Back by popular request.....

Well, not exactly, but thank you to those lovely people who emailed to ask if I was OK.    I have been having blogger/computer problems, but the biggest reasons for my absence have been the decorators, and family visitors.

We've lived here for about two and a half years now, and for that time the ground floor rooms and the hall stairs and landing have looke like this:

Wall-to-wall off-white and a fetching 1980's border inherited from the last owners.   Following on from the success of the red study, we really felt it was time to brighten ourselves up - life here can be tedious enough without off-white walls (especially grubby off-white walls).   So having already got the house in a complete muddle thanks to the water leak, we got the decorators in - lovely Adrian and Sharon whom I'd be glad to recommend to anyone locally - and armed with the Little Green Paint chart we did this:

Changed the whole of the centre of the house to a lovely summer sky blue, (Gentle Sky)

Went bravely sugar almond pink in the kitchen, (Secret Shell)

and yellow/cream (Stargazer) in the sittingroom - where the light doesn't give a good photograph, unfortunately. (All the colours are brighter than the camera shows).  Apart from the fact that I now, desparately, need to do the main bedroom, the house feels transformed.    Into the middle of this came H's nephew, his wife and new baby (well 4 months,s o new enough).  It was great to see them - they are only in England briefly once a year at the moment -and the baby, a boy, was a joy, but it was a bit hectic to say the least.   Just to add to the chaos, we also had a wasps' nest up under the roof above the front door so had to get 'a man' out to deal with it.

My latest card for Postman's Knock was a bit done by the skin of my teeth as Daughter and I were going to Art in Action for the day, and I forgot to photograph it (or take the camera to Art in Action).  You can see it (Coast /Seaside theme), and the one on Water which I received from Chrissie, over on the Postman's Knock site with all the others.  We had a great day out but I've spent the weekend putting the house back together and catching up on washing, cleaning etc, so it already seems a long time ago!   

I haven't time to catch you up with everything that's gone on over the last fortnight or so, so you'll have to wait in anticipation to hear about the Little Cotton Rabbit that  I was able to purchase from Julie at this site - I've wanted one since I first found her blog!,

Postman's knocking again...

The card I had to make this time was for Jo on the theme of 'Yee ha!  Ride 'em Cowboy'.   I know several people have found this a difficult theme - though you wouldn't think so from the resulting cards,  but as well as the Britain's farm animals and horses I have, which I recently blogged about for the Collections theme, I also had some lovely little swoppit cowboys (so called because their bodies came apart and you could swap heads, legs , bodies and accessories to make different combination - though they're a bit ancient for such games now!).  After a bit of fiddling around with photo backgrounds and various ideas, I came up with this:

The caption reads:   The gang were amazed when Billy the Kid showed up - they were expecting someone taller'.   It seemed to fit the bill, especially as I was able to turn their heads around to look at the newcomer with something like astonishment!

On my theme of Water, I received a really lovely hand drawn and coloured card from Jo 

I just love the little pairs of of feet peeking out of the water.  Thanks, Jo, I love it.

Rock on..

I've always wanted a rocking horse.  Throughout my childhood I pleaded, cajoled and cried every birthday and Christmas but the sad truth was that my parents just couldn't aford to buy one - not even the metal spring stand Mobo ones that were popular at the time.  This was made ten times worse for them and me by the fact that when my brother and sister were small my father had been given an antique horse similar to this one -

and because neither child was all that interested in it, they had given it away!  When I arrived, a few years later, a horse mad child, I felt sorely deprived.

So, somewhere at the back of my mind still lurks the idea that one day, when I'm rich enough and we have space, I shall buy a rocking horse of my own.  The internet of course gives plenty of scope for dreaming and I have found this firm, Legends, who sale horses that are as much a work of art as a toy. 

I used this for my latest Postman's Knock card for Jo, whose theme was Collections and Collectables.  I was getting worried that the post had lost it, but her postman had hidden it  and she didn't find it until yesterday!

The front is 3D and the horse rocks slightly on little springs, and there are more horse on the back and behind the main one on the front, to form a collection.

In the meantime, I can dream.    All this round's postcards are now on Postman's Knock.

The latest in the Postman's Knock postcards came from Penny.  It was beautifully wrapped and tied with wire and pearly beads.  Inside was this lovely card made of hand painted silk, beads and a little fish charm.

With a quote from the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner on the back - think it's actually  'nor any drop to drink' but it's one of those quotes that has become changed by general usage like 'all that glitters is not gold' where  in Shakespeare the word used is glisters, which I rather like.  Penny says her husband says it and he's a Mariner, but not ancient!
I can't show the card I sent to Jo on the theme of collections and collectables, because  it hasn't appeared on the blog yet - I hope it's not got lost, I posted it on Thursday and it only had to go 13 miles!

H and I have been struggling to put the musical instruments and books back downstairs today - very hot and sticky weather here so we've been huffing and puffing rather.  Watch this space for photos of the finished rooms later in the week.   Waiting for a garage to call about test drive for a new (used) car - hope they call soon as time is short this week and daughter and partner are desperate to have our current one.  Wish now I'd just driven over and stood about on the garage forecourt but I needed to do rather a lot here......

Quarts into pint pots - or the gentle art of storage

The workmen are coming tomorrow to start work on the basement. Which is great news, but means that the content of H's study has to be moved over this weekend.  Daughter came over to help and we moved the contents of all the bookcases to the utility/ sewing room, also in the basement, as we couldn't face carrying any of it upstairs.  Fortunately, there was enough space on the work surface which runs around most of the room to stack the books and CDs (in piles three deep and about 2 foot + high all round), and we then added the 4 smaller bookcases and the base and keyboard sections of the small pipe organ.  We can't put the 6 larger bookcases and the CD racks in there as they won't go through the doorway, so we hope the that the decorator will be able to cope with them and the desk and chairs still left in the room.  The large electric organ will have to stay in place in the alcove and be shrouded in dust sheets.

The books at the sink end have been wrapped n polythene in case the plasterer splashes them.

Don't think I'm going to be sewing for a few weeks - the washing will be on hold too, until the organ can be moved back out, as it will be too damp.  I'll have to go over and use daughter's machine if we're desperate!

The main problem, apart from the lack of space for them to work, is that H hasn't yet decided what colour he wants the study painted!  The music room will stay white as it is now but H keeps muttering about red for the study (currently yellow) but hasn't found one that he likes and time is running out.

A quick trip to Ikea last Wednesday means I now have a table and some more storage in my office.  The table's on castors so I can move it easily around the room depending on what I'm working on, and a folding table will give me a place to put the computer.  No excuse now but to get on with the work!

Above is the card I made for Jill on the theme of Windows.  She sent me this lovely stitched card on the theme of water 

based on this photography that she had taken last summer on a trip to the Isle of Wight.

The colours are super and the stitched picture really picks these up - it's a lovely piece of work.  Thank you, Jill.   I managed to post this on Postman's Knock site earlier, but I can't leave any comments on the other posts at present - another of Bloggers little tricks?

The rest of this week's cards are over on the Postman's Knock site.  Go and have a look, they're fabulous.

It's in the post, honest!

Just my luck!  The postcard I made for the last swap, 'Overhead', has not yet arrived despite being posted last Friday morning.  Anyone seen a bright blue envelope lying neglected?  I've sent Jane the photos I took (fortunately I'd remembered to take some) and I'm now hoping to redo it, though it won't be the same as I'd used up some of the materials and will have to hunt down replacements.  Can't help thinking we're being sorely tried at present - even the postal system seems to have taken against us!

In the meantime, here's the one I received from Jo on my water theme.  Thomas Cranmer looking venerable and distinguished in spite of his reputation.  I think it's my favourite to date, though they've all been lovely.  Thanks, Jo.

Art in Action

Totally gratuitous picture of a tea flower.

If any one is contemplating a visit to this year's Art in Action (21-24 July this year), there is a code which gives you a two adult tickets for the price of one in June's Artists and Illustrators which is also a special 300th issue.  The magazine costs £3.95 but as a second adult ticket would cost £14 you're still saving and have the magazine full of interesting articles as well.  The tickets can be used (once) on any day of the four.  I'm hoping daughter and I will go on either Thursday or Friday but we'll go at the weekend if all else fails - she's now a 'cricket widow' for the summer so I shall see more of her at weekends.
Art in Action is held at Waterperry House and Garden which is just south of Oxford and easy to get to from the M40 or A40.  There's such a lot going on that it's a really good day out. You can sign up for a class, go to a lecture or attend a free concert or some other form of performing art event, as well as stocking up on supplies and watching demonstrations.  There's lots of good food and drink on offer but a bit pricey so take a picnic if you don't want to spend on that.   Waterperry Gardens are also open and there's a plant and garden centre.  Go and have a look at the Art in Action website.

I've been taken to task for not posting on this blog the cards I've made so far - I won't say by whom but you know who you are. They're all over on the Postman's Knock blog, but having put the Tiger I made for Concealment and Revelation on the last post, here's my effort on the theme of Tea (a tea tray) - the lady below is under the lift up flap.   I can't find this picture again to acknowledge the copyright if any.  If anyone reading this would like to claim ownership, let me know and I'll gladly give you the credit - it's a wonderful photo.

There's a garden show on at the Three Counties show ground starting today, and a quilting show next week from Thurs-Sun.  Being so close it's very tempting to go and potter around.  Not long now until the Three Counties Show itself - hope the weather is as good as last year.   And a reminder to Judith - there's a Giant Flea on Bank Holiday Monday 30th May!

Hole gone...

The hole and the emergency plumber have gone.  He's made a beautiful job of replacing the block paving so we hope his plumbing skills are as good.  Having had to pay for all this up front, we are now worrying about whether the insurers will pay up and resigned to the fact that at any rate it has cost twice the limit for a claim on that part of the policy - that side of the drive wanted relaying anyway didn't it?  I refuse to cry over spilt milk, and if they won't pay up then at least we had enough to cover it even if the money was earmarked for some other work on the house and changing the car. 
On a brighter note, a nice chap came with huge dehumidifiers and a fan to dry out the walls and we now know the full extent of the problem and how wet/ dry things are.  It will be at least 3 weeks before the walls dry out but it isn't as extensive as we feared and our own little dehumidifier has done some sterling work already.  It looks as if a claim to repair and redecorate after that will be approved so that at least is something to look forward to.  It's just a bit muddly with everything spread around the house - hope no-one wants to come and stay!

On my fourth attempt I've finished my next postcard for Postman's Knock at the end of this week.  Once again I was fine once I gave up the fixed idea I started with!  Can't show you, but all will be revealed on Saturday.

Weather's a bit strange, isn't it?  We had thunder, hail and torrential rain yesterday and today's like a sauna.  I got soaked yesterday as I came out of the dentist's and Waitrose's carpark was awash when I stopped to buy milk - proved our new bit of drive was draining away properly though!  The garden is looking happier but slugs and snails are out in force (see Judith's blog 'Relatively Retiring' on the subject. What are slugs for?).

This is a totally unnecessary photo of my 'tiger' postcard to cheer us all up!   Hope you're having a more exciting time - I was going to say more interesting time but then I remembered 'that'* saying......

Jx

* May you live in interesting times

Lots of excitement yesterday as the first of the postcards from the postcard swap started dropping through letterboxes.  Have a look here  to see what we've all been up to.

Here's the one I received from Lesley at Printed Material.  My theme is water and she's picked on the famous Malvern Water - the plant where the most famous brand was bottled has recently closed down though there are rumors that it will be taken on by a local firm.  Water is still being bottled at Holywell.  If you're local you can collect your own from one of the wells or standpipes - and we get to walk on the beautiful Malvern Hills too! 

Today being Mothering Sunday, I did my motherly duty and drove over to daughter's house to check on cat as daughter is away.  Cat was very pleased to see me and daughter had left flowers and card for me.  Came back to find H moving M's furniture around (again) to try and counter complaints about the light getting into her eyes.  Having moved chair, television, footstool and side table into at least 10 different configurations, we landed up as usual back where we started with further complaint about the lateness of lunch (haven't yet found a way to cook lunch and move furniture at the same time but I'm working on it!).  Needless to say it didn't do much for H's dizziness which is no better for taking the tablets the Dr prescribed.  We're now hoping a trip to the cardiac clinic will come up with some answer as it's becoming very debilitating and stops him driving. 

I've ordered some sample pots from Little Greene in the hope that we can agree on a colour to paint our bedroom which is the other room on the top floor of the house.  It's currently the pale green we inherited when we bought the house which is OK but a bit grubby.  Like my office it has a lot of cupboards (but no shelves, mercifully) which could either match the walls or the woodwork.  I quite like decorating, as long as I haven't got a deadline,  my father was a painter and decorator (and a plumber, small builder and Jack of all trades) and I earnt pocket money during my teenage years doing undercoats and base coats and scraping wallpaper off walls.  Now when I paint I hear his voice in my ear constantly - don't stretch the paint, careful how you cut round that window, don't drip on the floors!  I've got a bit out of practice recently, but I still make very little mess on the floor or myself - H on the other hand cannot be let near a paint brush unless everything is covered in dust sheets and he's covered in old clothes.

Must get my next couple of postcards done before I start any decorating - the fortnightly posting deadlines will creep up on me otherwise!