Books, Ideas and... errrmmm

I decided to post pics of my other piece for The Material Girls - cos it looks like I never do any work when  things are kept for an event.  But as people have already seen and cameras were out.... so here we go, and hopefully it will entice to come and see (mine) the work at our next outing at Horndon-on-the-Hill - see right.

The is "On the Waterfront"  and its what these pieces turned into.  Its only about 2 1/2" high - but around 14" long.  And yes, I cut each one of these beach huts by hand - no fancy gismo, just me, scissors, scalpel and a wrist bandage!!!  Each one is also individually sewn in place (I believe I lost count after 150) - because its in effect a book.  Its a collection of coloured pages plus a navigational map of the Thames Estuary and Thames itself.  Being a  l o n g  book it becomes very flexible, so it can be displayed in a shape.  I have made a long book before, but back then I under anticipated the amount of time it takes to construct, so it wasn't the length I intended

The latest effort is also stitched over tape, well ribbon - but in a different technique to the above.

In the meantime its on to the next thing - I've got ideas for something but I want to speak about it first, in case it doesn't meet the brief.  Plus I HAD loads of ideas for things - I say HAD because somewhere in the mush of my head, I've lost them!!!  As usual ideas spring to mind at the most inconvenient moments - and I thought, must write these down, quite literally by the time I'd finished what I was doing and ready to get a pen - total brain fog, forgotten everything.  I should have used a gismo I bought..... duh why only now think of it?  For the ERTF Essex event by the seaside, we were recording our ideas which also included sound.  I bought myself one of these mini voice recorders.... second hand off Ebay cost me the grand price of £8 inc postage!!!  Its been invaluable for reminders during my current family sorting issues - and its with me all the time, so why didn't I put my brilliant art ideas on it.  Idiot!  But as they say.... "if I had brains I'd be dangerous"

PS Have played with the blog again, added some purple to the tab buttons at the top.