New Year Wish

When I first saw this video on the OBOD site....It brought tears to my eyes I think it's poignant, moving and beautiful! If I could have any wish for my blog readers for the coming year....it would be this....

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VIEW

Eat Well, Sleep Deeply,

for tomorrow comes....

And it's all yours!

And above all else

watch with

glittering eyes

the whole world

around you,

because

the greatest

secrets

are always hidden

in the most

unlikely places

Those who don't

believe in

magic

will never find it.

Amusing Myself

It's been one of those days...you know the ones...where it's too cold and too wet to do anything but get to grips with the housework that's long forgotten and keep yourself amused.
Tony took me through to Darlington last night where we joined others in a small drumming circle....and we really 'rocked'. There was a poster on the door from a band wanting a drummer...I don't think that Djembes were exactly what they were after, but think they could have done far worse! lol.

Today, I've played The Dolmen and one song in particular never ceases to amuse me and bring a smile to my face. I think I have to do this as my next piece of calligraphy...here are the lyrics...

DARKSKIES by The Dolmen

Dark skies call my name
Not as a stranger but as a friend
Dark skies call and wait
No sign of impatience butNo time to waste

Dark skies rain upon my face
As we dance within the stones
A moor land wind gathers like a ghost
To an audience of mystic fairy folk

Rich green moss blankets the sacred ground
Cushions made of nature beneath our hands
A passing rook winks a knowing eye
As we listen to the world and all its cries.

Dark sky hold us tight
Wrapped all around the woven silk of night
As we journey were guided by the song
Mystic fairy folk help us sing along

Dark skies rain upon my face
As we dance within the stones
A moor land wind gathers like a ghost
To an audience of mystic fairy folk

If you want to hear the lyrics sung, click HERE
and listen to the YouTube video,
the song is about 1/3 of the way through.
The song is from the Album Dolmen Folk
available from here.
I think we've seen them twice this year at the Mercian Gathering and again at Witchfest. If you like Folk Rock and want to really feel your age with this lively band, please go and see them!

Creative Bookbinding

The following post is for anyone and everyone interested in making their own books but is at a loss tho where to start... in particular Alison from Woolgathering While I Sew .formally known as Foxgloves In The Breeze. (Hi Alison!)

I’ve lost count of the number of books I have, both calligraphy and Creative bookbinding. This book: Cover to Cover Creative Techniques for Making Beautiful Books, Journals and Albums, was one of the first ‘Creative’ Bookbinding books I ever bought and it’s been well used over the years.
Shereen did write another book,
The Art and Craft of Handmade Books
But there were many mistakes in it and she was so furious with the publishers that she wrote a huge amount of corrections on her web page. She was taking issue with the publishers, but sadly died from Cancer in September 2003 before the matter was resolved.

Another good book is Creating Handmade Books by Alisa Golden and she also wrote Unique Handmade Books.

All 3 books are good for either beginner or improver and focus on the more Creative and contemporary side of bookbinding rather than traditional.

Still doing it to death....

Well, not run out of ideas yet...still doing it to death! lol.

How comforting!

I managed to catch my mum on Instant Messenger last night and was telling her about this guy blog (The blog being 15 minute lunch) and how funny it was. She replied ‘Is it anyone we know?’. Well, I don’t know him and I think he comes from the States I replied. Now I must tell you at this point my mum has only recently got herself a computer and is practically self taught. She was a red head in her coloured hair stage, so you can imagine there has been much frustration at wanting to run before she walks when learning new things…AHEM. So although she knows I have ablog, I doubt very much that she reads it too often and I’m sure her eldest daughters life is too mundane really to be of any interest. Anyway, I really thought that she would laugh at this blog and especially the entry Strap in, shut up and hold on. We're going back. …. But she didn’t….she gently reminded me that this was the year I left school and home so I must have remembered clothes like that…..Errrrm… yes probably remembered them but didn’t ACTUALLY wear them….well I don’t think….OK OK I admit to wanting one of those tartan unisex shirts, but it’s only because I was into the Bay City Rollers….GULP! Did I really say that? And I’m sorry mum but I NEVER saw dad wearing a peppermint green trouser suit or and orange jump suit come to that… and if we want to talk about embarrassing clothes and the wearing of…. Didn’t you have a ‘shell suit’? I NEVER had one of those. Mind you, Mrs. eternal hippy here has never been the height of fashion so I expect that explains it. Lol.

and for anyone who doesn't know what a 'Shell Suit' looks like...Are you ready for this...it was neither made of shells, nor was it smart enough to wear as a suit. The rustled when you walked and the white ones were see through! They so and so's for static electricity and highly flamible! Don't all rush at once!

What a laugh!

Last week I made the executive decision to treat myself to a self inflating camping mat, while they were on special offer. Over the last year I’ve increasingly suffered with bad hips when sleeping on a conventional air bed. There’s also the added pain in the neck of pumping the darn things up and having to lug around the large pump.
I wasn’t expecting delivery so soon but the delivery company tried to deliver on Friday while I was at work. The result of this is that today I’ve had to take the day off as failure to deliver a second time would have resulted in it been returned to sender.
Well, it’s finally arrived and is inflating as we speak.
Because of this I’ve had time to catch up on a few blogs and look over a few more…..because of this I just couldn’t help sharing this with you 15 minute Lunch ….what a laugh. Makes me wonder what I’ve got lurking in my attic!

Also on the same blog is Advice for Batman, avoid camping with catwoman! Also worth a read!

Love and bright blessings,

The Purple Pixie...STILL LAUGHING!

Laying on my back....screaming and kicking!

Please note: This posting is in no way directed at anyone who is fascinated or indeed likes the wonders of modern science and technology…. It’s just a rant for one person who isn’t and doesn’t want to play the game!

Is it me?
Am I going mad?
(Some would say I already am….in the nicest way I’m sure! Lol)
Whats the world coming to?
Are we part of some great conspiracy?
Do we have any ‘free will’?
Is there no escape?

What with iPods, iTunes, iPhones, You-Tubes, faster downloads, Didgital, Wireless, cordless……faster, bigger, stronger, more memory, And a whole website dedicated to them! , This on Amazon! ARRRGGGHHH! The faster things go, the more I want to run away to the hills and get back to the simple life!
I get scared when I think of the speed that technology is advancing and propelling itself at great speed. The further advanced we get the more distant getting back to our ‘old ways’ of life becomes. I live in fear of the waste of human resources, of over taxing the planet we live on, of wars and global warming….the technology of the future seems to be at the opposite ends of the scale to caring about our planet for future generations. Our local council is hell bent on re-cycling, but I don’t think for one minute they are doing it for the planet. The literature talks about waste and energy saving and dresses it up with environmental issues to make us feel good that we are doing something to help….then refuses to recycle cardboard, even though we can take it to the tip ourselves which is a car journey away…hmmmm….fuel? Carbon Emissions, footprints? So they will collect the waste that = money, and they will get paid for that waste, but bet your bottom dollar that they will put the council tax up next year to pay for the collecting. And those who REALLY care will have to use their cars anyway to visit the recycle station, so may as well recycle the whole lot in one journey!
The councils here in the UK are committed to building an enormous amount of housing over the next 20 years. We have an acute housing shortage in the UK, but building more will not help, as prices are out of the reach of most young couples today. They are looking at prefabricated housing, something that was common in the 1940’s as a cure for the housing shortage. So by going forward it seems we may be going backward!

I really wonder sometimes where this will all end.
It seems the more gadgets and new technology comes on to the market, the less time we have to do the more ‘real’ things in life….like taking a walk in nature, appreciating the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis, taking time with our children to teach them about the things in life that are free…..not only free in monetary terms, but free-ing in spirit.
I feel that whether we like it or not, we are not free spirits, but are forced to conform to the trappings of modern gadgetry and technology. It wasn’t so long ago that CD’s were invented, and if you still wanted to listen to your favourite music, like it or not, you have been forced to buy a CD player, because vinyl records became obsolete. Now we are forced to but Digital TV’s because all TV programmes are going to be transmitted this way and the big switchover is imminent. Before long, we will all have to have iPods or iPhones as the only music you will be able to get your hands on will be downloaded.
Arrrggghhh…..
In a nut shell technology is here to stay. We are part of a system and we can’t get out of it! Anyone running to the hills with me? My bell tents big enough for 8! Pick up your drums and lets all ruuunnnn awwwwaaayyyyy!!!!

One thing is for sure……
The best things in life are free!
And NO-ONE can take that away!

Your thoughts please in the way of a comment.

and one last thing....if you've read this far you may like to take a look at this site

Love, light and bright blessings,
The Purple Pixie

Think of an idea....and DO IT TO DEATH!

How easy is it to be truly original?

Am I an artist or craftsperson?

Is it possible for the common or garden wo/man to actually make money from Art?

Is it only me that thinks that they are either a) waiting to be discovered before the big breakthrough or b) waiting to be discovered as a fraud?

Am I just amusing myself with my artwork in some self indulgent fantasy?

The contents of the books below are all identical. The only difference is the cover. These are a commission to be given to members of a family to celebrate the life of

Alan Jeffrey Thomas Badby, who sadly died aged 50.

These are some of the questions I ask myself on a regular basis. It’s my belief that each and every one of us is creative, on a greater or lesser scale perhaps, but we all have it in us to BE CREATIVE!
Many of us believe we are not., and this can come from way, way back in our childhoods. No young child is asked to draw a picture of their summer holidays, then recoils in horror saying ‘But miss…I CAN’T draw!’
So those who think they can’t have to look deep into their past to find the blockage. Regarding creativity….Is not cooking a meal creative? Or growing things in the garden, taking a walk in nature and absorbing the landscape can be a creative experience if you just let it.
I was persuaded to drop out of art at 14 as I would never amount to anything and didn’t have a ‘natural’ talent for it. Even my mums suggestion that I could perhaps go into graphic Design was poo poo’d by the art teacher. This art teacher I held in high regard, I remember many lunchtimes going and watching him in the Art Room lettering the names on helmets for the lads in my year….and a fantastic sign writer he was too! If only he had taught lettering and calligraphy as part of the school curriculum I possibly wouldn’t have had to wait another 12 years before starting and taking it up as a serious passion.
It is a passion that has grown and taken me down many paths. Interesting quotations and a potential life threatening illness and resulting depression led me to see my spiritual path. The quotations I found most interesting were followed up and research into the people who wrote them and why they ‘spoke’ to me. Of these Rumi, Buddha, Tagore, Jung, Native American, Sir Winston Churchill to name just a few. Inspiring writers of books such as Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway, Living Magically, Stepping Into The Magic….oh I could go on forever! This and the inspiration from all the Self Esteem and Positive Thinking Books as well as the many philosophers both from the past and modern day as well as the many calligraphy tutors who without their help, guidance and inspirations have led me to where I am today.
I don’t class myself as original, nor do I class myself as talented, I just do what I love and love what I do. Among the many inspirational tutors I had was one lady in particular. Her name is Celia Kilner, she doesn’t class herself as a calligrapher at all, in fact when I mused over her work one day and asked her where she got all her ideas from she replied ‘My darling, I’m no calligrapher, nor can I come up with 100’s of ideas….I just find one that works and ‘do it to death!’ Hmmmm these were probably some of the best words I ever heard and they have stuck with me over a long period of time. There’s no need to come up with something different and totally unique every time…..just find something that works, and DO IT TO DEATH!

Yule Cards for 2007

another example of thinking of an idea and doing it to death!

I really have a problem doing repetitive things.

To work in a factory on a production line would make me loose the will to live. I take my hat off to ANYONE who manages to do this without complaining....You're worth your weight in gold.

I had the idea of the cards with scanned calligraphy to the top and the bottom half had printed transtrace on it. Then the only thing I really had to think about was how to make them different.

What Planet Are You From?

I just HAD to take this test.... and this is what I got...

***You Are From Jupiter***
You are exuberantly curious - and you love to explore newness.Enthusiastic and optimistic, you get a kick out of stimulating intellectual discussions.Foreign cultures and languages fascinate you. You love the outdoors, animals, and freedom.Chances are you tend to exaggerate, so try to keep a lid on that.If you do, you'll continue to be known for your confidence, generosity, and sense of justice.

Hmmmmm will have to think about this one!

What Planet Are You From?http://www.blogthings.com/whatplanetareyoufromquiz/

Back....and still alive!

Couldn't resist adding this picture to my blog,

which I found while looking for cat photos

and in the process found this fantastic blog

for cat lovers everywhere

Juat a quick helloooooo to anyone that reads my blog on a regular basis to say, Hi and NO the Witches didn't eat me!

Damh The Bard loved his piece of work and I'm hoping he'll put something on his blog which 'could' lead to some work.


We had a great time in London, but the big bad capital city is not my cup of tea generally. Too much concrete and high rise buildings. I was surprised however at the lack of people milling round at night time....I've seen Northallerton busier.


Work wise I've been busy getting a new website together and finally finishing thise portfolios to go into shops. So I've not been idle....just haven't come up for air!




It's been amazingly warm today and sunny too! So I took the opportunity to cut the grass while I took a welcome break from my Website Design.


All being well, that will be that last cut for a few months. I must admit there aren't many things that I am not keen on having a go at....but cutting the grass and running over that electric cable is something I dread everytime! I've only done it once but never forgotten the experience.

Albert Einstein Quote

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift,

and the rational mind is a faithful servant.

We have created a society

which honors the servant

and has forgotten the gift.

Albert Einstein

The greatest gift we can give future generations

The greatest gift we can give future generations

is air that's clean to breathe,

water that's safe to drink,

and a living environment

that celebrates the wonders of Nature.

In all things of Nature,

there is something truly marvelous.

Please be gentle with the earth,

it's the only one we have!

There's Always a Rainbow

Dreams are renewable.

No matter what our age or condition,

there are still untapped possibilities within us

and new beauty waiting to be born.

Dale E. Turner

As Winter draws closer, and the night and mornings grow colder and more crisp, the warm days of Summer are slowly becoming faded in my memory. Winter herals a time of hibernation and as the clocks go back next weekend the day draws to a close even more abruptly.

To me Winter is a time of slowing down, a time of reflection over the last year....seeing where I've been, how far I've come and what my plans are for the coming year.

I use to hate Winter and suffered badly from Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D). Now I've come to appreciate it....there's something extra special about coming home from a long day at work, closing the curtains, putting the fire on and chilling out with a good book all cozy, safe and warm.

It's all a matter of shifting your focus and seeing the benefits of what we perceive as a negative situation.

Despite it being really cold and frosty this morning, the sun is shining and the sky is clear.... Hmmmm I feel a song something on....

Oh what a beautiful morning,

Oh what a beautiful day,

I've got the strangest feeling,

Everything's coming my way

If there's a situation that hasn't turned out as you wanted it to, or something that you feel strongly negative about

try your best to see the positive side of it....

there's always something good to focus on, however small.

It's Autumn....but what's this?!

Well after some doubt...it's finally here....Autumn in all it's glory! As artists we get our inspiration from all over the place, but nothing is so special as the colours in natures pallett. From the golden yellows and warm oranges, to the firey reds and burnt umbers.

The Hazel leaves have turned from purple to brown and are finally laying a carpet on the ground.
Whenever you need to be inspired for colour, go out walking in nature, for you are sure to find something that catches your eye....BUT WAIT....WHAT'S THIS?

Is this some kind of Natures Folly? Strawberry flowers in the middle of October?

And on closer inspection.....these.....

STRAWBERRY'S!

Ain't life strange?

I trust that Mother Nature

knows what she is doing.

Courage and Endurance

It never ceases to amaze me at the sheer courage and endurance that some people will go to in order to give to and help others. This morning I recieved the following email from a guy who organises The Didge Camp at Lime Tree Farm.......

Hi, sorry to push this on you,

Just thought you might be interested in following or wanting to support one of my brothers mates who is rowing the Atlantic and raising money for diabetes UK? If you are able to offer sponsorship they've still got lots of space on the boat for your name.

http://www.2menpulling.co.uk/501.html

If you aren't/don't then sorry for bothering you.

Kevin

I followed the link and this is what I found...

athis is taken directly from their website... and I make no appologies for stealing the words.....

Why this charity?
As an injecting diabetic, this is a charity close to Neil's heart. We're not aware of any diabetic who has undertaken an endurance event of this size before and the impact of diabetes is unknown. Please support our main charity by clicking the link SPONSOR US NOW It's worth noting that every penny sponsored goes straight to the charity - including gift aid too if you're a UK tax payer. Thank you for your support.

Please, if you can, give genourously....if not then every little helps.... however small.

My Mother-in-law, her son and her parents were all diabetic and as a genetic thing my son is also at risk, I also have a friend who little girl was diagnosed at only 18 months old and have had quite a few friends that have this condition over the years, so this charity is close to my heart.
I'm sure everyone reading this wishes them well and will be lighting candles for their safe return.

Love, light and bright blessings,
Sue xxx

Bookbinding Website

Hi all,
I've jsut found this website belonging to a fellow Calligrapher from way, way back and want to share the link with you all
Go to Cheryl Moots site by clicking the link here
In particular look at her Gallery.... bet it gets your creative juices flowing!

and this site is a fantastic source of links!

Even the most daring and accomplished people

Even the most daring and accomplished people

have undergone tremendous difficulty.

In fact, the more successful they became,

the more they attributed their success

to the lessons learned

during their most difficult times.

Adversity is our teacher.

When we view adversity

as a guide towards greater inner growth,

we will then learn to accept

the wisdom our soul

came into this life to learn.

Barbara Rose

Peace - Burma - A Global Road

Dear friends, Burma's generals have brought their brutal iron handdown on peaceful monks and protesters -- but inresponse, a massive global outcry is gathering pace.The roar of global public opinion is being heard inhundreds of protests outside Chinese and Burmeseembassies, people round the world wearing the monks'color red, and on the internet-- where our petitionhas exploded to over 200,000 signers in just 72 hours. People power can win this. Burma's powerful sponsorChina can halt the crackdown, if it believes that itsinternational reputation and the 2008 Olympics inBeijing depend on it. To convince the Chinesegovernment and other key countries, Avaaz is launchinga major global and Asian ad campaign on Wednesday,including full page ads in the Financial Times andother newspapers, that will deliver our message andthe number of signers. We need 1 million voices to bethe global roar that will get China's attention. Ifevery one of us forwards this email to just 20friends, we'll reach our target in the next 72 hours.Please sign the petition at the link below -if youhaven't already- and forward this email to everyoneyou care about: http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/t.php The pressure is working - already, there are signs ofsplits in the Burmese Army, as some soldiers refuse toattack their own people. The brutal top General, ThanShwe, has reportedly moved his family out of thecountry – he must fear his rule may crumble. The Burmese people are showing incredible courage inthe face of horror. We're broadcasting updates on oureffort over the radio into Burma itself – tellingthe people that growing numbers of us stand with them.Let's do everything we can to help them – we havehours, not days, to do it. Please sign the petitionand forward this email to at least 20 friends rightnow. Scroll down our petition page for details oftimes and events to join in the massive wave ofdemonstrations happening around the world at Burmeseand Chinese embassies. With hope and determination, Ricken, Paul, Pascal, Graziela, Galit, Ben, Milena andthe whole Avaaz Team

Latest Commission - A Royal appointment

What a busy week it's been. I was asked to do a piece of work for Action for Blind People's 150th Birthday to be presented to HRH Princess Alexandra. (Please read her website as she is a wonderful and amazing person). Of course I accepted. Action for Blind People have been the most helpful and supportive charity that I have ever had the pleassure to deal with.
I am in constant contact with their Self Employment Advisor (Hi Jon) and without him I know I would never have had the courage to set up and continue being self employed.
Their logo is the most wonderful Fuchia Pink and the ribbon and the writing reflect this.
As the creator and as it co-incides with my birthday I was asked if I would like to go to London and present it myself to HRH. Sadly, but putting business before pleasure I have had to turn them down as I am enrolled on my Wed Site Design course on Wednesday nights and as it will be only my second week I don't want to miss it.
Below is a detailed shot of the piece.

Merlin Am I

Well I've done it...the Dahm the Bard piece is finished....and I'm really over the moon with it. Above is the full piece and below is the detail. Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge.

True Friendship

I love this....and hope you do too.
In love and appreciation to all my friends...I offer you this....

"True Friendship"
(With none of that Sissy Crap!!!!) Are you tired of those sissy "friendship" poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.
You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card- just the stone cold truth of our friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you that way.
2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3. When you smile -- I will know you finally got laid.
4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.
5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.
7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want to catch whatever you have.
8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.
9. This is my oath..... I pledge it to the end. "Why?" you may ask?, "Because you are my friend".

Friendship is like peeing your pants: everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.
Send this to "all 10 of your friends, then get depressed because you can only think of four!!! (don't send it back to me...I don't want to hear it!!!) And remember....when life hands you Lemons, get some tequila and salt and call me

Saturday's Workshop

Canvas Workshop - Below is my canvas

Saturday morning...10am....rain and a broken nights sleep. Not the best way to start a workshop, but these folk know me and are very forgiving! lol.

After the statutory cups of tea and coffee, a catch up on the latest happenings and a quick demonstration on how I create my backgrounds, my able students went off and produced backgrounds of their own.
As time went on quotations were found that suitably suited their creative backgrounds. An impromptu mini lesson in painting on Wonder-web to create a textured surface that can be fixed to card as well as ironed on fabric to embed items onto. (Thanks Sarah!)

Jill decided to add these squares using this very technique! Unfortunately the photo is a bit light and doesn't do the actual piece justice. It's hard to see from the photograph but Jill sprinked glitter in this piece. you can probably see it in the top left hand corner. So I think she qualifies as a Glitter Sister!

This is Sarah's piece and she had informed us on the morning that she wanted to do a piece for a friend who was moving away and she needed to give her it on Monday!!! No pressure then Sarah? I'm sure her friend will be delighted!

And this is Susan's piece. Isn't it fantastic? The lettering suited this piece really well. It is common for calligraphers to emphasis one word as a form of contrast to the rest of the piece. Susan only had a very short time to practice the lettering for this piece and I'm glad that it worked.

I really enjoyed the day. It was a gentle day with no hurrying. I think everyone did so well, and I'm really proud of them. They didn't want their faces included in my blog, which is a real shame....but there again it's MY blog and would probably be afraid of being associated with the Purple Pixie!

We hope to repeat the day again as soon as all these camps are over and done with. Thanks girls...I really enjoyed the day.

Tips Dor New Bloggers

For bloggers old and new
check out Tips For New Bloggers

A dummies guide, tips, tricks, help for all new bloggers on Web templates, Blog templates, designs, widgets, layout, JavaScript, HTML codes, SEO, Google AdSense, gadgets, diagnostic tools, and how to monetize Blogger or Blogspot blogs.

Commission

Just enough time before I go home to add this commission to my blog. Not a very good picture I'm afraid but better if you click it and enlarge.

It has a gold streak along the bottom and gold heart decoration.

The piece is 9" x 16" and reads:

Life is strewn with miracles

For which those that love

can always hope

Hmmmm.... no comment! lol

"MAYA ANGELOU'S" Quotation

This email came from my daughter=in-law to be, who I love very much....Hi Sarah! This is so true and needs to be passed on...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .. enough money within her control to move outand rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that she can't change the length of her calves,the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table...or a charming inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...

Baby Birth Album and Fridge Magnets

Well it's the weekend again. I don't know where the time goes. I thought I'd share with you a baby Album commission that I've had to do this week. The little chap is called Oscar James...that's him on the cover...what a cutie!

This is the opening page.... his name and christening details. Also inside is a title page for guests and grandparents

This is a poem called Children are Like Kites. It's only a small section of the whole poem. It's a beautiful poem and I'll post the whole thing as soon as I get a minute.

Above and below are 2 of the fridge magnets that I've just started making and listing in my ebay shop. I think ALL women should have the Domestic Goddess one.
Well that's it for now....have a really great weekend!

And I'll catch up with you all soon.

Self Awareness

Years ago I suffered really badly with depression. I was give anti-depressants which after taking very few and realising that they would only numb my pain and emotions, I decided to get into self help.
During that time I was made to confront a lot of emotions that had lay burried for years...far longer than I first thought. I bought lots of books and became more aware of me as a person and how I tick. It was painful at times having to confront issues that I would have prefered to leave in a box and set asside. However opening the Pandora's Box and dealing with them made me stronger and able to be a 'feeling' human being. No longer did I beat myself up over my emotions and feeling and I was able to deal with not only my past but also my present and future. I found it fascinating to reveal my inner self to myself.
I realise through this therapy that 'I know' there is nothing I can't confront, and these fears never have to surface so painfully again. I went on to run a 'Self Awareness' group and it helped a lot of people come to terms, confront then lay to rest issues which had held them back for years. Anyone can be Knowledgeable but to gain Wisdom we must gewt in touch with these feelings and learn that by living through them we find our 'Enlightened Soul'. We are able to love and form truly wonderful relationships...not only with ourselves but with others too.

If you have things that you need to deal with I found this fantastic website CLCIK HERE.

Wishing you al a blessed and joyful life.
Love, light and all good thoughts,
Sue

Insanity! Try it becasue life's too short!

Hi all, I'm back....fit, healthy and well. I'll post about the camp very soon. At the moment I have to catch up with urgent orders for this weekend. In the meantime, I recieved this email this morning and just HAD to share! To all my insane friends....ENJOY!

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity!

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write " For Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8 . Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.....send this E-mail to someone and make them Smile. ...I JUST DID!

the power of the heart

I trust so much

in the power of the heart

and the soul;

I know that the answer

to what we need to do next

is in our own hearts.

All we have to do is listen,

then take that one step further

and trust what we hear.

We will be taught what we need to learn.

Melody Beattie

Hand Made Wedding Album

This is the front cover of a Wedding Album I've jsut made. The book is Japanese bound and has crystal beads tied to the spine. The Album is cream, white and gold themed. The whole book had 15 pages all interleaved with Japanese Tissue paper.

The lettering is Gold Gouache and the heart and cross decorations are Gold Leaf.

The opening title page

Second page

Detail of second page above and below

Oscar Wilde Quotation For Thought

This is a picture of a very special tree just around the corner from my studio. Just special because it's old, and craggy and has a very special feeling about it....like a wise old man.

A QUOTE FOR THE DAY....

The true mystery of the world

is the visible,

not the invisible.

Oscar Wilde

A great Greeting Card Blessing

I was sent this quote from Teri Martin (a calligraphy friend of mine) and I thought it was a wish I would like to send everyone who reads my blog....

I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles,to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known.Author Unknown

Ok...back to work....under pressure from the business advisor who came this afternoon *see previous post*
Ok Jon...I'm on the case! puff pant....

Interesting Creativity Sites

Hi all....no I haven't dissappeared off the face of the earth...just really busy with orders and getting together those darn Wedding Portfolios.
Anyway, I just thought I'd check in and say hi, life is going tickety boo and wanted to share a couple of sites with you...the first one is this
http://www.studioastarte.com.au/ispirato/
another site is http://www.happiness-studio.com/
The happiness studio and for lots of fantastic links that you are bound to get lost in see http://paperfriendly.blogspot.com/
And for all you pagans and spiritual people out there, Tony (my partner) has started his own message board to join go to http://madspider.proboards105.com/index.cgi

Ok I'm off now as I have a meeting with my business advisor from Action For Blind People but I'll be back soon with updates of whats happening.
Keep well and keep happy,
Sue x

Check this out

I was fumbling about....as you do and come across this site Paper Friendly by Nancy Ward. It has a huge amount of links with loads of inspirational stuff to get your creative juices flowing.
Enjoy!

For the Glitter sisters

No I haven't left the country...but I am busy with Wedding Portfolios.....so something to keep you smiling in the meantime!

I recieved this email and thought that the Glitter Sisters amongst you would appreciate it.

the WASH CLOTH [APPARENTLY, A TRUE STORY!]
There is not a woman alive today who won't crack up over this!"I was due for an appointment with the gynecologist later in the week. Early one morning, I received a call from the doctor's office to tell me that I had been rescheduled for that morning at 9:30am.I had only just packed everyone off to work and school, and it was already around 8:45 am. The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare.As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that was sitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in "that area" to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris or some other place a million miles away. I was a littlesurprised when the doctor said, "My, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?" I didn't respond.After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal... some shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc.After school when my six year old daughter was playing, she called out from the bathroom, "Mommy, where's my washcloth?"I told her to get another one from the cupboard. She replied, "No, I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all my glitter and sparkles saved inside it!!!!!

Stars and Strokes

This message is taken from my dear friend Kai's blog and thought it was worth posting to mine...It COULD save a life...so please cut and paste it onto your blog and pass the wprds around.
Bright Blessings,
Sue

The following is from Kai...

In November of 2006, I posted a note to this blog on Strokes as my Grandmother and recently, my mother had suffered one.Please to honour Claire and other stroke victims, learn STARS.If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. It might be nothing, but if it is a stroke, 3 hours is the threshold of time to save their life. Please learn these simple signs?STARS: S *SMILE. Ask the person to smile, it they can't or if it's deformed. Call 999 T *TALK . Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) if they cant. Call 999 A *ALERT. Ask them to follow your hand. If they cant. Call 999 R *RAISE BOTH ARMS. If they can only raise one, call 999. S *STICK OUT THEIR TONGUE. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.These are simple things to know, that could save a life. Please print them up and keep them with you.. learn the signs..Thank you!! Peace, Kai

Lettering Art On Canvas

What a way to start the day! A package arrived and I could hardly contain my excitement. Had I won the pools? Lottery? Well I might as well have! Some time ago…a few months in fact…I dropped my 2 favourite nibs on the floor beside my drawing board. Did they fall on the carpet that was put there to save breakages? Oh no! They fell onto the hard lino smashing one and bending almost double the other.
These nibs can only be bought in America and added to that I’m afflicted with being Left Handed so they have to be cut by hand. An email from the company told me that they were not in stock and would be some time…so I have been struggling on for months with substandard nibs and getting more and more frustrated by the day. I have only done calligraphy when absolutely necessary. Anyway, I’m happy to say that they are installed in my pen holders.

Mrs N. called me last night and suggested I do a piece of work to take down to Claire (Anna). Great idea! On the evening before Claire’s stroke she put on her blog a poem that she had written in her new journal. A poem called Why I wake early by Mary Oliver her favourite poet.First I thought about doing this in book form, but I wanted to do something that she could glance at often and would remind her of all the love that has been sent from around the world….so here it is! So my first job with my new nibs is for Claire!


The canvas is painted in Acrylics and the writing is also. I just HAD to add some sparkle and glitter and some sequins for added shine. I did it in wonderful bright sunny colours to light up her day every time she looks at it.
Below is a close up detail shot....can you see the sparkles!

The Artists Survival Kit 100 Ideas Keri Smith

I think this was written especially for me! But Keri Smith has offered this free download for the times when the going gets tough! See and download the survival kit here. And thanks Keri!
Also check out her 100 ideas here

Rag and Bone Bindery Link

For all you Bookbinders out there...I've added this link Rag and Bone Blog to my side bar. It's worth a browse.

Eden Valley Scribes Blog

Some friends of mine are in the process of creating a new calligraphy blog....you can see it at Eden Velley Scribes. There's not much on there at the moment but it will grow in time. Well done Alison for creating this! I first met Alison many years ago....we have worked it out that it was about 16 years ago. Alison came to a 2 day workshop I ran on beginning calligraphy when she was only about 13! now a married woman living in Cumbria, she's an avid member of Eden Valley Scribes and I'm really proud that I inspired her so much that she's still doing it. Thanks Alison for the 'Feel Good Factor' you've given me today!

Hand Crafted, Made To Order, Wedding Album

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to make a Wedding Album for a couple getting married in Costa Rica. The client asked for something to do with the sea as they will be spending time scuba diving. This is the finished album.
The colours I chose are sea greens...not the murky waters from here in the UK but the azure colours of the mediteranian. It is bound in a Japanese style by sewing the spine.


This is a photo of the opening page....not a very good one but the best I could take when the sun was shinning through the studio window!


A close up of the front inscription


And one of the lovely crystal beads and hearts.