Postscript

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See you soon!

The Blog Sitter Blog Questions

I'm trotting out of town until I don't know when ( 'I don't know when' sounds so free & easy and as much as I would like to reinforce that carefree illusion, in actual fact it means I'll return to Chez Hovel when the trench in our sitting room has been filled in. Call me fussy, but when we're entertaining I prefer to offer our guests a floor to stand on rather than a plank over a hole. I have a pernickety streak in my character which I don't think my husband will ever adjust to ;-)

When we all go travelling, we pick up things which we bring back home with us. These can come in the form of the acquisition of a memento, a shift in perception, a new dream or something requiring medical attention.

What do you go looking for? Have you any favourite mementos? Have you been somewhere or done something that has made you reappraise your life or plans or dreams?

I'm asking these questions because I'm hoping that you might consider answering or talking about them whilst I'm away. Oh boy, am I cheeky by asking if you'd consider doing a little light blog sitting?

Let's me hit you with a list. Here are five things that I'd like to be able to bring home after a journey.

1. A pebble.
2. Fresh drawings in my sketch book.
3. A bottle of milk for the tea I'm going to make as soon as I can lay my hands on the kettle.
4. Dirty washing that has magically laundered itself on the journey home.
5. Something new to be curious about.

How about you?

The Nice Matters Award

My pal, the Rock CHICk ™ gives me such lovely awards & I'm eternally grateful to her. There might be an ocean between me & Long Island, but what's a bit of sea amongst friends. We sit on our beds ( are you sat on your bed yet, Jean?) & write, read, draw & make jewellery. My bed is in a house on what passes for a high hill around here & from my panoramic view, I can look over the valley to the distant hills which lie to the south west. Jean lives somewhere over there (quite a bit over there actually) and I regularly salute her - I'm a respectful creature!

Incidentally I'd love to know how many jewellery designers assemble their jewellery on their beds? I can sit comfortably in amongst all the beads, bits, bobs & tools and s p r e a d myself out as much as I want. My dog doesn't trip over anything & no one gets spiked by my pliers.

I shall now quote Jean who quoted June's friend because June's friend nominated June & then June nominated Jean who sweetly nominated me & my nominations are coming in a minute including one for Candi who is in fact Jean. Is everybody with me?

"The Nice Matters Award is a friendship award. This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. I understand that I have to pass it on to 5 other nice bloggers......."

The following people are a delight to know:

Candi

Angela

Violette

Rosemary

Christina

I Have Committed an Act of Immodesty!!

I've just had the sheer effrontery to describe my blog as humorous. I hope I can fulfil this claim - perhaps Cathy's Award will help?

I know where I'm going to be spending the rest of the day - reading the other blogs listed on Humor-Blogs.com :-) I see some familiar names already!

Cathy & The Oracle

For a long time, 'Learn how to use Photoshop properly' has been on my 'To Do' list. During the past two days, I've given it my best shot. I wanted to design a magnificent & theatrical logo for an award that some of you may not be familiar with. Despite reading two manuals and having lessons from Tom, Ellie & Lula, I failed to learn anything relevant to my project. I do know how far I can throw a Photoshop manual because there's one close to the bottom of our garden. The fox can read it. Despite my love of foxes, I refuse to make friends with this one because I suspect that he or she is responsible for the sudden disappearance of the partridges.

Accidents have been happening in Beadland. Miss Margot & Cathy of Aardvark Art Glass fame are nursing injuries - I wish both of them swift & speedy recoveries. Miss Margot's got a slinky dress to slide into for her birthday celebrations - I hope her wrist dressing can disappear in time ( STUPID BACON!)

Cathy held a high speed meeting with some stairs. Since my own tussle with a door & floor, I have been sporting some rather charming bruises in an array of fetching colours. I was quite proud of mine until I heard about Cathy's accident & saw what a real humdinger of a bruise looks like. Hasten over to 'Bloggidy Blog' & see the Oracle for yourself. You will then see why I felt compelled to give Cathy this award. I wanted it to be an exotic & flamboyant award but Photoshop & I just don't see eye to eye so the logo is as humble & modest as me ;-)

Do You Love Lulu Like I Love Lulu?

Just in case you haven't paid a visit to Lulu Guinness's website recently, please check her out in 'The Treats, Tips & Temptations Scrapbook'

It's froth & frippery, but if the stock markets continue plummeting & inflation goes BOOM, we can still look at pretty things even if belts are being worn tighter for the next few seasons.

A Vain Passion?

I nurse a passion & thus far in my long & uneventful life, I've not met anyone who shares my love. It's a cousin of my handbag lust.

I hope my handbags cut a dash, but they serve other useful purposes too. If I hold one close in anti-mugger manner, it helps to disguise the disgraceful state of my abdomen. If I'm nervous or panic stricken, I clutch one like a security blanket. They combat boredom too - I reorganise & tidy the contents when I'm early for appointments - I have no shame! Interesting things migrate into my handbag - I don't know why or where they come from - I obviously have a subconscious handbag filler habit.

The handbag's cousin is the vanity case & I'm guessing that my collection has grown well into double figures. Some live with our luggage, but I have others around the house & in the Shack. Only two are truly full of vain things - one lives in the Shack & the second is my bedside companion along with another which houses my journal, diary, note books & other blah, blah things. I have a really useful one which is part of my jewellery kit - it stores all the 'bits' that aren't tool-kitty. I use another to keep my costing notebooks & jewellery 'recipe' files in. I haven't lodged any of the information from these on to my computer - I like using a pen & I love scribbling so please don't take my notebooks away. If my computer died & took my life files with it, so be it - I could take it. I've got things written down on paper - I could start again.

I also keep a hospital stand-by one. I'm accident-prone & I have three children who also fall over. Having to spend the occasional night in hospital is a possibility - indeed the stand-by has proved useful on a number of occasions. If I was stranded in hospital & had to rely on James bringing me in some things to keep me going overnight, he'd probably bring in big black knickers ( panties?), the flimsiest white nightdress available & thick socks. This is the man who after 37 hours of my being in labour with Tom, turned to me & said,'Obviously men have a higher pain threshold than women.' He is clueless & cannot be trusted. Before I started to make my own, he bought me 'old lady' jewellery. I snapped after floral brooch number four. I recall my broaching (ha ha?) the 'Do you ever actually look at me?' question during my tantrum.

Thanks to my vanity case habit, all I have to do now is draw him a diagram of where the stand-by is located & back he trots, secure in the knowledge that his wife is not going to chastise him for bringing in washing up liquid instead of the shampoo that had miraculously hidden itself in the bathroom cabinet.

So there we are. You have just read the confessions of a handbag & vanity case addict who has tantrums about rhinestone brooches. Can you ever forgive me?

Laurel Sparks & a question for all the artists amongst you

This painting is called ' Beautiful Blah' - I love it. Laurel Sparks is a new artist to me whose work can be seen here and here. There are some more paintings which I'm close to worshiping, but out of respect for Laurel, I won't show any more images on here. You must go & see.

How did I find her? This demonstrates how thoroughly bored I am at present. I typed 'blah' & searched for images! It was undoubtedly worth it because Laurel's work intrigues me & I'm going to ferret around to see if I can find some more of her work.

But doing an image search for 'blah'? Pursuing 'the art of curiosity...' can sometimes lead you into doing odd things :-)

As a matter of interest, what do the artists amongst you feel about about having images such as the above, displayed on people's blogs when they 'discover' you? I would welcome your opinions & guidance. I'm going to send a 'fan letter' to Laurel later, but in the meantime, I would be interested to read your opinions.

If you could provide this curious searcher with a little guidance, as soon as I'm able, I promise to skip along with respect, purpose & a large ladle of loopiness.

With love from Ditzy Daisy xox

Temptation!

I've neglected 'The Treats, Tips & Temptations Scrapbook' on my website recently which is naughty! I've added something luxurious today & I'm going to rummage through my address book in search of a few more delicacies for you. It's my way of saying sorry!

Introducing 'The Big Easy: Savannah'

May I introduce you to 'The Big Easy' bracelet. Why have I chosen this name? Because these are big babes with a big agenda - these are not your regular chain bracelet. No matter what you are wearing, put one of these on & you are DRESSED - you've got seemingly effortless Parisian shrug-off chic nailed! No one will miss the fact that you are a stylish force of nature - that you are creative & artistic right down to your bones. You are someone to pay attention to - 'The Big Easy' is your calling card. It's as simple as that!

I'm making a lot of claims about 'The Big Easy' but I can do so because of the sheer mass of compliments that these ladies have attracted. As soon as my rib allows me to pick up my jewellery kit again, I've already got two commissions to fulfil. My clients had a wonderful time looking through my bead trays!

Not only do I play with beautiful art beads, semi precious stones & my signature totem adornments, but I pay attention to space too. As any artist will tell you, negative space is an integral element in the composition of a work of art - in assembling The Big Easy' bracelets, my aim is to embrace this concept too.

'Savannah' features some of Beverley Hicklin's exotic, graphic beads from her 'Out of Africa' series. Two sets of beads by Emma Ralph are also on display - her flamboyant Flamenco Tabs and the hauntingly, beautiful Lunaris nuggets. These soft, luminous & ethereal beads shift colour & pattern in a glorious yet delicate interplay with light.

I hope you like 'The Big Easy' bracelets. Assembling them is a wonderful adventure for me :-)

Snap!

I'm one of the most accident prone people in the world so it will come as no surprise to hear that I've had to pay another trip to Casualty with a cracked rib - I think this is the third time I done this. The last time it happened was when I was pregnant with Lula so this time round, I'm lucky as I CAN take pain killers. I don't recommend sleeping in a chair though.

Woe is me because I can't assemble any jewellery for a while - I'm scuppered :-(

Before my accident, I took a few OK-ish shots of one of The Big Easy bracelets, so l'll be able to show you these some day soon.

In the meantime, I beg you all to take very good care of yourselves!!

Sitting with The Vicious Circle

Before you read the following paragraphs, please pay a visit to Jean Yates' blog, otherwise it won't make any sense. I call Jean 'The Rock CHICk' because she put the chic into rock. Earlier today, I called on Miss Margot * of 'The Impatient Beader' & 'Sparkletastic' fame (Margot's books are superb - you will love them. If you're a Brit like me, 'Sparkletastic' will appear on our shores any minute now, but until then, buy 'The Impatient Beader' books & frolic in the fun) and I read her post about titles. I would hereby like to make an official application to whomsoever deals with these things, that Miss Jean be also known as The Rock CHICk™.

Have you read Miss Jean's post yet? Her wish is my command :-)

"Today I lunched with the Vicious Circle, though why they allowed me to join them is beyond me. I cannot get my copy past the editorial team at the New Yorker - they are SO picky - but Mrs Parker made a scathing comment about me & I sniped back with a witty retort so I was invited to join them. I could tell this irked her - I suspect that Mr Benchley's invitation was an attempt to hold my flimsy red rag in front of her dangerous, piercing bull. Thankfully I sat next to Mr Ross so my meat wasn't minced today."

I do enjoy a nice day dream from time to time :-)

* I call her Miss Margot because she's a belle who wears beautiful dresses & has skin like porcelain. She also has a mind like a razor & this demands respect!

More Postcards for the Annals!

Greetings from a chalky ridge somewhere in Hampshire - très dull! The island of Baltrum does not suffer from this problem - isn't it stunning?

The glass artist, Elke Szeklinski lives here and she has very kindly sent me some postcards. Zip over to the Postcardian blog where you can see her lovely postcards, two of which feature her delectable beads. You will also be able to check out my dodgy German - please accept my apologies for any mistakes.

I've also added another message of love & gratitude from me. I will NEVER forget the Postcardian experience!

As yet, I haven't found time to start work on the 'Annals of The Postcardian Quest' which is rather frustrating. Various workmen, aided & abetted by OMD, have moved into the central part of our house & they are pulling it apart. Add three children on their summer break from school & you've got a recipe for chaos in your hands.

When they're ready to rip up the floor, I'm going to lock up my Shack & study & head for the moor.

Man + hammer = stress! Man + pick axe = panic attacks!

Come Back Lens - All is Forgiven!

My photographs are suffering at the moment because my favourite lens has flown off to Nikon to have his motor mended. This is such a shame because I have a ' The Big Easy' bracelet to unveil which uses THREE Sets of art beads! I love it - I hope you do too.

I'm going to try to capture a few photographs with my second favourite lens, but it's not the same. I need my best friend back - I hope he's OK in Japan. I'm so sorry that I shouted at him when he didn't behave in the way that I wanted him too.

Dear Lens, please get better soon :-)

( PS: am I crazy?)