Sad News

I can hardly bear to look at the previous post because everything was alright then. My little Anya has gone missing. I last saw her Thursday morning. I've put up posters and knocked on doors but no sign of her. I feel so powerless, there is nothing I can do except wait and hope. Everyone has been lovely, they all know how much my cats mean to me and I've met some super neighbours that I didn't know. This past week did have some real high points but somehow it doesn't seem right to share them here at the moment. The little minx is going to get a right talking to when she shows up along with a big meal and a cuddle :)

Splendoodle Afternoon

Ok, it's a lovely afternoon, got my pens and atc blanks and away I go, after I've had a cup of tea. Entered a zendoodle ATC swap so I need to get doodling


Not doodled for a while and have been wanted to find out what it would look like on a text background. The absolutely perfect book appeared in the free pulping pile at the library yesterday - a really faded and yellowed gujarati text, I pounced on it, totally delighted. One down, 4 more to go. The garden is seeping into the doodles, plants and flowers, the tendrils of the wisteria, the unseen roots.

Went back through old sketchbooks to find doodles from ancient pots, boy those minoans could doodle around with nature. Bill checks in briefly. What am I doing in the garden, where did this table come from and where's that butterfly going - and he's off. Life outside is just so exciting when you're only 10 months old and a fearless kitty, no time to chat with me, besides he's not hungry at the moment. Catch you later!


3 down, 2 more to go.

Anya comes along to check on progress and keep me company for a while.

Finally 5 ATCs, I've had a wonderful time, just doodling away in the garden. I didn't even bother getting the table and chairs out of the cellar last year, the weather was so bad. Really hoping for a glorious summer this year. The ATCs will be off to Diane in Canada for a zendoodle swap, hope she likes them :)


Now is that a barbeque I can smell over the wall? Wonders Merlin

Latest Charity Shop Find

I found this wonderful print in a local charity shop for just £3, someone has put a date on the back of 1937. I just love it, it's so cute. I love pansies and you can see the tray of pansies I've just bought to plant out, peeping around the left hand corner of the frame. The little buddha style figure is adorable. It now hangs in my bedroom, or should I say boudoir, in pride of place.

Trip to the Big Smoke 2

On we went to the former home of Lord Leighton, pre-raphealite painter. It was stunning, wonderful tiles on the walls, vivid, bold colours and lots of sketches for his paintings and paintings by other artists of the time, G F Watts and Millais. Click on the link to have your own panoramic tour of the house - Leighton House Museum. I've loved his work ever since I saw an exhibition of his work at the Royal Academy in 1996.

I getting to the house we walked through Holland Park, a very wealthy part of London and spotted this house - adorned with beautiful tiles. It's good to get off the beaten track and spend some time walking around, imagining the interiors and the lives of the people who live there. We can only conclude that they must all work as bankers to be able to afford such wonderful residences.

This house, or one very like it, was being advertised in the local estate agents for rent at £10,000 per week, unfurnished! How do you afford it? My own pet theory is that the area is peopled with vampires who having lived for centuries have just amassed vast fortunes along the way, think there may be a novel in this, lol.

Then it was on the National Gallery for a bite to eat, a rest of weary hips and feet, and a soaking up of fabulous artworks and the obligatory postcard fest! One day I'll make a book to keep them all in, one day............
Then just time to hop on a tube and visit Paperchase's flagship store on Tottenham Court Road before closing time. Picked up a few art supplies with Mermaid ATCs, and some artwork for my front room in mind, well that was my excuse and I'm sticking to it. You can never have too many art supplies.

Trip to the Big Smoke 1

Went down to London for the day on Friday with a friend. We both wanted to see Postmans Park after having read about it in Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. It's a memorial in a little park, surrounded by office blocks and flats just around the corner from St Pauls Cathedral. It's a tranquil little oasis which used to be used by the workers of the GPO, (General Post Office) when it was next door, hence it's name. Reading up on it, it used to be a graveyard where instead of burying the bodies they just put soil over them, hence there are mounds in the park that are higher than the surrounding land. There are no bodies there now, and all the gravestones line the edges of the park.

The memorial is in the form of tiles, for unsung heroes, ordinary men and women who in saving someone else have lost their own lifes. It was really quite moving. So many of the heroes were children. There were lots of jobs that are not done anymore and some wording that is just not used anymore. It's well worth a visit if you ever get to London.


The man behind the memorial, George Frederick Watts, was also involved with our next port of call - Leighton House. Now a musuem, Leighton House was the home to Lord Leighton, a pre-raphelite painter, as was G F Watts and one of his paintings was hanging in the house, but more of my travels in another post

Pass It On Postcard Received

I participated in a Pass It On postcard swap organised by Cloth Paper Scissors magazine a while back and I got my swap postcard come through the door yesterday. It's by Toni Killefer and I love it. It will have pride of place in my studio. My scan really does not do it justice, with it's tiny little seed beads and the delicate stitching. I wonder who got mine?

Recycling Begins at Home ATCs

This was a set of 5 ATCs with a recycling theme, using things I would otherwise throw away. It proved really difficult to start with as I realised that actually I don't throw that much away anyway. I recycle my cardboard packaging and my junk mail but I took them and made these ATCs, weaving glossy magazine pages to form a background, using tissue paper from a shoe box to tone down the backgrounds and cutting shapes from junk mail to form the houses.

Trash to Treasure Art Giveaway

Lynn, over on Trash to Treasure Art is having a wonderful giveaway and is inviting new followers to join. She is so generous, giving away some absolutely gorgeous vintage goodies. Her blog is beautiful and well worth a visit. Think you might stay a while, so get a cup of coffee and a biccy ready :)

Autumnal Ladies - ATCs

Some ATCs from a series of 7 that I was working on yesterday.

May Day Progress

I've made alot of progress in the studio today under the watchful eye of Archie my self appointed studio assistant. It has been a case of planning and waiting for things to dry, of trying out my new glue gun and experimenting with embossing for the first time.

I've worked on a series of ATCs, a new set of bookmarks and made some more progress on my dress shapes.

I've drunk tea when friends popped over, discussed art, had a look on the internet at Lord Leighton's house in Kensington, I'm so excited to be going there in a few weeks and generally totally enjoyed my bank holiday.

On the weather front it has been a typical bank holiday - the sun has shone, the wind has blown, the heavens have opened and we have had hailstones!

Giveaway Celebration over on Found Memories Art

Morning all
Wow, did that sound abit Dixon of Dock Green. If you understand that you'll realise I'm no spring chicken. Anyways the reason for my post is that I've just happily stumbled on the Found Memories Art blog by Laura and her lovely dog, Tommy. She is celebrating 100 pieces of Art almost everyday, I'm totally impressed by that and her kindness in giving away a box of goodies to make the occasion. So try to pay a visit to Found Memories Art blog and take a moment to enjoy her work and her spirit.

I'm up bright and early (well ok not so early, but early for a bank holiday) and intending to have a total art day, only nipping in the garden to plant some lettuces between my flowers. Hopefully I'll post the results here later.

Have a good May Day

Work in Progress - Dress Shapes

I've been working on some dress shapes as per Alice and Camilla patchworking vintage books, music sheets and napkins so far.