Brighton Open House May 2009

Hooray! I am delighted to say I will be taking part in the Brighton fringe Artists' Open House exhibition, Beyond the Level #5 at The Brown House 49 St Mary Magdalene Street, Brighton BN2 3HU. Beyond the Level is one of the main Open House attractions in the annual Brighton Festival. Now in its 13th year and 12 houses plus five studios strong, Beyond the Level showcases the work of an ever-growing community of practising artists and designers. Situated north and west of The Level recreation area, the group aims to provide visitors with quality original arts and crafts in informal and homely settings at affordable prices.
NB the houses do not generally accept credit cards, but cash or cheques with a guarantee card are welcome. As these are normal domestic properties, we are unable to offer specialist access for disabled visitors but try give appropriate assistance when required. You are welcome to call houses in advance if you wish to discuss your requirements.
Why not pay us a visit? http://www.beyond-the-level.org.uk/
Opening times: 12noon to 6pm, on the 5/6, 12/13, 19/20, 26/27 May unless otherwise indicated.

Hostal Bahia; Mallorca

On the ground floor of this lovely hostal the back door has two windows on either side, looking onto the street, about 36 x 100 cm. They are special because each is made of 2 coloured glass panels.The inside one has a square standing on one corner with a yellow or blue hexagon on each edge and 4 little red triangles next to the square. The outside has a herringbone pattern with lots of small squares in the middle. Superimposing one colour over the other gives a subtle and beautiful effect. A waiter said it had been bought especially for the hostal from Gallicia 20 years ago and that double style of cristal is popular there. http://www.hoposa.es/pagespanol/hostalbahia.htm

Virtual Art Gallery

I do other things besides Stained glass.

Online Art Gallery.

'Tree of Life' by Helena Marrion, my mother. Egg Tempera A4.

Mum had worked in oils until one day we were at the National Gallery admiring the paintings of saints, cucumbers and angels by the Florentine artist Carlo Crivelli. We remarked on the exquisite colours and looking on the label saw they were painted with tempera, a medium where pigment is mixed with egg yolk. We got some tempera paints from Cornelius and she painted this. The tree is the magnolia from her garden in Telford and each bud contains a baby.

This will take you to her picasa album.

Camefix wins Double Gold Award at BIS

I was surprised and delighted to win the double gold award, given because the plastic came product camefix is practical and innovative. It’s the best thing I won since I won 20 bottles of real ale in a CAMRA raffle.
My favourite invention was the batik tool. Traditionally Batik (wax resist painting to decorate cloth) is done by dipping the tool with a wax-reservoir into a pot of melted hot wax. The invention was that a soldering iron handle had been fitted to the reservoir so the wax is always hot, so the spout won’t get blocked by solid, cooled wax, and also reduces dripping. So clever!
My favourite mad inventor was Steve who invented Loominate, a led torch on a rope. He has invented lots of stuff but never gets rich because he invests it all in his next invention.
The most useful invention was by an Iranian lady who thought that eye ulcers are caused by a virus (because it’s been found out that stomach ulcers are) and has invented a cure for them.
No cures for war famine pestilence or death though.
Inventions are to cure perceived ills, not actual ills. The slash-proof hoodie for example addresses our fear that our kids will be stabbed; 21 youths have been killed by stabbing or shooting this year but road traffic crashes account for about 3500 deaths each year in the UK, with ten times as many people seriously injured. Each day, two people under the age of 24 commit suicide. Common causes cited include bullying, abuse, poverty, homelessness, and alcohol abuse. I can’t right now think of an invention to cure those things.
http://www.bullyonline.org/stress/suicide.htm http://jrsm.rsmjournals.com/cgi/content/full/99/8/402
I am following the progress of the sea-water greenhouse (not seen at the BSI) which provides a low-cost solution to one of the world's greatest needs – fresh water. It may offer sustainable solution to the problem of providing water for agriculture in arid, coastal regions. The evaporation of seawater cools and humidifies the air that ventilates the greenhouse using sunlight to distil fresh water from seawater. It seems to me a devastatingly good idea, and I am sorry that they are not being built in great numbers but I suppose they are relatively costly (in that not building them at all costs nothing), and who will pay?
http://www.seawatergreenhouse.com/
I was also impressed by the solar tower at Seville (James May’s TV programme). It is surrounded by mirrors that shine the sun onto it to collect solar energy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYsgW1cS4gY

British Invention Show October 15-18 2008

I am very pleased to be a member of GWIIN (Global Women's Inventor's and Innovator's Network) http://www.gwiin.com/about.html.

Camefix will be exhibiting in the GWIIN pavilion at The British Invention Show at Alexandra Palace in London, October 15-18 2008. http://www.britishinventionshow.com/show/index_f.html

Entry costs Adult: £10 Child (16 or under) £5 Child under 11: Free with paying adult.
Weds 15th 4pm-7pm. Thurs 16th + Fri 17th 10am-7pm . Sat 18th 10am-5pm

Window Quilts.

I prefer window quilts to curtains. These are a top and a bottom section, made of mattress quilting facing out, and on the inside, washable cotton. They use less fabric than cutains to provide the same level of insulation. They are washable. When not in use they are taken down and rolled up. They can easily be re-hung; small metal hooks are screwed into the wood of the window frame and each quilt has 2 loops at the top made of bike inner tube which slip over the hoops. The windows are an awkward shape to make curtains for as they have a brass opening device that sticks out into the room but I made the quilt to fit round it. As the quilt fits so snugly against the window glass no condensation forms so there's no problem with water running down the wall. There are two toy, sand-filled lizards on the top of the window frame.