[ Crazy, crazy update ]

My life is just crazy at the moment. They say it takes two weeks for something new to become a habit, a routine. I am hoping that it will only take one. This is what i have been up to lately.....

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Last week i went for a job interview for a second job. I got the job and started on Tuesday evening. Due to the times i have to go straight from my all day job to my second job but the second job is only for two and a half hours and i am so very busy that the time just flies by.

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After waiting for 5 months i got my new passport last week. The photo is just awful but at least i have got it.

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I baked these during the week......they tasted so bad they ended up in the bin...lol*

I am going to Switzerland in 3 weeks time and i can not wait. I have never been so i plan on taking loads of photos. It is only for two days and i am going with work but i am sure there will be plenty of time for some sight seeing while i am there.

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This weekend i treated myself to these Pecan Caramel Cupcakes - they were just heavenly!
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Working two jobs last week was just crazy and i was so tired that i didn't end up cooking proper meals or doing the things that i should have been doing round the house. So this weekend i spent some time planning and organising my week ahead. Fingers crossed it will make this week go a lot easier than last week.

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Sunday we went to a new IKea store. Let me just say that the stuff that they have is just gorgeous. There is so much to love and if i had enough money, a bigger flat and a delivery truck i would have bought so much more...lol. Instead i came home with some new tea towels, a energy saving light bulb and this cute table lamp.*

I have done no studying this past week or this weekend! I have got some planned in for this coming week though.

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I spent Saturday night working on this. I call it Life Lessons. I stopped in at WH Smiths on Saturday afternoon and picked up this pad of acrylic paint canvas paper stuff. It was on sale at half price and just couldn't resist.

Hidden Magic

Lately i have been thinking a lot about what i want from life. What i want to do with my life and how i want to live it. I know these are big questions which don't really have one exact answer but i have been able to add different ideas and thoughts to my answer. I find that some of my answers are really sensible and others are just totally out there. As practical as those sensible ideas are i am finding it more exciting to think about those "totally out there" ones. Its those wacky ideas which i find are normally the ones that challenge me, that help me to grow and help me to achieve all that i want to. Dreaming is good. Taking up those dreams and trying to make a go of them - even if you do fail- is so important. Who i am, what i believe and how i live my life is something that i am figuring out at the moment.

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This canvas is something that i painted over the weekend. I am so pleased with how she has turned out. I do need to practice a lot more on eyes because that is the part that i feel lets her down just a little. Other than that she makes me happy every time i walk into the lounge and see her hanging on my wall. The flower design is something that i "lifted" from one of the many blogs that i visit so the design is somebody else's credit but the rest is all me.

We have pictures

So, we finally have some pictures on this blog! Pictures from my camera - I am so psyched about this....lol

I can only show you a few a day because well, if i showed you them all today then i would have nothing to share for the rest of the days right....and we dont want that!

Yesterday i got such a nice package from Amazon. I ordered this book because i thought that with everything that i am going through at the moment it might be a great way for me to sort out my feelings, to learn more about myself and to help with the healing processes.......and of course it looks great and has so many talented ladies in it. And i was right - this book is awesome! I sat down last night and had a quick flick through it. The prompts, the art journal pages, the work is just all so touching and thought provoking. I just know that this book is going to be a really good thing for me.

As well as the above book, i also got my SuperChicks CD! I LOVE IT. This is my favourite song at the moment for so many many reasons. Before you play the video just pause the music on my sidebar, turn your speakers up LOUD (but not if you are at work of course) and hit the play button!


This is my latest canvas that i painted last weekend. It is 6 x 6 and was a lot of fun to do. I was trying to just do something a little different, no expectations, no standards to match. I just wanted to have fun, relax and keep my mind busy. This is now hanging in my lounge and the only thing i might change are the yellow curtains. For some reason they really do look as bright and yellow in real life as they do in this photo.......will definately have to do something. If you do have any suggestions or ideas please feel free to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you!
14 days till my first exam!! Scary or what?

Flowers and art

I am really missing my internet connection at home. It is surprising just how much you come to rely on it. This weekend i had a hundred and one things i wanted to do on the net but alas i only managed to do a few of them while visiting my folks. Oh to the days of having broadband at my finger tips....lol

Friday afternoon i got such a nice treat from Marilena. Some beautiful flowers and a card wishing me all the best in my new home. They made my day and have most definately made my hallway very beautiful!
Saturday morning we woke up to a light covering of snow. It was unexpected and so beautiful. It made for a lovely snuggly morning. I stay in my pj's till about 1pm. Such a treat.
Saturday morning i got some much needed studying in and when i had had enough of that i decided to treat myself with a little art. I got out a canvas, some paints and went happily on my way.
This is now sitting up on my wall in my bedroom. I love the three canvas's that i have up above my bed but the wall does look a little bare so hopefully over the next few weeks and months i will be able to put some more art up there. I already have some nice ideas but now i just have to find some time to sit down and get it done.
Today i have also managed to book my first exam. I was going to write all three in June but i have found out that i can now write these three any time i wish. So the first one is booked and paid for - March 5th at noon. Wish me luck...lol

Happy 2008

Wow, its difficult to believe that i am having to get ready to go back to work tomorrow. I waited so long for this little break that now that its been i wonder where it has all gone to. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and are going to have a blessed 2008. These last few days have been a real whirlwind for me. I have made some life altering decisions and although i am not yet ready to share them with you i just wanted to put it out there.

In between Christmas and family and all the other things i seem to have found a lot of time paint and to work on my art journal. Here are two canvas that i painted.

" Home"OK, so this one doesn't have a name yet but it is hanging in my lounge and looks very nice there. Not the normal things that i have been painting but i am pleased with the end result.

Then here are some pages from my art journal. I think they speak for themselves really.

The honesty page on the right has a little hidden pocket in it which i have put my journaling in.

I got lots of cool Christmas gifts but this one is definitely the coolest i have seen in a while..

And then i also bought myself a U Curl. The photo is not the nicest but it gets a good shot of the curls. It really does do what it says it does.

I had hope to get more sewing done than what i did do. I did however manage to make a start on a patchwork tote bag. This is what i have done so far. Hoping to get it finished next weekend.
And finally on the knitting front. I knitted a hat but my camera battery has died on me so i will take a photo later and then i have also made a start on my first pair of socks. These suckers are difficult but a lot of fun. And the magic loop method is so much easier and dpns - at least for me.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

So i was going to wait until Christmas day to share this with everyone but what i wanted to blog about today i couldn't so i thought i would share this with you now. This is my Christmas painting that i did over the weekend. It is hanging above our Christmas tree in the lounge and i am very proud of how it looks. I will have to paint another one for the rest of the year.

As is the time of the year, new years resolutions are all the craze. This year, instead of doing the normal i decided to put a very small different spin on it. Instead of having things that i wanted to start on the first of Jan i have put together a list of goals that i want to achieve in 2008. Some of them i already know i will only be able to achieve in July and December and others will only take a few hours to do. I have put them in my sidebar so i can keep track of it and i am hoping that by the end of next year i will have a very nice list of goals that i can look at and see what i have achieved.

Another section that i have added to my sidebar, for my purposes as well as my faithful visitors, is a tutorial section. These are for tutorials which i have found across the web and amongst many of the blogs that i read. I hope that you enjoy them as much as i am going to and this year (or next year actually) i am going to start early to make my Christmas gifts. Handmade gifts for everyone next year!

The Festive Season

I am sure you all know just how close Christmas is - you don't need me to remind how many shopping days you have left or how many gift wrapping nights lay ahead. This year it has taken a bit of effort to get me into the swing of things. Perhaps its because i don't have children or perhaps i am just getting older. I'm not sure. But i do know that this weekend i have managed to find some of my lost Christmas spirit. I have had some Carols playing in the background. I did a Merry Christmas painting (which will be shown on Christmas day of course) and i have been spending spending spending.

Friday night i popped into Borders before i did my weekly grocery shopping. That afternoon i received a 50% off coupon in my email box and i decided that i should go and see what i could find. I went to my three favourite sections, cooking, crafts and then the magazines. While going through the craft section i found Journal Revolution. I have heard so much about this book that i thought i may as well pick it up. I have had a quick glance through it and so far it really does look good. Then i wondered off to the magazines and what should i find but a pile of Interweave Knits magazines. Now let me just explain that for the past 3 issues i have really been battling to find this thing. Short of ordering it directly from the states i have had to go web hunting to find a copy. The fall magazine i had to resort to buying it off of eBay at some extortionate price but now it looks like my local Borders is going to be selling it. Wohoo, she says while jumping up and down and waving her arms around wildly! It might take a month or so for it to arrive here in the UK but that is OK because i can pick it up at the normal price and i wont have to spend hours searching for it.

I spent a bit of team cleaning out my yarn basket that sits in the lounge on the coffee table. I haven't really picked up any knitting in a little while because i am finding that it is just frustrating me at the moment. So, to help keep my sanity, i put it aside for a little while and when i feel up to it i will take it out and decide what to do from there. Anyways, while i was cleaning it out i found this ball of yarn that picked up ages ago but i don't think i ever shared it. I am planing on using it for my first Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket.
On Sunday i got a really little treat and Stuart bought me Christina Aguilera's new perfume. Love the bottle and love the fragrance!
Apart from my Merry Christmas painting that i finished this weekend i also managed to complete this little canvas. "Sing your own Song". This was a combination of paint, ink, embroidery and felt. A LOT of fun.
Once my little canvas was ready i decided that it had to go up on the wall along with the other newly finished on. I went outside, grabbed OH's greasy hammer, some nails and happily went along hammering them into the wall. To nails downstairs above the Christmas tree and four nails upstairs above my dressing table.
It really adds a bit of me to the walls. I love it and feel so proud of myself for having them up for all to see....well maybe not for all to see but definantly for me to see.

That's it for me today, Hope you all have a lovely few days.

Live Life Everyday

This is my latest painting that i finished off last night. For some reason the background is much bluer than what it is in real life. It is actually a turquoise colour but i must admit that this blue looks just as nice as my turquoise does.
It is my first small (i think it is an 8 x 8) painting and it is going in my bedroom along with another one that i am working on and i am hoping to start a third one in the next week or so.
I love how quick it was to paint and the freedom that i felt with the smaller space.
This is just a reminder to myself to Live Life Everyday. You don't know how long you have on this earth and you don't know when you might find yourself in different circumstances so Live your Life Everyday!
I was introduced to Zen habbits by Ali a few months ago and just the other day it had an article on living your life consciously. It was about making conscious decisions about your day, your actions and your life. It was about being present in that moment in your life, not just aimlessly moving through your life. It also spoke about those decisions that are automatic. The ones that you just do and don't really think about them. Like picking up that second piece of cake or working in the same company that you have been in for the last five years even though you are not really happy there and living from pay cheque to pay cheque even though you could be managing your finances better. Just things like that. Decisions and choices which help to shape your life so that you get what you want, so that you don't have to settle for second best. I was inspired.

A life lived of choice is a life of conscious action. A life lived of chance is a life of unconscious creation.- Neale Donald Walsch

Flower girl

This is flower girl - my third canvas. ( My second canvas is still only halfway done) When inspiration hits you you just have to go with it. So here she is - Flower girl.

I love how she turned out. I am getting better with my faces as well as the colours on them. I drew hands and even made her a crown. Now let me just tell you that this part was probably the most difficult for me. I am a GREAT lover of books and trying to find one that i could actually tear the pages out of *gasp* was VERY VERY difficult for me. Eventually i just picked one and tore out the first page before i had a chance to change my mind. *Shame on me*

Boys and their toys

It is officially the 4Th of December and I can proudly say that all my Christmas shopping is now done - well except for my Christmas presents but there is plenty of time for that. Plus, another bonus is that all those gifts, par one, have all been wrapped up and gift tagged. Now I say "par one" because on Saturday we ventured into town to pick up Stu's Christmas gift. We headed straight for Virgin Megastore, with only one short detour in Game, where he promptly found what he wanted on display, almost pulled it straight out of the demo showers hands and had a full on jam right there in the store! Needless to say we left the shop with one very happy little boy, I mean one very happy other half.

Now, if I managed to have my way, it would have been wrapped up along with the other ones and then he could have it at Christmas but that was not even an option for him. He took it home, opened it up and has been pretty much playing it ever since. This is a photo of him and his brother "rocking"….lol.

I guess on the up side to this, while he has been playing - I mean rocking - I have had some spare time to do some art. After we picked up his Guitar Hero 3 we wondered over to the local art shop where I managed to pick up some Masking Tape fluid to use on my canvas's. When I got home I pulled out a canvas and had a play.
I really love how easy it is to use and next time I want to try something else. My first attempt was pretty simple and straight forward but I have ideas for more! Once I finished the first canvas I decided to pull out my second one. This one is probably about 70% done so I hope to complete it by tonight.

I have also been working in my art journal. I completed one page and am busy with two - don’t ask my why I didn’t finish the one before I started the other but it seems to be a trend that I need to work on. I love my little art journal and this new painting thing that I have started. I'm finding it a great way to express myself, to try something new and to have something which I can feel proud about.
Last night while lying in bed I realised what I would like for Christmas. Some tickets to a ballet or a Broadway show or something along those lines. I have let Santa's little helper know so now I just have to wait and see what happens.

If I do manage to finish my next canvas tonight I will post a picture of it, along with the story behind it, tomorrow.

God Bless

Proverbs 31 - Faith

This is the first of many canvases to come. I had so much fun with this one that i am planning on doing a whole series of them. The theme will be around the Proverbs 31 woman and my head is just spinning with cool ideas for them.

It took me 3 days to do this one. I tried so many different techniques with it and i now know which ones i will be trying again and which ones i wont. I used acrylic paints, made my own backing paper, used old stamps and some stickers, rub-ons, watercolour pencils, chalk, sandpapering and even some dabbing on the wet paint. LOVE IT!

Here are some close ups.... I must admit that i am very surprised at how well the rub-ons stuck to the paint and the canvas. I also ran out of T's but thought that a 7 would work just as well.
This is a close up of her face. Now face's are not my most favourite part but i can honestly say i am pleased with how she turned out. Her chin is a little too pointy and her neck went a bit wobbly but her nose turned out great and her hair looks good as well.

It has taken me two weeks to read this book. This weekend i finished it and i love it. My mom lent me her copy but i am definitely going to have to get my own. This story is beautiful, heartwarming and so inspiring. If you get a chance i would definitely recommend it.

This weekend i got some time to paint. I am currently working on a canvas and hope to have it finished by the end of the week to show you guys. This little piece is going to sit in the stairway. I have the picture of what i want in my head but it will probably change as i work on it more and more. I have started to finish some of my old acrylic paints and so a few weeks back i picked up some new ones from Tescos. I must admit that i love them and the next time i need some more i will be getting these rather than the old ones. My only complaint is that there are only basic colours in the set but on the flip side to that, because of this, i have been experimenting with mixing my own colour and creating my own shades which have made the journey even more fun and rewarding.

In between waiting for the different paint layers to dry i decided to work on this. My first quilt pin cushion. I used scraps from my first quilt and used the stuffing from an old cushion. I sorted through my button collection and found the perfect green button to go in the centre. It took me about 30 minutes to complete her and i am so pleased with how she turned out. I might even make one for my mom at some point.

Sunday night i spent some time looking through GodTube. It is very similar to You tube except you can find things related to God, Christian music, parts of sermons and much much more. While having a look around i found some music videos by Coffey Anderson. This guys is amazing! If you have some time make sure to listen to his other stuff - well worth it.

FO: Child's Placket Sweater

It feels like it has been ages since i last finished a knitted project. Perhaps that's because i have several on the go at once instead of just concentrating on one at a time. This little guy took me about 3 weeks on and off.

Name: Child's Placket Sweater

Pattern: Can be found here for free - Thank you purlsoho

Yarn: Chubby Baby Yarn in blue, less than 100g

Notes: I am still a new knitter and i found this pattern a little confusing at first. It is knitting in the round and this is the first time that i have knitted a sweater using the method that the pattern calls for. Once I found some alone time I managed to get my head around it. When I think about it, it probably wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was but I guess that is the fun of learning something new.

Overall: I must admit that I feel a little disappointed with this FO. Not in anyway because of the pattern but because of my level of skill. Take a look at the photos below.

Yup - those are big ugly ladders that you can see. Luckily, it has happened on both arms so OH says it looks like its part of the pattern. I so appreciated his kindness and thoughtfulness because I can not tell you how close I was getting my scissors out and just cutting it into a hundred insy winsy pieces.
While knitting with my dpns I tried so hard to make sure that I pulled that first stitch so very tightly but alas it looks like I wasn’t doing as well as I thought I was. I don’t just have that one ladder on each arm - I have three! One on the front, one on the back and one on inside of the sleeve.
Perhaps it just comes down to practice but if anyone has any tips for me I would greatly appreciate it.

This week has had its sad moments for me. One of my friends at work lost someone very close to her and so was off work for four days. I made this card for her just to let her know that she was in my thoughts.

Then today, my best friend in the office is leaving us. She is going to stay home until the end of January, how lucky is she, and then she will be finding a new job. Saying goodbye is so hard but at the same time I am so happy for her and just wish her all the best of luck.

This weekend we are hoping to get a way for a day or two. We will probably go up north and visit some Christmas markets and some new places. I hope that we can find somewhere out in the country side to visit but I am sure that whatever we do, it will be good.

Hope that everyone has a great weekend and see you all on Monday.

Circle Journal

This is the second circle journal that i have taken part in and this has definately been my favourite. Thank you so all the lovely ladies who have had a part in my jounral. Every page is so special and treasured.

One more page to follow but my battery ran out so this will be updated later tonight.

Old Treasures

I spent last night looking through some old stuff of mine. Stuff that has been put away for a while now. I love going through it - finding my diary from school days, reading old letters and cards from friends, looking at photos and remembering such good things. While looking through all of this i found some art that i have done over the years. This piece is on of my favourites - "Out at Sea". I cant say that it is especially good but i really like the feel of the piece. I used watercolour paints and did this piece about four years ago.

For quiet a while i have been interested in doing some freelance photography on weekends to help bring in a little extra money. With the wedding and my Indefinite Leave to Remain coming up we could really do with the extra money. The thing is, is that i am not really sure how to start. I have the camera. I have a few different lenses. I know the basis of the camera and have done a few photo shoots with family members. I have tons of ideas in my head so i know that wont be a problem but i guess i am a little unsure of how to get my name out there. I have never photographed a wedding so wouldn't have any photos to of weddings to show possible clients which is probably a big stumbling block. But i guess it is the age old thing.... To get a job you need experience but to get experience you need a job! If you can offer any ideas or tips i would really appreciate them.

A work in progress

I miss my printer. It is still broken and it is still sitting in a hundred pieces. I am not sure when or if it will get fixed. I miss my printer!
Why is it that when something breaks we then decide we need it urgently. Since my printer has broken all i have wanted to do is scrap. But no photos mean no layouts. I have even tried going round to my parents place to print my photos but my mom does not have a photo programme on her computer and my dad does not have the printer attached to his. It is just not meant to be....at least not at the moment.

So last night, after i spent an hour or so studying *wohoo as she pats herself on the back* i sat down and tried my hand at the above canvas. It is not what i had imagined before i started and i am still not sure if i really like it or not. It feels very raw to me. But it is a work in progress and that is OK by me. If you want to see a lady who has a lot of talent with canvas's make sure to check out her blog. She does such great work!