Under Parr

I have been hit with a horrible virus and haven't bee able to focus on much. I now have a dental issue which hopefully will be resolved next week as I am getting fed up of feeling rough.

I have managed to paint more rocks which are quick projects and don't require alot of concentration.
I have also finished my circus entry in my journal.
When I visit my grandaughter she always wants to revisit a "made up out of my head" story as she calls it about an intrepid tightrope walker. She acts out the performance wearing a tutu and using the parasol I bought her to balance on a ribbon , which is carefully arranged on the floor.
I introduce her with a string of adjectives describing her prowess.  This has been a feature of my visits for two years. This summer she has made some modifications to the piece. I have been instructed that I am Simon Cowell and have to ask her a series of questions - I prefer the older version.

When I returned from a holiday I caught sight of a group , well three mature ladies returning from a protest that they were holding about a visiting circus , which has animals as part of the entertainment.
Having reached sixty I feel that I should be attending demos as this is something that I haven't done for no good reason really. Sadly I wasn't able to join this demo as the circus left town that day.
I will have to fight another cause when I have won this battle against the bug I have been afflicted with.

This is the "tipin " of two of the ladies with their placards. The llama and zebra I believe were part of this circus. 

I have used acrylics to portray my grandaughter and a couple of other circus girls. lots of writing to explain the pictures.  

Evie went on a trip to the local Arboretum and met the Gruffolo as there is a trail there.
She was very excited and talked about it quite clearly. It was in the day time and the weather was warm and so I have taken some licence with my interpretation of it. 

More rocks to hide when I venture out. They are all discovered but only a couple have resurfaced on the Mesingham Rocks site. Someone has a collection , which is fine. 

Joined a rock group

Not a band sadly! The rocks I painted have been found but not appeared on the local group which is ok as someone must have decided to keep them. I have painted a few more and have varnished them ready to hide.

I have been reading some negative press about this new trend but feel that as I am not taking rocks from the environment, using harmful paints and not adding collage which could could cause wildlife injury and I am leaving them in urban places and not littering the country side that I am being responsible.

My health has been compromised by use of solvents and so have substituted all nasty products and so hopefully I wont encounter any further health hazards whilst painting.
I have chosen to paint a few characters from my childhood which has offered me the opportunity to revisit the stories of my youth . Ive just reread Emil and the detective as well as the family from one end street and just william.

You can see the cardigan that I have been knitting for one of the younger members of our family in the background. 

This rabbit took only a short time to complete 

Milly Molly Mandy -yes I'm that old !

A few sketches before I committed to the rock painting 

Progress with journal entry - still not finished this page 

Rocks!

I have been busy playing with paints and other mediums but alot that I have made has gone into the "to be used as background paper" pile. I still have lots of ideas and a list of sewing projects to make before xmas.

I have been working on my journal and inspired by a journaling book I purchased I have been using mixed media to get my ideas down. I will add the book to my book list as it is an interesting book full of inspiration.

Mixed media lady with alot on her mind. Will post further pics when I have finished her

I have made a whimsical lady and have started to use her to express my latest project. I have included a photo of the journal page under construction.

On a morning walk to take photographs after the rain, I found a painted rock , which had clearly been painted by a child. I have read that this is a new craze that originated in the states and has caught on here.
Bascally you paint rocks and hide them around the locality or further afield and who ever finds it can keep it or relocate it. There is a fb page to upload pictures of the treasure and share ideas for painting.
I have made three and plan to make a few more.

Afox, a mermaid and a beatrix potter inspired mouse. I painted them in acrylics and mod podged for protection.

A busy few weeks

I have been to stay with family to look after my grandchildren whilst mum goes to work.
I had a long journey by coach and was met with "Is this your holiday Grandma, we went to Greece?"

I had prepared for the trip and had taken activities to do with my granddaughters, which included journaling and making a fairy house.

We had a lovely time painting and collaging but I was too exhausted to work on the projects I took with me.

We ended the week with trip to Odds Farm where all the children and grandchildren got together for a fun afternoon and general catch up. Mr Forever joined us laden with gifts for the children which we had bought whilst on holiday.

A mermaid and lots of words about swimming , which figured large in the holiday she had just enjoyed. 

The fairy house and garden which was used for several days small world play.

I have been catching up on all the boring chores but have managed some knitting and transferred journaling pages to the large sturdy book I have decided to use as my journal. The cardigan is for my granddaughter who is a redhead and looks divine in raspberry colours

A wet weekend

I have hurt my knee and have been unable to tackle the mammoth fence painting - what a shame! I decided to do light housework and then have a go at re -painting Paul after his acrylic fix. The painting was difficult and had I been only re painting him I would have been able to make a reasonable job of it. I had read that this kind of repair was always noticeable and it is but it is an improvement on how he looked when I bought him. Salutary lesson - don't by badly chewed vintage dolls.

I painted another lady for my journal based on three tutorials I found on line. I have been using and practising faces from the Jane Davenport book and have watched several u-tube tutorials from people who favour her style. Just showing half a face made it easier and several individuals are reflecting colours in both hair and eyes, which is a good tip.

 

We have the power to rebuild him

No it isn't the six million dollar man but Paul, Sindy's boyfriend from the sixties. He was apparently based on Paul McCartney but I can't see it. I managed to purchase one from ebay and also found a mod outfit which was in reasonable condition.
He had faults, which included crumbling fingers  and a chewed nose. I decided to attempt to repair him as I have purchased  paint and thought it was time to have a go. I have used acrylic filler for the job , which is toxic.
I wouldn't like to be working with it regularly. I worked in a well ventillated rom but it was still very difficult. I need to file and shape when it has cured and then look at a repaint.
The clthes i purchased have washed well and I have some small repairs to do .
The weather has been awful but I have managed some photography as we have been walking in the local nature reserves and I have been practising at home in the garden between heavy showers.

After a rainy day and breathing in nasty fumes a lovely walk was in order - Scotton Nature Reserve 

George scowled all day -he doesn't like it damp !

My lovely nasturtiums have had the rain and a host of these little chaps to deal with this summer 

This little fellow posed for me whilst I struggled with focus and shutter speed 

Paul's suit now has no fusty smell !
Paul looking a little strange but hopefully I will be able to
shape and file his new nose and fingers. The painting will be  difficult as he may look like he has been "tangoed"

 

On the needles

I am currently knitting a cardi for Evi my grandaughter. She is a curly haired bundle of fun who looks adorable in raspberry colours , which is the colour I have chosen for this latest knit.

I have also been playing in my journal on another page. I am doodling a lot of flowers at the moment but my garden is looking a bit washed out.

I have dried a few of the hydrangrs and have them in different rooms. They have so far maintained their colour lets see what they lok like in the autumn.

Swinging Sixties

Finally got round to cleaning up this little fella. He has been in the wars and has a damaged nose and fingers. I have a plan , just awaiting some resources so that I can repair him.
He came with a sixties suit which was very grubby and also needs some repair. All these jobs will be
ompleted soon.

Hiding in the foliage to preserve his modesty

The suit

Photography

A trip into east Yorkshire to a RSB site - Bempton Cliffs. It was lovely day but the weather was precarious and we did get wet before leaving, which wouldn't have been a problem if we weren't carrying our cameras.
It has made me more determined to get a larger lens as there was so much to photograph but my kit wasn't really up to it. These are a couple of shots that I took.

It's the weekend

We had designated this a DIY weekend but as the jobs we had in mind were outside and the weather forecast wasn't great I spent the day crafting, which was much better!
I managed two journal pages and started some knitting.

We had visited Haworth earlier in the week and I used a page with lots of blue splatters to sketch the church and add some atmosphere with some pastels. I then moved on to a page I had started with some floral doodles after visiting the Residenz in Germany. The weather couldn't have been more different -it was very hot and sultry. I used the pastels again , adding water to give a water colour effect which was muted and rather
pleasing.

A photo I took between showers 

Felt

Today I have been using the embellisher to make some felt pieces with the idea of producing containers for my knitted cacti.
I have used a piece of cream wool as my pre felt base and yellow and black merino fibres.

I took inspiration from a sixties cup and saucer that I have.

I intend to use both sides of this piece as I really liked the reverse and feel that this will not detract from the exotic form of the cactus.

Big Day Out

I tagged along today as my husband had meeting very close to Haworth, the home of the Brontes.
The weather forecast was a let down and the day was wet and gloomy.
I was concerned using my camera in these conditions and chose to use my i phone.
The rain helped to enhance the mood of the place as you would expect stormy skies over the moors. It was a lovely day for me as I was able to wander around the place without the hoards of tourists and this made snapping much easier.
We had a lovely lunch and I was able to have some time browsing charity shops in Keighley and bought an Instamatic camera for a snip - seven pounds !

 

I found a great wool shop and two little girls are going to get a vintage cardi for the autumn or summer depending on your optimism.
We were limited on time but will be returning to the moors to do some walking as there is a walk from Haworth which covers some of the landmarks that are described in the novels.

Photography

I have always loved cameras. My dad and his brother Bernard had a collection and could talk cameras all day. My husband has an interest in photography and he is far more technical than I am. I have an eye for a good shot and can take a reasonable photograph more by accident than good management.
Dad gave me a number of his cameras and I have used an old cannon for years but it is getting more difficult and costly to get the films developed. My daughter Connie has the bug and now has a collection of her own.

My husband persuaded me to buy an all singing and dancing NIKON, which I am trying to get to grips with. A photography course is probably what is needed but I am trying to develop skills with help from Mr Forever, (my husband ), who is also known as Mr Lindsay in Brazil and more recently as Captain America. Yes- Captain America .. it must be true as it is recorded and written beautifully, I must add , in my grandaughter's daily book. It has also been marked by "Miss".which is all the verification that anyone could need.

I have to say that the best photos from all my travels have been taken on my iphone, which is a massive fail but I will persist. I find the responsibility of carrying the precious , expensive camera  a headache and it is also heavy after a day hiking around. I would love to take some good wildlife shots
and funky street photography.

On our last trip we visited a lovely house and garden in Wurzburg called die Residenz. A few scantily clad steam punk folk were having a photo shoot and were looking quite incongruous in their Alice in Wonderland dresses , corsets, fishnet and hats - marvellous! I wasn't brave enough to ask to take some pics.

I'm off to dark and moody Haworth very soon and I believe

it will be raining so Ive been researching my f numbers and ISO ready for the challenge. Should all else fail I will have my iphone with me.
A page from my journal :  

Knitting part two

I have completed two cactus as requested by daughter number three.I will make a few more using some different stitches and combinations. Struggling to find the small pots but going to check out ebay later.

The first of many

Knitting

I learnt to knit when I was in primary school.The first item I made was a knitted ball. By very clever rolling I was able to hide the holes and the fact that I gained at lest 3 stitches every row.

I was determined when I found I was expecting my first child to knit a layette and I managed it. I still have all the knitting patterns and pictures of all three of my girls wearing an array of hand knits.
They have spent a lot of time laughing at the photographs of themselves thro' the eighties sporting what would have been very chic when I lovingly crafted them. The various outfits, glasses and hairstyles sported by their adoring parents I can't begin to justify!
My hand knitting is pretty average but I love textiles and have to say I possess a large stash of wool which I have sworn to use before purchasing any more ..... unless I really need to.

I love sewing and I love knitting but I hate sewing up my knitting , which is puzzling but true.
I have been knitting in the evening but of late have struggled with the light as my daughter's colour choices for our grandson have been darker colours . I bought a LED light and this has been a real boost.

Something I am working on , which hopefully will be a quick project!  

A navy jacket using a 1940's pattern . The buttons are vintage from the forties. I have a large button collection and I have to force myself to use them on projects. Feeling pleased that I am sticking to the plan and using up my resources. 

Journaling

I have been looking for ways to help me develop ideas and feel that I have achieved ssomething creative daily. The process is definately more important than an end result but it is nice to play and have something that you can use in a bigger piece of work and or pages that are complete.

There is alot out there to help you get started as I found when I looked on pinterest. After lots of "ahs" and "ooos" I made a start. It is esy to spend all your time on pinterest as the eye candy is never ending and I find I have to be very strict on my browsing time.

The main thread from reading about the art of journaling is to create background pages to avoid that blank page looking up at you. I have worked with young children for many years and so have a number of paint techniques up my sleeve but still found a number on line which I am excited to try.

There is a whole industry out there which is geared to journaling and can provide resources from stencils to pens. I discovered Jane Davenport who has a beautiful blog with lots of tutorials aswell as goodies to purchase. I have one of her books which is well crafted and provides step by step clear instructions and tips.

I have bought some new pens but have found that I have already accumulated a lot of  empheria
and have paints and pastels so it hasn't been a costly exercise.

    The ladies were a result of a Jane Davenport idea of starting with a blobby loose paintery drawing and finding a face in it. I think it worked reasonably well . I took my journal on hols to Germany and
have a travel section which I have collaged and included a sketch of a cormorant. We saw lots of them on a boat trip along the Mosel. I tried to capture them with my camera but failed miserably.

Projects since retirement !

These matching fabric cards were
perfect for two of the younger
 members of the family but were
 fiddly to make!

I made fabric envelopes, which
were very easy to make and offer
lots of possibilities. I made them to
 hold fabric cards for a memory game which
I found on Pinterest . I used velcro for the fastening
and was able to see the delight when my grandaughter
was able to pack away her cards all by herself.  

a linen acorn cup adorns
the gift tag that I made for a welcome
present for our latest addition to the
family our first Grandson

Found these snap cards at a large second hand place , known locally
as 'the sheds", which is an old aircraft field with lots of buildings.
 Fireman Freddie will make a great
will make a great  label for a gift for a
certain little chap of that name!

👑

The main event -
a bear made from Millie's first Baby Gro

At last I tackled the project making
memories from  clothing.
 I used the picture on the
baby gro to make an art quilt
to be treasured.
I added my grandaughter's
d.o.b before framing it.
 Well it has only taken  five years