At the movies (in 1989...)

Before there was 'Taken"...

before there was 'Taken 2"...

..and WAY before there was Taken 3 (yup it's filming, click the link if you don't believe me) , Liam Neeson was playing the same gritty, out-for-justice character that we see in his later work in the sadly under-rated classic of the 'Hillbilly Revenge' genre Next of Kin.

The surprisingly stellar cast of this cinematic gem includes Patrick Swayze, Helen Hunt, Ben Stiller, Bill Paxton, Adam Baldwin, and, of course, Liam Neeson of Ballymeena Northern Ireland playing Briar Gates, a Kentucky hillbilly.

 A hillbillies versus mobsters story (think Cowboys versus Aliens- yes, many great ideas were purloined from this movie), this film has it all; life, death, love, revenge, stereotypes, fiddle playing, shoot-outs in cemeteries, attacks with red paint and a school bus full of snakes-what more could you ask for in a movie? I would give you a plot synopsis but I would truly hate to spoil it for you. How was Next of Kin overlooked and Roadhouse becomes a cult classic with articles lauding its 25th anniversary in Entertainment Weekly?

Never say you didn't learn anything profound and useful from reading my blog.

You're welcome.

Project #10: The Stone Age

I've been doing some gardening (which I love), and this is basically what my soil looks like:

Rocky Road anyone?

Fantastic. When life gives you rocks, what exactly do you make? Rockade?? Needless to say I have decided to use these rocks to my advantage, and there will be a few different rock-themed projects coming your way (contain your excitement; please) starting with felted rocks. Let's face it, how can your life really be complete if you don't have a few felted rocks to cherish? Felted rocks are versatile and extremely useful. Obviously.

 

Wool Roving and Thor

Wool roving is what you use to make felted anything. My cat likes it...and then in the picture below; a selection of the finished felted stones. I will try felted soap eventually, once I've used every stone in my garden in an awesome craft project.

                                               

Project #9 Sow's ear/silk purse

Well clearly I'm well behind in my project postings. I have a super film review coming up too so watch out for that....
Almost twenty years ago, dear children, I started knitting a scarf for a friend of mine. I ran out of yarn and moved to a different continent, and the 'scarf' was in a knitting basket for years...

So, being the ingenious crafter that I am, I made it into a totes adorbs little handbag..

with an interior pocket no less

Project #8; so many projects, so little time to blog...

So I have at least 3 new projects I haven't gotten around to posting. I know you're all restless and disgruntled, waiting, waiting for my next project.....
This is a cushion I made for my son's birthday a couple of weeks ago, with some rather bizarre comic book fabric I picked up in London. I don't know how well you can read it but it says things like "The but guy exactly...know that's Betty" to which Betty replies "Bring him to the boil"....

Cartoon cushion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living the Dream....

 

A few days ago it was my son's 22nd birthday, and this is how it went. My son came home with his new girlfriend, and a giant tattoo of a hedgehog on his arm. How nice for him that he lives with his mum and doesn't have any financial obligations like rent, or bills, so all his spare cash can go on hedgehog tattoos.
Then my 16 year old daughter tells me she will no longer be participating in the $2700 soccer club she previously told me she was dying to join. She graciously let me know; "you know my life philosophy. I just want to do what makes me happy."
 HOW. AWESOME. ME TOO...
I will be paying for this soccer club through June, working three jobs, getting home some days after midnight and then getting up at 6.30 the next morning...I told my son to take her to her friend's house for the night as I had an overwhelming desire to punch her in the face, and as a mandated reporter I would have to turn myself in to Child Protective Services. In addition to which it is really poor form to punch your kids. Or so I've heard.

Project #7

So I'm getting a little behind with posting my projects; it's March already (time to take down the Christmas tree) and I have a couple of things to post. 

I've been working on some weird stuff lately

Barnyard pillowcase

Ok it's not the most aesthetic pillowcase you ever saw, but it's for a three year old whose birthday party was farm-themed. (There was a petting zoo and I may or may not have tried to ride the donkey..)

I also made a couple of sweater vests (for children) but 1975 called and wanted them back so I might not post pictures...oh go on then

Why make ugly sweater vests? A few years back I bought a book called 'Knitting for Peace',and one of the patterns/projects was a vest for Afghan children. I started making two of them but I never finished them, and part of my goal this year is to complete unfinished projects as well as use up materials on new projects. I'm not sure if the Afghan children still need ugly sweater vests but let me tell you; some kid somewhere is going to end up wearing this damn vest.

Project #6

This is a fabulous project completed in the homeland last week.
 Dear Old Dad was an art historian by trade, and he collected some original artwork along the way; mostly prints and engravings. What we had when he died were prints/engravings from approximately 1700-1750 which we took to an auction house. My sister and I felt that they were rather plain and had they been in color they would have been much more desirable; so we colored one in with colored pencils, as you do.

     

Before

After

We did not send the more colorful version of this print to auction, 
preferring to keep it for ourselves given

the obvious improvements we had made.