Artful Readers Club - August

As August is a busy month for me and I wasn't sure how it was going to go, I took some precautions against getting behind by starting both an audiobook and a paperback from my ARC list. I've finished the audiobook and the other will be September's review!

So this month's review is for 'Lady of the Shades' by Darren Shan.

I chose this book way back at the beginning of the year because my daughter and I had recently gone to hear the author talk about his new Zom-B series. Gaby loves his books which are mainly for children/young adults. I noticed that there were several adults at the talk and when it came to the time for asking questions, 'Lady of the Shades' was brought up and complimented by them so I decided I would give it a go. 

I don't normally read things quite so dark because, well, I scare easily! 

 

The book is a supernatural thriller. The main character is an author with a tricky past who writes supernatural thrillers and investigates aspects of the themes he writes about. He is being 'haunted' and is trying to work that out. The book develops first into a love story and then into a mystery. There are many twists and turns and I kept thinking I had it figured out, only for something more to happen. I can't really say too much more without giving away the plot!

I thought 'Lady of the Shades' was excellent. It was dark and intriguing without spooking me too much!

Here's my art. As with my review, I didn't want to add things that gave away the plot so I decided to do the image of the ghosts circling which is referred to throughout the book...

 

 

Last Blogalong Post

I've really enjoyed taking part in the Effy's Blogalong despite the lack of posts this week. My week got all sleep deprived and stressy and to be perfectly honest, I am impressed that I managed to keep up as long as I did, given it's school holidays! 

Today is the last day and I had some time to do a bit of art so it seemed like a good day to do Effy's Lifebook lesson, 'Heart Sight, Heart Light'.

This was a fantastic lesson, I learnt a lot and enjoyed the process. I decided to add the word 'unfurl' because it's something I'm working on in my yoga practice with my heart chakra area.

So, I've managed 23 days out if 30 :)

Thank you to everyone who has read my posts and left comments, it's very much appreciated, and thank you Effy! It's been fun :)

 

Hair-i-mijiggies - Blogalong 27

I had a lot of hair cut off a while back and now I am growing it again. I always do this! Anyway it's at an inbetweeny length and not nice. I will see a hairdresser at some point in the future but we are still on school holidays so I am just tying it up. I have a rainbow felt hair tie which I use a lot but I need a bit of variety so today I made some more. 

The beads are recycled from an old pair of flip flops :)

 

 

 

Relaxing - Blogalong 24

Relaxation looks like this...

There may have been a massive mug of coffee and ice cream involved too.

I am having a day and a night off and because the last few times we have gone out, I'm trying to make sure I don't do a lot and sit in one place for a bit. 

I did walk the dog too...

....and I may have made a lasagne but I'm going to sit down again now :)

 

 

Blogalong With Effy 23

I could not think of a single thing to blog about yesterday. I did a lot of boring jobs. The plus side of that is that I've been able to get my paints out on my day off today.

I recently joined a FB book group reading 'Women Who Run With The Wolves'. 

 

I've read it before (most of it!) but I'm excited to be reading it again as it's a fantastic book.

As well as discussion, the idea of the group is to do something creative inspired by the book. 

I've decided to do an art journal although I may do some other bits if I feel like it. 

Here's what I did after reading the introduction. These are pictures of me at times when I feel closest to my 'wild woman' nature :) There are many other references in the photos and layers besides being out in nature although that is important too. Creating this page has made me realise that that is something I do need to do more of. I do it less and less as my children get older.

I've had to order another copy of the book as I decided to rip out some pages for one of my layers :)

 

Winding Wool - Blogalong With Effy 21

I have had a plan for a knitting project for one of my Facebook creative pay it forward recipients for a while and today I finally got around to buying the wool.

Tonight I wound it into balls.

I was hoping to get started tonight but the cast on requires vigilant counting and I have a bit of child related disruption going on! Maybe in the morning now.

I also made this from one of my boy's broken sticks (he loves collecting the 'y' shaped ones)...

I gave it back to him and he's not put it down since.

A little thing making us both smile :)

 

 

 

 

Pebbles - Blogalong 20

A peaceful walk on Kilve Beach. 

 

 

 

 

Nancy Farmer Exhibition

I was intending to find some time for painting today. It didn't happen, but I did get to go and see some art. A local artist who's work I really enjoy, Nancy Farmer, had an exhibition at Ilminster Arts Centre.

http://www.nancyfarmer.net/

http://nancyfarmer.wordpress.com/

It's well worth a visit if you are nearby.

The arts centre was quite busy and a nice place to be. My mum has an embroidered banner on display there too!

We had coffee and cake,

bought some of Nancy's cards

and I even bought a Christmas present in the craft shop!

 

 

 

 

Sunday Blogalong

I haven't had much to blog about this weekend. We've been stayed in most of it. Yesterday was particularly rainy which was kind of ok because I was not at Beautiful Days Festival trampling around in wellies and sleeping in the car. We've been for the past 3 years and last year was pretty awful weather wise so I'm feeling like we made the right decision! 

This is me and the children the first year we went, we all look a lot younger!

So today has been quite boring in comparison!

I went to yoga, cleaned stuff, finished my Artful Readers Club book and tonight started tinkering with some patchwork I started ages ago because I don't have any knitting on the go...unusual!

Another day off tomorrow so hopefully I'll have time to get my paints out which is what I really want to be doing!

 

Finished Penguin - Blogalong With Effy 16

From this,

a bit of hand sewing,

and finished!

I also finished up the massive courgette,

by making chutney.

http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/seasonal/recipe.aspx?ID=

 

 

 

Courgettes and Cucumbers - Blogalong 15

Earlier in the week, I was kindly given all this veg by my cousins from their allotment...

This was not actually all of it, my mum took some before I took this picture. 

My own courgettes then seemed to get an inferiority complex and had a sudden growth spurt so this week and particularly today, has been all about cooking. With courgette.

Courgette and Parmesan Soup

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/italianstylezucchini_9833

 Marrow and Ginger Jam

http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/courgette-marrow-and-ginger-jam/

Chocolate Courgette Cake

http://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/1308/chocolate-courgette-cake/

Tonight's tea is veggie lasagne.

As for the rest, well we've had plenty of salad

 and juices.

My favourite has been apple, cucumber, 

spinach and peppermint.

 

I've grated and frozen what I can get in my freezer.

Now we just have to decide what to do with this....!

 

Penguin - Blogalong with Effy 14

I didn't think I was going to have much to blog about today. We've had a long walk along the coast around Dawlish Warren....

...followed by a meal with my cousin at my mum's. 

Then my cousin gave me this quirky tea towel which is also a penguin sewing project.

I don't do a lot of sewing but I think this is sweet so it's gone on my to do list and I found something to blog about after all!

 

 

Colour Ramblings - Blogalong 13

Starting art and painting classes has got me thinking a lot about colour. In particular my own relationship to colour.  If you were to ask me my favourite colour, I would find it hard to pin down just one. I would say green or red but there is more to it than that. I like colour combinations more than I relate to a particular colour. I do know what I don't like and that would be blue. At least I thought that was the case until I started to be a bit more observant of my choices. I wear a lot of black but until recently, I would rarely choose blue clothes. I think it relates back to school uniform. So, I've started trying to have a bit more blue in my wardrobe!

I also noticed that some of the pictures/hangingsI have up in my house and love are blue!

I've had these years!

I have chosen blue flooring in my bathroom, on the walls of more than one room and I have blue settees!

It appears that actually, I do like blue quite a lot!

I started noticing all this when I realised I choose to paint with blue quite often. I also end up quite liking the combinations I get when I deliberately choose colours I don't usually like.

I got totally inspired making beetroot and carrot juice this week so I'll finish this ramble with the lovely pink inside the beetroot!

 

 

Blogalong Day 12

A day off. There are so many things I want to fit in on our respite days, I really must remember to actually rest on our last one for a while tomorrow.

Today, I've crammed quite a lot in. We had a wander around Glastonbury. I took this there...

We had a nice lunch...

and a look around the shops. We didn't go up the Tor today but here is a picture  I took a month or so ago..,

Back home, I picked my first courgettes,

saw this bee...

Walked my dog...

Worked on my sketchbook for Visual Quest,

and got to yoga class tonight.

I feel quite pleased seeing all that written down :)