23 Sleeps to Moving Day

Life is very hassly at the moment. I thought it would settle down when we had a firm date but I'd forgotten about all the arrangements to be made with the utility companies and, worst of all, British Telecom. So far we've had four emails all giving different information about installing the new line! As for arranging the Broadband connection, well...........

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Our ISP, Madasafish (how can we swap providers when they have a name like that?) is great and has been very supportive in our BT battles. Just when we thought we had the right sort of number, for the right sort of line, they came up with the idea of sending an engineer first thing in the morning on moving day. Sigh.

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Anyway, amid all the packing I have managed to do a bit of stitching to keep me sane. Here is an icon-type saintly lady who is going to the K&S at Harrogate to replace one I sold in London.

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She is heavily machine-stitched on felt and I've manipulated her face with padding to get a raised efect that I'm quite pleased with.

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I was going to just mount her on card for the cradle sales but then found this great frame, made by the wood-working-son-in-law. Needs to be a slightly darker colour but looking good for a wall piece, I think.

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The winner of the dissolvables sample book (remember the 'let me know' list for the Mixed Media Book) is Marilyn Szatmari. Drawn from the hat by Fiona who will be posting it to you soon Marilyn. Well done.

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Have to dash off now to Staples for more bubble-wrap. the packing continues.

We're Moving - It's Official

At last we have exchanged contracts on the house we are buying and the house we are selling. To those unfamiliar with the English system this makes the deal legally binding on all parties. Friday was nerve wracking – our solicitor rang to say that everyone was ready to go with a date of 24th November for moving day. We’d already said we couldn’t make that date as we will be in Harrogate helping to set up the Wessex exhibition.
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So then there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing before we settled on 18th November. By then it was past four o’clock and we thought it was too late to move the deposit money that has to accompany the contract, so we were very down. Suddenly, around 4.30 came the call to say that it had all gone through. Phew!
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It’s good that we have slightly longer than we thought to pack everything up. We should have finished the December version of Workshop on the Web and, more importantly, uploaded it to the site. In view of horror stories about broadband installation at new addresses, this is pretty vital. We are going to try the mi-fi system as a back-up. This is something like broadband on a dongle but, from a gizmo the size of a mobile phone, you can have internet access for several devices. So, not only my iphone, but also the laptops should run on it. As my free year of web access on the iphone is almost over, I hope that this will be the answer for that, too. It turns you into a mobile wi-fi hot spot, which has amused the grandchildren who will, no doubt, be pestering for the password.
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The longer gap means that I can do some new stuff for the Harrogate show. I made some ‘Sillybird’ brooch cards for Ally Pally which sold out very quickly, so I shall make more.
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They are ideal when you want something more than a card but not quite a present. I make them from silk carrier rods, which are quite stiff, and gives them a feeling of substance.
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By the time all the hand-stitching is done and the brooch back and silly legs are sewn on, they take quite a time to make, so at £10 a card, they are not particularly cost effective. I am in the process of leg-stitching with the ones shown below.

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However I love making them and I bought some more of Mulberry Silks (http://www.mulberrysilks-patriciawood.com/) lovely silk threads for the next lot. If only I could bring myself to open the amazing packing! Particia’s colours are so wonderful that I usually take a photo before I use them and keep it in my colour schemes notebook.


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I have not been good about answering comments lately – life has been rather hectic. So thanks for keeping the comments coming – they really do help in times of stress:
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It was interesting to hear how many of you have been in the same boat, moving wise. It’s a terrible system and we often think that the Scottish system – where an offer is binding- would be better. Friends say that this has its drawbacks as it is not so flexible when buying. I do love the description of limbo-land as that is just what it feels like.
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Su – I bet you were amazed at the show if it was your first visit – a fantastic experience.
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Heather, you are right about us needing recovery time and I do think that having the full four weeks will be a life saver. We will have to leave our new house to go to Harrogate but the house-sitter is looking forward to a change of scene – and she will love the nearby walks.
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Garnered Stitches – it was good to meet you. It was so funny at the show, when demo-ing the use of the pasta machine as a printing press, finding out how many people had redundant machines languishing in kitchen cupboards – it appears that most are only used once! These folk were so pleased to find an exciting new use for their pasta makers that we sold loads of books. In fact, so far, the book is going brilliantly. Thanks so much for all the lovely emails you’ve sent about it.
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julie, I keep trying for the small j but Word changes my capital at the beginning of a sentence. I’ll change this one in Blogger.
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I guess Robin has answered the question about staying in one house – in the end you can’t move anyway. I swear that I will never move again – there are only three people in our chain and most of the queries were sorted in the first few weeks. However I think the delay was meant to be. Had we moved earlier we would have had the whole of the WoW issue to prepare as well as all the work involved in the Harrogate show. At least we should be a little bit sorted by Christmas.

Back from the Show

Back from the show and blogging again, at last. It has taken me this long to gain enough strength to switch on the machine. Talk about exhausting: wonderful, fabulous, huge fun, but definitely exhausting. Great to chat to so many blog friends face to face. Hope you all noticed the dedication in the new book - to all my blogging mates,
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Wessex Textiles, the group that I exhibit with, had one of the exhibiting galleries at the Knitting and Stitching Show this year and we had an amazing time. Everyone said such lovely things and I have to say that the display looked good. Our work is very varied as we only meet in the pub (to discuss the next exhibition, of course) so our work reamains very different and this is one of our strong points. It is always a lovely surprise to see fellow exhibitor's work.

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It was so hectic (I had my d4daisy hat on, too) that I had hardly any time to take photos but here are a few.

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Maggie Hills' 'Allotment Chickens' are always popular and she was very generous in sharing her methods.

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Not a great pic - here is a better one from her postcard image.

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Brenda Weeks had some lovely colourful pieces, as you can see. I'll show more of our work in the next blog.

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This was one of my pieces, 'A Brief History of Wall Painting'.
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The panels depict paintings from the early days of Australian Aboriginal art right through to graffiiti - that one was fun to do. I'll show them in more detail when I get them back after the Harrogate show.

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Carla Mines is our installation expert and she is very environmentally aware. Her big pieces looked great on the outer walls of the exhibition space.

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Other wonderful sights were Deirdre Hawken's hats. She is our celebrity interviewee for the December WoW so we'll have some great pics then. Don't you just love the rhubarb?

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How about this exploding altered book from the Dutch Paper Biennial. That exhibit was amazing. More on the show later in the week.

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We were supposed to exchange contracts on the house last week but the slow solicitor at the top of the chain is still not ready. I am so disheartened that I can hardly bear to do any more sorting but someone is enjoying the unexpected bonus of space in a bookcase!

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The book is here

Phew! The book arrived today. You'll find it at www.d4daisy.com. It's been at the printers for nearly a month - the longest we've ever had to wait. I really thought that this time we could be quite relaxed about it, but it was not to be. Anyway it looks fantastic and we're really pleased. Here it is on my desk at last. I will announce the winner of my sketchbook on Monday.

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It has been a very difficult day. Lots of phone calls to and from the printers and then loads from the solicitors about the move. It is likely we shall exchange contracts while we are at the show - not easy on a mobile. Luckily we can get emails on the iphone, so we may have to do it in cyberspace.

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In the middle of all this I am trying to pack and get ready for the demos. It will be a luxury to have a whole table as part of the Wessex exhibition. We are all doing different things so it should be fun. I'm making pasta machine collagraphs - here are some of my plates.

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I got so behind that Clive had to cut all the paper - I do like to see a man on his knees.

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Our cat sitter (my cousin) has just arrived. She cares for Smudge and the house while we are away at the show. She is a treasure and has arrived with a casserole all ready for the oven. I am torn between total graditude and dismay that she was so sure we wouldn't be ready - she was right.

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Clive has just announced that all the stuff won't all fit in the car - I shall have to travel with the rucksack on my lap. What joy - see you all at Ally Pally.

The Big Birthday

Clive had a big birthday, so last weekend, we all decamped and went here.
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Time is very short so here's a visual blog.

We took all the children and grandchildren and stayed in two big chalets. Even Aussie boy came over - he doesn't usually look like this - either jet lag or booze. Somebody is doing a lion impression in the background (behind the chair).

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Here's the view from our window...
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...and the sunrise over the duckpond - or the lake, according to the kids.

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Speaking of ducks - they were early visitors.

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And they weren't disappointed.
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Clive had a big surprise - this was his pressie from the family. The only time in his life he has ever owned a brand new bike.

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Of course, I had to hire one to keep him company. First time for forty years and I could still do it!

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We cycled to watch birds (Clive in the hide - below) and we all spent ages in the pool. Amazing, those rapids. We also had a hilarious game of ten-pin bowling.

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The birthday party had crackers and hats (and champagne).

Tobes got a bit overexcited.

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But those yoga lessons paid off.
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We all had a wonderful time and I can't recommend it enough.

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Books due on Tuesday - cutting it a bit fine - will blog again before the show.