Wednesday, January 31

A blogette..

Nutella doesn't do well in the microwave. It doesn't melt down nicely so it's able to be poured over vanilla icecream. It burns, smokes, and stinks out an entire house. For hours. Despite open windows and Oust.
Damnit!

In other news, I feel really grown up at the moment.
Why, I hear you cry? (Or is that just general crying?)

Nothing to do with surviving in this cruel world as a lone parent of three twiglets, or following my dreams by returning to college as a mature student. Nope.
Now be prepared to be astounded...

I have bought a mini carbon monoxide detector card to place under the ancient boiler. It's complusive viewing i tell ya.

Sunday, January 28

Quicky

Is it just me, or are Muse just sounding like Queen lately?

Wednesday, January 24

Ow?

I went to the dentist for a long appointment on Tuesday. Well the two back fillings I had done took ages in the end, and she ran out of time to do the one on the bottom too. Fair enough thought I. Only I realise with the return of jaw sensation that I'm going to have to live with tooth ache until Feb the 9th. She'd assumed she was going to fill it and had therefore done a bit of drilling. But left it like that.
Sigh.

Monday, January 22

Slow and Steady

We are currently studying The Rover for English Lit, yes i am still doing it, a 17th century play written by Aphra Behn and it's actually quite amusing. I've just come back from another grueling evening class. That's two consecutive attendances you know! I'm so proud of myself.
On the way home I couldn't help but smile as i listened to a new drum and base version of Knight Rider blaring at level 20 from the speakers. Cute tune!
It's been a corker of a weekend. My bedroom is done enough to warrent moving in. Although it's surprisingly troubling not to have a door on mine or one of the kids bedrooms. You feel like you can't sniff let alone fart and roll over. Not that i would of course.
My Boyfriend came to see me again. Through hell and high water! His spate of bad luck seems to be holding strong where vehicles are concerned. His National Express coach broke down en route. But harrowing journeys aside and we had a lovely time together. I spent a long time making a dent into my art again. Probably a third of the way through the main piece now. Sigh. Slow and steady?
Nothing much else to report really. Dull as dishwater me lately huh.

Friday, January 19

Very Important Insight

My fence has blown down. All but one panel anyway. But luckily it turns out that the fence belongs to the neighbours! Result! Well sort of. Of course it means i'm relying on them to sort it out. But hey. No expence.
I realised today as i sat on the toilet (surely when most revelations happen?) that i am a morphed version of three different people. Yes this is important! Jesus.
So here we go...

Thursday, January 18

Kicking and screaming..

Hmmm.
There is something alarming about this. So a woman is found after going missing and living in the forest for 18 years from age eight. She doesn't speak and is resistant to her fathers minstrations.
Who is to say whether she is happier in 'civilisation' or the wild.
I guess the movie Nell hit home more than I knew.

As for Celebrity Big Brother. Jade isn't racist, but ignorant and afraid of looking inferior. Her defence is attack and, like most bullies, she's attacking the one she feels threatened by. The bullying should not be tolerated. They should be sat down in the lounge and made to revisit both their bad mouthing on each other (because Shilpa's been saying things too) and see how bad they look.
And Shilpa needs to learn how to let go when she obviously can't cook chicken.

As for me...
I'm tired.
Really tired. I did a load of weaving today. It's the next textiles project - Landscape. It's looking good but the actions and the peering down at the loom makes you ache after several hours. I also finished another screen print layer. It's looking cool.
Did i mention i was tired?
Oh I did forget to mention that I think I nearly drove into my ex boyfriend on Monday night on my way to evening class. Couldn't tell for sure as it was fleeting. The car didn't go 'bump bump' so that's probably a good sign.

Wednesday, January 17

SUCH a good day.


Loads of fun with ink rollars, sponges and everything else you can think of. It was like Blue Peter only um... there were less Thunderbird Islands. The above are taken from images of Manchester Cathedral where we went last week.

Tuesday, January 16

Screen Prints

Well.. here are some of my first screen prints in the making. I've two more layers to add. They've had about four already. Unfortunately the screen itself is buckeling a little as you can see on the one side but it's all part of the learning curve.
More info on the pieces if you click on the pic.
I've got a load of work to do on the next brief already. And it has to be done tonight as the inspectors are in tomorrow and the tutor will be rather pissed if we look somewhat lacking.
Our next brief by the way is Architecture. Did i mention that already? So i'll be printing out a load of the Machester Cathedral images i took. I might upload some onto flickr actually. Mix it up a little. Otherwise this is a boring art blog!

Fruit Exhibition

Well i made it to class the other day. Car seems to be ticking over nicely although I'm still peering at the temp gauge religiously.
So this is my first 'flickr' sponsored post! I know. I'm so hip.

Today I was all smiles at college. And beaverish activity. Much like most people. We are students on a mission and the competition level is fierce.
A load of my work was chosen to be exhibited on the wall along with others for the Inspectors tomorrow. This is one wall. There was more hidden about somewhere but i looked like a cock taking pics of my own pieces.
But technically this is my first 'showing'.
It's very exciting.
But wait... there's more.

Monday, January 15

The Weekend

Eugh the layout and design of this place sucks monkey cock.

Anyway have I had an unusual weekend or what?
Not unusual like, woke up to find boyfriend trying on bra and pants unusual. Thankfully. Not again.
No unusual because the Boyf came up via the miracle of public transport, utilising both rail and tram vehicles. If you remember me saying (which i possibly haven't yet) but he has a clapped out car that can't cut the mustard temporarily. Public transport. With the public. I was much impressed. He must really love me to go through all that!
So the weekend involved quite a bit of wardrobe building for my bedroom and the like. My bedroom which is looking ever more impressive by the way. I know. I brag ha.
So art is installed on the walls, skirting needs a touch up coat (no trouble really) and the bedside cabinets and wardrobe are up. There will be picks to come don't fret.
Saturday evening was spent enjoying the wild throws of passion and so was Sunday (late) morning. Then Sunday afternoon was more DIY. I make my man work for his supper damnit. But shelves are almost successfully installed in the 'pink' room.
In the evening I insisted I drove the Boyf home after a steak dinner. The man's not been feeding himself properly so one does what one can in a short time. And I was determined not to let him suffer another bout of public transport so close to the last one. I don't fancy being dumped due to irreconsilable train issues.
I jest.
We drove back all fine and dandy. Well it was a little quiet back. We were both ingrossed in our own thoughts for most of it. Radio One's Judge Should Have Retired Ages Ago Jules annoying me with his way to hardcore 'choons'. But it was good. Sometimes it's nice to just be together. Regardless of circumstance.
Quick pit stop for my in car refreshments for the hour and a half journey home, a pee at his, and I was all set. I toddled off happily munching through a bag of peanut M&M's whilst washing them down with a red bull.
Suddenly there was traffic of a like i'd not seen since the terrible M6 road works calamity of '98. Yup. Three lanes into one.
BASTARDS.
But I was ever cheerful, despite bouts of worry about whether i would be able to get to college the next day as the youngest currently has 'slapped cheek disease'. My reverie and M&M consumption was disturbed however by my eye falling on the temperature gauge. Odd, thought I. I'd never noticed it three quarters of the way up before. I filed it away obviously subconsiously troubled even as i continued to munch whilst listening to 'Karen' and her troubled double life on some obscure birmingham radio station. I kept looking periodically at the dial, when suddenly, and to my horror, i saw it shooting upwards into the red and a warning STOP light started to give me palpatations.
I whacked on my hazards and lost an arguement with a double long arctic lorry that refused to let me pull over to the hard shoulder.
My car had overheated. The very same problem (amongst others) that's wrong with the Boyfs. Oh cruel irony. How you mock me.
Initially i was calm. I rang the Boyf who, with his driving friend in tow, struggled to get to my side like the knight in off white armour that he is. After four police cars, two motorway maintainance vehicles and an ambulance pulled round me and left me on the hard shoulder however i did start to panic. I was about an hour away from home. Would my car make it with more water in it? Assuming that the water was the issue in the first place? And the traffic was still awful even at eleven pm. How would i stop it from just overheating again? Could i risk shooting down the hard shoulder?
I became shakey and stressed. I nearly had a little cry but i didn't. After all I was being peered at by the bored car passangers crawling along to my right. The fight or flight response kicked in, or the red bull, and i needed to pee badly.
Then there came a knock at the car window. A breakdown truck was offering me a free lift past the roadworks as i was a loan female in the dark. I gladly accepted and the Boyf who could actually see me but not get to me yet due to the traffic followed us down two junctions.
There it transpired that the car was full of water, but had a millimeter of oil in it according the the pig willy dipstick. Well I don't know about these things!
We topped that baby up, and it seemed happy enough to get me home, the temperature gauge has yet to go over 90 (half way) and all seems well that ends well. By half one I was home and peeing for England.
But, although the car has behaved well for the school runs of five minutes...
The real test will come in an hour.
I will attempt to trawl through rush hour traffic in order to get to my evening class. A trip that takes three quarters of an hour in stop start traffic. I'm loath to take it, but what else can I do? I missed the last two classes consecutively already.
Wish me luck!

Oh and i didn't get to college today. Youngest was sent home after an hour as her rash flared up again and she was poorly. To top it off the middle spawn of my loins seems to have particularily rosey cheeks this afternoon.
*wince*

Last night I dreamt i was three weeks pregnant by my boyfriend. I had a mini rock hard tummy, went for an anti natal exam, and could feel the baby move and everything.
WOAH.

Friday, January 12

Joe Blogg Goes To Work.

I'm still working on my Human Condition sketch book. Came up with the following today:



It's like a pop up book for kids. Only probably not.
See what those dull office jobs will do to ya?

I went into college yesterday and finished some lino prints and made part of my collograph. Oh and did another layer on my screen prints. Quite a productive day so its all good. We've not long left on this project. She extended it once because noone was anywhere near finished. Luckily for me.
I've also bought a shop dummy of a ladies torso.
I'm using it for a piece on the Human Condition brief. Going to paint hands in different styles over it. Like protective, nuturing, angry, clawing... etc. My Human Condition project (inc my lino print) has mostly focused on hands you see.
Anyway i'm stupidly excited about it. Hoping it comes soon as it'll be quite a bit of work.

On the wind front.. it turns out that my tall bamboo pot smashed to pieces. Poo. But the plant is salvageable so that's the main thing. It has sentimental value as it was bought for me as a moving gift when i got my first house alone.

Thursday, January 11

Where's me thermals Marge?

Blimey.
Bit windy and stormy out innit?

So far I have a miscellaneous piece of guttering in my backyard and all my plant pots have fallen over. Including a seven foot high established bamboo. No point picking them up till this stops.
Oh and a fence panel is tripping the light fantastic.

Anyone had anything worse?

Wednesday, January 10

Snap Happy

Oh I do have some news.

My bedroom is looking amazing. Really amazing. I guess it's not often that a person gets the chance to completely destroy their previous room, put up new walls hallway, and doors (well doors are to come soon) and start from scratch with any design imaginable.
I've gone for a dramatic but simplistic feel. Much like myself ha!
Anyhoo.. i'll post pics as and when.
Today my camera will be working in a different way however as i'm off out on a college field trip for the new Fine Art project brief of Architecture. I get to actually go with this time as they will be back in time on the coach for me to do the kid pickup.
So 14 other students and I will be traipsing round Manchester centre looking like tourists snapping away upwards and getting neck cramps.

My fruit project has been chosen to be shown to an external moderator (because i rock ha) with distinction for all aspects as long as i pop a few bits of text into my sketchbook to talk about materials and techniques used. Easy and as good as done.
And I took the first ECDL assessment on Monday and passed with 88% which was the highest in two classes i think.
Touch my arse.
Go on.
It's hot!
;)

(the test was a piece of piss by the way)

Anyway, must fly. Gotta drag moaning children to school.

Monday, January 8

Bad Me.

I'm not really much of a blogger anymore am I?

I still have things to say. To write. But so much of my energy is being poured into other avenues that i'm finding it impossible to blog.
(This isn't goodbye by the way.)

I've got deadlines looming depressingly nearer. Lots of printing to be done etc.
DIY still in progress but the boyf shows great skill in flat pack!

Wednesday, January 3

Playing Catchup

So Christmas came and went.
And i'll tell you, it was really really good. My first Christmas with The Boyf. *makes little clappy hand motions in excitement*

There was only minor stressing on Christmas day to do with the dinner. Which was mostly due to my mind going completely blank as to what I was meant to be doing. Been very forgetful and 'dizzy' of late which i'm attributing to my anti depressents.
Anyway, i forgot two 'bit's' to the dinner. Rolled up bacon around sausages and smoked salmon. Not in the same course!
But the dinner was good. Everyone had plenty, the main thing for Crimbo if you ask me, and a good time was had by all.
I've still got leftover (unopened) food!

There was this one part of the night. Giving the Boyf one of his presents made me shake with nerves. See ever since I got my piano, very soon afterwards I thought of learning a piece especially for him. Within a couple of days I got a book of sheet music by his favourite band, and began to practise his favourite tune. It took ages. And ages! I couldn't practise all the time, I had college and so much to do about the house, plus I tried to make sure the neighbours weren't in as i'm sure my repeated plonk plonk plonk would grate! Towards the end of the month I began to panic a bit. I'd reached some sort of plateau with the song and was stuck no matter what I did. I was playing it all the way through without a mistake about 30% of the time. Needless to say that on the night I was a bundle of nerves, shaking and the like, and made loads more mistakes than I was doing before, something I'd been afraid about, but the Boyf was very pleased.
*makes a little happy sigh*

So.
New years was nice and quiet with me in a semi drunken sandwich between Jules Holland and The Boyf. We spent a long time together this holiday. The boyf and I, not Jules.
Now that he's gone... it's all wrong. But he'll be back soon hopefully.


I've also been drawing a lot to fill up my sketchbook. The human condition one. It's coming along but slowly. As these things have no short cuts.