Summer crafts

I have had a lot to do lately, but have still found time to create more crafts for the church fete and also for future craft events and blog posts. Above are some of my virtuous lavender hearts and flowers, a Star Heart Doll called Love and some summer related greeting cards. Below are some fabric brooch ideas I have been working on and some new lavender cats.

ALF @ The Globe (5B450)

At the beginning of the year I began to think of five smallish ambitions I want to fulfil before I reach the age of fifty in November 2017. The first one was 'See a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre', this one I managed to do at the end of May.

The 2017 production of 'Romeo and Juliet' was very vibrant and modern. Romeo and Juliet were streetwise, young and foolish; a breath of fresh air. Mercutio was a girl and full of attitude and Tibalt was a rough and ready energetic masculine force. The production was so bold that it even featured a performance of 'YMCA' in the party scene.

Everyone did a great job and kept me so absorbed that I didn't so much mind feeling a bit squashed on the uncomfortable hard wooden seating. I have seen a number of plays in my life, many of them by Shakespeare. The Globe setting was special, not ideal, there was a pillar near me that blocked a little of the view, the space is exposed to the elements and a lot of people had to stand, but that all seemed to make the event that bit more exceptional.

Mum and Amy had a great time too and mum wants to see more plays so I will have to seek out more opportunities for theatre going in the future.

The Bridge and The Door

Often in my adult life I have felt at a crossroads and moving forwards takes courage. 'The bridge' and 'the door' are about reaching forwards into new realms, they are about relationships with men. I recently expanded these poems to be more about moving forwards in other realms, emotionally, professionally, spiritually as well as just physically. 'Crossing the bridge' and 'Opening the door' can be found in my Grown-up Poetry pages on WattPad.

Let's Vote!

I have always felt it important to vote. I was taught that Emily Davison threw herself under the king's horse at the Derby so I could vote, this history lesson made a lasting impression on me. I have been a regular voter for the past thirty years. Last June I struggled through flash floods and tube chaos, on my way home from work, to put my X in the Remain box. 

Non-partisan is quite a good stance, democracy is based on a secret ballot, and people can and will change their minds, for all sorts of reasons. I think it's important to vote, whether it's a negative vote against something you don't want, a positive one for something you do, or just to create a strong opposition to the prevailing powers. Your vote is your voice, it shows you're paying attention and you care about the forces that shape our lives. 

I have been working on these 'Voting Cards' as my small way to encourage more people to exercise their franchise. For more information on voting please go to https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Elegant Living with Richard's Things

I drew a series of sketches illustrating my song 'Richard's Things,' several years ago now, while having a day off from work waiting for the gas man to arrive. I have used some of my sketches for other purposes including the teapot for the Star Heart Cafe, the girl drinking tea for my WattPad Channel and the girl reading for my bookmarks and the 'My life in books' project. Six of the sketches are also a series of notecards from ALF Creations and the whole montage of sketches that make up the video for 'Richard's Things' can still be viewed on my YouTube channel.

ALF @ London Bloggers

 

I joined the London Bloggers group last summer, to help myself out of the Brexit Blues and to connect with other possibly like-minded people, although my experience of life is that like minded people probably don't exist.

After some encounters online with other London Bloggers I was really looking forward to an evening out and to meeting a few of them in real life. April 25th 2017 was a cool spring evening, there was even sleet at one point, but by the time we reached the newly improved Tottenham Court Road Tube Station the weather was pleasant and sparkling.

After a pizza in posh pizza place, Vico, Amy and I made our way to the Seven Dials, Covent Garden, where the mysterious pub, the Escapologist, awaited us. We headed down the stairs to the underground bar, past the surreal mock Victorian artwork. On enquiry about the London Bloggers group we were directed to a hidden door behind a large cryptic painting, very Harry Potter.

Once inside the starry ceilinged, plush, lower basement area we proceeded to have a really good evening, meeting, among others, Abbi, organiser of the event and ex-pat, Filipino Food blogger and Elle, a fitness blogger who runs the London Bloggers group. 

 

We also met the lovely people behind Fourfits, Passionate Zoe, Page to Stage Reviews and Edward's noneedforpostcards blog. Mollie brought fitness promotional goodies with her and I had made 'Promote the Vote' cards, which all went down very well.

  

 
The Escapologist was a lovely venue for this special event and Amy and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and company, not to mention the prosecco, the passion fruit cocktails and the death by chocolate pizza.

At many social events these days it is rude to be on your smart phone engaging in social media, but the group mostly knows each other because of social media, so it all felt quite natural. I learnt something about Instagram, Twitter and hashtags which hopefully will be really useful in the future.

The evening ended with a promise of future events, karaoke or a picnic perhaps, we shall see.

Pictures for an exhibition

Amy was a talented artist as a small child and continues to be an artistic teenager. These are a few of the artworks she has created in recent years. You can find more of her pieces on her Amythestjasmine Pinterest channel.

A craft fair and a concert

Sunday 2nd April 2017 was an unusually busy day. It began at 2 am with seeing my dauther off for a school trip to Pompeii.
 

After a brief sleep, mum and I headed out of the house for the Easter 'Load of Hay Market' Craft Fair in South Ruislip. This was the tenth outing for my craft stall so I wanted it to be special. The day did not disappoint.

        

The Star Heart Cafe was in good company; the other craft stalls included paintings, jewellery, ethical leather goods, face painting, cloth bags, woodwork and African fashion. The South Ruislip community centre is a special place, old fashioned and light with a stage, green curtains, painted wood and a lot of pot plants set in a pleasant park. It was also a really lovely spring day.

The craft fair was quite popular, with people coming and going all day, a few of the customers were my friends and former colleagues and I had good conversations with all of them. My stall had some considerable success. I sold quite a few cards and also items from each of my other product lines. I sold a purple brooch card to a very appreciative young woman and a gadget pouch for a hearing device. I sold a couple of lavender scenters and notecards. I sold a book of my 'Still Life' poetry to a lovely lady called Carmel who wanted me to sign it for her. I sold a Star Heart Doll with blond hair and a lilac dress for a little girl called Sophie Amber. I'm really pleased I took part in this event, it was a very positive experience.

There were only two hours between the craft fair and the concert, barely enough time for a cup of tea.

The music evening at St Mary's was varied and enjoyable. I was last on, after various singers, violinists, a recorder player, an organist, three poets and other piano players preparing for exams. I have no exam to prepare for so I just play what I want, though I am contemplating Jazz Piano Grade 5. This evening I played two pieces by Einaudi, Ombre and I Giorni, they went down very well, mum said they were very smooth and relaxing.

          

After the concert we retreated to the pub across the road for a jacket potato and a half pint of guinness each and to reflect on a very rewarding day of activities.

Doll Accessories

I make my Star Heart Dolls using a range of different needlework techniques including sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, ribbon and feltwork. A work colleague showed me how to crochet in 2011 and since then I have been producing small crochet flowers which I use to put on my doll's hair and knitted shawls. I learnt how to knit when I was seven and went back to it as an adult after watching 'Kirstie's Homemade Home'. I knit my dolls' hair and knickers and knit triangles which I use as their shawls. After watching 'Kirstie's Handmade Christmas' I realised what a lovely material felt was and now use it to make the dolls their shoes. I did use it to try to make bags for my dolls, but decided that knitted bags were more successful.

Wisdom and friends

I was in the mood to make another doll, so I made a boy doll with the material I bought from Shepherd's Bush. I have called him Wisdom. I also gave three of my other dolls a makeover. The two girls are called Mercy and Passion and the two boys are Wisdom and Candour. I've put more pictures of them on Instagram which, despite my initial reservations, I am getting on much better with.

 

Knitted gift bags

I love knitting, especially small projects like these knitted gift bags, which contain little Colouring Calm books. I am looking to expand my range of woolly bags, I knitted these purses in 2015 at Christmas.