Fabulous February (yes, really)

Needle Felted Anatomical Heart Brooches

 

Needle Felted Love Rats

Love may very well be in the air, and all around etc but for me this February is mostly about the radishes (amongst other crochet foods). More on this in a while. Santes Dwynwn (25th January) suddenly loomed out of nowhere this year, despite all of my well formed making plans, and had to be written off as a not-at-all-grabbed opportunity. I felt only marginally better prepared for Valentines Day. There were quite a few 'Things I Could Have Made More Of But Ran Out Of Time'. Not to worry, let's celebrate things I did manage: a few anatomical heart brooches (in 2 sizes) and three 'love rats'  which all scurried off to Mostyn gallery shop (Llandudno, North Wales).

'Not Holding Together', detail

Sticking with the cardiac theme, I've been working on a new needle felted anatomical heart piece in an artier vein (pun intended). Here's a little peak of 'Not Holding Together'. Hopefully this will accepted for a local art exhibition I've submitted for. Either way, I'm looking forwards to further developing (ok, playing around) in this direction and may soon move onto sculpting some messier organs!

Crochet radishes

Back to the radishes! Excitingly, I'm currently working like a busy little bee on a commission to make fake foods for a museum/ gallery to 'liven up' (not their words) highly regarded but fairly dark green & brown coloured ceramics in an evolving exhibition. Making fake foods is probably my most favourite creative thing, so to do so with a purpose is an absolute delight. More news on this when I can reveal the details. Here's some radishes to keep you going. 

Cyberman at Fab Cafe, Manchester

In other, non woolly news, I achieved one of my aims for 2015 satisfyingly early in the year by being a paid extra in my favourite Welsh language tv programme, Rownd a Rownd. Predictably, poor hubbie was roped in too and rather sweetly we played a couple arriving at a bar. Luckily this played to our strengths with our considerable experience of walking through pub doors and checking out the seating options, then going to the bar, fully utilised. The sneaky peak at an intriguing future storyline was a bonus and it was an interesting & fun experience.

Me & the RadMac Boys at Media City

February can seem like the Dark Ages of the year so I feel it's important to stuff it with treats to fend off potential bleakness. A weekend with Manchester friends saw a visit to the themed Fab Cafe (really a club/bar) and it's brilliantly geeky decor (Cybermen in corners, arcade games in the tables & Millennium Falcons dangling above the bar). The following day we meandered around the dazzling Media City, where I excitedly met huge posters of my radio heroes Stuart Maconie & Mark Radcliffe (but sadly not actually them) and was genuinely very impressed by all the shiny new buildings. A trip to see the parents in Edinburgh also left time for an anniversary lunch at The Dome (still looking splendid despite being stripped of it's Christmas finery) & the new found delights of Korean restaurant, Sodaeng + a trip to the gorgeously styled Anthropologie shop (George Street) which I've unbelievably managed to miss knowing about for 4 years!

Kirsty Anderson at Gwynedd Museum (Bangor)

Finally, two local top tips: try to see the current art exhibition 'On My Mother's Knee' at Gwynedd Museum in Bangor featuring, amongst others, amazing work by my crochet fake food hero Kate Jenkins; fabric deer heads by Edinburgh's Kirsty Anderson & stitched beauties by Jessie Chorley. Inspiring and well put together, it runs until 28th February. The other tip is the lovely new(ish) shop in Caernarfon: Bazaar Bizarre (High Street) selling highly desirable items like Mellor Ware crockery, Layla Amber jewellery, Nikki McWilliams biscuit cushions and many other gorgeous items. A welcome new addition to Caernarfon's growing number of lovely boutique shops & restaurants.

Kate Jenkins at Gwynedd Museum (Bangor)