# I'm spinning around....

So... now I am spinning. Not twirling round in circles but using a hand spindle. It's that old 'Gill of all trades' issue again. I have always said that I 'know a lot of things about a lot of things but not very much about anything'. I try so many things and read so many thngs but only on a surface level. So I can talk a little about just about everything but not in depth. I guess it's just the way I am. Anyway, I have included a photo of some of my spinning attempts. It is great fun and relatively cheap. For anyone who wants to give it a go take a look at: http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/HowToDropspin.shtml

A New Era?

So we have the Scottish National Party and Alex Salmond in power here in Scotland. I was a huge supporter of the party when I was younger. That was at a time when I was living in the South of England and dying to get back 'home'. The question now is will the party be able to pull its weight and make Scotland into the country it could and should be? That remains to be seen. They have been the underdog for so long (when compared to Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats). But they say every dog has its day. I do know that both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon have always spoken passionately about Scotland. If they put that passion into the job we may do quite nicely. I am up for giving them a chance.

To burn or not to burn!

There is a curse about heat embossing for me. Terrible dramas ensue when I start to emboss. The latest - I nearly set fire to the carpet. There is a fetching ATC shaped burn mark on my studio carpet now. I usually do heat embossing on my desk but it was rather overflowing this time so I knelt on the floor. Big mistake. I didn't even notice the heat. Usually if my fingers start to burn I realise that it is too hot. But I was so busy watching the colours change that I didn't see the carpet.

There have been a few situations like that. The first time I tried it I didn't have a heat gun so decided to use a candle. Once again I got so caught up in watching the colours that I didn't notice the card had set on fire. I panicked, ran round the room twice with the burning paper then remembered to throw it in the bathroom sink. The second time I had just bought a new heat gun. I switched it on, it screamed like a harpie and then blew up. I tell you there is a curse about heat embossing. On the up side, it gives some lovely effects. You can see my attempts in the photos.

A new first

I finished my first non-realistic piece of art that I am to sell this week. The picture of it does not do it justice. The actual piece is more red and richer in colour. But overall I am very pleased with it. I enjoyed the process of making it. When I did my conventional painting my blood pressure was permanently raised. It was highly stressful for me as I was always trying to make it look how I wanted it to. I always fell short and as never pleased with the result. But I like this piece. I hope other people will.

I finally signed up to my next Open University course too - Ancient and Medieval Cities: a Technological History. I can't wait. It has been four years since I graduated from Royal Holloway: University of London where I read Classical Studies. It was a tough time for me but I NEED to study again. After this course I hope to sign up for the World Archaeology course in September. I have to admit that it feels good to get back into the academic world.

Doodle-oooo!

For all you manic (and not so manic) doodlers - Chrysti is having a doodle ATC swap. I have signed up but seem to be in among a set of professional doodlers. Everyone seems to have done it regularly. I don't doodle, have never doodled, was never encouraged to - but would like to. It sounds so dangerous and exciting - speaking as someone who always tried to create perfection in her work. It's the kind of thing you got told off for doing at school - 'Doodling in your workbook again - detention for you, Jenkins!'. Which is why I have signed up. If you want to as well visit: http://chrysti.wordpress.com/2007/03/26/get-your-doodle-on/

Sing a song of sixpence...

There is a wren who comes to my garden every evening. He is singing even as I write. For such a small bird he sure does have a great set of lungs. He sits on the branches of the bushes and trees, shuffles a little then opens his beak and a flurry of the most beautiful notes comes out. The wren is Britain's smallest bird, dull and drab brown and a serial bigamist to boot but that voice more than makes up for it. I think he comes to keep me company, to spread his beauty and flood the house with song during my dark days. As many of you know the last 18 months have been very bad for me but the wren's presence seems to be his way of telling me that there is still something beautiful and worthwhile in the world.

CREATIVITY!!!

I have been in a flurry of creativity the last few days. I made lots of things in clay, painted a little (wild and manic painting involving red paint and waterbased ink) and put stuff up in my Flappylugs online shop. As a sneak preview I have included a few pics here.

Something fishy

This week I was challenged to make some cards using a stamp from the OnyxXpressions range. These are the results which will be on the OnyxXpressions web site some time soon.

Great Britain? Ugh!

OK, so this is going to be a non art related rant about the state of things in the UK. What is going on here? British Telecom (the primary telephone service provider here) is now going to charge people £4.50 for not paying their bill by Direct Debit. Another way of penalising people. Just 'cos BT has money to throw around its head (final quarter profits of 1.4 billion, I believe). This does not mean other people do. This is no more than finanancial blackmail and will penalise those who need their money the most. People who do not have bank accounts or use cheques to pay will loose £18 a year all for the sake of BTs greed. But what is most dangerous is the fact that banks are totally unreliable at handling people's money. They profit through charging folk if the money is not there on time or the company to be paid has requested the payment early. I am speaking from experience here. I know of many people who have had D.D.s set up, dates arranged for the withdrawal of the payment and then the company asks for the payment early when wages have not been deposited. Instead of refusing the payment until the allotted day banks allow the payment to go through, then charge their customer if there is not enough money to cover the payment. There is a train of thought in the UK that people have substantial amounts of money in their current accounts at all times. What about people who are not on high wages, have regular income but also regular outgoings? Many people live from hand to mouth even in the 'modern' world and every penny is counted with care. With the recent increases in interest rates, gas and electricity prices things are even more tight. Not everyone has expensive cars and go on holidays to far flung destinations! We do not all fail to pay bills because we want to commit criminal acts. Some people struggle with paying for a million and one reasons - not least because their wages come in one day after a payment has been requested. But banks are cashing in all the time. They have nothing to loose and plenty to gain. No wonder we are being encouraged to use Direct Debits. Now banks are talking about charging people for having an ordinary current account. What??? They are handing out credit cards to those who cannot afford to keep up with payments on what some see as free money. Where is their sense of responsibility in all this? They should be called to account and NOW!

And where is the government during all this? Why are they allowing these companies to do this? These are huge companies that have no need to be screwing over their customers in this way - other than for profits with which to pay shareholders of course. No one is asking for anything for free. We are asking for fairness and a quality product with no hidden charges or underhand behaviour. Yet the government will not legislate against companies and individuals who are taking advantage just because they can. On another point - Britain has become a scavenging ground for big business from other countries to walk in, pick businesses to pieces and leave a shell working with unacceptable practices. I don't think there are any of the British banks or major companies that have not been bought over or merged with conglomerations from other nations. There are some who might say this is globalisation in action. But Britain and the British people are loosing out. This country is an unacceptable mess only working for those who already have plenty of their own. There is no need for underhandedness. There is no need for ordinary people to loose out in the name of profit for the economy. It is time for the government to take a good look and stand up for its people.

Reinvention

I came to a decision last week - I am giving up my commissioned painting. I am not sure if this is a permanent thing but I am very tired of painting and drawing. It used to be ingrained in my personality but the pleasure I got from it isn't there any more. I object to it and get very angry when forced to paint something I don't 'feel'. I am constantly asked to paint pets from pictures that are so bad I can't make out distinguishing features. So I figure it is time for a break. I have many other skills that I can call on and am taking a detour to fibre art and clay work. I got some woodworking tools for Christmas too so who knows where that will take me. It will be fun finding out though.

The trouble is - I built my web site with Frontpage Express but have since upgraded my PC to Windows XP. Now, those in the know realise that FP Express doesn't come with Outlook Express any more. So I'm kind of stuffed for putting up a notice on my site. I have tried a couple of other web publishing tools but to no avail. So more thought is needed, me thinks. But I need to change that web site. Grrrrr!