Merry Christmas

We want to take the opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year

We are both looking forward to 2009
Meeting new students and meeting up with previous ones too.


I shall be working on some new class subjects for the new year and the new "Painting My Way" website should be up and running soon.
The old one will remain on air until I'm ready to make the switch over,the updates of classes etc will be posted on the blog until the new one site is live.

Big thanks to Jane who has helped me get things sorted-I'm having great fun with all the new designs and layouts.

I'm hoping that there will be a forum on the new site , although when I will get that up and running who knows?
Its not a priority at the moment, as I know a lot of my students keep in touch with each other via email and texting anyway!!

Cats

Here are some of my cats that have been kept out of the boxes!
I must admit it is better now there aren't so many to move to dust!I have around 400 cats in my collection!
As you can see I have replaced the cats with Santa's for the Christmas period!

Busy Times!

Well we have finally finished the decorating, the front room and the hall look lovely now, fresh white paint everywhere!
The tree is up and looking great and we sat down and enjoyed a glass of bubbly at 9.30pm.
Ive had a major sort out of my collection of cat ornaments--have put ,most of them into boxes out of the front room--the parrots create so much dust all the time and I didn't have time to keep moving them to clean, so Ive kept my special ones--limited editions etc in the hallway on my grandads sideboard.
I beginning to feel a lot more like Christmas now!

Teddy

Meet little Teddy-isnt he just gorgeous. Hes a Westie x Welsh terrier and belongs to our dear friends Jan and John.
He had a visit to the vets today and Jan called by with him-he was into everything bless him.
He was fascinated by his reflection in the mirror, climbing up my plants to have a better look!!

Last Craft Fair of 2008

Well the weather was kind to us yesterday on the last craft fair of the year. It was cold but not too much so!
Its funny how we dont get it set up the same way twice!
Looking forward to the break now. Probley wont do any more until March,so the paintings can be packed away tidily until then!

Craft Fair Tomorrow

I have spent the evening catching up with some bits and pieces that I had run out of for tomorrows craft fair.
The encaustic bookmarks always go well-each one is a miniature piece of original art in itself---there are never 2 the same, due to the nature of the medium of melted wax.
I managed to make 45 while the X-factor was on, so hopefully that will be enough for tomorrow.I might just take the blank bookmarks with me and do some more in between customers.
The forcast is not bad at all-considering its the middle of Dec, got my warm clothes ready as well. No doubt we will be seeing some of our students up on the Castle Square

Serenity In Green-Jan 31st---FULL

This class is now full--I will be doing it again at a later date in the year-watch this space!

Todays Class-Mellow Moods

We had a lovely day today painting Mellow Moods.From left-Linda,Doreen, Bev, Pauline and Chris. Everyone had been before except for Linda who was painting her very first painting ever!
You would never have thought it to see her finished painting though!.
We hadn't expect Bev to turn up today after Doreen had told us that her friend Bev was poorly-but it just shows how addictive the classes are-Bev turned up and although she was really quite poorly painted a beautiful painting.
We wish you a speedy recovery Bev.

Christmas cake

Christmas Cake Ingredients: * 2 cups flour*
1 stick butter*
1 cup of water*
1 tsp baking soda*
1 cup of sugar*
1 tsp salt*
1 cup of brown sugar*
Lemon juice* 4 large eggs*
Nuts*
1 bottle wine*
2 cups of dried fruit
Sample the wine to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the wine again.
To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.
Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one=2 0cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit up off floor.
Mix on the turner..
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something.
Check the wine.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink.
Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window.
Finish the wine and wipe counter with the cat.
Bingle Jells!

Craft Market Dec 14th

We have the last of the craft markets this Sunday. Im really looking forward to it--we shall have come Christmas lights to decorate the stall and the atmosphere will no doubt be bright and cheery!
Then it will all be packed away until spring time-We may need to have some new stands built if the council live up to its promise of new stalls, so Bill will be kept busy in the shed if thats the case!

Serenity In Green Jan 31st

There are only 3 places left for this class on 31st January.
If you would like to join this class please get in touch via the website
www.paintingmyway.co.uk
The class is suitable for all abilities even first timers!

Painting My Way Website

My regular viewers to the ''Painting My Way'' website will have realised that it hasn't been updated for some time---unfortunately my webmaster can no longer deal with the site due to unforseen circumstances, so a brand new one is in the making.

It will be along much the same lines as it is at the moment with maybe some interesting extras-but the guest book and students snaps as well as all the dates for classes and demonstrations/craft fairs will be there too.

I will continue to put the class updates onto the blog in the meantime, but the new website shouldnt be too long becoming live on the web.

Oriental Dawn

I had a lovely time today with Tina (left) and Wendy (right) today. Tina was bought a gift voucher for the class by her sister for her birthday earlier in the year, but because of the floods couldnt make it to the class! So it was second time lucky for her today!

Both ladies were kept very amused during the class's by Jake the parrot who didnt shut up all day--although he is in another room he is quite loud and so comical-"Merry Christmas" "I love Bill/Di/ Sparky" "Daft Bugger" "Your Nuts""hello Carl--shut the door"" Coughs, sneezes-says oh dear -its a bugger innit" Etc Etc ."shut up" to poor Paddy (other parrot) whenever he opens his beak to say anything! never a dull moment with them!

Christmas meal at the 'Squirrel'

We went out for a Christmas meal last night at the Squirrel, just up the road for a Christmas meal with our friends Jan and John -we had a lovely time- great laugh and fantastic company!

Test Results

well Ive had the last of the tests at Hereford hospital. I had to go to go for an endoscopy yesterday--not the most pleasant experience Ive ever had to be honest-but I manged to do it without the sedation and just had the spray to numb the back of the throat.

The good thing is they told me the results of all the tests Ive had while I was there-and the good news is that there is nothing serious to worry about---Ive got an hiatus hernia and diviculaitus-which can be controlled by diet and some antacids.
So cut back on some foods and just be careful when I eat and things should be fine.

Medieval Fair in Ludlow

We had a lovely time as usual at the Medieval fair. The time went really quite quickly and it seemed that we had just got it all set up on friday evening and it was time to take it all down again on Sunday evening.

We are doing it all over again this Thursday on the usual Thursday craft fair on Castle Square.

Got to get cracking and make some more encaustic book marks-near enough sold out over the weekend,and Ive got someone coming to collect 22 of them on Thursday as little gifts for the Brownies group she runs.