Tatton

Frantic looking for tent pegs to hold down runner beans at Tatton.  Hazel got home and found them after Archie and I had looked in the coal shed and garden shed for 15 minutes amongst the cobwebs and detritus - fearing an avalanche of mail art and garden equipment!   She's driven back now to do some more before the heavens open.

This is the second week of putting up the "Art Allotment" that MMU staff and family are doing.  Archie has been along for one day to erect the shed and fence posts etc.  I went along last week with Hazel to help out in the scorching heat. Sat in the shade when I could - sticking bent wire seedlings into strips of plasticine!
Today Hazel has gone on her own to help set everything out as the Press Day is tomorrow which she will miss as she has to go to the dentist for a filling thats fallen out and rubbing her tongue. (There's always something - a favourite phrase in our family!)

These photos give you a idea of the space that has to be filled.  Lots more stuff turning up yesterday and today Hazel said so should be plenty to see.  Audrey's knitted runner beans and cauliflowers- Archie's recycled tin daffodils nodding in the breeze. Hazel's dibbers and seed spacers and my collage and postcards.

Ruthin etc.

Another collage hot off the assembly line.  Check out more at  laughingshed.blogspot.com/">Laughing Shed.  Have been neglecting this blog for a while , for which many apollygoggies to all my readers (all 16 of them!)  .  Too many  blogs and never enough time also the weather has been very warm just lately and not  good for tip tapping on the old keyboard.  besides which my memory isn't as good as it used to was.

A nice day out in Ruthin though ( photos on Flickr and ipernity )  to see Sharon Blakey and her ceramic chum ( his name escapes me for the moment ) do a talk about drawing and sketchbooks and the importance of keeping a record of ideas and visual notes of thoughts about work etc.  Not really meant to be seen by others but essential for most makers whether they be ceramicists, painters, sculptors etc.  Also had a nice sandwich and beer in the local pub for lunch with a view of the Welsh hills  ( just behind that pile of crates ).

Earlier we went to the local boot sale at Whitegate which was on the way to Wales.  I didn't get anything but Hazel found a few bits and bobs including tools,  ceramics, gew gaws and whatchamacallits.