Claire's blog

Caught the plane back on Sunday, after spending a long time trying to fit everything I wanted to bring back here with me within the tiny weight limits set by RyanAir. Still managed to pack two saucepans and my DVDs, both of which I desperately wanted as I still don’t have TV or internet connected […]

I’ve moved to Ireland now, but haven’t been posting as I don’t yet have internet access in my apartment – lovely though it is in every other way. But I’ve come back to England for the last few days for my viva (which was on Thursday). It was scary and nervewracking, and took 2 and […]

Blimey. Almost a month since my last post! Over the last month I’ve…. Finally finished, printed, bound and submitted my thesis!!!!!! That’s one thing less to worry about, at least until my viva on August 11th. Wish me luck. Been to Galway for my second interview. They flew me out one night and put me […]

So I’m finally posting about all the things I’ve been doing recently (postdating them so it looks like I’ve been updating regularly) while watching the Murray/Nalbandian match at Wimbledon. Currently Murray leads 2 sets to 1, and 3 games to 1 😯 Edit: 2 sets all!!! And Murray’s looking tired… Edit: It’s all over, Andrew […]

I had a wonderful time in New York – shopped, did some sight-seeing, ate lots of wonderful food, walked MILES, went to museums, met some new people…. and I took tons of photos. I’ve not been through them yet, I think what I’m going to have to do is write posts and back date them […]

Arrived in New York on the 13th, after a journey that was hassle-free but fairly complicated – I managed to travel by road, rail, monorail, air, rail again, boat, and finally I walked the last stretch from the Hoboken Ferry terminal to the apartment! The journey was easy, but I did manage to drop and […]

I finally finished all 6 chapters of my thesis and got them sent off to my supervisor for a final read through. I’ve still got to make any changes she suggests, and I think she’s going to suggest quite a lot for the discussion, but I get to have a little break for a week […]

After being very good, and only working on my thesis for a while, I took a day off today, and finally finished Mopsy He needs some embellishment – earrings, and I might dress him – but for now he’s all done. At the same time as I’ve been working on Mopsy, Mum’s been working on […]

So lesson 2 for Mopsy was released yesterday, and today I made the body, arms, legs, and tail. He’s only held together by pins at the moment – we don’t put him together and finish the face until the lesson next week.

It’s snowing! In Nottingham!!! I mean, we rarely see snow even in the middle of winter, but here we are with snow in April 🙄 Well, I guess it’s not that unusual, British weather being what it is…

Hooray!! I’ve finally updated my web site. It’s not as good an update as I’d like – I’ve got loads of content I still want to put up there (photos of my other crafty stuff, book shop, tutorials) – but that’s just going to have to wait until the thesis is out of the way. […]

So, as I mentioned before, I’m taking an online dollmaking class with Ute Vasina, and the first lesson began on Friday. I wasn’t able to make a start on Friday, but on Saturday I sat down and made the head and needlesculpted it!

It’s been a while since I’ve put up any photos from the nest-cam, but I am still taking them. So here’s the update on our blue-tits… These photos were taken on the 20th March, when the blue tit was still working hard on altering the shape of the entrance hole to the nest box. There […]

I know, I know. It’s been a while since I added to the blog, and even longer since I updated my website. In my defence I will say that I’ve been giving the site a spring face-lift, so won’t be updating until that’s finished, but I’ve been working on that for the last 3 or […]

It being Red Nose Day, Rob went to work today wearing a red shirt and with his hair sprayed red. It’s a bit dark, and you can’t really see how bright it is, as I got up at SIX O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING to spray his hair before he set off for work. How he […]

So it snowed a few days ago, and kept going for a few days. Real honest to goodness snow! I’d have posted about it sooner, except it began snowing on Wednesday morning (when we got up at 6.45 am to see Mum, Dad, and Wilbeary off on their trip to NY), when I took the […]

The weather must have been listening to me as it tried very hard to snow yesterday (but didn’t manage more than a few brief flurries), and we should be getting some more next week. Hopefully it’ll hold off a little, though, as we’re off to London tomorrow to see the Turner, Whistler, Monet exhibition at […]

…depressing. I don’t think we had a summer this year, just a day of sun early in the year (the day I went to the Nottingham open actually, and got sunburn in an interesting pattern around the beaded necklace I was wearing!), and now it’s beginning to look official that we don’t get winter either […]

The sewing machine is fantastic!!! And I have been making a doll with it. So far I’ve finished her basic body and dyed her, so I’m now planning how to embellish and dress her

I’ ve got a sewing machine!!! Through a combination of saving up, and money for Christmas and my birthday I am now the proud owner of a Bernina Virtuosa 153QE I’ve had a little play on it and I’m now working on making a doll – I’ll have to post a photo once it’s finished!