It's time for a new post!

Let's get straight into it, shall we? No waffling about how I haven't posted in over a month - I've got news and pictures to share and don't want to waste any time.

But first - lambs!!!!

Happy Spring, everyone!

Now, in our last episode, I had just met some creative people in Hay-on-Wye. That led to my joining the Marches Book Arts Group (MBAG), which meets monthly in the beautiful little town of Clun, near these fine gentlemen.

sculpture by Jemma Pearson

The group is preparing for an exhibition in Hay-on-Wye in April, the Hay Book Arts Trail, which will have displays in shop windows around town. It'll be up in time for Bookstagram 2017, a weekend of events celebrating Hay's 40th anniversary of 'independence'. It is going to be amazing!

I'll have some work in Timeless Treasures, an antiques shop. But if you can't make it to Hay - maybe you live 5,000 miles away - let me show you my little treasures.

The first one is Alt Album. I made a little photo album using scans of my own travel photos circa 1990. I cut and pasted, analogue-style, little pictures of my grandparents into the scenes - my grandfather is carrying a suitcase, ready for their journey.

cover material taken from old Larousse French encyclopedia - Je seme a tout vent means 'I sow to all winds'

at the White House

in Rome

by the Parthenon in Athens

The next one returns to one of my favourite mediums - an Altoid tin.

I made another Petit Bibliotheque. I really love this one!

The other two are simple small journals. This one is dos-a-dos style with two sets of pages.

The next one has a bird theme and uses repurposed papers for the pages, some with little pockets.

So, that's what's been keeping me busy - and sane and happy. That, and long walks in beautiful scenery, in all kinds of weather.

See you in Hay!

Val

What the Hay?

(Has it really been a month since my last blog post?)

(Yes, Val, it really has. You've just been too busy with your smarty-pants-phone and Insta-booyah-gram to notice anyone else.
Sniff, sniff.)

My egotistical Id has just informed me that I've been neglecting my blog, so let's have a little wrap-up of me and my life. It's been an eventful - some might even say crazy - month in the world, but in my little corner of Wales the sun always shines and there's no heavy traffic. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, lambs are gambolling and the coffee is always delicious!

Roberts Coffi Siop in Dolgellau

It's not always perfect here, but even if you're standing in a graveyard with a cold wind clutching at your throat, the views are incredible!

I made plans to go to Hay-on-Wye to meet someone from Instagram, and that expanded to include more people from Instagram as well as from a book arts group. I didn't have any calling cards - and I wanted to impress everyone - so I finally got around to making some Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). Ta da!

I used cut-outs of old family photos (scanned and printed). And then I decided to make some little books.

The one at the front has thumbnails from the back of a calendar.

And then I went to Hay-on-Wye and met these cool people!!

That's Kelly on the right, another American in Wales (on IG @torch.song.tango and fedoras.and.pearls). On the left is Anne, co-owner of Addyman Books (@addymanbooks), a fantastic shop on many levels with nooks, crannies, steampunk stair rails, and so many books I couldn't even begin to browse (too much chatting!).

miniature books - squeeeeee! 

So, life is SWEET, as long as I don't watch the news.

in Chester

Well, that's probably enough for now, don't you think? Here's one last one from a recent walk near home.

Val

2017 So Far

Wow, what a year it's been, huh? Holy cow! It's been windy, rainy, snowy, melty.

Sunny, cloudy, dark and light.

There's been fly-tipping in our local town.

What a tumultuous year so far - and it's only beginning!

our view on a misty morning

But seriously, I am incensed at politics in both the US and UK, and I am about to go cold turkey and quit reading or watching the news at all. That'll show 'em! If politicians give a damn about my opinion (they don't), they'll be sorry I'm not watching their fake news, platitudes and Twitter regurgitations. But I don't want to sully my pristine blog with politics. I want to talk about something important, which is - is anybody blogging anymore?

abandoned chapel near us

I've become very dilatory about blogging - and especially about commenting - since I drank the Instagram Kool-aid. I'm doing this post because I wanted to practice writing again using all ten fingers to type instead of just thumbs. (Actually, I just use my right index finger to text, hunting and pecking on the phone keyboard. Is that a typical old lady thing? How do you text - fingers or thumbs?)

near the abandoned chapel

So I'll throw in a few photos here, because I have loads. And I'll encourage you all to ignore the news and politics and instead have a shot of vodka and play a game of Scrabble. Spring is just around the corner!

spring lamb on butcher shop sign in Llanidloes

door in Llanidloes

door in Winchelsea

church window in Winchelsea

London!

Val

The Not So Insta Gram

I have to get this out of my system. I promise if you let me rant now, I will reward you with pretty pictures, wine and chocolate chip cookies. But first I have to tell you that BT (British Telecom) has still failed to connect our broadband internet service. Hashtag that!

#BTfail

We were told a month ago that there was a fault with the ‘underground line’ to our house, and yes, we were told that the engineers who do that work ‘are very busy’. Since then, Mr. S contacted BT several times and been told lie after lie after lie, some told with Indian accents by people who take ‘personal responsibility’ for making sure this would be sorted out.

#BTbullshit

Finally, Mr. S contacted our Member of Parliament as well as the chairman of BT. We have been assigned a person who is responding personally, mostly to make excuses. However, as of today we have the landline telephone hooked up! That’s progress!

However, we were told it will take five to seven days to switch the broadband on!*$!#&%!

#BTWTF

We use our smartphones to do a reasonable amount of stuff – emails, Instagram, Facebook – and we’ve set one up as a wifi hotspot so we can use our computers in a pinch. That’s a real data drain, though, so I’ve been Instagramming rather than blogging, and my Muse Fondue Facebook page is slumped in the corner like a ventriloquist’s dummy.

But now I’m sacrificing my data ration to bring you – ta da! – pretty pictures from Wales! Almost all of these have not even been on Instagram – they are exclusive to the blog. Don’t you feel special? I hope you enjoy them!

The orangery at Powis Castle

Plunge pool at Powis Castle - looks inviting, no?

View from the orangery

Leighton church doorway with finger (I did it on purpose, natch)

Llanerfyl church doorway

Bishops Castle street

Bishops Castle square

Montgomery Castle ruins and view beyond

And for those of you who also want wine and chocolate chip cookies, send me your address and I’ll, um, put them in the post.

Val