Friday 2 September 2016

Pantile heaven

Well after much gnashing of teeth, chewing of nails...  I solved my pantile problem!  The book said you could also use corrugated cardboard, but where to get some?  Yep I could have bought some online, but none of it was really the right size...  So after one fruitless trip to Hobbycraft, I had a look at their website and it said they did have corrugated card.  Back I went,  this time I stuck to the children's section,  lovely stuff,  and finally, finally... I found what I wanted!  And not only that but it was cut into strips at the perfect size, oh joy of joys.   Nearly skipped out of there, well I would have had my back not been so sore.  I drove home, no did not go like the clappers, was sensible...



This is one of my first attempts.  For this I used the air dried paper clay,  just too messy and way too fiddly, which is why I didn't continue with this method.  The tin foil didn't work very well either






And this is the corrugated card.  So much better, and it will look the part once it is painted.

I put down one whole strip, meaning with the backing in place, then I took the backing off for the next few strips.  The pantiles are meant to nestle together.   I got this small roof finished,  then the tummy began rumbling and I realised it was time for some food. 




I've started work on the larger roof, so should have the lot done by tomorrow.   Can't tell you what a relief it is, I nearly gave up. 

These corrugated card strips are part of a kit,  they are for children. the pack doesn't say what age they'd be suitable for.   You glue the strips together and make an animal,  you get a few other bits to make the animal, eyes etc.  And the best bit, it only costs £3.   But I think they'd be great for any crafter, especially if you do mixed media. 

Today has not been a good day.  I've overdone it this week,  and yesterday my back decided to tell me that I needed to have a rest!   I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night,  and when I woke up this morning I could barely move.   I had a hospital appointment, needed an ultra sound,  and that meant I couldn't eat for six hours before it.  Now that put me in a dilemma,  I need to take ibuprofen when my back is this bad, and I have to eat something in order to take the stuff.   I also knew that I could not go six hours without taking ibuprofen.   Since my appointment wasn't till late in the afternoon I gave it an hour to see if my back would calm down.  It didn't, so I had to cancel,  they weren't very happy,  I did explain and then they were sympathetic.   There was another problem with the appointment, it was a 40 minute drive,  a bit too far with a very sore back.    When I say 'sore' what I mean is a sharp pain going down both legs,  back in spasm, so any movement is very painful, plus this horrid tingly feeling from the waist down.    

I'm fed up of hospitals,  never asked for the scan,  I even queried if I really needed it. The doc half agreed with me that the slightly high reading in one test could be down to the painkillers.   I'm not daft about the dosage, some folk are frankly stupid and are very lucky that they don't overdose on co-codamol.  No idea when I'll get another appointment,  the receptionist said it would be October.  I hope she can arrange it at a hospital a little closer to home.   Yes I know the doctors are having a series of strikes, but the ultra sound isn't performed by a doctor,  and I also hope that the government will see sense and start talking.  I was getting angry last night with Sky, who seemed intent on misreporting the facts of the reasons behind the strike,  a lot of it has to do with how this 'seven day' a week NHS will be funded, and the government are rather quiet on that.   I can tell you, from experience, that no-one in the NHS wants to strike,  I had to once when I was in the ambulance service.   It was the hardest thing I'd ever done,  and our strike was local and nothing to do with pay, but rather we wanted decent equipment, and to stop two of our colleagues being unfairly sacked.  We got pushed into a corner and so we had no choice but to strike,  but we all remained at work, and we were ready to attend any emergency if asked.  No doubt the government will try, in fact they already are, to demonise the junior doctors, don't let them, it is this government who are in the wrong.  The NHS is not safe in its hands, and it never will be. 

I'll get off my soap box.   Need to as Harvey is looking at me in the hope that I'll feed him!   Fat chance, he was fed an hour ago.  Instead I'm off to fill in my diary,   and hope that there is still a place on the mosaic taster course.  Have a good weekend.

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