Lifes rich tapestry and other stuff.....

Hello and pull up a chair...... the night is young and I feel there is much to cover.

I will begin aheeem aheem (clear throat)....

This evening has resulted in a minor scald on my part, after I was rinsing cooked rice in a sieve with boiling water (as Jamie Oliver instructed) he obviously did not RISK assess this activity and thus I was scalded. Sean (future Mr Pic and Blos) got me to sit with my hand in a bowl of ice. SOB! I was then very quick to tell him that I could no longer wash up !!! RESULT (the only positive I may add out of whole mishap).

So I consoled myself with these,

Lovely fluffy, coconut mushrooms and a cup of Rosie Lea.

Anyway I have decided it was time to reveal some of my degree work circa 2001/02.

My final project was all jumbled at first, in fact bizarrely it ended up being like therapy for my years of worries etc about my family, and my parents divorce.

At the time it was quite an emotional journey, yet now I seem quite detached in a strange sense and I look at it with fresh eyes.

Here are a few pictures.

This was the title for my final work, I guess I was trying to describe how life hangs in the balance and our relationships are sometimes volatile/tentative and fragile.

My work seemed a little directionless at first, I was using the idea that our true identity is perhaps hidden, I liked the idea I could look into the lives of others and decide who they were, what they did and record them in sketches these became stitched characters like above. The concept of Make do and mend became swallowed up too with all my emotion. I guess I was trying to understand what went on as a child and fix it somehow.

Delicate feminine form?? Identity phase.

My second portfolio became a little like a child's fabric story book telling the tale of how we were together as a family and this broke down. This eventually became the basis for fabric hangings which depicted my mum being delicate/fragile/breaking down yet to me still being beautiful and strong. The darker earthy coloured panels reflected my dad. He had taken my brother and I to Cannock Chase as children to talk to us about what was happening. Hence the walking maps and dark masculine elements.

The last page I wrote the following statement

It seems strange reading this now, like the ramblings of a post teen but it helped. I feel so happy in my adult life now, I have my moments still but I feel grounded and have a direction.

I don't need to look for answers in my past, I will just use it to guide my future. I am glad both my parents are happy and have found partners who they love.

Didn't mean to be sad, trust me to rabbit on when folks are busy organising things for the coming Season of Good Will.

Which brings me to this,

I have tried to think of a way to keep the giver and receiver secret but it will not work as we need to exchange gifts. So I created a little bank of names and drew them one at a time. The first person will buy a gift for the next and so on. SOOOOOOOOOOOO........

Kaylacoo will need to send to Threekitchenfairies

Threekitchenfairies will need to send to Louandherchicken

Louandherchicken will need to send to Hensteeth

Hensteeth will need to send to Piccalilyandblossom

Piccalilyandblossom will need to send to Momof2gr8kids

Momof2gr8kids will need to send to Nimblejacks

Nimblejacks will need to send to Ludabelle

Ludabelle will need to send to Alex Mason

Alex Mason will need to send to Kaylacoo.

So now I feel a lot better OPERATION SECRET SANTA is rolling and I have an empty bowl oops no more mushrooms left.

Night X