well, I did threaten to bore you with bunting </span>....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Quomr50aa90/TgbYl4kKt1I/AAAAAAAAC_Y/glQYZ4bIfys/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Quomr50aa90/TgbYl4kKt1I/AAAAAAAAC_Y/glQYZ4bIfys/s400/018.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQwhIo9FR0E/TgbYqrshMCI/AAAAAAAAC_g/oDEhwRyjPcM/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQwhIo9FR0E/TgbYqrshMCI/AAAAAAAAC_g/oDEhwRyjPcM/s400/016.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I placed some vintage fabrics, thick cloths with unfinished embroidery transfers (I love the blue) and some bits of old traycloths and lace and bonded them to shirt-weight cotton, made a see-through heart template and decided where to cut out the shapes for best effect. Little bit of zig-zag sewing in places, a wee blue button and yards of twine and lo! we had bunting. This is my first attempt, but I think I'll make some more, maybe a bit smaller?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-baGQJzInHgI/TgbYxOR8I-I/AAAAAAAAC_o/PKezveZng98/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-baGQJzInHgI/TgbYxOR8I-I/AAAAAAAAC_o/PKezveZng98/s400/009.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This string is going with me to a Strawberry Day at the local watermill this afternoon, where I have been given a little sales table under "the hovel" - sounds delightful! However, I'm going to put a reasonably high price tag on it, and maybe it can come back home with me to hang in my lovely new kitchen!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hl9COz7yU4Q/TgbasRiqQmI/AAAAAAAADAI/nIu2AhDjitE/s1600/heart+bunting+mosaic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hl9COz7yU4Q/TgbasRiqQmI/AAAAAAAADAI/nIu2AhDjitE/s400/heart+bunting+mosaic.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">These little posy-corsage-brooch-thingies are coming with me too, but I'd prefer not to bring them home! They came about when I was showing a friend's daughter how to put a stalk on a piece of flat felt. She made herself a flower, which she had meant to have a thicker stalk on to make it stand up. However, I loved them the way they are and I had a go at developing the idea using the nuno technique and trapping some floral chiffon in the fibres and making some brooches. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bygw_GbpzNo/TgbabFqh48I/AAAAAAAAC_s/ocN2-pEqXuI/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bygw_GbpzNo/TgbabFqh48I/AAAAAAAAC_s/ocN2-pEqXuI/s320/026.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3Iy4ikVn48/TgbacrfQMWI/AAAAAAAAC_w/J16YcdsYUis/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3Iy4ikVn48/TgbacrfQMWI/AAAAAAAAC_w/J16YcdsYUis/s400/025.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The one below has no chiffon, just throwster's silk waste and flax fibres on the petals</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TtNyUcJKNZ8/Tgbai_SblWI/AAAAAAAAC_8/J3pq835QF8w/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TtNyUcJKNZ8/Tgbai_SblWI/AAAAAAAAC_8/J3pq835QF8w/s400/022.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> dark pink petals and floral chiffon</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4onar3PwaL0/TgbahGMsFyI/AAAAAAAAC_4/wcKsaLE_eBw/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4onar3PwaL0/TgbahGMsFyI/AAAAAAAAC_4/wcKsaLE_eBw/s400/023.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> white petals and floral chiffon, which I think is my fave - what do you think?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-199N4WkGWa8/TgbamhF-_aI/AAAAAAAADAE/9LynNya2b1E/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-199N4WkGWa8/TgbamhF-_aI/AAAAAAAADAE/9LynNya2b1E/s400/020.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The chiffon is a skirt I wore at every available opportunity when I was about 30 years younger than I am now and could get away with that Lady Di look ... nowadays it would be more sack-of-spuds (<em>King-Edward's</em> of course)!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOGMObI4JlY/TgbakajWdcI/AAAAAAAADAA/MiGR-srv5yo/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350px" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOGMObI4JlY/TgbakajWdcI/AAAAAAAADAA/MiGR-srv5yo/s400/021.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hope you're having a good weekend - what have you been up to? I'd love to hear, so do leave me a comment and tell me.</span></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Chrissie</span></em></span></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-86796221440200702132011-06-23T00:42:00.001+01:002011-06-23T08:54:34.253+01:00down the rabbit hole (and other feeble excuses)<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How can I have been too busy to blog? What is the world coming to? Didn't fall down a rabbit hole, but have been absent without leave. Fair amount of tedious stuff has filled my days, but not exclusively so. For example, I met <a href="http://jilltaylor-thirdagemusings.blogspot.com/2011/06/still-here.html">Jill</a>! I took a day off from committee works and whizzed over to Luton to visit her open studio exhibition. It was such a treat to meet her and be able to see her delicate and painstaking craft work and photographs and to chat to her about her sketchbooks. Such an inspiration. I bought one of her sweet needle-felted cards which I'll be getting framed to hang in my workroom. I specially love the little french knots worked in multi-coloured thread on the pink flower heads. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRg0YyVGh9U/TgJkZml7aeI/AAAAAAAAC-U/3AmHeeyJ6zw/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRg0YyVGh9U/TgJkZml7aeI/AAAAAAAAC-U/3AmHeeyJ6zw/s400/001.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Also not tedious was this scrummy pud</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i8E3pEIYkJw/TgJleyxL_JI/AAAAAAAAC-8/dqPzzzIM1Xk/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i8E3pEIYkJw/TgJleyxL_JI/AAAAAAAAC-8/dqPzzzIM1Xk/s320/028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> eaten here</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFE7FYfcu9I/TgJlKJ783AI/AAAAAAAAC-w/XD9DTFJy98k/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFE7FYfcu9I/TgJlKJ783AI/AAAAAAAAC-w/XD9DTFJy98k/s320/033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">at a friend's special birthday lunch.</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We had a great day with lots of fun and laughter. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And someone I have never met, but whom I know to be a very lovely lady indeed, made me a gift which I shall treasure. <a href="http://carolynsaxby.blogspot.com/2011/06/sparkle-of-sea.html">Carolyn</a> has just recently opened an <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/cornishpebbles">Etsy shop</a>, which is a rip-roaring success already, not surprisingly. She has been making tyvek beads which have miraculously turned into veritable Byzantine jewels and she generously sent me some beautiful turquoise and gold ones. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WlhEGNCpvEY/TgJk8RkOShI/AAAAAAAAC-k/kv_qtQ60jb4/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WlhEGNCpvEY/TgJk8RkOShI/AAAAAAAAC-k/kv_qtQ60jb4/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've always loved Carolyn's St.Ives-inspired hearts and I couldn't believe that she created one just for me.</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What kindness.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JwXfIjnUulI/TgJlVOlljwI/AAAAAAAAC-4/_bWzBe-KcB4/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JwXfIjnUulI/TgJlVOlljwI/AAAAAAAAC-4/_bWzBe-KcB4/s400/005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lr67THPLi14/TgJlBfG7v0I/AAAAAAAAC-o/ADBNgiwfjAg/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lr67THPLi14/TgJlBfG7v0I/AAAAAAAAC-o/ADBNgiwfjAg/s400/006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Isn't it amazing? I adore this delicate knitted shoreline and the little quayside cottage. There's so much to see and explore in this fascinating work of art. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Not in the same league, sadly, but I have been felting one or two heart brooches - this is my attempt at being exuberant .... and resisting the usual strong urge to tidy, neaten, snip and straighten. I quite like this red and orange one, which has bits of an old Indian bag that fell to pieces through being loved to much. But the ones below just look a bit scruffy to me. Probably because I rebelliously and repeatedly stabbed them with my little pointy scissors!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAoxhvLBzjg/TgJlRMwEzbI/AAAAAAAAC-0/lF4o0V_eZsg/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAoxhvLBzjg/TgJlRMwEzbI/AAAAAAAAC-0/lF4o0V_eZsg/s400/048.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sPSg2r2C9xg/TgJlmrAoDWI/AAAAAAAAC_A/N1qJGZxW1-o/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sPSg2r2C9xg/TgJlmrAoDWI/AAAAAAAAC_A/N1qJGZxW1-o/s400/046.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Using some avocado skin dyed fabrics which I got from <a href="http://gerdiary.blogspot.com/2011/06/c-d-e.html">Heike</a> last year, I stitched some little stitcheries to make into greetings cards</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2CbugHGheLA/TgJkh2wJBeI/AAAAAAAAC-c/DRZ0yTxkhJk/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2CbugHGheLA/TgJkh2wJBeI/AAAAAAAAC-c/DRZ0yTxkhJk/s400/008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JgILHJjRL4s/TgJkogrMkHI/AAAAAAAAC-g/Kp1ncY062qo/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JgILHJjRL4s/TgJkogrMkHI/AAAAAAAAC-g/Kp1ncY062qo/s400/010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HU6q9xJau58/TgJmd1DrzgI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/l04jWlTSOv8/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HU6q9xJau58/TgJmd1DrzgI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/l04jWlTSOv8/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And <a href="http://printedmaterial.blogspot.com/2011/06/wimbledon-sort-of.html">Lesley</a> might recognise some of the snippets in the blue versions. I've incorporated my indigo bits with some hand-dyed lovelies that came from Lesley's Shed. The snippets of lace were out of my Erosion Bundle - they were buried in the compost heap and took some dye from screen-printed fabric they were wrapped up with.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZgn2a_imz8/TgJmRs-c4SI/AAAAAAAAC_E/WmHT4_93kIk/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZgn2a_imz8/TgJmRs-c4SI/AAAAAAAAC_E/WmHT4_93kIk/s400/005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">mother-of-pearl buttons and</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNQ14TKZkpg/TgJmUUgh7bI/AAAAAAAAC_I/7G7tCXXWQUU/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNQ14TKZkpg/TgJmUUgh7bI/AAAAAAAAC_I/7G7tCXXWQUU/s400/004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">pink knots</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ylf8wonhaI/TgJmWiG6e2I/AAAAAAAAC_M/tn2Kek6hTfs/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ylf8wonhaI/TgJmWiG6e2I/AAAAAAAAC_M/tn2Kek6hTfs/s400/003.JPG" width="342" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And, see, I <em>can</em> do loose threads and frayed edges .... but I did hide the stabby-scissors.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I was going to make you hang on for some more photos of some cards I made today, but I think you've persevered long enough. However, those who come back in a day or two will be rewarded not only with pictures of greetings cards, but with views of bunting. <em>Heart-shaped</em> bunting. Aha, <em>now</em> I've got your attention.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em>Chrissie x</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<em></em>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-12398254459951165412011-05-31T16:05:00.002+01:002011-05-31T16:27:38.073+01:00Is this a 'Collection', or just 'More than One of its Kind'?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've decided that there's a difference between a collector and someone who just owns more than one of everything. When I was looking around for something to contribute to <a href="http://printedmaterial.blogspot.com/2011/05/wedding-collection.html">Lesley's challenge</a> to other bloggers to show their collections, I couldn't help concluding that I definitely fall into the latter category. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My stamp-collecting passion faded in about 1962, having survived an attempt by my youngest sister to chew most of my Magyar Posta treasures, perhaps because they portrayed soft fruits of the region.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JtgKNpdWKs/TeT8OJ6RwKI/AAAAAAAAC80/1O3s4kSD9x0/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JtgKNpdWKs/TeT8OJ6RwKI/AAAAAAAAC80/1O3s4kSD9x0/s320/009.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Since then, although I have gathered a lot of stuff around me, it's been more a case of <em>"oh there's one of those things I've already got two of, perhaps I'd better get it to go with the others".</em><em> </em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Many many moons ago, I developed a keen nose for identifying places that Victorians dumped their household waste. Not necessarily the most useful faculty, I grant you, but digging up an old rubbish-dump did provide an occasional diversion when the weekend had little else to offer. As a result, I became the proud owner of a large collection of Bovril jars. They were thankfully disposed of long ago, but I did keep a handful of little bottles just for sentimental reasons.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIHpl-VtIDc/TeTwPJYxcjI/AAAAAAAAC8I/nqaskIIod1M/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="391px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIHpl-VtIDc/TeTwPJYxcjI/AAAAAAAAC8I/nqaskIIod1M/s400/008.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>ribbed bottles, denoting that the contents could be poisonous if taken in quantity</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGpsW5Md5Ks/TeTwctq8ZYI/AAAAAAAAC8M/2FyP91d8r64/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGpsW5Md5Ks/TeTwctq8ZYI/AAAAAAAAC8M/2FyP91d8r64/s400/007.JPG" t8="true" width="311px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>oh, I seem to have kept one teenytiny Bovril jar after all.... </em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>hardly big enough to contain a tablespoonful</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QEqqnaD-_ow/TeTwmF04saI/AAAAAAAAC8Q/VCbHEBcHG4E/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QEqqnaD-_ow/TeTwmF04saI/AAAAAAAAC8Q/VCbHEBcHG4E/s320/006.JPG" t8="true" width="270px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Eiffel Tower fruit juice bottle</span></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nq8EeCQ1e0g/TeTwne6eNQI/AAAAAAAAC8U/Ks_6N4JjFZY/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nq8EeCQ1e0g/TeTwne6eNQI/AAAAAAAAC8U/Ks_6N4JjFZY/s400/005.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #1c2837; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Foster Clark company was founded by George (who was for a while Mayor of Maidstone in Kent) in 1890 and these pale green glass bottles contained concentrated lemon juice, probably used more for culinary purposes than for drinking.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7CcIk0CeJJI/TeT1944_nxI/AAAAAAAAC8k/qpu8_e_jesM/s1600/2008_0226newcamera0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7CcIk0CeJJI/TeT1944_nxI/AAAAAAAAC8k/qpu8_e_jesM/s400/2008_0226newcamera0075.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">These stoneware ink bottles were picked up in a ploughed field (near Ayot St. Lawrence, the home of George Bernard Shaw - do you think he dipped his knib in them?) and I am truly besotted with them. I love the colour, the weight, the warmth, shape and size of them and admire the way they withstood many years' daily use and survived being buried for years before I came across them. They are always out on display somewhere, so that I can see them all the time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kibp0lwjWlg/TeT17HLbI8I/AAAAAAAAC8g/YR6Yt2OH4Sg/s1600/2008_0226newcamera0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kibp0lwjWlg/TeT17HLbI8I/AAAAAAAAC8g/YR6Yt2OH4Sg/s320/2008_0226newcamera0035.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">These old broken clay pipes are special, too. I love the decorative detail they have been given, despite the fact that they were workaday objects destined to have a very short life. My vegetable garden is always turning up pipe-stems, broken by their owner probably 100 years ago or more.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I invariably rescue any bits of broken china I find in the garden or when walking alongside a ploughed field. Lots of it is blue-and-white, maybe a cup handle or the rim of a marmalade jar. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3QXqHwKo2EI/TeT8Jvq7GvI/AAAAAAAAC8s/FB8yNKZ1uwE/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3QXqHwKo2EI/TeT8Jvq7GvI/AAAAAAAAC8s/FB8yNKZ1uwE/s320/013.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEyQ7C-SjqI/TeT8MdlhVvI/AAAAAAAAC8w/0pEA9T0OP84/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEyQ7C-SjqI/TeT8MdlhVvI/AAAAAAAAC8w/0pEA9T0OP84/s320/010.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">this one is a strange one, with a little hatchling making its way into the world</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDSrGwqhJwU/TeT8IPo8M2I/AAAAAAAAC8o/xZTLkihuSq0/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDSrGwqhJwU/TeT8IPo8M2I/AAAAAAAAC8o/xZTLkihuSq0/s400/017.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Bits of broken china were an important part of my mum's play in the late 1920's. In the back yard of her Glasgow home, mud pies were made and sold, the local currency being small shards of broken plate found in the household tip. Anything with a gold rim was</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">treasure indeed. It must be in my genes!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What do <em>you</em> collect?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"> Chrissie</span></div></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-74242019995685194712011-05-29T09:15:00.002+01:002011-05-29T12:38:22.232+01:00Paint the Town with Joy, (and other happinesses)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SBO0ZSdNQCU/TeH58am54MI/AAAAAAAAC8A/Y1wDEAAMOMQ/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SBO0ZSdNQCU/TeH58am54MI/AAAAAAAAC8A/Y1wDEAAMOMQ/s400/014.JPG" t8="true" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Making some little owls for a woodland-themed craft demo on Monday</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9cajij3uQkE/TeH0zPgo8CI/AAAAAAAAC7E/HCoPAlXcBEc/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9cajij3uQkE/TeH0zPgo8CI/AAAAAAAAC7E/HCoPAlXcBEc/s400/016.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-baxh_tf_abA/TeH1BPT0ddI/AAAAAAAAC7I/yhdggd_4-18/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-baxh_tf_abA/TeH1BPT0ddI/AAAAAAAAC7I/yhdggd_4-18/s320/017.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A wonderful addition to my <em>New York New York!</em> postcard swap collection, beautifully made by </span><a href="http://www.suebrownprintmaker.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sue</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Click on the this <a href="http://postmansknock.blogspot.com/2011/05/yee-ha-ride-em-cowboy-5.html">Postman's Knock</a> link to see the latest batch, including the <em>Yee-Ha! Ride 'em Cowboy </em>one that I made for Jo. Can't seem to access the photo to post on here for you .....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We've all had a lot of problems with loading, logging in, commenting etc. on Blogger at the moment, so please excuse me if it seems I haven't visited you lately. Not for want of trying on my part!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMeB3yz4jxc/TeH1qmnARfI/AAAAAAAAC7g/1jZZfrYeKig/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMeB3yz4jxc/TeH1qmnARfI/AAAAAAAAC7g/1jZZfrYeKig/s400/005.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And a few random Spanish holiday snaps, just to brighten a dull day. Wind and rain and cloudy skies here at the moment, but at least not the torrential hailstorm we had the other day when I had to give shelter to passers-by who were in danger of getting concussion!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7KWMExsEmnE/TeH3p0R1KiI/AAAAAAAAC7w/rXolPYG4TuU/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7KWMExsEmnE/TeH3p0R1KiI/AAAAAAAAC7w/rXolPYG4TuU/s400/017.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://jardins.caproig.cat/">Cap Roig botanical gardens</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kV5bnCTSJaI/TeH2eHNapAI/AAAAAAAAC7s/aov0gkhByh0/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kV5bnCTSJaI/TeH2eHNapAI/AAAAAAAAC7s/aov0gkhByh0/s400/014.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxNrmTG7iUo/TeH1_ECHCOI/AAAAAAAAC7o/9rGB_ytTHoU/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxNrmTG7iUo/TeH1_ECHCOI/AAAAAAAAC7o/9rGB_ytTHoU/s400/010.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Calella de Palafrugell</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M62iVsX7YP8/TeH1zeotVqI/AAAAAAAAC7k/puxAyczCdR4/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="290px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M62iVsX7YP8/TeH1zeotVqI/AAAAAAAAC7k/puxAyczCdR4/s400/047.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">shell-seeker</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk13C1oR290/TeH3v3XDcMI/AAAAAAAAC70/R25v1j8Wxrk/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk13C1oR290/TeH3v3XDcMI/AAAAAAAAC70/R25v1j8Wxrk/s400/071.JPG" t8="true" width="300px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Aigua Blava</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft1S5gnEH1o/TeH35cSMnKI/AAAAAAAAC74/4mEovGo6nYw/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft1S5gnEH1o/TeH35cSMnKI/AAAAAAAAC74/4mEovGo6nYw/s400/051.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">footprints in the sand</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8d1Onv32bY/TeH3_vS_IhI/AAAAAAAAC78/wxOth_7-3w8/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8d1Onv32bY/TeH3_vS_IhI/AAAAAAAAC78/wxOth_7-3w8/s400/053.JPG" t8="true" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">souvenirs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WEZrXa_OXE/TeH-zX0E4BI/AAAAAAAAC8E/sBCHicg3BY0/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WEZrXa_OXE/TeH-zX0E4BI/AAAAAAAAC8E/sBCHicg3BY0/s400/002.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Hope this helped to brighten the day!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em>Chrissie</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div></div></div></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-72635858869775778652011-05-25T16:27:00.001+01:002011-05-25T16:28:22.028+01:00Shibori and The Tramp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vASCE1XseQ8/Td0VY7AIGaI/AAAAAAAAC6g/1BZJCvW9HLs/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vASCE1XseQ8/Td0VY7AIGaI/AAAAAAAAC6g/1BZJCvW9HLs/s400/004.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Back from sunny Spain, I decided to waste no time and set-to tying up pebbles with rubber bands in cotton sheeting,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4atjxmP_54/Td0Vae-Em7I/AAAAAAAAC6k/vGU5sQLF6hE/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4atjxmP_54/Td0Vae-Em7I/AAAAAAAAC6k/vGU5sQLF6hE/s320/005.JPG" t8="true" width="240px" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">wrapping more sheeting round a drainpipe and securing with string and thread,</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk5YQHNIKWA/Td0Vb2W--pI/AAAAAAAAC6o/v108634H8eA/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk5YQHNIKWA/Td0Vb2W--pI/AAAAAAAAC6o/v108634H8eA/s320/006.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and sewing circles and pulling up the thread to wrinkle the fabric.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Ready to dunk everything in an indigo dyebath.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Look what came out -</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">clamped with clothes pegs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1G0G2gksDZo/Td0UURi2uzI/AAAAAAAAC5w/10R4jPAR2MU/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1G0G2gksDZo/Td0UURi2uzI/AAAAAAAAC5w/10R4jPAR2MU/s400/028.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">concertina folds</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">clamped with bulldog clips and pegs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owisNmKHbtk/Td0UYN81sJI/AAAAAAAAC50/3JbqklIZ9JE/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owisNmKHbtk/Td0UYN81sJI/AAAAAAAAC50/3JbqklIZ9JE/s320/026.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">string wrapped </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Hw8CdT9N-c/Td0UlqfCFgI/AAAAAAAAC54/4Z80HXZeErU/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Hw8CdT9N-c/Td0UlqfCFgI/AAAAAAAAC54/4Z80HXZeErU/s320/023.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h7_qyuWZ9Kc/Td0UpHOz3EI/AAAAAAAAC58/2QlzSK98Po4/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h7_qyuWZ9Kc/Td0UpHOz3EI/AAAAAAAAC58/2QlzSK98Po4/s400/022.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">marbles secured with rubber bands</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DAxlwroqaxQ/Td0VQYytvtI/AAAAAAAAC6M/2Sp4nrelEM4/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DAxlwroqaxQ/Td0VQYytvtI/AAAAAAAAC6M/2Sp4nrelEM4/s400/017.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> here are the stitched circles</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jqGIu9I6HjA/Td0VDU0D8HI/AAAAAAAAC6I/r8OgHiqwUMs/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jqGIu9I6HjA/Td0VDU0D8HI/AAAAAAAAC6I/r8OgHiqwUMs/s320/018.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">the drainpipe wrapping</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrPsulHbvEQ/Td0Uy2agywI/AAAAAAAAC6E/1JDuJZ0p7B0/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrPsulHbvEQ/Td0Uy2agywI/AAAAAAAAC6E/1JDuJZ0p7B0/s400/019.JPG" t8="true" width="300px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlKqeTfB9Lc/Td0UvVrlFkI/AAAAAAAAC6A/PJYF78uR3OQ/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlKqeTfB9Lc/Td0UvVrlFkI/AAAAAAAAC6A/PJYF78uR3OQ/s320/020.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rjxh_6TNS-Q/Td0VSMd2XwI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/1WlJoHHv-W8/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rjxh_6TNS-Q/Td0VSMd2XwI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/1WlJoHHv-W8/s400/015.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uv_KTBLckzE/Td0VUjc_iFI/AAAAAAAAC6U/_sE04Uc3l-g/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uv_KTBLckzE/Td0VUjc_iFI/AAAAAAAAC6U/_sE04Uc3l-g/s320/014.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">more pegs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VzDtg_U28YU/Td0VWBbKCRI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/I1axJPZktuM/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VzDtg_U28YU/Td0VWBbKCRI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/I1axJPZktuM/s400/013.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> marbles and drawn-up stitching (looking mightily like dental x-rays!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70AULO_PAXE/Td0VXoyfu6I/AAAAAAAAC6c/0HNv-Sb67fI/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70AULO_PAXE/Td0VXoyfu6I/AAAAAAAAC6c/0HNv-Sb67fI/s320/009.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Although I loved the workshop and simply can't wait to try it again at home, the day didn't end well. We had been told to wear old clothes and shoes and to take quite a lot of 'props' for the various techniques we would be trying out. So when a misunderstanding seemed to have arisen about my being collected and driven home at the end of the day, I set off walking, expecting to meet the car at any moment. I ended up tramping all the way home. 'Tramping' could not be a more appropriate term, bearing in mind my tattered and faded combat trousers, gardening shoes and old grandad shirt covered in big splotches of red paint. I looked as if I'd had a severe nosebleed, or been stabbed. And of course I was carrying a collection of plastic bags, drainpipes and a bucket full of pebbles. Three miles is a long way to try and keep your head held high and remain dignified when the passengers of every passing vehicle obviously recognise you as a dangerous and probably pongy old bag-lady. No, don't ask me why I didn't have a mobile phone with me.....that's not helpful.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">T</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">hat was Monday. On Tuesday things definitely began to look up when friend Charlotte and her daughter came to learn how to make felt. What a wonderful time we had - they were keen and quickly picked up the technique and had lots of ideas about colour combinations and things to add to and trap in the felt. We started off making bobbles and 'sausages', to get the feel for the process and soon the kitchen was full of glorious drying felt. It was a very rewarding and inspiring day for me and I loved seeing how the girls wanted to use what they'd learned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em> Chrissie </em></span></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-30773583514222332882011-05-15T18:43:00.000+01:002011-05-15T18:43:39.907+01:00New York New York! and a magpie's nest<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Most of you will probably know that Blogger had a glitch for a couple of days and although I got my last post resinstated, the comments that went with it were lost. Now that's a great shame, as they were very very funny indeed. I was 'accused' of cutting and pasting pages out of the Boden catalogue just to make it look like I had attractive relatives! This seemed to initiate a spate of people resolving to dispose of all their family photos and just use magazine pictures instead. I have a suspicion that most of us would probably end up being 'related' to George Clooney!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29iiVqU3syE/Tc_RmDEoI2I/AAAAAAAAC44/4DquzTDfY2A/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29iiVqU3syE/Tc_RmDEoI2I/AAAAAAAAC44/4DquzTDfY2A/s400/022.JPG" width="275px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The nephew pictured in the last posting was walking down a Manhattan street with his girlfriend and it reminded me of an older photo I have of him in that fair city. He lived there for a while when he was just a toddler and this is a photo of me pushing him in his stroller near the Rockefeller Centre .... I never imagined then that 30 years later he would be 6' 5" and that playing rugby would have rearranged his cute little button nose into about 5 different directions.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nOvpJnG2798/Tc_SChIwxwI/AAAAAAAAC5E/4tcHzL_OpMw/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nOvpJnG2798/Tc_SChIwxwI/AAAAAAAAC5E/4tcHzL_OpMw/s320/017.JPG" width="240px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I definitely do heart New York - and Lesley has captured this so beautifully in the latest postcard in our Postman's Knock swap. The felted lovely above was just one of the wonderful interpretations she produced - she always has a head so full of ideas that she can never rein in her generosity and produce just one thing.</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYhEk_cf_2E/Tc_SNay8XZI/AAAAAAAAC5U/HE-IbDn_eoU/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYhEk_cf_2E/Tc_SNay8XZI/AAAAAAAAC5U/HE-IbDn_eoU/s400/013.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I think this concertina card is just magical. The faded vintage pictures of the skyline are so evocative and have just the right kind of nostalgia attached to them. And so cleverly presented through the lens and viewfinder of an old camera. Brilliant!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LksjLocEuzw/Tc_SOscokCI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/f9dO0NKq5zw/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LksjLocEuzw/Tc_SOscokCI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/f9dO0NKq5zw/s400/012.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UfumkzXEu8E/Tc_SKWFJw1I/AAAAAAAAC5M/dxE4eER-Eew/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UfumkzXEu8E/Tc_SKWFJw1I/AAAAAAAAC5M/dxE4eER-Eew/s400/015.JPG" width="400px" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Look at all the layers of skyscrapers and landmarks that Lesley has incorporated into this 3D card.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KnPR4jA5tM/Tc_SI2MaPQI/AAAAAAAAC5I/P7HU0rkIB30/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KnPR4jA5tM/Tc_SI2MaPQI/AAAAAAAAC5I/P7HU0rkIB30/s400/016.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3N7CliS4RYE/Tc_SL6TPFpI/AAAAAAAAC5Q/7kXYLOWUCyA/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3N7CliS4RYE/Tc_SL6TPFpI/AAAAAAAAC5Q/7kXYLOWUCyA/s400/014.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And a well-travelled leather suitcase covered in fancy New York hotel stickers - </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">isn't it great?</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-59B7K1NrupQ/TdAOpWnwogI/AAAAAAAAC5s/Kddk7o0i10U/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-59B7K1NrupQ/TdAOpWnwogI/AAAAAAAAC5s/Kddk7o0i10U/s400/019.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And this is the card I made for Joanna, whose theme was 'Collections/Collecting'. I collaged a magpie out of scraps of paper from my <em>Toast House & Home</em> catalogue and made a shredded paper nest to fill with the magpie's collection of glittery things. I rather like the postcard I found to put it on and even discovered I had a magpie postage stamp.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INGaEmPGLGA/TdAL2q-AprI/AAAAAAAAC5g/89SqkFukB5A/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INGaEmPGLGA/TdAL2q-AprI/AAAAAAAAC5g/89SqkFukB5A/s400/008.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMOD7AiEgGg/TdAL6oBXgzI/AAAAAAAAC5k/sdEhVE_9CJA/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gMOD7AiEgGg/TdAL6oBXgzI/AAAAAAAAC5k/sdEhVE_9CJA/s400/007.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">OK - got to go and pack my bag for Spain - see you all in a few days!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Chrissie </span></div></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-2063157313471490742011-05-14T06:20:00.001+01:002011-05-14T06:21:36.720+01:00The Curate's Egg<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well, what's been happening around here? Curate's egg - "good in parts". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm not sure which category this falls into, but when I was walking to the postbox a man in a beat-up old van shouted "hello gorgeous" at me. When you're just about to turn 60 you can't be fussy, so I turned a blind eye to the fact that he had a face like a carved halloween pumpkin (only redder) and I smiled sweetly back at him. Just enough to be polite, you understand, not enough to lure him into further communication. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In other circumstances, this might have put a spring in my step. However, I've had a bad back and springing steps have been out of the question. I've therefore been under the physiotherapist, who referred to me as a "classic middle-aged gardener". Doesn't have quite the same ring as "hello gorgeous", but at least he wasn't gurning at me through the window of a rusty pick-up. Anyway, after he ground his bony knuckles into my spine for a bit and made me do some twisty contortions, I'm definitely on the mend. So that clearly falls into the <em>good </em>category.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Driving the car into a brick pillar (which, in my defence, was looking mightily like a hedge at the time) and denting (big-time) the front bumper definitely counts as <em>not good</em>. OK, reading that back, the fact that the wall was disguised as a hedge is no defence at all. The insurance company didn't seem to think so anyhow.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><u>Firmly</u> in the <em>good</em> section are four things to look forward to. A few days away paddling in the Mediterranean here;</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L19UZEikcaI/Tcu7fFdyoOI/AAAAAAAAC4o/ElqYcOI1MTg/s1600/aigua+blava+steps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L19UZEikcaI/Tcu7fFdyoOI/AAAAAAAAC4o/ElqYcOI1MTg/s400/aigua+blava+steps.JPG" t8="true" width="300px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a visit from my nephew and his American fiancee; </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7TcWKNNtNAM/Tcu7g8TbPQI/AAAAAAAAC4s/sFp12xds4Go/s1600/melissaandjames2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7TcWKNNtNAM/Tcu7g8TbPQI/AAAAAAAAC4s/sFp12xds4Go/s320/melissaandjames2.jpg" t8="true" width="216px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a workshop day learning <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibori">shibori</a> and dyeing the results in an indigo vat; and the next day teaching a friend and her daughter how to wet-felt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oh, five things - on Saturday opening <a href="http://printedmaterial.blogspot.com/2011/05/back-to-school.html">Lesley's</a> parcel which contains her NEW YORK NEW YORK postcard in this round of Postman's Knock. Can't wait!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Hope you all have a good weekend when it arrives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em> Chrissie</em></span> </span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sorry to everyone who left those really funny comments - Blogger has managed to delete them in the past two days ....</span></strong></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-33265714120577662122011-05-03T10:35:00.000+01:002011-05-03T10:35:31.301+01:00From the Cotswolds to Manhattan<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What a weekend! We watched The Wedding, of course, and loved every minute. That Kate is going to be a real asset to the Royal Family. My feelings about some of the guests are perfectly summed-up by Hannah Betts' hilariously scathing article in the Telegraph - <a href="http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/Article/TMG8484892/121/Royal-wedding-the-best-of-styles-the-worst-of-styles.html">http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/Article/TMG8484892/121/Royal-wedding-the-best-of-styles-the-worst-of-styles.html</a>.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">But the highlight of the weekend for me was, of course, the chance to meet <a href="http://printedmaterial.blogspot.com/2011/05/weekend-activity.html">Lesley</a> and <a href="http://menopausalmusing.blogspot.com/2011/05/pimping-postcards-and-papier-mache.html">Cathy</a>, who were in Stroud for the International Textiles Fair and taking part in a workshop. Richard and I drove through the beautiful sun-drenched Cotswold countryside to join them for a cuppa. We stopped on the way at <a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/davidlloyd/images/painswick.jpg">Painswick</a>, the quintessential Cotswold village, golden stone, delectable architecture and fascinating history. We had lunch in the courtyard of a <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENGB325&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=painswick+pubs&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=pubs&hnear=Painswick,+Stroud&cid=14890366643100280403">tiny pub</a> - Richard had a pint of <strike>Fairy Liquid</strike> this award-winning local beer -</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ta7UWIb7ad8/Tb-_jJSY3AI/AAAAAAAAC4I/LXqQQm_HlPw/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ta7UWIb7ad8/Tb-_jJSY3AI/AAAAAAAAC4I/LXqQQm_HlPw/s400/009.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">apparently the hop leaves are left in to add colour.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Lesley suggested that we call in at the <a href="http://www.guildcrafts.org.uk/gallery.htm">Gloucester Guild of Craftsmen Gallery</a> while we were there and we found a room full of wonderful things. Silver jewellery, ceramics, woven textiles, prints and the most exquisite felted items. Purchases, needless to say, were made.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUD01Ffp6co/Tb_DsUfqYgI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/6oMdlCwRcN4/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322px" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUD01Ffp6co/Tb_DsUfqYgI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/6oMdlCwRcN4/s400/019.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">beautiful block-printed textile sketchbook by Sophia Blackwell</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Meeting Cathy and Lesley for tea was a real tonic - although they had already been laughing together all day in their workshop, they certainly had some giggling left in them to share with us. Lesley's inspired conspiracy to help me persuade Richard that I should use an electric sander for my felting was so subtly </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">introduced that even <em>I </em>didn't twig what was going on for a minute! And, if you are a dachshund owner, please contact me for a reference before asking Cathy to dog-sit....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Post</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">man's Knock, round 3, brought me this magnificent 3-D pop-up card from <a href="http://jeeandme.blogspot.com/">Jane</a> - full of my favourite Manhattan icons, even some bagels and a ticket for a Broadway show! </span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTQXSF2DfUs/Tb_D6GHaVPI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/Apj-u_jlq8Y/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261px" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTQXSF2DfUs/Tb_D6GHaVPI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/Apj-u_jlq8Y/s400/017.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I made a 'Windows' card for Jill to add to her collection.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4e5ILv9MJCY/Tb_D768uKYI/AAAAAAAAC4c/i2yT41VCmU4/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4e5ILv9MJCY/Tb_D768uKYI/AAAAAAAAC4c/i2yT41VCmU4/s400/004.JPG" width="288px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My next card was due to be from Lesley, who decided to give it to me on Saturday when we met. She had sensibly taped it securely into a box, so that I couldn't poke it and prod it to get any clues, and suggested, quite forcibly, that I shouldn't open it until the appointed date, a fortnight hence. All I can say is, I've lasted this far ....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bd7ym7pk-9M/Tb_Dyd__ElI/AAAAAAAAC4U/Ljkf2hMabYA/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bd7ym7pk-9M/Tb_Dyd__ElI/AAAAAAAAC4U/Ljkf2hMabYA/s320/001.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">OK then, off to the physiotherapist for more pummelling for my poor old back!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em>Chrissie x</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-79194625819204767612011-04-29T08:57:00.004+01:002011-04-29T09:11:00.673+01:00A Lady for today only<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_Z8nIhbAKw/TbppjS6bDpI/AAAAAAAAC4E/Ey9KPZ9qTfU/s1600/keep+calm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_Z8nIhbAKw/TbppjS6bDpI/AAAAAAAAC4E/Ey9KPZ9qTfU/s400/keep+calm.jpg" width="282px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">this card</span> </u><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/eighteen9?ref=seller_info"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">available at eighteen9 on Etsy</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A friend on Facebook is encouraging us to make up a Royal Wedding name for the big occasion. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Start with Lady (or Lord)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pick the name of a grandparent for your first name</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Use the name of your first pet for your surname</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and '<em>of</em>' should be a street where you lived</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, for today, I'm <em>Lady Jessie Petrie Pooch of Trenchard</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">(curtseying deeply)</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">and he's <em>Lord Alfred Tigger of Beverley</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">(bowing from the waist)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What's your Royal Wedding name?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-81072643675505148502011-04-21T17:39:00.002+01:002011-04-22T08:03:58.814+01:00busy, busy, busy<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There must have been a lot happening in my life that kept me away from blogging here .... Let me think what's been happening ..... hmmmm</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Well, there was the craft fair, a proper one, in a big building with three floors of stalls. We had lots of 'grazers' but it took a while before we sold very much, though I did have several good customers and took a commission for a big necklace to send to a lovely lady. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WsyXDdm8ql4/Ta_c1CgJg_I/AAAAAAAAC3M/_NpXlZ3Nxew/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289px" i8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WsyXDdm8ql4/Ta_c1CgJg_I/AAAAAAAAC3M/_NpXlZ3Nxew/s320/002.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Other stallholders were saying that custom was a bit slow, so we wondered if it was because there were too many of us, but who knows. A wonderful ceramicist that I have come to know online but never had the chance to meet also had a stall that day - Karen from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/hodgepodgearts">hodgepodgearts</a>. I've bought a few things from her over the years and I was so tempted to sweep up all her beautifully-displayed wares. I managed to keep my purchases to some glazed ceramic beads, a cute button and a sweet little brooch. You have no idea how much willpower that took. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9dFZtjl8Mw/TbBVmEV8SpI/AAAAAAAAC3g/XsdlmADOt0k/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9dFZtjl8Mw/TbBVmEV8SpI/AAAAAAAAC3g/XsdlmADOt0k/s320/062.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">There was also a caff on site, with wodges of chocolate cake served by a young boy whose fingers were really clean - I know that because I saw him licking them. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FPuph2iUx4Y/TbBVkwsq55I/AAAAAAAAC3c/bMQ9_o3qKdI/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260px" i8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FPuph2iUx4Y/TbBVkwsq55I/AAAAAAAAC3c/bMQ9_o3qKdI/s320/064.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Then there was the concert that we organised as a fund-raiser in our Church Room. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A97GK-NFDdY/TbBVNFdnVVI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/daC8KklOcRU/s1600/093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" i8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A97GK-NFDdY/TbBVNFdnVVI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/daC8KklOcRU/s400/093.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">This is a 19th century building, opened by the Duchess of Bedford, and used as a resource not only for the church, but for the village as a whole. Since the only village shop closed (after an armed raid), we have had a little community shop housed in the Church Room and run by volunteers. Mostly the goods for sale are in a walk-in cupboard and the sales counter is an old school desk flanked by a wicker basket full of local eggs and a trolley groaning with penny sweeties. The Church Room is a wonderful place to go and dunk your digestives and catch up on the gossip. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">In preparation for our concert we had to move all the shop stock from the main room into the cupboard, so that the performers could use the stage area (about the size of your average dining room table!). And as the idea was to have the audience seated cabaret-style we had to put out all the tables and chairs early on in the day while the shop was open for business. Michael, the duty volunteer shop assistant, kindly worked around us. Sort of. He's a bit of an ivory tinkler himself, with an eclectic taste in music. While the committee got on with the furniture moving, Michael set up his iPod and selected some suitable musical accompaniment - Stephane Grapelli, Chopin then Bryan Ferry singing Cole Porter. And just when I thought we might have more or less got the job done, a lovely man who lives further up the lane wandered in with a bottle of last year's home-made raspberry gin and his pockets so full of shot glasses that I feared his trousers might fall down. The gin, and Bryan* crooning in the background, all rather put paid to my Head Girl attempts to keep everyone focussed on the task. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbBCz5UgTtg/TbBb4-3kcjI/AAAAAAAAC30/i88tBlmztUI/s1600/Bryan+ferry+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" i8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbBCz5UgTtg/TbBb4-3kcjI/AAAAAAAAC30/i88tBlmztUI/s400/Bryan+ferry+2.jpg" width="281px" /></a>*</div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I rented the premises myself last weekend. A small group of local ladies wanted to learn how to make felt, so I offered to do a workshop for them. I started everyone off learning how to wet-felt a bobble and a 'sausage', so that they could see how hot and soapy the water needed to be, how to handle the wool fibres, and how much pressure to exert at various stages of the felting and fulling process. Being a bright lot, they soon got the hang of it and wanted to get on with their own projects, which we had discussed earlier in the week. These included wrist warmers, a collection of bobbles with embellishments for a bangle, several pieces of flat felt which would be cut up to become a brooch and a small hanging with an imaginative representation of rock strata. It was wonderful, so inspiring and rewarding for me, and everyone having a very jolly time indeed. Stupidly I forgot to take any photos, but one thing I did remember was to make sure the door was locked so that friendly gentlemen with jingly pockets and bottles of rosy pink nectar couldn't come a-calling.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-58D3MIIsE_c/TbBWj1-bNYI/AAAAAAAAC3s/gBQ0O_Dtmnk/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-58D3MIIsE_c/TbBWj1-bNYI/AAAAAAAAC3s/gBQ0O_Dtmnk/s320/006.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Talking of workshops, <a href="http://www.hopeandelvis.com/">Louise of Hope & Elvis</a> produced a great little <a href="http://youtu.be/cRbiv_9vDfE">video of our Julie Arkell </a>one. I'm about 1 min 33 secs in, saying goodbye to Julie, me carrying a cardboard box and dressed head-to-toe in, well, <em>brown</em> - Julie looking gorgeous in a very gay collection of vintage garments. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnWeN1SmGKo/TbBWMaE8gLI/AAAAAAAAC3k/mNrF8lzFzTc/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272px" i8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnWeN1SmGKo/TbBWMaE8gLI/AAAAAAAAC3k/mNrF8lzFzTc/s400/004.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And for those of you who seemed excited at the prospect of being able to take part in such a thing, Julie is making a return visit to Hope & Elvis in 2012 - get your names down now!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVWqt_JIq1Y/TbBWYiQGjKI/AAAAAAAAC3o/bTJIX6RhOzo/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210px" i8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVWqt_JIq1Y/TbBWYiQGjKI/AAAAAAAAC3o/bTJIX6RhOzo/s400/005.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>a big Suffolk Puff bangle with workmen's buttons from my vast collection</em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Postman's Knock is going strong and we did our second swap last weekend. <a href="http://www.ginaferrari.co.uk/">Gina</a> sent me the most painstakingly stitched image of the Empire State Building wreathed in clouds. The intriguing pull-tag revealed ..... King Kong! Isn't it clever - I know it must have taken all Gina's ingenuity to work out how to do it.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JYKWkxyAdnQ/Ta_cyusTU9I/AAAAAAAAC3I/r3f7zsTiZ2U/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" i8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JYKWkxyAdnQ/Ta_cyusTU9I/AAAAAAAAC3I/r3f7zsTiZ2U/s400/007.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tHx0C_cryvM/Ta_b6K7rujI/AAAAAAAAC3E/JJVDLPg9nu0/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" i8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tHx0C_cryvM/Ta_b6K7rujI/AAAAAAAAC3E/JJVDLPg9nu0/s400/008.JPG" width="256px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I made <em>Angel Bright</em> to send to my latest swap partner. She does look a bit barmy for some reason. The angel, not my swap partner.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XgsxNTOGL74/TbBVbSxwxLI/AAAAAAAAC3Y/Nxd4YAQSABI/s1600/085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" i8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XgsxNTOGL74/TbBVbSxwxLI/AAAAAAAAC3Y/Nxd4YAQSABI/s400/085.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Best wishes,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em>Chrissie </em></span></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-898791962806596052011-04-04T11:35:00.000+01:002011-04-04T11:35:03.642+01:00"Taxi!"<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You may have read in a previous post that 12 friendly bloggers have pooled their various talents to take part in a fortnightly postcard swap, each having chosen a different theme for us all to illustrate as we wish. My theme is <em>NEW YORK NEW YORK!,</em> which it was Cathy's turn to illustrate. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We all posted our cards on Friday 1st April and most of the excited participants received them on Saturday. But, as I live in <strike>the Outer Hebrides</strike> north Bedfordshire, I always have to wait a day longer than everyone else and not only that, but rarely get a delivery before 11.00 a.m. So Cathy was drumming her fingers and drinking cups of coffee this morning, anxiously waiting to hear whether I'd received her creation.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mGLPdUmHLHQ/TZmdN6LYHmI/AAAAAAAAC2w/aOdoYxhzpfc/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mGLPdUmHLHQ/TZmdN6LYHmI/AAAAAAAAC2w/aOdoYxhzpfc/s400/021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Well, it was certainly worth the wait! I absolutely love her interpretation of the theme and the yellow cab is sooo realistic, I could just jump in and whizz off into the bright lights of Manhattan right now! And that cheeky and clever old Cathy has included a hilarious extra - try this - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">If you click on the Postman's Knock link on the right, you can see all the fab cards that have been changing hands for our first swap. They're all wonderful and I'm so glad I'm taking part, it's such fun!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em> Chrissie</em></span></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-77463288213559711252011-03-21T20:03:00.004+00:002011-03-21T21:15:49.186+00:00Julie Arkell workshop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Until quite recently I thought a Suffolk Puff would probably be served up as part of an East Anglian cream tea. It took a day with Julie Arkell to put me straight. Now I'm completely Puffed out.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CdlYK6MpI6U/TYeU7vgN4NI/AAAAAAAAC2I/ZvtPADigcUs/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CdlYK6MpI6U/TYeU7vgN4NI/AAAAAAAAC2I/ZvtPADigcUs/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I was very fortunate to discover that she was taking a workshop at the wonderful <a href="http://www.hopeandelvis.com/">Hope & Elvis</a> in Nottinghamshire and got my name and my sister's down early to secure a place. I can't tell you how excited I was. Nearly as excited as lovely <a href="http://www.hopeandelvis.com/gallery.html">Louise Presley</a> who arrived to open up the studio on Sunday morning and suddenly realised that she had forgotten to bring something. Something really important. Something that would spoil the day if it wasn't fetched at once. Something called Julie Arkell. Fortunately Julie was quickly gathered up and the day could start (once we'd all had coffee and cake). </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q8tM8nK-uVs/TYeUXDeQgWI/AAAAAAAAC1o/ZcEDi3nlGT0/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q8tM8nK-uVs/TYeUXDeQgWI/AAAAAAAAC1o/ZcEDi3nlGT0/s400/017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Julie told us about the quilt made of Puffs that had been displayed at the Quilt Exhibition at the V&A, each puff having a little central tuft of felt or thread, and how this had inspired her to make some brooches and bracelets using a similar technique. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fVY7ajxSucE/TYeUqun3aoI/AAAAAAAAC14/-3iCHdlW2mI/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fVY7ajxSucE/TYeUqun3aoI/AAAAAAAAC14/-3iCHdlW2mI/s400/007.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">She did a little demo and then we were invited to raid Louise's suitcases full of fabrics to start making our own. Most people plumped for making a bracelet and got their heads down to make the 8 or 9 puffs required. I was a bit slow off the mark chosing some fabric because I was lost in a magnificent reverie just absorbing all the heavenly surroundings. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5BsgfNajG1A/TYeUkGksDQI/AAAAAAAAC10/HFCtwrA6ryQ/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5BsgfNajG1A/TYeUkGksDQI/AAAAAAAAC10/HFCtwrA6ryQ/s400/011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_olvMPyUBEc/TYeUhLEB6uI/AAAAAAAAC1w/Jj65XyyPsDI/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_olvMPyUBEc/TYeUhLEB6uI/AAAAAAAAC1w/Jj65XyyPsDI/s400/012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Leather suitcases full of fabrics, tins of buttons of every size and hue, secret drawers hiding reel upon reel of thread, poppers, lace, pins and needles all stabbed into delightful pincushions. Little shelves held old toys and photographs and loveables of all sorts. And there was space, acres of it, to spread out and cut up fabric with big sharp proper tailor's scissors that went scrunch-crunch through the material. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GP7OcZjZLJY/TYeUaocHN8I/AAAAAAAAC1s/XGhEOD3iX_c/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GP7OcZjZLJY/TYeUaocHN8I/AAAAAAAAC1s/XGhEOD3iX_c/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As a result of this dreamy admiration, (and a lot of nattering and conspicuous cake consumption), I didn't actually get my bracelet finished before it was time to go home. So I finished it this morning. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DUjgEyz8-t4/TYeU0hbCsxI/AAAAAAAAC2E/BcsD9bTWL5Q/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DUjgEyz8-t4/TYeU0hbCsxI/AAAAAAAAC2E/BcsD9bTWL5Q/s400/023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-E5wbYKuY2Pg/TYeUQs8w34I/AAAAAAAAC1g/dh_EzQ3LFWQ/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-E5wbYKuY2Pg/TYeUQs8w34I/AAAAAAAAC1g/dh_EzQ3LFWQ/s400/024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The one below is the one my sister Rosie made while I ran and fetched her poppers, fabric to be auditioned, and suitable threads (and cake).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tIAT5lhP38Y/TYeUUDXWwLI/AAAAAAAAC1k/V0h6H-nmt34/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tIAT5lhP38Y/TYeUUDXWwLI/AAAAAAAAC1k/V0h6H-nmt34/s400/019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I think it has a Japanese flavour, don't you?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AmzsiY_pNCk/TYeUtQIuI0I/AAAAAAAAC18/2Ij-3G1-2qQ/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AmzsiY_pNCk/TYeUtQIuI0I/AAAAAAAAC18/2Ij-3G1-2qQ/s400/010.JPG" width="232" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Julie also showed us how to make the puffs into bunches of flowers to turn into a brooch</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fDy7O3ExySo/TYeUN3YfMBI/AAAAAAAAC1c/xDwtN5w3lQg/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fDy7O3ExySo/TYeUN3YfMBI/AAAAAAAAC1c/xDwtN5w3lQg/s400/001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and her wonderful charm bracelets and watches were also on display to inspire us</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XrjwRs5mgSY/TYeUyrCz2PI/AAAAAAAAC2A/BdBzZgNQcgA/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XrjwRs5mgSY/TYeUyrCz2PI/AAAAAAAAC2A/BdBzZgNQcgA/s400/003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and so was Stanley</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WcH-6aZdlp8/TYeydjz2g2I/AAAAAAAAC2Q/ZRcIg0jLkNE/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WcH-6aZdlp8/TYeydjz2g2I/AAAAAAAAC2Q/ZRcIg0jLkNE/s320/004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you ever are tempted to take part in a workshop and live within striking distance of Nottinghamshire, then don't hesitate to jump at the chance to go to Hope & Elvis. I thought <em>we</em> had driven a fair distance, 2 hours up the M1, and then I discovered that someone had come down from Dumfries for the day. I know she won't have regretted it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Did I mention the cake...?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CgRYf_bmOGc/TYexqd2Q-mI/AAAAAAAAC2M/oWxz6jA3ZsI/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CgRYf_bmOGc/TYexqd2Q-mI/AAAAAAAAC2M/oWxz6jA3ZsI/s400/020.JPG" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Stanley went home with Rosie ....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Hope you're having a good week!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><em>Chrissie</em></span></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-91189435293778686512011-03-11T07:16:00.005+00:002011-03-11T10:05:53.014+00:00Gert & Daisy*<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">May I introduce two new members of the clan?</span> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Xxd6LuvWnUE/TXj0UdVGNFI/AAAAAAAAC1I/r1WibbOdRqc/s1600/gert+and+daisy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Uc6UTKZLy3w/TXiR0ATaTLI/AAAAAAAAC0g/nDsT0pV5MAM/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Uc6UTKZLy3w/TXiR0ATaTLI/AAAAAAAAC0g/nDsT0pV5MAM/s400/005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Gert</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fAY-3ivmfaw/TXiRxtcgJVI/AAAAAAAAC0c/uY6s6NLGapY/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fAY-3ivmfaw/TXiRxtcgJVI/AAAAAAAAC0c/uY6s6NLGapY/s400/007.JPG" width="345" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Daisy</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">These two lovely ladies joined us last week. We saw them advertised online by a farmer who was giving up the free-range egg business after 25 years because the supermarkets don't pay him enough to cover the cost of his feed bills. Sad. Fortunately he has managed to sell nearly three thousand of the flock, with another two thousand still to go before the end of March.</span></div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So we drove over to Silverstone, just beside the Grand Prix circuit, and joined a queue of people waiting to load their hens into some pretty fancy modes of transport. Nothing less than a new Range Rover in most cases .... or at a pinch a BMW towing a horsebox.</span> R<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">eminded me of a comment in a recent Country Living article about keeping hens now being a 'lifestyle choice'!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When our turn came I was feeling slighty anxious that the hens might take one look at us, under-dressed as we were without the Hunter wellies and Puffa jacket, (not to mention a vehicle that is more than three years old), and refuse to get in our cardboard box with airholes in it, preferring to wait for a better offer. So when we were asked if we would like to come into the field and catch our own chickens, I said we'd be fine with two picked for us. My husband stipulated that he would like pretty ones. I'm not sure what the farmer's daughter made of this, but she did bring us these two sweet ladies who obviously passed muster in the glamour stakes! </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">*<a href="http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.8013"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Gert and Daisy</em></span></a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.8013"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Xxd6LuvWnUE/TXj0UdVGNFI/AAAAAAAAC1I/r1WibbOdRqc/s400/gert+and+daisy.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Settling them in has been a slightly troublesome business. Madge and Fanny are not impressed at having their quarters invaded by two young glamour-pusses and have been making it clear what the pecking order is. I hate all that, really hate it, so we've done our best to get them used to each other without subjecting the new girls to too much violence. Bedtime on the first night took an hour and a half to negotiate, but we're now down to ten minutes, thank goodness. The newbies are laying lovely eggs and having a whale of a time scratching up my veggie patch, so they seem happy enough, but all the growling from the other two doesn't seem to be completely subsiding quite yet. I understand that it can take a couple of weeks (or more) for things to settle down - I hope Gertie's still got some tail feathers left by then. </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Anne persuaded me that what they needed was some toys to distract them, so we had a trip to the thrift shop to see what we could find. I had to put my foot down about Anne's choice of a push-along plastic crab with nasty snapping claws. She made it quite clear to me that, No, a jigsaw puzzle wasn't suitable..... even though it was a farmyard one. That's why we ended up with a tortoise with a revolving ball in place of a shell and a string of plastic people that rattle if you shake them about a bit. I'll report back next time on whether these delights have been a success. I think you can draw you own conclusions.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Y5rSwbFpANg/TXjuVLSoICI/AAAAAAAAC0o/QJypTHh2obA/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Y5rSwbFpANg/TXjuVLSoICI/AAAAAAAAC0o/QJypTHh2obA/s400/001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Instead of watching hens, my main activity at the moment ought to be making some things to sell at a <a href="http://magicmarkets.weebly.com/">craft and vintage fair</a> I was contacted about a couple of weeks ago. As it's not too far away from home and looks like it's well-advertised, friend Charlotte and I are taking the plunge and sharing a table. I've made myself a display board - wonderful what you can do with a bit of Amazon cardboard box, a staple gun and some wadding - so that the brooches I've been making can be properly on show. (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>see my comment below for design credit</em></span>)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pQtWeRHfSU4/TXjuYoskIsI/AAAAAAAAC0s/yHtTGSv4XzA/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pQtWeRHfSU4/TXjuYoskIsI/AAAAAAAAC0s/yHtTGSv4XzA/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've also felted a few bangles, but need to get on and make some more. I used some silk fibres and nepps that <a href="http://printedmaterial.blogspot.com/2011/03/sketchbook-practice.html">Lesley</a> was clearing out from her stash. That girl never ceases to amaze me with what she's got tucked away in corners!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VkFgGy6eaoQ/TXjuSB--fvI/AAAAAAAAC0k/NGr2gbt2dyk/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VkFgGy6eaoQ/TXjuSB--fvI/AAAAAAAAC0k/NGr2gbt2dyk/s400/005.JPG" width="272" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And here's a cute button card that I treated myself to from Etsy</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q-FTAEgzS88/TXjuwyf_BUI/AAAAAAAAC08/0lIjTedDEYw/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q-FTAEgzS88/TXjuwyf_BUI/AAAAAAAAC08/0lIjTedDEYw/s400/014.JPG" width="307" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> and thrifted glass buttons with a sweet mother-of-pearl brooch that was amongst them</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4Ja-Ff5m0OI/TXju0h2__7I/AAAAAAAAC1A/kg9jXuQnpNU/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4Ja-Ff5m0OI/TXju0h2__7I/AAAAAAAAC1A/kg9jXuQnpNU/s400/008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">pretty pink</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yVORofzyb1s/TXjupofqsVI/AAAAAAAAC00/oCHFkbK2cGQ/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yVORofzyb1s/TXjupofqsVI/AAAAAAAAC00/oCHFkbK2cGQ/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and we all know that the answer to <em>this</em> question is 'Sugar and Spice and all things Nice'</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QJbNNGlDNFI/TXjutTuQ1GI/AAAAAAAAC04/mySEaAmYdhY/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QJbNNGlDNFI/TXjutTuQ1GI/AAAAAAAAC04/mySEaAmYdhY/s400/019.JPG" width="387" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>don't we?</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Hope you have a good weekend</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Chrissie</span> </span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-77660924528051188692011-03-10T07:26:00.000+00:002011-03-10T07:26:18.204+00:00Postman's Knock<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q3M5Xcy9h8Q/TXh8iPlKWUI/AAAAAAAACzY/gdF8hf6zkmc/s1600/postman%2527s+knock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q3M5Xcy9h8Q/TXh8iPlKWUI/AAAAAAAACzY/gdF8hf6zkmc/s400/postman%2527s+knock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We're at it again! This time with a much expanded group of unwitting participants. I'm not sure they know what they've let themselves in for and, seeing <a href="http://postmansknock.blogspot.com/2011/03/censored.html">Postman's Knock</a>, the new blog that Cathy has kindly set up for us, neither am I! You may recall that <a href="http://postmansknock.blogspot.com/2011/03/censored.html">Lesley</a>, <a href="http://menopausalmusing.blogspot.com/2011/03/out-of-comfort-zone.html">Cathy </a>and I had a <a href="http://niminyfingers.blogspot.com/2010/08/sun-sand-sea-and-sauciness.html">tag swap</a> last year and really wanted to do something similar this year and invited anyone else who might be interested to join in the fun. So this time we're going to swap postcards, each chosing a theme that the others will use to make us a card to be sent each fortnight. There are 12 of us about to embark on this exciting creative journey, and I for one can't wait! First postcard will be sent on April Fools Day - I'm taking that as an omen.</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span></div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1369809592675797534.post-52973945532976455312011-02-26T14:03:00.003+00:002011-02-27T09:44:24.918+00:00Threads of Feeling<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As I write, it's touch-and-go whether this post will have photos, as, although I've scanned them, they always save to some mysterious ether-filled netherworld that requires a husband's skills to access. He does keep showing me how to do it, but infuriatingly (for him) I can't seem to grasp it. They're in there somewhere, but let's not dally - <em>Onward!</em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ovQNg5qTlgY/TWj-gT9WQTI/AAAAAAAACzA/C2bB2BfIr_4/s1600/threads+of+feeling+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ovQNg5qTlgY/TWj-gT9WQTI/AAAAAAAACzA/C2bB2BfIr_4/s640/threads+of+feeling+poster.JPG" width="448" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Anne and I had a trip on the train into London to the Threads of Feeling exhibition at the <a href="http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/">Foundling Museum</a>. I know lots of people have blogged about this, and you've probably read all about it before, but I'm not going to let that put me off! </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We walked from the station to Bloomsbury through some sun dappled squares full of crocus and snowdrops, and debated whether we were city girls or country girls.</span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Foundling Hospital was the dream of Thomas Coram, who worked for 17 years to raise funds to establish a Hospital to take in the abandoned and deserted young children he had seen in the streets of London. In 1739 he was given a Royal Charter and the Foundling Hospital was built. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">From the moment of its inception, the Hospital made strenuous efforts to keep records of all the children given into its care. Each baby had a registration form, or 'billet' and the mother was encouraged to leave a token which was attached to the billet as a means of identification. These mainly fabric tokens pinned to the children's billets were the subject of the Threads of Feeling exhibition. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i8WzOP1gFwE/TWj-Kkh9UDI/AAAAAAAACys/r5jOTvm6oB0/s1600/threads+of+feeling+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i8WzOP1gFwE/TWj-Kkh9UDI/AAAAAAAACys/r5jOTvm6oB0/s400/threads+of+feeling+.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">While it was patently a very moving story, it was also a fascinating insight into the range of colourful printed textiles available to even the poorest women in the 18th century. As the guidebook says, "The poor did not live in black and white". </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GUyoNkoJQ3s/TWj-fAP7zBI/AAAAAAAACy8/fuPR-Hc9yZI/s1600/threads+of+feeling+20002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GUyoNkoJQ3s/TWj-fAP7zBI/AAAAAAAACy8/fuPR-Hc9yZI/s640/threads+of+feeling+20002.JPG" width="280" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I love the names of the different fabrics, some of which weren't familiar: calimanco and camblet, susy, cherryderry and linsey-woolsey. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1tw2cNMsHR8/TWj-eJnzfaI/AAAAAAAACy4/64FaDjlTC9c/s1600/threads+of+feeling+20001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1tw2cNMsHR8/TWj-eJnzfaI/AAAAAAAACy4/64FaDjlTC9c/s640/threads+of+feeling+20001.JPG" width="288" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The billet checklist had 23 items of clothing in which the child might be dressed, but, tellingly, only a very few items were ever ticked. Not only were the fabrics exotically named, but the names of the clothes were slightly mysterious too. We worked out that a <em>clout</em> would be the modern equivalent of a nappy (diaper) and would usually be just rags, and these would be covered by a <em>pilch</em>, a slightly more substantial wrapping. A <em>biggin</em> turned out to be a night cap, a <em>mantle</em> was a long sleeveless garment, but if anyone knows what a <em>barrow</em> is I'd be pleased to know. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZPe7Enu-fVw/TWj-MDyW22I/AAAAAAAACyw/wwmQxcuwKWs/s1600/threads+of+feeling+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZPe7Enu-fVw/TWj-MDyW22I/AAAAAAAACyw/wwmQxcuwKWs/s400/threads+of+feeling+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tragically, although Florella may have been "call'd for Again", hundreds of children actually died in the Hospital and most of those who survived were not reclaimed. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">In order to protect the anonymity of the parents, the babies left with the hospital were given new names and in the main part of the Museum there is a list of some of the children taken into the care of the Hospital. In some ways, I found this one of the most tragic aspects, that a child's connection with his family name would be severed. It was clear from the list that many surnames were chosen from London boroughs: Westminster, Stratford, Newington, Farringdon. Some were garnered from further afield: Nottingham, Gloucester, Colchester and Bristol. Others were really far-flung: Thomas Africa, John Europe, Richard Asia. The inspiration for a few is rather hard to fathom: Epimonidas Allen, Chaloner Ogle, Cloudesley Shovel. There was even a Tudor Plantagenet. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Although the original Hospital buildings have been demolished, Coram, as the charity is now known, still exists 280 years on, continuing to work with vulnerable children and young people.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">You have until 6th March to get to London to see the exhibition for yourself and if you possibly can, I would urge you to do so.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Have a good weekend!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Chrissie</span> </em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gLlFTeRcw8E/TWkI571og3I/AAAAAAAACzE/ZaHL6rYdkM0/s1600/thomas+coram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gLlFTeRcw8E/TWkI571og3I/AAAAAAAACzE/ZaHL6rYdkM0/s320/thomas+coram.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Thomas Coram</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09638424388530718289noreply@blogger.com13