Forgotten post - tree card

Oops, I just found some draft posts that I forgot to blog last month, this is one of them...

Of the non-handmade Christmas cards I got this was my favourite as I'd been hankering after it in the shops. It came from Carla, my friend who's French Wedding I was at in September.

I like Tord Boontje but sometimes the edges on his images are a little 'male' and computer generated looking, not as soft as I'd like to see. I want his pieces to still look like his sketches even after they have been computerised.

So that's why I like this card so much, it looks more organic, even though I'm sure it was finished on a computer for the laser cutting. And I always love things with layers and 3D effects like this cause they look so good with a tea light SAFELY popped between to create light and shadows.

Nearly a year

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gate and doorway in Italy last September

Wow, in 2 weeks it'll be a year since I started my blog. How should I mark the occasion? I'd like to do something since my blog has really been a life saver for me, giving me the clean space I needed which is lacking in my ground-to-a-halt-renovation at home. It'd be nice to do something which I associate with the blogging world.

Maybe I should start a meme, I've always wanted to know very specific things about people like what kind of nuts they love and hate. I know, it sounds a silly thing, but you can really ruin a homemade gift by putting the wrong kind of nut inside it! And flowers. It's only when people are getting married, or are sick, or grieving that you realise you're not entirely sure if they would like flowers, and if so, which kind, which colours?

Then again, maybe I should do something visual, since that's what my blog has been about for me. Maybe invite people to post an image on a theme or a colour that day, I've always liked colour themed images. Orange and turquoise would be good, or red and turquoise. I feel the need for colour while the weather is so chilly.

Or I could do what many people did at New Year and post something from each month of my year, maybe my 12 favourite images I blogged. I can't decide, but I definitely want to mark it. And I want to thank everyone who's commented, visited and supported me to keep at this, especially over winter when things were tough. You people are fantastic.

So, what do you think? Any opinions, any suggestions?

Angela Palmer

This is the etched and layered glass work of Angela Palmer based on MRI scans of her own body. I'd love to see this in real life as apparently the layering gives a 3D effect.

These pieces are on show in London at an exhibition called "Inside Out" at the Hunterian Museum, Royal College of Surgeons. It's on until the 19th May. You can see more images here. Best of all, it's a free exhibition (open tue-sat, 10-5pm).

When it's cold outside it's a god idea to curl up on a nice old quilt.
This is little Mo who finally got the ok from the vet to go outside. He was so cute, he always tried to get through the cat flap, but when the door was opened wide for him it was all a bit overwhelming and he decided to stay in.

Eventually C and Bali persuaded him outdoors in the sun could be FUN, epsecially climbing the BIG tree (it really is a big tree). He got up ok, but took a more, ahem, direct route down ie. 14ft drop from the trunk! Unharmed though, they are amazing creatures. But when it got cold he knew where to go and curl up inside.

Winter woolies

The local llama's came over for a cuddle on Saturday.
They have the MOST gorgeous big eyes, and lashes that most women would envy. They were having a good old sniff of my red scarf but I thought their winter woolies were far nicer than my own.

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The sun set on large cloud of smoke that came over the hill on Saturday. It looked very dramatic to have this deep orange against the blue sky with trees and hedges silhouetted against it.

I still can't see my blog properly (or comments) but I hope these posts are visible to some of you.

At the mercy of hormones

I laughed when I passed this sign yesterday, with the setting sun lighting it up in red tones.
So appropriate for a girl at the mercy of her hormones (which is why I'm not posting much last few days). The full sign says Danger, field liable to collapse, enter at your own risk.

Decisions decisions, what road should I take?

Can I get my house at least semi workable so that I can work from home. Can I handle the stresses and strains of self employment again, except this time without even having someone do it with me that understands tax forms. I'm not the best at such things, I know it's all just numbers and common sense, but it beffuddles my creative mind and stops me from doing the making type of work.

But then the making, so much pleasure to be had. I've been looking through my textiles, my lighting, my collages, my not-yet-made-but-been-saving-the-bits-for-three-years wall works and more sculptural pieces, my ceramics, my glass, my mixed media, my prints. Then there are the old favourites that are more suitable for posting- jewellery, cards, wedding invitations etc. Am I ready to do it all again? A lot of brain whirring and creaking going on round here just now.

Blogger gone crazy

I make piles of stones wherever I go.

Scary. My blog was GONE today. Than it came back, but lots of posts missing. Then gone, then back with some posts duplicated. Apologies, they made me switch to new blogger, I couldn't post anymore if I didn't agree.
I hope it will be normal soon, and I will keep posting in hopes that someone can see it. Till then Camilla posted this about TODAY...

The 1st of February 2007: Please mark your calendar: People are Participating in the biggest mobilization of Citizens Against Global Warming The Alliance for the Planet [a group of environmental associations] is calling on all citizens to create 5 minutes of electrical rest for the planet. http://www.lalliance.fr

They are asking that people all over the world turn off their lights and electrical appliances on the first of February 2007,

between 10.55am and 11:00am in Vancouver and on the Pacific Coast of North America,

1.55 pm in New York,

1.55pm in Ottawa,

18.55 for London (and i guess UK)

19.55 for Paris, Bruxelles, and Italy

Red on the road

Marley was very excited to come across the coal man delivering his black gold on our way home. I was more excited by his red truck! Love the steps up to the cab. Even the road he was on co-ordinated with his lorry.

Happy February everyone. (ps, not able to check comments just now, blogger behaving oddly, and also forced me to move to new blogger, and 2 weeks of posts disappeared, but I got them back)