Exhibitions, Shows & Movies

Hello once again my beautiful readers,

Well, it certainly has been a busy weekend. I'm afraid this is another post with no crafts to show. I just haven't made anything in the last week. It's not because I'm taking a break, nor have I lost my mojo. It's because my free time has been taken up on another creative project.

Rather than scrapbook my recent holiday, I'm trying my hand at an old fashioned slideshow. Which has meant that in those hours when I would normally pull out stamps, dies and card, I have my laptop on my, well lap, cropping, processing and editing together a movie.

I finally pieced the whole project together last night. It still needs a soundtrack but I'm waiting on Nick to find something appropriate from his classical collection. I spent an hour trying to find a fitting piece of mood music from my own files and came up with nothing. So yes, that's what has been keeping me busy.

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know that I love to venture out and visit art galleries whenever there's something new on show. On Friday, I had a relaxed outing to Manchester Art Gallery to see their new Time Machine exhibit by the artist Joana Vasconcelos.

She has taken over the gallery with her wonderfully camp and colourful creations which for the main you can go and see for free. There are a few pieces that you pay to see and for their WOW factor alone, I was more than happy to.

Especially too see the star of the show. The time machine itself. An actual helicopter taking up a whole room, decked out in pink ostrich feathers, gold paint and jewels. Joana says it is her vision of how Marie Antoinette would have flown around. Actually, I'd say it's more in the style of the late and great Liberace.

Then on Saturday I hopped onto the train to see the Harrogate Craft Show. I went primarily to catch up with friends whom I don't see very often and this is the perfect opportunity to meet up.

I've been going to the show for several years now. I remember how much I loved it back then. Wonderful stalls, jam packed with goodies. Spending all my cash within minutes of arriving. Best of all, there was lots of space to move around.

Not this time. There were fewer stalls, crammed into a different hall which was half the size. You could not move for the crowds of people all packed into narrow lanes. And if you were happy to fight to view the displays and actually purchased something, there were ridiculously long queues for paying.

The experience was nothing like the good old days (and yes I am truly aware of how much of an old git that phrase makes me sound lol). If it hadn't been for meeting friends, I would have turned around and left within minutes of arriving. Thankfully, it was a sunny day and plenty of space outside the hall to sit and enjoy the views, wallowing in nostalgia, recalling how the show was in its heyday.

I came away having only purchased one bottle of glue and a solitary shimmer pen. I used to be laden with bags full of stuff. And it's not because I spend less on craft supplies these days. It's that I'm more at home shopping on the internet. There's time to peruse all the items a shop has. Nobody elbowing me out of the way. And when it comes to paying, there's no queue. Best of all, the excitement of a parcel arriving at my door. Who doesn't get all giddy when new stash arrives?

One day, the circle will come around and shows like this will return to their glory. Until then, I'll be the one hitting the paypal button again :)

Now that my movie is, for the most part, finished, I'm hoping that I can blow the dust of my craft table and start making cards again. I feel the need to ink up stamps.