boo!

surprise project







was it a surprise?

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hat trick

It's time to get knitting again.
innocent smoothies are doing their annual big knit campaign in aid of age concern, and this time I've heard about it in good time to send some little hats in.

I think i'll start knitting tomorrow,

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8 things

i've been a little rushed off my feet lately - what with relocating to brighton and having a project to get finished before I start my course - but i thought i could spare a couple of minutes to say 'hello'.

the illustration above is from the sequence I am working on at the moment. the project is all about surprising the audience and I won't go into what I am doing a the moment but lets just say I have found it a wee bit tricky. (being asked to surprise someone is almost as tough as trying to be witty). fingers crossed it all goes well on wednesday.

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anyway, the real reason i decided to post something today is because sally has tagged me (how exciting) so here goes:

THE RULES: "Each player starts with eight random facts/habits or embarrassing things about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog."

1. One of the 1st things I did when I moved to Brighton was join the library. I'd really like to work in a library some day.

2. I don't like curry or the office, which are the two things in the world that everyone else thinks are the bees knees.

3. If I had been a boy my parents would have named me Martin.

4. I'm currently trying to learn french via podcast and I look forward to it raining so I can say "Il pleut" - I like the way it sounds.

5. I have a signed photograph of the chuckle brothers from when I met them at a pantomime when I was younger. (I'm also quite proud of the fact I've met them, god knows why)

6. I love donkeys. Whenever I drive to Brighton from home I try to take some carrots so I can stop and feed the donkeys on the way.



7. I can't function properly without tea. I am well and truly addicted.

8. I'm currently sleeping on an airbed because my bed isn't due to be delivered until the 8th october (which seems absolutely ages away).

and that's it!

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now, i'm going to tag sair, kate, lyzi, sabine & lucy (i know that's not 8 but it'll do.)

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relocation relocation

i've moved



hope i don't get too home sick

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p o l a n d












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penguins

look at this most lovely penguin my mum discovered when sorting through some of her old belongings.

he's mine now (and the little ones too) and they're all coming with me to brighton to sit happily in my new room.
on a shelf.

gosh, i hope i have shelves in my room.
if not i'd better hurry up and put some up.

a room without shelves is hardly a room at all.

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look after the pennies

i found one



a while back i posted about how i really wanted a piggybank for saving up my pennies (pounds) and the other day i found this little fellow in a charity shop. i love the flowery pattern on him, and how his nostrils look like commas. cute. hope i don't get too attached or i'll find it tricky to smash him when he gets full up.

i'm collecting 2 pound coins at the moment so if you have any spare then do send them in :-)

i realised today that i never posted a picture (or did i? correct me if I'm wrong) of these wonderful handcarved stamps i picked up at glastonbury festival:



i haven't got round to using them for much yet but I'm sure they'll come in handy (they are so nice!)

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weighing things up

oops - i've been neglecting my blog again.

I've been so very busy of late but i feel a BIG post is just around the corner so don't give up on me.

I've just finished working at the bookbinders and have just completed a freelance book project so will have plenty of time to post next week.

until then, here's an illustration that was scrapped from the recent project (but I still quite like)



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BA Hons

It's my mum's graduation ceremony tomorrow.

I made her a card:


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windy miller

a wee little windmill

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wreck this

my new book


just LOOK what dropped through my door the other day (from amazon) - alongside the arcade fire albums there was this amazing book by the ever so creative & talented keri smith.

It is such a lovely idea for a book - you have to follow the instructions on each page which literally tell you different ways to trash the book.
i was very hesitant about starting it at first but i'm in full flow now. i am working through it in page order (as i am a little bit on the anal side) and here are some photos of what i've done so far:







what fun! and i have also found a flickr group dedicated to the book and other people's attempts at wrecking it - which i like a lot as it's great to see what other people have done for each page and the different approaches taken.

so, i'd recommend all of you to buy a copy of the book (it's not very pricey) and then let me know how you get on.

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bicycle ride

look who i met today:

friendly horses

&


scary swans

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tea time

i &hearts tea

look what i discovered! - a tea appreciation society.

how splendid.

i really want one of the 'i &hearts tea' canvas bags.

or should i just say 'tea bag' - ha hA HE he (i'm a geek)
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counting coins

i want a piggybank



1. Piggy Bank, 2. Piggy bank from Hungary, 3. Piggy Bank, 4. DSC_2338, 5. 42-16219376, 6. Piggy bank, 7. Piggy bank family, 8. nice.STO299Portfolio.015, 9. Piggy Bank

i have decided that i really want a nice little piggybank to save my pennies in. not one with a plastic stopper in the bottom, but one i will have to smash open to get to my money - that way I'll definitely not spend any until it's all full.

the hunt is on!

i did actually find one whilst out shopping the other day but it had a scary look to it and i just didn't like the idea of having something creepy sitting on my shelf staring at me (though at least i would have had no problem when it came to smashing it to bits).

these thoughts of piggy banks have come from my need to spend less money (especially as I am saving to move to brighton) and i am really trying to watch what I spend at the moment - i am going to try not to buy anything unnecessarily expensive for the month of july and will try and stick to charity shops and sales for things i don't really need (like crafting supplies, clothes,etc).
i'll keep you posted about how i'm getting along...

what did i buy today?

• softmints (naughty but i needed to but something at the petrol station so i wouldn't feel so guilty about just going in to use the toilet)
• vanilla sky soundtrack - £2 from the charity shop (good buy!)
• revels - 45p from the vending machine at work (v.bad, but i blame sally for tempting me)

...and that is all. not too bad but i do need to cut down on sweets & chocolate purchases it seems.

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a few new bits

floral tin from oxfam - 79p (i think i'll use it for storing thread & ribbon


pretty little fat bird - 50p (i like to hold him in my hand)


this bow was from a stall at glastonbury - it was the only one there that looked a bit like old ladies curtains so i had to have it.


these finger puppets were £1 each from glastonbury.
i wish, i wish, i wish i knew how to make them - there were so many there (derek bought a yoda one). if anyone has any knitting patterns for cute finger puppets or any links to any then please let me know and i'll be ever so happy!

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i wish i could...

( skirts by emily, sugarmouseface & hannah )

lately i've been feeling a bit fed up with buying clothes from the high street - they are often very overpriced and everyone ends up wearing the same thing. i also hate it when i stop and think about what i'm wearing and realise most of my outfit was purchased from the same store.
i don't normally manage to find much in the way of nice clothes in the local charity shops so have decided the only way forward is to try and make my own clothes. I have been inspired by lots of wonderful handmade skirts spotted online (such as those above) and would love to be able to make something similar. unfortunately i am a bit useless in the (neat) sewing department. in the past i have had a few attempts at making/altering skirts - most of which have failed (i may share the pictures one day soon), but i feel just about ready to have another bash at it now.

all i need is a good tutorial.
i have bought a couple of sewing patterns from charity shops before but i find it hard to know where to start with them (they are a tad confusing).

so, if anyone knows of any handmade skirt tutorials to be found on the web then it would be great to hear from you.

and then i will get to work and make a skirt that is actually wearable (i hope).

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a bit of trimming