I woke up last Thursday morning filled with a spirit of optimism - my new blackout curtains had helped me to get a better night's sleep, the weather was good and I wasn't particularly behind with any of my current projects. I had a couple of simple things to do on my checklist and wasn't expecting any bad news.
Even better - my Proxxon electric carver arrived (it had been dispatched 3 weeks previously) and the prospect of being able to work on some of my current book sculptures was delightful!

Within 2 hours all my plans had gone awry, I couldn't find my daughter's travel insurance documents (this was one of the simple things on the checklist....). I couldn't find the international adaptor for the carving tool, I'd had 3 annoying phonecalls and a couple of bad news emails. 

The final straw - having gone through the instructions for the carver (in Japanese) so I just had to follow the visuals....I plugged it in and tripped the circuit breakers in the house. I am not electrically aware I hadn't absorbed the fact that the AC voltage required a transformer - yes I know that's stupid, I'll never make that mistake again! but given that I've been blissfully using Chinese electrical products in my house for years without one and there was no image or reference to needing one in the info, I can't be the only one who makes a mistake like this.

So in short I was having a really frustrating day until I watched the news and saw all those poor people in Gaza and the coffins arriving in the Netherlands with the bodies of the victims of the MH17 crash and all I could think of was how lucky I am, what a great life I have and how useful it is to have annoying things happen so I can learn from them rather than being dead or terribly bereaved. Blue Sky Thinking or what......

At the same time the bloody Japanese Proxxon supplier could have mentioned the transformer!!!!!

This photo was taken at one of the installations of 'The Dress My Mother Wore' (Streatham Food Festival). Both the local MP and Councillor were very interested in how the project involved the whole community and were interested in its potential for combating radicalisation as well as encouraging social inclusion. Streatham Women's Sewing Group CIC (with whom I've collaborated on the project) is in ongoing need of funding (albeit very modest) so it is a positive step to have a degree of political support!

What to do with out of date catalogues????? had fun doing some page rolling at the Stanthorpe Triangle Street Party recently - hampered by windy conditions or we could have created a much taller tower.