Oh Cwistmas Twee......

Oh Cwistmas Twee, how lovely are your branches! I took this with my new camera, still exploring with it.

Chrissy 05

French Christmas
Yep this year we had two, one in Northern France with Damu's family & Mere Noel!.........and one in Milton Keynes, UK which according to my Bro' in Canada, had more snow than Edmonton!

Wishing Lantern Parade 05

This years Wishing Lantern Parade. It was soooo cold, bitter. A sprinkling of people but nothing compared to last years turn out.

Gulbenkien Theatre

Had a great time at the Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury making Christmas decorations for the tree with 4-8 year olds(see photo). Laminator madness! Met some very creative kids (and parents) and I really enjoyed. On to a lantern workshop tomorrow (yep Sunday) in Birchington.

Wishing Lantern preparations

Ah 'tis the time of the Wishing Lantern Parade, Margates one and only. Spent yesterday with 35 kids making water droplet shaped lanterns as a local school. Gggreat fun, masking tape madness, dollops of PVA glue, willow and a handful of frustrated moans at clingfilm that just won't cling! Still we ended up with a ceiling full of lanterns, no major strops, and a good time had by all - even by the boy who prefered to make a canoe!

Mermaid Costume

Doesn't she look beautiful?! Brilliant photographer Carol Foulton took pickies of the costumes I made for Canterbury Friendship 2005 with Animate. I've seen her previous work and its really beautiful. She's not got feet! (the mermaid, not Carol!)

Where did November go?

I know time flys when you are having fun....but that's ridiculous! IOTA's first Chrissy party last night and personally I think we should have loads more! I made it till one and then crashed out. It was in Margates Harbour cafe and it was awesome! Such a lovely atmosphere, cosy, warm, big sofa, great company, great staff AND the food was good! Highly recommend it. We all swapped mostly hand made chrissy pressies, lots of wine, food, conversation, heart warming stuff. Pickies to be posted soon.
mmmmm what did I do in November? Made Mermaid, Seamonster costumes, Christchurch Junior school mural, Wishing Lantern Big builds, moved house, alot of gardening, sneezed ALOT and scanned sources for blog/website renewal.

Carnival Conference - IOW '05

GGGreat stuff! Met lots of lovely people including the very vibrant Frankie Goldspink that hosted the event, she had an amazing amount of energy which can only be described as infectious. Thats probably why the Island is considered the capital of carnival in the UK!
Emily and I were made sooo welcome...really inspiring stuff...lots of food for thought....lots of e-mail addresses exchanged for further support too. Check out the underwater scene costume - awesome

Carnival Conference

Off to the conference in the Isle of Wight today......can hardly wait...I love adventures, going with Emily, who unfortunately has been subjected to late/no train fever and so no idea if we are gonna make the 4 O'clock ferry. Oh well what to do. Hopefully gonna get all inspired and meet up with some likeminded creative people......I'll let you know.

Kemsley Carnival

Can hardly believe its been so long since writing the last blog...'time oh time, yes I need more time' - 'tis a song somewhere in my memory store. Anyhow busy with Kemsley Carnival (see pickie) - the first of its kind and with a halloween feel, mermaid and seeweed monster costumes, for Canterbury Festival, a mural for a local school and getting designs and ideas together for this years wishing lantern parade. Luckily the wishing lantern parade will happen in December.....the rest all within the next three weeks! I'm dreaming costumes at the moment....must say I'm enjoying myself though!

well just started blogging - will use this site for all my news, photos of work done and no doubts a decent dollop of waffles!