Red, Green and Snowmen – Something Completely Different

Over on something completely different – the challenge this week is red, green and snowmen. This really was a challenge, only one snowman card left unmade and it was 'political'. I decided the only thing to do was take things down a slightly surreal direction. The background, a collage inspired by the works of John Brunsdon yet with a sun that looks like it has crept out of the Telly Tubbies and the snowman from the original card from a friend. I give people back part of the card they gave me the year before and donate to charity; this year's charity is wateraid.

Click here for a Spotify playlist to go with this climate warming theme.

Illustration Friday - Entangled

Only time for a very quick post; this N is wrapped in a Taranaki gate of wool. In an old comedy farming book from NZ there was a whole chapter on Taranaki gates and their propensity to wrap themselves around you when taking them down or putting them up. I wish I still had that book.

You too could look like Cheryl Cole – don a bobble hat

There are days when things just come together, a glorious juxtaposition that serendipitously creates a new idea. No sooner had I decided that my little avatar should take on a more wintery appearance, with a bobble hat; than a link from make it and mend it led me to believe that I could look like Cheryl Cole by donning a bobble hat. Time to get the knitting needles out; how do I look?

Spotify playlist for this post (you can always skip the Cheryl Cole bits, what comes later is an interesting mix)

Bzz Agent

For those with Spotify – Here is a link to accompany this blog post.


It feels like a very long time ago that I signed up to be a Bzz Agent. The basic idea; you get free samples, vouchers etc for products. As you try the products you talk to people about them (good or bad) and then log the fact that you had a conversation on the Bzz Agent site ~ you always make people aware that you are a Bzz Agent. The more reports you complete, to their expected standard, the higher a level you attain and the better and earlier the campaigns you are offered. Months after I first registered I had some dried fruits, later a razor and then there has been nothing for months until today. Today I received information about Shell 'V'. I don't have a performance car so not the sort of thing I would normally think about. I live 11 miles from the nearest Shell station so it is not likely to be my first choice under normal circumstances. I tend to ride my bike more often than I drive, but when I do drive it is long distances. Today I happened to be near a Shell station and so I fuelled up. Watch this space I'll let you know if my life has been revolutionised.

The whole Bzz Agent thing always reminds me of a book I read called 'Soft' – If you like thrillers, where the interface between marketing and science can go bad, this could be the book for you; I still have a warped sense of the power of orange as a colour and an aversion to orange fizzy drinks as a result of reading Rupert Thomson's book.

For those who have not met it before, the shell in the picture above is 'Scallop' by Maggi Hambling, it has a Marmite effect, people either love it or hate it.

Something Completely Different – Blue, White and Snowflakes

Over on something completely different – the challenge this week is Blue, White and Snowflakes. As I have mentioned before I give people back part of the card they gave me the year before and donate to charity. This year's charity is wateraid. Thank you to my brother and his family, because their's was the only card with white and snowflakes on it, I used a baby blue card back, not something I would normally think of for Christmas and some wool from my Ispeak Melsh giveaway prize - thanks Mel.