Nothing like the picture

The September 2012 issue of Ideas magazine had this project:

which inspired me to rush out and buy a small sack of mortar from my local Pennypinchers. At 15kgs even a small sack is heavy, though, and my grunting, humping and dragging was ridiculous and noisy enough to rouse a fit young chap to carry it to my car. I guess this is what happens as one gets older…I must force myself to get used to it.

My first attempt was a big fail because I didn’t read the manufacturer’s instructions properly. I thought the concrete needed 24 hours to set instead of the required 7 days (I know, please don’t say anything) so I cleaned up the sopping, crumbly  sandy mess and started again.

This is the result.

Nothing like the picture! I managed to get air bubbles and also couldn’t get the inner plastic out with pliers, as in step #8.  I’ll leave it to dry some more and then will do a bit of sanding, but I have a strong feeling that this isn’t for me.  I still have a sack of mortar, though – anyone need any bricklaying done?

On a happier note, I got in a bit of mosaicing in the last couple of days:

The number one is for a customer, the little frame was a half-finished left-over project from Jane’s daughter that got passed on to me, and the crucifix is going to be on sale at our next market day. Which is this coming Saturday, 13 October.

And my best news of all – my daughter, Alex, is coming home in less than 2 weeks’ time! She has been away since January, gallivanting (and working) in and around London, Ireland, Scotland, New York and France, and I have missed her.  She only wrote her matric last year and is still only 18, so I am extra proud of the way she has handled herself on this trip and organised her life and her finances and her health.  She’ll be back in time for my 51st birthday, so I think a celebration is in order.

To be continued…

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a win-win situation

Two wins to report today:

1. The winner of the Jam Tarts give-away is Mj Hanley-Goff, all the way away in Washington in the Yoo-nited States! Mj is a writer and traveller and mom, and earlier this year she brought her 16-year old daughter to visit South Africa and see what we’re all about over here.

2. The other win is a mention that we got in the July issue of the Ideas magazine: just a teeny one but, hey, every bit helps. (Plus they included a really nice pic of one of my mirrors).

To be continued…

 

My competitive spirit

The deadline was midnight. I had managed to send in five entries for the Celebrating Creativity competition, and was feeling pretty chuffed with myself. I enjoyed compiling the tutorials and playing around with ideas (not to mention wool, beads, glue, buttons, glass, wood, foam, etc…) so just the doing of it all is a winning thing for me.  I think I will go on to develop all those new ideas into new items for the Jam Tarts range. They are:

1. the heart decoration

2. the mosaic mirror and stand

3. the lampshade with flowers

4. the knangles (!) (sounds like something Roald Dahl might have dreamed up)

5. the footstool cum storage box: (much more about this one later)

and then, at the 11th hour, I had the idea of making a crochet chain rope necklace and adding beads, so we have Entry #6:

And if you roll it up even more, it works as a bracelet!

Who knew I was so competitive?! If anyone would like a copy of the tutorial for any of these items, send me your email address and I’ll send you the word doc with pleasure.

To be continued…