Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Sunday 24 February 2013

I got!

 Although I have already been nominated for this award  I am not going to let it past that two other bloggers have recently , simultaneously , nominated me for the Liebster Award once again.

Therefore thank you so much Shari at Lauren's Closet and Taci at TaciStudio for this great award. Can I also recomend bloggers that if you haven't done so already you pop in to visit these blogs because you won't be disappointed.

The following is to clarify what this award is about:
"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate another 11 bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer. It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to join.


Random Facts About Me

1. I miss having a proper garden.
2. I love a good film but prefer to see it in my home rather than going to the cinema.
3. Telemarketing harrasment annoys me terribly.
4. I am obssesed about not hearing the alarm in the morning and being late for work.I have three alarm clocks set up in case!
5. I must have music in my life......a daily dose or two.
6. I love a frosty glass of white wine.
7. I am not afraid to be alone.
8. Thunder storms thrill me and more so when its over the sea.
9. I love Devonshire clotted cream.
9. My vivid imagination can cause me problems at times.
10. I hate jelly.
11. I can't wear a watch. A quirk I inherited from my father.

Answers to Shari's and Taci's questions:
 1. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
crochet,crochet and walk,read,take photos.
2. WHAT KIND OF TRADITIONS HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN IN YOUR FAMILY?

3. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
New Zealand and Myanmar
4. WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU THE MOST?

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
Green
6. WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BLOGGING?
The incredible sense of virtual camaraderie and friendliness.
7. IF YOU SPEND ONE DAY WITH A FAMOUS PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE?

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
9. WHAT IS THE HAPPIEST MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE?
one of the most happiest was being at the birth of my grand-child
10. DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL DAY!
walk in the morning,tapas and a meal out with Sr P,a good film in the afternoon and a relaxing evening with my crochet.
11. IF YOU GO ON A PICNIC WHAT WOULD BE IN YOUR BASKET?
A very cold bottle of Perez Gimenez white wine ,chicken in tomatoe sauce (great picnic food) and a spanish omelette. Fruit, preferrably honeydew melon.

 Taci's questions:
  1. Favorite animal? Dolphin
  2. Favorite colors? Green
  3. Favorite non alcoholic drink? Fresh Orange juice
  4. Crochet or Knit? Crochet
  5. Your passion? My family
  6. Getting or giving? both
  7. Favorite pattern?
  8. Favorite day of the week? Monday
  9. Favorite flower? Daffodils
  10. Favorite country? UK/Spain
  11. Favorite Recipe?Steamed Chocolate pudding
I nominate all my followers .........how couldn't I !!!


However I would especially like to nominate these followers who are under 100 blog followers at present:

Mrs Frantic at Frantic Antics
Kathy at Kathinozarks
Rae at FeltbyRae
Mummy Hen at Thrifty Mummy Hen
Maggie at Flowers in the Window
Amanda at Eight by six
Patty at PoppyCock and other creative nonsense

Please answer these questions:
1. What is your favourite dessert?
2. If you could go back in time what period of time would you go to?
3. What is your favourite book
4. What is your favourite TV serial ?
5.What is the best time of day for you?
6. What irritates you most?
7. Have you a phobia?
8. What for you is the perfect type of holiday?
9. What veg do you detest?
10. What is the most effective de-stress activity for you?

Now then ... should any of you not wish to accept this nomination or participate I shall certainly not be offended.

Have a relaxing Sunday


Amanda :-)



Sunday 17 February 2013

Magic and Fantasy





I read fantasy novels....the wierder they are the better I like them. This is what I call reading for pleasure,reading to lose myself in another world or worlds,where magic and enchantment exists,dragons are wise,animals talk,bugs are intelligent and to sing is to create or destroy. I am a Tolkien,C.S.Lewis, Raymond E. Feist,Lewis Carroll,Edgar Rice Burroughs,Rider Haggard and many other fantasy and sci-fi authors' fan.
There have been times when I've sat back to give it some thought. I mean why do I like and thoroughly enjoy a good fantasy story. I still haven't totally answered my own question but the following are the conclusions I have come to :
  •  I have been blessed or cursed with a vivid imagination. 
  • I can visualize it just the way I like it, because in fantasy there is no real right or wrong. 
  • Its a place to escape to when I want to push the mundane things in my life momentarily to one side. 
  • I can let my imagination run wild.
Every-time I read a good fantasy novel it reignites a spark of wonder and I'm transported to another world.

Albert Einstein said, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."


Why has this come about this musing on magic and enchantment ?
I can finally announce that quite soon now, I shall have a very special someone coming to brighten my days,my very own little bit of magic , a wisp of pure nature, bringing a touch of mother earth with her. My Heart of the Woods.
Soon! Very soon!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 You may remember in my previous post here that I mentioned to you I had finally taken the plunge and purchased a sewing machine. As I am a total beginner (lessons given on using a sewing machine at school 45 years ago approx don't count!) I am very but very slowly learning how to use it and also thanks to some rather good tutorials on the web.
I have finally completed one of my first efforts at sewing combined with a little bit of crochet. Would you call this patchwork?  Perhaps of a sort! Anyhow here you have the make over of a very shabby cushion which you can see the BEFORE view here too and this is the NOW pic

I had intended to add some crochet flowers but as I was making them they looked more like rosettes to me so as I had some matching buttons I added them and turned them into rosettes.  I have had a makeover in mind for my grand-daughter's bedroom for quite some time but now with the making of this cushion I have a guideline for the colour scheme for the room. I just have to sell the bed ( this is waste not want not year) and because she needs more space in her room I want to buy a folding armchair bed. This is not going to be a quick project but there's no rush .... bit by bit....as I say :-)


Welcome,welcome to my two new followers. I don't know who you are but my google friends connect list have clocked up two more.  Please don't be shy I would love to hear from you, however all in your own time. :-)

Have Sunday fun

Amanda :-)







Saturday 9 February 2013

Wonder all around


Wonder all around !


Fantasia is here in the streets, in the schools and in the sound of the exciting trill of people's voices as they talk about what they are going to dress up as,what group they belong to and where they are going to parade or what street party they are going to go to or what parade they are going to see in the city or in their home towns within the Alicantina province. Its a happy sound and in my opinion it seems to be saying we are celebrating the coming of spring we are pushing out the tough old winter and getting things ready to welcome the light ...the spring.
Carnival, a pre-Lent celebration is celebrated here in Spain much more than it used to be and is done so in most every city,and town. They can't compare with Rio de Janeiro of course that is the super production of all carnivals but they don't fall short where celebrating and enjoying carnivals are concerned.

Its the last day of the carnival on Ash Wednesday and that is my favourite Carnival night because its when the burial of the sardine is celebrated ....  yes that's right ....a sardine.....funeral,wake and burial as well ,complete with mourners.




There is a massive burial parade where the sardine is paraded through the city centre surrounded by wailing pseudo old ladies dressed in black .


You see the sardine is the symbol of the carnival and its death announces the start of the traditional 40 day fasting period.
Its a crazy night, practically everyone is out  having a good time and it is also quite hilarious. Its a night to be enjoyed ,to smile,to laugh and be happy!
for those of you who would like to read more about this bizarre part of the carnival go here . There is also  a short video clip.

****************************************************
 Now then I had a surprise at the beginning of the week as a parcel arrived for me all the way from Florida. Admittedly I was a bit mystified at who could be sending me a parcel from Florida! I had no swap on the go, nor could I be receiving a giveaway prize because I hadn't given my address out to anyone from there.    
Aha! but when I opened the parcel and also the envelope that was enclosed and a slim cream card fell out with the image of a sheep on the front I knew straight away that it could only be Meredith at Mereknits ,one of the winners of my giveaway.  
This is the lovely scarf she has sent me too as a thank you gift.
Here you have the scarf kindly modeled by Pooh Bear once again.

Thank you Meredith for such a lovely surprise. xx


Have a great weekend


Amanda :-)











Saturday 2 February 2013

Sunny Vale

Here's officially saying hello to my swap partners for the two swaps I am participating in, Kimberley in Bobo Bun's Four Happy things swap hosted by Lisa at Mrs Bobo Bun and Debi in Daisy Row Easter swap hosted by Joy at Daisy Row.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you and once again thoroughly enjoy the fun of preparing and sending swap gifts out to other craft bloggers.

After the storm comes the calm....and then the gale force winds come back again. We have had gale force icy winds for nigh on two weeks now.
A couple of weeks ago when this windy weather started I had a bit of a scare;the cold sweat type of scare. I was on my way to work driving along the motorway when I discovered that my sturdy little Suzuki Ignis is not gale force wind friendly, as I was nearly blown into the crash barrier on the side of the road.
In truth I don't really think that its the fault of the model of car that I use because I saw larger cars clearly swaying as they battled against the wind too. I do think though as it has a high box type roof this doesn't help stability in such a fierce wind.
I hold on to the steering wheel really tight now and have dropped the speed down to control the car better.


However we did have a couple of days of calm and the warmth of the sun was more apparent ,temperatures rose so we went for a long walk along Los Arenales Beach( That would be the Sun Dunes Beach;such an attractive name) to breath some fresh sea air and enjoy a few hours in the sun, at the same time not having to battle the wind to be able to walk along the beach.



However others had the same idea and the promenade was quite busy:

 Something for everyone!

In all a relaxing couple of hours just sufficient to blow the cobwebs away.

Enjoy your weekend


Amanda :-)