Back from Colorado

So, I have been internetless for the last week, quite a strange feeling. I was almost tempted to go into an Internet Cafe but I thought there's nothing that can't wait. It was freezing in Breckenridge, CO, literally -2 but very pretty, it felt like Christmas with all the snow. The altitude was a killer though, I was breathing like a heavy smoker just walking up a hill ! Still I did have a go at snowboarding, I was fully prepared for the inevitable falls and apart from a comedy catapault off the button lift the falls were quite graceful with no visible bruising. It took 15 hours of driving to get from CA to CO. I managed to finish a book, sleep and snack...lots of snacks, sunflower seeds, chips, bananas etc. I was fine until we started climbing and my stomach felt like it was being depressurised. Apart from a headache, couple of nose bleeds and stomach cramps which wore off on day 3 I was fine! Here are a few random snapshots from the trip.

Some donkeys covered in fresh snow on Main St, Breckenridge.

You would occasionally hear a huge crash which were icicles falling down. Hazardous.

Cold, chilly enough said.

Very hard to spot a clean car.

Troy my FTB finds himself knee high in snow.

Snapped from the car, the expectations are not high when a town is called No Name.

Two Paintings of the Sea

As I said in the previous blog, there will be more pics less chat although I had a nutty dream the other day that I was going out with Kelly Slater, (notice emphasis on dream) I think it was because I had read about a new film at the Imax which starred the latter. I can't remember the last bit but that was more 24 ish. Talking of waves, I finally made it out for a surf and I was so exhausted, I got advice on paddling from a young whippet, I didn't have the heart to tell him I knew full well I needed to get beyond the breaking waves I was just knackered. New fitness regime starts....after I get back from Colorado. (work related excursion.) I will pack the perfect push ups because I don't know what else I'll be doing in this ski resort. See, I almost wish I'd stopped at the word blog.

Chickletto is here

Hot off the sewing machine, my newest prototype Chickletto. He is another winged creature which is in keeping with Penguino and Owletto. You like ?

Ha ha chickletto is safe from Sanford, for now......but he wants that chicken bad.

Too tired to rent a DVD

All this crafting is making me tired. I achieved my goal of completing the big owls and penguins so I patted myself on the back. I created some nice tags to save me having to write them which although would look nice I'm time poor right now. It seems like both my other jobs have just got really busy overnight adding to the strain. I felt my life pass by on Friday as I tried uploading a design file for a huge banner, watching the little bar making sloooww progress across the screen only for upload FAIL to appear each time. I finally gave up with that particular company after calling when they couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. I called a local company in LA spoke to a nice man, uploaded my file (same file) with no issues whatsoever !! I feel like I've had a crash course in printing over the last week. When you are having 5,000 of something printed you can't help but wonder if you may have forgotten something, we shall see....

I had a little tantrum with my new sewing machine, the trouble with electronic machines is that they beep a lot when they are unable to do something ,which in this case was attaching a button. I changed the bobbin, re-threaded etc all to no avail. Beep, so I did what I do with all things electronic I switched it on and off, again no joy. I was starting to think gadgets and I were having a bad relationship. I had just received a new Canon D10 (waterproof allegedly), thank you nice people at Canon, to replace my old one,(6 months old) which had already been sent back to the factory for a new lens and was again playing up. All this without ever having touched water my sole reason for purchasing it in the first place! I ranted very politely to Canon and they agreed to send me a new one and things have been good so far.

So, forgive me for the lack of faith in my Brother machine, I finally dug out the manual and discovered low and behold, it was my fault, I hadn't depressed the foot fully, I gave it the extra nudge and voila button nirvana was reached. I am so happy about this exciting development. It takes me ages to sew buttons on by hand, I don't know why, and in a blink of an eye the Brother spits it out perfectly.

It was Superbowl weekend and husband's birthday so a lot of extra shopping/ cleaning/ cooking had to be fitted in. I did manage to make 20 spring rolls which reminds me I need to try and make some falafel again. This post has been most self indulgent but therapeutic for me, I'll be back to the short on words big on pictures format soon enough. If you made it this far you are probably related or just super fabulous. Have a great day.

Thrift Store Find - Apple

Thrift Store Find
This apple needs a bit of TLC but I think its a wonderful object and a handy depository for knick knacks and the like. One day I will carefully sand and remove the blemishes but till then it sits happily on the living room table reminding me that wood is a beautiful thing.

Whirlwind and active

 

Where the magic happens

 

The flag project so near yet so far

The weekend flew by with a flurry of crafting activities. The craft room has now reached the stage where every surface is covered with bits of fabric. No matter how many plastic storage containers I get there just aren't enough for all the scraps I generate and like a born recycler, (or hoarder) I always think there will be a use for that tiny little piece. The reason for the chaos is that darn hanging flag banner that I thought would be oh such a quick project, not so as you may have gathered. There's the letter cutting, fabric cutting, letter sewing, flag cutting etc etc and of course I wanted to draw from my extensive pile of scraps so that the letters would all be different patterns. I am my own worst enemy !! Progress was made but I think that this will be a one time deal. On the plus side I did get to try out a new stitch on the sewing machine which worked like a charm. It still seems surreal to press a button and have it instantly knot, the joys of technology.

Three paintings are on the go, some nice stormy skies which is funny really when 99% of the time the sky is a lovely shade of blue but that wouldn't be enough of a challenge. Progress shots coming soon.
I also will be selling my line in a boutique in LA which means I have to actually create in bulk and so had a big jumper shrinking session. It still surprises me that I can go out and find exactly the right colour in a jumper at a thrift store for a couple of penguins just when I need it. I have a theory that the gods of re-use look favourably on my furry creations. I only wish I didn't have to go outside to do the laundry. Unlike London, it is fairly common to not have a washing machine inside, oh how I miss my bosch, so quiet so quick.... When we had that rainy spell there was no way I was going to do any shrinking. We also once had a nasty possum living on top of the laundry, so the thought of having a giganto oversized rat landing on your head whilst you wash your small's was quite a big deterrent. It did start to stack up till a possum solution was found. I can't believe those things are not considered a nuisance and therefore animal control will have nothing to do with them. But I digress...

In between creating I managed a thrift store visit and found the best drinking glasses ever, they are old wine bottles that have been cut and sanded (a great idea) so they are just the right weight (Ikea thin they are not) and not too small, best of all each one is unique. As you can tell I was very happy with my purchase I had been thinking about those recycled glass ones with the bubbles and blue rim for a while but I'm glad I didn't get them.

Hurrah, my vintage soft toy pattern book arrived derailing my progress as I have simply got to make the elephant, polar bear and donkey. Work beckons, the rain is back.