Cheese and Soap and Skillz (by sarah)

At the beginning of the year when we were setting down our New Year Resolutions, me and Alaric realised that we were still stuck with exactly the same stitches for kniting and crochet that we started with three years ago. All our projects have been variants on a theme.

We also wanted to move forward with the home stedding stuff, having added chickens and allotment since moving house. So here is my first cheese - it is a soft spreadable thing but I am very proud of it - I might also have accidently made a butter but that's cool too and is being used 🙂

The other skill we've been meaning to try has been soap making and we thought this would tie in really well with the yarn craft side of things. So the easiest way of learning the stitches is to knit or crochet squares but I have to be making something or else it wont happen - I've never been good at practice - learning yes but practice no!

Anyway we are basically knitting and crocheting flannels or face/wash cloths to go with the soaps. Here is my first crochet attempt - I think it is double with single as the edging - it is lumpy and bumpy and miss shappen but I am so happy - of course it took me like a month to create.

This is the current one - a single crochet - lets hope I can remember how to carry on with it now Mum's gone home - I really struggled with the double when she wasn't about.

I have also added on four different rag rug making techniques to the skillz I haz, recently, plus improvisational comedy and sketch writing so I am feeling quiet chuffed. I am also nerviously awaiting proof copies of a book which is more painful than I would have thought!

World Poetry Writing Month (by sarah)

Every year I help coordinate a poetry writing challenge called WoPoWriMo or World Poetry Writing Month - in Feb. On the site there are writing exercises and ways to get around being blocked, plus inspirational words from other poets.

There are also reviews and events listings.

If you are a poet or a writer of any kind, then has become a good resource - I know I helped build it but I also use it - alot!

Also for those of you who are local to Gloucestershire, I shall be organising a couple of meets through out the month, were I will bring the stickers and some extra bits along for you all 🙂

For those of you who want to read my actual poetry - then go to Turquoise Monster.

Old Maps (by sarah)

I went through our books and found we had like a shelf of out of date maps of various types so I thought I would do some craft stuff with them. I had a few ideas which I'm sure you will all be getting to see soonly! But I also popped on the laptop to have a little look around the net and found some amazing things on Pinterest.

I saw some amazing pictures done on maps and though that type of drawing isn't really a me thing I thought about the fact I have a draw full of old mapping pens which were damn expensive (geology was known as the colouring in degree at Imperial), and I thought and thought and remembered I'd wanted to do some pictures of little creatures....

And yeah - so now I have a few of these pictures and lots of butterflies the girls punched out of maps and I have plans for bigger art works and what not!

I will be selling the Maps of the Imaginary at the comic con in Cheltenham in Feb for anyone who is interested 🙂

Day 23 – Blondie (by sarah)

I am actually happy with this painting - had to be done in two lots though with drying time inbetween 🙂

Also Alaric is blonde and has a pudding hat and I have a new onsie which I'm sure there will be plenty of picks of over Christmas 🙂

Big thanks to our friend Nicky 🙂

(photos)

Day 22 (by sarah)

This painting actually took longer than the landscapes! It's supposed to be the surface of ice crystals all reflecting the light differently.

Card fail - so cards arrived but turn out to be not cards but one sided printed card 🙁 also they took longer to arrive than planned so I can't see us sending them out to people now either! Never mind we have them for next year and maybe I can get a batch of cards made properly or something for next year 🙂