How to turn your house into a home, or rather, into somebody else's home.
Last week saw the ending of the decorating,
 and the final room changed from being fairly dramatic......

 to fairly banal..........(well, a bit of colour still crept in, thank goodness)

And when people say to me, you won't want to leave, when you've got it all decorated, my reply is that I am looking forward to making a home again.  A funny thing to say, really.
Does it intimate that the house looked fairly hideous before?

As well as colour disappearing, Mr Cooper removed the last painting to feature naked bodies,

 and we replaced it with the last of a series of three, in which blackbird pie funnels feature significantly.  Here is  'Blackbirds Flying From The Pie.'

It looked so good hanging there that we added the other two from the series, and they now adorn the office walls. 
Here is the first one,  'The Filling for the Pie',

And here is the second, which was actually painted first.  'Pie in the Sky'.

Sometimes I say 'These paintings need a good home.'  About these three, I say 'They are all for sale, but of course the potential homes will be fully vetted.' (Commissions undertaken, too.)


I started to collect blackbird pie funnels in my thirties, aiming for the full 'four and twenty'. I seemed to tail off a bit after collecting 12 or so, and then put them in my paintings, rather than on my shelves.
This is the first painting that featured blackbirds pie funnels.....you can see them flying in the window, as well as bursting out of the pie.  Here is 'The King of Hearts"

And of course it then needed a companion painting, 'The Queen of Hearts'.
No pie-funnels here, but another great love of mine has crept in, both as a comestible, and a recurring art motif.  Jam tarts! ( And aprons, too)

I am not going to include a recipe here, but a jam tart making tip.  Make the pastry the day before you need the tarts. (Half fat to flour, the flour being plain, and the fat either butter and lard, or butter and Trex if cooking for vegetarians.) Make it as short as possible, then roll it out and cut your circles, put them into the jam tart tins, cover with cling and leave them overnight in the fridge.
By 'short', I mean add as little water to the rubbed in mixture as possible. Too much and the pastry will be easy to work, but tough when baked.  You want these tarts to be crumbly and delicious.
And hopefully the next day you will be adding your homemade jam to them.  If not made by you, please don't buy an economy jar.......proper jam tarts have become a lovely indulgence.

At least now I have stopped painting walls, I can turn my attention to proper paintings yet again.
The first of which will be completing the 'Swimmers in the Sea' for Diane, and then the portrait painting of Janeese's two dogs, with elements of the Virgin Mary and also Frieda Kahlo.
 I am very much looking forward to that commission, and sketches for it are already appearing in my sketchbooks.

As I was cleaning and polishing select items to add to our new living room, the majority of the items destined for storage for a while, I had a pleasant surprise when I washed my blackbird collection.

I now have 20 blackbird pie funnels, 2 white blackbird pie funnels, 2 elephant pie funnels and 2 brightly coloured silicone ones.  If anyone has a pie funnel they neither use or treasure, just let it fly my way.  I am sure it will be made welcome by the friendly, shiny flock I now have.

At least now, in my alien room, I can feast my eyes on my no-longer dusty friends, then wander off to the shed for even more painting, of the right sort.

Perhaps life in my new home isn't too bad, after all!

Wishing you all a happy week ahead.  May it be shiny and dust-free, with indulgent interludes.
 Why not make some jam tarts for tea?
See you all in a week's time.  Till then, happy baking!

We all love a week in Sunny Hunny!
In fact, I am always so excited to arrive that the first 2 days almost become a mini holiday within the holiday.  That is, of course, after we have sorted out the housekeeping.
Sam and John knew they were having to share a room for a couple of nights, but when we got there, we realised a double room came with a double bed!  Re-think time......a trip to the budget-buys shop to get an air bed and a sleeping bag.
It was only when we unwrapped it that we understood why the sleeping bag only cost £3.99!

Oh well, it's worse where there's none.....

Our first complete day was very busy.....we visited every charity shop there was (too many, and no purchases made) then had lunch on The Green, purchased from the Norfolk Deli, http://www.norfolk-deli.co.uk/ with liquid refreshment provided by the Golden Growler (aka The Golden Lion, which borders the green)

One word of advice here......leave Mr Cooper at home if you are planning to drink outside the Golden Growler, as you will be given a plastic glass!  This incensed Mr Cooper so much that his continual moaning did mar the enjoyment of the best filled bagel I have ever had*.  My thoughts on the plastic glass front were, 'Why not collect a few over the week ahead, ready for picnic time!'
Which also gives drinking in the sunshine a sense of purpose.

Then later that day, Sam and I had one of the ultimate Hunstanton experiences...a trip on the Wash Monster.  http://www.seatours.co.uk/

Although the day had been hot and sunny, in the afternoon the breeze had changed to a lightish wind,
and as we sat there ready for off, our shared feelings were 'It's only for 30 minutes, whatever happens'

'Whatever happens' was like being on a rather large raft in a slightly choppy sea.  The guide told us they were seaworthy in a force 12 gale........but not with me and Sam sitting on it!
We concentrated instead on the outward bound views......

........followed by the homeward bound views.

Then back on terra-firma, and a restorative drink outside in the last of the sunshine, in a plastic glass.
(That's 2 for the picnic hamper now!)

On Sunday, 4 of us set off for the antiques and crafts centre in Old Hunstanton, to be followed by a little light lunch at Le Strange Arms.
 https://www.bestwestern.co.uk/hotels/best-western-le-strange-arms-hotel-83646

The weather was perfect, the only cloud on the horizon being that 2 out of 4 of us had forgotten to bring any money, and 1 out of 4 of us didn't really have any to forget, which left Mr Cooper as the only one with any cash.  So we made no purchases but went straight on to lunch.  Then, off to St Mary the Virgin, still in Old Hunstanton, to visit the flower festival there.

I must apologise here.....we had lunch looking over the sea, we visited an amazing church which is found in the remains of a medieval village, we thoroughly enjoyed an imaginative and varied flower festival, then went to visit their Garden Fete (sadly now with only £2 between us) and I only took one photo from all those experiences........

Yes, the fete also had a mini dog show too!

Usually when we have our bi-annual holiday in Hunstanton, we tend to do the same things.  This year we thought we would include some new events.  One new event that we didn't actually plan was a sickness bug which slowly worked its way through a quarter of the population, ending with me! **
(My last day there was spent in bed, sipping water and reading yet another book)

One event we did plan was to take Mum to Norfolk Lavender (regular event) but then onto a pub for a lovely lunch. 

It's lovely to have a lavender fix without having to go to the south of France.

Mr Cooper thought so too......

........and Mum liked the idea of a little light lunch to follow.

 We turned left out of Norfolk Lavender and found an excellent pub in the Sedgeford, the next village.  The King William IV.  http://www.thekingwilliamsedgeford.co.uk/
Faultless service, lovely atmosphere and delicious food.  Our only complaint was that we were unable to also have a pudding, as we were too full.  (For me, mackerel, beetroot and orange salad, followed by shark steak served with pineapple salsa and a wonderful mixed salad. )  If you are near, beat a path to its door.  And if you are not near, go anyway and stay for a night or two.

Mr Cooper was determined to visit Holme beach, found in the village next to Old Hunstanton,
Holme-Next-The-Sea.  He had read an article in the Sunday Times, saying how beautiful the beach was, so we  set out, armed with 2 apples and  £3.50 for the car park.  It is not too long a walk to the beach from the car park, but then you have a choice of how far you want to walk to the left or to the right.
It is an amazing beach, with an abundance of sand, a sprinkling of sand dunes and, even better, only a handful of people! We made camp at the bottom of a dune to shelter from the perpetual wind.
The couple occupying the dune to the left of us were looking to get an 'all over' tan!

This is showing evidence of yardangs, and something else technical beginning with Z.
(Zeugens, Mr Cooper has just told me)  To be found in the desert on a much larger scale.

And here we are looking left, with Old Hunstanton on the horizon.

Looking right now, with sea and sand on the horizon......there is an awful lot of sand here.

Looking towards the sea, from the shelter of our 'dune for the day'.

In the sea now, up to my ankles, looking back at the dunes.

But I love this image best of all, here are my knitted flowers basking in the sun.

Of course there was more we did, including cooking and washing up.
We had a great evening, as always, with Philip and Jayne, and Marcus and Edward.
And then I was struck down!

 During my recovery day, after a turbulent night, I read the latest book club choice.....

It is probably not a good idea to read the book club choice whilst ailing.
When I went along to the meeting on Wednesday, I was glad I was sitting next to Hetty, as the other 3 members began to discuss a book that didn't bear much resemblance to the one above.
It is worth a read, but not if you are feeling downcast and in need of a lift.
It is also set in Ireland (first thing that Hetty and I had failed to comprehend...although we were great on the emotion bits)

Back to West Sussex, work and decorating, and looking forward to a happy time ahead.  We made a huge effort over the weekend to finish the last and largest room, so it is ready for when Sarah and Ali are with us, tomorrow morning!  We are now able to watch the Olympics in a clutter-free zone, cream walls instead of red!  It is like being in someone elses house!

I hope you all have a good time ahead of you, whether or not you have family visiting from the Falklands!  And as a sort of bonus award for those of you who have read through to the very end,
Here is the recipe for the best bagel ever, courtesy of the Norfolk Deli.

*The Bostonian, a bagel with peanut butter, cream cheese and celery.
Spread one half of your cut bagel with crunchy peanut butter, the other half with cream cheese (just reach for that tub of Philly) and add some freshly chopped celery, green and crunchy, to the middle.
It's amazing!

**Found out later that I wasn't the last to fall....poor Olivia was struck down when she left.

In this week's blog, there is an especially large animal content.  Plus, a real treat.... we get to meet Commander Cuddles and his black, furry brother (un-named as yet)
But first, let's get the weirdest animals out of the way!

Sunday saw myself, Mr Cooper and son John heading for the Rare Breeds Show, at Singleton.
http://www.wealddown.co.uk/ I hadn't been to this event for a few years, and it has certainly grown.  Next year I will get there as soon as the event is open, to avoid a hugely long walk from the car-park to the show.  (I developed blisters doing this, having managed to survive the South Downs Walk!)

On the day when all the animals were created, I think a few were designed when their creator had been for a liquid lunch.  I think every home should have a pair of Alpacas, purely to make everyone smile.  Not only do they look bizarre, they are able to nibble their back hooves, and make mewing/humming noises.

Having been thoroughly cheered by the sight of several Alpacas, we took the rest of the event more seriously, and I set out to find the elusive Icelandic sheep.  They might not be elusive as a breed, but they are very difficult to find when a) you don't know what they look like and b) the pens show the entry number for their occupants, but not necessarily the breed.

Here one is, and well worth the search.  They are small, and their fleece is amazing....long guard hairs and a beautifully dense fleece underneath.  We had a good 'sheepy' chat with their owners/breeders, and son John is considering acquiring a fleece to spin.

Moving away from animal shows..........and towards creative workshops.

After the success of my last workshop, 'Create An Image Using Tissue Paper', it was time for  another. In fact, I was asked to supply another.  I decided that papier mache would be the next medium we would explore, as it is incredibly versatile, plus cheap and easy to do at home.  After a very enjoyable shopping session for the materials, I was looking forward to Saturday, when the girls were coming over.

Being creative can be draining, so I made a delicious lunch to help us along (plus a chilled bottle of white, of course).  I made a brie and walnut quiche from the second Ambridge cookbook. (As Jennifer Aldridge is a farmer's wife, there is still a tenuous link to animals here.....)

The quiche proved so delicious (it was described as Elizabeth's favourite, from the days when Nelson Gabriel had his wine bar) that I give you the recipe for it.  Sometimes in life we tend to overlook the simpler, more un-complicted things.  This quiche, all warm and souffle-like from the oven is definitely  a recipe where the outcome is far greater than its parts.  Try it, and enjoy!

Sadly, Nelson is no longer with us, and probably even more sadly, one of his good customers died a while back too.  Nigel Pargetter, the then boyfriend of Elizabeth.  Formerly known as 'Mr Snowy', for those of us may be no longer young in years, but still young at heart.

The papier mache Saturday arrived, as did the sun.  It proved to be too hot to work in my shed, so we moved into the kitchen to be creative in the cool.
Here we are all are, showing that working with papier mache is indeed fun, especially after lunch.  Birds, mirror frames, hearts and bowls were all created both from papier-mache and mod-roc.

Thanks everyone, I had such a fun day with you all.  We managed to laugh so much without even catching sight of a single alpaca!

As I had spent a week working inside, looking out at the glorious sunshine, Mr Cooper whisked me away when everyone had gone home.  He took me to the Hare and Hounds in Stoughton where I ate crisps and drank wine in the sunshine.  I also discovered their old sign which no longer hangs, but is hidden by plants, propped up in front of the pub.
I was pleased to see it again, as it is one of my absolute favourites.

And now for Commander Cuddles and his recently-named brother, Lord Snooty.  Commander Cuddles is a little bit smaller than his brother, and initially more out-going and friendly, hence their names.
 Here is an indistinct but historic photo recording the first time they both sat together on a human being since leaving their birth home, purring and snoozing.  Those legs belong to me, clad in my kitchen porter dungarees.  There are two kittens there, just count the ears!

And here is a clearer image, with Snoots (I think) in the background, and Cuddles, (perhaps), looking at something with his round kitten button eyes.  As well as an Alpaca, every household should have a kitten or two, every 7 years. 

Next week it is goodbye to kittens for a while and hello to Hunstanton, where I will be staying with my family, Mum, and my bros and their families, plus two boyfriends.  (Having re-read this, it sounds as if I may be tiring of Mr Cooper, and bringing along a boyfriend or two for added excitement, but no.  James and Jon firmly belong to Ella and Olivia respectively, and Mr Cooper is still full of excitement for me.)
 Is is always lovely to spend time with all the family, and North Norfolk is one of my most favourite parts of the England.  I think that is why I love where I live so much, as the immediate countryside is so very similar to that between Hunstanton and Sheringham.

So I leave you with a view taken half a mile from my house, and next week I will join you again with many more views, from in and around Sunny Hunny.  (You have been warned!)

But first, a small burst of culture for you all. 
David Mitchell wrote the brilliant 'Cloud Atlas' and also this novel.

I did think 'What's going on here?' at the end of the first chapter, but changed that very quickly to 'What is going on here is amazing!  And amazingly weird.......rather like our fuzzy friend, the Alpaca.

Enjoy your week ahead........I hope any weird happenings are also pleasurable, and sunshine and fun are still big parts of your weekly life.
See you all very soon now. 

Every year I go to Wimbledon when the tennis is on, catching the train from Southbourne station, packed lunch and plenty of water in my bag.  Am I heading for the centre court?  No, my destination is for the 'Wimbledon College of Art', where I will hand in my entry for the Jerwood Drawing Prize.

Here is this year's entry,  'Almost Naked And Surrounded By Life'.

And so far, for 4 years now, I have always had to make this trip twice, as any un-selected work has to be collected the following week.  I did say to the official who received this year's entry from me, "I hope I don't see you next week," to which she quietly smiled.  But most likely I will be seeing her on Saturday, as I arrive again at Wimbledon College of Art to re-wrap my work before catching the tram, train one and and train two back to Southbourne station.  However, fingers crossed!

I did deliver some more artwork though, which I know I do not have to collect in a week's time.

Keeping up the very pleasant task of giving my nieces and oldest nephew an 'Un-Christmas' present,

I dived into my plan chest to unearth a trio of mermaid prints for Olivia.

When I met Olivia's then boyfriend and now fiance Jon, I admired his line-work tattoos, some of which featured mermaids.  Going by the feeling that I love mermaids, Jon loves mermaids and Olivia, and Olivia loves Jon and most probably mermaids too, I chose a set of three mermaid lino cuts. They have a coloured, lino-etched background too, (really fun to do, involving wax and caustic soda.  Not only do you get a great effect, but you can use the residue to clean your drains.  Result!) and line-work mermaids printed over this.

'Mermaid One', an un-Christmas present for Olivia.

'Mermaid Two'  a 'congratulations on graduating' present for Olivia,

and 'Mermaid Three', an engagement present for Olivia and Jon.
To add to their collection of mermaids. (They've got one now, even if they didn't have one before!)

And going from creatures who use their beauty to lure people, to a creature who is depicted sometimes as just hideous, and sometimes as hideously beautiful, Medusa.

At Trinity, in Winchester, for the past 3 weeks, we have been working on creating the head of Medusa, using papier mache.  Instead of using snakes as her hair, I incorporated my 'Fun with Fruit' theme, and created hair inspired by fruit.  In particular, the banana, the satsuma and the lime.

It is always a learning curve to work in a different way, or with a different medium.  Rather like with some of my early paintings, I did no planning as such, but rather let the head evolve as it was made.  Now it is almost complete, I realise that with more planning and studies, I could have improved the shape of the face by having ears, and a defined chin.  Next time, before applying glue and newspaper to the balloon, I will apply some thought, and some ideas to paper.

The day after visiting Wimbledon, we travelled to see Mum, and also brother Mark, Ella and big boy Jem.  We had planned to dine out that night. and after having sampled some of the wares from Maccaloo on our previous visit, we all decided to dine there.  http://www.maccaloo.co.uk/
There is a good up-beat feel throughout the restaurant which is obviously very popular.

Here is little Snowy enjoying a selection of beers, and also a most beautiful jug of water too.  Being a young and sensible sort of dog, Snowy has been brought up to drink responsibly, unlike his owner who came of age in the 70s!

A lovely time was had by all....and it was hard to choose what to eat.  I enjoyed my steak but did like the look of Mum's fish, my second choice. (Four of us chose steaks, and they were all cooked longer than requested, a rare came out as medium rare, and medium rare appeared as medium to well done.) The 'Duo of Creme Brulee' ran out just before we made our pudding choices, but this slight disappointment was more than made up for me and Ella by the 'Malteser semi-freddo'.  It was rather large but Ella and I managed to eat it all.

Let's walk away from gastronomy now, and veer towards literature.
This is the book that was chosen for our book group,

There are the rave reviews on the back of the book, which made it seem all the more enticing.
My advice to you...........
Don't waste your time reading this, unless you also enjoy reading Elle, or the Daily Express.

Instead, take a trip to Midhurst and visit the excellent bookshop there. It is a step into the past, in all the right ways.  http://www.wheelersbookshop.co.uk/  If you are my age and have always loved reading, just take yourselves back to your favourite childhood bookshop.
 By all means choose your own book, but this is one I can heartily recommend.  In fact, I am trying to read it slowly, to prolong the pleasure, whilst wanting to read it quickly as I want to know what happens.  As I love Cold comfort Farm, it was a joy to find that Stella Gibbons had written more, and I look forward now to reading the rest too.

Mr Cooper has had an exciting time, involving books.  We have 2 piles of books in the house, one is the 'keep' pile, and one the 'get rid of' pile.  Mr Cooper, with a rush of enthusiasm, took all the 'get rid of ' pile to the charity shop.  He had forgotten that some we had planned to sell, as two in particular are worth more than my car. Luckily he was able to retrieve  them the following morning.
Here is the title page from one of them, a book I have owned since I was 19.

But having lost the 'book of Beasts', if only for one night, I now want to keep it, as it has been the inspiration for quite a few paintings and needlepoints.
Here is 'How to Steal a Tiger Cub', which has been a needlepoint and a painting.

  Absence does make the heart grow fonder......perhaps I should disappear for a day or so myself.

Oh and by the way, I spent a pleasant morning a few days ago now, returning to Wimbledon College of Art, to collect my rejected work.  All went like clockwork, and I was there and back, courtesy of Southern Rail, in just over 4 hours. The fastest time ever, so all was not totally lost.
 Oh well, I shall see how "Almost Naked But surrounded By Life' fares in the National Open Art Competition.  http://www.nationalopenart.org/

Wishing you all a successful week ahead, and if you lose something, may you either find it again, or realise that you don't actually need it anymore.
Have a super-fun weekend too!
Looking forward to catching up with you shortly. And don't forget to follow the advice from little Snowy....enjoy a selection of beers, alongside a lovely jug of water.  "Woof woof!"

Is there a theme to this week's blog?  Possibly cats, but definitely flowers!
Last week, at the end of our South Downs Walk, (yes, I have made a complete recovery, thank you) my little brother Mark came over for the night with Jem, and also a very old friend.

I bought this cat for Mark many years ago, as it reminded me of his exceptional cat, Roger.  Roger had eyes like glass buttons, was extremely naughty, and once he, according to Mum, actually flew.  Now it has emerged from Mark's loft, and has been given to my son John.  He is not having it in his house quite yet, as I am enjoying having it for a holiday first.  It is very cheering having a mad black cat sitting on the kitchen table, grinning away.

There is one thing from the South Downs Walk that I must share with you.  Don't worry, no more photos.  'The Camping Cookbook' is one of my most favourite cookery books (along with many of the others on my shelves) and Annie Bell is definitely one of my favourite food writers.
Flapjack was needed as sustenance on the walk.  Usually, I reach for Delia and her recipe, but I could not find her....

So I reached instead for Annie Bell, and her deliciously chewy flapjack recipe.  What a stroke of luck that was!  I will never reach for Delia again in preference to Annie Bell. I have included the recipe for the flapjacks below, as they are the best flapjacks  I have ever made or tasted....high praise indeed!
  I know Werner agrees with me, as having eaten them each day on the walk, he took the recipe home with him, and is now walking and munching around Suffolk and The Alps.

That will be the only reference to that week of walking.
This week, my regular walk has been much shorter, and also a walk that has been much neglected this year.  As the date for the submission for the Jerwood Drawing Prize draws ever closer, I realised that as well as registering for the event, I needed to actually start and finish the drawing!  So most days have found me walking to my shed, where I have been drawing whilst listening to Radio 4, and it has been so good.  Much better than filling, wallpapering and painting, I felt complete and proper again.

The composition for this year's work is roughly based on a previous work called
 'Naked and Surrounded By Cake'.

  Each year, my entry for the Jerwood is quite autobiographical, and here is my drawing after a couple of sessions.  It is called 'Almost Naked and Surrounded by Life'.
 I think when you are approaching 55,' almost naked' is a lot kinder to the viewers, and I do love any excuse to wear an over-the-top apron!

Lets veer away from my drawing now, to focus on another art work that embraces this week's flower theme.  My son John, after quite a bit of research, went to Salisbury to have a very effective rose tattooed on his forearm.  If, like me, you are loving the result, make your way to 'Timeless Ink' in
Fisherton Street, and ask for 'little Sam'.  http://www.timelessinktattoostudio.com/

Leaving behind drawing with needles and ink, and returning to drawing with pen and ink.
With Mr Cooper away this week for the experience of a lifetime, on The Eiger, with his friend Werner, I was able to crack on, or sketch on, and my drawing took shape pretty quickly.  This was just as well, as it needs to be completed and framed by next Friday, when I take it to London.
Sadly with Mr Cooper away,  I was missing my resident art critic.  A tough job, because if I ask what Mr Cooper thinks of my days work, if the answer is 'brilliant' I then say 'You're not just saying that are you?' If he says 'It's fine' the answer would be 'you don't like it, do you?  Only fine?'  And if there are any suggestions made, will I will act on them, but only after being distraught at being critisised.  He probably timed his trip to coincide with the Jerwood deadline!

As son John was with me for a couple of days,I put my pen and pencil away as our thoughts turned to important matters. ' Let's make some elderflower cordial'.   Each year I think about making some, and each year I leave it too late.  This year we were almost too late, and had to walk for a couple of miles to collect sufficient blooms.

Pausing only to admire the dog roses (note the seamless links to flowers) which took our mind off the nettle stings we gathered whilst trying to gather those just out of reach blooms, we slowly filled our bags with blooms.

And, just like I say each year after Christmas, I am determined to be prepared the following year, for a more pain-free and efficient harvest.  After 24 hours mingling with sugar, water, citric acid and sliced lemons, the elderflowers turn themselves into the most delicious cordial.
 And as it is then strained through muslin, all the bits, including the odd insect, are left behind, leaving only a clear, fragrant liquid.

I am going to try some with Prosecco to celebrate the returning of the roving Mr Cooper.  I will let you know what it tastes like.

The drawing is almost ready to be framed now, apart from those all important touches of colour.  You will have to see the final result next week.  It's always good to have something to look forward to!

And now, back to cats, with flowers in a supporting role.
You may have thought that the pottery Roger was a little unusual, perhaps not to everyone's taste (could be a view shared by Mark, as its been in his loft for many a year)
 Well, I love him, and have even found him a freaky friend.
It just doesn't do to look at their eyes too closely!

 Just drawing to a close now, and looking forward to the return of Mr Cooper, who not only is my art critic, but quite often, my freaky friend I have fun with.  That is when he is not following me round the house with the hoover, telling me that I create mess.
I hope you have some fun on the horizon, with or without your very own freaky friend.  In fact I hope you spend much more time having fun than doing the hoovering!
Will catch up with you all next week.