…and so it begins

photo by David Bellemére via Marie Claire Italia

Happy New Year.

I hope that it is a wonderful one for you all.

I have recently stumbled upon a writer and her work resonates massively with me. Her name is Victoria Erickson and much of her work can be found here. I maybe late to the party (no change there then), but her work is really inspiring. I pinned this quote below and it has become my most pinned pin on my Pinterest Board “Write This Down”. I hope that some of them inspire you, and give you some inspiration for the coming year.

I don’t know what it is with words, text, lyrics and poetry. They move me…big time. Maybe because it’s a skill I don’t have.

Victoria Erikson

Tomorrow I’m going to the beach, to get a dose of more magic. Have a great weekend.

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In Praise Of The Home Made Wedding!

Last Thursday saw me spending quite a bit of my day up a ladder. My friend was getting married on the Saturday and I had been asked to help style the venue.

The venue in question was a barn, and through some clever use of wallpaper, lighting and well thought out props, a magical place for a wedding reception was created.

Graham and Brown wallpaper on the children#s table, ready to be doodled upon.

Bobbing for apples

The corsage I made myself, complete with an old brooch which belonged to my Nanna

The beautiful bride

Mt gorgeous friend had a magical day.

Look Up!

Wishing them all the love and happiness in the world.

Moving On Up

I have sat down to write this post at various times over the past two years ten months and there has never seemed a right time. I have always written from the heart and have lost my voice ( make that chosen not to write) a lot over the past couple of years.

In February of this year I got divorced.

There …said it.

It’s been a difficult time, and that’s all I’ll really say on the matter, but I felt like I wanted to get it off my chest. It’s had a huge impact on my life and is part of my story.

In a few weeks I will be moving out of the home where I have lived for the past sixteen years, and into a new house.

New beginnings…new stories to tell.

I’m in the midst of sorting through my belongings at the moment, and it’s taking ages to wade through all my junk. My artwork alone is a huge task. I am trying to be ruthless, but felt inspired by some little scraps which I found and they are the beginnings of a new piece of art. It began with this tag which I made a while ago…

Creating something will help me I think, and I wanted to celebrate all the lovely positives in my life, and the amazing friends I have around me.

Onwards and upwards!

“The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best of a good man’s life” Wordsworth

20:20 Print Exchange 2014

It’s that time of year again when I’m getting ready to submit my work for the 20:20 Print Exchange run by Hot Bed Press. I have been working
under the ever watchful eye of Denis at neoartists.

Rather than do solar plate etching again I opted to do a screen print on fabric, and experimented printing onto lots of different types of fabric. I ended up choosing to work with linen. You can read about my other 20;20 projects here and here.

New Music Crush Alert!

Yesterday on my drive home from work I heard this man’s beautiful voice on the radio. He had been playing on Radio One’s Live Lounge earlier on in the day. I then of course ‘googled’ him and listened to some more of his music.

That’s it I’m hooked! I think his new album is released next week.

Hozier, you are awesome!

Today was James Bay, and he was also unbelievably good.

http://

Soap On His Toothbrush

Hello, long time no see.

I’ve been inspired to blog, and hopefully may have regained my blogging mojo – who knows…

My mum and dad split up when I was five.

My brothers, who are a lot older than me, stayed with my dad and I was whisked away with my mum to live with her and her boyfriend.

I can’t remember crying.

I saw my dad every weekend. Life went on, but I was seriously not happy on some level.

My revenge was, I think, looking back, ingenious.

I put soap on my step dad’s toothbrush.

I remember, just before going to bed, rubbing it very gently on top of the bar of soap which was on the sink.

My bedroom was next to the bathroom, and I gleaned a certain amount of satisfaction hearing my step dad splutter and curse when he came to brush his teeth…I did it a couple more times and then it seemed to lose it’s impact and I stopped.

Five years old.

He and my mum have now been together for over 40 years and he is suffering from vascular dementia.

It’s heart breaking to see my mum slowly losing the man she loves. He has been a massive part of my life. The one who helped me get my first car, the one who used to pick me up from parties in the wee small hours of the morning so he knew I was safe, the one who sang daft songs and was generally such a sunny, happy man. He’s still there, but it’s intermittent.

Last week I started following someone on Twitter and he has set up http://1minutememory.com

It’s to raise awareness of dementia, which affects people of all ages.

Here is my one minute sketch. You don’t have to do a sketch you could take a photo, or write some poetry…a few words. It’s up to you.

Please join in.

 

Strong

Nearly back with you guys.
I have a new job and I’m chasing my tail.
Not as a dog impressionist…in case you were wondering…

So I like to play in the sand…

Hello!
I have just got back from a lovely week in Portugal where I loved:
Playing in the sand,

Swimming in the most beautiful sea,

exploring caves by boat (look at that turquoise!)

and being treated to hidden coves (can you see the man?),

Eating delicious food and loving white washed walls and bunting,

some of which was clearly home made.

Lots going on, lots to post about.

Hope you are all enjoying the sun x

In Praise Of The Thoughtful Man

One of the things which I love about my job are the gifts which I am asked to make.
It warms me to think that care, love and thought has gone into the purchase of one of my products, and it gives me a real sense of satisfaction if I get feedback to say that the recipient loved it.

Many of my customers are men, and all I can say is that there are some lucky ladies out there.

Recent makes have been.

                             
Wedding vows.

 

 

Reckon the sun has gone to my head and made my slushy side emerge.

Thoughtful to me can just mean feeling like I’m a priority (occasionally),

a home cooked meal (yes complete with candles!), little random acts of kindness.

 

In for a penny… this is my current guilty pleasure.

 

 

Hope you had a great weekend. Go Murray!!!

Me, Myself, I

“When we cannot bear to be alone, it means we do not properly value the only companion we will have from birth to death – ourselves.”  Eda LeShan

Sometimes I love being on my own. Listening to my music, reading, creating, going for walks but just occasionally I am troubled with my own company – my overactive mind tries to pull me into negative thought processes and it becomes a battle to be my normal happy, sunny self.

A few weeks ago I woke up alone in the house ,my boys were both staying away, and there were those negative thoughts…doing their best to make me think that my day would be a challenge.

No! Not so. Not having it.

 I thought what would make me happy?

The answer was instantaneous. The sea.

It was a rainy, blustery day but I got my waterproof, packed my rucksack with a flask and some bits to eat, and got in the car and drove.
I arrived in Lytham St.Annes about an hour later to the promise of blue skies and the smell of sea air.

I sat on a bench and just gazed out to sea. There it was. Contentment.
Call it what you will.
I was still on my own but now with a sense of freedom and adventure.

I walked along the promenade, past the delightful 18 hole mini golf course, and in the distance could see what I initially thought was a kite, but which in fact, turned out to be a kite surfer!
Impressive.
I bet he hadn’t wallowed in his bed for half an hour before he got up, I bet he was just out there thinking Wheeeeeee!!!! It’s Saturday. Time alone. Time for me.

The sun decided to come out.
Bonus.

I walked along the beach and here is what I saw: the pier

and then past the pier and in the distance flecks of movement in the sky… (click  to enlarge)

not just one but a whole host of kite surfers (I wonder what the collective term would be?)

they were mesmerising and it absolutely made my day.

I ended up sitting on the dunes,watching, in awe.

then walked back along the beach and walked to the end of the pier.

I had such a lovely time. I should do it again…soon.
 

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. ~John Muir