A Bear in the Flowers

Like walking through treacle I’m slowly forcing myself in to better habits .Today, ignoring the sacks of mouse stained fabrics and the garden begging for water, I finished and listed two more Etsy items.The  Polar Bear Brooch, filled with Lavender looked perfect in the bright bright PINK Dianthus deltoides by the front door ( I just looked that up and it said a major problem with these flowers is chipmunks,I wish!)

I started making this purse ages ago, inspired by the bags and purses designed by PaperPlane , any of their things would be a lovely present thank you! (but of course the Witchmountain version is 100% unique so …) I still have a thing about letters and post, despite some nasty surprizes, nothing beats a hand written letter delivered by “snail mail”. A close second being a  book I’d forgotten that I’d ordered months ago arriving today…”Travelling Light” by Tove Jansson, I can’t wait to find somewhere peaceful and sunny to lose myself in that book.

“Poet for Sale”

This time the snow took me by surprise ; so much so that there was actually washing on the line, frozen solid and dusted with white! Sara and Jake had to miss school today so we walked down to look at the icicles at Blow Gill and take photographs with the birthday camera.

Sara has kindly taken loads of new pictures of my work for me, which involved standing outside in the freezing cold for ages, so “Thank You” Sara.Now I just need to re-size some of them and get a couple more things listed on Etsy. making some pennies has become urgent now as I seem to have developed a very expensive book habit ! I’m also lusting after a bag and purse made by Paper Plane …they would come in very handy if i could ever get it together to do a bit of travelling!( I just love post, and letter writing and stamps as I’ve said before so these would be perfect…hint hint!)

I got an e-mail from a college friend today telling me about “We Are Open” a pop-up-shop that she will be running during March.The shop will showcase surface design and textile /fashion designers and makers from the area and will be at 5 Newport Road , Middlesbrough (Next to Jessop’s photo shop opposite Binns).The link above is for their Facebook group and has more information.It sounds such a good idea.

Now, I must curl up with my coffee and begin my new books “Tove Jansson Rediscovered” and Book 1 of the Moomin comic strip…its been a very emotionally trying weekend and I’m hoping these will sooth my troubled soul. Don’t forget to have a look over at Poppytalk Handmade, there is some lovely stuff to be found there.

(Listening to: Faze Action “Samba”(Roger Sanchez Darkstar mix) and “Poet for Sale” Daevid Allen/Gong )

Kitchen Confidential

Here is the corner of my kitchen with pin-board and wine crate bookshelf. Sometimes it feels as though my whole world has shrunk to just this room and the ever changing view from the window…today mostly obscured by misty condensation. This time last year it was getting ready to snow but hopefully this year it’ll wait awhile…at least till I sort out why the car is rattling and find some hay for the ponies!

Today I have been catching up with Lyndsay McBean and wondering yet again if we’ve all been heading in the right direction. College now seems SO long ago.Lyndsay has been working on her online portfolio at Carbonmade so lets hope lots of job offers come flooding in :@); I particularly like her nightclub promotion posters…

The Zillah Bell Gallery e-mailed me yesterday because they had been sent a piece of my work by Les Prince. A nice surprise and beyond the call of duty ( he really is a remarkable man). So anyway, I think its going to be in their Christmas exhibition which opens with a private view tomorrow night. I also finally got around to contacting a few other galleries ; so I’m kind of hoping that in the new year things may start to look a bit brighter.

Well, the stove is almost out and the last dregs of coffee have turned to syrup in the pan so I’d better head up the apples and pears to bed. I finished reading “About a Boy” by Nick Hornby this morning ,which means I’m heading back to the magical world of Tove Jansson and “The True Deceiver” . Then what? Any ideas?

Bleak House

Driving in the dark; the black road is edged in orange and russet as the larch needles fall like snow.Its wild and windy and a catalogue of small disasters has made it a bit bleak up here on Witchmountain ( the heating has stopped working, the washing has blown away and Jake accidentally knocked over a bottle of water in my room so that it has actually been raining on me ,INDOORS, smudging my drawing and almost killing my poor old computer!!)I can’t stop eating toast either, I’m going to end up big as a house.

Apart from all that, my new Gocco stuff came the other day ,so tomorrow I’m going to have another go with a new design and some fabric inks…as well as continuing to play with the old heat transfer dyes. This bird is a little doodle I’m going to try out tomorrow as well…that’s if I can brave the freezing house and don’t get tempted to stay snuggled up with Tove Jannson. I’m watching for the postman too because my Moo cards should be arriving soon….

( Reading “Who Will Comfort Toffle?” Tove Jansson. Listening to: the wind)

Snow Bear

Today I have: – made bread, cleaned the leaves out of the drains, designed and ordered cards and stickers from Moo, done a mass of washing and eaten almost a whole packet of Oreos. I decided to use this image for my cards as it’s one of my favorite pieces and I miss it since the Golden Lion bought it for their guest room.I know you’ve seen it before but its so dark today I couldn’t take any pictures.

I found a lot of hoof prints near the car when I ventured into the ” lost world” behind the house to investigate the drains. There must have been some sort of stampede this morning while I was snoozing;I’d been reading “The Summer Book” by Tove Jansson and was therefore miles away in a different nettle patch altogether.

Lindsey and I made cards and drank whiskey coffee all night, oh and great news… Sara came home from college with a new printer and an ipod which she had won! She got second prize in a mural competition for BT , hurray!! I’ve never won a thing in my life ( except a tray of meat at pony club when I’d just turned vegetarian!!).

Well Done Sara, have a great weekend everyone.x