Happy Birthday to me!

Today was my birthday and part of my present from Mr C, which included a trip to Cadbury World, was also a watercolour set.  I tried some watercolour art the other week.  My first ever go at it having never done painting or drawing of any sort since high school, and as I recalled I sucked then but without the pressures of teenagerdome and generally having an idea and painting it turns out it's really good fun.

I had a triptych of a flower that I was going to get rid of but decided to paint over the canvas and redo my own 'art.'  As I am also getting into yoga I wanted to do something to represent the serenity, relaxation, breathing and meditation.  

I quickly realised it wasn't as easy as it looked, but still fun.

I also created a little 3D canvas of leaves I collected from around the Groe and PVA glue which I called Autmnal Burst...

So with my newly gifted watercolour set I downloaded an Ebook from the Welsh Ebook service, alright I downloaded the dummies guide to watercolours, which is a great book and gave me some techniques and projects to try out.  I also learned from the book what I did wrong with my triptych including painting watercolour onto canvas (a no no) and not using enough paint or water!

First up was creating a garden of blooms.  Created by dripping either water onto colour or a heavy wet brush onto the paper.  The paper is pre wet with water before you add colour...

Then I tried out some different brush strokes...

The next technique was to draw a stripe with each colour in my palette to see what they are like.  I also  have coloured tubes in my new kit but I really liked using the cakes so stuck with them...

I also tried the techniques in the book on both wet and dry areas of a piece of paper, a la this...

So after all that, some reading, practice and general playing with my new toy I tried small project one a snowy landscape scene.  It didn't take long to do but the results are quite dramatic. I am super impressed with myself!

So that's been my day of arty crafty.  Next on the watercolour to do list is texture, the book has some ideas but I want to try using different knitting stitches printed onto the watercolours.

I also want to try a still life so now off on a hunt around the house to see what I can paint :-)

Pom Pom pumpkin

I had an idea a few weeks ago to knit a pumpkin but all the patterns I seen called for knitting in the round, which I dunno how to do and didn't think now was the time to learn! Also I had some ropey orange DK yarn that needed using up so yet another idea sprung to mind, giant pom pom pumpkin! 

I cut pieces of cardboard into circles by drawing around a side plate. I then drew a smaller circle in the centre by drawing around the base of a mug. I cut a slit from the edge of the big circle to the little circle. I doubled up my by taking and end from the start and centre of the ball and wound it around the cardboard circles. I also started to wind in a very special yarn I've had for years, glow in the dark yarn, yes, that's right glow in the dark yarn! When I finished I cut in between the two cardboard disks and tied around the ball of fluff with the glow in the dark yarn. I had some spare felt too so used that to cut some eyes, a nose and scary mouth. And ta da... 

Quite the scary monster isn't he? As soon as the glow in the dark yarn is charged up I'll get a photo of him in the dark.

He was super quick and easy to make, I'm tempted to make lots of small ones for a bunting type effect. Hmm, maybe next year :)

Book Review : Doctor Sleep

I was keen to read this follow up to 'The Shining.'  Although I only ever watched the film it was a story I enjoyed and was looking forward to getting stuck into another Stephen King novel.  I've read several of Kings novels over the years and loved Misery, Salem's Lot, Gerald's game, Desperation, The Green Mile, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, was a touch meh about Liseys story and hated Dream Catcher! I'm also making my way through the audio book versions of The Dark Tower series and enjoying the stories and links to the other novels...but back to the purpose of this review, Doctor Sleep. 

This synopsis is from Stephen King UK website  or you can see the American website here. 

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and devoted to their comfortable Recreational Vehicles. They live off the 'steam' that children with the 'shining' produce when they are slowly tortured to death.  Following a childhood haunted time he spent with his parents at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles into a job at a nursing home in rural New Hampshire where his remnant 'shining' power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes 'Doctor Sleep.'  Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest ‘shining’ ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival . . .

I was fortunate to come across this video of Stephen King reading from Doctor Sleep.  This video explains more about The True Knot, the main 'bad guys' of the book...

I honestly don't know where to begin on how much I enjoyed this book.  The characters were very well drawn and throughout I was enthralled by Danny's story going through a roller coaster of emotions. Their is a particular seen towards the end that almost had me in tears!  I felt protective and drawn to the 'good' characters although was freaked out by the second appearance of Dick which didn't seem to bother Danny.  

Apart from being on the front cover the cat isn't a major player in the story but I felt we would have missed something without him an only relied in the humans. Something about the independent yet caring attitude of the cat that is reflected in Danny's character.

As for the bad guys, the True Knot, I'll never look at a camper the same way again! I didn't see them so much of a threat to begin with but as the story unfolds I found myself being more and more terrified.  I don't want to go on about the scenes I particularly enjoyed as their were quite a few twists and turns and I don't want to give them away but trust me it was a brilliant read!  All I will say is the ending was right for me and ended Danny's story nicely.

As I said at the beginning I am working my way through the Dark Tower series and did pick up early in the book Doctor Sleep the phrase "...their are other worlds than these..." which in the Dark Tower, I think book one, is spoken by one of the characters Jake.  Coincidence? I think not :)

I also picked up a phrase which was in my previous read Resistance (I'm sure just a coincidence and me King isn't stalking my reading habits) "..the devil is beating his wife..."  Hmm, I wonder, is it possible to be haunted by a phrase?

I bought the W.H Smith special collectors edition of Doctor Sleep which differs from the main copies by having purple cat eyes and wisps of steam. The cover felt nice with embossed steam and good paper and print font. I also liked the size of the hardback and format throughout.

If I had to summarise Doctor Sleep in 100 words or less (which I do for several book review sites) I would say:

This sequel to the shining is a must read not just for any King fan but for any fan of horror.  The characters are well drawn and the story keeps you hooked. A magnificent ending to one of Kings earlier stories, the proper ending that the character Danny deserved.

Namaste

Namaste (salutations to you)

This craft blog is turning out to be a bit of a lifestyle blog...unless maybe I live craft??

Well if you haven't guessed from the first word I have taken up Yoga.  I tried it years back and we never quite got on but now I am loving it.  I've been attending a Hatha Yoga class every Tuesday evening where not only have I learnt some postures I have also learnt something deep breathing and relaxation techniques.  Which is doing wonders for the ole anxiety and keeping the doc happy! 

I'm a little obsessed with it at the mo' and as Mr C is working away all weekend I am looking forward to having some me time and some time to do some long Yoga practice.

But for the proper crafty bit.

I bought my gorgeous pink yoga mat from Tesco but I didn't have a carry bag for it.  I since bought Yoga socks and take a water bottle with me so getting a carry bag was beginning to become a necessity.  So roughly following this post I created this little beauty...

Complete with Yoga mat inside to prove it does the job!

I say roughly followed that post as you can see I used ribbon for the handles, didn't have a button closing (couldn't get the button bit to go inside out so threw it across the room) and its not exactly the same but it does the perfect job for me.

Look at that for a bottom seam.  Not only are the handles are aligned, I managed to give it a rounded end (which wasn't easy as I didn't fully understand the instructions).










I also got a book from the library 'Yoga for a new you' Dorling Kindersley 2012 which I am considering buying as its really good.

I've also downloaded a few apps to my smart phone Pocket Yoga and Pocket Yoga Builder both by Rainfrog LLC but I haven't properly used them yet.  If I'm not at class I tend to use a DVD I have called 'Roxys Bite Sized Yoga' which has different routines split into bite sized chunks of 15 minutes each.

I'm hoping to get more regular practice in, especially as its doing my overall health so good, and have downloaded worksheets from my friends Alyson Tyler who is a Yoga teacher and writes a blog here (which has been super useful).  But I feel I need a little more guidance from a video clip for now.

I hope to try out some Youtube videos, in particular ones from Tara Lee, like this one...

...and will let you know how I get on.

Oh and I have seen a pattern for easy Yoga pants in my book 'The Sew Everything Workshop' that I bought to accompany a Craftsy Class so watch this space for more Yoga related craftiness!

P.S I can do a mean tree ;)

Book Review: Resistance by Owen Sheers

Last week I attended a creative writing taster session.  Never having done creative writing in my puff I didn't have high expectations for the night but have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.   So as this is a crafty blog and writing is a craft (of sorts) I thought I would publish some of my writing here.  As you can expect with me I don't have much time to knit or sew so the chances of the worlds greatest novel being published here anytime soon is a long shot but hey ho you never know.

I thought I would start gently by posting a book review.  This is something I have wanted to hone my skills on, as I run the Builth Wells Reading Group blog over here, so below is my review of Resistance by Owen Sheers...

Resistance is set in an alternative universe where the Germans are winning World War II and are invading Britain.
Set in a Welsh valley between Hay on Wye and Hereford where a small community of farmers have disappeared in the middle of the night leaving behind the women.
We are led to believe they have gone off to join the 'Resistance' and we are left to explore the unfolding lives of the women left to work on the farms, in a harsh winter, with a German patrol living nearby.
My feelings towards this German patrol were tested throughout the novel.  Initially I began by feeling unsure and a little scared then as the story progressed I found my opinion changing and I became quite fond of them all, especially Albrecht.
My changing feelings were particularly highlighted when in one particular scene a character mistakes the German patrol for the valley farmers and you see the German patrol through those eyes, as though they were the farmers and see no difference between them.
I found I cared for all the characters in the valley and enjoyed the authors descriptions of the area and working farm life.  The audio book in particular was beautifully narrated and although I read some chapters too I wasn't overly keen on the format/look of the print.  I loved the front cover and thought it captured the story well.
The cover is black and white with a lone woman, could be our main character, standing atop a black mountain.  Comforting herself from the elements she seems to be searching for someone, her body language echos both loss and hope.
However I didn't like how the story jumped viewpoints and found it quite disorientating when listening to the audiobook.
Although the was is the backdrop to the novel I didn't feel it was prominent and it was more about working through hardship, community spirit and looking beyond what at first may appear to be a threat which could also be a lifeline.
I liked the valley characters.  The women for their hard work and determination against the Germans, the war and an altered way of life.  I loved how the women didn't give up when the men left, they took on more work and tried their hardest to keep on going.  I also liked the German patrol as although you start believing they are Nazi monsters it goes to show just because you put a uniform on someone and a gun in their hand it doesn't make them a soldier.  And that their true means of survival in the war wasn't to fight.  So you had the women fighting and the men trying hard to abstain, they were a perfect mirror image of each other in a mirrored universe.
Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction but especially those living or have an interest in the Welsh valleys.

You can find out more about Owen Sheers and Resistance on the Owen Sheers website.

Incidentally I am now reading 'A casual vacancy' by J.K. rowling as part of the book group read this month, feel free to join in and post comments on our blog :)