Sunny Sunday

Its a beautiful sunny Sunday today in Edinburgh, and I had a few errands to run so I took my lunch break a bit early and headed over to Boots to see if I could get my film developed. When I got  there, they had removed almost all of the photo department and only had the self serve kiosks left. But I was told I could get it developed at the Princes Street one, so I headed that way too. See, I needed to go to the post office too, so it wasn't really out of my way. Apparently the film I have needs to be sent away for three weeks if I want it developed by Boots! Considering Trumps where I usually go can do it for me in less than a week I wasn't very keen. So defeated in the film department, I wandered over to the post office and as most people probably know, the post office is closed on a Sunday. Feeling mostly silly for thinking it would be open and wandering about with two parcels under my arm, I headed back to the shop. Fortunately it really wasn't a complete loss of an hour, I got amazing noodles from Yokoko and some of the comics I wanted to all in all walking about for an hour in the sunshine can't be beat!

Some new sneak peaks from Counting at the Zoo

My film thats finished with the Fugica 35 Automagic and my two parcels of paintings waiting for the post office to be open to send off. James and Tina, as well as Amber, get ready cause they are on their way tomorrow!

Annnd my camera is working! My pal got her pal to give me a hand, so if it happens again I know what to do!

Goodbye Computer

So it looks like my laptop has officially died, though I am trying the tried and true Courtenay method of Leaving It Alone. That usually works to fix my electronics, at least it has with my iPod and I've had that for like five years, and is still on perfect working condition.

So should the LIA method not work in the coming weeks, I suppose I will need a new one.

As such this post is coming at ya via mobile blogging so I'm not sure it will look right but here it goes!

I did something a bit different in comparison to what I have done lately in the painting world. And you know it was nice to change it up! These are for Amber cause she asked. Can you dot the Harry Potter reference? They were a lot of fun to do!

A Mixed Bag

This post is going to be a bit of a jumble of things to say as I haven't posted in a bit and its been a pretty busy sort of week, so enjoy!

So Dixon left for Brazil on the 30th, so that means he has been away for six days already, and yesterday was the first time I got to speak to him, which makes it officially the longest we have gone without speaking ever. I know, a bit of a sappy start for the post, but it was hard! He said he was doing really well though, its really hot, even when its raining and I am really excited to hopefully see some photos and stuff when they get back. He was busy most of the time though so I don't know if he has seen anything other than the back of another seat on a bus.

So since Dixon was away I have holiday time I needed to use up at work so I took some days off and visited my pal in Ayrshire, and we went out to the coast to see The Electric Brae and Culzean Castle. Even if you don't believe in The Electric Brae's super powers, the views are beautiful, where you can see the Isle of Arran across the Firth of the Clyde, which I did take a photo of, but with my film camera so it might be a wee while before we see it. The tiny island you see in the second photo is Ailsa Craig, which I only just found out is inhabited with a number of gannets and puffins, I would mostly like to see the puffins. Hopefully I can make out for a sea life tour and see them all first hand.

We were a bit late to see the interior of the Castle, and even though it was a a bit cold and windy, the skies were clear and made for some excellent photos, Scotland is really a beautiful country and hopefully this year I will get to see more and more of it. 

I took a bunch of photos, with this camera, the Fujica 35 Automagic, but in the process I seem to have jammed the film, or just as possible I don't know what I am doing and can't rewind it, so if anyone has a manual for it or any ideas. I know there is a bit at the bottom that should rewind it but it is just as stuck as the mechanism to advance the film. So if anyone has any ideas they would be much appreciated. 

And on another slightly related note, I have a new project, similar to the previous one, but not quite the same. In any case here are some hints and see if you can work out whats happening. And hopefully there are more to come soon, I have a bit more time off next week. Productivity will be the theme!

The End

 

It has been a really really slow month this January with work, everyday seems worse than the last, and we slowly run out of things to do. I decided to bring my sketchbook in with me because I haven't been making any progress with W to Z at all. Considering most mornings I do not see a single customer for about two hours it is a pretty opportune time to knuckle down and get some of it done. And it worked! I sketched out all three of the remaining pages, lined them when I got home and today before even two I finished painting them. So it is very exciting that they are all finished up, though a bit sad at the same time. I have really enjoyed doing them. But now for the hints.

 

 

So all good things come to an end and I hope Camille Tyler and Lea, like them all. And hopefully soon I will have another project to start.



Teenage Bottlerocket

So I was going to try to keep things more chronological, but I had too much fun at the Teenage Bottlerocket gig so I am going to talk about that instead!
 

I was able to get the afternoon off from work so that I could go to Glasgow for this, cause a lot of times bands just don't play Edinburgh, in the end at least they were playing Scotland! So after Dixon was done work we had to head really quickly down to the Haymarket station and get the train. Where we were just a wee bit too early for an off-peak return which cuts the ticket price in half, if only the gig started half an hour later!
 

Although at first I didn't want to take the train through cause it would mean missing some bands and having to pay for the cloakroom or keep your jacket on you, we actually had a really good time taking the train together. Dixon and I don't get to spend enough time with Darren.
 

The gig was pretty brilliant once we got there, we had missed the first band, but by all accounts from our pals who were there, we didn't miss much anyway. So that was excellent, we got our t shirts and stuff and were just on time for the start.

 

I can't remember if I mentioned before but our pal broke his ankle last week, all three bone snapped like spaghetti! So he had wanted to come out to the gig but was now unable, he didn't even get out of the hospital until the day of the gig and that was about a week after he broke it. So we got him a tshirt! Hopefully he likes it! It is a bit tongue-in-cheek as it says skate or die and that's how he broke his ankle! I am hoping he will appreciate the humour!
 

Teenage Bottlerocket were brilliant! We even met the singer later!
 

 

This new plan I seem to have of staying up after I make Dixon's sandwiches and stuff in the morning for his work, and then blogging really seems to help the amount of posts I do, hopefully I will stick with this early morning blogging trend!

Happy Belated Birthday

So yesterday I went into town to meet Gail for some tea and scones and for the demonstration of my new sewing machine. I know I haven't mentioned it, mostly due to my lack of blogging, but for my Birthday Gail and Gordon got me a brand new sewing machine! I am super excited to be sewing again, I used to sew almost everything I wore even if it was just altering a guys t shirt to make it fit nicer or something. So it was pretty cool to get a proper demonstration so now I know that I am for sure threading the machine correctly and doing a button hole correctly.

 

 

I am hopefully going to get a pattern of some kind, I think a skirt and try to make one soon, it will be fun to see how I get on with something like that again. I am pretty comfortable altering tshirts and things but making a whole new item will be something I haven't tried to do in a very long time.

 

Also later on yesterday after my massive scone and latte (ooh fancy) I went about town to have a look for some painting supplies and such, and Beth called me to see if I wanted to go to a movie, but unfortunately our timing wasn't very good, but in the end we went to see a map makers exhibition at the National Library of Scotland as well as the Turner exhibit at the National Gallery of Scotland. Both were very cool, the map making exhibit, though short was very informative and interactive, so it was fun to be there. That Turner exhibit, though not my favourite part of the Gallery was very pretty and it was just nice to be in the Gallery again, you forget that there are things like that on your doorstep sometimes, so looking at all the amazing paintings in there was excellent. Plus both were free! You can't beat looking at amazing and interesting things for free!

 

 

Speaking of my Birthday I should also say that Daniel got me a new pair of boots and a record. As well as Hayley got me a new set of PJ's and socks! So all around it was a pretty excellent year! My new boots are awesome, they are by Vegetarian Shoes and they are so comfy. I am usually pretty prone to blisters and the like and I wore them all day and night on my birthday and only had the tiniest blister on one ankle, so excited! So now I want more pairs of them they do another boot called an engineers boot that I have been ogling for some time now.

 

U and V

I've finished u and v only two more pages to go.

Can you guess what they are?!

Also you can't really see in the photos but its snowing!!

December Punk

So December was a very busy sort of month as usual, so that means I have quite a bit to blog about but either keep forgetting or keep on feeling overwhelmed by what I want to say and then decided it would be to long and put it off. That is probably the worst thing I could do cause by now I have even more to write about. So today we are going back all the way to the first of December and we will go on from there. It really is the only way it will make sense.

The Exploited were playing and since it is the first time I actually saw them it was pretty great! I didn't get the best pictures but I was pretty far back, Dixon went up closer for me and got a video but it just won't upload so thats a bit of a bummer but in the end it was still pretty cool.

Also for the first time since I have been back in Scotland I got to see my pals in Daddy No! Play at the Banshee so if you like Hardcore Punk check them out now!

Also my plant at work is thriving and since the last photo another one has sprung up! Soon it will be time to re-pot!

New Years Eve

So December as been a pretty amazing and eventful month and as such I should have posted way more on here than I have because I have loads of cool things to share but for some reason every time I sat down to blog about something I just couldn't get a decent page out of me. So that's been no good. I have had concerts and my birthday and not to mention Christmas to share all about and perhaps it has been overwhelming but that is still no excuse for the lack of posts especially when I have interesting things to talk about.

So today be New Years Eve I was thinking I better get some stuff down but I will definitely have to give proper attention to everything later.

So for now another sneak peak,

 

 

I only have a few pages left but I am struggling a bit for the harder letters, why does the end of the alphabet have to contain v, w, x, y, and z. Hopefully it will all come together soon, I am hoping for a stroke of brilliance later today for most of those letters.

 

 

 

From M to R

So December has been a busy beginning to the month so far! I am so full of Christmassy Spirit this year its unbelieveable, so I have been busy getting Christmas presents sorted, even though there are a couple people on my list who are stubbornly not letting anyone know what they would like! So hopefully Dixon and I can figure them out soon!

I have found quite a bit of time lately to do a whole bunch of wee paintings and some secret paintings, that are admittedly, not so secret anymore. I will have to do a post another time of the wee paintings cause for now I have some hints of the next few pages to be sent, though they may not make it out until after Christmas. But by then quite a few of them should be sent over so even if there is a wait at least it will pay off in the end.

 

 

Unfortunately there was no Dr. Sketchy's this month and according to the website, next month doesn't have one either, but I am hoping that because there was no December one that January will step up!

And in other news, I have a green thumb! I don't know if everybody had this but in school when you're young, we got to grow Sweet Peas from the seed in class. Everyone elses sweet pea grew and then they got to take them home and plant them, mine didn't. This was followed by a catcus which I over watered and it shriveled and died. So I am proud to announce my Christmas tree is growing!

Infact this is a little bit of an older picture and it is about double in size! I am going to have to find extremely tiny baubles for it though!