NaBloPoMo is over

Well I did it, every day in November was covered just about. It turned out to be much harder than I first thought it would.

Day 30 has arrived.

Here is my first draft of todays cartoon, will update it later :)

Colon cleanse for Christmas?

Whats on your Christmas List this year? A colon cleanse is not something that immediately springs to mind. Well unless you are into that kind of thing?
Several people have recommended them to me, as they are meant to get rid of that horrible bloated feeling. I am just not sure about having a tube stuck up there? I have illustrated the process in the above cartoon, its very accurate.

What to do you think?

My eyes are leaking

My eyes have been leaking all day, uh oh another ear juice saga?Nope I have bawling like a baby because the sister and nephews left for Hamburg today.I held it together most of the time, but certain things just got me. I finally cried my little heart out just after i shut the front door as they drove off, especially when I saw that the nephews had left their little Christmas bears behind. Thank goodness I had college tonight to take my mind off it for a while.
On my return from college, I got a text off Jemma saying that they had arrived there safe and sound. Whats more the kids behaved themselves on the plane, miracles do happen. Their dad Ste was waiting for them and had even decorated their hotel room with Christmas lights. Although I will miss them a lot, I know this is a great opportunity for them. It also means another holiday destination for me!

Wordless Wednesday 30 odd

Clothes for cartoon claire

Well I can sort of draw clothes in paint but they don't look right on cartoon me, so it looks like I will be nude for a while yet. Its a good its never winter in cyber world otherwise cartoon me would be getting the most unfortunate case of frostbite. I wonder if there is a wholesale clothing place for cartoons? Well i think I will at least see if there is any good sites about drawing cartoons.

Bridesmaid stuff

I love jewelry but I am a bit nervous about wearing a tiara when I am a bridesmaid next year. I never wear my hair up or have anything in it, so this will be a challenge for me.
The tiara is beautiful and is being handmade with swarovski crystals in various golden shades. I normally wear any old fashion jewelry that happens to go well with what i am wearing. So having something made especially will be lovely, as we are getting a matching crystal bracelet too.
I couldn't really draw what I think the dress will look like, a bit complicated for my paint skills, if you can even call them skills. So cartoon me is nude and actually looks a bit evil,lol.

Leaving Tomorrow

Jemma and the kids leave tomorrow night for a life in Hamburg, the furniture removal folks have been packing up today.
Their new house should be ready on Friday but that's not guaranteed. They are taking a lot of stuff with them but thankfully there is an IKEA near by. They love Ikea, so should be able to get what they need. If not I wonder what the other furniture stores are like?

One big dog

Speaking about Kai in the last post, Kai is also known as The Buzz Queen on yonder sidebar.
I thought why not do a wee cartoon with Kai in it, she is nude! Hahahaha, okay I saved her modesty by placing red squares in the danger areas. I have also drawn to scale her huge dog the lovely Mattie. Mattie is a Great Dane and boy does he live up to his name and must get through an absolute ton of pet supplies every month.

Corsets

Now that the party season has started its time to get the party clothes out and also do another cartoon for Kai as she loves them so. I don't know whether she is being a sarcastic biatch or not, but tough if she is. Akelamalu has also spotted that I am loving doing these cartoons, its my latest addiction. Now I have to figure out how to animate them wouldn't that be cool!

Anyway back to party season and corsets, cartoon me is wearing a lovely pink one and being sick. I must of fastened the corset too tightly on cartoon me and then ate some Chinese food mixed with cocktails. I am nothing like the cartoon me, honest.
By party season I mean the lead up to Christmas when you have to go out every weekend and celebrate with various friends and family.

Whose Birthday?

Just using this cartoon I did, can you tell whose birthday it is?

PS: Its not mine.
PPS: Its a regular visitor to this blog and they are on my sidebar.
PPPS: Alison got it right it is in fact Mother of six! yes six, Stine.
Click the cartoon to go and say Happy Birthday, she is 63 today.

Update: Okay she is not 63, she is 44 and her children are very happy I need to work on my cartooning skills some more :)

Rank

RANK.

I thought I would bring you another British Slang term:

Rank = Something disgusting.

So if you ever told by a Brit that you are rank or your cooking is rank, this is a bad thing.
I was inspired to do another cartoon in honour of the theme rank. What could depict rank better than one of my phlegm babies, remember that lovely term I used when I was coughing up copious amounts of mucus? Well here is a cartoon one.

"What In the Macrame Is it?": Crafting Catastrophes of the 70s

Ah, macrame: the knotwork craft that hatched a million decorative owls. Join me today as we view the harvest-colored horrors that take macrame to the most muddled max.

So, say hi to Judy. It’s 1977 and our fresh-faced Judy has a youthful air of optimism about her. And just why is this? Because Judy knows her path is entwined with the glory of macrame stardom. Why, Judy is lead designer of at least THREE macrame books which you see here...



But, as any proper VH1 “Behind The Music” special will tell you, with the rise to fame also comes the fall. And when one falls from the peak of macrame success, you can only HOPE you’ve got your knots tied tightly.

So-- “What in the Macrame Is It?”...

Once again, it’s one of those titles that pretty much speaks for itself.

The title is further reinforced by THIS, the first project in the book...


I give you... The Bird Cage Lamp.

Now think about this. You have a pendant lamp, with a globe shade, but it just seems to be missing that special something. So what do you do?

Why, you entrap it entirely in a dense netting of flammable fibrous material! The thrilling element of danger provided by the possibility of spontaneous combustion is equalled only by the mind-expanding challenge of changing the lightbulb inside!

This is the macrame lamp that could keep you entertained for HOURS. If solely to figure how to remove the bulb.

How many macrame artists does it take to change a lightbulb? Here’s the PERFECT chance to FIND OUT!

Now what if you’re looking for a macrame project with all the class of a high-end antique?

Well, how about the “Tiffany Table”?

What’s that you say?... it ‘looks like a HOT AIR BALLOON’?

Well, perhaps you just don’t recognize timeless taste and classic style when you see it! Because this is a PRECISE replica of a Dale Tiffany lamp and...

...You don’t recall Tiffany lamps having glass tabletops dangling from them?

Or holding potted plants?

Or being made of string instead of quality stained glass leaded together by artisans?

Well, perhaps it’s best we move onto another project, then. Something that’s more to your liking.

So here I bestow upon you... “Happiness”!


Bet ya didn’t know Happiness involved orange macrame, did you?...

It’s a little-known fact.

It’s hard to tell from the photo, but it appears that the keys to Happiness include:

--A harvest-colored bow

--Tassels, tassels, tassels

--And some dusty dried flowers shoved into a macramed pocket!

If this is Happiness, I’d hate to see what Deep Depression looks like.

Or at the very least, it makes a person question the human race’s age old pursuit of it.

Okay-- moving on.

Are those sleigh bells I hear? I do believe so! And when we hear sleigh bells, what instantly springs to mind, dear friends?



Why, owls of course! The harvest-colored yarn owls that pull Santa’s sleigh!

Can’t you hear Santa calling now?...

“On Woodsy! On Hedwig! On... er... That-Owl-With-The-Tootsie-Roll-Pop!...”

And here comes Santa Claus!

Leaping out of the sleigh, this Santa slides easily down the chimney due to some sort of macrame-induced anorexia.

Oh, sure, Santa HAS lost SOME weight...

Some significant weight...

Okay, so he looks like Billy Crystal in a beard.

But the 70s took its toll on even the best of ‘em.

Just look at Judy.

In this book, “Twas the Knot Before Christmas,” Judy has swapped her earlier bouffant and hoop earrings in order to pursue her dream of becoming a John Denver impersonator.

But there’s a dark side to John Denver impersonation.

And macrame.

And the next project might just explain why. Yes, you read that right...



The item on the far left of that photograph is the “Weed Pouch.” In fact, it’s a “Double Weed Pouch.”

The makers of the book seem to have demonstrated it with wild flowers in it. But who are we kidding? Only the combination of macrame and narcotics could possibly explain the desire to conveniently store your wooden kitchen utensils in something fibrous and linty.

This is from “Variety: The Spice of Macrame” (no, I really COULDN’T have made up these names) and in this last book, I think we really start to see what happens when the career in John Denver impersonating falls through, and all Judy has is owls... owls... owls.

Doesn’t her smile look a little strained?

And oh, are there OWLS!

Yep, “Three-Way Owls.” Variety (the Spice of Macrame) is in being able to make your owl hanging THREE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAYS--




On a hoop!...

On a stick!...

Or, on... er... another stick!

(Oh, but the eyes are different aren’t they? The eyes? A little?)

Well, sorry to tie you up so long today in the Wide World of Macrame. I hope that was knot a problem. :)

See you next week, when we go Florida Thrifting!

"What In the Macrame Is it?": Crafting Catastrophes of the 70s

Ah, macrame: the knotwork craft that hatched a million decorative owls. Join me today as we view the harvest-colored horrors that take macrame to the most muddled max.

So, say hi to Judy. It’s 1977 and our fresh-faced Judy has a youthful air of optimism about her. And just why is this? Because Judy knows her path is entwined with the glory of macrame stardom. Why, Judy is lead designer of at least THREE macrame books which you see here...



But, as any proper VH1 “Behind The Music” special will tell you, with the rise to fame also comes the fall. And when one falls from the peak of macrame success, you can only HOPE you’ve got your knots tied tightly.

So-- “What in the Macrame Is It?”...

Once again, it’s one of those titles that pretty much speaks for itself.

The title is further reinforced by THIS, the first project in the book...


I give you... The Bird Cage Lamp.

Now think about this. You have a pendant lamp, with a globe shade, but it just seems to be missing that special something. So what do you do?

Why, you entrap it entirely in a dense netting of flammable fibrous material! The thrilling element of danger provided by the possibility of spontaneous combustion is equalled only by the mind-expanding challenge of changing the lightbulb inside!

This is the macrame lamp that could keep you entertained for HOURS. If solely to figure how to remove the bulb.

How many macrame artists does it take to change a lightbulb? Here’s the PERFECT chance to FIND OUT!

Now what if you’re looking for a macrame project with all the class of a high-end antique?

Well, how about the “Tiffany Table”?

What’s that you say?... it ‘looks like a HOT AIR BALLOON’?

Well, perhaps you just don’t recognize timeless taste and classic style when you see it! Because this is a PRECISE replica of a Dale Tiffany lamp and...

...You don’t recall Tiffany lamps having glass tabletops dangling from them?

Or holding potted plants?

Or being made of string instead of quality stained glass leaded together by artisans?

Well, perhaps it’s best we move onto another project, then. Something that’s more to your liking.

So here I bestow upon you... “Happiness”!


Bet ya didn’t know Happiness involved orange macrame, did you?...

It’s a little-known fact.

It’s hard to tell from the photo, but it appears that the keys to Happiness include:

--A harvest-colored bow

--Tassels, tassels, tassels

--And some dusty dried flowers shoved into a macramed pocket!

If this is Happiness, I’d hate to see what Deep Depression looks like.

Or at the very least, it makes a person question the human race’s age old pursuit of it.

Okay-- moving on.

Are those sleigh bells I hear? I do believe so! And when we hear sleigh bells, what instantly springs to mind, dear friends?



Why, owls of course! The harvest-colored yarn owls that pull Santa’s sleigh!

Can’t you hear Santa calling now?...

“On Woodsy! On Hedwig! On... er... That-Owl-With-The-Tootsie-Roll-Pop!...”

And here comes Santa Claus!

Leaping out of the sleigh, this Santa slides easily down the chimney due to some sort of macrame-induced anorexia.

Oh, sure, Santa HAS lost SOME weight...

Some significant weight...

Okay, so he looks like Billy Crystal in a beard.

But the 70s took its toll on even the best of ‘em.

Just look at Judy.

In this book, “Twas the Knot Before Christmas,” Judy has swapped her earlier bouffant and hoop earrings in order to pursue her dream of becoming a John Denver impersonator.

But there’s a dark side to John Denver impersonation.

And macrame.

And the next project might just explain why. Yes, you read that right...



The item on the far left of that photograph is the “Weed Pouch.” In fact, it’s a “Double Weed Pouch.”

The makers of the book seem to have demonstrated it with wild flowers in it. But who are we kidding? Only the combination of macrame and narcotics could possibly explain the desire to conveniently store your wooden kitchen utensils in something fibrous and linty.

This is from “Variety: The Spice of Macrame” (no, I really COULDN’T have made up these names) and in this last book, I think we really start to see what happens when the career in John Denver impersonating falls through, and all Judy has is owls... owls... owls.

Doesn’t her smile look a little strained?

And oh, are there OWLS!

Yep, “Three-Way Owls.” Variety (the Spice of Macrame) is in being able to make your owl hanging THREE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAYS--




On a hoop!...

On a stick!...

Or, on... er... another stick!

(Oh, but the eyes are different aren’t they? The eyes? A little?)

Well, sorry to tie you up so long today in the Wide World of Macrame. I hope that was knot a problem. :)

See you next week, when we go Florida Thrifting!

Day 25 of NaBloPoMo

Today I feel tired, as illustrated by the wonderful cartoon, yes my hair is that messy at the moment. In order to get anything done I have had to drink a gallon of tea as we have run out of coffee!
I have made it to Day 25 of the NaBloPoMo challenge, although it has been harder than I first thought it would be. Everything just seems to happening this month from college to cupboard monster to family bogging off to Hamburg.
Speaking of Hamburg, Jemma and the kids are only here for a few more days, the flights are booked for Wednesday night. So in less than a week my nephews will become Hamburgers, or half hamburger or something like that.
Tomorrow my hair should look better as I am getting it done, just a wee trim and exploring another version of red.

Update: In answer to Kai, yes I know cartoon me is topless. I kind of like it like that.

No hiking again.

Due everything that has been going on around here, there is no hiking again this weekend.I am not sure when I will be able to the boots on again, as Christmas looms and the weather is getting worse as the days go on. I am taking my boots up to Scotland with me, but I wonder if they will even make it out of my bag.
This means I might have to join the gym, something that I don't particularly enjoy. Especially the dreaded treadmills, I just cant get the hang of the stupid thing. But needs must if I am going to fit into that bridesmaid dress come June.

Off to have meal and drinks with the sister tonight, so another to fight the flab! Hope everyone has a nice day.

Saturday Photo Hunt - Hot

This weeks theme in PhotoHunt is Hot and well I live in Britain so thats not going to help me much at all! So I searched through my photo's for hotter times this year and found this one from Italy. It was truly hot that day and maybe not a great idea to go hill walking. I was HOT and sweaty, so I hung back a bit and took some photos.

On a roll.....

Although there is some jealously surrounding my great cartooning abilities (Kai), I am glad that you enjoyed it. Yes I do know they are crap really, I am not quite that delusional yet. I spent ten minutes on Paint having a mess around, twas fun and I think I will be doing more. In fact I have already done one.
After getting the kick up the arse that i needed, that started me off on a roll (as pictured above). Not only have I started to get back on track with my college stuff, I have made head way in other areas. This is in part thanks to the cupboard monster(mum), as she also set things in motion.
At one of the meetings she went too recently, she happened to meet someone from the council that is involved with 'carers'. A conversation was started and meeting was set up for me to attend this morning. I had no idea what this meeting would entail, but I ended up getting a lot out of it, included £100 off my college course, result!
In turns out that there is more help out there for people who look after their relatives, friends or partners than I realised. Not only have they sorted out money off my course, they are also sending me on some courses and finding me a suitable job. When I find out more information, I will update you, as I am sure it will be of use to those in a similar situation to myself.

A Thursday round up of sorts.

First of all Happy Thanksgiving to all of you that celebrate it, I had a traditional dish to celebrate the day. Well sausage, chips, mushy peas and gravy is traditional were I live. I hope you all have had fun with friends, family or whatever.

Thanks for the virtual kick up the arse, I needed it. It gave me the bollocks to have a word with one of my tutors and to explain that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. She was wonderful with me and gave me a gentle kick up the arse, in a counselling way of course. I left the class yesterday feeling happy, positive and even more sure that I am on the right career path.
I hope you like my first attempt a a cartoon, I couldn't find anything on google to borrow, so I had bash at creating my own. You lot are represented by the green blog man giving me a virtual kick up the arse.
The cupboard monster (mum) is doing okay for now, a bit of a cold and has somehow managed to burst a bicep. Yes I really did type burst a bicep, its yet another thing that seems to happen to her easily. The doctors said to keep an eye on her and if it doesn't improve then off to x ray. In the case of the leg, that is still not a done deal yet. It will never get better but they need to decide on how to stop it getting any worse. The next big appointment with the doctors is early December, so will know more then.
The Grandpa is also in Hospital now after a fall, he has had an operation is somewhat better now, but it is yet another thing to add to the list of stress. Jemma and the kids will be heading to Hamburg on Wednesday night, so the time is ticking away fast.

Wordless Wednesday 30

Counselling Time : An update

Just a quick post today to say I am surrounded by pieces of paper and I need to get this post done because of the NaBoPloMo thingy.

I have been a step behind in counselling homework because of everything that has been happening here at home from the cupboard monster to Jemma and the kids going to Hamburg. In class I can take everything in and really enjoy it, but once I am home its hard to settle back into it. Everyone in class has been great about it but I am in need of a kick up the arse once more.

Thanks to You and Some Giving, Too!: Victorian Thanksgiving Postcards

Pull up a chair to the table and help yourself to some of that beautifully-roasted bird up there. This postcard is a Raphael Tuck card postmarked 1909. Yup, almost a century ago, and the setting is as appropriate for so many Americans today as it was then!..

Well, okay, so maybe not appropriate for MY family; I spend the holiday in the Florida Keys with my dad, who is retired, and my Thanksgiving feast involves beloved traditions like fresh steamed shrimp and crab legs dripping with butter and lemon ...

...I’m aware most folks don’t share happy memories of the annual Thanksgiving Crustacean.
That said, I thought I’d share with YOU some favorite Victorian Thanksgiving postcards from my collection-- which are 100% shellfish-free. And at the end of today’s post, there will be a little downloadable surprise for you as my way of saying thanks for visiting The Thrift Shop Romantic blog this year.

Turkey. The late Victorians were virtually unable to talk Thanksgiving without talking Turkey. And if you look carefully, you begin to suspect the scenarios they depict would not have been QUITE so idyllic as they portray.

For instance, one of my cherished cards here:


Awwww.... the baby has just learned to walk! Only now there’s simply no stopping him. So far he’s gone after the cat, the dog, the rooster, and now the turkey is being chased as part of a special holiday aerobics program.

Except anyone who knows the general disposition of turkeys knows that turkeys all have some attitude. So what self-respecting turkey is going to put up with a lengthy slow-speed barnyard chase scene instigated by a cherub-cheeked child in a ruff?

No good can come of this.

Now THIS poor girl is under the impression that she can make friends with the turkey through bribery...


You have to wonder who sent the child outside, not with loose grain, but with a corn cob to hand-feed the turkey? It’s probably that one goofy relative everyone has.

You know the one: that crazy Cousin Lou or weird Uncle Jimmy who, when you were five, thought it was HILARIOUS to play keep-away with your favorite stuffed toy? Or let it slip accidentally-on-purpose that your old dog Blue wasn’t sent to a farm to live after all?

Yep, he’s probably watching at the window of the house right now, waiting to see just what happens. He and cousin Eustace might even be making bets on the action...

At least it passes the time until college football starts.

Now THIS little girl has more of the right idea...


Look at the trepidation on her face. She is saying to herself, “Those birds are monstrous big and they’re beginning to circle. I’d try to pet one but I may need all my fingers for kindergarten next year. Perhaps I should think of some better pastimes than standing outside in the November cold without a coat.”

In contrast, there’s THIS kid...


He’s been desensitized a LONG time ago by “Old Yeller” and “The Yearling” and “Call of the Wild” and “Charlotte’s Web” and all those tearful classics we had to read. He’s made good friends with our friend trusting Tom Turkey, sure, so his smiling contemplation as he holds that axe is just a little unnerving...

And look at the turkey. Now there’s a turkey who not only feels betrayal but knows his goose is cooked...

Especially if he’s seen the little culinary equivalent of the Jolly Roger symbol there to the side of the card as we zoom in here...


Ah, but the Victorian era was not only about the eternal struggle between Child and Turkey. Here are just a few other cards from the same era, these depicting the serenity and beauty of the Thanksgiving autumn season...



Oh, and somehow still sorta about turkeys, though. Notice the number of them employed in even their most subtle designs. The Victorians clearly had their priorities when it came to Thanksgiving! (Here’s a rather beautifully-colored one which is entirely void of turkeys, believe it or not...)


I hope that YOUR Thanksgiving offers you some pleasant times with family and friends-- no matter what your dinner entails.

As a special treat, I leave you with this; I’ve placed scans of three of the cards you’ve seen today into a PDF document which you can download, print out and use for your own crafting/decoupage projects! Just click the file name below to begin downloading:

Thanksgiving.pdf

And next week? We’ll have “What in the Macrame Is It?” a humorous look at some very 70s crafts. Hope to see you then!

Thanks to You and Some Giving, Too!: Victorian Thanksgiving Postcards

Pull up a chair to the table and help yourself to some of that beautifully-roasted bird up there. This postcard is a Raphael Tuck card postmarked 1909. Yup, almost a century ago, and the setting is as appropriate for so many Americans today as it was then!..

Well, okay, so maybe not appropriate for MY family; I spend the holiday in the Florida Keys with my dad, who is retired, and my Thanksgiving feast involves beloved traditions like fresh steamed shrimp and crab legs dripping with butter and lemon ...

...I’m aware most folks don’t share happy memories of the annual Thanksgiving Crustacean.
That said, I thought I’d share with YOU some favorite Victorian Thanksgiving postcards from my collection-- which are 100% shellfish-free. And at the end of today’s post, there will be a little downloadable surprise for you as my way of saying thanks for visiting The Thrift Shop Romantic blog this year.

Turkey. The late Victorians were virtually unable to talk Thanksgiving without talking Turkey. And if you look carefully, you begin to suspect the scenarios they depict would not have been QUITE so idyllic as they portray.

For instance, one of my cherished cards here:


Awwww.... the baby has just learned to walk! Only now there’s simply no stopping him. So far he’s gone after the cat, the dog, the rooster, and now the turkey is being chased as part of a special holiday aerobics program.

Except anyone who knows the general disposition of turkeys knows that turkeys all have some attitude. So what self-respecting turkey is going to put up with a lengthy slow-speed barnyard chase scene instigated by a cherub-cheeked child in a ruff?

No good can come of this.

Now THIS poor girl is under the impression that she can make friends with the turkey through bribery...


You have to wonder who sent the child outside, not with loose grain, but with a corn cob to hand-feed the turkey? It’s probably that one goofy relative everyone has.

You know the one: that crazy Cousin Lou or weird Uncle Jimmy who, when you were five, thought it was HILARIOUS to play keep-away with your favorite stuffed toy? Or let it slip accidentally-on-purpose that your old dog Blue wasn’t sent to a farm to live after all?

Yep, he’s probably watching at the window of the house right now, waiting to see just what happens. He and cousin Eustace might even be making bets on the action...

At least it passes the time until college football starts.

Now THIS little girl has more of the right idea...


Look at the trepidation on her face. She is saying to herself, “Those birds are monstrous big and they’re beginning to circle. I’d try to pet one but I may need all my fingers for kindergarten next year. Perhaps I should think of some better pastimes than standing outside in the November cold without a coat.”

In contrast, there’s THIS kid...


He’s been desensitized a LONG time ago by “Old Yeller” and “The Yearling” and “Call of the Wild” and “Charlotte’s Web” and all those tearful classics we had to read. He’s made good friends with our friend trusting Tom Turkey, sure, so his smiling contemplation as he holds that axe is just a little unnerving...

And look at the turkey. Now there’s a turkey who not only feels betrayal but knows his goose is cooked...

Especially if he’s seen the little culinary equivalent of the Jolly Roger symbol there to the side of the card as we zoom in here...


Ah, but the Victorian era was not only about the eternal struggle between Child and Turkey. Here are just a few other cards from the same era, these depicting the serenity and beauty of the Thanksgiving autumn season...



Oh, and somehow still sorta about turkeys, though. Notice the number of them employed in even their most subtle designs. The Victorians clearly had their priorities when it came to Thanksgiving! (Here’s a rather beautifully-colored one which is entirely void of turkeys, believe it or not...)


I hope that YOUR Thanksgiving offers you some pleasant times with family and friends-- no matter what your dinner entails.

As a special treat, I leave you with this; I’ve placed scans of three of the cards you’ve seen today into a PDF document which you can download, print out and use for your own crafting/decoupage projects! Just click the file name below to begin downloading:

Thanksgiving.pdf

And next week? We’ll have “What in the Macrame Is It?” a humorous look at some very 70s crafts. Hope to see you then!