Wet, wet,wet!

What a wet wintery week we've had!  It has rained the whole week. It did, however, stop long enough for my netball girls to give our opposition a lesson in netball on Wednesday! They were awesome! They played textbook netball, did all the things we've been practising and made me so proud. My U13B won 22-4 and the A side won 14-5!

Caitlin (eldest gannet) as Goal shooter in perfect position during the match!

My brother and nephew are staying for the weekend, and today we went to watch Seb doing his grading at karate. He did really well, and has now progressed to his blue belt!

Seb is the one with the green belt!

Concentration! 

This Friday was our turn to host the Inter schools cross country....as you can see, it was a little cold and wet! It rained so much on Thursday that the race course had to be diverted on Friday morning. Thankfully the rain held off until the last age group was running!

 

Challenge #73 was a UMT (Use My Tangle) called Bridgen by Carole Ohl. As soon as I saw the tangle, I just knew I had to do it in colours! So I dug out my moleskin (which lives in my handbag with one of my micron pens) and my  new set of coloured fineliners, and got to it. I've even started a new one, which is going to be filled with different tangles and a bit of colour!

Challenge #73

Tomorrow, I start my A4 journal with pattern stacks and tangles and all sorts of other bits and pieces! Fun, fun, fun! 

And to end of, a saying am a sugar packet I got in a coffee shop during the week:

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them!

Pennyb

Comrades Time

My girls have done me so proud! They both got Honours for all their Eisteddfod Dances these last 2 weeks (80-90%)! Now we get to rest a little bit for the rest of term, phew!

My "Commission" is finished! A very good friend of mine asked me to do a painting for her sister's 50th nxt weekend. The sister loves lighthouses, so I found a photo of Cape Hangklip lighthouse - just ask Google, he knows everything!- and got to work. I'm really chuffed with how it turned out, and might just try another one!

Lighthouse 1: photo on the left

Lighthouse 2: taking shape

Lighthouse 3: more shading and the keepers house

Lighthouse 4: finished!

My next UFO (Unfinished Object) is a jersey I started crocheting last winter! I didn't rush it, brcasue I had to lengthen the pattern all over -they just make things for tall people anymore-and finished sewing on the buttons this morning. Rather pleased with the end result.

Interesting trying to take a photo of yourself in the mirror!

Challenge #72 from The Diva was a monotangle of Crescent Moon. I've used it before but always in the same way. Enthusiastic Artist had some brilliant ideas of "changing" crescent moon but still keeping within the concept of the design! Thanks for the inspiration! I'm not overly pleased with my effort this week, it's one of those tiles I just don't like!

Challenge #72: Cresecent Moon monotangle. Not sure whether I should have added bits to the larger one on the left...

The last thing today is the reason for the title this week....on Sunday, the Comrades Marathon takes place. The Comrades Marathon is one of the world's top ultra marathons of 90km, run between Durban and Pietermaritzberg (Durban is on the East coast and is the capital of Kwazulu Natal)). One year they run to the coast, the next year inland. There are in the region of 20 000 runners with a cut-off of 11 hours! The top runners usually finish in about 5 hours, top 10 getting gold medals, silver to those that finish between 6 and 7½ hours, bronze for the rest. I have a few friends (completely insane, I think!) running tomorrow and would like to wish them a wonderful weather and a good finish!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, happy crafting

Pennyb

Eistedffod time

It's that time of year again, when we travel to the other side of Cape Town for Eistedffods! Both gannets are dancing: the oldest has 3 dances and the youngest 2. The eldest gannet danced her character dance yesterday and got Honours (between 80-90%), and has her 2nd one on Saturday. The youngest dances next week....lots of tangling to be done for the hours of waiting inbetween!

My youngest gannet is thoroughly enjoying her hockey as well! I'm really chuffed because she can play both netball and hockey this year...all the extra murals slot in together perfectly. They played a match on Thursday - and they were awesome! 

The U10 hockey girls enjoying themselves while waiting for their game. The youngest gannet is the one at the top!

The eldest gannet does something quite amazing every once in a while! (She's 12 turning 13 and is writing exams for the first time, so we have a few hormones and "moments" at home!) Anyway, she made breakfast on the weekend, and this is what we got! It.Was. Divine!!

Alaska Surprise: French toast with cinnamon and nutmeg in the mixture, sandwiched with syrup and ice-cream and sprinkled with icing sugar!

Nipper Prizegiving and end of season bash tomorrow - hopefully the rain will stay away long enough so the nippers can play outside for a while!
The challenge this week from The Diva was to use the new tangle, Pea-nuckle by Zentangle. You can read about it in the Zentangle Newsletter. I struggled a bit with the spacing of my S's, and decided to leave the back of the zigzags plain. I tried another new tangle by Molossus called Planateen (the one that looks like roof tiles) and it was really easy to do! Thanks Molossus!

Challenge #71: Pea-nuckle, Planateen, Sanibelle and lots of bubbles!

And so ends another hectic week! 

Keep crafting

Pennyb

Wonderful Wet Winter Weather

So here in the Western Cape, it is truly winter. We have had 3 days of continual rain, fires are being lit, winter pj's are the thing to wear for bed! And of the course the kitchen and scullery look like a chinese laundry with damp washing hanging everywhere! (Electricity is just too expensive at the moment to tumble dry too often!)


My blog views also ticked over the 4000 mark this week! Thanks so much everyone for all the wonderful comments over the past year. I started writing the blog during a fairly "dark" time last year and it was very therapeutic for me to do so. A special thanks to all my new friends from different corners of the world!

We have had the most amazing week in False Bay....orcas...chasing dolphins and generally just chilling....all week! We sometimes get one or two, but not a pod for a whole week! The photos were taken by a friend of mine who works on one of the tour and research boats in Simons Town (our Naval Base)! Now I just need to see one myself!

My friend Kari Underhill with camera with Simon"s Town in the background!

I've been playing around with Pattern Stacks again, and have been "commissioned " to do some for friends. I really do enjoy this lettering style, it's whimsical and very freeing. NExt time, I might just tangle the blocks...!

Pattern Stack from The Rainbow Elephant

I was quite exited about the Diva's challenge this week because the one thing I've always like to do, is put just a hint of colour into my tangles. I borrowed my eldest gannet's fineliner pen set this week and chose the lighter of the two browns. The challenge started with me drawing a single Allium (from Tinker Tangles), but I didn't know how to carry on, so left it on its own!

Challenge #70: Allium, facets, fife, hibred and lots of bubbles!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Pennyb

Winter Weekend

Whew! What a long week... It just seemed to go on for ages! 

Monday night I went to painting and worked on my ladies that I posted last time. It's a while since I sloshed acrylic onto a canvas, so I'm having fun! I also have my first commission!! A friend is organising her sisters 50th with the help of her friends...she's arranging personal gifts. I've been asked to paint either the scene from their house or the Hangklip Lighthouse. I've chosen to paint the lighthouse...watch this space! 

I also taught my first Zentangle  class on Wednesday evening!! our local english Teacher's Union has a "Winter Chill Out", where they offer various workshops for an hour, provide dinner and then have another workshop. I"ve been a presenter at these get-together's for years now and thid year offered to teach Zentangles! I had 14 ladies and 1 man...I cut some 200g art board I had into squares and then used my corner rounder punch (to make them look like the Zentangle tiles).... I taught them Hollibaugh, Florz, Jetties, Sez and Strircles. I made some handouts with how Zentangle started, and the website link and then 4 other official tangles. I covered the tables with a variety of my Zentangle tiles from The Diva's Challenges to show everyone what they could achieve. My only regret is that I never had my camera, and so didn't get a photo of the finished products!

My favourite comments that night were: "you really don't have to be able to draw" and "you can lose yourself in the patterns, it's so calming!"

On Thursday night, both my gannets were in the finals of the Annual Speaker/Reader Competition held by the Drama Department. Each child had to select a section of an appropriate book and "Read" it to the audience and panel of judges. The youngest gannet (grade 4) chose a section from The Folk of the Faraway Tree where Saucepan Man mishears everything, and the eldest gannet chose the first chapter from Little Women. They were both very good and the eldest gannet was chosen as a top 3 winner!!

The eldest gannet in the blue dress as Jo from Little Women with her grade 7 friends.

The youngest gannet as one of the children from the Faraway Tree stories. She knew her part off by heart!

ON Thursday afternoon, the youngest gannet played her first hockey match of the year AND scored a goal! The U10A team won their match 5-1 in the end - very exciting!

The youngest gannet in full flight scoring her goal!

I never managed to complete the Diva's challenge last week, but have included last weeks challenge into this weeks challenge!

Challenge #69 (with Challenge #68)!

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and to all my South African friends - Happy Mothers Day tomorrow! May you get spoilt rotten all day!

Lots of love

Pennyb