My trip - clue No. 2

My trip - Clue No. 1 - Curved planet

Deeden guessed correctly, the previous image was Canada, Hudson Bay to be exact. This image was taken shortly after so it could be Manitoba. This is only the 1st clue. More to come. Isn't it wonderful to see the curved horizon in the North (click photo to enlarge).

It's snowing here today and bitterly cold but delightfully Mr P has had the heating fixed so no more sleeping in a woolly hat!

Home again

I'm back after long delays, missed connections, lost bags, no sleep and almost no food. Will blog later today with more images and clues from the memorable holiday. I'm enjoying your guesses. The photo is not Iceland and not Greenland, though I could have taken photo's of both places as I travelled.

My trip - clue No. 1

My work - net experiments 1990-92

Once I they were covered in cat hair from the blanket I became less precious about some of my old net pieces...


Thanks for the encouraging words on that last post. I've been really wanting to visit you all on your blogs but things have been hectic here trying to get ready for my week away, which begins today. I'm supposed to be getting up in 3hrs, but it looks like I'm not even going to get to bed. My brother couldn't fit a tripod in his luggage so I'm ditching 1/3 of my packing to take one in mine - it's the least I can do since he's paying for my trip. I warned him that it means I'll look really scuzzy (having to leave behind nice clothes) to which he responded "that's ok, I'm used to that". Well, really! But it's true.

The weather is calming a little for travelling, what a relief. We are quite high up and don't have the protection of any high buildings or trees, and what trees there are were bending over like palm trees in a hurricane, except it was gale force sleet/hail that was hitting them. The noise was SO loud, like steel balls hitting the fragile shell of the mobile home. We're not used to this kind of weather here Last week there was an earthquake in England, big enough to be felt in Scotland. Crazy crazy weather. It can change in as little as 4 minutes, becoming a beautiful bright sunny day... then flip again just as fast.

I hope to blog a little while I'm gone, a bit of a 'guess where I am' thing, but I don't know if I'll have time to get on a computer, if I'm not on the road I'll most likely be trying to get some rest, I'm already exhausted and just trying to get ready. Fingers crossed the adrenalin gets me through. I hope you all have a brilliant week!

My work - net experiments 1990-92

One of my string net experiments 1990-92
These one was based on this papercut I showed recently

Lisa, I meant to email these to you in December for your classes. The last image is shadow.

I was really flattered when Lisa wanted to show her students some of the development of my college work that included my papercuts of 1991 that I showed last year. These string nets were part of that ongoing body of work (more about this in the comments for this post). I laid down a pile of my nets while I set up these shots and now they are all covered in black cat and dog hairs, time to find the tweezers.

Mobile Swap 2008 - recycled

Mobile: reused/recycled paper & card, thread, sequins 2008

I had to feel like I made something this year, so I signed up for Elsie Marley's Mobile Swap. Now that I my swap partner Paola has seen her mobile I'm happy to post it here (above) along with the matching paper brooch (below). Paola had listed white and grey as her favourite colours. The mobile and the brooch are both made from my enormous stash of paper scraps and envelopes. Poor Mr P couldn't see his floor for a week while I worked on this.

It drove me crazy at times because when my joints and coordination are normal I could do this in a couple of hours. Taking a whole week was frustrating, but it' was so good to finally have a finished item. Ok, maybe it's not as detailed as I'd like, no stitching, no internal cutting, no drawing... but it was a complete. I started, finished, photographed, flickr'd (here), wrapped, packed, posted it and then cleared up the mountain of debris. In my life just now that's all very close to a miracle so I was pretty happy in the end.



Brooch: reused paper & card, sequin, silver plated brooch pin 2008

My theory was that if I was making something for a stranger, and not for a special occasion, then maybe I wouldn't get performance anxiety. I was wrong, but the anxiety was decidedly less than when making things for friends so I didn't totally freak out when I made mistakes or when the cat, repeatedly, walked over sections with muddy paws. If I'd cut anything intricate the cat may have had a very different experience!

Now you see it...

Now you see it...


now you don't...


Thank you all for your birthday wishes on the previous post, they made up for not having a meal or a cake or even a present from my best friend (it's sitting there in a bag but Mr P is so scatty he still hasn't actually given it to me!). My birthday cake arrived belatedly today. It was part of the vegetarian selection pack from Droppa and Droppa, £19.99. It's all wheat and dairy free so I can munch without trouble. So far I have only eaten the mini carrot cake, and OH what a moist DELICIOUS cake it was, and not as mini as the name implies. Incredibly good, I'd never have guessed it was wheat free. The pack includes a little chocolate cake, bread, rolls, teacakes, a spanish tart, a vegetable pasty and a 'cheezy' leek and potato pie.

The cake is not the only thing that was here one minute and gone the next. Yesterday Mr P had a cancellation so was free to take us for a drive to the hill to walk Lucy. We were only away for an hour but when we got back the trellis that stops Lucy escaping out of Mr P's garden was stolen!

::I've moved the details to the comments section of this post, but here is the picture of the missing trellis which has been spotted in the garden of our new neighbours!!!!


Left: in my garden 2007
Right: in neighbour's garden today!

Mr P plans to talk to the neighbours at the weeekend so I will let you know you next week about the outcome. Till then, I shall control my frenzied thoughts with that veggie pasty.


Wheat & dairy free veggie pasty from Droppa and Droppa

Update - the pasty was really nice as was the 1/2 toasted teacake I tried and the 1/2 of chocolate cake! What a pig. What a happy pig.

PS for those who showed an interest in my mention of Cesar Milan I can wholeheartedly recommend watching his Tv show The Dog Whisperer :: the rest of this section has been moved to the comments for this post


Lucy at Flotterstone


Lucy at Flotterstone

37 - images from today

Good morning pussy cat, or rather, good afternoon (I slept late)

One year older, finally the age I've been thinking I was for the last year. I woke to sunshine and snowflakes. When I took Lucy out this afternoon the wind was so cold it froze my face. I felt like I'd been at the dentist, no feeling in my cheeks and jaw but oh my goodness, everything looked so beautifully bleached in the sunlight...





I had an exhausting but wonderful weekend at my parents with Lucy. I was in my element using all the knowledge gleaned from obsessive watching of Cesar Milan and succesfully controlled a pack of 4 large dogs. It was hard work but at the time the adrenalin carried me through. Today I can't move my arms - ouch, lactic acid overload in the old muscles. But I feel like I achieved something, and that feels really good. Mum and dad couldn't believe I got all the dogs fed in the same room at the same time without raucous barking and general insanity. They even video'd me feeding them all their breakfast.

We stayed over because Sunday was Mother's Day. Mum was a bit worried about leaving Lucy at home with the others (though they all got on fine) so instead of us taking her for a meal, she cooked up a feast. SO tasty and included lots of things I could eat. Oh, my mouth is still watering at the thought of the tastiness.

The nice thing about going there is that the fields are right behind the garden so I don't have to walk on any concrete to walk the dogs. I don't think I limped all weekend. Not that I was running around, I only wen a little way into the field but the others went further and then the dogs ran like wild happy creatures between us all. I loved it, the dogs loved it and I think the family did too. My brother came on the Sunday and we were doing some planning for our trip in 10 days - totally exciting. I'm thinking of blogging when I get there and you can guess where I am.

Red things