Today I mostly liked this!!

I’ve just recently returned from a lovely few days in Paris with two close friends. At the top of the Eiffel Tower we happened across a rather interesting exhibition showing some examples of the tower souvenirs which have been available to buy through time. My particular favourites are the Eiffel tower scissors. A slightly more modern note was struck by the Eiffel tower condoms and Paris thongs currently to be found in the gift shop, unfortunately I don’t have a photo of these.

(Apologies for the dodgy photos)

I found this in Hay-on-Wye today, sadly ‘Needlepoint News’ does not tell me how to make these dogs (only how to achieve ‘real curves on canvas’) but I love them! I think it would be amazing to have a colletion of tapestry sewn Guinea pigs…

I have a craft blog, this is where I procrastinate, although all work is good work? maybe one day I’ll make things out of socks to fuel my rock star lifestyle. Anyway, although it’s still in an embryonic phase take a look here:

This is my most recent creation, I feel slightly ashamed about his lack of arms… but I do like his little belly button, although he will never be able to scratch it.

Today I finally get round to watching the DVD I’d bought of Jan Svankmajer’s Alice, and I was not disappointed, a great antidote to the saccharine sweetness of the Disney version, Svankmajer’s story is decidedly darker. Cleverly using the stop motion which he is renowned for, Svankmajer takes the viewer into a subverted universe existing entirely within the playroom. For instance the caterpillar becomes a threadbare sock with false teeth and glass eyes who sews his eyelids shut to go to sleep, while the rabbit is a taxidermist model who we see smashing his way out of the glass cabinet that contains him at the beginning of the film.

This may not seem like the most desirable thing to watch on a lazy Sunday morning, and it may be too surreal for some, but I certainly enjoyed it.

And some more of his work:

Having recently learnt to crochet during the snow of the last few weeks, I was delighted to receive this link from my friend Holly, let’s just say I have all of next years Christmas presents sorted out already. I think Holly pretty much sums this up by saying ‘Imagine if you were created to simply sit on loo roll to make it look “pretty” ‘

www.toiletpapercovers.com

(Image taken from http://www.toiletpapercovers.com/Dachshund.html)

I can only imagine the first rule of the Southern Cavy Club is don’t talk about Cavy club. A gorgeously coloured excerpt from a poster nabbed during refurbishments at my day job in a pet shop.

(If you’re curious that is: Southern Cavy Club, 7 Russell Way, Petersfield, Hants, GU31 4LD)

I’m a giant fan of giant flea markets (Giants fleas are obviously better value for money than little fleas…) and I love the variety of things you can find in among the stalls. Recently I picked up a ‘Tala’ Icing pen at one stall then towards the end of the day the accompanying guide explaining ‘How to Decorate a Cake’ (all for the bargain price of £4 thanks to some haggling) just looking at the amount of icing on some of these creations makes my teeth hurt, but I’m planning to dust the icing pen down and have a go myself in time for Christmas. Particularly appealing are the ‘Cocktail Eggs’ with piped gelatine and mayonnaise in the centers…… does that call for a retro cocktail party??

A postcard showing a gathering of Druids at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, picked up during a recent visit to the stone circle at Avebury.

Monkey children on bicycles? oh you are really spoiling me.