Ideas

Madrid

I got back from a long weekend in Madrid last night...the weather was almost hitting 40 degree's everyday, and it would stay at that temperature until the evening, eventually dropping to 34 at 11 o'clock at night!!!! so HOT!

Anyway, heat aside, I had a wonderful and cultural time away in Spain. I got to explore the village of Torrelodones and the surrounding areas... One evening we went to see 'Troilus & Cressida' by William Shakespeare at the 'Matadero'in the centre of Madrid. Another day we drove up the mountains, to Avila and explored the walled city. We went for tapas in El Escorial and explored the palace there at night...On the last day we walked around the centre of Madrid, going to the Reina Sofia, Plaza Santa Anna, and stopping for lunch in a quaint Spanish restaurant....

At the theatre:




Torrelodones:




El Escorial:


Avila:




A quaint restaurant in the centre of Madrid:

Busy days...

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm going to Madrid! Well, I'm off on Thursday! I'm only going for five days, but I'm pretty excited as I've never been to Spain before. Stay posted for some photos....

....I've been quite busy with the day job, and thinking about what to do now that my website is up and running! It's always difficult, when you have focused so hard on something to then find a new focus... Although the feedback I've had from my website has definitely helped me think about my next move. I am hoping that there will be some time in Madrid to draw up some plans. I feel artistically, I'm stuck in a bit of a rut at the moment. The come down from the high of my exhibition and new website is casting a bit of a shadow!!!

Apart from working, thinking and packing for Madrid, not much to report. Apart from on Sunday, before work, we went for a coffee and walk along Columbia Road flower market. I've heard the talk about how wonderful the coffee is in the coffee stall that is there only on a Sunday. Actually I find the whole concept that the shops that line the flower market are only open for business on a Sunday strange. Anyway, I've drunk a lot of coffee in my 26 years....most of the best coffees I've had have been in Italy, where you pay 1 euro for a pretty good cappuccino... However I have to admit that I definitely had the best coffee of my life on Sunday morning!!! I loved the atmosphere, and the quaint shops, it's like stepping back in time to the 1940's...

I was looking for a few wedding cards, to take to Madrid today....and have realised there is a big gap in the market. I am struggling to find one let alone three. It's enough to make you not want to get married, in fear of receiving a terrible card! Real market potential..... If I had more time, I would have made them myself!

Yesterday was an exhausting day, I was running around town, doing errands, met with friends and then later met with Dan to finalise a few website bits. I'll take this opportunity to plug Dan and his talent for building websites...check out his website and contact him if you need one building!!!

http://www.hammerheadrabbits.com/

Photos from Columbia Road (please excuse the quality, I took them on my phone!):

It's Here!

My New website:
http://www.cristinapetrucci.com

catch up...

I finished the album last week as you can see from the pictures. I have to admit to having had trouble casing the book block in, after a year away from bookbinding! The result was pretty good, taking all into consideration.

Today I've just been working on a card for a friend (picture below) of work in progress.

I've been looking after the garden for my parents, or at least attempting to. Yesterday, I tried to water the tomato and runner bean plants...it was a total disaster. I couldn't get the hose to work properly, every time I affixed the attachment and ran the water...water sprayed everywhere. So I gave up and filled buckets of water to pour over the plants. I ended up covered in mud and water and I'm pretty sure I accidentally trod on some of the little bean plants. I have managed however to maintain the watering of my mothers pride and joy, hanging baskets....The abundant crop of raspberries is however getting to me... I'm starting to get sick of the taste and every evening when I go to pick them, I get attacked by spiders and bees, or walk through a spider's web. This afternoon there was a power cut in the area. At first I thought it was just our house, I almost started fiddling with scary looking buttons under the stairs....I've been a very busy bee today, I decided to finally try a recipe for making Dolmas (stuffed vine leaves) from scratch. The stuffed vine leaves, as part of the mixed meze, were my favourite meal in Turkey. I ended up making nearly 50!!

Anyway, back to the point. Fingers crossed my website will be uploaded tomorrow!