illo voices

365 Poor leonard cohen, originally uploaded by Champignons.

well, this is later than usual, and I don't know why because i could have had it up on friday. A combination of laziness, busyness and living in a country that appears to be in perpetual darkness (as you can probably tell from the photo).

I chose this picture because birds have voices, being singers, and so does Leonard Cohen, who wrote the song 'Bird on a Wire' and also, incidentally, Hallelujah, which has apparently been butchered by an X-factor contestant. I couldn't possibly comment on this, as, though I was at a friends house while the X factor final was on, we did force her to turn the sound off as a condition of us staying in the house. I still haven't heard it, though there were some tricky moments shopping today but luckily just the delightful Buckley version.

Illo rambunctious

Songbird molies, originally uploaded by Champignons.

Boisterous and disorderly. That's what it means. Much like little starlings and such gathering a dusk* I would imagine, though these little birdies are probably too orderly (busy forming Mozart's requiem) to be truly rambunctious but they are what I made today.

On the theme of rambunciousness, i went into Woolworth today (that's a shop that's gone bankrupt and is selling everything off at 20% off even though the signs say up to 50% off) and it looked like it had been stripped back by a pack of marauding, giant ants. Luckily I got my discounted playdough 'operation' some weeks before at a considerably greater discount than 20%, and that's all I could ask for. RIP woolies.

PS, thank you so very much those who left wreath comments and especially those that have made their own wreath. Well done you. Gratitude also goes to Apryl for acknowledging my quotation genius-ness- I don't know why I am passed over by everyone when I am so clearly brilliant and witty either.

PPS in the bottom right hand corner of the music in the background of this photo reads 'My brain is surely going'. This is very pertinent to my mental condition, certainly.

*not that I'm sure we have dusk today; I'm not sure the sun has risen at all, to be honest.

It's a wrap!

notebooks, originally uploaded by Champignons.

Well, here I am, celebrating the end of international orders... not to be ungrateful (I'm not, honest. I am constantly delighted by the thought of so many notebooks, gift wrapped and under trees, waiting for their new owner to fill them full of evil plans) but as I have previously explained, all this work has been impinging on my previously lazy life style, so I need a little rest.

Never the less, since I sold out of moleskines and my suppliers have all been infected by a terrible virus that causes them to send random artefacts (if anything) by the worse couriers available, I have taken matter into my own hands for those who desperately need a Global Domination notebook for Christmas (and live in the UK). They are in my etsy shop.

Those wishing to live dangerously- I may well have the mole-stock by Monday. Or perhaps some kippers delivered by a madman. Who knows?

On the plus side, my courier strife caused me to say something I thought quite funny, but was sadly bypast by the world, so I shall chronicle it here for the disposal of the future editors of those books of quotations:

'Yes, all couriers are pants, but the home delivery network has skidmarks'

Fa lalalalala! la la la LA.

Now that it is the season to deck the halls with prickly things, I decided to take a break from being unusually busy and take some time out to make stuff I won't sell. Possibly because there is not a living mortal that would pay cash for it, but I do not care; the important thing is a have a wreath, and my wreath cost me nothing.

I was largely inspired by the door on my new house. Firstly, my Door is red. Secondly, there is a nail, crying out for a wreath. Thirdly, those who know me understand that I have a slight tendancy towards making ivy wreaths to adorn my head during certain festivals of pyromania. Those that don't realsie that, might want to look here:


Anyway, since I'm not going to wear this wreath on my head, it has to be a good deal sturdier. I took the liberty of making a little photo tutorial, to pretend there might be someone out there that cares how I make wreaths. And here it is:

As you can see, it's quite a scant tutorial. That's because I expected a disaster. But, as my very first tutorial, it will suffice. The implements you need are: Secateurs (or sturdy scissors), some woodland to thieve from, and a small piece of string.

Step 1) These are raw materials I collected on walks in the New Forest and Winchester
Ivy
Holly boughs
birch twigs

Step 2)I got two large birch twigs and twined them together to make a hoop.Then Twissled a few more in to strengthen it. You might have to soak the birch twigs to get them bendy enough if it's not damp out.

Step 3)I Got some long lengths of ivy and twisted them around too for extra measure. It was quite study at this point. Normally I just make wreaths using ivy but this creation is gonna be bomb proof- hence the birch. I've dropped it a couple of times already so it has to be. The result is a scanty hoop thing.

Step 4)Got some holly sprigs and stabbed them into the hoopy bit. Mostly stabbed them into my hand, mind (note to self: wear gloves next time).

Stabbed in some pretty ivy leaves, ivy flowers and rose hips. Should look quite full now.

Added a dangling hoop using natural twine (the only shop bought thing involved)

Step 5) Hung it on the door for the amusement of my postman. Because it is very prickly, and totally eclipses the door knocker.

The important thing to remember it was totally, completely FREE.

Illo similar

73/365 Finished hares, originally uploaded by Champignons.

..But not the same!
I have this as a print. it's sold so I should be printing it out now, ready to relist. I'm not, because I'm lazy. I should also be making hare brooches that I sell using the design, which are also sold out. Clearly I am not doing this- but is it my fault if friends lure me away with cake or pizza and bill murray films?

Clearly it is not.

And, I have been working rather a lot harder than is just and right for a very lazy person; as I mention in the post below, this delights me, and the car fund is looking bounteous indeed; the person that I am working so hard for is kicking me in the ribs, though- the ingrate.

Decemberisms

365 Ball printing., originally uploaded by Champignons.

Here is a picture of some screenprinting, in action. If you click on it, it will take you to my flickr account, where there are some important notes on the equipment required for printing balls on fabric. It is a ruse to trick you into thinking this is a fun, informative and important blog post. Not gibberish.

I have been neglecting my 14 (alleged) readers terribly in the run up to Christmas. The reason, which is very confusing, is people keep buying things from my shop, and that means that I am very busy. Though I thought I would take the time to stop by and say (in case anyone is reading) that I am very happy and love to read all the lovely comments you leave on my flickr, blog and etsy sales messages even if I don't have time to reply to them. And you are helping us to buy a new(er)car, which is awesome.

The other important thing I had to say is this:
I decided to take time out yesterday to print up a new design for a project bag I had for holding my ball of wools whilst knitting. As the perceptive might see from the photo, I liked to call these bags
'Ball Bags'
and to my everlasting delight, immediately after completing this task, I sold something to a person that lived in a place called COXSACKIE. How wonderful is that? I hope people that live in the aforementioned place don't think badly of me for mentioning this, it's just the level my mind works at. Otherwise I wouldn't have been making ballbags in the first place now, would I?