Sunday 7 December 2008

The Secret Revealed

I promised I would tell the secret - you may have heard already - but the result of our assignation on the M4 with Carol and Lynda is that they are going to write a d4daisy book. Isn't that exciting, and well worth the horrid driving conditions. I'm sure they will be blogging about it themselves, so watch their blogs.
I have had a manic week even by my standards. Mostly it has been about getting my pieces off to the Cyber Fyber exhibition. You saw a tiny piece of Binary Humanity and here is a little detail of Digital Reliquary.






I don't know what I would do without Clive - he measured, cut, soothed, made labels and travelling boxes (as well as cups of coffee) - and did most of the cooking. Then he did the packing up. What a treasure.



I've also been trying to keep up with my on-line class girls, who are doing the most amazing things. Here are two examples, but I could have chosen many, many, more.


A wigwam book from Sonja:





Another wigwam from Ali:







Here's Faye, taking the shape and colouring further:




Other highlights from my week:


Stuffing my face at the Beyond Stitch Christmas lunch and watching while everyone made paper-fold stars from the cracker wrappers. Following Jane Wild's step by step instructions, of course. I didn't have to drive and so enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine.


Going out with my technophobic cousin and helping her buy a laptop. Now to get her on-line.


Doing the talk at our charity Christmas party yesterday. This is held at Stanpit village hall which is where most of us did our City and Guilds. Sadly the C&G no longer exists but the party goes on forever. Last year we raised £800 for our local children's hospice and the Macmillan nurses and this year looks set to top that. The hall only holds 70 people and we always have a huge waiting list but we refuse to move from our C&G hall.


Taking the kids on the Father Christmas express at our local garden centre. You ride a little train through a magical world of toys and fairy lights and then you visit Santa at the end. Lauren is now 15 but won't give up the annual visit. Here is Sophie (Fiona's daughter). There's a song about teeth in there somewhere.











We see all our grandchildren on Christmas Day but only briefly. I'm so concious that they have other parents, in laws etc on this day. But they all come to me on Boxing Day and we have another Christmas with huge sacks of pressies for the kids, silly games etc. Last year we took them all out for dinner - such bliss not cooking. This year they elected a spokesman who said "We did like the meal last year, granny, but could we go back to your cooking this year. We need tradition"!!! Back to slaving over a hot stove, then.

9 comments:

Jacqui said...

you could suggest they bring over a pot luck item and minimize the cooking that way.

Doreen G said...

There's nothing like tradition Maggie.
Even though the Aussie summer is scorching outside I always have a traditional Christmas----turkey-ham-roast vegetables and of course home made Christmas pudding with brandy cream on top.
We tried eating out and we tried having salads one year.
I don't mind doing all the cooking and anyway I can alway crank the air conditioner up a few notches can't I.

Robin Mac said...

I think it is wonderful that the grandkids still go for tradition. I must admit our family still insists on having the traditional Christmas pudding - complete with coins - which I make them all give back for next year (but substitute new coins for the little ones!)

Heather said...

Oh goody, another book to look forward to! Those wigwam books and the vessel are lovely and the detail from the Reliquary is just beautiful. How lovely to have a teenager in the family who is not too 'cool' to visit Santa, and how lovely that they all want to come to you for a Christmas meal even if it does mean a lot of work. You'll have to suggest what my lot are doing on Boxing Day - bringing us an American Supper. We did it last year for the first time and it was a great success, so much so that they want to do it again.

Julie said...

Wow a book from Carol and Lynda will be fantastic!

What a hectic week, and you posted my parcel too! Thank you so much for doing that in your busy schedule. :o)

Sounds as though you will have a lovely Christmas.

Sonja said...

I'm so tickled to see my wigwam on your blog!

It's so exciting to hear about more d4daisy books, too!

Sonja

Judy said...

Hi! Maggie,

It so great to have that partner in the background to take up the slack, they are worth gold! I feel ashamed i have had my copy of Textile Translation for weeks now and haven't had time to try online lessons. I live in Oz too but have a son in law who grew up in the UK so we have traditional Christmas lunch and he makes the yummiest bread sauce it's to die for.

Aussie Jo said...

Hi Maggie
Just wondering how you got the textured swirls on the 'digital reliquary'. Is it stamped gesso/ xpandaprint? I love the colours on the oblong strips.
Cheers

Aussie Jo said...

P.S. we have 27 coming for xmas dinner (my husband's immediate family - he's the eldest of 8 children!)
Everyone is bring a meat and salad and we'll do all the vegies and extras. My MIL always makes a delicious steamed pudding.