Before and after

This is the postcard I wove, from the DIY Weaving Club:

I posted it to Su, and you can see the ‘after’ on her blog! Not undamaged, but I'm so glad I posted it.

Wrong thinking

On the weekend, I thought I should just put away the purple flower crochet, and start on a new weaving project. But that would mean I would have to put away the crochet somewhere, and thinking that made me realise I was thinking about this wrong. I have this ‘issue’ with using up stuff, and I was actually anxious about wasting the purple string on a project I might not like. But why do I have the string if not to use it on this flower? So, rather than putting it away, I started to work on it more. And I’m starting to like it more, with that extra layer of crochet on it.

I also decided to add a nicer embroidery thread in the centre, something less shocking than the bright yellow, then use the yellow just for some final stitches in the centre. A good exercise in not hording.

Additional bonus: P just gave me a bit of cardboard which will be great for the weaving project I aim to do next!

And a note: Finally posted the woven postcard- wonder if it will arrive?

Not writing

My writing on the bus hasn’t progressed at all. I think the concentration needed to edit is more than what’s needed to write. Maybe that’s a comment on my writing skills!

Anyway, I’m switching the writing to an ‘at home’ project for now. On the bus, I’m going to play with a bit of crochet. I had started a Dorset Cross Wheel button at an Embroidery Guild meeting. After starting the edge, I thought it would be better as a flower, but then I lost in on my craft table (yes, it’s in a disgraceful state). The current plan is to see if I can crochet a few petal shapes onto it. Pictures of any successes will follow!

Negative space

Tuesday, I finally got a grip on what negative space is. I’ve been doing a light weight 6 wk course on 2D design at Urbis, and though it has been fun to try batik and some sketching techniques, I hadn’t felt like I was learning much until the exercise last night. The exercise was just the one where you cut out lots of the same shape, then arrange them in different patterns. I had heard of this before, but
never done it.

Cutting a very simple shape (based on a rubbing from a drain pipe fitting on the Triangle, which I had made at an earlier class), then arranging on paper, and being able to see the different shapes that made. It all became clear! At least for a while.

On a bus crafting note, currently I’m back to writing the sprite thief story, taking on board suggestions made and my own ideas for improvement.

What am I doing?

I'm wondering, are bloggers in general over-achievers? Am I comparing myself, or rather my blogging and crafting, to workaholics? In my own mind, I identify as a slacker- I don't have loads of energy and drive. If I try to do too much, I go all scatter-brained and forget stuff (like my keys). Trying to do more is like setting myself up for failure, which does no one any good, and myself a load of bad.

I usually tell myself I just need to get organized, prioritise better, focus on just one thing, focus on what's important to me. But to be honest, I know that won't work. Now I don't want to sit around doing nothing, but I don't want to load my life with pressure to do stuff, especially stuff that doesn't matter much either way. I want to just enjoy life, have fun, and not cause any bother. But I feel like that would be a bad thing to do. Not quite criminal, but bad. Like I was wasting my potential.

Recently, I've been trying to relax more. But I'm annoyed that I haven't been working on projects as much as I want to. And there's always the other stuff to do as well. Never satisfied.

Trip to Gallery Oldham

I had a nice visit to Gallery Oldham today. The Fairies exhibit by Samantha Bryan is what tempted me out there. (Yes, it’s only 15 mins on the train, but still I had to be tempted out.) Her work isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I find it interesting to see what she’s doing. She uses paper clay to sculpt the heads, and all sorts of bits go into the sculptures. I did like the buttons used as wheels. Possibly the problem I have with Samantha Bryan’s work is that she makes sculptures rather than toys. “Do not touch” tags bug me.

The next gallery along was a pleasant surprise, as I’m not familiar with either artist but really liked the sculptures. An Englishman, a Scotsman and a Tree: Paul Aston and James Castle, is only at Gallery Oldham until 27 June 09, but I do recommend it. The work and the gallery space was just refreshing. Photography was permitted in that room, so here’s a favourite of mine:

It makes me want to put dots on all my furniture.

Also, the exhibit called A Lost Landscape: Roger Hampson was very interesting 9on until 25 July). Hampson was a Northern, post-WW2 artist, who seems to have known that the common lifestyle in his native land was dying out. Fascinating from a socio-historical perspective: the clogs, the Walking Days, workers in mills and mines. It would have been nice to have more description with the images, but a whole book would have been more appropriate.

Last note: I did get slightly lost and ended up in the education area inside the library, where one of the craft displayes featured painted plastic bottle tops, and another had a quilt of apliqued hands with embroidered decoration. Neat!

Very bad day

I'm sickened by the fact that I live with 132,094 racists who voted for the BNP, and that means their leader is now one of my MEPs.

I'm not a British or EU citizen yet, but I've booked my Life In The UK test, and I'll be saving up the £750. Next election, at least I'll be able to vote.