End of Week 31

WIP: Saucy Secretary

End of Week 30

Busy Growing

End of Week 29

End of Week 28

Shameless Self Promo

So, my little (or, actually, rather large) postcards are out there in the world, hopefully bringing me in some new work in the near future. Thanks to this lovely and very informative post by Brighton-based new illustrator Bryony Crane, I've discovered a few new portfolio sites that I'm in the process of uploading my work to. Blimey, it does take an age to get it all up there! If you take a look at the left-hand sidebar over there, you'll see I'm now on Behance, Ideas Tap and Creative Boom. Exciting!

Frankensocks

Highly addictive Frankensocks, Pair No1 finished:







These were inspired by the Lovely Tola, whose husband was sporting a very natty pair of these, one in red, the other in blue. The idea is you use up all the odds and ends of your sock yarn to make a whole other pair. I went for greens, blues and purples with these. Bride of Frankensock (pair no2) will be in reds. Man, do I have plenty o'reds to use.

End of Week 27

A Day Out

Hubbo had the day off on Friday, so we decided to take a little day trip to Hastings, just a hour up the coast. I do like Hastings; it's high up there on my list of "if we can't afford to live in Brighton any more and have to move, but still be by the sea" places. Even though I've been a few times in the last couple of years, I've never actually been down by the shore where they launch the fishing boats from, and home to these distinctive tall, black Net Huts. They're fab.

Hastings has definitely poshed itself up recently but still retains a slighty Seedy Seaside vibe; it kinda reminds me of how Brighton felt when I first started visiting in about 1998.

We had a good walk around, and had the obligatory tea stop. A lovely day out, particularly as it stopped raining as soon as we stepped off the train. If we had had more time (and energy!) it would've been nice to go up the hill on the East Hill Lift and take a wander to the Hastings Country Park; it's on the list for next time.

Little Adventure

Jenny the Bike and I went on a little trip today. I thought we'd just take a quick jaunt down to the Marina, which turned into just as far as Ovingdean Cafe, quickly followed by oh, what the heck, let's go to Rottingdean. After a quick break for tea, natch, I didn't fancy going back the way I came, so thought sod it, and killed myself getting up the hill to Woodingdean, then virtually flew down Race Hill and Elm Grove back home instead. 10 mile round trip, Google Maps says. Rockin'.

End of Week 26

And that's half way through the year, Ladies and Gents. Wow.

No.54

Another New Photo App

Pixlr-o-matic. I luvz it.

Just Genius

Muppet Movie director Jim Frawley's camera test with the Muppets. The improvised dialogue is just fabulous. Watch til the very end.

Now With Squares

Annnd this the other cushion I made, this time for Lovely Sam's brithday, which was the end of April. Ahem. Ahem. Ahem. I only have the two photos, it seems; one at the point where I pinned all the top layers together in readiness for quilting, the other finished but not yet on the cushion pad. I was pretty certain that I had a couple more, particularly of the finished item ready to go, but apparently not. I discovered a quick way of deleting old gubbins from my phone recently, and I suspect the poor babies got chucked out with the bath water in my enthusiasm. Anyhoo, here it is:





This one, following hot on the heels of yesterday's, was inspired by the same process, but using log cabin squares. A few of my knitting mates and I had been doing a quilting bee and Lovely Annie asked for a wonky log cabin square using purples, pinks, blues for hers. I liked doing that so much I thought I'd make four similar squares and put them together to make a big one for the front of this bad boy. I quilted it in a spiral again as I just LOVE that effect and it's quite free and easy, although takes forever and a whole load of thread to accomplish!

The back has an envelope opening, one half orange, the other purple with a fat, orange button (hiding a popper because button holes scare me) for a closure.

I do like me a bit o'patchwork. I have plans for a blanket just using simple, pre-cut charm squares, but that doesn't seem to have materialised (ho!) yet. Maybe over the summer.....?

Cushdie

Here's a patchwork project I've been meaning to share for, um, over two months now. I made this cushion cover for my Ma's birthday, which was the middle of April. Ahem. Anyhoo, here it is:









I made it in shades of green and purple to match my Ma's living room colour scheme, but stuck in a bit of orange, too, as a) it looks awesome with purple and green, and b) it's one of my Ma's favourite colours. And I'm totally in love with putting plain white in my patchwork; it really makes the other colours and patterns pop, I reckon.

I was inspired by Malka Dubrawsky's "Strings Attached Trivet" pattern from her book "Fresh Quilting". It's the pattern top left on the cover:

(Image shamelessly borrowed from Munkee Kreations Patchwork)

I went for the recommended spiral quilting, too, which I think just looks awesome with the geometric lines of the fabric scraps. However, I cut my individual squares out precisely, as I wanted them to work exactly with the dimensions of the cushion pad, rather than letting the squares be quite random. There's only so much wonkiness a Virgo can go with, you know!

This was a great stash/scrap busting project, and loads of fun. The individual squares look so neat and interesting once cut out from the larger pieced-together square you sew initially. Hold on to your hats, but tomorrow I'll have another long overdue patchwork creation to share! I spoil you, I know.

End of Week 25

Birthday Present

A beautiful Kanzashi made by the uber-talented Emily of Cuttlefishlove for Eldest Sister's birthday. Gawjus.

Tea & Scones

And So It Begins...

Yes, I have got to that stage in my life where I NEED GLASSES. I'm not sure how I feel about this; when I was little I used to cross my fingers and hope the optician would say I needed glasses, but she never did. But now here they are. They're only for distance - driving and the like - and I only have a very mild prescription with my right eye being weaker than my left, but, still, spex. On my face. Heck, yeah.

I took advantage of Specsaver's BOGOF deal and got a pair of sunglasses, too. Rock on:





It really is weird how much of a difference they make. My eyes have been sloooowly changing over the last 18 months or so, not helped, I imagine, by all my Crohn's-related eye problems last year, but it wasn't until I tried on Steph's glasses for a laff a couple of weeks ago and could actually see stuff across the road in sharp detail that I went "blinkin' eck!" and took myself off to the optician's smartish. I just thought I had tired eyes all the time. No, turns out I'm just getting ancient.

All Done!

My new promo card is done. Here's a sneaky peak:



I've got James on top of his giant peach hooking up the seagulls ready for take off while Grasshopper, Ladybird and Earthworm cheer him on. On the back, in black and white, I have the peach flying over New York, along with all my contact details. I've gone for extra fancy, extra glossy, extra thick card this time, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they print up. They should be here within 14 days - probably sooner knowing good, old Vistaprint. I bought 200 2nd class stamps before the prices went up at the end of April, which I'm smugly happy about, so they can be sent out as soon as they are delivered. Woo! Bring me some work, babies!

It seemed to take an awfully long time to produce, considering what a small image it is, but, then, I always tend to try out new approaches on my cards. This time, I went a bit old skool and actually painted the peach. PAINTED. With real watercolour. On ACTUAL paper. Yeah, I knowz. I'd forgotten how long it takes watercolour to dry, it's not like this 'ere digi watercolour, you know.

So, now the new promo card is done, I can get on with updating my lovely accounts and getting my tax return submitted. Fun times ahead!

WIP Today

Ladybird

End of Week 24

...So Here Are Two Today

Aghggh! Forgot to Post Yesterday...

WIP 3

Coming along nicely, if maybe a little too slowly for my liking. Next up: inking!

WIP 2

WIP