It was Lovely

Thought I'd just let you know that the casserole was very tasty, I'm not really a fan of the slow cooker, as I'm not a domestic goddess when I've used it before it's not been very successful. Some might say I need more practice! I thought I should use it as last weekend I had a go at cooking Heston Blumenthal's three times cooked chips, they were lovely. In passing I said " Maybe we should get an electric fryer" I'd used the wok, a comment was made " Good idea, it can stand on the side next to the slow cooker, bread maker and the ice-cream maker that never get used". So yes you've guessed it in the coming week I'm planning on cooking another casserole with bread and for dessert.......

There is a give away on Silver Pebbles blog take a look! She's giving one lucky person the chance to win Kirstie Allsopp's book and also a Silver clay starter pack.

Domestic Goddess (NOT)

Things with Betsy seem to be settling down. Betsy and I  have started going to obedience classes once a week, Dave says he's noticed a difference in ME not the dog!!!!!! She is still waking at six in the morning but I'm used to it now and don't mind it at all anymore!  I probably shouldn't speak to soon but the toilet training seems to be getting there too, 2 wee's yesterday on the floor (thank goodness for laminate flooring) and only one today! Look at that face, I can forgive her anything..........

No textile work to show, I have been getting on with work for the Material Girls next exhibition, 2012 is going to be a really busy year for us.

Last weekend we went to George's Naming Ceremony, it's the first of these I've been to. I was really thrilled to be asked to be a witness, I wasn't sure what to expect as I've only been to Christenings before, but it was a lovely day and a great way of welcoming a baby into the world. 
 
Christmas is approaching fast, I'm buying most of the presents on the internet this year, I'm not in love with shopping. Last year proved a bit of a disaster, a couple of parcels didn't arrive at all, but I decided to give it another go. I've started earlier this year and the first parcel has arrived today, so that's a good start.

I've even made the Christmas cake, I'm giving the Delia 'cake in a box' a try, all I needed to add was the butter, eggs and the peel from a lemon and an orange. So easy and I feel like a domestic goddess without all the mess! There is a casserole in the slow cooker, just waiting for Dave to get home, he's been away for a few days, boy he'll be impressed when he get's home.

This afternoon I went to 'A Celebration of the Life of Freda'. I met Freda 26 years ago I was an assistant in the local adult education cake decorating class, I know it was 26 years because I was pregnant with Rachel.  Freda was one of 12 woman in the class and she was a warm and funny lady, we lived near each other and I would often give her a lift to the class. She then asked me to join her and her sister in law at a fabric painting class, we lost touch for a few years. I'd progressed with my cake decorating and was teaching a class of my own when we met again. We were both invited to take part in a 'Focus on Crafts' in our village, I was painting on sugar and Freda and her daughter were doing 'Quilting', it was lovely to meet her again and I said I'd always fancied having a 'go' at quilting and patchwork. Freda always keen on people trying something new was quick to invite me along to the class she attended and so my journey into the textile world started and my life changed! It's amazing how one person can change and influence your life. Today the church was full to bursting with family and friends of Freda, a testimony to a lovely kind lady 'gone but never forgotten'.

1st November Already-only 54 days until Christmas!

I don't know whats been happening here, that's not strictly true BETSY is what's been happening! I can't keep using her as an excuse. I must get myself organised and get on with things, so many deadlines have been missed. I knew I was getting a puppy so decided not to submit work for selection for the ERTF exhibition in September, it would have been impossible to leave a pup and go off and do the necessary requirements if I had been selected. Since then I've missed the deadline for ALQS6, I was really hoping to take part in that, maybe I'll have a chance another time. Then I said I'd knit cup cakes for Gina's Pink Friday Party, I even went out and bought the wool from Craft Arena, Denise loaned me cupcake knitting patterns, but the parties been and gone and the wool is still in the bag. I've returned the patterns. So sorry to all those I've let down.  From now on I must either do the things I say I'll do or keep my 'BIG' mouth shut and don't say I'll do them in the first place! I have really let things slip, I don't think I've commented on other peoples blogs either, not always my fault, sometimes it's blogger, I type out the comment and then cant get it posted. I have been reading blogs, that's easy I can sit with Betsy and check on my i phone. A big thank you for everyone that comments on my blog I really do appreciate it. I do manage to get bits onto my facebook via my phone on a regular basis but getting posts onto blogger isn't a success for me via my phone even using the app! Well enough of my problems and failings. Hope you've not dozed off or cried your eyes out yet.

Now for what I have managed to do! Lots of walking Betsy, she gets me out at least twice a day, evening walks are a bit difficult since last week the odd firework is 'let off', why so far in advance of 5th November? She really doesn't like them and so I'm taking her out earlier, how do other dog owners manage any tips gratefully accepted! The weekend walks are the best Dave and I take her to various woods all within a few miles of where we live. Despite being able to get into London in next to no time we have lots of green spaces Thames Chase. The nearest place for us to walk Betsy are Berwick Ponds and Woods its about a 5 minute walk from our house, that's where we walked on Sunday and Betsy had her first meeting with ducks and geese, she didn't turn a hair!

Despite missing some deadlines there's one I just have to make, so there has been some work going on, not as quickly as it should have been, but it needs to be completed by next Tuesday for the Material Girls monthly meeting!

Tonight I'm putting the backing on and it's done then I need to make a start on my 3D work or at least have something in my sketch book to show. I know what I'm doing just need to get it out of my head and into the page! Are you convinced? Good.

Looking forward to next year, we've booked a cottage for a week's holiday. We are going to Norfolk in May, when James was a baby we had a couple of lovely holidays in Norfolk. The cottage is on the coast and I'm dreaming of long walks on those lovely Norfolk beaches with Betsy (hope the obedience classes have worked by the time May comes).  We've also booked a holiday for later next year (without Betsy)  after reading Purple Podded Peas accounts of her road trip from LA to San Francisco, a trip we did with the children. I seriously thought about doing it again for the third time or going back to New England and visiting Rhode Island a place we have never managed to visit. On Saturday I left Dave with two brochures one for America and the other Worldwide and off I went to have my hair cut when I got home he'd picked where he fancied going. SO we're off to Mauritius for 11 nights!!!!! I must admit I was looking forward to visiting all those wonderful textile shops in the US, I'm not that disappointed though, I've been told that Mauritius has lovely textiles (keeping that to myself) and it's good to widen your horizons.

Oh well better get on Internet, Christmas shopping to be done, only 54 days until.........
But before I leave a photo of Betsy, it's not easy getting a good one, she doesn't sit still for long! 

Catch up!!!

The Material Girls exhibition at Craft Arena has been and gone, the work got some good comments and  the 'Liberation of the Heart' hanging looked as though it was meant to be there, despite not being made for that exhibition it fitted in very well and I was relieved to get it back. There are lots of exciting things in the pipeline for The Material Girls, we'll  be exhibiting the 'Articulated Materials-Bridging Waters' work at three venues, more about that in future posts. I've still a way to go to get my work completed, as I have a helper with me ALL of the time, but things are getting a lot easier with Betsy.

I went to the Knit and Stitch with my sister in law, it was her birthday treat from me,  we had brunch which was very nice and saved stopping for lunch! Michelle enjoyed it and bought herself a new pattern book and some wool to knit a scarf. This year I spent very little and came away with money still in my purse? First time ever, I usually spend my cash and then hit the credit cards!

Last Friday I met up with some of the Essex ERTF members at another members home, we were having a meeting to follow up on a sketching day we had on a very hot and sunny day in August at Southend on Sea.

After  a lot of chatting and some delicious cake that our lovely hostess provided, our sketch books were produced and we discussed how we were developing our ideas, I'd only managed to progress with the designs, others had developed onto stitching, felting and printing. It was a day I really enjoyed I hope that we continue with this project, it's definitely the sort of thing I need to move my work on, I also like to see the way others work ( that's because I'm nosy). Rachel took the day off work and puppy sat, Betsy has been left for a few hours but I think Rachel wanted an excuse to look after her without us around and as she was coming home for the weekend anyway.......

The garden situation, well it's no longer looking so great, nothing to do with the weather! Betsy has dug up, chewed or trampled her way through most of the flowers ( No Photo's sorry) The vegetables are almost over I have some parsnips, swede and celeriac still growing. I did have a glut of tomatoes so made lots of sauce which is in the freezer and three large kilner jars of chutney, last time I made chutney I used it in curries and it added a depth to them, so I'm looking forward to that. I also have a supply of onions which should last until well into the new year. I would call that a successful year, well for me anyway, not sure if it will be so good next year. We need to find a way of  keeping  Betsy off the veggie patch!

Last week Betsy was a bit of a nightmare she suddenly decided that she would wake up at 5 am, not good for me! But things have improved this week, she seems to have settled down again and we are into a routine that seems to suit us all. Last week I started taking her to training classes and she now behaves better when we are out walking. Not that she was badly behaved before it's just that she barked at every one we met and every dog, she just wants to play and be friends with everyone and sadly not everyone wants to be friends with her! She has also stopped barking every time she is in the garden and my neighbour is out there, so life is calmer, well for the moment anyway. We have also been taking her to puppy socialisation classes at the vets, she meets other pups of about the same age but not the same size in the group there are two Rottweiler's, Betsy is not afraid to play with them and she stands her ground which is a bit scary for us. There is so much conflicting advice out there, the dog trainer says we shouldn't do both, the vets say we should, Rachel has a friend who is a dog trainer and she says its good to do both. I've decided to ignore everyone and do what I think is best for us, Betsy enjoys playing with the other pups and  there is only one more session to go, we will carry on! Betsy is developing  a lovely character she loves to have the last word, something that I think is a mini schnauzer thing. She does something  I can only describe as grumble. If she barks and I tell her to stop, she'll stop barking but carry on with this low grumbling, she does it at the training class and everyone thinks it's really funny. Now I only have to stop her weeing on the floor and we've cracked it!! Thankfully we have no carpets only a couple of small rugs easily replaced when this stops, it does stop doesn't it???

Growing Fast

Betsy is growing up so fast!

The First Time I Saw Betsy (2 Weeks)

A Few Weeks Later

First Day With Us (11weeks)

This Morning (14 Weeks)

This Afternoon ( She's been clipped)

Playing in Veggie Bed

Challenges

Well it was definatly a challenge, trying to keep Betsy away from the bits of plaster! Luckily the plasterer liked dogs. At least it's all finished and the living room is usable, I cant say the same of my work room, all my 'stuff' as Dave calls it is in boxes and stacked in another room, ideal oppertunity to sort out! But really I should be working, I've a few projects that need to be completed by October! Next it's painting, that should be fun keeping Betsy out of the paint pots!

Thinking about it!

Chewing it over

It's been a hard weekend!

News about the hanging 'Liberation of the Heart' see image in sidebar, last week I found out that it was in fact still with the gallery. I phoned and spoke to the lady at the gallery, she said like me she'd been contacting the person (who shall remain nameless) without any response trying to find out my address, I spoke to the gallery on Monday and by Friday it was delivered, hooray!!!! From now on I'll be careful whose group I exhibit with. Now it will be hung in the exhibition of Material Girls Work at Craft Arena.