Return of the mojo...

...and a little 'non-nursery-aged' doodling to boot!

I stayed up a bit late last night...1am...which is actually, really very late for me! But there was a reason for it - or a couple of reasons. Firstly, I just wasn't in 'sleeping' mode - tired but not yet snoozy if you get my meaning. Secondly, I really longed to doodle and draw and come up with something new and non-nursery/kid's bedroom related!

So, I flicked through magazines - this is my tried and tested method of kicking my creativity up the jacksy! - whilst catching up on a huuuuge backlog of Flashforward episodes, and supping Riesling. All in all a jolly lovely evening!

But said evening was made so much better when my pencil actually started making marks on paper *woohoo!!!*. Granted, said marks were, in the first instance, a baby dragon *pah* (not that I don't love little Pfoo but it wasn't what I was striving for last night) but...they progressed into a couple of little drawings/doodles that I really rather like!

Here's Pfoo...he's only a nipper so his fire isn't fully stoked yet and tends to turn into wind and puff :)

I like the lollipop type flowers on this one...

As for the funghi on this one, NO idea where that thought sprang from!

Then, yesterday, thoroughly inspired by Lucie's fabulous achievements on Photoshop, I decided to give it a go. Still very, very early stages (as in, clicking colours as G sat on my knee :] ) but it's bright and cheery and pleases me...

I'm feeling a bit more hopeful about maybe, hopefully, someday being able to do/design something of worth with Photoshop...the program I yearned for, for a decade and now own & am clueless as to what to do with it. Who knows, I may finally be able to revamp my Ditsy Bird Design title bar into something whizzerooish?!?! Makes me chuckle :)

thanks for stopping by
x

Scarecrows and stalls...

Hello folks and how are you?
I'm nice and busy at the moment - the commission noted in my last post
&...I have a table/stall at our village's annual Scarecrow Festival
next weekend. Eek!
So I'm trying to finish off work in progress (see the cupcake in a
hoop pic below) as well at working on new items (tshirts & bags) and
building up some canvas stock.
I've been a bit more organised than for my last outing at Christmas
(blushing at the memory of the chaos that was supposed to be a stall!)
and have ordered a greeting card display unit too!
Fingers crossed, I'll have a stall to be proud of :) but regardless,
it should be a cracking weekend! The scarecrows should be out from
Saturday but Monday is the main event ~ duck races, tearoom in the
institute & a little 'market' of stallholders like myself!
Cononley Scarecrow Festival 2010 [scarecrows around the world] 1st-3rd
May...come along & have a look :)
S
x

11/05/10 Update...
The fair was a blast - seriously! The sun shone and people flocked to the villahe to see all the scarecrows - it was a really lovely old day.

Here's our entry...

and Yeti in all his glory, amid the snowflakes ;)

and here's my stall...

[oops - didn't realise the table cover was wonky til now :/]

Plenty of folk stopped by and said hello and some purchased and others ordered - which was utterly fabulous! The new range of T-shirts that Mum & I had been working on went down very well, so a new batch of T's have been ordered :)


All in all, a cracking day! To finish this post off nicely, here's a pic of George as the Yeti...

and for a bigger giggle...here he is dancing :)


TTFN
x

I want to ride my bicycle...

I've got a new bike! At least, new to me...
I've been fancying one for a while, you know...just to pop to the
village shop on or, to accompany George on as he cycles or scooters to
the park. With the recent lighter evenings, fairer weekends and Summer
drawing nearer, my desire had grown. And then, last night, after I'd
posted my blog & bid Twitter a goodnight, I quickly checked my emails,
as I do. And there it was...an 'offer' on Freegle (Skipton's version
of Freecycle...ha! How apt!) of a foldaway bike in Settle! I whisked
off a reply declaring my want and went to sleep with fingers crossed.
I have to confess that, when I awoke this morning, the bike had
totally slipped my mind. So delighted was I that I had a whole studio
day ahead of me. So, imagine my delight when, as George crunched his
cereal & my tea mashed in my mug, I checked my emails to find that it
was mine! All mine! And here she is (for there can be no doubt that
the bicycle is, in fact, a she and may in fact be called Dolly!) in
all her glory after arriving home with me tonight. Happy!!!!
S
x

'twas the night before Tuesday...

...or Monday evening as it is more commonly known ;)
So it's an early night for me after a luverly day! Fantastic treat neck, shoulder and back massage by the very talented (and mobile) Sue- great chats with Sue & Gill whilst being pummelled - yummy, nearly healthy lunch (it included brown rice salad so that must get me some health brownie points!?!) & more chats with Gill - and...the weather managed to fair-up long enough for a brisk stomp thru the fields [& yet more chats...spotted the theme yet? ;) ].
Top that off with my mum joining us for the swim lesson jaunt and for dinner, it means I have also had company this eve! It's usually just me on the sofa after putting George to bed so that's double-company in one day!!! Yay!
So, like I said...early-night time now, so that I can get up bright & chirpy and see George off to school nice & happy. Then it's STUDIO time (spare room time doesn't have quite the same ring, I feel) for me from 9.10 til 3.20!!!! Granted I may stop for tea, toilet & lunch breaks but you catch my drift ;)
It feels like yonks, yes yonks!, since I was absorbed in a jolly good painting session and I am very much looking forward to it!
So that's it from me for tonight but I'll be back soon with some Ditsy Bird makes updates, quick 'look what landed on my doormat' posts about recent (gorgeous) purchases and other such ramblings.
But for now...sweet dreams one and all
x
Sent from my iPhone

Easter breaks & crafty makes...

Gosh I've missed 'making'! I have loved the Easter break & having some
wonderful day trips & nights out with some if my favourite people
(especially my boy)! I've also ticked some of the 'ugh' jobs off my to
do list (vac'ing the car; blitzing G's room; sorting the craft
cupboard) which I'm awfully smug about ;)
Tomorrow starts the new term in fantastic style for me- a back massage
& lunch with a bestest friend all followed by a walk and a natter
through the fields.
Then on Tuesday it's back to making, and I can't wait!!! Audio book
on, paint brush in hand and WHOLE (school) day to myself.
Happy times!
I hope you've all had a splendid Easter break and that the start of
the new term is a cracker for you too!
X

Sent from my iPhone

oh, mmmmMr Rochester!

Helloooo!

I don't know whether or not you noticed the badge on the side bar saying Bronte-along but...I've joined up with two lovely ladies (and a host of other Bronte/Austen and all things period-drama, devotees) at  Eggplantia in a, well, Bronte-along! It pretty much does what it says on the tin :)

This basically involves the reading of Jane Eyre (for me as I think I'm a little late to the party), maybe watching a BBC adapation (or 2, or 3...) and maybe even listening to the audio version of the novel. And then, if I fancy it, I can pop on over to Facebook and leave a comment for all the other Bronte-along-ers to read and catch up on what they have to say about all things Bronte.

You catch my drift.

Bronte, Bronte, Bronte, swoon, swoon, swoon. *contented sigh*

Anyhoo, back to the point of this post... We took a trip to Wycoller! Wahoo! "Wycoller?" I hear you ask. Yup, Wycoller, for this is the home of Wycoller Hall, the inspiration for Ferndean Manor (Sire Rochester's abode, I'll have you know) and it's also where some of my favourite people in the world live...my fairy-aunty-god-mum, my uncle and my wonderful friend & cousin. Ahh. ♥

So, in the name of  trip-to-see-loved-ones-to-chat-and-drink-tea-and-eat-buns *ahem* research, we baked lemon drizzle buns and then got in the car and drove the 10 miles there. George & I had a wander around the ruins of the hall (and a few games of hide and seek) and took photos of what would have been a splendid home in it's day.

"The manor-house of Ferndean was a building of considerable
antiquity, moderate size, and no architectural pretensions, deep
buried in a wood.  I had heard of it before.  Mr. Rochester often
spoke of it, and sometimes went there."

 I can just imagine the delicious Toby Stephens, I mean Rochester (well, they are one & the same in mind head!) sitting in front of the fire being all moody and mysterious *swoon*

"But in his countenance I saw a change:  that looked
desperate and brooding--that reminded me of some wronged and
fettered wild beast or bird, dangerous to approach in his sullen
woe.  The caged eagle, whose gold-ringed eyes cruelty has
extinguished, might look as looked that sightless Samson."

We had a lovely afternoon, wandering around the village, looking at the signs of Spring and playing in the ruins - I hope you like our photographic tour of Jane and Edward's final home together.

"Then he stretched his hand out to be led.  I took that dear hand,
held it a moment to my lips, then let it pass round my shoulder:
being so much lower of stature than he, I served both for his prop
and guide.  We entered the wood, and wended homeward."

 

It's Wuthering Heights next, folks - doom, gloom and despair on the moors with a little of the fantastic Kate Bush thrown in for good measure ("Heathcliffe, it's me, oh Cathy, I've come home now"). Brilliant! If you fancy joining in, head on over to Eggplantia's Facebook page for more details!

Found you!

 

Cheerio for now

:)

links for further info:

http://www.online-literature.com/brontec/janeeyre/

http://www.facebook.com/eggplantia?ref=ts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wycoller_Hall

A chugging and a whirring...

Well hello there and how the devil are you? Jolly good of you to pop in! Oh, that you were actually here and we could have a cuppa and share some cake or buns...another time perhaps?

Long time no blog, hey - I am a little sporadic but I do hope you'll stick with me ;)

So...over the past month, I have had 5 pretty bizarre dreams about my either being pregnant, in labour or having actually having had a baby (actually I've had many more bizarre dreams over that time but only 5 about wee nippers...but that is an entirely different story =] ). 

Number one was more than a little odd, leaving me feeling a smidge out of sorts, but I just put it down to watching dodgy films and TV shows the night before. After number two I did have little chuckle...'two in two weeks, what are the chances?!?'. By number four though, I admit that I was starting to wonder just what was going on with my head!

But last night was the "OK, enough of that now" tipping point so...this morning, the first thing I did (even before sticking the kettle on - shock horror!) was to Google 'dream meanings'.

Imagine my utter relief (and mini "whoop") when I discovered that dreams relating to pregnancy and birth are linked to creativity - be it a spurt or a creative growth, it's all down to that. And not actual babies. Big 'phew!'.

This then lead me on to do a little more thinking about my supremely dodgy sleeping of late - frequently waking up during the night, mad dreams, neck ache & back ache which then lead to headaches, [alleged] snoring (who me?), tossing & turning and a little talking thrown in for good measure. [Mum reckons I was born talking so why stop whilst your sleeping ??]

Now, I can't be entirely certain as I'm only going on this particular bout of naff sleeping, but...it seems to me that, there is a link between my creative ebb & flow and my restfulness at night - the more creative I am, the worse I sleep.

I can kind of understand this - in my head* there is a strange kind of logic to it. [*Please note I did say 'my head' - no need to be concerned about yours :) ]

Surely if you're feeling all creative, then your mind is dreaming up new wonders to make and new methods of doing so. Therefore, said brain must going at ten to the dozen, chugging and whirring away and churning out these delights in glorious technicolour for your mind's eye to then convey to your hands to make :) so if this is the case during the day, what's to stop your brain from continuing at it's furiously creative pace, whilst your asleep? Thus creating bizarre and sometimes wonderful dreamscapes?

For me, my creativity/mojo or muse does have a real ebb & flow character to it - it's either full throttle or stalled! Fact. Which is good, because during the 'stall' times, it gives me time to catch up on all the scribblings I've made during the 'full throttle' stage and actually turn them into something useful. Hopefully.

So, lovely readers, my questions to you are these - do you suffer from similar traits? Is this the curse/blessing of the creative (be it with clay, cloth, paper, food, timber or paint) - the ebb & flow and the maddeningly creative spurts? and, do you too have the occasionally mental dream? (please say yes to this one, regardless of your actual answer as it will make me feel SO much better about my sanity!)

Cheerio for now!
Sarah
x

PS the photos are of the results of my creative spurt :)