35 posts tagged “tiles”

 

Well what can I say about my father.

He is a man of extreme emotions.

He is probably the most pig headed, hard arsed bastard you've ever met. But as a kid, just when you were about ready to run away from home or take a vow to never speak to him again, he'd do something really funny or thoughtful.

You know he used to yell at our friends when they came for sleepovers if he thought they needed it. Usually over something stupid. I think one time someone ate the last of the bread and he went off. He would swear and yell and rant. They must have been terrified of him. I remember him giving a guy staying with us a terrible verbal because he rode the motorbike like a dickhead and scared cows I think it was. It was certainly something I didn't experience when I went to my friends houses. Having their fathers yell at me.

But then there was also the time when I was out driving around the farm with him, heading towards dusk, and he said he had something special to show me. I was about ten I guess. He went and parked near one of the dams and told me I had to be really still and quiet and when it was almost dark hundreds of kangaroos came down to the dam to drink. I'll never forget that.

Or the time he went out with the gun to shoot a feral cat that was hanging around, only to come back in and say he couldn't do it because the cat stayed right where it was and looked him straight in the eye. Within six months that cat was called Thomas and was sitting in the kitchen every night waiting for dinner.

So happy fathers day to my dad, a complicated, annoying, charming, intelligent, pig headed old bastard.

 

 

 

For fathers day I had a rummage through his old metal tin he keeps photos in and made him some tiles that Mum had mounted on black board.

Here he is with his Mum. He told me his Dad though he looked like s girl with his blonde curls so took him to the barber and had it all cut off.

 

 

This one you've seen before probably. Here he is with his Mum and Dad.

 

 

And with his friends before he left for Australia

 

 

He remembers this day well. Happier days I think, before the war started.

 

 

This was a shop that was owned by his grandfather. it was all destroyed during the war. He wrote about staying there

In the summers we went to the small island of Sark for our holidays. We used to spend two months there at my grandfathers weekender. It was a bungalow with a shop at the front and consisted of one big room with four little bedrooms around it, each one fitted out like a ships cabin with two bunks and a little porthole to open. The island was a lovely place. I could run wild, it was very safe for a child. We could walk to the beach and the fishing was good out in the boat and it was I suppose a bit of a fools paradise really.

After the war we went over to Sark to look at our lovely old bungalow. Well it was burnt to the ground, not a thing left. So there were no more holidays in Sark. I think Dad was sick at heart. Those were nasty blows for my father.

 

I'm sure you all read Frankie magazine. It's what all the cool people read.

 

And its definitely the magazine that has all the cool people in it.

LIKE ME!!

A few months ago I had an email saying Frankie wanted to put a little blurb in their magazine about my tiles and I was all cool - sure ok. I didn't say I'd never even seen the magazine.

But it came out today so I raced down and bought it. Then I showed the ladies at the newagent, who didn't act nearly thrilled enough about it.

See, there I am, right under the little interview with Mark Everett.

Papa's little Hanko Ponies photo. He'd be tickled pink I reckon.

 

 

 

 

Which reminds me he wrote a book I must buy called Things the Grandchildren Should Know. Mark Everett that is, not Papa. Heard him on JJJ the other day talking about it.

Go me. Go Papa.

They're not actually THE Hanko Ponies, they're a couple of hanko ponies, but that didn't sound as good.

So I made this one from one of papa's slides. He took this in the small town of Hanko which is in Finland and there are ponies there. Wild ones in the forest that aren't too wild because there's one photo of someone sitting in a car patting one.

 

 

Then there is this one that I like because I like to think about those three and if they're together or not. Thats one of the things about photos you can make up a story about the people in them. There was another guy to the right but he was standing in a funny position and it looked like he was doing a wee in the fountain so I cut him out. He wasn't with anyone. So I don't know if these three are together or not but I think not.

Anyone know where it is?

 

 

Also don't know where this was taken but I like it.

 

I've been trying out a few new things.

I found this photo of Mum playing golf in the slidebox. And I wanted to practise how to create snow and it seemed like a good candidate for the job. Then the rest just happened. Ah well, it gave me a laugh anyway.

 

 

I thought this one looked pretty good. Was going for a pen and ink sketch look.

 

 

And this one is pretty cool. Anyone know where it is? Or if the takeaway is still there?

 

It was 43 degrees here yesterday. Thats hot. 109 fahrenheit. Funny how after you've had a few days with temperatures in the 40's, that a 36 degree day doesn't seem hot at all.

Now, this is my grandfather. Pretty little thing wasn't he? I never met him. He lived in Guernsey and died at a very young age.

 

 

But he grew up to be all manly. He played rugby union for The Barbarians and England. He was on a trading card and this was it.

 

 

Dad wanted me to make some tiles for him so he has been digging around his tin of goodies again. Last time I was there he said to me - you know, I guess it was just what times were like, but I never told my father I loved him. He was a lovely chap. 

Here they are at a grand prix in Guernsey. My dad is the one in the front row looking straight ahead and his dad is next to him. Funny the lady looking the opposite way.Two people always catch my attention when I look at this - the woman sitting next to my grandfather who looks like she has a fantastic outfit on, with the turban, and the creepy looking guy near the lamp post.

 

and here are some more tiles I've been dabbling around with

this one because I like to think I have an adventurous mind, and hope I always keep it

 

 

this one because I think way too much about things and I'm getting sick of it because my brain never stops and it gets overwhelming 

 

 

and this was from a photo I took a while back and was messing about with - he was lovin' himself sick

 

 

Here are some tiles I've made using slides from Papas slidebox

 

 

 

 

So there I was, sitting in the car, driving along, had a nice day shopping.  And I was rubbing the back of my leg, just above the knee. And I thought, hmmm, that feels a bit strange. So I had another feel, nope, that doesn't feel right, so then I had a look. And then I thought to myself

What the hell is that doing there!

And I turned to Daz and Lizzie and said

One of you could have told me I have a giant pubic hair growing out the back of my leg!!

Once you hit 40, it appears your body sprouts hair wherever the hell it feels like.

First it was the one grey, no white, bristle, that I found sprouting from my chin. I saw it one day in the car mirror. I said the same thing then - why the hell didn't someone tell me that was there?

But now this. Pubic hairs, lost, popping out in inappropriate places. Gonna have to keep an eye on that.

Getting old must be some sort of big joke, really, I mean you couldn't take it seriously. There better be a big payoff at the end.

 

I usually use Krylon sprays on the tiles I make. But I'm always on the look out for other products because you never know when something better may come along. And recently I was asked to make some tiles that will hang outside, they'll be under cover, but outdoors. And I'd been trying another brand of spray that I'd been liking so I thought I'd write to them and ask some questions. Told them about the tiles and coasters, which of their products I was thinking about using, what they thought.

And they sent me back an email that said  - we wouldn't recommend any of our products for any of your projects.

I feel like writing back and telling them they should have more faith. Because I made one a while ago using their sprays and its hanging outside on my wall, it's been through fog and rain and sun and it's doing beautifully. Funny thing is though they've put me off it. Made me doubt it. I'll stick to the krylon.

 

I had this conversation with my husband last night

Me - Why did you open the new milk when there was still some left in the other one?

He - I thought it was a bit off when I smelled it.

Me - Well why didn't you throw it away?

He - I thought it might've still been good enough for you.

I feel so special.