My New Blog

After a few days trouble trying to find a suitable name for my new blog which hadn't already been taken (a big thank you to Sybille on Magpie Magic for coming up with the goods after I failed miserably!), it is finally up and running. It is called Ups About Downs and is planned to be a friendly source of information on bringing up a child with Down's Syndrome from the view of a parent. It is going to be very much a continuing WIP as there are only so many hours in the day and it takes me time to write coherently!

It's a bit scary - the more I think about it, the bigger project it seems to be. I am very committed to the idea however, and hope it will prove helpful, even if it is to just one person.

Result!

After being on show at the local Art Society exhibition, these three paintings have been sold.


I am surprised that both the jellyfish paintings sold quickly - I thought they might be a bit 'left-field'. Perhaps I should do more of this kind of work!


The three paintings that did not sell will now go in to my Etsy shop - perhaps they will find a home soon too!

I have been working on a private commission lately, but that is nearing completion - another couple of days should do it. After which, I shall be free for further commissions or to get on with my own choice of subject. If you are interested in commissioning a painting at any time, please do get in touch via the e-mail address at the top of the screen.

Little Grey Rabbit Purse

I've taken a short break from knitting this week and sewn the above little rabbit purse. It is based on a Japanese pattern using dark grey felt for the body. The legs are thread jointed, so can be posed. She is wearing a red polka-dot dress, with back-stitch embroidered around the edges. On the dress she has a hand-stitched felt daisy, complete with bead ladybird. She has a red satin bow under one ear - just out of sight in the photo.


From behind you can see the zippered opening to the purse, which has been lined with red and white starry cotton fabric. You can just see her little white tail poking out under the dress. The dress is designed so that it allows full access to the zip, and although it has a button at the neck, I'm afraid it has been sewn on so you can't take it off!

The whole thing has been hand-stitched - I'm basically just too lazy to get the sewing machine out when I could be sat in front of the television in comfort while sewing! She will be in my Etsy shop very shortly.

Today sees the start of the Fleet Art Society exhibition being held at the Harlington Centre in Fleet. I have four framed paintings on show as well as three in the folios. If you are in the area, come and have a look - the standard of work in these exhibitons is generally quite high and worth a visit. Various artists will be painting on site throughout the weekend (myself included on Sunday) which is always interesting.

On a more serious note, I am in the throes of planning another blog, this time about Down's Syndrome. Some of you already know that my own daughter has Downs and over the past 22 years I have had to learn a lot about dealing with the condition. I am also a learning assistant in an infant school to a small boy with Downs and have been doing this job for 6 years, with more to come as I take on a new child in September. As a result, I feel that I would like to share some of the information with other parents - most of the time you are not informed of half the things you are entitled to, both in and out of school. Also, 'experts' know the text-book side of things, but it's a whole different kettle of fish dealing with your child at home on a day-to-day basis. I would like to share tips and strategies I have learned and used successfully and give other parents a chance to share what they have learned too. It may take a while to get off the ground, being a very personal subject which will mean a bit of soul-baring along the way - it's certainly not been plain sailing, particularly the early years. But I feel compelled to get it up and running soon - wish me luck!

A Shawl in Four Evenings....

Compared to the last shawl I knitted, this one was a dream. Completed in four evenings knitted on sensible 3.5 needles rather than glorified cocktail sticks, using a wonderful dappled green yarn from Fyberspates. That's all I know about the yarn - it was in the bumper bargain bag I bought at the Unravel show, so had no label on it other than 'Fyberspates'. It is soft, has a slight fuzz about it, and is definitely of a sheepy origin judging by the distinctive warm scent of it before washing.


The pattern, although it looks complicated, was a succession of soothing repeats which grew quickly and made for easy corrections.

This will be in my Etsy shop shortly.

St.Lucia....Some Paintings Hidden In My Portfolio

I really must get around to photographing some of the lonely paintings from my portfolio with a view to putting them on Etsy - here are three of St. Lucia, painted after an amazing week's holiday a few years ago.


This is the view across Rodney Bay from the top of Pigeon Island. I just loved the bright orange flowers against the turquoise sea. This is an acrylic painting.


Pigeon Island used to be home to the British Army in Victorian days and a lot of the fortifications are still there but ruined and overtaken by jungly plants - a wonderfully interesting mix! This is a watercolour.


We spent a day trip going into the rainforest in the centre of the island - a day my children and I remember so well after all the years. I painted this in watercolours using only a three colour palette if I remember correctly. The river ran through the forest and we ended up at a waterfall - my trainers got soaked while crossing the river and I never washed them afterwards as I could always think they were saturated in the waters of St. Lucia.....sentimental or what! I would love to return there one day but the holiday deal I discovered at the time on Teletext has never been repeated, so unless we win the lottery I doubt we'll get back there again.

Have just listed several original paintings on my Etsy shop - go check them out!

Blue Skies, Nothing But Blue Skies.......

I really feel for all those poor people stranded at airports the past few days, but just look at the sky!


Can you remember a time when the sky was empty of anything except birds? Not even a cloud today - take time to look up, it's amazing.....

April Showers Shawl

Thank goodness this is finally finished! Although the title is current, I actually started this way back at the beginning of March thinking that as the main part was in stocking stitch, it would be a quick knit. Hmmmm........how wrong I was!

It is knitted in a very, very fine cotton and cashmere mix yarn which is actually supposed to be used for machine knitting - now I know why! Although it may look at a distance like this has been knitted by a machine, I can personally vouch for the fact that every single stitch has been made by hand. In amongst the stocking stitch are randomly placed slightly iridescent clear glass seed beads, the idea being that they look like rain droplets.


The delicate lace edging was knitted afterwards, being joined to the main shawl as it progressed. there are seed beads scattered here too, as well as larger crystal-like beads at about four inch intervals along the very edge.

This is so light and delicate and very, very pretty - I am feeling quite smug that it turned out this way - it's my own combination of ideas and could have gone terribly wrong!

This will be for sale on Etsy in about five minutes......