Art by mr moo

I thought it was about time I blogged about mr moo's painting because he's thinking of opening an etsy shop - there's some logistics that need figuring out due to the size of his work, but I'm sure he'll work something out.

While he does, here's some of his art that we have hanging around the house:

This one is in our bedroom, it's about 60cm square:

It's made up mostly of paint splashes, one of which looks like a little sperm, and which I have an overwhelming urge to paint a cartoon smiley face on (but I have resisted so far)

The next one hangs above our sofa. It's bright scarlet and it's my current favourite.


...and finally, there's the dark forest green one in our bedroom. We had great fun doing this one - mr moo held the canvas under the bedroom window, and I chucked paint on it. A little touching up, et voila! One very chic painting :)


mr moo not only paints, but also makes the canvas frames so he can paint in whatever size he likes (er...mainly BIG)




We'd really love to hear what you think of them :)

^&%$£&! and !*$%^&

Gngnngngnngnngnnnnn

That's the sound of my teeth-gnashing while I'm trying to teach myself to spin. Fair enough I've only been at it two days, but WHY am I not an expert already? WHY? WHY I ASK YOU!!??

Anyhoo, here's one of my two mr moo-crafted drop spindles (the other one's at home being finished while I'm away). Tis lovely innit? And square. The other one's round though.

Now my problem is not so much the spinning bit (well not much) but I can't even get the blinkin leader attached to the spindle properly *sigh*

The other thing is that I can't seem to pull the fibres out of the roving properly, it just breaks. I am going to keep trying though. I WILL master the bugger or die trying.

OK that was maybe a bit dramatic.

This is my first very very poor attempt at spinning:

Bah.

Coming next: less swearing, more interviewing. It's Quintessentially's turn for the random interview :)

Etsy random interview #1 - GUGAW

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing ... GUGAW!! (applause)



Since joining etsy in July 2007 selling jewellery (http://www.gugaw.etsy.com/), GUGAW has achieved a whopping 100% feedback for her beauteous things and for generally being a spiffing person. This piece of loveliness for example:

is a bargainous $24 (that's £12 in our british groats).

So we shall let Gugaw tell us a little about herself... (applause)

Q: What were you doing three hours ago? A: Chasing my cat around the house to stop him peeing in the plant pots

Q: What's your favourite cheese? A: Eeek...such a hard question....ummmm grilled halloumi (on a 'lightly' toasted bagel, with sunblushed cherry tomatoes and sprinkling of coarsely grinded black peppercorns ;) )

Q: Fill in the blanks - I really should have _______ yesterday A: I really should have...not eaten indian takeaway AGAIN...yesterday

Q: Which shoe do you put on first? A: Which ever one i unearth first

Q: What are you having for dinner? A: Quorn Thai Red Curry - yum!

Q: have you ever eaten a) a crayon b) chewing gum c) toothpaste? A: Chewing Gum - but then i got really scared that it might glue my tummy together and had to admit to my mum that i had done it deliberately (i was only a wee girl)

Q: What is your favourite kitchen appliance? A: lol - um...ice cream maker

Q: have you ever won a competition? What was it and what was the prize? A: Best Dissertation and Best Presentation awarded by the British Psychological Society - get me! Prize was the kudos, don't you know! (and a teeny bit of cash!)

Q: Did you have a lot of hair as a baby? A: nope - my dad called me 'the bald eagle' (i've made up for my hairlessness now though!)

Q: Belly button - innie or outie? A: Used to be an outie, but now an innie, yey!

Q: Marmite? A: yes please!

and finally... Please express how you feel today through the medium of modern dance, and then describe what you did.

A: I dressed in myself in my pale green cheesecloth dress, found a rope swing, swung it over the branch a few times so the seat was 6 foot in the air, and twisted it like a rubber band lots and lots. Then, i stood on one tip toe and let the rope untwist very rapidly. I span. My hair flew all around me. I looked like a elfin ballerina.

Thank you Gugaw, please take a bow and make a speech in Oscar stylee:

Thank you so much for choosing me...i am astonished, overwhelmed and truely truely grateful.

(Rapturous applause)

Interview with...

Coming soon... a series of pointless and random interviews with people who sell their stuff on etsy. Don't be expecting a newsnight-stylee question and answer session y'all, it's just for fun mkay?

Take part in my poll and feel like you're already participating in the randomness :D

That is all

New things

Having been slightly rubbish at blogging so far, I'm reviving the poor neglected thing and having another go.

I have been coveting some bits and pieces in shunklies etsy shop (http://www.shunklies.etsy.com/), particularly a drop spindle, cos I fancy having a go at spinning my own yarn. As if I'm not busy enough already.

So as money's a bit tight, Mr moo has kindly offered to make me a drop spindle out of some dowel and old bits of wood, I have purchased the neccessary wool tops from the lovely shunklies, and hopefully it will be the start of something new! When the hammering and drilling and swearing has stopped downstairs, I'll post some pics of my spindle (work in progress at the mo) and I shall fascinate you on a regular basis with my yarn-making progress.

Meanwhile, cushion covers and doggie jumpers are my new knitting thing. Bizzybeetrinkets (see her shop at http://www.bizzybeetrinkets.etsy.com/) recently ordered a custom one, and sent me a pic of her little chap modelling the moocow goodness (thanks bizzy) I am well pleased :)