Anyway back from my wander of words…yes I played a little bingo. A friend thought it would be a great idea, so we went to her local wearing purple rinse wigs and trench coats. The looks we got on arrival were a little sideways and so after a quick sprint to the loo, we flushed the purple rinse down the toilet and rejoined the room of money hungry saturday nighters. It was great craic, lots of legs elevens, all the threes, something about ducks and other ramblings from the man in tight leather pants who held the dodgy microphone. Oh and the best part, I won €20!

So I think it’s my new hobby, Bingo on a Saturday night, a recession buster! If you’re a little bored have a flutter (or is that only for horses?), this Bingo site is a good one to boost the three o’clock slump.

So I’m down in Cork since September, not every second since September but you know what I mean. So at first I thought…Cork eh (suspicious tone to my thinking)…then it was like Cork eh (coming around type tone) and now it’s Cork eh! (enthusiastic, happy, isn’t lovely type tone).

Here’s a picture or three to prove it… isn’t it lovely eh?? Pictures were taken by me yesterday…well not yesterday, they were taken a few weeks ago but I have a bad memory for things I should do like blog and I’m sure nobody in Cork reads this and therefore no one can argue that the sky wasn’t that colour last night…so yes they were taken yesterday!

A beautiful piece of work by my friend Denise Nestor, it’s dedicated to her late father. Have a look at her site http://treesforthewoods.blogspot.com/, I’ve never seen drawings with such life and feeling, there is something other worldly about her work!

Some brilliant images by Carolina Amoretti you can look at her site here

I see you’ve bought toilet paper, do I understand you use the loo?”

My cheeks flushed a little and I nodded my head,

“Why everybody does ‘cept the constipated or the dead!”

“Not true my dear,” said the shopkeeper with a sign,

“I’ll let you in on a secret, tis not a word of a lie.

The famous, the rich, the good looking too,

No need for toilet paper, they never do a poo,

nor a pee, nor a fart, they’re not like me and you,

The rich and the famous, they’ve no need for the loo!”

“I object, I protest, sure didn’t Elvis die on the bog,

And floating below him a magnificent log!”

“Urban legend, a farce, a fairytale, a myth.

Like Noah’s Ark, Armadillos or the Blue Tit!”

“Ah ha,” I laughed, “now I know you’re a fool,

Blue Tits are a fact, I learnt ’bout them in school.”

“Don’t believe what your told, it’s for yourself you should think,

I don’t know what you were rared on, but my mother’s were PINK!”

Then it hit me, he spoke not a word of a lie,

I bent at the waist and let out a cry,

For daily I hiked my skirt round my knees,

and bared my bottom to the bathroom breeze,

I knew right then my dreams would never come true,

for I was a user, an addict, an avid visitor to the loo!

I’ve been a bit lazy of late with the posting, well not lazy, busy actually! I thought I’d post this little work in progress, it’s a true story!

So I couldn’t get my hands on 20 elves, for some reason people just wouldn’t lend me their children and I still had a Christmas card to make…so I thought who is the essence of Christmas (beside Jesus that is!!)

Ah ha I thought… Father Christmas and guess what I have a father and another bonus I could get my hands on him without his parents permission!

So here’s a sneak peak at my Father Christmas…he’s a bad Santa!

Is this…

Imagine roaring up the Nore in this little thing, driving it the whole way to Waterford, then out onto the open sea, the world your oyster. You could pick friends up on the way, carry a few on the roof a few in the back, maybe even tow a dingy and fit a few more, oh the laughs we’d have! Any takers? I’d say if we pitched in a few euros each (or maybe it’ll be pounds by the time we come to buying) we could have this little beauty. I’d keep it in the bath and pull it out on demand?!

Great Christmas advert from Harvey Nicks!

Here’s how I put together a job from start to finish…

First I take the idea, sit on it for a while, throw it around my head, under my seat, in one ear and out the other until I come up with a concept…

Then I sit and sketch it, and sketch and sketch it…

Then I might decide to make it, photograph it,

Eventually scan it.

Finally the computer gets a hold and I illustrate, photoshop, indesign, until I have something that looks presentable (I hope!)

Ta Daa…

Benetton are back with their controversial ad campaigns. I think this one is brilliant and throws up all kinds of questions. Its for their UNHATE campaign.

Read more about it here