Tuesday 1 November 2011

Dotty Angel & WOYWW 126

A huge Hippy Birthday to my elder daughter who is 41.... she took her time coming into this world and hung out until All Saints Day so I made her an angel instead of a card. Sadly, this week her gorgeous cat died and when my angel arrived in the post, my 4 year old grandee named her Dotty, the name of the cat. Aaaah! 

WOYWW 
My table looks so sad as it is cleared and bare down to all the old paint from when my DD1 used it 20 years ago as an art student. No! I'm not going to scrub and clean it but it has been cleared ready for a metal top to be fitted by my lovely neighbour, who has a sheet metal business. I want to make more jewellery and the metal top will be an ideal surface for that and all my other crafts. 
The little house is a thimble display box which I acquired for £1 in a charity shop and it might just get altered one day!
I've had a busy day making so many things..... these guest or kitchen towel hangers that my younger DD asked me to make....
Close up ... for Wipso and Twiglet ... might be useful for you two to make.
Just finished a hat for my grandee who will be visiting from Germany next week! So excited they're coming!! Nice warm earflaps for Winter.
I made three HangAbouts
 I tried out a new style one with a round top and a flat seamed bottom which is so much quicker to make than setting in a round base but I must make it a bit deeper next time. Another close up pic for Wipso and Twiglet.... good idea ? 
Lots more faces moulded from paper clay to make quirky angels.

Sandy Denny wrote one of my favourite songs in 1967, just one year after DH and I married and it was sung by, amongst others, Judy Collins, Eva Cassidy (who changed the words somewhat), and Fairport Convention. It was voted the most favourite folk track of all time. Very poignant words and so many songs ask the same question......

Across the evening sky all the birds are leaving
But how can they know it's time for them to go?
Before the Winter fire, I will still be dreaming
I have no thought of time

For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

(For the rest of the words and to listen to Sandy singing there are lots of versions on YouTube)

Well I know!!! WOYWW sucked the time into the ether and brought us to another episode of Julia's saga which has rolled into 126 episodes, so for the full story... visit Julia's Stamping Ground.
However I've made up for lost time with all I've managed to produce today and my knitting was completed in what would have been waste time... as a car passenger or TV watching, so I'm satisfied with myself and today I feel good and that's not bad.




42 comments:

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Well this is seriously multi tasking in mixed media here Jo - well done on the equally skilled sewing knitting moulding of clay and also the clearing of table - that is really an accomplishment! Some yummies on offer at my blog happy WOYWW Shaz in oz.x

Cath Wilson said...

LOve your angel, Jo - she's beautiful. Especially love the charms. You've been really busy. Those towel tops look very continental - Cathy does something similar with hers and she also makes towelling mitts for the bathroom and they're all hanging, ready. Love the holdups, too and the faces suggest lots of possibilities. Glad to hear you're going to make more jewellery - what little I've seen of your work is fantastic. Happy WOYWW x

Helen said...

My, you have been busy! I will kind of miss the strawberries though, when you get your flash new table top! Have a great WOYWW

Tuire Flemming said...

You have been so diligent! Cute hat - I have the yarn ready for something like that...
And I have to say, that the HangAbout I got from you, is the only place from where my pensils will not disappear!
Happy wednesday!
Tuire xx

Annie said...

You really are a treasure Jo. I love the new ideas and just might make a few of the towel hangers for our upstairs bathroom :-) The only hang about I've made has never sold so I use it myself :-)....they don't know what they are missing. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a great week.
Hugs,
A x

Lunch Lady Jan said...

Just a quickie - rang Julia. She's fine but didn't realise her blog hadn't published! Is sorting out as I type...
Ha, I made a desk tidy too this week!! I love your funky fabrics, they're groovy baby :D And the fabric is lovely too! After your recommendation of Stash Yarns, I went online and ordered 4 sets of Brittany needles, going to get some serious knitting in soon!!
Hugs, LLJ xx

Carmen said...

Love your faces and your angel - so sweet that she's now called Dotty.

Thank you for stopping by mine on one of your busiest hopping days of the week (I imagine *g*) Lovely to see you there. You should have seen the awkward way I was standing so that my t-shirt would reflect in the knife :D That's my naff attempt at staging a scrapbook page photo that is!

Paul B said...

Oh my word, my jaw is on the floor in astonishment at how much you accomplish. It'd take me half a year to generate what you can whip up in a matter of days. And it's all wonderful. Those towel hangers are a brilliant idea, not seen those before. You're right they'd make great gifts. Interesting to see your bare top too ;) Can't believe it's about to have a makeover. Be fascinating to see it. Does this mean we won't see your strawberries anymore? Pxx

Neet said...

Done it for you but see you still got some comments without the linking.
Great to know that Lotta is coming over - love her hat. You have been a busy bee and cannot believe your table - look forward to seeing it when it is refurbished.
See you Saturday. Hugs, Neet #11

Angie said...

I LOVE the angel and the fact that your GD named her after their cat ...a fitting rememberance.
You have been so busy with wonderful results ...and those towel thingies are brilliant.

CRAFTY WOMBLE said...

Cor you are a busy a lady as me at the moment :) I have to ask what it the hang about thingy?

Bridget Larsen said...

Hello there swap partner, I didnt realise I was at your blog lol. Love all the other stuff you have done for Saturday. Well I am almost finished with your mini book, your ornament is done, bookmark as well, was that i?
Bridget #2

Sarn said...

Seriously creative pictures here!

HAPPY WOYWW!
Hugs, Sandra View my desk HERE!

Twiglet said...

A fab post Jo - thanks lots for thinking of Wipso and me! I love the little towel hangers and will make some for my kitchen and maybe some for daughter M. x Jo

Sarah said...

Well it's all A GO-GO Jo-JO!!! LOVE!!!! the doll - so enchanting and a great gift and keepsake. So much going on today and I almost blushed when I saw your naked table!!!!

Morti said...

LOL - busy busy busy! I shall miss the strawberries.... :-(

Funny though - I have that house thimble display thingy. LOL

Love your art angel doll...

Lisa-Jane said...

I didn't recognise you without your strawberries on! ;-) I love the angel and the tidy and the towel hangers - what lovely personalised gifts they would make. I'm in awe of your various skills.

Jingle said...

I absolutely LOVE your angel! She is fabulous!

April said...

eeeeek that table is BARE!!!!! bet it will look great with it's new metal top though! beautiful angel. Love all your sewing and knitting projects, the hanging towel is a great idea. x

Hazel said...

Lots of lovely things here - came here from WOYWW - love the angel and sweet for your grandchild to call it after the cat x

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm shocked! What's going to happen to the lovely strawberries??? Brilliant makes, I wish I could sew, but then again I don't have enough time for the things I like to do right now! I have picked up the knitting again too, think it's something to do with the cooler weather!

Hugs
Brenda 74

MaggieC (Silvercrafter) said...

What a beautiful angel. I am looking forward to seeing your all-new, improved work table with its new metal top. Sadly, I cannot fit everyone into our house for a tea party, so the best I can do is to publish the recipes for everyone to try. Hope you have a go at the cheese scones.

Ann B said...

Love the angel and the faces but will miss the strawberries. Are you going to get the Alcohol inks out for the metal table-top?

Julia Dunnit said...

I would feel this good with half the achievement! Love the guest towels idea - I have a lovely set of seasonals that get a lot of use in christmas party season..I may have to convert them, so much tidier!

The Crafty Elf said...

Jo, what great projects you've made.. there and so many of them too! You've been super busy! What a lovely angel and so sweet of your Grandy to name her Dot...ahhh is right! I know I put my Chrismtas stuff up early but I think it all started about 20 years ago when I worked for a Christmas store and had my own business on the side, Christmas decorating and stuff. With very small children if I didn't get them up in November I would never have got them done at all and they wouldn't know what Christmas was. I wasn't home long enough working during the day at the Christmas store and then my own business - busy during the evenings. Thinking back, not sure how I did it - but I did. Thanks to my mom helping me with my business - it made life easier! Now, I'm just so used to doing it then that it's become habit. To this day I still decorate private homes but I've scaled down considerably! Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Unknown said...

You have been busy sewing and it all looks fab. The little one will look gorgeous in her new hat. Ditto I have been molding faces too. I should have taken a photo. I have been painting them as I have a swap piece to make.
See ya on Saturday.
Hugs
Carol

cockney blonde said...

WOW who's been a busy little bee. I'm convinced you have more hours in a day than the normal person, lol.
BTW, thanks for your lovely comments on my cushion and feel really honoured that you want to 'pinch' the pocket idea, thank you.
See you Saturday, x

Hettie said...

Are you going to paint the top of your new table with strawberries? You can't have a bare table! Lots of nice stuff on show today. I have one of those baggies which I made when I first started quilting and it is still in use.

Elizabeth said...

Lovely projects - pretty angel and I do like the idea for the guest towels. Can't wait to see your new table top - sounds very practical, but no strawberries :( Love your £1 bargain and look forward to seeing it made over - it has the look of a curio box. It will be lovely for you to see your grandchildren next week - I'm sure you will have a great week. Elizabeth x #59

bohemiannie! art said...

Wow...you've had a busy week! I LOVE, love your angel!!! And what a great work surface that will be. Lucky ducky. Thanks for visiting my blog and the lovely compliment. My hubby makes some really cool stuff out of scrap! We're made for each other.

okienurse said...

WOW you have been as busy as what Annie/Wipso has been this week. You ladies amaze me with what all you get accomplished each week. Hope you have a great week. Thanks for sharing. Vickie #68

Carin Winkelman said...

You've been busy! I like the angel you made for your daughter. And your worktable is living (dead?) proof of why a clean workspace is just no good at all. ;-)

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

Wow! So many things you've created and all wonderful:) One of my best friends is a big fan of Sandy Denny and introduced me to both her and Fairport Convention, during our college days. I have mix tapes he made me, that I can't bear to part with, even though I have no means of playing them any more!

Shoshi said...

Oh Jo, what a lovely post! I so enjoyed reading it and looking at all your lovely photos. That angel is absolutely stunning! I love it!! Can you tell me where you got the moulds for making the clay faces? I'm sure I could put them to good use too! I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter's cat. I know what that's like - totally heartbreaking and awful. We've lost 2 darling furbabies on the seemingly quiet country lane outside our house... Absolutely devastating.

Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog! I laughed at your comment on my chicken grit lol lol!! Here's another one for you - we've just got the cat litter tray out again to try and stop Phoebe peeing on the landing carpet (trouble is, she's absolutely terrified of the new litter tray... What? Weird!!) and I thought I could use cat litter in my art too! (not used cat litter, I hasten to add!!) - I thought if I sealed it before painting, it wouldn't absorb the water and swell up or anything!! I wonder if anyone else has used cat litter in their art, or whether it's just weird Shoshi.

My teaching session went really well this a.m. and they want me to go back!! I'm really thrilled. I had a great time!

Happy WOYWW, Shoshi #67

HeARTworks said...

Congratulations on all those projects, the angel is really pretty, and how nice that you have more faces to play with! You're obviously getting ready for some serious crafting with a metal table surface! Patsy from
HeARTworks

Anonymous said...

Nice post thanks for sharing...God bless you...

Lee said...

Aww felt a little tear for Dotty,then laughed because the Beautiful angel is now called Dotty.My beautiful mog is 13.

I adore all your creations Jo you know that,love those hangabouts.Some of our ladies at Quilting group make similar.Take care.Hugs xxx

Shoshi said...

Thanks for the info about the face moulds, Jo - I've just spotted some online made by Sculpey - a good selection in a set, and wonder if they are the same ones you've got. We haven't got Hobbycraft around here, I don't think. I do love your angel!!

Carola Bartz said...

You have been incredibly busy - I wish I could create so much and show it in one post. Fabulous! I really love the angel you made for your daughter. Have fun when your granddaughter from Germany is coming next week!

Sue from Oregon said...

Boy...you and Anne have really been busy this week! So many fun things to look at. I will have to show off my craft garbage bag one time. A sewn one like the ones you and Anne are making...a special gift to me!

Lynn Stevens said...

oh my gosh you are one productive lady, Hope your Daughter had a lovely birthday, I am sorry to hear about the cat though....

Thank you so much for posting about my giveaway. I will enter you for the surprise as well as the bonus. Best of luck.
hugs Lynn

lisa said...

Hi Jo
You have had a busy and productive week. I bet your little Grandee will look a treasure in her beautiful new hat.
I hope your daughter had a lovely birthday, albeit tinged with sadness. Her Angel is lovely.
Sorry to be such a late visitor this week.
Happy WOYWW
Hugs Lisax