Just to let you know

Just so that you all don't think that I have fallen out off the edge of the earth. Our computer had a major virus attack which caused it to crash. It is now in the process of being rebuilt again so I am not able to post much. But the good news is our laptop is up and running now so at least I can now post something. But no pictures for present I am afraid. Shall get back when all is up and running.

Home at last!!!

Hello all after travelling 15hrs by an overnight train from Lisbon that had no sleeping arrangements in it to Hendaye which is the French border and then driving for another 8 hrs non stop immediately to catch a Ferry at Le Havre and ferrying across for 3 hrs and then driving again for another 2 hrs we were finally back home past midnight on Wednesday. It was supposed to have been a short 4 nights stay in Lisbon but we got grounded in Lisbon due to the air chaos. Then we decided to make our own way back since we could not see an immediate end to the problem and here I am. However it was a very enjoyable stay in Lisbon and we had a great time. I am still trying to get over the horrendous journey so I shall leave you with some images of Lisbon. Don't forget to click on the pictures to get a better view.

Our tram making its way through narrow streets of the old city. At some places there was no room for people to walk .

An elevator in the town which connects the lower level to the higher level of the city.

The Portugese are good craftsmen and they particularly seem to be good at pottery making and clay sculptres.

Hey are you not finished yet there is a que building up!

In one of the old Castle we went looking for the loos and I just could not resist taking this lol!

A peocock goodbye at the castle

Beautiful exterior of train station Rossi

Entrance to a Moorish palace in Sintra

Rossi square all lit in the night

Route 28 of the tram which takes you through the beautiful old town of Lisbon.

Another view of the Moorish castle

I loved these clay sculptres outside many restraunts and bars.

These are some of the many tiles that decorate the city walls

Money and pastry? Thank you I'll have both lol!

Early morning

Early yesterday morning I saw a great big shadow land on our neighbours roof top. Luckily the window is just opposite to the bed and I had my mobile phone in hand so I quickly took this picture of our visitor.  He was gorgeous but such a shy creature that even that small movement from inside the house scared him away. I would have loved to have taken a better picture but as always I never seem to have my camera handy at the right time lol!

Certainly SPRING!!

I must apologise for being absent for a bit from my blog. I haven't had much to say or show as I have been trying to fight sinus problems. But things are looking up now and now that spring is here, it is certainly here isn't it?

Just walking through the garden I spotted these lovely Camelias. I do believe I have not seen them in bloom before. It just was a green foliage for a long time but this year it has given a surprise and bloomed in this lovely delicate creamy colour.

We do have several single petal ones and again this one has given us a surprise with its double petals.

This little primrose will not let the others take the lime light. It struggles valiently through the dried undergrowth to show that it is well and kicking.

Daffodiles are always a joy to see in any garden.

I nearly missed this rhododendron from seeing it in bloom. It is hidden away behind a huge bush.

Ah I see that our visitors are coming back to sun themselves in the garden.

I am back

I am back. My trip was ok even though some of the time it was anxious, some of the time it was sad and some of it happy but that is life.

While I was there I visited Dakshin Chitra. A place where the rural culture of Southern India is depicted of begone years. I suspect it still might exsist in some places. It was not my first visit but still I enjoyed it. When I visited Pompei I realised that there was a similarity in their living as it was in these villages. So my thinking is that there must have been a similar parellel culture exisiting in India during that era. 

Below is a curtain or a bedspread I have no idea what it was used as, but I thought it was beautiful. The applique work the embroidary and beadwork and shisha work on it was lovely. My camera was playing up so the pictures didn't come out well.

Most of the villages were farming communities or weavers. Below is an old handloom weaving machine.

Some clay dolls. They were mainly used for religious festivals.

Whenever I had some time I did some creating. I made these little ornaments as gifts.

I also doodled  a bit with water colours. Picked a few flowers and tried to paint. I am so rusty with water colours I need a lot of practice.  I realised that the colours of flowers in Chennai are predominantly shades of pink, red, orange and yellow. I just  couldn't find many purples or blue. The ones that I did find were very pale in colour. Must be because it is so hot there so the colours are all warm colours. Here I find that the colours are predominantly shades of blues and purples. Must be again something to do with the weather.

She has changed!

Hello all I thought I'd show you how far I got with the personal challenge doll before I go away. Yes I am going away again so may not be able to blog for sometime. I will have to leave her too. There is still a lot of work to be done on her face, legs and on her skirt too I think it is a bit too plain. That is all the  time I have for me to work on her now till I get back. I shall try and log in if possible and keep up with all you if possible. Until then au revoir.

Give away from Thimbleprimsstudios

Hello all just to let you know that Cindy from Thimbleprimsstudios is having a lovely give away. Pop into her blog and have a look.

Personal Challenge doll

Warning if you don't want to look at weird looking curvaceous bodies then look away!!!

I am doing the Personal Challenge doll in Sherry's group. I sewed the body parts and wanted the legs bent so that I could make the doll sit. Until I started to assemble the parts I didn't realise that to make the legs fit in a sitting position I would have had to alter the body a bit or have the legs in standing position. Since I wanted to avoid making a stand for the doll I didn't want  straight legs. I joined the parts anyway and you can see how hilarious the doll looks.

So I decided that I would sculpt her body! Having no experience in doing a sculpt I just did what I thought was right and you can see the results down. Everytime I look at it I want to laugh lol! Oh well I think it will have to do. It is becoming a real challenge for me just because I wanted her to sit down lol!

Even Choc has a chuckle now and then looking at her. Bye the way he insisted on being in the picture.

A give away

Lisa Gatz is having a wonderful give away. Visit her blog and find out the goodie she is giving away! http://lisagatz.blogspot.com/2010/02/aowoh-giveaway.html

A quick panel

I made this panel for a friend. I am not very good at making these panels for quilts etc so I just dyed it and painted it. Since I don't do much dyeing either I made a little bit mess of it so I had to camouflage it with some glitter as you can see the spots of glitter all around. I do hope my friend likes it. It doesn't look too bad actually but in the picture it looks aweful. The pearlised colours don't show up well either in the photo.