Friday 31 July 2009

Merry Go Round

I'm having a bit of a blog break at the moment, to spend time with my girls whilst they are on their summer holidays - but I'm back to participate in this month's Merry Go Round...hope the sun is shining where you are - there's too much rain here at the moment!
Jump on and join a group of artists/craftswomen as they link around the world and tell you a little bit about their lives in art and craft.
Our question this month is: What inspires us? A peek into our journals, pinboards or folders...


Well, this is pretty much my inspiration board these days...

I've mentioned before that I am heavily influenced by what lies outside my front door. I live in the middle of a wondrous forest, and I love it. I love watching the changing of the seasons - I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. The colours that nature provides us with are limitless, and the juxtapostions that occur are inspiring beyond belief.

Back in my college days sketchbooks were an absolute must, and I diligently filled mine in...often with pen and ink drawings of flowers or vegetables, and the odd sketch of someone sitting in an armchair thrown in for good measure. Journals - or scrapbooks - were also kept, crammed full of images torn from magazines, postcards and packaging snippets pasted in until the covers would almost burst.

Nowadays, I rarely sketch. I should; I would like to draw again...but it has been a long time! I sketch now simply to work out a template for a piece that I am working on, to refine the pattern before I progress to snipping fabrics. Instead, my sketchbook and journal has been replaced by my camera. What would I do without it? In an instant, I have a record of intricate details, colour combinations and textures. I know I should sit and draw the sepals and stamens that fascinate me so much, but I thoroughly enjoy taking photographs - it feels like a huge reward to sit back and scroll through the images that I have snapped. This way, details are crystal clear and the colours pop...how could I not be inspired?!

Now that you have kindly read about my inspiration 'folder', do please pop in on my fellow merry-go-rounders (click on the links in the sidebar) - they are sharing theirs with us too, although at differing times...many of us are in different time zones!

Thursday 16 July 2009

goodbye for the holidays

goodbye for the holidays, originally uploaded by fancypicnic.

The time has nearly come - tomorrow is our last day of getting up and ready for school...'one more get-up', as a dear friend would say...until September.

Hooray!

Today will be my last post for a while. I love the summer holidays - lazy mornings, happy children running carefree and barefoot, a spot of castle-roaming, beach dwelling here and there, tree climbing (them, not me), seeing friends for loooong afternoons, camping....ah, the good life! I'm looking forward to spending some time with my little girls, but I'll be in and out I'm sure.

Until next time - a very happy, sunny summer to you! xx

Saturday 11 July 2009

Shopping List Saturday

The end of the school year is looming...counting the days!
This week's Shopping List is for all little girls out there...and of course, grown up ones too! Enjoy...

1)A Winter's Tale/ artandghosts

2)Radish - sterling silver and fabric necklace/ 3squares

3)NEW Lilla Lotta GladBag/ lillalotta

4)Seduction - Print 16x11 inches/ HidenSeek *

It's a rainy Saturday here in the UK - perfect weather for Etsy shopping! Shop handmade this weekend - let my fellow Shoppers inspire you with their lists (check them out via the links in the sidebar)...and if you'd like to join us with your own Shopping List each weekend, let me know!

*This week, I purchased a stationery set, pin button and stickers from HidenSeek - I have to say that it was the most beautifully packaged parcel I've ever received through the post! Simply gorgeous - thank you, Eloise xx

Friday 10 July 2009

Stitchery

Fitted in between bouts of log handling and tipi pole delivering...some stitching!

So lovely to spend some time with snippets of beautiful fabrics again, sewing away with my machine. I tend to sew in quite a rhythmic fashion - snip the fabric, place the fabric, stitch the fabric; needle in; snip the fabric, place the fabric, stitch the fabric; needle in; snip the fabric .... and it seems to work for me.

I don't think it's efficient (I probably should cut out all fabric pieces first and have them to hand so that I simply reach out and select a piece, sew it on and repeat), but it certainly feels indulgent! I end up surrounded by and burrowed in to mounds of silky, sparkly textiles and I love it. There's no monotony, just sheer enjoyment.

Tuesday 7 July 2009

those little red shoes again...

dreaming of fairyland, originally uploaded by fancypicnic.

You see, if I could be an elf or a fairy I would be...then I could live here, happily ever after. Love toadstools - especially big, bright red and white ones.

Saturday 4 July 2009

Shopping List Saturday

Serene, calm and elegant...my thoughts for the Shopping List this weekend. Dainty and feminine, I'm in love with each of these items - I doubt I can resist them for much longer!

1)Lovely Glass Ring In A Lace Edge Setting/ UldeYrth

2)Linen Heart Keychain/ makeyourpresentsfelt

3)Handmade Petite Purse Seed Head Stems Lilac/ meplusmolly

4)Soiree Necklace/ mamaslittlebabies

I hope you too love my coveted items this week. If you would like to join us with your own weekly list of Etsy discoveries of handmade beauty, please just let me know!

I can hardly believe it's been a week since my last posting. I can feel already that I'm winding down in preparation for the long school summer holiday ahead, but there's plenty to be done over the next two weeks. Here's to a productive few days!