This weekend I…

… was surprised to discover that neither Neil nor Rhona (nor her pal, Mary) knew what peeps are*. I know they’re peculiar to North America, and I personally have never eaten a peep or seen a peep in the (marshmallowy) flesh, but I know they are candy (a massive candy army). That can be manipulated into making films, acting in plays, rocking out, and becoming experimental subjects. Or ride bikes.

We also went to Havana to spend the last of our vouchers, watched a few episodes of Black Adder, checked out the roundhouses, Huoshaoyu, and I continued my stencilling experiments. Which so far have not been 100 percent successful but not bad for someone who has no idea what the hell she’s doing.

I’m very interested in this stencilling nonsense, but I’m not so interested in buying a whole heap of supplies. So I’m working with my sister’s 10+ year old Giant wax crayons and using that iron Neil bought me for Christmas in 2004 because he thinks he’s funny. I would ask the local shop that paints on t-shirts for money, but 1) I don’t think I could properly communicate what I want to know, and 2) in not properly communicating what I want to know, they will think I am trying to pump them for information so I can set up my own t-shirt shop. The art store has two boxes of Pentel fabric paint, but they are so dusty I imagine I’d take them home to find that all the paint inside the tubes has dried. Acrylic paint is easily available, but the fuckers crack. I hear. I’m not about to buy tubs of paint and then confirm that the fuckers crack, because buying the paint means I have to buy a sponge brush as well. And buy a palette-thing so I can mix the paint (with textile medium, which I have not seen for sale in the art store). And find freezer paper, which is NOT available in Xiamen (my source has so far been The Londoner, hurrah for fish and chips). So there’s a bit of a dilemma with this stencilling thing.

Then there’s the sewing. Now Rhona has ordered a bag and cuff from me, which I am happy to do. But the size of the project means I need sewing machine help, and I’m currently still too scared of sewing machines and I need to at least borrow one to learn how to use it, or else I can stick to hand-stitching but that could mean that by the time I’m finished the whole matching accessories thing might have gone out of fashion in the UK. I dunno.

I’ve got a couple of craft swaps going as well, and one of them is currently delivering a lot of amusement, because it involves me taking someone else’s sock monkey out and around Xiamen and taking pictures. Everyone loves the monkey, so it’s cool. But I think they think I’m mad. And then I’m crocheting this doll, it’s supposed to be a good karma doll. I’ve only just started. I’m a little worried about the details.

And THEN, I’ve got loads of writing to do.

Whew.

* Terry also e-mailed this link to peeps comics.