Thursday 29 December 2011

Being Creative Gallery Check In ~ December (and what happens next)


Hola!

I'm bringing you the Gallery Check In for December a couple of days early this month, with it being New Year and us still very much in Holiday Mood!

I hope you've all enjoyed your Christmas, wherever you are in the world - this Gallery Check In is the last one of the year, and this post will also explain what will be happening to the Being Creative Project Group in 2012.

The theme for December was WINTER.

I decided to include my recently re-found painting, Yorkshire Snow to the Flickr Group Pool, as this conveys Winter to me just perfectly...dark dry stone walls, a white patchwork of snowy fields, tiny farm cottages and swirling snow storms...





I hope you've enjoyed the theme this month, and I look forward to seeing your contributions in the Flickr Group and in the Gallery - you can add your link to the widget at the bottom of this post to link back to relevant work on your blog, website or photo hosting account.  PLease do not link back to any online market place such as Folksy or Etsy please, many thanks!

I've really enjoyed hosting the Being Creative Project this year, it's allowed me to discover some amazing souls the world over, and it's been a pleasure to connect with these people and make new online friendships.

So, you may be wondering where the group is headed in 2012...?


I've given this a fair bit of thought.  I knew that I wanted to continue to host a facility for people to come and be inspired, to be creative amongst a group of like minded souls and to be able to share images of their work.  I wanted the Project to be flexible yet supportive, and I knew I wanted it to be informal and friendly and accessible.

In 2012, the Project will operate in a slightly different way - it will still be up and running and there will still be themes for you to work from.  What I'm going to do is launch a Theme Pool (which you can access on the Being Creative page of this blog above from early January).  The idea is that there will be a whole heap of themes for you to choose from, so you get to choose something that really lights your creative fire rather than be stuck with one that perhaps doesn't.

You can also choose how long you want to work on your theme; you might pick one a month like before, or pick one to turn into a year long project...you might also want to work with a different one each week - the choice is yours.  I hope this flexible approach makes the group more appealing and accessible for you all.

Another change is that I'm not going be hosting the monthly gallery pages any longer.  You will be able to share images of your work in the Flickr Gallery Group which is already hosting some amazing works of art and craft and is a really inspiring place to visit.  You can add your images there whenever you like, and there is also a discussions forum if you have any questions or require some support.

I will also continue to send out the Being Creative Project newsletter - this will be sent to you on a happily random basis and will be bulging with inspiration, guidance, advice and tools for you.  If you haven't signed up already, you are most welcome to do so and can find the sign up form on the Being Creative page (click tab above).

So for the last time, I give you the gallery to host your Winter themed work.  I'm looking forward to seeing your contributions this month!  The gallery will be open for one month so you have plenty of time to add your links.

I hope you are happy with the changes, and that the group still provides a friendly and supportive space for you to get creative.  If you have any questions, i'd be more than happy to hear from you.

Sending you love for your creative journey, and wishing you all a sparkly and marvellous 2012 ~ thank you so much for taking part, hope to see you all next year!

Julia x x x

Friday 9 December 2011

My Guide to a Stress~Free Christmas

'A Letter to Santa' ~ watercolour on paper

Hello dearest!

Winter has landed early in my little corner of the world; the temperature is barely above zero and there are snow flurries and gusty winds which have left the trees bare and grey.  However I do like this time of year; I like to see the white snowy fields criss-crossed by the dark dry stone walls and a brooding Pennine sky looming above, I like bracing wintery walks followed by drinks of hot chocolate, curled up on the sofa wrapped in homemade hooky blankets and a good film on TV...

...in stark contrast I Do Not Like overheated shops, big queues, hustle and bustle and the rush to get to Christmas.  Nor do I enjoy catching bugs from being in germ ridden, overcrowded places or the stress that can come from Christmas shopping.  I also dislike arguments with family and friends brought on by stress and a car crash of everybodys' mixed expectations of how things should be.

So, I'm going to share some simple secrets on how to get to the big day, serenely, on time, feeling relaxed and in tip top health.  I promise you won't be disappointed - it's so simple and it all works.

'Snowflake Angels' by Carys

Here goes:

1:  The Fend Off Colds and Sore Throat Miracle Remedy (aka: instant Pep Up Tonic)

I make this myself, a lot.  I like to drink this as a soothing, warming herbal tea.  It's wonderful if you're feeling under par, at the onset of a cold, or feeling the razor sharp swallowing that comes with a nasty sore throat.  It's my instant pep up and bacteria fighting winter tea:

You need:  fresh ginger, fresh thyme, fresh organic lemon and a manuka honey (or good antibacterial one, such as Troway Hall's).  A little loose tea leaf infuser is useful too, to hold the herbs and spices (otherwise you can just put everything in a beaker and strain through a sieve into your mug).

Best made fresh, Makes 1 mug: 

Grate or chop a thumb sized, peeled piece of fresh ginger.
Snip up a generous palm full of fresh thyme.  Add both of these to your infuser.
In a mug, add a teaspoon of good honey and a couple of teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Pour boiled water over all the ingredients and leave to steep for 5 -10 minutes.  Drink up and enjoy.

'Snowflakes' ~ Crochet pattern by Attic24

2:  Do Easy Christmas Shopping - or Don't.

There's a couple of really easy ways to avoid the nightmare of Christmas Shopping...those bustling, busy, hot shops full of queues and crying children.

Don't do it.

Solution 1:  The obvious one, shop online.  Do it all online.  The amount of stress you'll save yourself is un-bel-ieeeeeveable.  There's nothing you can't order online these days, so save yourself the hassle and stay home.

Solution 2: Choose Handmade.  In these days of feverish mass consumerism, I'm finding the gentle art of homemade more and more appealing.  Handmade is the way forward and there are oodles of books and magazines to whet your appetite and inspire you.  My favourites are Mollie Makes and Handmade Living.

Hand Embroidered Lavender Pillow gift 'Cornishware Jug & Daisies'

3:  Let go of Expectation.

I'm one of those people who roll with the flow on a lot of things although I do have a perfectionist streak which comes from a Virgo moon bobbing about in my birth chart somewhere, so I do have to battle with that part of me sometimes!

On the whole though I think I'm pretty easy going about how stuff turns out these days.  Take my Christmas tree for example, it's not perfect.  It's covered in a myriad of different rainbow coloured decorations and lights and is ever so slightly tipsy, with the fairy on the top listing drunkenly to one side - but that's ok, we don't mind things like that.  It makes me smile to see it :)

However, Christmas can bring out our inner perfectionist.  We can want the whole day to go a certain way, to look a certain way.  We can want the people we're with to be a certain way and we mentally prepare for it down to the tiniest detail and feel crushingly devastated when something goes 'wrong'.  Some folks prepare for this one day for months.  Can I just say...and I know some of you reading this will already have elaborate table layouts planned and a time table written out - please, for your sanity, just try and release your hold on any expectations you might have about it all.  Let the day come, and let it go.  And in between, relax and enjoy it.  Things will go wrong, things won't always go as planned.  Relaxing our level of expectation will release a whole truck load of stress, which is a good thing - I mean, Christmas is meant to be enjoyed, right?

All decked up!  My daughter chose those funky pink lights!

4:  Congratulate Yourself

Yes.  Do this often.  In the middle of everything you're doing, stop right where you are and hug yourself (I mean it, this releases endorphins like you won't believe).  I also encourage you to say something like 'You're so GREAT!!!!!! You are doing such a WONDERFUL JOB!!!'  This is a good thing to do - it makes you instantly feel better and a little self love goes a long way in helping you be nicer to others.  Don't wait for someone to pat you on the back for your efforts (you can get grizzly waiting for, or expecting a compliment), do it yourself.

5:  Nurture Yourself

Probably obvious, yet as essential as breathing in and out.  Nurture yourself.  Be kind to your body and mind.  Do relaxing things for yourself; go outdoors for walks and breathe in good wintery air, do some gentle exercise like yoga or pilates or take yourself off to Zumba and dance your butt off!  Take deep relaxing baths laced with essential oils to lift the spirits (i heartily recommend grapefruit and eucalyptus for this time of year), drink plenty of water - at least 6 to 8 glasses a day, and sleep.  Switch off your computers at least half an hour before you turn in, and do a bit of reading to gently unwind and prepare your body for rest.

Looking after yourself first isn't a selfish thing to do, you're actually going to be in a better, healthier and more naturally giving place to look after your families when you do this stuff for you.  


All of this works, I swear.  And I know this because I do it myself.

And I hope, in a small way, these little stress busting tricks and treats will help you too.

Sending bunches of mistetoe and a glass of mulled wine your way...
Love Julia x x x

Thursday 1 December 2011

Being Creative Gallery ~ November


Hello!


Welcome to the Being Creative Gallery Check In for November.  The theme for November was....


VINTAGE!


Before I launch the gallery link I just want to apologise for not getting an inspiring email support letter out to you this month.  November has been Bursting-at-the-Seams-Busy and before I knew where I was, it was almost Gallery day again.  Somehow I bypassed the part in my To Do Book which said 'Being Creative Email' and sailed forth.  This has taught me that sometimes with even the best intentions, we sometimes cock up and forget stuff, and that's OK, it shows how spendidly human we are I think!


I hope you have managed to find some inspiration for the theme, and I look forward to seeing what you've been up to!  


If you have a piece of work you would like to post in the Gallery this month, then you are welcome to add your link using the widget at the bottom of this post.  The link must lead back to a picture of relevant work, either on your blog or on your Flickr or photo hosting account (I do ask that you please don't link back to any online market place, such as Etsy or Folksy, thank you).


The Flickr Group is also open to post your images on a daily basis, while this gallery will be open from 1 - 31st December.  You can easily access any of the gallery pages from the link in the right hand side bar.


Don't forget, you can still sign up to receive the Being Creative Newsletter, which I send out once a month.  You will receive a free mini Being Creative e-book with this, along with links to some blog entries that you may find inspiring, and which may help you get started on your creative journey.  Although there's only one more theme this year, you are still welcome to sign up and join if you haven't already by clicking the tab at the top of the page.


The theme for December is...


WINTER.


Thank you so much for taking part, I look forward to seeing your Vintage inspired work!


Julia x x x


Monday 28 November 2011

Knitting and Stitching Show Treasures

(A treasure of rainbow lovely~ness)


Yesterday, I went to Harrogate; to the Knitting & Stitching Show...


If you are lucky enough to have ever been to this eevent, you will understand why I am writing this basking in the afterglow of utter Inspiration Overdose.  Not having been before, we weren't sure what to expect.  We knew it would be good, but not as good as it actually was.  We knew it would be big, but not that big (we were blown away by the actual Bigness* of it ~ *a totally made up word to convey just how big it was).  We knew we would see things that would charm and tempt us and on that score we were completely right.


We set off on a cold November morning, with the sun behind us rising in a crisp blue sky over hills and fields - at least it was until we got to Leeds!!  Navigating that city isn't for the faint hearted - I feel like such a country bumpkin as urban driving (one way systems, sudden lane changes which mean zipping across four of them to get to a swift and sudden turn off etc etc) is not really my cup of tea these days.  Still, we got there eventually and celebrated a whole day of wandering, gazing at yarn, thread, felt, textiles, gallery exhibits and the like by going for a large mug of coffee and something sweet.




Having neglected to take any pictures of the event itself (silly me) I can only entice you with the handful of beautiful goodies I chose to bring home with me:


Buttons, felt balls and yarn...


The felt balls are for a piece of felty jewellery I'm going to be having a go at creating.  I will post pics as soon as it's done, but in the meantime please feel free to gratuitously drink up those terrific rainbow colours - don't they just pop and zing??  Don't they make you feel just ridiculously happy?


(Ocean Blues...wonderful sea colours, I'm quite in love!)


The buttons, they're just wonderful.  I'm not quite sure what they're made of, but they seem to resemble polished coconut shell on the underside, and a smooth, polished ceramic on the top in dreamy ocean shades.  I don't quite know what to use them for as yet but they had to come home with me, I knew that for sure!


Of course, it was probably inconceivable to imagine coming home without a bit of yarn..and oh, the Yarn...oh my.  


The yarn I chose is by a delicious company called Nimu Yarns.  They are a family company based in East Kent and create the most decadent and beautiful hand dyed, hand painted yarns you may have ever set your eyes upon.  Ever.  In the whole world.


After much 'oooh~ing' and 'aaahhh~ing' I decided to treat myself to a skein of Aira in the Grasholm shade.  It's 400 metres of pure, unadulterated silk in the most divine shade of mermaid oceany turquoise.  And I am saving it until I find the perfect pattern for it.  At this point in time I'm sitting with a vision of a slim, drapy kind of scarf which can be worn in the warmer months...what do you think?


Another deeply inspiring moment was to be had when I wandered past the Selvedge Stand.  Something caught my eye...and I glanced again...quickened my pace and was all of a sudden standing before a real life Sophie Digard masterpiece!!


(photograph ~ Sophie Digard at Selvedge)


For those of you who are familiar with Sophie's crochet work you will perhaps understand why I went into a trance like moment as I stood before one of her scarves.  The tiny stitches, the colourways and detail is like nothing I've ever seen on earth.  I understand that she has a team of highly competent women who crochet up her designs somewhere in South America (I think!) which would go some way to explaining why there are so many amazing designs available as it would surely take a Very Long Time to create even one of these pieces don't you think?


I then moved on to gaze longingly at her jewellery...oh my goodness, heart stopping moment - for two reasons; the first one being the absolute beauty of a necklace made intricately from yarn, and secondly, the price tag...which I think it was £127.00...


One day I would like to think I'd have the patience to try and make my own Sophie Digard inspired scarf, but in all honesty I think I'm one of those souls who just isn't made to create teeny tiny faffy pieces of work.  Fortunately I am one of those people who never say never, so one never knows...but for now I think I'm best (and happiest) at gazing adoringly at the stuff from people who can.


'Til next time, thanks for coming by
Julia x x x

Tuesday 22 November 2011

A Story About Making Old Furniture Lovely Again



We have a new addition to our family.

Actually, we have two but i'll tell you about this one first; our new Welsh dresser.

Way back in February my other half happened to mention that there was a Welsh dresser for sale.  It was being advertised in the little cafe over the road and he'd had a look at it and thought right away how it could be done up and made to look lovely.  As this is something I have long wished to have in my home I went to have a look at it.  Standing in the corner it was very tired, shabby and 80's looking with it's awful dark varnish, but I could see the potential same as he had and immediately got rather excited, envisioning it standing in our little house adorned with all our favourite bits and pieces.

We bought it for £25.00 and got to work sanding back that nasty varnish...


I'm afraid I don't have an actual before shot of it to show you just how dark and awful it really was, but you get the idea...


However this renovation business was not plain sailing.  After choosing and buying the undercoats, primers and paints we got to work making this old bit of furniture look good as new, but we hit a problem:  Staining.  Yes, the lovely milky white shade of paint we had originally chosen turned a rather sickly yellow as the old varnish leached through.

It was left a while as we worked out what to do.  I contacted a furniture restoration specialist who suggested sanding it back and then coating the whole thing in shellac.  It seemed like there was a light at the end of the tunnel but as some of you may know, shellac is not the cheapest product to buy and we had a heck of a surface area to cover.  Back to the drawing board then!!  My Dad had a lightbulb moment and went up to see his old friend John Carrack (brother of the famous Paul) who has run their family paint business in Crookes for years.  John sent him home with a tin of some special sealant and my Dad took over the project of re-sanding, sealing, re-undercoating and the like, whilst I danced off happily to buy pretty coloured door knobs and some new paint!

After months of hard work and nothing happening, it was ready:


It has moved into our little house and looks as if it's been there forever.  Typically I got rather excited and immediately started to adorn it with bits and bobs...(and did I mention that it needs bunting?  I didn't?  Oh it so does!!)



I found the toadstools in John Lewis recently, they're actually tree decorations but for now I'm liking them just sitting companionably together on my new dresser :)

The paint I chose was Porcelain Blue by the Craig & Rose 1829 paint company.  The door and drawer knobs came from a selection at Chatsworth House and a lovely little shop in Holmfirth called The Gift Horse.

Prior to my Welsh dresser moving in, I finally got myself a proper desk to work from.  For absolutely long enough I have been working and painting away at my dining room table and this has been fine up to a point but I was feeling that I'd really like a little chunk of my home where I could do my computer work and smaller pieces of art; a work space I could call my own, that I didn't have to clear off to serve meals etc.  Now as some of you know we live in a very SMALL house, there really isn't space for an individual studio and so I have chosen my favourite corner, by my inspiring bookshelves and back window for my new desk.


I found my desk in an antiques centre in Sheffield, I saw it just over a month ago and I fell instantly in love.  I saw it in my mind as being the perfect desk;  it was big enough for my bits and pieces, but small enough to fit in our room without overpowering it.  It has an unusually long drawer that opens from the side for keeping all my Important Things in.  I also get to leave my painting stuff on it, and I love doing that.


I think it's important that we cultivate a creative space that makes our hearts sing, that bring us joy.  A good place to work from is good for the soul.

It's also a dream to sit here and work, glancing up to see the birds fluttering about and watch the sun orbit our riverside garden.  Although I'm still in my little house, working in the same room, having my own desk here gives me my own little sanctuary to retreat to for work and painting stuff.  I love it.  It's all mine.

So!  Before I go today, I'd just like to thank all of you for your lovely comments about my crochet work ~ you're so kind and I do appreciate the time you spend reading my blog and writing your thoughts.  I also appreciate all of you lovely folks who read and leave quietly, thank you too for stopping by :)

Well, I have a few Christmas Card orders I need to be cracking on with now, so I'm off!  I hope you're all having a smashing week, sending love and mugs of warm gluhwein to you!

Julia x x x

Tuesday 15 November 2011

A Rather Hooky Ta~Dahhhhhhhhhh!



It's finished!!


At long last, my Japanese Flower Scarf is completed!  I finished it last week but the weather has been so drab and grey here for days on end it has been difficult to photograph it.  Anyway, today the fog cleared for a few glorious hours and I managed to take a few pictures for you.  It was made from remnant balls of wool that were left over from my Rainbow Ripple Blanket; it's mostly Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK with the odd bit of aran here and there.  It's lovely and soft, and surprisingly warm, what with all those holes!




It's a feast of colour...




...I am smitten!


And I am also pleased to share with you that my other scarf, my Stripy Rainbow Bliss one is also completed.  I spent a long while the other afternoon sewing in all the ends; you may recall me not so long ago sharing some WIP photographs with you:




To be fair, it doesn't look that much different now it's actually finished off properly, it's just a little bit longer than it was.




I'm well and truly kitted out for the cold weather now, lots of soft warm woolly goodness to wrap around myself...I'm actually kind of looking forward to the colder days now so I have an excuse to wear them!


And of course with two projects done and dusted, it doesn't stop there.  I have embarked on another Japanese Flower shawl! There is something so lovely and cosy about shawls and I've developed a bit of a need for them around the house; they're so practical and yet so comforting.  I trawled the internet for a while, looking for another pattern but something kept on bringing me back to the Japanese Flower one.  It's so easy, so quick...and it wasn't long before I remembered something Vanessa did here.  I was all fired up with enthusiasm for this idea and before too long made an excuse to visit my local yarn emporium (aka John Lewis).  I came home very happy with a brand new yarn stash...isn't that one of life's little pleasures?  No, it's actually a Great Big One.




And so here are my colours ~ a dark peaty grey, a vanilla cream and soft purpley heather shade.  The wool is a gorgeously soft, chunky merino by Wendy.  I'm rather glad it wasn't super expensive either as it seems to disappear quite fast (it been made on a No.6 hook).  I haven't used this particular brand before but I'm quite happy with it so far, and the shawl (due to the thickness of the wool) is growing at a satisfying speed!




It's been a pretty creative time here this week what with all this hookyness and my on-going purges of decluttering.  In the middle of said decluttering a favourite painting was rediscovered.  Tucked away for safe keeping during our decorating renovations a couple of years back I had actually (believe it or not) forgotten all about it!  It's an acrylic painting on a box canvas, and goes by the name of Yorkshire Snow:




I am wondering if it may make a rather nice Christmas Card, as an alternative to the illustrative ones I have on sale...?  




...I could perhaps temporarily re-name it, to make it more appealing to everyone...maybe 'Winter Snow' instead of 'Yorkshire Snow' - what do you think?




And it may also work rather well as a print.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

Anyway, I've just noticed that I shouldn't be here - I need to be getting my bod off to Zumba!!  Thanks so much for popping in to see me! 



Sending love to you


Julia x x x

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Christmas Tiptoes In...


Before I go any further, I had better warn you that this post includes some rather gratuitous pictures of Father Christmas and Reindeer.  It also includes several mentions of the 'C' word and if you shudder at the mere thought of it in November then do feel free to depart and come back again next time! (I won't be offended - honest now!) ;D


Being in the art business though, I seriously have to keep up with what everyone else is doing (or get left hopelessly behind) and so, I'm going to give you a quick peek into the festive part of my gallery!


Some of you may already know that my little Christmas Card Emporium is now open - I haven't liked to shout too loudly about it up 'til now because a lot of people are (quite rightly) allergic to All Things Christmas until at least December the 1st but now Bonfire Night has passed, I thought I'd just let you know what's in store...




Christmas Cards are available both individually and in packs of eight...each one is created by hand, titled and signed by myself.  The individual cards are presented in a cello envelope, and the sets are finished with a festive red raffia bow and tag.  10% of all my card sales go towards the Down's Syndrome Association which I am so pleased to support; my nephew Oliver who is now 5, was born with DS and it is a pleasure to be able to give something back to such a wonderfully supportive organisation. 



You can find out more about the DSA here.




My Christmas card shop features the return of some popular designs...




...and also my newest one; Christmas Kiss...




There's also free P&P for customers within the UK but I do ship worldwide too!


I'm really pleased to have my cards and prints in several lovely shops already this year, including the gorgeous Andrea Willis Designs in Scarborough, and The Rowan Tree in Devon.


(Andrea's gorgeous shop)


And on the subject of Christmas, my original paintings and fine art prints would make a wonderful gift ~ sign up for my newsletter to receive an exclusive discount!  




You are welcome to visit my online gallery by clicking here, and you can sign up to receive my newsletter by clicking here.


Thank you so much for visiting me today, and if you've got this far then thanks again for putting up with so much Christmassy~ness! 
Next time, light permitting (it's been dank and awful and photographs nigh on impossible to take) i'll be sharing not one, but TWO Ta~Dahhh moments of the hooky kind with you!


I do hope you'll drop by to take a look!


Sending love
Julia x x x

Thursday 3 November 2011

Enjoying Autumn



Hello!


We've been enjoying a weirdly warm November here, although I'm not complaining, there is something rather nice about wearing just a t-shirt and cardigan when you're meant to be swaddled up in scarves and winter coats!


This last weekend, we took our annual chestnut gathering jaunt to Clumber Park.  It's a little tradition that we began a couple of years ago and makes for a nice day out with a tasty picnic, flask of hot tea and forest walks.  After a damp start, the day turned out to be fine and sunny, just the right kind of day for romping about in fallen leaves, gathering up those shiny brown nuts and dealing with cheeky squirrels.




Someone seemed to be having fun, dancing in the leaves...




...and it's amazing what you find when you're searching for chestnuts!


This little fella came right up by our feet, and helped himself to some of our haul!


We had a lovely walk through the forest; I love being near trees, I find them very peaceful, they have a lovely calming energy...


...and the colour of the leaves this time of year is breath taking!


I think nature is good for the soul; watching the seasons unfold, seeing wild animals and birds in their natural habitat is a lovely antidote to the often busy and full lives we lead.

Talking of busy...and I'm going off on a right old tangent here!  Remember a couple of posts ago I told you I was finally making a start on getting rid of four years worth of accumulated junk?  And you might remember I showed you this corner of my bedroom (*shudders at the sight of it again):


I confess to being pretty alarmed at the thought of tackling that lot, I can tell you.  But as I sat and looked at it (as it looked back at me, all momentous and impossible) I had a thought: take it all to bits, and then do it one bit at a time.

I gave myself half an hour.  Three bags of really good baby toys, unused cushions and throws for the charity shop, and one big bulging bin liner for the rubbish later and it now looks like this:


I cannot express how light and happy this made me feel.  In fact, I did a little jiggy dance and squealed a bit.

I've also got a few nice toys that I'm going to have a bash at selling on ebay too - you can't see those though, I've made a fresh pile of stuff to the right of this photo (lol).

It really does help (when clearing out and clearing up) to repeat the mantra 'I love my home' instead of 'damn I hate chores'.  It kind of has a calming effect, and creates an urge to actually make your home nicer (or it does for me!).  I'm not after a perfect showroom style house, that would never be us in a million years as we like our trinkets, colour and lived in feel a bit too much to go minimal!  But I'm certainly feeling happier at how things are coming along, and much relieved that so much unused stuff will be hopefully finding new homes, with owners who actually want it!

One last thing before I go...


(a recent watercolour sketch from my sketch book)

I realise it might have been some time since I wrote about anything arty or woolly.  I want to reassure you that there will be some hooky posts on the horizon, and some arty ones too.  I'm in the middle of working on some ideas (painting wise) which will hopefully see a new range of artwork available for children and families.  I'll be sharing more of this with you soon, but for now let me just say it's an idea that has been percolating for many months and I'm looking forward to starting it!



On the hooky front, my lovely scarf just needs those pesky ends sewing in and I'm kind of contemplating another blanket...a stripy sort of blanket, which would be good to have going alongside the little squares one I've got on the go already.  What do you think?  Let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you!

Sending love,
Julia x x x
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