Coming down out of the freezing sky with its depths of light, like an angel, or a Buddha with wings, it was beautiful, and accurate, striking the snow and whatever was there with a force that left the imprint of the tips of its wings — five feet apart — and the grabbing thrust of its feet, and the indentation of what had been running through the white valleys of the snow — and then it rose, gracefully, and flew back to the frozen marshes to lurk there, like a little lighthouse, in the blue shadows — so I thought: maybe death isn’t darkness, after all, but so much light wrapping itself around us — as soft as feathers — that we are instantly weary of looking, and looking, and shut our eyes, not without amazement, and let ourselves be carried, as through the translucence of mica, to the river that is without the least dapple or shadow, that is nothing but light — scalding, aortal light — in which we are washed and washed out of our bones. Author

Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Flying Free

What is that well used phrase..the best laid plans..lol. Between feeling ill, bad internet connection and cats going walkabout...my plans for blogging daily went out of the window. For quite a few days I've had a horrendous pain but thankfully now it seems to be going. And I can only hope that it doesn't return. And as for the internet connection...well this last episode has been the end and I've decided to leave BT very soon. I'm thinking of trying Plusnet...yes I know that they are really BT in disguise but I've looked into it and they're a lot cheaper, have British call centres and they seem to be honest. For years BT have been telling me that I have over 8 speed. Never in my life have I ever been over 1.5 and most of the time I'm only 0.2..well plusnet admitted that at the moment I'm not going to be over 2 and mostly 1...now if they are part of BT and know this is the truth why on earth can't BT be honest.

My final moment of chaos was Gannie. He had discovered that his Mother was at the bottom of the village. I didn't mind this as he always came home but then all of a sudden he didn't and there was no word of him. Then I put the calls out around the village and kept getting messages that he had been seen but was very nervous. My friend the pa emailed her friend in the lower village and they said that he had been visiting Buster. So it was decided that I would go down on Saturday. Sparkle took me in the van and what a way to have to introduce yourself to new people...please excuse me whilst I sit on your steps and wait for my cat..lol. Busters Dad said they hadn't seen him for a couple of hours..so I decided to call him..and those that know me will accept that a voice of an angel I don't have..lol. Within a couple of seconds I said to Sparkle I think I can hear him and blow me Sparkle said here he comes. He sauntered along the road..talking as only Gannie can and promptly took himself under Sparkles van. And there he stayed...rolling and chirruping away. I had some food which I put down and there he came. I got hold of him and put him in a cat box before he had time to blink. He is now in a cat pen and is protesting most loudly. It turns out that he has been attacked which is probably why he didn't come home..I think that he had gotten himself so scared. He has had his wounds cleaned and checked over and now will have to be penned for a couple of weeks before he has to visit the vets for that most delicate of operations. I've decided that Simon will be having the same op and the same time...that way they can hate me together..lol. What I have also discovered is that Gannie had found himself a little fan club of ladies who had been feeding him..he was obviously visiting them all and getting about 8 breakfasts a day. He is complaining a little that his breakfast quantity has gone down since he came home..but he can just get on with it. At the moment he is fast asleep and quiet...thank goodness..between him and Twinkle..it's quite a noisy house..lol

The piece of work today is a canvas that I have made in the last fortnight. It features stamps from Clarity. I drew the hand shapes and then stamped them over with flower shapes and coloured them with my pencils. In the sky it has the words..flying free...which I created with peeloff waste..lots and lots of tiny flecks of gold. You should be able to see it properly if you enlarge the image. The butterflies are also from Clarity and have been decoupaged up. This entire thing was made on an A4 canvas and the background was created using both acrylic paint and H20s. As soon as it was finished it happily went to a new home.
I would like to thank one of my followers who I consider to be a friend for the beautiful card that she sent to me. This lady has encouraged me so much during my blogger journey. With these terrible days of horror in our world, we all have to be strong and my blog has made me so aware that no matter what the press and others have to say..there are still wonderful people out there and I have faith that goodness will win out.

Well the coffee is calling and then I'm going to try and do some work. With the pain and the heat... I'm going to take it slowly...mind you I don't think that I've ever had any other speed..lol. So until next time..take care and happy crafting.
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Wednesday, 14 June 2017

A mandala for summer


Today's card is one I made using  only Clarity stamps. I was feeling a bit summery and the weather made me think of the mandalas that the hippies wore in the 60's..so I went with the flow and created this card. I used an ivy stamp and a carnation stamp, stamping both a number of times and then coloured the images with my pencils. I then mounted them onto a card and created the middle. Groovy baby..lol.

As I'm sat here I'm thinking that I'm worn out...what a day and it's not over yet. It was delivery day today and I seem to have turned into a greengrocers. There is fruit coming out of my ears..hopefully it won't all ripen together..I've got peaches, apricots, nectarines and bananas. What I would like to know is what on each has happened to peaches. I can remember them as a child and they were huge and juicy and they would quickly ripen to a perfect fruit. In the last few years when I have bought peaches they have been hard bullets that don't ripen but just go bad. Now all of a sudden we have what they are calling donut or flat peaches..depending where you buy them depends what they are called. I had some a couple of weeks ago and for the first time in a decade they ripened and actually tasted wonderful..so I have just bought some more..but what has been going on and why are the consumers the last to know. 

And to add to all today..the fridge resembles a jenga game..lol. I didn't realise just how much you can balance onto a cabbage. There is officially no spare space in my fridge. The onions are just going to have to fight their own battles in the fruit basket..lol It's days like this that I wish I had an old fashioned pantry..cool and shady with plenty of space for your onions and root vegetables. In the houses I grew up in and also visited they all had pantries..some larger than my parlour today. I can remember the slate shelves and the bins for potatoes and root vegetables.There was always a bowl of eggs just waiting to be used and all the baking ingredients in their own bins.

As I'm writing this the computer keeps moving and it's Raven that is causing the problem. She has decided that she is not moving from me just in case I should decide to open the packet of crisps that are by my side. I was going to have them with my lunch but decided to have them later. Well Raven is crisp obsessed...the quickest way to get her is to shake a packet and she will come running. She is the same with wotsits..and is rather embarrassing as she can eat them quicker than a human...so goodness help anyone with a packet..lol

Well the coffee is calling and then I should do some work. I hope that the weather is being kind to you..the sun has fought it's way through and the mountains are looking at their best. So until tomorrow...take care and happy crafting.
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