Bubble and squeak

Two and a half years ago I picked up a leaflet from the Global Art Project for Peace. The information on the front : "Create a work of art expressing your vision of global unity to exchange with a person in another part of the world " caught my eye but sadly I was too late to register. I had kind of forgotten about this organisation but luckily kept the leaflet and found it again earlier this year and I was very excited to register. I love the idea that thousands of messages of peace are being sent around the world simultaneously as it was planned for the end of April this year. I kept up late the night I registered, could not sleep at all and kept seeing round trees in my mind. I made drawings of what I wanted to create as a peace message and this wall hanging was the result. I will not go into detail to explain why I used the symbolic and the materials/colours I used but if anyone is interested please let me know and I will gladly send the full explanation.  

And look what I got in the post! I know it isn't April but there is a reason why this arrived a little later. Anyway I got this fabulous box decorated with wonderful papers and a string of beads and messages; I was truly thrilled. But then I noticed the tissue papers through the hole at the top and although for a moment thought that it was very nice tissue paper I then noticed more papers underneath and wondered if there was anything inside. 

And guess what, Christmas came early for me! It was such a wonderful treasure box. Tina and Carol, these wonderful ladies from Montana made all these lovely peace messages together to send them all the way to me. There were wonderful texts attached to branches, some put on a string of beads, a lovely figurine of Kannon the goddess of mercy and compassion and lots more. This art project for peace could not have come at a better time. It has lifted my spirit; I wish that everyone could start by finding peace in their heads and hearts. It would make the world a better place. 

On another note, I have lived in the UK for nearly 15 years and there are many traditional dishes that I still haven't tried (and I am sorry to say this but some I will not want to try at all). So tonight I made bubble and squeak for the first time and it was delicious. I made the version with potatoes, primo cabbage, onions and bacon. It is quite similar in a way to a traditional Dutch dish called Slastampot which is prepared with lettuce instead of cabbage, the onions are left out and mustard is added. The bubble and squeak though was so nice I ate for two. Having entirely lost my appetite since coming back from Italy it was great to fill up again!

Frames galore

Oh dear, one of the things on my list did not get done today: going to the gym. I had booked boy monkey into the creche at the gym which he absolutely loves but instead we spent most of the day in the park. And yes this was a more sensible thing to do on such a lovely day but I do need to try and stay fit as well. After trying to find someone who would like to take a collection of 19th Century prints of my hands and a framer to frame girl monkey's art work done with Sam Francis's brushes we went to the park and kept on bumping into friends so we didn't leave until it was time for dinner. A lovely day indeed even though I forgot to go (or cancel!) the gym. Oh yes and I needed to find a frame for this wall hanging too....

I'd like this to go above our bed as it is painted in distressed grey-green. It is one of those curly carved 19th Century copies of a 17th Century one and though it is a small bed I really love it. It just looks fab with crisp white bedding. Though I still can't bring myself to iron the sheets, one day when I do have enough hours in the day I might.

After watching The Kite Runner (I am too emotional to say anything about this movie) I started browsing Stitched Textile Collage by Lucille Toumi. For years I have been collecting scraps of material, I can't bring myself to throw any of them away as I know I will use them in one project or another. I really enjoy seeing a work grow when I ad more and more random bits of fabric, often found on the floor. I have found Janet Bolton's work particularly inspiring but it was interesting to see how Lucille approached her work. There is a fabulous collage of a cow in the book. I just love farm animals, especially pigs. I can see myself living on a farm, with lots of animals. Chicken walking around my feet, dogs and cats running around, working in my studio overlooking the barns... alas this is not the ideal of life of Mr Betsy who still prefers noisy towns. I am working on this, meanwhile I keep on dreaming....