Thursday 3 October 2013

Grabbing the Moment

It is still all go here, with the book, Workshop on the Web and travelling for talks. The talks are a welcome relief as I do love getting out and about. We went to Croydon on Saturday for an Embroiderers' Guild Regional AGM but there was the most horrendous motorway accident and we spent a lot of time just sitting. As we never seem to learn our lesson, we decided to go home the same way, thinking it would all be clear, but it was even worse - think they had to re-tarmac the road. Luckily we noticed it from the roundabout over the top (you can always tell a really bad snarl up as people are out of their cars, walking about and chatting). So, at one point, we found ourselves heading up the motorway in the opposite direction! Got home in the end but it was awful.

A good thing about getting work out for talks is that you find all kind of things: these masks have a base of Softsculpt (Formafoam) and were made in the days when we used to work with schools.




We based the workshop on 'Your favourite artist' and one of the girls made this Picasso version (above left). I worked a lot with the thick heatable foam. The top of the hat below was moulded over the lid of a decorative jar.




The felt covering was cooked in the oven to tan it. It was wool so it burned nicely. Wouldn't you know that was one of Val Campbell-Harding's ideas.

We did manage to dash out to the local National Trust House, Kingston Lacy. They have a fabulous vegetable gardens and keep pigs (used to plough up areas they wish to cultivate) and chickens. I do love the way that standing pig, below,  is ploughing a straight furrow, regardless of his sleeping colleague - the one he is standing on. I have a new camera but so far I have only got as far as point and click on Auto. Very pleased with the pig pics, though.



They have some animals just for fun, like the kuna kuna piggies. They have babies but they were indoors the day we went.




I am likely to be missing for the next few weeks but might pop up on Facebook now and again. This book business is like giving birth. Afterwards, there is just the joy and you forget the pain.

1 comment:

Heather said...

Glad you were both safe in spite of the awful hold up - our bit of the M5 was at a standstill for hours yesterday. Love the masks - the one on the right has an Aztec look to it. I'd wear that hat - it's about the only style that suits me.
There is something so appealing about pigs even if they aren't exactly cuddly. Hope there isn't too much pain to birthing the new book.