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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Cutters, puddings and Art!

Yesterday, after our two hour collecting session for Marie Curie Founation at Richmond Station (catching the Rugby lot), Tony went home to watch the Wales/Italy match (yeh we won..Wales that is) and l went of shopping. I finally bought myself a Rotary Cutter and l was wondering if being pretty makes the cutting easier or faster? Just a thought!!

I was not feeling too good today and, when Tony came from his wanders, look what he came back with for both of us! Pudding in a box to cheer me up! He is so sweet but it doesn't help my waist line - who cares?! Life sometimes is too short to worry about such small things. They were full of almonds, marzipan and apples..divine my dears!


For those of you that don't follow or visit my Art blog, this is the latest thing l have made. It is one of the small "pockets", as l call them, that l add to each other to make up my wall hangings. This one is ending up somewhere slightly different, it is going to be come a brooch, as l have become rather fond of it!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bits and pieces!

Before l start, just heard from my Dad that my Mum is not too good. Get well soon mum - we are thinking of you x

While walking home from Putney, l was thinking about an article l read the other day. It concerned City Life and how Nature has changed to enable it to survive in the City. The first image shows you how "Nature" is learning to cope in London. It is coping very well here in Putney, as you can see from this image of a 6inch concrete wall!


I had to laugh when l saw this group of rubbish on the grass verge.  For those of you who do not know, "Bulmers" is a cider drink, which means Apples! Now do you see why l laughed?

And l must boast again about my wonderful husband's attempts at laying his first wooden floor! This image is when it was not quite ....it's finished now and l am so proud of him and my studio looks fantastic!!

Noticed this writing on the telephone box next to The Green Man pub. Is it a Tag? or, just some-one wanting us to know that this box is actually level? Ha! Why do people do it?

Last week we went to the big shopping centre Westfield, which l have to admit, l do not go to if l don't have to. It is a beautiful place but l feel it has no soul. I have seen the roof many times but today was the first time l could take an image without a security guard telling me to stop. I think it is great to be able to see what the sky looks outside and you are not so surprised when you go out and its dark now!
As we came out of the centre l noticed this house opposite. It appears that the curtain in the window is a design, NOT just hanging there! um..novel!
Saw this design on a wall ..wonder what it means?
When you think we have so many places to put "Rubbish"...why abandon this on the side of the road? Really annoys me the amount of "non household rubbish" that is now being just left on our roadsides and open spaces. End of rant..sorry!
I don't know if numberplates are not secured to cars as well as they used to be or maybe there are more accidents around here. Anyway, there seem to be so many more discarded number plates on the road or grass around here lately.  Here are just two of them .

At the bus stop l saw this young girl. It struck she appeared almost transparent..do you know what l mean? Love the colours though.
You are never too old to learn about  technology and accept it into your life!

This graffiti seemed to appear overnight on a bus shelter window near me. I know most people don't like it but l have to admit, l do; and, I love taking images through it.

I also like taking images through non scratched glass too.
These snowdrops made me smile and think maybe Spring is not too far away..l hope! Oh..as l wrote that  the weather report on the TV is making comments about frost and more rain!!!! Not happy!

And just to prove we do still have blue skies every few days or so..took this image...just after it had stopped raining..again!

Sorry this blog is a bit bitty today but sometimes that is just how it is!x Night

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Spring is come

Now l know Spring is on it's way..the crocuses are here! yeh! These have been planted in one of the troughs outside our main entrance.
 And the primroses are out too.
This is one of the cats that is on duty outside our flats....even at night!!!
 Isn't this the most beautiful red? and the leaves are just so amazing.
 Waiting for buses is soooooooo boring! "Anyone seen my bus"?
 This is is for a project that Photographer's Gallery is running. This image l hope represents The Banal. As in shopping and waiting for buses is so boring! And before you ask, no it is not a set up image!
I often go past this Church, as it is opposite Sainsbury's but l hadn't noticed before how beautiful the main window is.

Would like to see this window lit up, l bet it looks wonderful!

 I love lines and wires and this image says it all really. I am going to turn it into a print soon.
 I had to laugh when l saw this sticker on a window yesterday...wonder if they really do have a dog?

As l was walking down the street towards Putney Art School, l noticed that one particular house had been recently painted. Maybe that is why l had not noticed the following two sculptures, which are on the front facade of the house.
 This is the window between the two sculptures...think they may have just moved in!

 Is this a sign of the times in Putney? This house has suddenly put this "wall" and intercom up! Shame.
 Angry tourist or angry girlfriend / boyfriend? (Tony's comment was "Why not contact the Police? it is more likely to be a post mugging disposal!")


This is part of Purtney Art School overlooking the Railway Line. It has just had an extention put on it's roof and it has added to it's appearance l think. Think the blue sky helps make this image.

I wonder how l can manage to get this home to use in my Eco Rust Dyeing? Ha!
Don't you think this purple is beautiful?

This is where the above crocuses come from. 20 years ago there were just a few bulbs now this whole "Common" area is covered. They always come up at the end of the first week in Febuary and remind me Spring is just around the corner. When l come out of the main gates and see this view it always makes me smile.


Monday, February 07, 2011

Rutland, Kidderminster and home again!


This is Tony VERY carefully making sure his latest cake, arrives in one piece at our son's house in Rutland!
Every time l go past a certain house in Putney, l try and take an image of the toy owl on one of it's upper window sills. This time, we stopped opposite it in a traffic jam. It is still far from perfect but it gives you a good impression. It always makes me laugh how they dress this Owl depending on the season or celebration. At Halloween it is dressed as a witch and, for example, at Christmas... Father Christmas!
 Can you believe it, we went past Ikea and Tony wouldn't stop?!!!!!!
At one point on the road going out of London, we felt very closed in by trucks. A wee bit threatening even though we are used to London traffic!
Once on the Motorway, traffic was not too bad for a weekday. We went past this transporter and being in our tiny Mini, made us feel even smaller, nothing unusal about that you think.  I have to say l have never seen one just full of trucks before.
 LOOK.... actual blue sky, but it only lasted one day... boo hooo!
Love this view of a house near Andrew's! It looks as if it is magical, sort of partly hidden away from general view.
This next image is of the gorgeous bakery that is by my son and daughter's house in Rutland. It bakes the most outstanding bread, cakes and savouries x
 Some of the customers are just "SO" country!
 I managed to take a quick image of the "working" part of the bakery.
 The next image shows you what l mean about the Bakery being in the middle of no-where!


One of the reasons we were visiting Andrew and Gemma was for Andrew to photograph some of my Art in a Studio setting. l have to say he did this fantastically and l am so proud of him. I will show you the results on my Art blog  http://tryingtocreatearteveryday.blogspot.com  at a later date. Another reason was for Tony to help Andrew do some work on his Land Rover. (Don't you just love this bag?)
 This is my son Andrew cleaning his beloved Land Rover. I have to credit Tony with this image.x
We were very lucky to be around when a Hunt went passed Andrew's house. It is ok for anyone out there against Hunting... they were not actually pursuing a fox!
 There were many "Followers" in cars and 4WDs. I thought these two were great.


Later on in the day we went to visit Gemma's Aunt and Uncle who live near by. They live in the most beautiful house overlooking Rutland Water. l had given them one of my Wall Hangings for Christmas . The Hanging had been put on a chair by the front door, so Miranda could see it all the time before it went into the grandchildren's room. She then decided it actually looked good there and it may stay a bit longer than expected.
Gemma's Aunt also gave us some eggs from her chickens. Love fresh eggs.
Here are some of her wonderful chickens. There is some thing about chickens, l could watch them for ages and they are so colourful. If we had a house with a garden, we would have chickens 
.







After we left Rutland, we went to visit some old friends of ours who live near Kidderminster. We have known them since we were neighbours in Dubai, which is a long time! They have a spaniel who believe it or not loves lettuce and onions! As you can see from the image below, she knows where to sit and "watch" when David is having a sandwich! Ha!! Don't you love that expectancy! Ha.


 On the way home, the weather was terrible, no blue sky on Saturday.

This next image shows you an area we travel through, where we nearly always see a few Red Kites. They were reintroduced around the Chiltern Hills in the last couple of decades in the hope they would rebuild their numbers.
 As you can see from this image... it has worked! Beautiful creatures.
This image shows you how dark and miserable it was travelling home on Saturday and it was not even late afternoon!
This is not a very good image but l thought this "parking space" for Cherry Pickers looked amazing! Think l may use this image in a printing project.

On the way home, we had the radio on when l heard this new perspective... A man was stuck in a traffic jam late in the evening and was getting angry because they were not moving and he was late.  His female companion simply said....."Isn't it beautiful? Rubies in front of you and diamonds coming towards you". Maybe sitting in a traffic jam at night, may not seem so bad in the future.
 As we approached London, traffic became a little more interesting!!