Going for…. Gloucestershire Poet Laureate (by sarah)

This Sunday the 4th of March at Gloucester New Inn there is the monthly arty chill which I have been attending to read my works poetic. This Sunday however is slightly different as they are running a competition for Gloucestershires Poet Laureate. The first phase of which is audience votes so I would like some people to come and vote for me - please.

Yep that's right I am going for this - I doubt I will get it as there are going to be like well know poetry types there - I am hoping for a few votes though so that I can continue to show my face in the arty circles of Gloucestershire and in fact the UK!

It costs £5 on the door to get in for non-performers and starts 3pm and ends at 9pm. There are lots of musicians and comedians and things there too and it's a really good event and I wont sulk if you vote for someone else (honest!).

Poetry and Art and Science-Art (by sarah)

This last week has been quiet busy for me as far as my 'work' is concerned. First off I had a meeting on Saturday about taking part in another art exhibition like In Braille with Centre Arts in order to raise many for the visually impaired. I'm aiming for another piece of three dimensional textural science art.

Then on the Sunday I was performing (though briefly due to sick baby) at Art Tournament in Gloucester, a monthly event which is becoming a regular thing for me!

Then I have mostly been writing science and tech poetry as part of this years WoPoWriMo challenge. This involves actually checking facts for a start!

Then there has been organising supplies for Alaric's Cub pack so that they could practice sewing badges and buttons on.

And then I got a peak at the Cheltenham Poetry Festival programme and yeah! Look Look! I'm in it! (running kids workshops).

Then (yes there is more) I've been preparing for a Poetry Dragon workshop at a school in Cheltenham - thanks once again to Cheltenham Poetry Festival. (This has been a bit of a challenge as everything is still not unpacked!)

Then I have been designing a new craft writing workshop!

Knitted Alaric's Valentine present and am half way through little presents for the girls (we go for the concept of Family Love rather than Sexual Love for this holiday)

Tonight I am going to deliver a flower made of hearts painting/collage to Centre Arts along with some knitted hearts and other various craft bits of a valentines day nature. This is for their Valentine Exhibition which is on Friday 10th at 12:00pm until Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 5:00pm.

Then tomorrow I run the workshops.

And this weekend holds just as much arty fun plus it looks like my cousins are visiting for the half term 🙂

Oh and I finally managed to not only play F on the guitar but then to change to C7th and back again! W00t! Playing nursery rhymes to the girls is paying off!

Christmas Poetry (by sarah)

This is a video of me reading The Little Book of Festive Poetry which I wrote a few years ago as part of the PiBoIdMo challenge. I was asked to read at The Brewery Cheltenham as part of a fund raiser for Winstons' Wish organised by Cheltenham Poetry Festival.

In the video Jean is inching her way towards me to join me on the stage - as were several other children 🙂 The coughing is because Alaric is recovering from having fluid on his lungs - not sure he should have been outside but he was bored of resting!

Children In Need Jean (by sarah)

I knitted the bandage - it was supposed to be red bobbles on white but was a nightmare to knit and hasn't come out exactly how I imagined but Jean is over the moon with it and as a first attempt at bobbles I think it's great 🙂

It’s All NaNo’s Eve (by sarah)

It be that time of year again when all the nut balls come out of hiding! That's right it's NaNoWriMo time again - at the witching hour on this All Hallows Eve a bizar and eclectic ritual will take place - writers will begin typing, scrawling or dictating in ernest in the hope that this year they will make that word goal. That they will be the Nanoer of the finished first draft - I put it to all fellow nanofanatics new and old - lets get writing the madness has begun.

For those of you who are interested I'm 5affy on the forum (that's Saffy but with a five instead of the ess). Or @TheMonsterBlogs on Twitter and the blog I will be blogging upon is Purple Monster - and of course I'll be doing the picture book ideas as well which can be found on Orange Monster.

Jeany is also joining me in this this year! (She has the last two years - first with dictating stuff to me and then last year with her Nano note book in which she stuck stickers, wrote stuff, drew pictures and made collages from mags.)