DAISY MOU

Here's my Daisy on canvas.

Not for sale.

I've been tagged.

I've been tagged by the lovely Heli.


The rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

OK I'll play .... but I'm going to cheat a little Heli and include some of the facts I've disclosed when tagged previously.

1. 
   I have a phobia about looking at large ships or underwater wrecks. TV documentaries about the Titanic or similar, have me heading for the hills. Even a still image of a fully intact ship on the ocean sends a feeling of hot lead to the pit of my stomach.
2. When I was 8 years old, I won an award at school and was allowed to choose any book I wished as a prize. I asked for a cookery book. I was disgusted to be presented with a thin volume that explained how to make tea, buttered toast and fairy-cakes, when what I actually wanted was how to make Coq au Vin and Tart Tatin. Odd how we're who we are so early on.
3. 
   I am the only woman I know who doesn't like talking for hours on the phone. For me they're a tool for saying the minimum of words to get my message across, then hang up. I'm a pictures person, I like to see folks eyes as they speak... so sit me down with another face opposite and I can chew the fat as good as the rest of 'em.
   
4. I dislike shopping for or wearing new clothes ...I know, I'm one weird female! With the obvious exception of lingerie and shoes, I much prefer to buy my clothes secondhand. It wasn't easily done in the UK where charity shops are usually full of boring tat, but for some reason, here in Cyprus there is a more colourful and interesting assortment of tat to play with.
   
5. When the boys were small, my favourite holiday location was Mousehole, Cornwall. I have a painting in my home by Nigel Hallard, viewed from a position on our special bit of harbour beach. If I could be confident it would 'feel' the same, I would like to go back one day.
   
6. For the last several years I've had lunch about once a week at the Meze Taverna in old town Limassol. Every time, I always order Kikoula's fresh home-made humus with hot pitta bread and a glass of white wine spritzer without ice ..... every visit Diomides continues to ask me for my order and never assumes ... though I do detect a twinkle in his eye. Occasionally I'm tempted to ask for a pork chop, but I'm afraid he'd faint.
7. I am an obsessive up-cycler, my most treasured possessions and art materials are almost as old as I am ;)

Here are the 'happy' taggees I have chosen. I shall leave a message on your blogs to give you to good news. Participation of course isn't compulsory, but would be very interesting :)

El is a special girl, selling her creations to fund animal welfare.

Katsai is so creative and makes such fab clothes!

Black Apple, the cool ‘craftista’!

Lora makes makes fabulous jewellery and writes a very entertaining blog.

Emmapardos I would love to know more about :)

Artmind … a new Etsy European Street Team member it would be good to know better.

Sion Lee. He’s been busy with Indiepublic recently, so may not have time to come out to play.

Not quite vertical ... but getting there.

Just want to say a big thank you too all the people who posted 'get wells & good wishes' on the blog, sent emails or posted messages on my various forums. Every single one of them was just terrific to receive and cheered me up more than I can say. It'll take me a while to catch up with everyone, but rest assured you are all treasured!

After 10 days in bed with assorted heavyduty pharmaceuticals for company, we are now on Plan B, and Dr S has given me the green light to 'move around a little'. All I can say is that as someone who previously required a near death experience to pop even a paracaetamol .... I now consider myself a convert and 'temporary junky'. Those of you who've experienced slipped discs/trapped nerves etc will know exactly what I'm saying .... apart from both my childbirth experiences, I can honestly say so far no pain has been so severe.

Anyway enough whingeing! I'm a great believer in turning negatives into positives where possible so read my next post to see what else I've been doing whilst flat on my back! Those of you with dirty minds can smother your sniggers and go to to the back of the class ;0

Flat out for a while.

Just a quick post to explain my inactivity. I've slipped a disc and am flat on my back for a while. Normal service will be resumed as soon as vertical :)

DESTROYED!

I am so upset and angry! I don't know whether to cry or scream! The terrible thing is that nothing is going to make any difference .... nobody here will listen or do anything to help.

Regular visitors to my blog, especially during Spring this year will have seen the pics I posted of the beautiful and sometimes rare wild flowers that grow in the meadows near our house. Yesterday the thing I'd been dreading happened. A farmer has ploughed all the meadow in preparation for planting tomatoes. All this unique wild habitat is gone!!!

To take another look of what has been destroyed you can click on the CYPRUS FLORA label below. If anyone in Cyprus sees this and is as heartbroken as I am, please get in touch.

STREETLIFE FESTIVAL

A street alongside the new university construction site in Limassol old town was buzzing with 'streetlife' yesterday, organized by www.syn-ergio.org. Seems like 'happenings' are happenin everywhere ... you're right Neda.

A throbbing beat from the street DJ set the atmosphere and this enthusiastic newly formed group look more than capable of energising other locals with their positive aims. Their motto is a simple formula:

Conscience + Cooperation + Community + Synergy + Action = Syn-ergio

They believe the use of artistic, creative, original, aesthetic, educational and evocative events and projects inspires people, develops their potential, is satisfying and develops social ties.

Can't argue with that.

There were opportunities to take part in grafitti, pavement mosaic and many other art installations on or around the building site boardings ...and yes, that is a mosaic armchair! Come September the uni building will be finished and most of the art will disappear. However hopefully yesterday will have struck the spark to ignite the synergy + action for many more 'happenings'!

I spent most of yesterday in town meeting with the girls. First coffee with Carole on her beautiful flower bedecked terrace, then off to pick up a painting that Panyiotis has framed for me. He's fixed it to a wood block and painted the sides charcoal grey, then floated it in a simple charcoal frame with a gap creating a shadow around. I'm pleased with the result and may try this again.

After lunch with Ann and Jenny, by the time I was home, there was only time for a tiny painting. These embroidery scissors have seen lots of action in the past, but recently are largely redundant. They make an interesting still-life though.

The finished painting can be seen on my Studio Bee Gallery blog.

A very Happy Easter Day to all my Blog visitors!

A PAUSE....

No piccie today. I am breaking the pattern and halting Project 365. Need to take a deep breath and free myself to consider some changes. I shall be around though, haunting my favourite blogs for my daily fix ... you know who you are :-)

DAY 90 PROJECT 365

When Stephie was tiny she and Zoe loved playing with bubbles in the kitchen sink, and would stand for hours side by side on chairs ladling and teeming foamy suds with plastic pots. Their later visits involved baking and they had there own special apron, miniature rolling pin and biscuit cutters. There was flour everywhere ... but boy did we have fun! S & J have been 'playing' in the studio today and from the state of my workbench I'm happy to report that nothing has changed, except Stephie's legs are somewhat longer, and she no longer needs a chair to reach ;-)

DAY 89 Project 365

Last night H took part in the Cyprus Starlight Challenge walking from Chesters to the Zoo. Here he is with about 2k to go. Not bad for a chap who had a massive heart attack less than a year ago.

He's now looking forward to gathering in lots of sponsorship money in aid of breast cancer charity. All contributions welcome.

DAY 88 Project 365

Moggs keeps his distance while White Cat pays a visit.

DAY 84 Project 365

Not exactly one of the family. The puss with no name, other than 'White Cat', is a regular visitor for nosh on the back terrace or kitchen windowsill. He has no proper home, but generously shares himself around many. He's incredibly bossy, for a vagrant, and gives loud notice of his daily arrival, at which point I'm required to rush to his aid with kibbles and cuddles! Whoever said that cats own us, rather than the other way around, knew what they were talking about .... this one owns the whole village and surrounding area!

DAY 59 Project 365

Carole and I had another mooch around Limassol old town this morning, to soak up more artsy places. Considering Cyprus is such a small country, the amount of art on show is amazing.

Popped into Dino's Art Cafe to see the exhibition of new work by Katie Sabry and Kelly Norman. The private viewing for the next exhibition by Raymond Wilson and Michael Turner is next Monday night, so may drag H along. Brought a copy of the very yummy menu away with me, in case he needs any persuasion :-)

Around the corner from Dino's is the studio of Theodosis Theodosiou, who is primarily a painter of icons. Today he was working on a wooden bowl and panel, which he was beautifully illuminating with an image of Agia Barbara and Agios Nicholaos. He was showing us how he mixes the traditional egg tempera and powdered pigment. We were intrigued to see he adds vinegar to the beaten egg ... top tip! Theodosis has some work in the Angels exhibition currently at Gallery K in Nicosia

Here's a pic of the old mosque at the west end of St Andrews St near Dino's Art Cafe and Theodosis studio.

DAY 52 Project 365

Best Friends, Bobo & Daisy.

DAY 50 Project 365

Scrapbook layout featuring a pic of Natalie, Zoe and Stephie taken during their summer holiday here 2 years ago.

Created using hand cut letters/stars, punched/torn paper and stitched 3D decoupage elements from my Hibiscus STITCH-BITS kit.

DAY 39 Project 365

It was the King of the Carnival parade tonight to mark the start of the 10 day Limassol Carnival. One of Carole's verandah's had a perfect view of the parade overlooking the route so what better excuse for a party! Thank you Carole, we had such a good time :-)

Gabriella and Leo looked splendid! The sweetest Pink Fairy and Cutest Little Pirate (Johnnie Depp had better watch out, he's got competition)

DAY 37 Project 365

True to his word, H has now completed my floorstanding easel. I've tested it with heavy drawing boards + large canvases and it doesn't fall over. It's environmentally sound too, as it was constructed from an old recycled sunbed. All in all a really pukka job! Thank you Sweetie Pie!

DAY 33 Project 365

These pics are for Abi.

Went to Aliada last night to say farewell to some friends leaving for Singapore.

Too much food, wouldn't want to do this too often. This is the coldtable for the starter course ... 4 further courses followed!

DAY 32 cont'd.... Project 365

Carole's pretty verandah.

Piece of peeling doorway in the old town.

More fascinating gallery visits this morning, then lunch with the girls.