WIPs

Another doll portrait. I am using gouache paint on a background done with layers of brusho soluble ink. It is not waterproof when it dries I have discovered, so the colour is mixing with the gouache and making it grey. I am doing thicker and thicker splodges to try to stop this and I think I have just about covered it in enough paint to start adding the face detail-once it has dried. This doll is the one that I sent off all that time ago for the ADO travelling doll project. She took so long to come back to me, and I was so fed up with the whole process that I didn't even feel like sharing her on here at the time. However, it was an interesting thing to take part in, and all the artists did a lovely job in adding to her. I love the felt face added by Laurence of Feltoohlala. Her dolls are beautiful.

 The second thing I have been doing is crocheting a small rug made from cut up t-shirt yarn. I sorted out my t-shirt drawer the other day, and the ones I decided to get rid of were cut into yarn then crocheted and voila! A stretchy cosy rug which all the cats love. Lily wouldn't get off of it so I had to delay finishing it. It is now on the floor though, and being used by all. I had this idea filed away in my mind since seeing it somewhere a while ago. I didn't then read up on it, just started. It was only on my second to last t-shirt, that I realised that if you stretch the strips of t-shirt as you go, then the edges curl up and you get a better yarn. You cut it in a roughly centimetre strip starting at the bottom but not using the hem and working your way up to the armholes. It is quite a therapeutic process, but messy as you get lots of little flecks of frayed t-shirt. I don't think the rug will shed too much though as the crocheting encases the edges quite well.

Well, nearly Friday! This week has been quite a good one. We had a hunt around the school for Mr Rabbit, who had gone off with the pirates. We had parents in to join in with our phonics sessions, and I got the morning out of class as an extra as there was a spare supply around, a rare occurrence and much appreciated! He was a lovely man too, and did all sorts of good things including some yoga at story time!

Underground Doll and Iris Time

I finished this doll ages ago then forgot all about her! She was perched on top of the large cupboard type thing in our kitchen-not really a cupboard, more doors in front of drawers. I got her out for photo with her friend and in front of a 1940s or '50s home made cooker that I got from my half termly trip to the Thursday market last week. There is a woman there with the perfect stall. She has a mixture of dolls house things, toys, dolls, (the red doll was from her too) kitchenalia or vintage kitchen items (take your pick of annoying descriptions!) She also sells fruit and veg from a local farmer near where she lives in Kent. We always have a little chat and she is very encouraging when I witter on about my dolls and craft fairs. I always buy something from her as she always has something great.

Back to the doll. I made her body with this great London Underground map fabric, so if you were lost in selected parts of London, she would come in very useful! I think she needs some kind of detail around her neck, and possibly little ruffs like the red doll.

 I think I put pictures of the irises on here every year, but they are the most spectacular flowers that our garden produces and I love them. Before the irises though, a little rose. This poor thing has lived in a gradually rotting small wooden barrel on the decking since we moved here over ten years ago. Every year it produces a few perfect flowers and every year I feel a bit guilty. Maybe I will plant it in the ground this autumn.

This photo is using the miniaturise effect which explains the blurring. I thought it showed the massive sea of fennel quite well. It has grown up all around the dirt patch in the middle(which was where the chamomile that I dug up was.) It disguises the dirt patch very well. Still have not decided what to put in the dirt patch. The cats have though. My neighbour says they sunbathe on his lawn, but they come home to do the not so nice side of their outdoor activities! I have a trowel permanently available for collection. My least favourite garden job!

Stuff

I justify buying and collecting some of the many things I do through vague ideas that they will be part of some art project or other, maybe painting their picture, or setting up little scenes to photograph or using them as props for my stall (if or when I ever have another one). These are stories I tell myself, and sometimes I do them, but the rate of the things being accumulated far outweighs the times I actually use them in these ways. That is not to say I don't get pleasure out of them-just thinking of the ways to use them is enjoyable, and of course there is just looking at them, admiring their quirky characteristics, and amazing details. Having just read 'Stuff. Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things' by Randy O Frost and Gail Steketee, which is a fascinating book, I am considering these things a little more closely. I know I have not got the big problems the people in the book have got, as we can still use most parts of our flat comfortably. But if you look at it objectively, I have too many things for the space they are in, and although it is livable, there are difficulties such as certain things are either lost, not easily accessible or totally forgotten. Also, I do clear the piles of books and some of the bags of wool that are in the sitting room and stick them on the bed for the day if we are expecting visitors.Partly this is to make the space more usable for more than two people, but partly it is because I know it looks very cluttered. Some of the theories in the book about why people hoard really struck me. One was the fact that they are going through life avoiding any form of distress. They feel distress when trying to make decisions about the importance of things, which will lead to them deciding whether to keep something or not. So they simply don't make these decisions, then they lose the ability to do so without causing ever increasing amounts of distress. Another idea I found interesting and which struck a chord is how all these things contain dreams and possibilities. But because of the chaos that rules their lives due to the hoard, many or most of these possibilities and dreams are never realised. So, I decided to start painting pictures of some of the many things I have. I have been using my big sketchbook and have done a few pictures. This one was the most enjoyable as I liked using the gouache paint and I love how these two look together! The cheeky monkey is from Rye and the slightly worried doll is from one of Linda Sue's local goodwill shops, and I was the lucky recipient! 

A Day Out

Yesterday was a good day. Haircut in the morning then trip out in the afternoon followed by pizza, and, most  importantly, no reports! Back to them today but never mind. My friend had got a couple of tickets to see QI being recorded at the London Studios which are near Waterloo. You are not guaranteed a seat but if you turn up on time and queue for long enough which we did, you will probably get one. It was all very exciting, as it was a new experience and I was curious to see a show with a live audience being made. When we finally got in, they advised finding your seats first before using the ladies (only three cubicles, queue in the cold for over an hour, just after lunchtime, so you can imagine the line!) Anyway, once back in my seat I found I had not missed anything. After a while of more people coming in, the floor manager came on and told us a few 'housekeeping' things (glad to see it is not just the teaching profession that uses that annoying phrase for telling you where the fire exits are!) He reiterated the often spoken warning that phones should be switched off, and anyone found using one would have it confiscated and a factory reset done to it before it was returned. Well I had switched mine off on the way up the stairs as I didn't want to risk that! He then announced that our 'warm up' act would be coming on in a minute. That turned out to be Stephen Fry himself. He is very warm and funny, relaxed and seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. He did a little advert for the show, along with Alan Davies, and then the show began. Victoria Wood was one of the guests. She is tiny! Well she looked it from up high anyway. The show was based on the letter K for kitchens, and the subject matter was anything related to food. (Which made us very hungry I have to say!) At one point there was even some food on offer which two of the contestants tucked into with great relish. The show runs pretty smoothly from start to finish, with a few retakes of bits at the end. It was amusing and interesting as ever and a most enjoyable experience. I am about to have my tea-one of the dishes mentioned-baked potatoes with anchovies mashed up in them. I think they said it was a wartime recipe. I can report that it is not very nice! I added sardines, sweetcorn and a little grating of cheese which made it much more tasty!

                      Getting near to the end of the queue.

One of the cast hands plaques on the wall. Melvyn Bragg who I saw when I was with the same friend on the way back from an evening NUT demo.
Below are the 'audioboos' we the audience said loudly for Stephen Fry's tweet. Can you guess what they say? I know, and it is hard to tell!

Audioboos

Yesterday was a good day. Haircut in the morning then trip out in the afternoon followed by pizza, and, most  importantly, no reports! Back to them today but never mind. My friend had got a couple of tickets to see QI being recorded at the London Studios which are near Waterloo. You are not guaranteed a seat but if you turn up on time and queue for long enough which we did, you will probably get one. It was all very exciting, as it was a new experience and I was curious to see a show with a live audience being made. When we finally got in, they advised finding your seats first before using the ladies (only three cubicles, queue in the cold for over an hour, just after lunchtime, so you can imagine the line!) Anyway, once back in my seat I found I had not missed anything. After a while of more people coming in, the floor manager came on and told us a few 'housekeeping' things (glad to see it is not just the teaching profession that uses that annoying phrase for telling you where the fire exits are!) He reiterated the often spoken warning that phones should be switched off, and anyone found using one would have it confiscated and a factory reset done to it before it was returned. Well I had switched mine off on the way up the stairs as I didn't want to risk that! He then announced that our 'warm up' act would be coming on in a minute. That turned out to be Stephen Fry himself. He is very warm and funny, relaxed and seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. He did a little advert for the show, along with Alan Davies, and then the show began. Victoria Wood was one of the guests. She is tiny! Well she looked it from up high anyway. The show was based on the letter K for kitchens, and the subject matter was anything related to food. (Which made us very hungry I have to say!) At one point there was even some food on offer which two of the contestants tucked into with great relish. The show runs pretty smoothly from start to finish, with a few retakes of bits at the end. It was amusing and interesting as ever and a most enjoyable experience. I am about to have my tea-one of the dishes mentioned-baked potatoes with anchovies mashed up in them. I think they said it was a wartime recipe. I can report that it is not very nice! I added sardines, sweetcorn and a little grating of cheese which made it much more tasty!

 Getting near to the end of the queue.

One of the cast hands plaques on the wall. Melvyn Bragg who I saw when I was with the same friend on the way back from an evening NUT demo.
Below are the 'audioboos' we the audience said loudly for Stephen Fry's tweet. Can you guess what they say? I know, and it is hard to tell!


listen to ‘QI Audioboo k word 15’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘QI Audioboo word 14’ on Audioboo

The Thames Barrier

Back to a more normal post today. Still in the  local area though, just this time a pleasant aspect of it. The Thames Barrier, keeping London safe from floods for a while yet.  We went there yesterday as a little break from just staying at home for the bank holiday. I have been doing reports and tracking since Saturday. I didn't work much yesterday but worked all day Saturday, Sunday and today. I have done the tracking and two thirds of the reports. I have twelve left. Each individual report is not unpleasant to write, it is just that there are so many of them! I will not do much tomorrow as I have a hair appointment and then I am going out with a friend in the afternoon. 

 It was a lovely sunny breezy day yesterday and lots of people were enjoying the weather by the river.

 A big ship was loading or unloading at the Tate and Lyle factory.

 The river was very full and very choppy. We watched loads of yachts passing by but using their engines rather than their sails.

 We had lunch at the café. A very dry toasted cheese sandwich, and a serving of anti-salad. Look at those leaves. How long have they been waiting to be put on a plate, only to be not eaten? The cup of tea was nice though.

 We walked around the back of the barrier buildings and found all sorts of interesting things. 

 The Art Hub studios which I did not know about. They are in a huge old warehouse building and it looks great.

 The marvellously named 'Noted Stout House' which is now the Barrier Animal Care Clinic.

 A striking sign for the Chinese Performing Arts Centre. 

 Finally we came to the main road again. It was impossible to get back down to the river from where we were, but I was pleased to have the chance to have a closer look at this derelict pub which I often look at from the car on the way home, but cannot photograph as the road is busy and there is nowhere to park.

 I wonder how long it will stay there. It is in a pretty bad state of repair. I really like (want!) the stone eagle sign. I bet it will just be thrown in a skip broken, unless any architectural antiques people happen to have a say.

 In fact I want this tiled panel too! Nowhere to put it obviously but when did that ever stop me?

 Inside the pub. Pigeon droppings, a chair on a table and some old mattresses.

 This is the sign. I love the way the gold sets off the stark black and white lettering and tiles. Lovely.

It is not as if we are not used to the signs of trouble. Helicopters hovering are a common sight and violence on the streets seems common too. When the helicopter started to hover some while before home time on Wednesday it hardly registered, but then, as it stayed there we started to wonder what was going on. As one parent turned up and was looking at her phone, I was outside clearing up while the children had their snacks indoors. I asked if she knew what was going on and she said she thought there had been a stabbing. Awful but not shocking.(Shocking that it is not shocking) Another parent had been held up in the traffic building up, and she thought someone had been killed in the job centre and was lying there on the floor. I worried about my colleague being able to get home, and waited for her to text that she had got her train OK before setting off and driving round all the back streets to avoid the traffic. I didn't think to look what had happened until I got home. I first read a report on the local newspaper website which had graphic descriptions of events, and the one that caught my eye the most was local rapper Boya Dee's on Twitter. I turned on the computer and looked at everything many times, including the video of one of the men talking about what he had done and why. Not possible to make this seem real. It was so film like and, well, surreal. Why is the big thing of course because there is no answer to that. He had his answer, governments have theirs and I have been thinking of nothing else since. If I was the family of Lee Rigby I can't imagine recovering from that. Not ever. If I was the family of a child or anyone else killed by a bomb in foreign country where I am lucky enough not to live, I can't imagine recovering from that either. None of it is right. The tweet that the rapper put later on is the thing I keep coming back to-'I hope that one day we can all learn to purely co-exist.' I also keep thinking of the words of my school hymn, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind. I am not religious and am, I suppose, an agnostic at best but the words of this hymn which we sung every week have always stayed with me, as they are so beautiful and sensible. It is the first and the last two verses that I like the most.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways
Re-clothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives thy service find,
In deeper reverence praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee
O calm of hills above,
Where Jesus knelt to share with thee
The silence of eternity,
Interpreted by love

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still small voice of calm

Nanci Griffith also comes to mind. 

'If wishes were changes
We'd all live in roses
And there wouldn't be children
Who cried in their sleep'

That would be good wouldn't it?