Conquering 32 counties

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” 
― Ernest Hemingway. 

So we managed to travel to all 32 counties in Ireland and I've put that together on a 80cm x 80cm canvas - a giant keepsake! I bought a map of Ireland, cut it out and mounted it on an existing picture canvas (recycling?) that I do not care much for. Then Audrey helped me paint the water surrounding it with acrylics and gave it a coat of varnish.

I had to label all the photos according to the counties to remember where they are supposed to go. Then I embellished it with objects that are significant to that particular county and did some journalling as well. 

Finally, Michael and I put our signatures at the bottom right corner to authenticate it. I'm quite happy looking at it on the wall! 

On another note, since Autumn is around the corner, I've decided to make 2 new cushion covers.

The Lecturer and her Magnetic Chalk Wall

I made my first magnetic board when I was 23 and had just started teaching. Those were the days without the OHP or the LCD projector so it was a cool teaching aid - a smallish portable board covered with flannel on one side and magnetic paint on the other. Thus I could hold cut-outs with button magnets  or I could use felt backed pictures (I wonder if anyone still remembers such wonders!) on the other side.

Many years on and I managed to convince Michael to paint a part of the staircase wall black. Black? Yes.

As I spent a good many hours doodling on it ...way past midnight, I felt really good and happy. It is all about organising. Those little cards and momentos that mean something to me. Nostalgic: Photographs of my home in Malaysia and Oreo, the basset that went missing.

When my good friend was here, I've turned it into a chalk board as well.

And a lovely visitor decided to put her name on the wall too!

While still in the mood I decided to organise my ribbon collection as well by turning a box into a ribbon holder.