Brain Overload!

Phew! My brain is well and truely overloaded! I am due to start teaching at a new college next week for a couple of days a week, so I spent yesterday in staff and faculty meetings, and as usual with these sort of things, there is just too much info, too many new names and faces, and I think my brain is going to explode! *Lol*
Everyone seems really friendly though, and the few students I have seen as I've been about in the last couple of days seem lovely too! It's an International College, so there are alot of overseas students, alot of Oriental at the moment, and they are all so polite and well behaved! I'm really lucky, I think my biggest class is about 9 students, so numbers-wise, it's not too different from my existing job! Other than that, it's completely different student/client group, one lot are special needs adults, and the new lot are under 18 and (predominantly) priviledged. They are so cute at the moment, they seem tiny, and quite lost. Most of them are miles away from home and their families, and some of them are really young (I think there are some as young as 14)
Anyway, I staggered home yesterday under the weight of a thousand booklets, course outlines, registers, and homework record books. Luckily I don't have to do any study hall supervision, but I do have to do homework supervision within my artroom, some hours a week. Hopefully, that'll give me some time to do marking and lesson prep. All teachers new to the school get a mentor, so I met mine briefly yesterday, but I've got no idea where to find her!
I get to play Santa next week, coz I get to hand out the art boxes to the GCSE students (boxes full of materials that they will need for the year, brushes, paints, pastels, etc), hee hee! They'll love me! The AS and A2 students will get theirs from one of the other teachers earlier in the week. I think that I get a box full too, so that I can experiment with the materials and brands that the students will be using so that I can anticipate problems!

Here is what I sent for the Star Swap and what I received! What I sent are the first two pictures and what I received are the last two! I love the little camo-payramid wristlet and the needle roll that Amy made me!

Kitty needs some Paws!

Yayyy!! I finished the Kittyville hat! (Piccys will follow, promise!) My version has tassels instead of pompoms though 'coz I just hate the way pompoms bounce about on your boobs! And tassels are easier to twirl with your fingers! It wasn't nearly as hard as I'd imagined, so I'm now endevouring to knit some paws! Well, mittens anyway! I thought I might sew felt paw prints on them! *lol* I finished and sent my star swap stuff off, and I received my star swap goodies from Amy! A really cool needle roll made of velvet, some stitch markers and a camo-print pyramid bag were among the booty I scored!
At the moment, I'm working on some jewellery for another swap, I've painted and sealed some domino jewellery, and I've spent an hour tonight sanding down some cd chunks for another necklace. I also sold a pair of goblets on eBay at the weekend, but after firing them, I broke one getting it out! Arrggghhh! After some MAJOR cursing, I e-mailed the buyer to let them know that their goblets may be a little late as I'll be doing them a replacement! Can you believe it? Spent Saturday night at my Sis's, getting drunk, scoffing garlic bread, and working on WIP's. I took my Star afgan and got a bit done on that, and Sis was working on her tiger cross-stitch. I think we had a DVD on in the background too, but I can't remember what it was, coz we were waffling! *lol* She's just become single again and after a long distance relationship, is looking to score some pussy...ha ha ha!! That got your attention, didn't it?? She really, REALLY wants kittens! But can we find any? Seems like the Cats Protection league has done too good a job! Cat's cost more than coke round here, and I'm not talking the cola variety! One place she looked was charging £85 for moggie kittens!! Yep, you heard right! 85 quid!!!

Windy weather!

What on earth is going on with the weather?? It's been so windy this weekend! The BF and I had planned to try and fix the bedroom window, which got damaged in the August storms, but it was far too windy! Oh well, at least I got on with some crafting! I finished the 'Big' project for the Craftster star swap (piccys later) on Friday night, and on an impulse (alcohol fuelled I'm afraid) also decided to make a new cover for my 'lil Brother (machine), so this is what happens at midnight, after a bottle of wine, with a sewing machine and a pair of charity shop curtains!
Actually, I'm quite pleased with the result!
I also managed to mostly finish my magic yarn ball project, well, enought to get the goodies out! *lol* I think the yarn might run out before I'm finished though, so I might just frog it and make a scarf instead! I'll see how it goes.
I spent this morning happily watching the Hollyoaks omnibus (yeah, I know, it's bubblegum for the mind) and knitting away at my Kittyville hat, and managed to get the hat bit finished! I just need to do the ears and the flaps now :-)

Although it's been very windy today, it's also been quite warm and sunny, so I popped into the garden to see what's happening there. The buddleia and the lavender are still in bloom, so here are a couple of blossoms to remind me that summer may not quite be over yet!!

You Are 20% Left Brained, 80% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

This confirmed my suspicions - I'm really bad at maths! *lol*

Craftster Swaps

I've been making jewellery for the Craftster ongoing wish swap 13 - someone wanted domino pendants so I made her a cherry one, a bluebird and a cherryblossom one (all her favourites), and another wanted some extra-long necklaces, so I made her three and I'm proud to say that I resisted the temptation to invest in new craft supplies for all of these and have used my craft stash! Yay! I'm on a craft diet at the moment and have been resisting the draw to the craft shop (I can hear it calling to me.....) beads, paints, yarn, stuff......I start a new job the middle of September and I envisage a pay drought somewhere up the line, so I'm trying to save a bit of cash!

And look at the awesome crochet roll I received this week! I just love the geisha fabric. I think I must be the Imelda Marcos of hookers, I figure I have about 20 hooks in total! Some are inherited, some have been given to me, and some (like the bamboo hooks and the jazzy coloured ones) I've treated myself to! Am I being greedy?? Or do I have a problem *hello, my name is Samsara, and I am a hook whore!* Hey, who cares!

I had a traumatic morning today. My youngest kitty, Pippin, came in limping! She was holding her leg up and it seemed quite swollen, and she was breathing fast. I had heard a kerfuffle at the catflag earlier and assumed she had been chased in by the neighbourhood bully. I decided to make an appointment for her to get checked out, and when I rang the vets, they said I should bring her in straight away because she may have been hit by a car and could have internal bleeding! I totally freaked out and had to borrow a cat box from a neighbour because I had lent mine to my sister. I rushed her up to the vets, but she had just bruised her leg! *Sighes with relief* One quick jab later and back I went with one squalling kitty!

Crafting Crazy!

Such a busy week! I made a start on my Kittyville hat (yay!!), although I think Vinny will be finished long before me!

This is what I've done so far!

I also received my magic yarn ball from Sarah- on Craftster and have started the project (spiderweb caplet from SnB) I have knitted 3 gifts from the ball already! 2 little piggy patches, a sachet of orange chocholate options (yum, yum!) and some Felix treats for my kittys. (They'll be fighting over those later!*lol*