Housework won't kill you ... but why take the chance?

Tidying is tiring!  I've spent the whole weekend having a spring clean as we have a few visitors before and during Christmas, so now the house looks shiny and new - and I feel like I need a holiday!  But time waits for no man (or woman) so I'll be right into making Christmas pressies over the next few days.

Apart from that, I have nothing to write about - all that tidying has burned out my circuits ... :)

My Creative Space

Patchwork!

Look at my messy cupboard, alas with no door ...

Patchwork comes to the rescue ...

Doesn't that look a whole lot better; so simple yet so pretty and I made it all myself!

Someone always has to come over to have a look at what's going on ...

Wondering what else is going on in the creative spaces across the globe?  Check it out here ...

Body Image - journalling

I was given a journalling exercise the other day, asking me to think about my body - all the things it does right, or on its own without being told what to do!

So it got me really thinking.  I usually look at my body and only see what's wrong with it, what I would like to change, and even see it as a separate entity sometimes!  But after brainstorming and putting everything down on a pretty piece of paper I can happily say I see my body as an important part of what makes up me, and that it's not so bad after all!  My favourite discoveries were that I feel my body enables me to experience the physicality of this world, to act out my feelings, to express myself.  Also that I like to move, whether it be to music (belly dancing!) or walking with my dog in the woods.

It's great to look at the same old, same old from a different perspective - it's like a breath of fresh air.  (Try it and see!  xx)

More doll happenings!

Last week I was lucky enough to get tuition from a friend who is also a very talented doll maker.  She showed me how to needle sculpture a doll's face and this is how mine looked at the end of the lesson.  So now I have more doll pieces hanging round the house - it's starting to look a little like Frankenstein's laboratory here!

Lots of doll stories to share for the future ...

a little visitor ...

Sorry for the big gap - technical problems again with internet and computer!  All fixed now I think.  I don't do the fixing, just the waiting and getting impatient :)

But I have been busy in my absence and have a few things to share over the next few days.  Lately I've been going patchwork crazy, sewing lots of squares together, and marvelling at the beauty of such simplicity.

Also been trying to catch up with finishing off some bags which have been in pieces for ages and needed sewing so that I can put them on my Made-it store.  I'd forgotten how to make one of the variations and was sitting on my bed looking for the instructions when the little fellow above scuttled across the quilt.  Don't know who was more frightenend!   After the initial shock (well, would you expect a tiny lizard to scuttle across your bed when you're surfing the net?) I rushed to get the camera and snapped away whilst the poor little thing tried to get out of the window in vain.  He's safe now and back in his home :)  Love living in the forest xx

My Creative Space: More macabre happenings in an art doll's life ...

Here it gets creepier - some more body parts of my lovely doll Ima-jin are slowly being made.  This time I've been working on her legs.  They are quite amazing really, jointed by using a big wooden bead.  The arms will be made in the same way.  It's interesting journalling the progress of my doll in this way, watching her come together piece by piece.  If not a little weird ... ;)

Check out some more creative happenings here ...

Shopping at Guildford Pottery

In the recent holidays Little Man was lucky enough to do a pottery workshop and today I was able to pick up the lovely dragon he made (and 2 little dishes he made on the wheel - very impressive!).  The classes are held at Guildford Pottery, phone up for details.

I also had time to look round the shop and did leave with a few treasures :)  The beautiful blue sugar bowl and the little gumnuts were made by one of the teachers at the children's class, that's what I love about buying from the galleries - you get to meet the people who made the objects you love, it all makes it so much more special.

 

Check out the gallery if you're passing through Guildford!

A lesson for me and for you

Believe in yourself    xxxxx

Ups and downs - the weather and me ...

Strolling along the beach at Shanklin (unless you're Little Man of course xx)

Not really sure what to blog about today.  I think we may all have a brief and temporary episode of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  See, it is meant to be almost summer here, but today has been like winter, and although I do love winter and have a few problems with the heat, I do like the weather to behave and the seasons to be seasons - all should be correct and in its proper place.

But that's not the reason for my lack of inspiration.  I'm still beating myself up about this weekend's minor setback in my plans and letting other people's opinions influence me (it makes it harder to carry on regardless when it is people you value too).  Getting myself into a right old muddle!

Dunc asked me what the matter was earlier as I was so quiet and obviously miles away, and I had to admit that I was thinking of a time back in the UK this year when we were all wandering along the beach at Shanklin one evening, and how lovely it was to be in one of our old haunts.  So, I found the pics and have been thinking of the happy times we had on our holiday and it's cheered me up.  I'm grateful for the time we had together and have lots of fond memories to sustain me, lovely, lovely!

You know when you have an idea you've been playing around with, you get all excited, then you tell your friends, then they don't react in the way you expected and you start to doubt your idea?  Well, that happened to me this weekend.  So now I'm doubting my idea, which I really liked before chatting with my friends - I just wish sometimes I could make a decision and stick to it!  Do you think sometimes it's better not to share?

Now I need to get my vision clear in my head again, and find a balance between anxiety about moving forward with the desire for something better as seen in my vision.  OK - self-coaching session over!  Always follow your dreams folks, and if it's your intuition calling the shots - it's probably right!

ARTbundance™ in Australia!

My profile pic

Well, I've been working on my entry in the Artella directory for ARTbundance™ Coaches and Practitioners and thought I would share mine here with you!  So here goes:

"I live in the wonderful hills of Perth, WA with my beautiful family and gentle dog.  My life consists of embracing creativity everyday, whether it be through my crochet, knitting, sewing or mixed media art as well as taking care of my family which I also see as a creative act!

It's a passionate belief of mine that everyone is creative and I would love for everyone to embrace their own innate creativity.  I look forward to meeting many more creative spirits and sharing in your stories ...

To me, ARTbundance™ means undertaking the journey to finding your authenticity, using creativity to help come to healing and wholeness, and learning the way is inside yourself.

My own unique specialty is to help you embrace your creativity in a very gentl way by providing you with a safe space to do so, a listening ear and inspired wisdom gleaned from you sharing your story - I am a nurturer!  :) "

If you'd like to find out more about this method of coaching or the training itself, I'd be happy to answer any questions by email (just look for the contact button on my profile page).  I'm very happy to do coaching by phone or skype.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend ... 

My Creative Space: hexies, squares and blankies

Here's my little offering for today - some more of my teeny tiny granny squares for the random multicoloured afghan I hope to make one day :)  I love these for summer crochet - no huge, heavy pieces of warm knitting sitting on my lap!  Another perfect project for summer small pieces is the hexipuff - discovered these during Blogtoberfest - little hexagons you knit in the round, then stuff with a little wadding before binding off!  (It's a project called the 'Beekeeper's Quilt')  I haven't stuffed any yet as I'm not sure I'll ever need anything that warm in Oz, but when I looked at Tiny Owl's site just to check out the finished item once again, for inspiration - it's gorgeous - I was tempted to fill a few as they are so perfectly squishy and squashy.  Might make good ornaments for the Christmas tree?

When the kids asked what I was going to do with all these hexipuffs and squares, I answered 'make blankets' and they rolled their eyes with a 'not more blankets' kind of look.  Well, I might as well admit it now - I am a blankie addict - I can't help myself.   They are so comfy and nuturing.  And I think imagining what the finished article will look and feel like is part of the fun.

See what other craft addicts are up to at Our Creative Spaces.  xx

Dos de los muertos

Frida Kahlo

Today is the second day of the Mexican festival 'Dos de los muertos' - Day of the Dead.  Rather than being as spooky as it sounds, it's actually a time to remember those who have passed on - children on the first day, and adults on the second.  Skulls are a prominent symbol and symbolize both death and life - the Mexicans celebrate by making fantastically colourful shrines and special foods.  You can find out loads about it if you Google it.

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who used the symbology of skulls and skeletons in her work.  She was an amazing woman and her work is thought-provoking and sometimes brutal, but for me very inspiring too.  So I remember her today, and my grandparents - and also the lovely people who are still with me and bless my life.

Thinking about Death (1943)

Frida's artwork is available to be viewed at sites such as this one and I found the photo of Frida on the Library of Congress website, which looks like a huge resource for all sorts of images.   And click here for what looks to be another good site for art research (it's where I found the self-portrait).  Places to start your research if you so wish!

Something Different

I appear to be experiencing carpel tunnel again - too much knitting and crochet!  So I decided to take my creativity in a different direction today - and simultaneously made my kids' dreams come true.  We've been lucky enough to be gifted with a huge bag of lemons by our lovely friends, which resulted in me making a double sized lemon meringue pie!  My offspring's absolute favourite dessert of all time.  We actually, unbelievably have some left, so guess what's for lunch tomorrow!  :)

(FYI - the recipe is from Delia Smith's 'Complete Cookery Course' book xx)