Monday 13 August 2012

Time flies as usual!


Well hello again!

Ok I know a week has passed already.... how? I don’t know but at least I am here again with only 7 days to catch up on .... I count that as a small miracle ;) Actually talking of time I read a fabulous quote today which sums up me and my nemesis

Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly’
Ivan Turgenev

Right now it seems time has flown since last I sat here to write but looking back I think I haven’t noticed the passing of time as I’ve been happy in my pottering so that’s a good thing right?

So what do I have to share? Well I have been happy reading the books recently acquired from mum and dad and getting those creative juices flowing again, this one


As ever has made me smile, think and start getting messy again. I find Claudine Hellmuth a real inspiration and can tell you she is a lovely lady after being lucky enough to meet her at CHA a couple of years ago :)


I created this in ‘Michelle style’ after leafing through this fab book. Its part of something I’ve been creating this week that I can’t share yet but will soon.... promise! I urge you, if you like to dabble in different techniques, to snag a Claudine book or two and get playing.... it will make you happy ... it has me!

Lots of you have been asking about the Serif craft artist samples I’ve had on TV and where you can see them ... I will be putting them in my website gallery when I get the website ship shape again but will share this one with you


One of my favourites from the recent Paula Philips 4 day deal it uses Love in the air digi kit and is a layout showing the 2 grandchildren ... soon to be 3!

There is something special happening in cyber space too that I want to share. It’s called


And is the brain child of the lovely BerniceHopper. It’s a celebration of British scrappers, altered artists, art journallers and artists ... a great idea and some great British talent to get to know if you don’t know them already! (Yours truly will be interviewed on there at the end of September) Go and check it out when you’ve finished visiting here and be inspired!

Talking of being inspired, being excited about being home in the North East still hasn’t worn off and I am inspired daily


Enough said!

Back to the time thing (again!) I don’t know where the last year has gone but I am again on countdown for the Rewind 80’sfestival this weekend. This was last year


Created with Serif Photo projects, lifestyle kit. We had THE BEST time and know we will again this year, although this year we have opted to go glamping instead of taking an hotel room.... 1st time ‘under canvas’ for us both although it is a cloudhouse and not a tent and is supplied with a bed, bedding, fluffy rugs and tea lights ... but it’s still ‘camping’ right? I don’t think we’ll be very good at it but we’ll have a blast along the way.... please feel free to start doing sun dances for us now ... I’m dancing like fury LOL!

And finally, my boys.....


Settling in and purveying all that they own!


Enjoying the TORRENTIAL downpours we have had and thinking I’ve installed their own private swimming pool as the patio flooded!!


And one soggy, happy Stanley dog, Ollie wouldn’t stay still for a decent pic :D

Well that’s it I think, oh we got 2 new sofas delivered finally this week (don’t ask!) and the old one taken away today so a new chapter now really begins :) I'll leave you with this


made with Paula Phillips digi kit and Serif craft artist

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you’re well and happy and as ever until soon

Happy Crafting
Love
M x

Monday 6 August 2012

TIME to get back on track!!


Hi there!

Well I am still alive.... Just about LOL. The last time I was here I told you that I was moving house and may not be around for a while, however, I didn’t intend my absence to be this long!

The move went well and was relatively easy actually and we are ridiculously happy living up here, I am so pleased to be home in my beloved North East although I still find it weird I can see my family and friends easily and leave them knowing it won’t be months or indeed years until I see them again. This is a digi page I made using Serif Craft artist professional and the Daisy Trail digi kit Welcome


Our lovely quirky house that I have been nesting in. Every box and bag is now unpacked and we are surrounded by all our nick knacks, works of art gathered from our travels and sparkly bits, all we are now waiting for are the new sofas promised 2 weeks ago but that’s a whole other story!!  

In amongst the move Hubs has spent a lot of time away working and I‘ve been a busy bee with create and craft tv shows and scrap365 magazine deadlines.

Now it’s all settling it’s quite strange to find I have some time to finally do some things that I want to do, getting to grips with my blog and finally re launching my website being some of the things on my list!

Today I’ve been reading one of the books that my mum and dad got me for my birthday recently and it’s one of those books that landed in my path at just the right time.


Pam Carriker, the author and the other talented artists that have contributed to the book seem to be speaking to me right now, does a book ever do that to you? I have recently found myself a little stifled creatively and know that it is down to me, I let life take over and chores and tasks overwhelm me sometimes and leave myself no time to ‘play’ I’ve lost the joy of my hobby a little along the way and that makes me sad but I am starting to feel the quiet knock of mojo and the itching of the fingers and intend to create time to ...... well create! I also enjoyed reading the section on cyber space and laughed out loud as I realised I am not alone in getting lost in the black hole at times and that it is ok to limit computer time and manage my visits to cyber space to connect, to share and to enjoy again.

So basically I need to manage my time, allow myself time to create like I used to without that slight guilt feeling I get and also not to pressure myself into constantly visiting cyber space (‘you don’t’ I hear you cry .... LOL ... what I mean is I worry when I don’t visit cyber space and feel pressure to do it and then start to really dislike it which is another thing that makes me sad) and I want to discover the joy of blogging again like I used to.

I will be looking to this lady for some inspiration



Frida Kahlo, one of my artistic heroines. This is a digi piece of home decor I created for my craft room using the daisy trail kit Gypsy Rose; the colours are perfect for that Mexican folk art feel.

And I will be looking here daily for inspiration


The fabulous North East coast that I have missed so much


And where I take the boys most days..... Needless to say they love it and have been brushing up on their swimming skills LOL

Well hopefully I haven’t waffled too much and hopefully I’ll be back soon to share some more thoughts and crafty projects so until soon, as ever, I hope you are well and happy and I’ll leave you with this thought ...


Created with Daisy trail digi kit thanks

Happy Crafting

Love

M x