New jackets!

Been busy knitting this past wee while and have just finished off two jackets - all ready for autumn! The first one is in colinette point five which knitted up so quickly, but I kept having to send off for more skeins (but I did make it a bit longer than in the pattern, and I could have done less of the sleeves!) The second one I knitted up to my own pattern using Rowan big wool and a skein of noro iro - both bought at about half price, and of course, kept in the stash drawer for over a year..... I must admit I kept trying to find a big wool pattern I liked but never managed it, so knitted this up instead, only on much smaller pins than the ball band suggests....

Week 27

Ali Edwards is Emily's guest this week for the art journal cards, and her prompt really threw me when I first saw it. It was to use junk mail in a creative way! Well, in my new uncluttered existence I fling it out as soon as it comes in so I had to wait to get some more, but of course you never have to wait very long do you? I had the painted card already made (I made a big batch weeks ago) and just loved the way certain words jumped out at me from this flyer. Sorry if it's a bit small, can't seem to take wee piccies without blurring, but the words I used are: who knows where you might end up just visit EXPERIENCES fantastic some unbelievable L I V E

Na Blascaodai

Still on the Irish holiday album here, but am not too sure whether all these memories of such great weather is a good idea to work with in this weird wet and muggy July! This was of the Blasket Islands, off the Dingle coastline, way out west, next parish is in the USA, you get the idea. We didn't actually go over to the islands but there is a really great visitors' centre on the mainland which you gives a real feel of the island life, and is also an art exhibition space, bookshop, cafe and all together well worth visiting. I felt quite brave sanding the edges of these photos, and using the white poster paint pen on them too, but I'm glad I did. This monochromatic lo shows off the cliffs and the beehive huts, strange looking stone huts, on the coastline of the Dingle peninsula. I do like trying to get lots of photos on one lo, I have so many to scrap I'll never get them all done else!

Be still...

Back on the Book of Me here, after passing (for the moment anyway) on last month's 10 favourite things challenge as I found it just too hard! Is that a bit weird of me? It's partly because I don't really want to take pics just to scrap them for a lo when I have soooo many unused ones lying around already, but also I found it really hard to think of 10 things that I like above others. Ah well. This month was better. The prompt was 'Be' and I thought of this piccie at once. It was taken in the late 80s on a lovely summer outing up north, and the title is something I need to keep remembering too. So, here's to next month Roz and Kirsty (UKS thread prompt).

Daughters

Emily Falconbridge's art journal card prompt was very apt this week, as she has just brought a daughter, Yindi, into the world, and they're both looking beautiful on her blog! I used a piccie from Christmas this year of me and my sister with my mum. Sorry that the piccie is not great - I'm still struggling to take piccies of smallish things.... Anyone else struggling with the muggish weather at the mo? I've been really unsettled all day...

On a Jaunting Car

Mum and I spent our holidays in Kerry last year, in glorious sunny weather, totally unlike the today's torrential downpour and thunderstorms, so as I've just been scrapping the holiday pics recently I thought a reminder of a nice sunny day wouldn't go amiss! These record the trip in the jaunting car to the Gap O Dunloe, outside Killarney, beautiful scenery, and quite an experience too. The ribbons came from Little Silver Hat's June kit (really lush ribbons!) and the paper and flowers were from Modscraps June kit. We also stopped in on Newgrange on our way south to Dublin from the Belfast ferry, and crawled along the inner passageway to the chambered tomb. The guide was excellent, and it's really atmospheric when they put all the lights out then shine a beam in recreating the light striking the back of the tomb at the summer solstice. Amazing.On the opposite side of the country, and as far to the west as you can go, is the Gaelic speaking Dingle peninsula, rugged cliffs, narrow, twisty roads, the shrine at Slea Head, lovely beaches, next stop America!

Hello again

Back now from working away again, and after the obligatory day or two of sheer collapse and this time unfortunately, trying to unkink my back, here I am catching up on Emily Falconbridge's art journal challenge. Week 24 "Remember when...", something random you'd never journalled or created about before. So this was from my first trip abroad, to Helsinki, in 1989. And week 25 is a photo that means something. This was hard cos it's kind of a small size for a photo, but this is one of the little buddha on the road home / road north, on a high point on the road, looking out over the loch and the mountains. Lots of people must stop and leave little stone piles and thoughts, but I never see them, I always have him to myself. I don't always stop, but it's nice to know he's there. Peaceful and calming.

More minibooks!

I've getting addicted to these I fear ... and have made two recently (both with bought books). The first one now houses all those lovely cross stitch and hand made Easter cards my family have made over the years, and I just couldn't throw them out, especially the cross stitch ones.

Well I liked doing this one so much I had to do another one today! It seems a great way of using lots of photos, especially if they tell a story. So I decided to tell the tale of the felt bowls from April when I was down looking after my sisters' kids.

Hhhmm, wonder what to do next??

Right Now!

Week 23 of Emily Falconbridge's Art Journal Card challenge and the prompt is 'right now'. Well, right now, I feel like thing have really got to change. I am fat and tired and sore today, and after walking round London yesterday and flying back home I am realizing that I cannot live like this and have the kind of life I want. I am not healthy and I have to lose weight, get fitter and become healthier. In other words, having decluttered the flat I now need to move on to me, and change things round to get the body I need to live my life. I know it won't happen overnight (I didn't get like this overnight!) and I will need to be very disciplined and sort out a few emotional lifestyle issues which result in me eating too much and the wrong things. And I will need to start liking exercise. But I enjoyed my trip yesterday, it was sunny and hot and great to see places you'd only seen on the telly before. But I also hate the fact that my skin is chafed and sore, my feet are blistered and I was so tired I went to bed and slept this afternoon. Hhmmm, food for thought (rather than for my mouth!) The pink flower lists what I am "fat,tired, sore" and the purple flower where I am headed "healthy, organised, happy". I'll keep you informed!