Views, Reflections and Creativity!

What a beautiful day it's been. I took this photo through my workroom window this morning and then couldn't resist taking this one of the reflections later.

Today I went craft shopping for the first time this year ... and got some real bargains! I got two rubber stamps, a really pretty enamel dish shaped thingy, and a small leather purse kit all for less than £5! This is what I did to the purse kit - I'm quite pleased with the result - don't know what I'm goin to use it for though!

Creative Monday!

I've had another creative day!

First of all I played with some box die-cuts that I 'had to have' at an exhibition over a year ago ... you know what I mean ... trouble was I couldn't decide what to do with them! But after playing with the new embossing plates the other day it occured to me me that they might look good on these little boxes ... and I reckon they do! Trouble was, then I had to make something to go in the box! As the sides of the boxes are only 1½", that didn't leave a lot of room for scope - so I thought I'd make a 1" mini book. I'm really pleased with the way it all turned out!


Then tonight, when I should have been writing notes for tomorrows class, I started playing with blending options in photoshop (one of my favourite things at the moment) and ended up with this!

Now I really must get back to writing those notes!

Creative Weekend

My weekend started with the arrival of some texture plates that I had been waiting for. I tried them out by making a couple of bookmarks.

Then I decided to have a go at Ali Edward's Weekend Creative project, and came up with these! I thought I'd have a go using my mum's old singer sewing machine ... and I'm quite pleased with the results!

I'm still trying to decide on my word for the year ... I think I have one, but I'm not 100% sure! I'll post it as soon as I've totally made up my mind.

Catching Up!

This is the latest addition to my inspiration notebook. I was just having fun playing around with a leaf image and quite like the end result.

It's been a busy week. I've been running round tying up loose ends so that we can finish sorting out my mums affairs.

On Thursday I had to collect my son from school - something I haven't done for ages now, but he had taken his euphonium in to play in his music lesson, and didn't fancy carrying it home on the bus! So I took a few photos while I was sitting waiting for him to come out of school!

Where did the time go?

I've just realised how long it is since my last post! - Where did the time go? It must have been all that moving - it wore me out!!

I've been making good use of my new workspace, it's making it much easier to be creative, although I am still having a job to remember where I have put everything!

On Wednesday night at craft class, after a last minute decision, we made handbag charms. Considering none of us had ever done it before, we turned out some very respectable results! The photo is of mine!

I also discovered the Creative Mom's Podcast this week, and after listening to episode 82, had to have a go at the creative prompt "flight". I designed the word in my notebook, then scanned it, photoshopped it, and added some butterfly brushes from Brusheezy.

My New Workspace

At last - the pictures I promised! I have spent all weekend carrying bags and boxes into my new room and it is beginning to look like a proper work area! I am definitely going to enjoy working here ... the sun shines through the window all day making it lovely and warm, but the best thing is having all my supplies in one room where I can reach them without having to reaarange all the furniture!!! Another bonus is being able to leave work out .... not having to clear away so that the family can eat dinner!!!

Now all I have to do is start working!

Playing with Mini Books

I have been playing with inks and fibres to get the effects I wanted on this mini book - and experimenting with a great new technique I found in this month's Craft Stamper magazine for making faux hand made paper. Now I just have to add some contents to the book!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow; to making a start to getting my new space organised! More news tomorrow :)

Carpet laid ... Phone sorted ... Ready to GO!

Yes!
The carpet is laid,
the phone line is sorted ..
... so all I have to do now is get organised!
Guess what I shall be doing tomorrow!! So I'm off to get my beauty sleep now - I'll post some photos very soon ... keep watching!

Getting Organised ....

I mentioned getting organised yesterday, and today was a perfect example of why I need to do that so badly. Apart from the fact that my front room
looks
like
this
... when I needed to find some birth certificates today - it took me 2½ hours to find the 'safe' place that I had put them in!!

So I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, and being able to move into my new 'office/studio'. Then I shall finally be able to finish the front room decorating which I started last February, we will have some floor space again, and I'll be able to rearrange the furniture to make it look more like a living room!

Reflections

I had a good time today catchin' up with my friend Aaron and he introduced me to the work of M C Escher. Check out some of his work here - I think it's brilliant!
It finally looks as if my new work space is going to become a reality! My brother is coming over on Thursday to lay the carpet and sort out the phone line ... then all I have to do is move in and get organised!
Watch this space for the photos!!!

Running Late!!

Just time for a quick
sneak peak
of
tomorrows
class
project ...
... and
then
to
bed!

Down with the Decorations!

I'm always sad when I have to take the decorations down. The house looks so bare! But somehow it doesn't seem quite so bad this year - most probably because the house is beginning to look so good with all the clearing out we are doing! There's still a long way to go, but if we keep doing a little every day, by the end of the month the house will look like new!!

I finally got my 'new look' website uploaded today. It's much simpler than the old one and has far fewer pages, but it contains everything it needs to for now, and I can add to it as the business grows. Let me know what you think.

Tomorrow the children go back to school and I shall have to start getting up early in the morning again ... this could be tricky ... I have got into bad habits through the holidays of sleeping late in the morning and working till 3 or 4 am at the other end of the day. I shall have to start going to bed a bit earlier if I'm going to be getting up at 7!

2008 is going to be a Positive year!

2008 is going to be a positive year for me! ... and to make sure, I have been reading some really helpful books. I started last year with this one Beautiful Within. I loved the illustrations and the way the book was written, but I felt I wanted something more, so I moved on to this one - The Power of Now. I'm still reading this, it's really helpful in constantly reminding me that NOW is the only time I can actually do anything! Then, while I was trolling through web sites looking for Christmas presents,I came across this book - Anything I can do you can do better. It is just so helpful when, like me, you are struggling to create a new career as an artist. So that's my new year's reading list! How about you?

Me and Yoga ....

I don't do excercise, at least, not the jumping up and down sort! But I came across a Yoga DVD just before christmas and it really wasn't too bad .... so I've been looking out for some more Yoga stuff since, and today I came across this Yoga Magazine and it really has some good stuff in it. Now I'm thinking of joining a Yoga class. Who knows ... 2008 may even be the year I actually get myself fit!!!

2007 recycling - finally done!

I treated myself to a pair of these just before Christmas ... and they are brilliant! I am planning on knitting myself some more in the near future.

Are you good at recycling? Maybe you get your paper/cardboard/tins/bottles etc collected by the council? I have always tried to recycle and reuse as much as possible, and I must admit I am quite good at saving things in different containers, I'm just not very good at taking them to the recycling bins! So today ... we filled the car with magazines, tins, bottles, jars, old clothes, cardboard boxes ... in fact a years worth of stored recyling stuff ... and took it to the recycling centre. We now have so much space in the outhouse ... ready to start this years collection!! ... but I have promised myself that I will do it more often this year!! ... but preferably not on such a cold and wet day as today!

And I think I have finally finished rebuilding my wesite.Here's a sneak preview of the home page. I just have to sort out the uploading bit now!

Does anyone else out there eat toast and jam at 2am?

O my! ... what big feet you have!

Today, we went uniform shopping ready for the new term. Enough to strike dread into most parents’ hearts - but when you have a 15 year old who is 6'2" and takes a size 14 shoe - believe me ... it is your worst nightmare!! Today we had to buy shoes and trousers. We tackled the shoes first, as we have found a really helpful shop in Canterbury where they actually stock large sizes in black shoes (as against trainers which we can get much more easily!). And they didn’t disappoint us today … one pair of comfortable shoes purchased! Finding grey trousers with a 38” waist is hard enough, but when you are looking for a 33” length leg … you might as well be trying to get to the moon!! We were just about to give up when we found one pair of 38” waist 34” leg grey trousers … another result!! And I was happy as well … I found some bargain packs of chipboard shapes for making covers for my mini books!!
I guess I'd better get some sleep now!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone! After a fairly traumatic 2007, I am really looking forward to a positive and successful 2008! But I'm not leaving it to chance ... I have a plan of positive action which I have already started to put into practice.

The new portrait is the first step and I am now busy reconstructing my website with new and up to date information and designs.

But by far the most exciting change is the advent of the new craft/computer/workshop/office. To some people it may just be yet another shed in the garden ... but with it's lovely yellow paintwork and ever growing array of storage units ... it is finally beginning to resemble a proper working space! Wohay!! As soon as it is a bit more presentable I'll post some photos.