Wednesday 29 February 2012

A Dress Made From Sky

I went to the shops to buy some compost to make the witch's garden tomorrow. When I got back in the car I sat for a few minutes looking at the sky. The way the clouds were made me think of fabric-particularly Ikat fabric like this. (Image found here)Blue & white woven - ikat-like
Then I thought how I would like a dress made from sky. A light and floaty dress that was easy to wear and that always looked good no matter what. Below is my attempt to create my dress-and an animation of a girl who appeared in it. Did you know that gif stands for 'graphics interchange format'? Don't tell me I am not fascinating now!



create an animated gif




My friends Linda and Becky in Greece sent me these today and they made me laugh so much. Thanks Linda and Becky! The 25 most awkward cat sleeping positions.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

Rapunzel

I didn't know the story of Rapunzel very well. The fact that her mother and father could not have a baby for a long time, and that the herb that the husband steals from the witch's garden is called Rapunzel. It is horrible really because they lose their baby until she is quite old. The morals are hard to fathom. The husband was only taking the leaves because he was worried about his wife, and the witch was only taking the child because she was stolen from. I don't think a child for some salad really constitutes an eye for an eye though. Ah well, those are questions I did not have to worry about today when I used my dolls to help tell the story. And I expect, like me, most of the children will remember the most exciting part of the story, the fact that Rapunzel has extremely long hair which people climb up and down. I bought some herbs for a touch of realism-today was mint-we all had a sniff and some liked it more than others. Tomorrow is dill and coriander. I made two of each of the main characters-so each carpet had a set, and there is a set for the children to play with afterwards, and one to keep for the adults to use. I was most proud of the design feature that Rapunzel has detachable hair! A long plait, a bit of weaving and some elastic worked very well.

Here are a few pictures of the Rapunzels, the Princes and the witches posing on my book ladder. (It became my book ladder earlier in the year, rather than my lovely but doesn't have a purpose ladder. It works well, though needs to be attached to the wall at the top or it pushes away with the weight of the books and falls over)




Two shades of green and curly wool tops from Skye became the hair for the witch. I needle felted it on which worked really well. Some yellow wool I have had for about ten years is the hair. I used some recently bought hessian to make the bodies, and wrapped pipe cleaners with wool to be the arms. Don't cut up loads of hessian while wearing flanelette pajamas. I had to get the sticky roller out even after they had been washed. I really enjoyed making these as they are quite rough and ready, and I am better at that than polished and smart!

I embroidered the initial sounds of the characters on their fronts so they can never forget who they are.

Monday 27 February 2012







. . . . . .







. . . . . .





. . . . . .



Sunday 26 February 2012

More Faversham





























So many historical buildings. Faversham is a medieval town and one of the Cinque ports like Rye. I took so many photos yesterday it is hard to choose my favourites, hence the fifteen today and ten yesterday! There will be a few more tomorrow-illustrations of shopping by candlelight and other retail delights.

Saturday 25 February 2012

Faversham

Who teaches the graffiti artists grammar?
A dead bike.
Fascinating factory fenetre.
Sleeping Goose.
Through the star window lies the sky.

My shadow is much thinner than I am.

Let's go!

Woken geese.

Reflected geese.

Yes, caution them!


Faversham is a great and interesting place.


Friday 24 February 2012

Small Socks

Tiny Tottenham Hotspurs home strip socks. I have made them for a friend who wants them for some kind of demonstration-I am not exactly sure what. He was talking about it in the pub and I said that I could make some finger socks so I have. I had to think a bit about how to turn the corner to make the heel but worked out a method-I just went back and forth for half the circle for four rows then joined it together again. They are resting on my ever lengthening stripey blanket. I have been making more monsters this week so the blanket has been left alone. I can't wait to finish it!
Tonight I have started six dolls for storytelling next week. If I get them finished I will show you on Sunday. I am very excited about them! I am really looking forward to the decorating and finishing after all the body and limb making has been finished.
We have decided to go out for the day tomorrow to places in Kent we have either not or seldom visited. It has been a long week and it should be nice to get out, especially if it stays as lovely as it has been today and yesterday. I hope whatever you are doing that you have a lovely weekend!

Thursday 23 February 2012

Morning and Evening







Attention grabbing skies over Woolwich this morning. Is this a mackerel sky or something like that?

Spaceship clouds over the school as I left to go home tonight. The building made a lot of progress over half term and is now towering over the current school.

I was glad to be waiting at the traffic lights, as it gave me a chance to take a quick picture of this lovely old car that had been travelling the same way as me. When I first saw it from behind I thought it was a Morris Minor as it had the same shape and the same looking boot. But it was much longer than that. It was beautifully kept.

This last photo is more to jog my memory, as I only had my school camera with me and so could not get a very good shot. If you click on it you might just be able to see the crescent moon. That alone would be lovely, but combined with the deep turquoise tinted sky, and the way you could just see the whole of the moon as a slightly lighter blue it looked amazing. I have never seen the moon look quite like that.

Thanks for lovely comments on recent sketches. I love drawing packaging and once did nearly a whole sketchbook of it. Not sure where that is currently or I would show you some!

Friday tomorrow-hurray! I hope the weather is as good as it was today-really warm and sunny-you can just feel everyone's mood lift a little.