Moving underway

Well I know that I've been a bit quiet over here lately. I've now completed my blog e-course; there was so much information to take in! I think that every student has come away with armfuls of knowledge and advice to implement and continue forward with, to be able to refer to it again and again on our own individual blogging journeys. It has been amazing.

Part of my journey with my blog is to change the look of it and how it works and is managed, and therefore I am undertaking the move from here on blogger over to wordpress. It feels like a huge thing to be doing, but one which many people have done before me, nothing like setting yourself a challenge hey?!

So that's why it's been so quiet over here the last couple of weeks, while I work behind the scenes as it were setting this and that up and sorting things out to be able to make this move. Like many of you I also have a day job so this is fitted in around that, otherwise I'm sure I'd have completed it by now! So I am hoping that many of you will continue with me on my creative blogging journey and join me over in my new home when I make the move complete! x

A change of seasons

So the clocks have gone back (apparently it's officially now autumn/winter!) and on Sunday I woke up to sunlight streaming through the window which was lovely after the gale force winds and rain we've had here for the last few days. 

Normally I don't mind this time of year, as long as I'm wrapped up with several layers on and a scarf of some description (pretty much indoors and outdoors!). But this year I've really noticed the change in light, and am not liking the idea of getting up in the dark and returning home from the day job in the dark either... 

so to combat this negativity I'm making sure any photos that I need to take (for blog posts, etc.) are done during my day off or at the weekend, so that I can make the most of the natural light I prefer to take photos in. I'm also thinking it gives me reason to get on with anything that needs doing indoors(!) and I'm also going to get down to some more journal pages, accompanied by my daylight angle poise lamp, it's been such a good investment my daylight light bulb. Now is a good time to finish off all those half started projects or ideas you've been meaning to try out.

It's a perfect time really to just be creative indoors, as when it's better weather and brighter, we all try and make the most of the time outdoors, so now we should be doing the opposite right?! :)

So what tricks do you have up your sleeves to combat any seasonal blues? Any items 'to do' on your autumn/winter list?

Hand printed wrapping paper

This is one of the items on my to-do list and has been for way too long. Now I know that I could screen print these and have had the opportunity to do so in the past but I want to print them in a different way. Either by hand with small size stamps, carved from either lino or the softer block option (so much easier to cut!) or by creating a repeat pattern from a drawing scanned to computer using photoshop. 

So my question to you is have you done this? and if so to what success?

My other question on this subject is where to get the right size paper from. I know that on average I'm looking at paper sized around 50x70cm. So where would I be able to purchase such sized paper? and where, if I wanted to get a design printed, would do this/print such a size?

Your help on this question would be much appreciated. I have thought that I could get an A3 size printer at home to do limited runs, as I don't want to print reams and reams of the same design(!) but A3 paper falls quite a long way short size-wise at 29.7x42cm and I'm guessing I'd need to stock up on inks as well!

Blog moodboard

Well as you know I'm one of the many students attending bootcamp this October. Our homework this week was to create a mood board for our blog - mine is for how I'd like my blog to be.

We had the option of creating a digital mood board or an actual physical one. I've never made a digital one so would like to have a go at this but in reality I don't think I've ever made a proper physical mood board for a project myself either; so as I have a number of pin boards knocking about I thought I would use one of those as a base to lay inspirational bits and pieces on. Here's what I came up with:

I've gone for what I feel/hope is a clean fresh palette with blue/orange/grey, accents of colour to go on white. I want something simple, workable, not too busy. As once the look/layout and 'pretty' aesthetics of my blog have been finalised then my concentration will be on what I post about. I've included a lot of text on my board (using handwritten fonts), love these and want to use them more on the blog and in my photos; these snippets of text are my focus points, giving ideas as to the focus of my blog too. It's a work in progress at the moment.

So what do you think? I know there isn't any right or wrong but it would be good to get your feedback :)

Getting organised

I've had a week's break and have been getting all my paperwork for bootcamp organised, so that I could concentrate on my 'blog mood board' and gain focus as to what I would like this blog to look like in appearance/layout/colour/fonts etc. and also as to the content of the blog/blog posts themselves. It's not been easy, but I think I'm getting there. I know in my minds eye what I'd like to be doing, seeing and getting from this blog and that can only be a good place to start. It may be that I even move this blog to another platform to give me more scope for how I want it to look as well. Have you done this? I would love to know of anyone's experience(s) and why you decided to do so. 

You may be wondering about the picture - well these are a few plates I happened upon in a charity shop recently and as I want to focus again on handmade, recycling and reusing, I thought they fitted in quite well. That and the feeling that I've been juggling ideas (metaphorical plates?!) for a while about my blog x

One of my favourite blogs: Dispatch From LA

I know that if you're anything like me you probably have more than one favourite blog. However that said, I do have a few blogs that I perhaps favourite more than others, maybe this is because they inspire me in a different way, or a way that I need at this particular point on my creative road. These are blogs that I visit often to see what they are up to, what they've been doing/creating/sharing. Blogs whose words, views and work I am interested in reading and absorbing; learning from and being inspired by.

One of my favourite blogs is Dispatch From LA written by Mary Ann Moss.

I love her blog as she shares a mixture of bits of her life (teaching, etc.), her handmade journals and travel. The combination of her travel exploits with her journals is truly inspiring. I love that she is a keeper of experiences and memories in her journals, that she does them for her own enjoyment and benefit. She keeps travel journals, visual journals and written journals. It is also a relief that she has an attitude when working in her journals, that anything goes, there are no mistakes! Sometimes we can all be too precious with our sketchbooks/journals, thinking that they need to be perfect, when really they are our practice spaces, playgrounds for experimenting in and keeping notes/memories/thoughts as we please. Her views inspired me to journal and to be braver when working in my own journal(s) as well. I have done a couple of her creative online courses over the last few years and thoroughly enjoyed them. Her approach is fun and infectious. She teaches and shares her knowledge through written and visual ways, with easy to follow instructions and provides bags of inspiration from which your own ideas spring and evolve.

So what are your favourite blogs and why? I'd love to see. Leave me a link in the comments, who knows I may need to add them to my list of favourites too!

(images courtesy of Mary Ann Moss)

Vintage paper leaf garlands

I have been cutting up vintage book pages(!), I know some people would say that's a crime but I'm recycling those books that even the charity shops end up reducing to move. They are going on to have new lives that even they didn't dream of! I've been using pages in my journal, cutting shapes from the pages for paper garlands and will be using the hard covers for some handmade journals, so thumbs up all round I feel. And what is even better is the price that I paid for these books in the first place, and the amount of items and enjoyment I can and will get from them (in fact already have), all for the princely sum of 20/40p per book, bargain I'd say!

pile of autumnal leaves?!

I know that there are so many shapes/images that can be cut from paper, but I have to say as well as all the intricate papercuts that are out there I do love a simple shape, cut and stitched together to create a garland. And to be honest I have hung these up across one side of my little workroom as I've completed them, and they look better the more that there are. If you've only got room for one string it would look great but a few definitely makes more of an impact.

vintage book pages and doilys, delicate combination and simple

I've strung these up with the other circle ones I made a few weeks ago. And in the morning light the other day I could envisage them working so well at a fairy tea party, ethereal and light and how perfect as a back drop or around the room for a sweet hen tea party or a reception. hmmm...something magical...

intertwining strands

I am so loving keeping it simple with these garlands at the moment too, basic black and white text, white self-patterned paper, sheets of musical songs, lace like doilies. The only touch of colour on them is the thread they are stitched together with. As you may know, as I've mentioned it before, I'm helping with the decorative bits and pieces for a friends daughters wedding next year, and I'm thinking a 'wall' or backdrop of lengths of garlands would look great, catching the breeze, rustling lightly and even working as a background for photos too. I'm really liking the ideas I've seen of enormous lengths of crepe paper fringes as decoration as well. I have such love for paper at this time!

What are you loving right now?

Blogging Your Own Way: bootcamp for me!

I'm sat here in the spare room aka my little work space, my place to be. I'm here bare foot but dressed(!) in front of my laptop typing to you and for me. It's October already, where has the year gone? and I'm taking a fresh look at my blog and it's content/quality/focus/look/goals. I think that I've said before that I want my blog to be a creative and inspiring place to come to, for you and for me. I don't think I've necessarily felt that way for a while, lost my creative mojo a bit. So instead of languishing or hiding my face under a pillow I am meeting this 'problem' head on. I've enrolled with a host of other creative bods on to Holly Becker's online course 'Blogging Your Own Way' but to make this even more of a challenge it is 'bootcamp' which you know is going to tougher than a plain ol' class!  

oh which notebook to use for class?

So I am ready and already enthused and excited about the next few weeks. The class is full of talented creative individuals to be inspired by as well as the teachers! However where normally I can feel intimidated by such classes' as this, feeling a tad inferior, I'm making an effort (for me) not to, as we are all there to learn, whatever has brought us to the class and everyone's ideas and opinions are as valid as the next person's; it has been so lovely to see 'students' helping each other as well. Great camaraderie in class.

pens + 'enthusiasm' in my bag for class!

So if you notice changes in and on my blog over the next few weeks this will be why! I will be working hard (in the time that I have) to make my blog a more enjoyable place for me to be, because if I love it, that can only be a good thing hey?!! So I am aiming to:

Photography reflection

can you see my lovely pink geranium reflected in the spoon?!

Well I've been so carried away researching and reading about this and that, and things I can and will be doing over the next month to improve my blog that I totally forgot to do my Friday post! *tut tut shame on me*

I've also been experimenting more with my camera, snapping the most ordinary I suppose everyday things really to see if I can simply take a 'better' photo. Experimenting more with light, composition and a favourite I've found in reflections.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend. We've been lucky with the weather here and spent the afternoon perusing a v yummy food festival x

Handmade Journal (2)

Well as you may know from previous posts I have made my own journal and am now starting to 'play' in it. So, I wasn't happy with my first page spread (although that's probably not the right word really). I didn't feel like it was 'finished' in a way so that I could move on to the next spread. Hmmmm..... I know it's not supposed to be 'perfect' but I could not leave it as it was, so I have been back to adjust things a little and to add bits. I'll know when I'm finished with it! 

I have also been adding some bits as base elements for the next couple of page spreads too.

I've also been using my new washi tapes in the journal mix! It's the first time I've actually purchased and used any. I've seen them from afar as it were, used in other people's work and in many projects but it's the first time I've got my hands on any. I love them! So satisfying, such colours and patterns available.

I seem to have gone a bit neon pink?!! Ah well, there is more work to be done here, so back to play! x

Handmade Journal part 1

Well as promised these are the first spread of pages in my unique handmade journal

It's always the details that are so much more interesting it seems and can even be the beginnings of other ideas, who knows where they may lead...

It is so good to play and experiment x

Vintage album journal

Well finally, here it is, the photos of my completed journal using one of my old charity shop find albums. I have loved making this journal and plan to make some more to use and sell as well. Who doesn't like starting a new sketchbopk/journal? You've just got to remember not to be scared by that first blank page as well as the fact that this is your own personal place to experiment and play in. Nothing is wrong here, it's all experimentation and for your benefit. Who cares if no-one else likes it hey?!

all stitched and glued by my own fair hand

glorious spine!

worn corners that could probably tell a thousand tales. new pages waiting to be experimented upon

Now the fun of making the journal has started, it continues with 'playing' in it. So I'll be showing you the pages as I 'journal' so you can be nosey(!) and share in my play. Things will not be perfect and each page won't be a master piece, far from it. I love seeing what people are doing in their sketchbooks and journals, perhaps even more than seeing a 'finished' product/item.

Do you journal or use a sketchbook? if you've shared photos etc. on your blog, leave me a link in the comments and I'll drop by for a nosey!! x

Renegade Craft Fair London

So, book and magazine in hand I set off on the train Sunday to London, to meet up with my sister to go to Renegade Craft Fair. It was fab! Full of inspiring people and their creative work. Lots to see and tempt the pocket!

Image courtesy of Renegade Craft Fair

There were so many talented and creative individuals to be seen. Here are a few purchases I made

earrings by Lovely Pigeon

print by Drew Morrison

necklace by Ladybird Likes

There were so many gorgeous things to buy but alas we could not buy everything! Here are a few other artists/crafters that we loved:

I am acrylic

Kayleigh O'Mara

Debbie Greenaway

Mellybee

The cat in the shoe

to name a few!

If you want to see all the artists and links to their websites then check out the Renegade Craft Fair site itself x

Tea and cake

Brighton. Visiting my sister. Out having tea and cake. Purchasing new little friends - Pookis no less, Ernie and Norris from The Big Forest x

The Smokehouse

The other weekend we went on a little day jaunt to Folkestone. We had a stroll around, peering in the vibrant windows of the up and coming artists quarter whilst working up an appetite for our fish and chip treat. We went to The Smokehouse. It was lovely, very tasty indeed. Our fish and chips were served in small boxes while we sat on little wooden stools at wooden tables. The Smokehouse itself is a space (made from converting 3 buildings) with a high ceiling from which a sculpture/installation of a shoal of fish hangs in shiny metal; and has a wall of glass at one side through which you can look out to sea.

Definitely worth a visit if you are ever down that way x

Journal assembly started...

I have been compiling tools and papers in preparation for some journal making. Doing Mary Ann Moss' online class Full Tilt Boogie is very rewarding in the gathering and re-using of so many bits and pieces, to create a unique journal to doodle, write, paint, scrawl and collage in. Ahh the satisfaction of creativity. I'll show you my finished journal when I have completed it, just the stitching to do now!

The Fairy Tale Fair

Image courtesy of The Fairy Tale Fair

This Saturday if you're in or near Brighton then drop in to The Fairy Tale Fair. I'm visiting my sister for the weekend so will be dropping in for a good ol' nosey around all the stalls. If you want to find out more about them and the stall holders that will be there then drop by their blog - The Fairy Tale Fair enjoy! x

The Hartington

Sunday dinner at The Hartington, Brighton the other weekend with the family. Great to catch up as always, the weather stayed fine and dinner was enjoyed by all x