the patchwork dress

things observed last week...

computer generated pots on these fruit trees at the garden centre...

granny's hielen' hame... no, not really... a corner of my sewing room... ha! fooled again!... no, actually a reconstruction in the corner of the Aberfoyle Woollen Mill. As anyone who knows Scotland knows, the place is teaming with wee tartan, shortbread and woollen goods "mills" which are a totally honest representation of what we all do at home (of course!). The best entertainment was provided by a team of runner ducks - known locally as the Quack Commandoes, who ran up and down outside in the rain the whole time I was there, often accompanied by a comedic accordion soundtrack. Show stealers, the lot of them.

I am strangely fascinated by this fairy tale corner of the woollen mill and the rack of 'threads' (displayed right, foreground), which I am always drawn to peruse through, like a kitten batting wool. Of course you have to move on pretty quick before the Giant comes back.

On the drive to Aberfoyle are 3 placards planted in the verge - ARE - FAERIES - REAL?
I'm not sure if this is to get you thinking about whether you believe in fairies, whether they have been put there by fairies trying to get humans to notice, or a local protest about the number of fairy references abounding in the area?

Wren! spotted! in the garden! Not this one of course. This is a small ceramic by the artist Simon Griffiths, which I own and love - and by the looks of things needs a dust! I spotted the wren for the first time in the garden yesterday, and am delighted to see her flitting about, tail in the air. There is a tendency to assume wrens as being feminine, or robins being male, but of course there must be male wrens too.

Speaking of male wrens, today was the turn of the men at the local coffee/craft morning held in the village hall. They served up the Big Breakfast, with the joke being that as it was the 29th February they were in a position to being proposed to. I laughed about this last week, and was told firmly that they were all married, thank you very much! So sweet to see them all in their pinnies though!

new cards

eco card pack - eastern beach house $9/£4.50 plus p&p

Pack of 4 cards/envelopes made from second use magazine images - with an indian/morrocan beach house theme - pastel pinks and turquoise, kalfi icecream, rattan

eco card pack - silver/black textiles & textures $9/£4.50 plus p&p

Pack of 4 cards/envelopes made from second use magazine images - - fabric and cushions in silver/black/taupe colourways - plus old barns, a horse and some dogs! I really like this pack.

all can be bought here!

new wee guy

I have been meaning to say a big thank you for all the lovely comments and encouraging wellwishers on this blog over the last few weeks, and I do apologise for not writing to you all directly - but you know who you are, so thankyou!

We had a new 'wee guy' (that's what I call the small fellas) alert in the garden yesterday...

I think I can say with some confidence that it is a Yellowhammer, although at first I thought it was a budgie, or a sparrow wearing a hat - it is really yellow (more so than this pic)- quite outstanding against all the grey wet drabness. Thought I'd like to share and bring a little yella fella to your weekend!

there's nothing on the telly!...

So goes the famous warcry of the Togs, a very British institution from the morning BBC radio 2 show hosted by Terry Wogan.

So if you are short of things to watch this weekend, I have been watching lots of short films for my course and had to select 3 of note... Jack-Jack Attack by Pixar (this is a naughty link on Youtube, but it can be purchased through Itunes and is on the dvd of 'the Incredibles), In God We Trust, which is again an abridged version of the original that I saw via Spiritual Cinema Circle, and The Furniture, which is part of an amazing PBS site offering all sorts of interesting independent documentaries - from people doing amazing things, to just beautiful cinematography.

this sweet little package arrived in the post from Jessicah in Australia.

a while ago I sent her some bits and pieces I'd hoarded for jewellery making, but would likely not get round to doing - and she made and sent me this lovely necklace. I really like it, thanks Jessicah! There are more for sale over at her Etsy shop - so please check it out if you'd like one. They are so unique and one-off!

I also heard from Alisa with whom I did the scrap-swap last year. She sent me a photo of a lovely bag she made from a fat-quarter of black and cream fabric that I had also sent in the scrap-swap package. I had 2 pieces, and the idea is that we would both make something and compare... I think I've got some catching up to do!

**ETSY FLASH! THERE WILL BE SOME NEW RECYCLED CARDPACKS IN THE SHOP - probably this weekend, once a customer has chosen which ones she would like.. so coming soon...

a late afternoon walk...

...up the hill...

...and back home again...

oh joy!

Last week got a bit dry, setting up things for my writing course - like doing all the online stuff (including joining Facebook, something I didn't really want to do, but decided to embrace - as it is a really good way of keeping in touch with those on the course... if you are anyway mildly interested in what I look like, it's now or never...) - also doing more spaceclearing in the 'writing space' so that it is organised and set up to manage my coursework.

...so you can imagine my joy when this unexpected parcel of things arrived about an hour ago from Victoria at dearmeagan.blogspot.com in...

!

...full of fabric bits and lovely magazine images, just the sort I would use to make cards, but am going to keep this lot, Victoria, thank you, for my own scrapbook!

I got a bit confused initially because I'd had an email from another dear blogger who said she was sending me a parcel, so I thought this must be it until I read the envelope and card! How wonderful.
Also included was this Irish linen teatowel which goes so well with this older post - I wonder if she knew? It's funny thinking these were made in Ireland, as the colours do seem from warmer sunnier climes!

On Saturday I visited Lomond Shores which is a favourite place of mine to go for a wander and have a coffee looking up the loch to Ben Lomond. It also houses the "gateway centre" to the National Park, so is a funny mix of outdoors and retail park. I like the architecture and think the whole scheme was very bold. Unfortunately the Drumkinnon Tower, which is an amazing circular building based on a Scottish broch has become a bit of a theme park where they keep otters (I'm not even getting into that debate) - I know it has 2 or 3 theatre/cinema screens inside and think it would make a great centre to show and host a variety of arts and media connected to Scotland (but then that's just my gig). Sadly too the outdoor clothing shop and bookshop have both closed, and it does feel as if it could do with some rethinking, as it has loads of potential.

...it was a bit cold for icecream...

On Sunday I attended the John Sayles masterclass as part of the Glasgow Film Festival. It was my first artist's date in ages. Sayles is a screenwriter, author, actor, director and film-maker. He talked about making his own films by investing his own money into the production through a series of working really hard writing for others, and reinvesting in his own projects. Although I'm not so familiar with his own films, I was really interested to hear him speak from a point of process ie. about actually being a writer and filmmaker and what makes him tick. I wasn't disappointed, he was eloquent, informative and amusing... you can see why he's had so much work yet even within Hollywood he has kept down to earth.

stomping

I felt like going out for a stomp today before doing anything else...

it's been quite a fast and intense week, and just felt I wanted to get my boots muddy...

These snowdrops were growing on the riverbank, which I somehow cut out of the shot - but I quite like it anyway. The crows were having a meeting further up the field - and the fields to the right were full of wintering geese grazing as they tend to hang out there during the day. Often now I hear them at sunrise and sunset flying backwards and forwards over the house from dayfields to nightfields I presume, maybe just towards the sun.

I stopped in to the house of a lady I met walking a few weeks ago. She'd invited me to drop in sometime, so I did a very old fashioned thing and just rang the doorbell - good timing as it was just gone 11 and she invited me in for a coffee. We had a really interesting chat about loads of things including Loch Lomond - and I left with a brace of books on the subject.

Ginny at the Flourloft recently tagged me with this idea to list some archived posts in relation to 1. family, 2.friends, 3.yourself & who you are, 4.something you love, 5.anything. I'm not a fan of these types of things greatly, but because it's Ginny, and because it was interesting to look back I suppose and see all that's in there I did it...

So...

1. family:: had to be this one. (although this day out I had with my mum last summer was a lovely day)

2. friends:: I thought, oh, the blog about the creative café - and then I realised I hadn't ever blogged about it! So here is a picture from one of our meet ups last year...

...that's Susan, Pam, Elaine, Suzanne and Christine! There are others who weren't at this meetup... also the CC is possibly changing into some other form... as yet to be decided upon... but it's a good idea and lovely friends to be sharing a creative journey with.

3. yourself, who you are:: that's a tricky one! but this post on my Taos trip kind of summarises what interests me and where my passions lie.

4. something you love:: ah, many things, places and people... but I chose this post about making the gift tags and cards because I loved doing them, I also love the simplicity of the idea but the effect you get from it. So perhaps a tangential answer, but as my other choice was this also about making cards - I guess I can say making things is something I love.

5. anything:: I'd love to include all the lovely blogpeople I've met and some of the lovely packages and swaps I've been involved in, but am choosing this post about a package from Barbara, as it touches on other themes close to my heart.

Well you are supposed to tag 5 others, so I invite the following people to do the same - at least 2 are meant to be people you don't know so well, or have just met, and I would be interested to hear from:

Meshell at the solitary thread
Melissa at tinyhappy
Amisha at heavenly days
Suzanne at fieldy
Alison at sotreadsoftly

I don't expect you to do it, but I tried to pick people with larger archives, also some that I don't know so well, that I thought may enjoy the reflective process... alternately if you are reading this and would like to do it, leave your link in the comments so people can find you.

big steps

I feel as if I have taken some big steps over the weekend. On Saturday I attended the induction day for a post-graduate course in Screenwriting at Edinburgh's Napier University.

This is the amazing new building they have renovated especially for the Scottish Screen Academy, just off the Napier campus. There was even a village style newly built Starbucks on the corner, a spanking new Tescos and a Chocolatier around the corner. Someone up there likes film-makers!

I must admit that I was having mixed feelings until that point of whether to do the course or not - many subconscious fears coming to the surface! I'm sure there will be moments when I will want to run away, but these seemed to equal the excitement, potential and stories that were running through my head on the way home. Fuelled possibly by a day of drinking coffee, in between being handed scary sheets of paper with words like assessment, number of hours, script etc typed on them.

So a mixture of excitement and feeling slightly overwhelmed, tempering with ideas popping out of my head all over the place, rather like the bulb shoots in the garden. If I was dial-up before, I feel as if my head, and energy have now gone Broadband. How am I going to manage keeping up my blog, all these assignments, and being a freelancer? Quick, another cup of coffee and do my blog to get it off my chest.

I recently caught BBC radio 4's From Our Foreign Correspondent presented by Kate Adie - and although I'm not usually a fan of news programmes, if you are fed-up with new media and 'news at ten', listen to this . A return to correspondence, journalism and storytelling we hear 4 or so reports from BBC journalists around the world with a personal voice. They take the big story, bring it zen-like to earth and transforming it by mentioning their daily life, how their lives as correspondents relate to the story they are reporting and the contacts they meet. A previous week's journalist told of the barrier fence between two warring countries through the journey of a man snuck through a hole in it, in order to go and buy a mattress - returning disappointed with a box of crisps and a crate of coca-cola. Another spoke of the Ivory Coast where the end of civil unrest has meant the postal service could be reinstated after 5 years of no delivery or collection! Each piece is well crafted, funny and human. The voices that come through these pieces as well as Adie's herself, are powerful, very listenable - and like the old BBC - trustworthy.

(the show was also issued on the World Service, incase you can't access the BBC site from abroad, with a different announcer).

This package arrived from my dear friend Barbara last week. Ever since I heard about Fine Cell Work (through Selvedge magazine, I think) I've been fascinated by the idea of these prisoners making these beautiful embroideries and patchworks as a positive skill and product while they are serving their sentences.

They recently had a small exhibition at their offices in London, and Barbara went along and kindly sent me this package of bits and pieces they had for sale - including the little cushion/'lord-a-leaping' xmas decoration which has been made by an inmate. It has a little cardboard tag on it with a reference number so he/she will get some money from what he makes. Think I will use it as a needle cushion as they tend to disappear into my pincushion.

It's a wonderful and very interesting scheme - and if you have £50-£100 to spare, you can sponsor an inmate to make you a cushion or a quilt and receive the training and materials required. Once the cushion is received, FCW encourage you to write and thank the prisoner who made it, which increases their feelings of self-esteem and value. It would make a worthwhile gift - perhaps for a wedding instead of a toaster!

my week in pictures so far...

...remnants of the day at the top of the road

the loch, morning sunlight, on the way to work...

...and... sorry, had to include this - made me laugh so much... I should hope so really.

...promise to be back in next day or so with something better.

gleaning

Having never really had a garden of my own to be responsible for, and not knowing much about plants... I feel we have inherited a 'plot of surprises' - as I'm not sure what's out there particularly, and what might come up.

Our compostor - Ecomax - (that's the name on the side) - arrived on Friday. We came home to find him standing in the front garden rather forlornly by the front door like a teenager who'd forgotten his keys. He had been on order since before we moved in, but the company couldn't find the cottage they said. So anyway now he is here, we gave him his first meal of some of the dead growth in the garden, and I was delighted to discover underneath it all were these!...

I am hoping this is outwardly symbolic, as I have a few creative possibilities opening out next week. I was so surprised to see so many shoots hiding underneath all that stuff, and wonder what they will become - Crocii? Daffodils?

I woke up this morning with a strong urge to go to the beach and see if I could 'glean' some driftwood for our stove. Not so much from a 'because we haven't got anything else to burn' standpoint, but just because it seemed like a good idea and a bit of outdoor exercise.

I did wonder about the okayness of it all - "well if everyone took wood from the beach..."

but when I saw my little abandoned trug (the green one in the picture), scale altered and it seemed like quite a small amount actually. Plus I got a really good workout, was outdoors and felt as if I was doing something useful.

A windsurfer who was at his car asked if it was for an "art project". I was glad he thought I looked like an artist, rather than a crazy woman. "No, I'm going to burn it". I kept thinking of this image. N had read that in a Eco-architecture book, that the best way to season wood is to emerse it in water... which made me think perhaps that's why driftwood looks so bleached. So it seems there is drying out wood to season it, and drying it when it is wet. The latter takes less time, so I shall experiment with the driftwood.

There are a couple of sites on these north beaches of the Clyde where stuff seems to gather. It does look a rather depressing mess to see all that plastic, rubbish etc all washed up. The next beach I went to was even worse.

While good for wood...

I realised I wasn't walking on the beach, but a mattress of seaweed and plastic, all snarled up in each other. It's rather horrible, and even more saddening to think this is only 5 minutes away from Scotland's National Park.

I do know that the council clean up the beaches periodically, that local people have groups that go out every week (not to this beach), and that you can't control what comes in because this stuff is washing up from everywhere and anywhere...

... but it makes you think. (All those folk who flush plastic Q-tips, sanitary towels down the loo - most of the colour in there, is them!!)