Gratuitous Whippets

Last week I did a little survey on my Facebook page. I was just checking to see what people wanted to see, and whether I was meeting their "needs". The results were fascinating! Turns out people want to see Work in Progress, and finished things, but lots of people also find it reassuring to know that being creative and making things is not always the easiest thing.

The result that made me laugh out loud was this one...

Turns out people aren't too fussed about seeing pics of the puppy.

OH WELL!!

(If you'd like to participate, the first survey is still open here. And the follow-up questions are here).

There's a reason behind all these questions, watch this space!

Leafage

Leaves. Always liked a good leaf. I've had a little pile of eucalyptus leaves in my studio for weeks now, along with jar of rusty nails. And yesterday, I actually combined A with B and did this:

I followed the instructions by Caroline Bell in the first WoW book by Maggie  Grey. I used calico and lining paper. The darkest prints were weeds from the garden! The eucalyptus made the pan smell...interesting...but didn't really produce clear prints.

Not sure what happens next.

And talking of leaves, the torrential rain the other evening did very interesting things in our local woods. The rain poured off the neighbouring field and overran the ditches in the wood, swooshing along everything from the woodland floor as it went and carving swathes of dark, earthy paths through the carpet of leaves.

I love the way the leaves have been lined up, like pages in a book - or leaves, indeed. 

And the way the sticks and twigs are now facing the same way.

Love it. 

Treasure

Treasure:

....from the deepest darkest depths of the car storage bins under the floormats....(how long have we been back from holiday?)

Destined to become part of a Birthday Present for a Certain Poet...(and yes, he's a bit Uncertain about quite what his present is going to be...and nervous...)

On my way back from fetching felting wool to make the other part of the Birthday Present, from the Little House at the end of the garden, I found this forgotten treasure:

It came with a bonus earwig...

Meanwhile, the wool is slowly working itself into a receptacle for treasure:

(and yes, with the Birthday imminent, I'm supposed to be helping it along at the moment and not writing blog posts)

But I just had to show you this other treasure, that arrived in the post yesterday:

Just how wonderful is that?  I'm so lucky! 

Thank you Anne!

There was even bonus treasure, wrapped around the parcel:



Wonderful stuff!

And even more treasure in the afternoon, from my class:

from Ann and Tricia, working hard to perfect their organza flowers over half-term...

But of course, the biggest and best treasure of all is:

....also the naughtiest Whippet.

He's not allowed up the stairs, but this was Bonfire Night so exceptions were made....

Still naughty though!

Happy as a pig in mud

At least that's what I was telling myself all last week. 

Inspired by Emma's workshop here I spent a happy few days making lots of these:

And I am truly chuffed!  Thanks Emma!

I also turned the beaky birds into leggy chicks:

(I am less chuffed with these, but win some lose some...)

But little did I know that come Saturday afternoon, the mud would be very very real....

The morning had started very well, and while the sun wasn't shining it was still dry...ish.   Dry enough for Someone to win Second Most Handsome Dog in Uckfield and the Girl to WIN Junior Handler!  Two rosettes, two bags of doggy biscuits! 

Here is the lad checking out the competition with Mum and the Girl:

Looking VERY handsome with his blue rosette:

and then being put in his place by the Girl

returning triumphant!

But then the rain started.  Just in time for me to arrive at a little village fete to promote my embroidery class, and to forget my wellies.  

 And it was only when the MUD started coldly and wetly entering my right boot through a little hole in the stitched seam that I realised there was a river running through the marquee...

Happy as a pig in mud?  Well, it was definitely mud, I was most definitely in it, and I was probably a bit piggy because I tried to console myself by spending my takings on a huge whoopie pie to stuff my face, but no, I wasn't particularly happy...not until I could get home and remove my boots and sling them in the washing machine and my feet into a hot bath.

My left foot was completely dry and clean, proving that even though they're very old and tired, my waterproof boots really are (apart from the little hole where the stitching has split the leather of the right boot when they were re-soled).  Unfortunately, much as I would recommend them, you can't get Aqualamb boots anymore as they have stopped making them.  Typical.

Busy doing nothing

Just watching the sparrows devouring my pea plants

trying to ignore the Whippet's demands for attention

"Oh PLEASE Mum can I sit on your lap?"

"Great!  I do fold up small, I won't be any trouble..."

Shame about the slightly ridiculous ears....

And what better way to spend a half-term than sorting the Playmobil for storage.  The two cousins are too young for it at the mo, being 5 months and unborn respectively.  Well, I'm sure the Girl could think of many alternative occupations for a rainy half-term, but tough - someone had to reunite all the people with their hats and swords and diving helmets and so on, and only the Girl knows what belongs to whom....

And with the Girl suitably occupied, I dug out the embellisher and started to try some more ideas for Art Trail.  I remember this from last year - the panic beginning about now, short deadlines etc - the embellisher is definitely the answer!

Bracelet Idea 1.

Bracelet Idea 2. 

A sort of wraparound bracelet.  I'm trialling it as I type...it's certainly warm around the wrist, maybe good for rheumatism?

And then late last night, I cracked how to make wired fabric petals

And made a flower....

I haven't worked out what to do with it yet, because today was spent out and about with the Girl.  We went to Lewes and found TREASURE in Oxfam:

And after lunch we went for a walk in the woods, just to hear the racket with the wind walloping through the trees.  There were lots of lovely sticks, so I had to bring some home:

Gosh, that little arrangement makes me so happy.  Why do I have a compulsion to collect sticks (and fabric)?  If it had been a beach walk, I would have brought back shells or pebbles...

The lovely lovely block printed fabric was from the India Shop.  It cost slightly less in Oxfam than it does online.   There was sparkly sari fabric too, but I resisted...

Here are all the different patterns in the pack

Now what?!  Just look at it, drool a little...

Closet activist

I've been distracted from sticking leaves into my leaf sketchbook by some worrying news this morning.

A neighbour, and fellow dog-walker, told us that our town council are considering creating a new bye-law for all dogs to be on leads at all times on ALL the town council's land.  This would include our big playing fields, and possibly also the adjoining patch of ancient woodland where the Whippet loves to terrorise squirrels*.  It would also, presumably, include the two big nature reserves and flood meadows.  Basically, everywhere within walking distance.

no Schnauzers or Fox Terriers?  Oh no!

It's all because there are a few people who never clean up after their dogs, but because they never do, we ALL get blamed.

So instead of tootling on foot up to the top of the hill to the playing fields and woods, we would have to get in the car and drive for at least three miles.  Every day.  We live in a very busy part of the country, and while there is still a network of footpaths, in the last three years we've investigated all the ones near to town and so many footpaths either have fenced stiles (ever tried to carry a whippet over a stile?), cross main roads or golf courses, or cross land with livestock.

We are very lucky to have the South Downs (like the logo? A work colleague of Mr G's designed it!) and Winnie the Pooh country close by, but they are not near enough to be considered "everyday" walking.  And as we only have the one car (and trying our hardest to avoid buying another one, and use the one we have as little as possible) there will be some days when the Boy will just have to make do with a walk on his lead, and we will have one crazy whippet eating the carpets.

We are all so upset about this proposed change, which won't actually do anything to stop the fouling - the people who don't pick up now will still look the other way whether their dog is on a string or not.  It is so unfair, so blunt and will have a massive impact on our daily life, so we are going to start a petition.  Lots of petitions.  We are going to get in touch with all the town vets, the professional dog walkers, the animal charities, anyone and everyone.  The public consultation will open some time next week, so we need to be ready!

If anyone out there has any experience of anything similar happening near them, we would be very interested in finding out more, so please get in touch - even if just to lend some moral support, and some long-distance fire-power to our campaign!

*I've had a look at the "Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 and I think woodlands are exempt. 

PS On a completely different note, is anyone going to Stitch & Craft next week?  I'm undecided.