Madeleine

I fell in love with Edgar Allan Poe after listening to the BBC radio drama production of 'The Fall of the House of Usher' in the 1980s. Although Poe's stories were written nearly two hundred years ago I still find them fresh and meaningful, written in a first person narrative that is very relatable, even when we are in the mind of a murderer. I was working on Madeleine, my musical based on the Fall of the House of Usher, while visiting my boyfriend in Ramsgate and the house I was thinking of was Charles Dickens' 'Bleak House' in Broadstairs. I have attempted to get it performed in the past; at the moment it exists as an eight minute musical on YouTube.

This is my small collection of Poe memorabilia that I really enjoy reading, watching and listening to, including an edition of Tales of Mystery and Imagination that was published over one hundred years ago.

Heroines on Deviant Art

I have been meaning to put my heroine paintings up on DeviantArt for a while and have just got around to doing it. They are a mixture of literary heroines like Scarlet O'Hara and Tess of the D'Urbervilles, historical figures like Cleopatra, film heroines like Amelie and musical heroines Ella Fitzgerald and Tori Amos. The collection includes a very recent painting of Katniss Everdeen.

I have done another painting of Madeleine Usher to represent my 1970s reading for my 'A life in books' project. This represents the fact that it was Edgar Allan Poe's short story collection 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination' that really got me reading. Madeleine is not on my DeviantArt page which you can find here, but you can find it on my Pinterest paintings page which you can find here.

  

Christmas crafts for Trinity Homeless

I'm taking part in a charity event for Trinity Homeless in December  at the URC Northwood Hills and these are some of the crafts I have been working on. As well as my old favourites like my fabric brooch cards, knitted gadget pouches, lavender scenters, ALF books and greeting cards, I also have new selections of Shepherd's Bush Star Heart dolls, lavender birds and digital collage cards.

The cards I have been working on include, by special request, 'Get Well Soon' and 'With Sympathy' cards. I have also worked on my Virtue Haiku cards, at the moment I have developed four cards for my favourite virtues; humility, kindness, patience and diligence. A virtue haiku card I feel I should work on is one for generosity.

I'm glad the next craft stall I do will be for a homeless charity, I've been a regular supporter of the London homeless charity St. Mungos for several years now and receive regular updates about the good work they do which is very humbling.

 

                    

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.