Up and running

As promised, a few piccies of my work which is now on display at the Arts and Crafts Centre (http://www.gloucestershireartsandcraftscentre.co.uk/), now in the city centre on College Street. It's taken quite a while for me to get things going, perhaps it was nerves, but now with my designs in that display cabinet surrounded by many pieces of amazing art and different crafts, I feel, I feel - relieved and excited.

 

 Now on with new creations!

It's true

Yes it's true - my work is now on display at the Gloucestershire Arts and Crafts Centre. There's a bit of tweaking to do with the arrangement of my pieces in the display cabinet, but as soon as it's done I'll post a little piccy of my work here.

Needles and threads

Nothing like a bit of freestyle embroidery

What the - ?

The other day while we were checking on out not-so-flourishing courgettes that are dotted around our garden, Tom shouted 'look!', I turned and saw him pointing at a plant (don't ask me what type of plant - I have no idea). 'Look!' he said again, 'a caterpillar has gone mad and had a good go at this plant'. I examined this plant and replied 'must be a very neat and tidy caterpillar - look at how precise and evenly cut the holes are.' We searched the plant but no caterpillars 'they must be somewhere else' Tom said.
We carried on pottering around the garden, pulling up possible weeds, commenting on our tomatoes and cursing the ants. Then something caught Tom's eye 'What's that on your bee house?' he said, 'what?' I said, 'look something is covering those two holes' he said, pointing.
'Tom - we got bees on our bee house!! Look, look, look! They've covered the holes - they've laid eggs!' I said in an over excited voice. 'Oh wow!' replied Tom.

We examined the bee house and it was fragments of leaves that were covering the holes, and then - click. It wasn't caterpillars having a go at the plant - but bees - leafcutter bees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachile_rotundata), using the leaves to create cells within the holes in which an egg would be laid. A solitary bee and efficient pollinator.

So bee I've used my skills and given you help with your nesting arrangements, howabout you use your skills and help us out with our vegetables?

Bet you can tell I've got no job (at the moment)

Look at this, another blog for you - two in a week, you lucky buggers! But as you can tell from the title of this blog I've got a bit of time to spare. You may think 'a bit of time to spare' is meant in a sarcastic manner - but I promise you it isn't. Whilst I am hunting high and low for a job I am also volunteering (if you've never ever done any volunteering before, do it! So much fun!). Every Tuesday and Wednesday I'm out with BTCV (www.btcv.org) and then alternating my weekends between GVCV (www.gvcv.org.uk) and the Gloucestershire Arts and Crafts Centre (www.gloucestershireartsandcraftscentre.co.uk).
I am having such a good time - meeting new people and learning new skills (construction of post and barbed-wire fencing, for one example), so I am filling my weekly diary up nicely. It is also a form of relief from the constant drone of filling out application forms.
But on the days that I am not fixing fences, encouraging biodiversity or selling excellent pieces of local art and craftwork I find refuge in the backroom, in the mess of the craft room - and I mean mess - ask Tom, but it's my mess. Ask me where something is and I can (possibly) tell you where it is.
This week:


A brooch, mum.



Another brooch, mum

 Speak soon xxx

It's been a while

Many apologies to the lack of wittering over the last 2 weeks, been a bit busy - um, that doesn't really sound believable does it? Ok. Let's start again.

My lack of wittering is due to the fact that last Thursday we (Tom and myself) boarded a train that took us to the land of the Scots (and no, not a land full of little Scotts that have straggly long hair and like to cut up their own t-shirts (some people will understand that - but probably not a lot of you who actually read this will do)). We were off to Edinburgh for 4 days - it was great!

However, before we left I managed to catch up with a friend from Banburyshire - coffee and gossip - what a great mix, over which I showed her some pieces of my work (this being one of them).

Keyring (for a mother who isn't quite sure what it is)

Getting feedback from friends is a great way to get more ideas and also to get a confidence boost (cheers dude, check her out http://www.jennacartwright.com/).

I'll be back soon with some more stuff, who knows what - I surely don't! Let's wait and see. xx

This is the best of the photos of us at Arthur's Seat - you really don't want to see the others!

Look

something doesn't seem quite right here... hmmm...  It is Friday, I have had an art session, but I've drawn a clove of garlic, not the remnants of a cake!? Must be the heat, or was I prepared, or did I think 'arrghh I've forgotten to get something for this afternoon's session!' and just grabbed anything? I'll let you choose the correct answer (hint: it's not the second one, ooo no, no, no). Still working on the 'draw what you see' technique - I think it's getting better - or at least that's what I'm telling myself!



However, I just couldn't keep to the set task of still life and just using pencils; my friend Monsieur Fountain Pen (nickname - stylo) had an airing today. From a great book - can't remember what the title is but lent to me by Russell -pictures of lichen (one of my favourite things), a bit of seaweed and a rosehip.





           

I love working in ink. I think I'm scared to work in pencil, maybe because you can rub it out and correct mistakes (yeah, got work on that one too Emily). I will overcome this fear - let's keep going, but I'm going to have to do other things as well or I might go mad!

Still early days

Yes! It's Friday and that means Friday art class!  It was slightly different this week though, I was on my own :( . Fellow art class people were taking advantage of the lovely window of sunshine that Gloucester was having and some having an afternoon off. So one room one person (me). This did not deter me, even if it did make me feel like I was in detention (not that I was in detention a lot at school, I'll have you know, just from time to time). 

My aim is to be able 'draw what I see' again - still love doing the abstract crazy stuff - but I really want to draw an object that actually looks like the object, a teabag looking like a teabag, for example.  



It's not going too badly - there's hope! Will definitely have to find something other than teabags and cake casings to draw. Any ideas?



What mum said

'Just make it up as you go along'. What a great phrase, it can be adhered to absolutely anything! My mum uses this when she bakes her perfect flapjacks - I've tried it too, but somehow it doesn't work as well with me; especially when cooking!

But I have found a way of using this 'just make it up as you go along' which, I think, suits me well. It does take a while to get going and also tricky to know when to stop - but I don't half love using this pliable technique to make my unique designs.

As I was talking about

Yes - after a superb afternoon at the Gloucestershire Arts and Crafts Centre, I am now thinking that what could be a better way to pass the time between 1.30pm and 4.30pm on a Friday? And I think the conclusion to that is - nothing! Well, unless the opportunity to have a cup of coffee with, let's say, Colin Firth arose then sorry - D'arcy wins hands down!
With a 3 hour session of drawing and/or painting, creating a masterpiece and being around lovely people (as well as having a smashing cup of tea and a great selection of homemade cakes) - who couldn't enjoy it? Eh? What a great chance to find your artistic 'skills' that you thought were lost all those years ago. For me, it's going to take a few more classes.....

......... but i'm sure I can find it again.

Have a look on http://www.gloucestershireartsandcraftscentre.co.uk/classes/artclub.htm or just pop in on a Friday. There is a small charge (about £1.25 per hour) - but it's well worth it - come and enjoy.

Trying to make

Alright, I know this isn’t literally making or creating something, but we want to ‘make a difference’. Tom (my lovely man) and I are off to Hadrian’s Wall in July to trek alongside this magnificent historical feature in aid of the charity Epilepsy Action (www.epilepsy.org.uk). It is National Epilepsy Week 2011 this week (15-21 May) and this is the time for us to call out to sponsors - you!

Our sponsorship page is http://www.justgiving.com/emandtomstrek please give what you can.

All of the money raised will be going to help people who have epilepsy and also to help educate people about the facts about epilepsy and improve their understanding of this condition. Do you know what to do when someone is having a seizure? If not, or if you are unsure, please have a look on http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/seizures/first-aid.

Come on Tom! Get your boots on! Let's prepare for some blisters!

............................xxxxxxxxxxxxx................................

With thanks to......

After a battle between the choice of beads or buttons, as well as with thin strips of coloured cotton material, here appears the 'stranded necklace'. There are the few wisps of cotton floating here and there, but with the sprinkling of a few beads there is a balance.

(p.s. the thanks goes to a couple of facebookers)

(p.p.s. thanks to Tom for the use of his cymbal)

I just made it because.....



This was once a 10 inch length of lovely black velvetyesque ribbon that was leftover from a previous creation. After sewing a running stitch along one side I pulled on the thread and scrunched it up into a flower shape. Slipped stitched the seams, placed a button in the middle and a finding to the back and now a bloomin' brooch.



Fingers-crossed Ta Da Skirt

Aaaarrrrgh. No smart skirts in Gloucester  - they are all floaty and flowery (lovely, but not what I need). From the simplest of sewing patterns and the most basic of materials (1.5m of cotton material, some bias binding and a zip) - and with my fingers crossed (well not literally - I had to work a sewing machine) - Ta da! it worked. Let's just hope it does it's job!

Bee House

I had a great time making this little home for some lovely bees. It's not perfect, but I think it's got character and hopefully they will find the dwellings quite comfortable and will move in soon. Give it a go yourself, check out the website below or, if you live near Gloucester, go to the market square and find the blue framed shop that looks empty (near River Island) and join in.

http://www.beeguardianfoundation.org/
http://www.btcv.org.uk/cgi-bin/office_opps_ind_task.cgi?region=sw&office=35&task=1303817972.76345&shared=&newoffice=&newregion=

This is it!

Hello
A beginner to blogging
bear with me
let me get to grip with this
and then let it flow..........
Emily