Done It - Next One!

Hooray, I've submitted my piece for the ERTF selected exhibition.  Here's a piccy of it.  Ha!!!  Its a smidge and I've tweaked it.  You may know what it is.  I'm not going to show you photos of the item properly, as that's not fair, for one its still under the selection process, and for two the Exhibition should have first dibs on it.  If it doesn't make the grade then I may reveal all.......
Also attended a committee meeting yesterday.  A long way from home, but this time I choose the pretty route.  Mileage shorter, journey longer - but lots of very pretty villages to pass through, we'll swiftly ignore driving past the Category C prison in the midst of the greenery!!  But its a reminder really, ought to get out and explore more of what's around us.  Its good to see the decision making processes at work, and just how difficult this can be, and how you have to find an answer which is the best for the circumstances, if not the ideal.  Everyone who volunteers to run organistions are faced with this, and I think it would do ordinary members well to take a stint at some point, just to see how much consideration is given to making something suitable for the majority, it really is talked over and considered, and sometimes hotly argued.
I do have other deadlines to work to... paperwork in this morning requiring my approval.  But I'm also in need of tackling the age old problem, of stuff everywhere, bags and boxes emptied to get at the one thing, time to force their way back into the cupboard.  I'm going to have a couple of days to clear the head of one set of work, before getting on with others started - sometimes I can't make decisions or think straight about work, because there are too many thoughts bouncing around in that empty cavity attached to my neck!!!

Dead fly, anyone?

I'm aware that I'm not showing off anything exciting - well most of my making is for other purposes, which have first dibs, so I can't. But I am doing stuff, honest. The ERTF selected exhibition for instance - deadline a little over a week away, cough choke.
The above is what we did at our Embroiderers' Guild meeting this past Saturday.  We, a rather loose term, this is what I did - everyone else made nice pretties, I got out the paper string to make mine.  They want me to make a spider to go on it.... I told them I'd leave it on the windowsill and wait for a dead fly to land!!!
Yesterday I went to my first meeting as a member of The Material Girls.  Again I can't say what I'm up to for that because its only the beginning of an idea for one, but also that too is for exhibition next year.  Enjoyed the meeting immensely.  So nice to be able to sit and chat textiles with others.  Whilst of course we do that with the EG and I do value it, its not the same as within an exhibiting group.  All of the various organisations or magazines I take give me little bits of what I need to make up the whole - and I like that.
So today I need to crack on with the ERTF piece.... it is an absolute masterpiece - in my head!!!  But before we start, as always I need a cuppa - want one?  You will have to provide your own choccy biccies I'm afraid.

Sun, Sea (and Wind and Rain)

I still feel like I'm running to stand still, art wise.  Nothing finished, deadlines approaching. The Burnham Art Trail I ended with my two postcard sales.  So if you went to the Trail but would like more information you can always contact me, look up my website.

You know how us British always talk about the weather, with good reason, yesterday was stuffily hot - today its chucked it down with rain, but I've been out to the seaside, which is not many miles from me, when the rain stopped.  But its blowing a howler of a wind - so obviously the wind surfers were having a good time.  Sun was bright so I couldn't actually see what photos I was taking, - not like the photographer in the corner with his super duper camera.  Mine was more like a 'lucky dip' sweetie bag, had to wait until I got home to see what I'd captured.The expedition is to do with another project which I can't tell you about - not least cos its got the tiniest smidge of an idea, as in - I think I'd like to base it on.................
But this pic, is literally at the bottom corner of Essex - its open sea to the left, and straight up to London/beyond on the right - this is the Thames Estuary.

Sales, Stewarding and Scrubbing!!!

I've been over to Burnham Art Trail to steward today.  Hooray, found out I've sold a couple of Postcards - this is one of them.  I hope whoever has purchased enjoys.
Alas I don't have a photo of the other...  I'd sealed it up in its cello bag before I realised and of course photos through plastic aren't so good.  But it is one of my map pieces.  Must do more of these, as they seem to get comment and be appreciated.
The Trail is on until Sunday, so plenty more time to go out and buy!!  I've heard some nice things said about my actual pieces on display, so that's good.
Art wise I am working, but not on things I can show you.  My piece for the ERTF selected exhibition is coming along - slowly.  Actually its a bit like the days of studying C&G - lots of part bits laying around, trying to plan out when to do, as for instance I'm out at a stitchy meeting on Tues, so makes sense to have something of this I can take with me to do.  My fingers bear evidence to working - no, not blisters - rather dye ingrained into the nail bed - cough, it was navy blue, so they look a bit grim.  Didn't you wear gloves I hear the cry - errr no.  I'm useless with gloves, have a box of them, do wear them, but also manage to get everything inside them anyway.  So its a scrubbing brush, followed by a large dollop of hand cream.  At least this is better than the bloody massacre of the other week - when I foolishly decided to remove a spray nozzle from some paint, as it wouldn't work.  Except once dismantled I pressed it and it squirted all over me, the table, notebooks - and it was red.  See its not the creative art stuff that's a problem... its the time it takes to clear up the resulting mess.