Phew that was close!

I thought the world was about to end ;)

But it hasn't, and the sun has risen again, so all's well that ends well.

Midwinter blessings to one and all

May the strengthening Sun bring you love, light & laughter in the coming year.

Tonight is the great Midwinter feast,

so I'd better go and start cooking and baking.

Midwinter Menu

Starters

Mushroom Butter

with home-made toasted bread

Main course

Pork & herb sausages
with roasted winter vegetables.

Kippered Mackerel
with leeks & crushed potatoes.

Cheese stuffed chicken
wrapped in Bacon.

Colcannon

Dessert

Individual fruit puddings

Tea/Coffee

Mince pies

Cheese board

Midwinter

Winter long

Winter deep

Snow & ice

The Cailleach's keep

Mist shrouded morn

Crystal white

Shortest day

Longest night

The land sleeps

Earth rests

Heartbeat slow

within the breast

Darkness falls

Fires blaze bright

The vigil kept

All through the night

Travellers arrive

To join the feast

And await the Sun

Watching the East

A pale glow

The first soft ray

The sun is risen

Darkness driven away

The land sleeps

Earth rests

Yet heartbeat quickens

within the breast

Five more sleeps......

until Midwinter/Yule/Winter Solstice/insert festival of choice here

and I'm really looking forward to it,

as it will be the first one that I've been able to host in a place of my own.

But more of that later in the week.

I just thought I'd stick my head up and say hello. I'm still here. 

There's been no crafting, no poetry, not even photo's of the dead leaves in the garden.

There has been partying though :)

Tuesday was Come Dine with Me at a friend's

(we don't score each other, or rummage through the drawers)

Friday was the office party

(very civilised and nothing to gossip about)

and Saturday was the Cubby Hole party

(fairly civilised, and I don't think there's any gossip)

Today has mostly been pottering about.

Made my first batch of mince pies, and they came out well. 

Maybe not as photogenic and uniform as Mr Kipling's,

but much nicer (even if I do say so myself).

And that's about it really.

Gratuitous seasonal photograph.....

Now what?

Well now here's a conundrum. 

I've packed away my crafty stuff so that I can sort the house for the festive season,

so what on earth am I going to bore you with for the next couple of weeks?

I suppose I could regale you with tales of my Midwinter preparations and various social events,

or try and write some new poems (they may even rhyme),

perhaps a day by day photoshoot of the leaves blowing around the yard.

Hmmmmmmm........

Decisions, decisions.......

Stung

Still on a roll...........

Listening to Sting's "Englishman in New York" last night, and I was inspired by the line

"At night a candle's brighter than the sun"

It's a journal page in acrylics, but applied really heavily to give some texture

(which doesn't show in the picture)

23 days to go.....

.....and all my Christmas presents are made! 

AEDM seems to have certainly fired up my mojo.

These are the last two presents (youngest daughter & her girlfriend)

as well as another rugby canvas for a friend who wanted to pinch the one I'd made before.

On top of that I've baked,

bottled my Solstice Brew

and started planning the Midwinter Feast

which came to a shuddering halt when I got to dessert.

Anybody have a dessert recipe which is:

light,

refreshing,

not too complicated,

doesn't include dairy produce,

or alcohol,

or chocolate,

or banana

and preferably can be made in advance!

AEDM Final day

 Before I get on to today's post,

I'd like to send a big thank you to Leah for hosting another wonderful AEDM,

and also to those who've joined in and made it worth while.

I hope to see some of you wandering around blogland in the future.

I promised you that today's post would be slightly different, and it is.

Instead of being the artist, I am the art.

I've been rattling around the planet now for fif*cough* years;

and for the last couple of years I've promised myself that when the time was right

and certain things had come to pass, I'd have a tattoo to mark the occasion.

Well, those things have come to pass, and the time is right, so I've spent an hour getting needled.

If nothing else, it's got to increase my street-cred with my kids ;)

(If you're wondering about the design, go and have a look at day 1)

AEDM Day 29

Almost there, just one day to go.

And you don't want to miss tomorrow's post as it will be something completely different...........

In the meantime, back to today.

This is the latest spread in Sian's one-to-one Attitude journal.

She sent it to me with the background colours and border already in place.

As soon as I saw that quote, (bottom left) I knew where I was going with this.

The quote has been modified slightly in response to Plebgate*

Apologies to those who are offended by the picture on the left hand page**

For the enlightenment of overseas readers....

*Plebgate - also known as The Downing Street Bicycle Incident

**The smarmy ***** pictured is (unfortunately) our current Prime Minister.

AEDM Day 28

Another quick burst of silliness today.

Not much chance to create as I've been busy with Life™.

I've even included the tools of the trade for this one ;)

AEDM Day 27

Another piece which has come to a (reasonably) succesful completion.

I'm not completely happy about the hand, or the face; but as a beginner with faces I'll accept it for new and move on. I'm sure there'll be more practice somewhere down the line.

AEDM Day 26

Sneaking in at the last minute today......

I've been away at a meeting all day, so no chance to blog hop.

I got home frozen through after the train was delayed,

so have had to thaw out before I could do anything creative.

Anyway, now I can feel my fingers again, here's today's offering;

the Angelic Shield in all its finished glory.

AEDM Day 25

The biggest problem with Christmas is that there's always somebody who you can't figure out what to buy. The fact that we're doing a hand-made Christmas just exacerbates the problem.

I'd got to the stage where my grandson was going to get a tenner in a decorated envelope.

Then I saw this quote.

Problem solved!

AEDM Day 24

Healing hands

Another Christmas gift for a friend.

AEDM Day 23

Clouds scud swiftly in a leaden sky,
leafless trees bend and bow,
whilst pigeons shelter in their skeletal arms;

and all the while,
the crows dance and gambol
and ride the wild wind.

Just a flying visit for now. There may be more later.

AEDM Day 22

Nothing spectacular today, just an update on the angel canvas.

The wings have been given a couple of coats of Stewart Gill 'Alchemy' paint to give them a good shimmer when the light hits.

The background will be getting a re-paint to make the wings stand out more,

and the centre will also be changing.

Watch this space......

AEDM Day 21

Blimey, we're 2/3 of the way through AEDM and still going strong (even if I did miss a day).

Today it's back to the journal, although I have done a little on the angel canvas.

As some of you will know, a while back I was diagnosed with heart failure.*

It's not the end of the world, it just means that my medicine cabinet now has something more interesting than Rennies and Paracetamol in it;

and I have to make a couple of changes to lifestyle and diet.

Don't worry, wine is allowed!

Anyway, one of the symptoms is that occasionally my heartbeat doesn't quite feel right, sort of fluttery. I've kept quiet about it at work, but a couple of people know, and to stop too many questions, if I'm feeling a bit under the weather, it's become known as "a touch of the flutters";

which just had to become a journal page, so here it is :)

*No sympathy required, just filling in the background^†

† If you want sympathy, go and see the padre.

AEDM Day 20

Another canvas for a friend, and another spiritually inspired piece.

I have a rough idea where this is heading, and hopefully by time I've got the wings in place (rather than the current rough sketch) I'll have the rest of it figured out.

Out of curiosity, does anybody else paint 'blind' (so to speak)?

I need glasses for close work (less than 3') but I sometimes find it helpful to work without them, especially on backgrounds or for drafts.

I find that it stops me fixing on details, and instead work on the structure. It's especially good when doing under-painting as it reduces things down to dark & light.

AEDM Day 19

Another day where life didn't go as planned, interruptions and distractions aplenty, but there has been some creativity.

I've been able to add some detail to the canvas I started on Day 2. There's still a way to go yet, but it's taking shape. It's mostly detail work now, especially the face and hands, which will probably take forever, but it will get there.

The lady in the picture is Brigid or St Brigid, depending on your viewpoint. It will be a Christmas present for a friend.

AEDM Day 18

Some of you may remember my Steampunk butterfly from this year's Cubby Hole Exhibition. Well, here's a smaller, simpler version as a present for a friend. This is a 4x4 canvas.

It's a glorious, frosty autumnal morning here, and I'm feeling energised which is why this is being posted so early. There will hopefully be more art later, but for now it's time for making bread.

AEDM Day 17

Unfortunately, there was no AEDM post yesterday due to illness (nothing serious, just enough to stop the mojo).

Today's offering is a journal page. It's my page in Sonja's Desert Island Discs journal, inspired by the Waterboy's "Whole of the moon"; No' 6 on her list.

There's also a canvas on the go, but not quite finished yet.

Finally, for those who were worried about my recent music choices; I'm back to normal;

Tom Waits, Screamin' Jay Hawkins & Airbourne.

AEDM day 14 & 15

Day 14

There has been creativity, but nothing for the blog. Some has been prep work for upcoming projects; priming canvas, cutting card and so on. 

The other I can't show as it's work related. I look after our database at work, and the afternoon was one of those quiet periods that happen from time to time. So I decided to put the time to good use and reworked the front screen to include candles, ribbons and other Christmas stuff to cheer the team up in December. What can I say, I'm all heart:)

 

Day 15

This is the second recipe book. I've decided to scrap the pot-luck idea and decorate them to suit each daughter.

The one from the other day will go to the eldest.

This one will go to the middle one, the Goth one, who has black & red walls in the front room. It should fit right in.

I have to say, it wasn't easy to get this right whilst listening to cheesy 80s/90s music. Maybe I should have gone for Evanescence or Within Temptation.

AEDM Day13

If you're waiting for an explanation of this, don't hold your breath; there isn't one!

 I have no idea where it came from, what it represents or what deep and meaningful message it's supposed to send.

I was enjoying a nice glass of Shiraz, some cheese & crackers and listening to Edwin Starr* when it just popped into my head.

Suggestions, interpretations and plain old guesses on a postcard.

*Specifically, "War!"

†Woman silhouette is a stamp.

AEDM day 12

This is inspired partly by last week's Reiki share.

After we had finished and I was on my own again, I chilled out and put on a CD whilst I had a play with ink & paper. The CD was Canto Gregoriano by The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos, which I've had for donkey's years. 

Gregorian chant was the 'latest big thing' in the early nineties, for people to chill to, until it was replaced by another 'latest big thing'. There are probably thousands of copies of this gathering dust at the back of people's CD collections, along with Enigma and Mr Blobby

(if you don't know what that is, be thankful).

Anyway, as I was saying, I put the CD on, and was happily inking away, when the thought came to me that this beautiful, soulful music comes from a place that would normally be associated with solemnity, restraint and dullness (monastic orders are known for their spartan, reserved life-styles; not their psychedelic tie-dye skills).

And so this page was born, a grateful nod to the beauty of the serene music that originated within cold grey stone walls.

AEDM Day 11

It's back to Christmas presents again today.

My daughters have decided that we're doing a hand-made Christmas this year (for grown-ups and the older kids at least).

I've decided to put together recipe books for my daughters, with recipes that they won't find in books, or on the 'net. These are recipes that I've collected from friends and family, or made up (or adapted) myself. There's a couple of their mum's recipes too, so I'll make sure there's tissues handy.

This is the first one; "Ye Olde Recipe Boke". 

No idea which daughter it's going to, it will be pot-luck.

We will remember them

This isn't from me (though I did contribute).

Full details here.

AEDM Day 10

Today was going to be a day of much arty craftiness. Needless to say, life had different ideas.

By now there should be a journal page, Christmas gift and possibly something else for me to display, instead there is the vaguest start of a journal page to show.

If anybody can guess what it is before I finish it, they can have a 4x4 mini-canvas as a reward.

AEDM Day 9

Nothing spectacular today. 

Last night was Reiki share night, so not a lot of time to create.

This was me playing around with inks and a stencil, just keeping my eye in, so to speak.

Have a happy Friday :)

AEDM Day 8

He sleeps

His pack for a bed

Cold unyielding metal for a pillow.

Cradled in his arms, his rifle,

His constant companion.

Tyres whine on hard road

Metal squeaks and creaks and groans

Canvas slaps in the cold slipstream

The engine sings its song

A steady, monotone lullaby

The lullaby changes

The tyre's whine becomes a rumble

He is aware

Head lifts, hands move, alert

Around him in the dim light others react

Listening, waiting

The truck slows, gears descending

A lurch and he's pushed against the side

The engine growls, speed picks up

Just a bend, just a bend

He relaxes, huddles down

He sleeps,

And listens,

And waits

I had thought of saving this for Sunday, but I'll do something different for that occasion..

As I said on Monday, this idea has been rattling around in my head for quite a while. I can't remember what initially sparked the desire to sketch it, but the imagery comes from my past.
I can't count how many times I've sat in the back of a Bedford, huddled up against the cold, lulled to a shallow sleep by the sounds of the truck, trying to put off that final moment when it will come to halt and we'll have to climb out and face the future.
Mostly it would be the prospect of spending a day on a barren freezing range, or having to spend a few days in the middle of nowhere on a training exercise.
But occasionally the future was unknown.......

This is for all those others who have taken the same ride.

AEDM Day 7

So, I had a play with the idea from Day 5.

Rather than water colour I decided to try gouache, a new medium for me, and this is the result. I'm not happy with it. 

It's not how I envisage it; it's too bright, too much colour. It should be darker, more shadowy.

Oh well, I'll just try something else until I get it right.

AEDM Day 6

Well, it's only 48 days away, so I figured I could safely post something about Christmas.

These are handmade pocket diaries for friends. The covers are made from recycled calendars, covered with PVA soaked kitchen roll and tissue. They've taken a few days of patiently watching them dry, but last night I was finally able to add the embellishments to finish them.

I took the easy route with the inserts and bought them.

AEDM Day 5

This is an idea that's been floating around in my head for quite a while, so I figured I'd actually do something about it.

A quick draft sketch on scrap paper. I may transfer it to a journal page and add some water-colour, not sure yet.

There will also be words.

AEDM Day 4

If I said "mediæval music" what would you think of?

Maybe some wonderfully harmonised choral pieces by the Mediæval Bæbes?

Or folksy type ballads by Blackmore's Night?

Perhaps you went for sacred choral chants sung by hooded monks.

All very wonderful music, and quiet relaxing in their own way.

Turn It Up! isn't about relaxing music, it's about volume!*

Allow me to introduce Corvus Corax, a German group of very talented musicians who are the mediæval equivalent of heavy metal.

Whilst the Bæbes and co were trying out for "Britannia haveth talent",

Corvus would have been headlining "Ye Olde Download Feftival".

Turn it up, and enjoy!

and a clip of a live performance (keep still if you can).

*For new readers, Turn It Up! is a collaborative journal between myself and Sian at Live-Scrap-Love. Sian's journal is Attitude!

AEDM Day 3

And no baking!

A quick silly page to get a new journal broken in.

This was inspired by a snippet of conversation overheard whilst selling the baked goodies at the market. £60 raised for BHF.

Thanks to Wendy for inspiration.

AEDM Day 2

and more baking...

Bread this time, and thankfully that's it. Now I've just got to sell it tomorrow.

I've also had a dabble with the acrylics, and got the foundation in place for a painting.

Hopefully I'll have more time to play each day now that I've escaped the kitchen.

AEDM Day 1

Today sees the start of Art Every Day Month.

I've been a little busy today with a different kind of creativity - baking.

This is the second day of a 3 day baking marathon, ready for the Artisan Market on Saturday. Yesterday was Slug Cake, today was Parkin, tomorrow is bread.

I couldn't let AEDM start without something though, so it's a quick 5 minute sketch.

"The time has come,"

 the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of songs--and canvases--and Featuring: magazine--"

Well, another 3 week gap, despite best intentions. Every time I sat down to write this, something happened to distract me. ho hum, such is life.

First off, Songs!

Over at Collabor-ART we're starting a new CJ based on Desert Island Discs. Each of us has created a top 10, which will do the rounds, with each person picking a song and creating a page for it. Mine is a "Tracks of my years" list, not necessarily my 10 favourites, but 10 tracks that mean something  to me; a place, a person, a time.

The hardest part was picking 10 songs. There's dozens to choose from and narrowing it down wasn't easy, but I got there in the end.  Once that was done, it was a case of creating pages, sign-in discs, etc and then creating the first page.

 Yes, I was once that young!

The whole list is;

Brighton Rock – Queen
Caroline – Status Quo
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Vienna – Ultravox
Street Tuff – Double Trouble & the Rebel MC
A New England – Kirsty MacColl
The Lark Ascending – Vaughan Williams
Beltaine – Jethro Tull
Read ‘em and weep – Meatloaf
Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
 

Another project at Collabor-ART is now coming to an end, a travelling canvas. This left me six months ago as a blank canvas with a bit of red paint on it. It returns as a multi-layered piece of collaborative art, ready for display, once I figure out where.

Lastly, magazines. Or one magazine in particular - Featuring:

Generally I don't read  craft magazines as I find most of them to be dominated by card making, scrap-booking and cuteness. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not for me. The exception in the past has been Somerset Studio, but recently I've found that it doesn't hold my attention. I received the latest issue and skimmed through it in 10 minutes, with only one article catching my eye.

Thankfully there's a new kid on the block Featuring:

It's edited and produced by Marit from Marit's Paper World, and it is a real breath of fresh air. In the whole magazine I noticed only one (yes, one) advert. The articles are well written, well illustrated, and are actually worth reading, rather than just looking at the pretty pictures. Also, it's not centred on the US/Canadian market either, it's international. Seriously, get a copy and read it if you can - you won't regret it.

Oh, and there's no adverts on the back cover. Just mini art from readers - like me :)

Dad dancing?

This is a crafty version of an ear-worm*

I have no idea why it came to be stuck in my head, but it did, and like an ear-worm the only way to get rid of it was to journal it.

Ok, by now, those outside the UK are probably wondering what I've been 'using' (as well as many in the UK) but I'm clean - well, apart from the stains on my shirt, but that's because I couldn't find my bib.

Big fish, little fish was a dance move from the 90's, usually performed at raves, and for a while the phrase was used in a mocking way to describe what some of us pass off as dancing.

This was started yesterday at the Cubby Hole, and finished off at home. After much discussion, we found that only 2 people (plus me) knew what I was on about, which led to accusations that we were weird. As the other two were Paul, and Sue Roddis there may be some truth in it.

*Ear-worm - a song/tune that becomes lodged in the brain and keeps repeating, possibly only one or two lines. Usually something banal and irritating e.g. The Wichita line man. The only way to exorcise it, is to listen to the whole song, or find something else to replace it.

Odds & sods, bits & bobs

Ye gods!  3 weeks!

So much for getting back to blogging etc. Once again, life has managed to get in the way. Nothing spectacularly earth shattering, just life. Oh well, it's better than the alternative!

There has been creativity, just nothing really worth blogging. Some birthday cards, gift tags, that kind of thing. Plus background work for other projects; making blank journals, backgrounds on canvases and so on.

At one point I got a little bored of all this preparation, and just wanted to create something purely for the sake of it, and inspiration came in the form of a blog entry by the wonderfully talented and inspirational Pauline Leger.

It's nothing fancy, deep or meaningful, just a quick burst of 'stream of conciousness' random creativity.  

I've also signed up for AEDM2012. 

Last year was my first year, and it was a blast. Apart from art I also managed some poetry and short prose, and it's a great way to get the mojo going. It also introduced me to some amazingly talented blogger artists.