Monday 30 May 2016

The Retreat Animal Rescue Centre

Via a friend, we visited The Retreat Animal Rescue Centre at the weekend.  I used the opportunity to practice my hand held photography skills - much to the amusement of some of the animals.  Note: All the animals shown are looking for new homes.


All animals welcome....

Excuse me, do you have a tissue.....

I seem to have a little something on my nose....

Have you got my best side....

Morning....
























Happy as a pig in mud...

Please can I come home with you.....


Security ducks on site....

Sitting pretty....

Smile for the camera!

Saturday 28 May 2016

Cone Wool Blanket

Always on the look out for a bargain, I love a rummage in the local charity shops.  Found a few months back - one white wool cone, and one blue wool cone. At the best ever bargain price of £1 each.  Not sure if I could actually make anything worth while, I did hesitate for at least 30 seconds, but you know.... £2.

So having placed them on my TO DO pile (which is rather large!) I looked, felt, looked, thought, looked and thought some more.  A little thin on its own for a 'normal' blanket, could I whip up a lace type blanket? With approx. 400g of each colour there was enough for a good size  blanket.  Could I use both together?

So first stop, was of course to make much smaller, more mobile balls.  The cone was far too large for me to carry around!



Turning the coffee table upside down and making use of the legs...... the first ball was wound.


So, making each ball a similar weight, several were made for a trail run of using the two colours at the same time...


And actually, using two strands of wool was not as hard as I thought.....it seemed to be working well ..... so onward with this combination!


I got the blanket to the width I wanted, took note of how much wool I had used and weighed out enough to complete the last corner and put to one side.  Several weeks later.  I stated to decrease the size and I very quickly realised that there wasn't nearly enough blue wool to complete the blanket, so a quick design change and some solid white was introduced.  I think I've got away with it!!!



Ta Dah.....


Not bad for two quid - another one for the charity pile.

Friday 13 May 2016

Cheam Camera Club: PDI Summary

Ending Season Two in the Standard Group with 104  out of 120. Coming 2nd in the group. (I'm actually not sure if I move up at this stage, as the winner got 105.5).  My goal for this season was to get a 10 - and not get anything below 7! Epic fail (!!) with a 6.5 in Round 5. I'll let that one go, however as two 10 received in Round 3 and two in Round 6!

Round 1:

Llanddwyn Island: Score 7.5



The Living Dead: Score 8.5



Round 2:

Car Grill (with a Twist): Score 8



Red Berries: Score 9.5



Round 3:

Daisy: Score 10



Don't Let Go: Score 10




Round 4:

Out of Season: Score 9



Penmon Point & Puffin Island: Score 8



Round 5:

Austin A35: Score 7


Concord: Score 6.5


Round 6:

Sea Abstract: Score 10


Needle and Threads: Score 10



Season one - here