Felting...

is becoming something of an obsession.  This is a shawl collar, made from Nuno felt, with stitch round the edges of the collar, to give it some definition.  I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out.  I'm not sure that it looks great on my chair, there, but on a person, it looks great.  I'm now trying to decide how to fasten it.. perhaps frogging, perhaps a loop and fascinating button... perhaps a vintage brooch. I'd love to know what you think.

As well as the coaching I do, I work as a volunteer mentor for people who are starting small businesses.  I met a new mentee today, and as always, it inspired me to do more coaching.  It is not a part of my work that has ever really caught on, though I have had some success working with people who are in some way stuck at some part of their creative journey.  I'm working on a new workbook, intended to help people find their own symbolic visual language, which I'm finding quite interesting.  Actually, it's more of a work bag, as you get a journal as well as the book in E-book form, and some other bits and pieces.  I hope it'll be fun to do. 

I've intended for some time to start a creativity blog; even made one here on Blogger.  I've held back from working on it for some reason, and my recent experience with Spunbond Sensations! is making it even more doubtful.  I had hoped that people would participate in Spunbond Sensations, as I can't answer questions I'm not asked...it's a bit like talking to yourself.  Perhaps it is just the blog structure... you can comment, but you can't blog on someone elses' blog, unless they allow you to.  I'm aiming for a cross between a blog and an email list; so far, it much more blog than conversation...  Perhaps if I started a list to support it? 

Happy New Year!

January was named for the god Janus, who had two faces; he looked both forwards and backwards, ideal for the start of the year. Looking backwards, last year was a year like any other, a mixture of highs, lows and humdrums. It was my fiftieth birthday in May, my sister surprised me with a visit, and my friends Judy and Haydn threw a surprise party for me (my first ever!). My gall bladder got grumpy, I acquired varifocals (not sure which category that fits into!), I wrote a lot, didn't make much in the way of art, and popped up in a variety of places, including my first trip to Dublin for the Knitting and Stitching Show. And we got together with Tracey (my soon to be daughter in law) and her parents down here and had a great time, making the wedding invitations, drinking pink champagne and generally having a laugh! And my first Christmas with my sister since my mid teens ended the year with a bang!

This year, there are things to look forward to; Andrew and Tracey's wedding, FOQ, Open Studios, learning to frame and the move of the gallery to a beautiful public space, where I'll be curating exhibitions as well as showing my work (but more of that another time). Above all, though, I'll be working on a new book, with my friend Jill Arnold, and making a lot of work. I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, but I do believe in having a life purpose, which informs the work, and the rest of my life, to boot. My life purpose is twofold; the creation of joy, and the creation of meaning. Joy was a bit scarce in some parts of last year; come to think of it, meaning was, too. This year, I get back to basics. Make the work, and then make some more. It's really simple. Hope you all have a wonderful, creative and fulfilling year, whatever your life purpose is.

ps the quilt is 'Gestation', which seems to go nicely with the theme of the blog today. I think I've been brewing a lot of new ideas last year, which get to be expressed this year. Hurrah!

Awarded...

...this wee thing. To quote Anne, who did the awarding;

All awards are special and great fun to give. The Renee Award is relatively new and was created by Bella and Ces in honour of their friend Renee, an incredible lady who in the face of a frightening life battle is tackling each new day with great spirit and courage. Please check out the blogs of these three creative women.

Here is what Bella says of the award:"This is a brand new award and I have the pleasure and honor of spreading the seed, watching it grow. I hope it finds its way to those who are like Renee: the acorn, a small package becoming a tall and sturdy oak, giving more acorns, becoming tall and sturdy oaks, giving acorns..."

I thought about the acorns in my life ... and came up with...

Dijanne Cevaal
Sally Bramald
Ferret

...all of whom I find inspirational in different ways. Yes, I know, it was meant to be eight... but I'm tired... that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it !

Happy New Year...

..and thank you to everyone who reads this blog (we're now into Year Three!), and my other efforts. I'm very grateful. It feels like having a network of friends all over the world. I love my friends wholeheartedly; many of them have been through thick and thin with me (you know who you are...), and I'm always delighted to add a few more. This year, I added some family to the mix; my sister and I had been estranged, but we're talking twice as fast to make up for it. She and her family are beloved...finding her again has changed my life. So, I have a great deal to be thankful for.

This new year will be as busy as last, and I'm looking forward to getting out and about to meet new people, run some workshops, do some demonstrating, that kind of thing... I aim to do everything I'm doing now...just a little better! May you, too, have a joyful New Year, full of learning and love.

Christmas Is Coming...

but it doesn't mean that I've stopped working. I'm still writing away, and considering what to do with the small pieces of evolon and lutradur which I made during the Knitting and Stitching Show weekend. The one above is an example. It is evolon soft, just waiting to be stitched. I love working in bright colours, and orange in particular is one of my favourites. I'm immediately drawn to orange in shops, and wear it as often as I can. It makes me feel joyful and bright, good things to feel. I love working with these colours, too. Not sure quite what I'll do with this piece... but I'm sure I'll think of something!

I'm enjoying working with evolon, which is just as well, as I'm committed to writing a book about it. It will be called 'Exquisite Evolon', and will be out next August, just in time for Festival of Quilts. I love working with Evolon, as it is so tactile, with the feel of suede, or a very short piled velvet...lovely stuff, and takes colour beautifully.

By the way, I've made a new blog here, because I wanted to show off other peoples' work, as well as my own. And I just wrote about 'happy soup' on my personal blog, if you'd like to know a bit more about me...or just fancy reading about food! Not that I'm obsessed...but isn't it coffee time around now?

Tracy Tagged Me!

She did! Despite the fact that I didn't tell you how wonderful her postcard was, that she traded me for a couple of aceos... sorry, Tracy... I really loved it!!!

And now for the rules...

• Link back to the person who tagged you


• Post the rules on your blog for the friends you chose so they know what they're to do


• Share 6 unimportant things about yourself


• Tag 6 of your blogging friends

Six unimportant things?

I can spell well in four languages (shame nobody can read my handwriting...sigh...)

I hate shopping for shoes. It takes forever, and they all look the same at my size (eight) and requirements (flat and boring..)

I have two hats, a fabulous outfit and no wedding to go to (Andrew's wedding is off)

My (long lost) niece is coming to stay with me this summer (hurrah!)

I've discovered a passion for jewellery. (anyone who wants to send me jewellery is very welcome to do so!!).

I love orange, the colour, but not oranges, the fruit, though I do drink the juice. No, I don't know. I feel the same about bananas (love 'em) and banana flavoured things (yuk!!).

I can't count.

Sooo...who to inflict...ahem...choose... Sally Bramald, definitely, who quilts divinely. Zuda, who makes fab jewellery. Alis, who makes pretty things. Dijanne, who doesn't actually need anything extra to do, but hey, it is voluntary, and she's my friend... Sandy, because she doesn't blog often enough and oh, Liz, because her work is fab. Have fun, guys!

ps the image is an aceo, made with sand from Hunstanton. and if you haven't seen the dragon, yet, go look at The Other Blog