Amy occasions

Amy started drawing when she was about four and when she was five she produced the story and drawings for 'The Legend of the Dream Box'. Some of my favourite of Amy's pictures have found their way onto ALF Creations greetings and note cards.

Xmas gifts for St Mary's

I spent a lot of my spare time in September and October working on my crafts, which has been pleasant and rejuvenating but also quite tiring. I made ten new Star Heart dolls following my visit to Shepherd's Bush, I also created more fabric brooches, in particular more crochet poppies, also new cards and more lavender scenters including new owls and swallows. I am also aiming to produce a new ALF Creations book of poetry, but I am still working on that idea.

Below are the crafts I have produced for the St Mary's Christmas Bazaar which will take place later this month. They include all twelve ALF Christmas card designs. I also have more crafts I have made for a charity event to support Trinity Homeless, which is taking place in early December, I will share these nearer the time.

    

The Original Star Heart Dolls

I had been attempting to make cloth dolls for years before I created the original Star Heart dolls in 2010. I like making dolls as they are small scale projects that I can complete in a reasonable amount of time. they incorporate a number of needlework techniques: sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery, felt-work and dressmaking. I have made quite a few dolls since 2010, some I have kept, some sold and some donated to charity. To see more of my dolls you can watch my 'A time for dolls' video on YouTube, you can click on the 'Dolls' label to find it.

ALF and Audrey calendar 2017

 

My mum is working on her own calendar for 2018 but in the meantime we have gone ahead and organised a 2017 calendar featuring the work of mum, me and Amy. I was very pleased with the result and it has given my mum an idea of which of her paintings would work well in a calendar for the following year.

Log Cabin Squares

I love knitting, I find it very relaxing, but I'm very slow, it takes me ages to finish anything. That is a big reason why a lot of my knitting projects are doll size. These doll blankets are knitted in a 'log cabin square' pattern. I find it a slightly mad method as you knit in different directions in a spiral and build up a bigger square from the centre outwards.

Shepherd's Bush Dolls

I was looking to make different coloured dolls and different outfits for them and found out that practically on my doorstep, in Goldhawk Road, Shepberd's Bush, there are loads of fabric shops, selling a mindboggling array of beautifully coloured and patterned fabric. The result of my shopping exhibition can be seen above and below, as well as some pictures of the work in progress.

    

Small Wonder

I wrote this poem and drew this picture for my niece, when she was a very sweet little girl.

My favourite things on Pinterest

 

Sometimes life can feel very negative, so in order to cheer myself up and concentrate on the aspects of life that I love I decided to devote a few Pinterest boards to my favourite things. I spent some time coming up with top ten and twenty lists for my passions in life, which meant I had plenty of ideas to fill twenty Pinterest boards with.

I don't think I've ever quite got the hang of Pinterest, so I hope this will help sort it out a bit more. I also thought I could do something different with my existing boards, keep some of them just for my work and mix the others up a bit. Below is what my Pinterest account looks like as of September 2016, you can find my Pinterest page here.

Star Heart Virtues

While working on my virtue project I came up with six Star Heart Virtues inspired by the words and concepts I was dealing with. I have based a collection of cards and dolls on them. Joy is represented by a pink rose, Faith an orange cross, Grace a yellow book, Hope a green leaf, Peace a blue bird and Love a purple heart.

Turning Japanese

While working on 'The SubVerse Poetry Tea Room' I became fascinated by Geisha Girls, the Japanese tea ceremony and writing haiku. Below are my two haiku homages to Japanese culture 'Geisha' and 'Sado Haiku = Tea Poetry'.

Duchess Doom

I originally wrote my short story, 'Duchess Doom', about twenty years ago, when I was sharing a flat with my boyfriend. Recently I have been working it into a longer short story which I thought I could serialise and publish on Wattpad over the period of about sixteen days. My previously serialised short story 'Underground' did quite well and got a number of likes and comments. Below my picture is more information on Duchess Doom including brief descriptions of each level of her computer game.

Duchess Doom by LJ Finnigan

For her birthday Stephen buys Justine a new computer game. According to its makers Duchess Doom is a game that can change your life.

Pre-Level 1: The Box

'Duchess Doom, the new computer game from Glastonbury software, stared out from the game’s box cover; a raven-haired, windswept medieval warrior, with a wicked gleam in her eye.'

Pre-level 2: Inside the Box

'The objective was, basically, to defeat as many monsters, find as many secrets and open as many doors as you could before finally reaching the end of Level 13 and saving the world from its ultimate destruction.'

Level 1: Dungeon Labyrinth

'Justine was already enthralled, wandering around the dark intricate passages, and then she heard heavy breathing.'

Level 2. Underworld Caverns

'Underworld Caverns were an annex to the Dungeon Labyrinth, they were dark and organic, contaminated water dripped down the curved and crusty walls and pools of dark water clustered around the hollow floors; the breathing of ogres could be heard, just out of sight.'

Level 3. Tunnel of Loathing

'Justine had to cling on tight to the side of the narrow grey path at the edge to avoid plunging in to the murky depths of scarlet muck.'

Level 4. Demon’s Island

'After the claustrophobic dungeon, caverns and tunnel she was finally out in the open, on Demon’s Island; a strange place with purple grass, scarlet pools and a bloated orange sun that hung low in a blackened sky.'

Level 5. Valley of Despair

'When she first entered this level it was eerily empty and quiet, a vast pale desert between high, sandy mountains and a brilliant blue sky, but as she moved in this new space she realised that it wasn’t empty, it was full of ghosts.'

Level 6. Wilderness Wood

'She took aim at the two harpies, who were swooping and snarling around the high tree branches that sparkled light from the forest canopy to its woody depths.'

Level 7. Scarlet Castle

'This seemed to Justine to be an uncomplicated level, you just had to take particular care when crossing the neatly trimmed lawns to avoid the savage topiary beasts and the acid rain fountains and defeat various garden imps and goblins, who were often sent running with a mere glimpse of the sword of truth.'

Level 8. Hall of Horror

'Justine entered the grand doors of the Scarlet Castle and found herself in a large black and white space, a vast hall with a large opulent staircase in the centre of it and a multitude of silver mirrors covering the internal walls.'

Level 9. Queen’s Chambers

'Soon the plush, sumptuous purple and gold antiques that furnished the queen’s rooms in Scarlet Castle were sparkling with good natured magic.'

Level 10. Lunatic Library

'The décor in the lunatic library was insane; books as lampshades, manuscript wallpaper, quotable carpets, shelves and shelves of blank books; blank verse and blank prose, blank pages and in the centre was an evil looking librarian, pasty faced and red eyed, quite still, quite silent, but ready to make a move...'

Level 11. Boudoir of Blood

'The boudoir was a vast room, a hideous shade of crimson, a bed of pink roses lay in the centre of it.' 

Level 12. Spinning Spiral Skeletal Staircase

'The staircase looked very high and Justine guessed that climbing it would take a lot out of her.'

Level 13. Terrible Tower

'The tower was dimly lit, but glittering with various metallic contraptions, varnished wooden chairs and benches, decorated with alarming leather straps, human sized cages and huge open heavy trunks full of chains and saws.'

The Secret Level. Cloud Nine in Seventh Heaven

'Justine was in a place of grey smoke and reflected pale light, on Cloud Nine in Seventh Heaven, but there were still monsters to defeat.'

Project Fear

What with one thing and another I've been thinking a lot about politics this summer. I think it's really important to vote for and support what you think is best and follow your own conscience and integrity, but sometimes it's quite confusing with all the noise, anger and negativity. As a result of all the political turbulence, I've found myself suffering from the 'Brexit Blues', and have written a poem to help me come to terms with my mixed up feelings.

At an Exhibition

This is an edited montage created from the 'Pictures at an exhibition' connecting scenes. 'Pictures at an exhibition' is a short film that lasts for forty minutes. It includes me playing the piano (Gnossienne 1 by Satie), Amy's drawings and a little girl who visits three mysterious rooms, one blue, one green and one red. Also featured in the film are our songs and stories, Stargazing, The Legend of the Dream Box, Gone Fishing, Phoenix and For What I Am. You can find the whole film here on Vimeo.

Fabric Brooches

The stock at 'ALF Creations @ the Star Heart Café' has been changing over the past year or so. My collection of fabric brooches started with my crochet flower brooches, then moved on to my virtuous flower brooches and then I introduced my Star Heart Felt brooches (which were originally pendants).

The virtuous flower brooches were inspired by a Sunday School lesson I gave called 'What To Wear'. The lesson comes from these words from Colossians 3: 12-14 (NIV).

'Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ... forgive as the lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love.'

I probably forget to 'put on' these virtues far too much, but I feel I am a much better person when I do remember to 'wear' them.

Last November I crocheted Poppy brooches and then even more recently I began integrating them all into greeting cards. Something of their evolution can be seen below.

  

Wall of Women

This 'Femininity' collage sold for a hundred pounds at the Deep Space Art Show I organised in 2005. The second half-mask picture is a favourite of mine and I have used it in many of my creative endeavours in the real and virtual worlds.

Green Dreamer

In the early 1990s I spent some time working on ideas for musicals. the one I spent the most time on was 'Madeleine' which was based on 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe. I also spent a lot of time working on 'Green Dreamer' which is an environmental musical set in the fictional town of Shadowcliff. Shdowcliff is inspired by the seaside town of Ramsgate, Kent. I got to know Ramsgate really well in the 1990s as I used to visit my boyfriend there practically every weekend.

Top Ten Secret London Locations

I wrote a story called 'The Assertiveness Group' which features various 'Secret London' locations. In 2015 I decided to take some time out and visit these special places with my mum. After 'Day Four', which we did in April 2016, we sat in Cafe Nero's and worked out our top ten 'Secret London' locations. The following features my photos and feelings around our top ten.

1. Dennis Sever's House

'The rooms were cluttered, but it was carefully, thoughtfully arranged clutter. The atmosphere was enhanced by smells, musty and aromatic, and noises; bells ringing, old conversations, a death knoll.'

2. Leighton House Museum

'Beautiful, sumptuous and amazing are just three of the adjectives I would use to describe Leighton House. The museum is an exquisitely kept artist's house, full of rich colours, deep reds and vivid blues, polished tiles, Arabian rugs, stained glass and heavy wood.'

3. Two Willow Road

'I live in a post war ex-council house and I could see some elements of 2 Willow Road in my humble abode. It was particularly pleasing to see the tiny kitchen, rather plain living room, early flat pack furniture, built in cupboards, DIY bookshelves and small entrance hall.'

4. Rudolf Steiner House

'When I had finally found the right place, mum and I found ourselves in a near deserted, lovely, curvaceous building going up and down the flowing stone, spiral staircase trying to find the discussion group debating what's wrong with the modern world.'

5. John Soame's House

'As well as his architectural plans and drawings; it is stuffed full of 'things' he collected throughout his life, including sculptures, plaster casts and cork models. My favourite part of the exhibition was the guide's explanation of the Hogarth series of pictures 'The Rake's Progress'.'

6. Alexander and Ainsworth Estate

'It's used a lot in films, as it is so unusual and eye-catching. Mum and I walked all the way through it admiring the symmetrical concrete forms and intricate well-designed shapes; taking photos of the striking angular houses and apartments.'

7. Gordon's Wine Bar

'Past the old framed newspaper front pages that decorated the walls I ordered two glasses of Madeira wine from the friendly bar staff. Mum had found a nice spot for us to sit, at the back of the curved ceilinged candle lit cellar. It felt a little like we were sitting under the Thames itself.'

8. The Candid Cafe

'The café is on the second floor, up many stairs. I wasn’t disappointed when we reached the top, the café was bohemian and decadent, it had proper red velvet armchairs. There hung a large modern painting of a large breasted nude woman on the far wall. Elsewhere there was an intriguing overflowing bookcase, framed art work and fairy lights.'

9. Geffrye Museum Cafe

'It was very pleasant with elegant surroundings. I had a substantial ploughman's lunch and mum had a very tasty looking vegetarian hash.'

10. Wellcome Cafe

'It was a light filled, busy space and mum and I spent over half an hour enjoying our tea and cake and discussing the plusses and minuses of the Rudolph Steiner and Erno Goldfinger buildings.'

 London is so busy and popular, not many secrets seem to stay that way for long. For more on our secret London days out please read the following blog posts.

Secret London Part One

Secret London Part Two

Secret London Part Three

Secret London Part Four

Bibliography

Secret London : an unusual guide by Rachel Howard and Bill Nash. France, Jonglez, 2009.

London A to Z. Kent, Geographers' A-Z map company, 2004.

Donations for a Summer Fete

Unfortunately I will miss the summer fete at St Mary's this year as I will be on holiday in North Wales. I enjoy Summer fetes, Christmas bazaars, Spring and Autumn Fairs as they are a good opportunity to create and showcase various ALF Creations as well as contribute to a good cause. This summer I am donating cards, lavender scenters and a large Star Heart Doll. I hope my doll goes to a good home, I call her 'Love', and a lot of love has gone into her.