Boogie Woogie rules, OK.

My mum was a big fan of Liberace, at the time I didn't take much notice, being the stroppy teenager that I was. Rock and roll and sixties was my thing. But hey, I have found Liberace on yooootoooob, and now I am a big fan as well. My goodness that man was brilliant, and what a showman with a great sense of humour.

I've watched some interviews and documentaries, and now I'm going to look for his books at the library.

Here he is performing his Boogie Woogie routine which became his signature tune. Don't forget to shout HEY at the appropriate times. He was full of fun and loved to entertain his audience.



And now for some good news, I've just organised a little jolly, I'm going to see Terry Miles play live, how exciting is that. Keep watching his channel, he may be coming to a pub near you. 
Toodle pip.  ilona

Very strange exhibition.

The exhibition at 20 21 Arts centre is very colourful, but I haven't the faintest idea what it's all about. It's called True to Size, and it's by Heather Phillipson. She mixes images, noises, objects, languages, and bodies. In 2016 it was at Plymouth Arts Centre, and here's what they said about it. I've read their whole report and still don't get it, so I give up. 

Each installation in TRUE TO SIZE is dominated by an oversized, human scale, teddy bear, in a scenario composed of cardboard cut-out images and vibrant rainbow motifs, with video monitors attached to the teddy bears’ faces. Each short video combines a monologue with surreal and colourful collages of emoji imagery, subverting our notions of playfulness and innocence. Phillipson’s monologues explore aspects of contemporary life: ecology and climate change; self-mutilation and fitness / dieting – the body beautiful. Each aspect represents a crisis for the human body. The impact is then explored by layering sound, image and sculpture – with each installation bleeding into its neighbour. You catch fragments of a sentence, an image on a screen, but it is all fleeting. This is deliberate – nothing is allowed to settle, but instead meanings pile into each other. It is initially confusing and disorientating, but as the images and sounds begin to merge, they create a space where all possibilities are equally valid.

Not a lot more I can say about that. Perhaps you can see something that I have missed.

I was in town today to go to the Bank and Post Office, to pay a bill and car tax. Then I picked up some cat food from the market, and went to the new Aldi close to the motorway and next to Tesco. The store is much the same as the smaller one, just on a bigger scale. I was curious to see what it is like. I won't be going too often because the town one is handier for me.

I got a few yellow stickers from Tesco, but was too early for the final reductions. The shelves were stacked high with food going out of date, a few people later are going to get plenty of bargains.

While I was in 20 21 today I booked a place on a workshop. It's about Stitched Shibori, and the tutor is Carol-Ann Allan. Here is the blurb from her web site. Looks interesting.
Can't copy and paste, it's not working. details of the workshop is on her workshop page. ilona

New Steam Punk Assemblage.

I am mighty pleased with my first Steam Punk assemblage, it has turned out better than I thought it would. I kept adding bits until I thought there was enough. This layering lark confuses me sometimes, with any art that requires several layers to give it texture, I find it rather odd that the more you layer, things underneath get covered. I watch videos of making journals and want to yell at the screen, for goodness sake stop, you have enough. 

See previous post to see how I started this. A flattish wooden box, not very deep. I painted it with a mixture of black acrylic and PVA glue. Added lace and fabric for texture. Arranged all the pieces, then used a hot glue gun to stick them down. Added more pieces twice more to fill the gaps. Then paint the whole lot again with black acrylic and PVA, watered down a bit so it would run into all the crevices. 

Luckily I had some gold metallic paint, rescued from the tip when I helped clear out Aunties house. A waft over with an old brush, more like a light dusting. Now it looks like it's rusting metal which is the look I was after. 

Have a closer look and see if you can recognise some of the components. The letter I is covered with tangled cotton thread.

There's plastic bits from children's toys and games. Tiny light bulb. Centre spool from a music tape.

Syringe used to measure cat's medication. Christmas cake decorations.

Butterfly was a broken plastic hair clip.

Circle is an upturned milk bottle top with a bead in the centre and small electrical parts.

Buttons and broken jewellery.

Tiny beads. 

And there you have it. The mottled rusty look goes over the edges onto the sides as well. All there is left to do is cover the back and add a wire for hanging. I'm making a second one now. It's thanks to Ina's video on yooootooob for the idea. 

The weather is still unpredictable today, Half an hour ago it went dark and started snowing, now it's sunshining, but still very windy. I will pop to the mobile library this afternoon in between showers. 

Toodle pip.  ilona

Making art with bits and bobs.

We've had lashings of rain, and winds strong enough to take the roof of a house. Luckily the roof on my summerhouse is still attached. I went outside to check it, just the once, flower pots blown over, my home made wooden tree blown over, but everything else ok. The cats have been inside all day, clever cats. 

Looking at the news, some folks have had a terrible time, I feel sorry for those who have been flooded again. The Humber Bridge has been closed to all traffic, no one allowed to cross at all. It's only the second time that has happened since it has been open. Trees have come down locally. I think it has calmed down a bit now, thank goodness.  

So I have started on another project. I saw a video on assemblage and thought I would have a go. My friend gave me a flattish wooden case, I removed the handle, hinges, and fasteners, to split the top and bottom. You are supposed to use black Gesso to cover it and to add texture with scraps of fabric and paper. I haven't got any so I mixed PVA glue with black acrylic paint. 

Then you stick down any bits and bobs you have lying around. Here is my collection, I used the hot glue gun for this. They are stuck fast in a matter of seconds. 

Next you paint over everything. After I did this I thought I would add more bits and bobs because it didn't look full enough. I had to remove that square knobbly thing on the right because it hadn't stuck down properly, and wasn't taking the paint. In it's place I put a key and some small beads.

When painting over this I added even more bits and bobs. It's supposed to have lots of texture. The next stage is more painting, in metallic colours. I'll do that tomorrow. I have started on the second one because I mixed too much paint and PVA, so I thought I would use it up.

If you want to have a go at this, here is a video. Easy to follow, very well explained.


Looking at Ina's video, I think I need to add even more bits and bobs.
Bye for now. Toodle pip.  ilona

Walking in the Yorkshire Wolds with Vicki

The weather didn't look too promising when I set off at 9am this morning to go to Market Weighton and meet up with Vicki, one of our Walking Group members. I couldn't see the Humber Bridge for the fog, until I got close to it. As I was going over it I couldn't see the water below.  

We met as planned and set off for a walk, Vicki leading the way, she had the map. We took the Yorkshire Wolds Way, an old railway track, out of the town, which is a regular route for dog walkers, 

Eventually the fog lifted and in the afternoon it became quite bright. Two walkers going the other way. 

Walking through a farmyard we came across this lovely tractor, well I thought it was lovely anyway. The farmer came walking by so I quizzed him about it. I would love to have a drive of it, but had to make do with a photo session.

The Wolds around here are lovely, gentle rolling hills, not too strenuous. This is the church at Sancton, it has a very unusual octagonal tower. We tried the door to take a look inside, but sadly it was locked.

We crossed the main road at Sancton and went down a tarmac road past Houghton Hall. I rather liked the look of this tree with all it's lower branches gone. By now the weather had greatly improved and we were walking in brilliant sunshine.  

We came back into Market Weighton and I couldn't resist taking this picture of Granville's general store. It reminds me of David Jason and his character Granville from the TV comedy, Open All Hours.

We finished at about 3.30pm. A lovely walk, and a catch up chat, in fact we never stopped talking. We plan to do it again sometime, maybe in the summer. Nine miles today to add to the total. 

Toodle pip.  ilona

Scrapstore visit.

I'm a bit late in getting this out tonight, all because I had to watch Terry Miles, Brendan, and Anthony, along with another brilliant pianist Ben Toury, who came over from France to join the session at St Pancras. All Terry fans go onto yoootooob and look for the live stream they did today, be warned though it is an hour and twenty minutes long, but if you are addicted like me, you just got to watch it all. I thought Terry and Brendan were amazingly good, but Ben is something else. That lad has the makings of a long career in music. 

The reason I didn't watch it earlier was because I have been out most of the day. This morning I went to the Scrapstore at Hull. They started a new Chat and Craft group so I went to show my support. We did some decoupage, I haven't done this before so something else for me to learn. I quite enjoyed it, now I want to decorate everything I can get my hands on. 

My first effort, a small box. Although I am not a fan of using glue, don't want to get my fingers sticky, this can be done by picking up the bits of paper with a brush.

I picked up a bargain at the Scrapstore, found a double bed quilt, it has pink flowers and a pink frill around the edge. It was only £5, fantastic.

From there I went to pick up my Samsung Netbook from Keith the computer fixer upper. He has given it a good going over, and installed Windows 10. I won't have time to try it until Saturday because I am busy again tomorrow.

On the way back I popped into 20 21 Arts Centre to see a new exhibition, and have a natter of course. Then pick up a few things from Aldi. Had run out of porridge oats, needed some more. Also the car needed petrol, there is a garage further along the road.

That's it for now, I am starting to yawn. Toodle pip.  ilona

Eight Sunflowers. Finished

Here it is, finally finished. Hadn't thought of a name, but I think Sunflowers will do the job. I decided on a wall hanging rather than put it in a frame. I quite like the look of the loops with a bar through them. 

I was going to put a sun in the top right hand side, and a tree on the left with the branches reaching out across the centre but decided against that because it would cover too much of the background. I have some yellow cord found at the Scrapstore, matching perfectly the yellow fabric. Playing around with it, do I make a sort of tree, or something else. 

I think that looks ok. The background is still visible, with the flowers being a focal feature.

Finally stitched on. The flowers are Suffolk Puffs. The stalks are couched on.

I put a dark blue backing on it. A piece of fabric bigger than the picture and folded around the front to make a border, and machined down to enclose the raw edges of the picture. At that point I put some random  stitches through from the front to the back, hidden in the original embroidery, to hold the two pieces flat and stop them separating. Then I put a second back on it to cover up the extra stitching. 

I have used a wooden dowel wrapped in yellow wool, to hang it.

The second back was hand stitched on.

Here is a video with a bit more information. 

I am pleased with it. Now making a start on something else, my head is bursting with ideas. 

Small computer has gone to the hospital. I'm hoping Keith my computer man can wipe it clean and install Windows 10. Keeping my fingers crossed that he can sort it out. 

Heidi kittycat is making good progress, she has more energy, goes outside more now, it looks like her poorly tummy is better. 

Thanks for popping in. Bye for now. Toodle pip.  ilona

One more day

The wall hanging picture is finished. I spent most of yesterday on it, and the last stitches went on this morning. Then I went to Crafty Club. Then I went to my friends for a coffee and natter. Then I came home and a friend came round for another sewing lesson. Then I made my dinner. Now I am going out for a walk. Photographs are done, but no time to do the blog post tonight, a job for tomorrow. A quick peek at the back of it, a lorra lorra stitching, as Cilla would say. 

Thanks to everyone who checked in with their miles for January. It's good to see so many taking part.
Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.  ilona

Walkers check in - and Happy Birthday to Terry

Good morning. Yes, today is the day, with all my buizyness I haven't forgotten. The first of the month is the day when the International Walking Group members check in with their miles. How have you all done at the end of the first month of the year? I am on 98 miles, so a bit ahead of the 84 miles target, thanks to the three days away in South Yorkshire.

Don't forget that February is a shorter month so extra effort must be put into it to reach the next target. I am aiming for the 1000 miles again, my fifth year of the challenge. You can join me if you like by choosing the same target, or you can make up your own number. It is better that you work out what you might want to aim for, rather than drifting willynilly, and ambling along when you feel like it. Having a target is motivating. The reason you are taking part in this challenge is for your own health and well being, surely that has to be at the top of your priorities. You can be rich in money and possessions, but they are no substitute for your health. So go for it, do it for you.

Those who are in on this, please send a comment with your miles, let's support each other.

Today is Terry's birthday. You may remember that he played a Happy Birthday song for me on his piano, back in May for my 70th. Here is my Happy Birthday for Terry. The guitar practice is coming along slowly, at this rate I shall be proficient when I reach 85. If you watch this on yoootooob, take a look at some of Terry's videos. He is doing a live tutorial tonight, Saturday, at 5pm, it's free, for those who want to learn to play the piano.



Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.  ilona

The dark side

There has been a lot of comments on how lovely our English countryside is, and indeed it is, most of it. But these photo's tell a different story, taken over the three days walking in South Yorkshire. In the middle of winter, when all the greenery has died down, exposed underneath is a disgraceful scene of human waste. This saddens me a lot to see this. To call the humans who did this, pigs, is an insult to pigs. 

The places where I walked are not far from Barnsley, Rotherham, and Sheffield. People stop off in quiet country lanes and unload their bags of rubbish thinking that's the end of it, out of sight out of mind, rather than do the decent thing and take them to the Council dumps. I cannot get my head round the mentality of these disgusting sub humans. 

I have been on the Barnsley, and Rotherham, Council web sites and reported this fly tipping. I have left my details in case they want to give me any updates on their actions, that's if they have sent a truck out to pick it up. I have done this previously with the North Lincs Council web site when I have found rubbish locally. They don't make it easy, the maps they provide are not very clear on the screen, and it's difficult to pinpoint the exact locations. 

On closer inspection of this pile, I didn't move anything to see it, pigs trotters and large animal bones are clearly visible. It looks like it could have come from a slaughterhouse.

All around the area I found lots of cannabis root balls, dumped in hedge bottoms. The plants have been harvested and all what's left are the roots. They don't take these to the dump because the smell would incriminate them. 

Picture this, a very quiet country lane, I found a ladies bra, size 42E, on the grass verge. A few yards further on a large log had been placed across the entrance to a field, presumably by the farmer to keep fly tippers out. Someone passing had decorated it with an assortment of ladies underwear, the plastic bag was nearby, mostly bras. This actually amused me, it was so out of place, and a work of art. I found more bras scattered about so I draped them across the hedgerow. Maybe someone else will be amused by it. 

This is a laugh, concealed cameras my arse. No Tipping, ha, as if anyone is going to take any notice of this. They didn't, a bag with ladies pyjamas in it.

A bit further along on the same lane, an assortment of rubbish, mainly children's toys, which looked like it had been there for quite a while. The two hairdressing models caught my attention. Put them on top of a stick facing the road, and it will give some unsuspecting motorist a scare, or a laugh. 

Don't you feel sad that a cute little toy has been abandoned like this.

This whole lane is littered with rubbish. I hope they come and sort it out.

Next time you come across some fly tipping, have a go at reporting it on the Council web site. It takes a while to navigate it, and it's more difficult if you are in an area you are not familiar with. Take notes at the time you find it, street or road name. Good luck.

Toodle pip.  ilona