March is here

Wow, how did it get to March so quickly!  More scary is that it's now less then two weeks until I go on holiday and I haven't started getting organised yet.  I get really nervous when I think about it - and I don't know why because I'm going back to my favourite place.

My creative spark still seems to be on part-time hours, only turning up now and then, so although I've got plenty of time to do crafting, I don't seem to have the ideas or energy to make the most of it.

Ah well, at least the 365 Calendar Challenge is keeping me on my toes and ensures that I do get something created each month.  March is a work in progress as I'll add to it once I'm back from holiday.

I've also made a couple more pages in my art journal, one of which I'm really pleased with (and it's very rare for me to say that).

 

I've got a little notebook in which I jot down ideas for journal pages, but what I create never really lives up to what I envisaged.  I wish I could draw as well as I can imagine - I'd have some great pages then.  I guess I haven't quite got my head round the concept of there being no mistakes in art.  Even when I was just starting school one of my teachers told my parents that I seemed reluctant to start things if there was a chance I'd make a mistake or 'get it wrong'.  Hmm 30-odd years of life don't seem to have changed me much then.

Ah well - I'd better mosey off and get my Mother's Day card finished and the presents wrapped before tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a good weekend.

Calendar Catch Up

Well, I've been a bit behind with the Calendar Challenge so far this year, but finally I'm catching up.  I've finished my February page and made a really good start on my March page.  March can't be finished until I come back from my holiday next month because I want to paste in some pictures which reflect what I did each day (like I did last year).

I've not got much crafting done recently - probably down to me not feeling too inspired and lacking my creative spark.  However, I have managed a couple of journal pages - one of which will eventually be recreated on a larger canvas which I may put up somewhere in my house.

'Quite Manrique'

Just a quick blog today, but I hope to get back on track with more regular postings and more art to share.

Thanks for stopping by.

Finally Back in Blog Land

Well, I hadn't meant to be away for so long - but life just got in the way of everything else.  November truly felt like it disappeared into a black hole and although December wasn't as bad I seemed to be stupidly busy then as well.  I suppose that's what happens when you leave it until December to start making your Christmas cards!  Next year I'll be better prepared.

Although I've not uploaded any pictures, I've been keeping up with the Calendar Challenge and have been determined to do so as I'm really enjoying it.  Hopefully I will keep up to date this year and actually have the relevant month's page ready for publication on the first day.

Koala picture published with kind permission of Kira Nichols

So, in the spirit of catching up here are my pages for October, November, December and January.  I normally have a real problem with self confidence, but for once I can say that I'm really chuffed with all of them.  That's a real breakthrough for me :-)

I'm looking forward to a weekend of crafting because it doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere due to all the snow.  We've not had as much as some people, but it's enough as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks for stopping by to visit.

Missing ......

Hmm, my inspiration seems to be on an extended holiday as I'm finding it really hard to get on with anything arty at present.  One of the few things I've come up with recently is a journal page about the problem.

I'm trying to get the energy together to make a start on Christmas cards.  Somehow it just doesn't seem right to be thinking about them before December, but then once December starts there never seems to be enough time to get them done.

Ah well, back to the craft desk to see if my creative spark has made it back home.

Just Sneaking in with October

I've been a bit behind with things recently - actually a lot behind, but I have managed to get my October calendar challenge page done.  It's been ready a while, but it's not been a good month so I've just not had time to blog.  

Bears are Bono by Paperclip Visclub, Cheshire Cat by The Octopode Factory

My Mother in Law passed away at the end of September, so this month has been filled with arrangements, paperwork and all the associated things that have to be done when someone dies.  Fortunately, my husband comes from a large family and they've all been supporting each other and sorting out various tasks between them.  Even so, it's been a difficult time so most of my energies have been concentrated on being there for him and crafting has taken a break.

Just recently, I've been getting back into things, but decided to take on the mammoth task of reorganising the cupboards in my craft room.  They just weren't working effectively and I was forever having to move stuff around to be able to get to anything - you all know the problem.   Anyway, after a full day last Sunday and various evenings this week, I think I've got past half way.  I've rediscovered some really interesting stuff whilst tidying - most importantly my 'treasure box' containing old letters from my sister whilst she was at Uni (she'll probably want me to burn those!), sentimental photos and other things.  Now all I've got to do is tackle the top cupboard - which to be honest is a bit scary as there is loads of stuff from holidays (mementos, ephemera, etc, etc) and other stuff.  Still, it will be worth it in the end and the room will be much tidier and more pleasant to use.

I've got to get on with my November calendar page, otherwise I'm gong to be hopelessly behind again.  Hopefully my creative spark will return with the fireworks coming up next month.

Thanks for stopping by and listening.

OK, where's the Pause button for life?

I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged.  I am so behind with posting for the calendar challenge - but my pages are made.  I had to wait until I came back from holiday to paste in all the little photo squares to show where we'd been each day - but then realised that September had crept up on me and that I'd not even started the background for that page.  I also had loads of birthdays in August and had to get all of them sorted before going on holiday - which meant I was flat out for the first two weeks but had a fantastic second two weeks in Lanzarote.  Spending time in my favourite place is just sheer bliss.

Anyway, I think I've about caught up with things (and yet more birthdays) and can at last blog the August and September pages which are just waiting for their writing.

Monsters "#4024 Line Up" stamp by Kira Nichols for Stampotique

I try to make time for my arty life, but this month has been difficult because I'm so tired when I get home.  September is an insane month at work and on top of my normal work there has been stuff coming at me from all directions that I'm not familiar with and I've really been struggling.  I have to say that I despair about the lack of basic common sense shown by a small number of students at University.  How they hope to cope with higher level study when they can't understand or follow basic instructions is beyond me.  Still, enough about that madness.

I've been lucky enough to have some lovely days out since coming back from holiday - and have been so lucky with the weather.  We had a great day out in London with lovely sunny weather and high temperatures, and were very lucky this weekend when we went to Scarborough on Saturday and it was dry and sunny all day.  Considering how dark, wet and depressing the weather was today, it seems like a miracle.  The sky was amazing all day with fantastic cloud formations - and we also saw a phenomena similar to the nacreous (or mother of pearl) clouds.  There was also an effect like a rainbow, but this was directly overhead, not curved like your typical rainbow.  Rubbish description, but beautiful to see.

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and I hope to get back to normal with blogging now.  Roll on a bit of quiet time so that I can rest my aching brain.

Calendar Catch Up

OK, I think I'm now catching up a bit with the 366 Calendar Challenge.  I've got June and July all written up and August prepared, phew!

August probably looks half done - but that's on purpose as I'm intending to use photo squares for the days that I'm on holiday to reflect what we did that day.  I did that in March and was really pleased with the results.

Anyway - here's the pictures ...

Moggi stamp by Lili of the Valley

Tree digi stamp and Cheshire Cat stamp by the Octopode Factory

I'm feeling reasonably creative right now, so I'm going to try to make the most of that and enjoy making some more journal pages.  Maybe I'll do one inspired by the Olympics, because I've unexpectedly got quite caught up with it all - and also because I live in the golden county of Yorkshire (and apparently if we were a country we'd be 11th in the medals table!!).

Thanks for stopping by :-)