the art of curiosity...

The last of summer?

2010-09-07T15:14:00.000+01:00

Summer is over and last night saw me shed a tear as I cleaned two pairs of school shoes rather than three for Tom is at college now and no longer under the school uniform cosh. The last time I cleaned just two pairs was before Lula started school and suddenly the tears welled. And so time moves on and childrens' cherubic, kissable limbs lengthen into teenage sinewy elegance.

The guilty parent!

2010-08-11T16:26:00.014+01:00

The school summer holidays roll on & tumbleweed blows around my blog. I've been doing that 'being busy but seemingly achieving nothing' thang that parents know oh so well.

Ellie has begun to ask me for memories of the Brood as babies & toddlers, but I haven't yet dared to confess that so much time passed in a blur of nappies, feeds, washing machine loads, post-natal depression and then full blown bipolar, that my recollections are faulty & a little blurred around the edges. This feels me with guilt - it's as though the absence of memory represents a form of neglect! After all, wasn't it my intention to be a fabulous parent and to bring something fresh & vibrant to this child-rearing lark? I was going to do things differently - why I even had delusions of perfection! Well ha ha, the joke's on me - the grind got to me and I am instead a faulty, guilt-ridden parent. But they're loved, adored & cherished and I feel ever so certain that they know this even in their bones.

Of course the idea of being a perfect parent is a mirage - the only thing you can realistically hope for is to be, what John Cleese & Robin Skynner described in their excellent book, 'Families and How to Survive Them' 'a good enough parent'. So as this imperfect parent didn't manage to keep her baby books & photo albums in pristine, lucid order, the wannabe good-enough parent is going to trawl through her diaries, journals and notebooks in order to find the notes & scribbles she dashed off about her Brood.

A six month old Tom in diapers & dungarees - scribbles dashed off in between his cries and mine!

I thank Lord Dodo of Dodo Towers for his gift to the busy family of the splendid five column Dodo diary - without the help he's given us during these past years I wouldn't be able to rummage through old diaries and find the landmark dates that Ellie wants me to remember. Ah yes, Ellie's first steps. Wow, I actually remember that day!

The older you get, the more fabulous you can become!

2010-08-04T12:01:00.004+01:00

I ♥ the Advanced Style blog which features, amongst others, the fabulous designer & artist Debra Rapoport. As a die-hard fan of hats and wannabe adherent of the rule that 'more is not enough', her lavish sense of style fills me with rapture. Watch out Brood because the older I get, the more exotic plummage I intend to adopt. As the ladies & gentlemen featured in Advanced Style prove, the older you get, the more fabulous you can become. Beauty is most definitely not the preserve of the young!

I was feeling glum, raddled & gloomy until I watched Debra's videos on YouTube. Allow me to share a few of my favourites with you...

Juicy fodder for nourishing your creative juices!

2010-08-02T18:17:00.009+01:00

Thank to Ricë Freeman-Zachery's podcasts, I'm learning more about Carla Sonheim whom I mentioned in an earlier blog post. I love hearing about people's experience of the ongoing process of learning to draw, especially when I discover that it's not something they've been practising since birth! For someone like me who became infected with a love of drawing in her middle years, Carla's ability to polish up your confidence is empowering so I beg you to listen to Ricë's interview with Carla.

Whilst you're there, check out the other fascinating podcasts available at 'Notes from the Voodoo Lounge'! Artists from a variety of disciplines such as Roz Stendahl, Wendy Hale Davis, Michael DeMeng, Melanie Testa, Diana Trout, Bernie Berlin, Pamela McCarville, Richard Salley & Ricë herself talk about their artistic careers & challenges, all the time offering us nuggets of inspiration to contemplate.

Now, have you bought Carla's book yet? I also have two more books for you to check out when you're next visiting your chosen book store? Ricë's books are the perfect fodder to nourish your creative juices with - go & squeeze them out!

Happy 1st Birthday Gussie!

2010-07-28T14:44:00.005+01:00

Gussie (on the right) has gone from this...

to this...

to this!

Happy First Birthday Gussie!

Shedding tears

2010-07-24T19:34:00.004+01:00

For the first time today, I used Google Earth to access some of the masterpieces housed in the Prado in Madrid. Looking at the 'Descent from the Cross' by Rogier van der Weyden in such close and staggering detail moved me beyond words. The stricken face of the swooning Madonna is a harrowing portrait of maternal grief. She's on my computer screen in miraculous close-up - I can see how van der Weyden painted the tears with shadows & highlights, yet on the other hand I can't. My brain simply won't accept that something this raw is artifice. Oh, the extraordinary power of art!

If you would like to venture into the Prado for yourself, this link will show you the way.

Why we live where we live - rooms with a view

2010-07-23T17:28:00.009+01:00

As evening approaches, the sun turns the unmown heads of the long grass in the valley snowy white in the lens.

Remind me to show you some of our sunsets - our house faces west. We are lucky, lucky people to share our lives with the sky.

The great Kate!

2010-07-22T12:04:00.006+01:00

I'm getting very excited as the utterly brilliant Kate McKinnon is adding the finishing touches to her DVD set, 'A Workshop In Fine Silver' Soon, I hope to lay my hands on a copy and suck all the lavish, luscious juice out of it. Kate's gifts as a teacher are LEGEND & as she talks and writes like an archangel, an extraordinary experience awaits you. I have all her books, including her latest, 'Sculptural Metal Clay Jewellery'. I owe you a book review for this volume and the accompanying DVD, but for the moment let me just say that it is SO magnificent that I'm going to be dictatorial and say 'go, buy!' I'm not on commission so this is an entirely altruistic prod. If you want to learn how to handle metal clay safely & sensibly and make deliriously beautiful, well-constructed jewellery, then this is the book for you. If you're interested in Wearable Art, then this book should be by your bedside because the lavish illustrations will deliver you into a trance fuelled by the most entrancing dreams.

I stick to Kate's books like a leech - is it any wonder? I learnt much of what I know about making jewellery from my copy of her 2003 Project Workbook (which is now in a ragged but highly venerated state) and now that she's releasing a set of DVDs, I'm going to be able to set her up on my computer & have Kate sit by me on the workbench. If I fall, I know that Kate will have answers for me because she thinks things through. I have a few books about metal clay, but most are simply a list of instructions which don't make many allowances for the questions of a beginner. I don't want, 'Do this, do that.' I want to know the whys and what-ifs and maybes too! I know from the DVD which accompanies 'Sculptural Metal Clay' how well Kate addresses the practicalities of a beginner's situation - I rejoice to hear phrases such as 'this might happen'. Kate drips confidence into your ear!!

And just look at the pieces that she makes...

What an extraordinary artist Kate is! Let her teach you too!

Having fun with a FABULOUS website!

2010-07-20T11:55:00.002+01:00

I write like
Vladimir Nabokov

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Ha ha ha!!

Autism Study: Baby's Babble May Contain Vital Clues

2010-07-20T11:25:00.001+01:00

Autism Study: Baby's Babble May Contain Vital Clues

I send grateful thanks to Jean Yates for alerting me to this extremely interesting article. Anything that might aid an early diagnosis is CRUCIAL!!

'Think less. Draw more.' And seek out Danny Gregory!

2010-07-18T13:21:00.008+01:00

More blog love!! Seth Apter of 'The Altered Page' (which is an immensely enjoyable read) is conducting a Buried Treasure 2010 collaboration in which he is encouraging people to search through their archives and repost some of their favourite articles. May I in particular point you in the direction of Danny Gregory's blog. The Slow=Know post is a particular favourite of mine - indeed a printed copy of it sits inside my Moleskine pocket.

Three cheers for Seth!!! Three cheers for Danny!!! And three cheers for Moleskine for putting pockets in their journals which is a throughly well thought out idea - I do so approve of thoroughly well thought out ideas! Anyone got any spare ones I can borrow?

Talking of archives, should you ever wish to look into mine, I've added a list of topics (or 'Labels' as Blogger rather irritatingly refers to them) that I regularly talk about, to the sidebar on the right-hand side. Go down past the list of places which I visit when I'm feeling curious, past my profile and there before you is my list of 'Labels'. Grrrr - I hate labels!

Book review, blog love & a patchwork chair!

2010-07-17T13:24:00.013+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that my stress levels were on the increase again & that my brow was settling into a state of permanent furrow. I guess I could have solved this with industrial strength wrinkle cream & a chill pill, but instead I reached for a new book, 'Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists' by Carla Sonheim. Oh boy - THIS IS FUN! This book is packed to the brim with imaginative ideas designed to help you to learn how to develop your drawing skills & broaden your creativity. It's not a stiff drawing course - it's a lavishly illustrated fun factory, full of experiments & prompts that will inspire & feed you. It's so full of juice that I defy anyone not to find something that inspires them & sends them scampering off to gather up their favourite art materials. If you're in a drawing rut or feeling artistically blocked, then this book may well be able to coax your brain cells into exciting, exhilarating action again.

This isn't a children's book but I'm very grateful to have discovered it prior to the start of the long summer school holiday. There are ideas aplenty for each member of my Brood, whether it be creating imaginary creatures with 10 year Lula, developing illustrations & collage with Ellie or looking at life drawing with 16 year old Tom. I'm going to pack 'Drawing Lab' in our holiday luggage so that we can take it out sketching with us when we're out on the prowl in Devon & Cornwall.

As this book explores creative thinking in tandem with drawing matters, I think Carla's book will empower me to delve deeper into my imagination. It will be interesting for me to see anything 'rubs off' on my jewellery!

Carla's blog can be found here. Another art blog I'd like to recommend is UK artist Sarah Wilde's 'Curious Crow'. Sarah is another summer holiday saviour as she is currently on Day 17 of a Sketchbook Challenge which is so fascinating that the Brood & I are going to trace her journey as soon as they break up from school. Don't forget to check out the sidebars on Sarah's blog! There you will find links which will take you to her sketchbooks & art journals - I find her Non-Dom Hand Sketches both mind-boggling & enthralling! Go, see, enjoy :-)

Can I squeeze in a quick mention of a blog that sees me through moments of stress? Henrik Edberg's The Positivity Blog is a little gem that dispenses sensible advice that's easy to read & follow. It's neither preachy nor sanctimonious - I heartily recommend it!

And now for the chair....

Dear James,

Oh husband of mine! I know you won't probably won't read this, but if we win the lottery, please could I buy the stripey Louis patchwork chair for my Shack? If I had this chair, I would curl up in it to read & you wouldn't see me for hours. Just think - you'd have the kitchen to yourself & be able to make as much mess as you desire whilst cooking. This chair by clever Kelly Swallow would keep me out of what's left of your hair ;-)

With love,

Your Shack Hag xox

New pen!

2010-07-14T17:33:00.013+01:00

I'm not seeing eye to eye with photography at the moment so alas, I cannot bring you a picture of the iolite & amber necklace I've made which features a pendant by Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay and a beautiful focal bead by Sarah Hornik. In the days of yore, I used to take photos in a tent-like set-up in which I could manipulate daylight with the magic of mirrors, but this voluminous rigging takes up a lot of room and there are currently too many demands on my workspaces for me to contemplate erecting a campsite on one of them!

I'm not as organised as I once was because I've filled life up with other things during my spell adrift from the world. There's my mark-making for one thing. I prefer not to call the mess I make 'drawing'. I LOVE to make marks, but as I don't want to make myself bitter & resentful for not turning in the perfect, presentable work I think of as drawing, I stick with mark making & my search for that one perfect, zen-like line that we can all achieve every now and then. It happens. And when it happens, it feels remarkable - all puns intended!! It's why I enjoy blind-contour drawing - the pressure is off and that line you've been longing for, seems to offer itself up much more readily when your eye's on the subject and your hand is freed from the judgement of your ocular article.

This week I've been making marks with my new Pentel Pocket Brush Pen which is used to extraordinary effect by such wonderful artists as Roz Stendahl. I've used brush pens before ( hello Sakura), but this is a real wayward beauty which offers a different experience to the others I've tried. I love it for it's a real Zen pen but it's going to take some time to get used to it.

Here's me struggling with my new pen, trying to get to grips with Gussie, our border terrier puppy.

What's with the neck?

Going loco - I backed myself into a corner & ran out of paper!

Forgive me for slipping in a ghastly old photo of a pastel of mine from days gone by, but for the sake of family record, I can't have Gussie in this post without also including the best friend a lass could ever have had. A beautiful girl - no longer by my side, but forever in my heart!

Gorgeous George

Ellie ...in the blink of an eye!

2010-07-13T18:07:00.006+01:00

Just when did she go from this to this?

I turned my back for a second and my baby's been & gone & grown into a woman. Just how did that happen?

British Mummy Bloggers

2010-07-13T17:13:00.007+01:00

Visit British Mummy Bloggers

I'm in the Autism Parents Group, but there's lots more to browse & fodder for me to feed on! Come on over!

Confessions of a bead fondler & colour junkie!

2010-07-12T18:57:00.012+01:00

Circles

I had my wrist grabbed today! And, as is usual when this happens, it was because I was sporting some rather delectable beads. Clare Scott's dazzling 'Continuum' art glass beads arrived in the mail last week ( along with some other dazzlers) and I was so entranced by the way these beauties toy with the light that I set my heart on making a chain bracelet. As I'm a bead-fondler & a colour-junkie, I have a habit of holding art glass up to the light in order to suck up the colours - with the movement afforded by chain bracelets, they're an ideal vehicle for captivating, light-manipulating beads.

There's a tender aqua & an exhilerating purple at work in these beads (which sadly I couldn't adequately capture in my photographs, but Clare has, so scoot off to her website or Etsy & take a closer look). These colours tickled my memory bank so into the bead trays I dived and I surfaced with a collection of ceramic beads by Emma Ralph. I then scattered handfuls of silver and rainbow amethyst tubes into my lap and started work on the bracelet which you now see before you.

The lady who grabbed my wrist made my day! Having your jewellery examined in such a complimentary fashion is a boost and a half! On so many levels, creating jewellery is a therapeutic occupation & I thoroughly recommend it!

The Break-up!

2010-07-11T20:25:00.005+01:00

Saucy Pendant

One enjoyable facet about creating your own jewellery is that you can freshen up your jewellery box whenever you wish. Haven't worn that bracelet in an eon even though the beads are a dream? Then take it apart, Dear Reader and revive & revamp.

This is how Saucy came about. I was looking at some delicious borosilicate beads which were languishing in a pair of tired earrings that were buried in the bottom of my jewellery box and the cruelty of my neglect finally shamed me into setting them free. And wouldn't you know it - as soon as I had liberated them from their old setting, a fresh idea occurred to me & I ran to my bead trays and got out these gorgeous saucers by Emma Ralph. I now have a pendant whose colour I revel in so much that, when I'm not wearing it, it's on permanent display in my study. It's a zinger!

Roll up, roll up, roll up. Head on over to Jean Yates' blog & read about her first selection of favourite jewellery designers. 'The Jean's List' is to become a regular feature on her blog and I'm looking forward to reading it immensely! What Jean doesn't know about jewellery design could be written on the back of a gnat so join her followers and make sure you don't miss any of her posts. I'm extremely honoured & bowled over to feature in her first selection which also includes Naomi Fujimoto, Cynthia Thorton & Margot Potter - how's that for glamourous company!!

So, keep reading her blog because next time, it might be you!!

Tearing my hair out!!

2010-07-07T19:43:00.006+01:00

My computer is behaving very badly & thus it's got to go to the doctor for a few days which is infuriating as I was planning to share some photos of my bead trays & assorted tins of titivating titbits with you this week. That would have meant looking at ravishing work by such art bead luminaries as Emma Ralph, Laura Sparling, Beverley Hicklin, Melanie Moertel, Sally Carver, Helen Brodt-Savage, Heather Powers, Melanie Brooks and many more.

I also have a rather tasty bracelet to photograph which features beads by Emma Ralph & Clare Scott, together with that Saucy pendant I've been talking about. But alas, my plans are blighted.

There's no doubt about it - this is a bad hair day!! I hope to see you very, very soon!!

By the way, if you're ever looking for a tin to store your semi-precious stones or silver findings in, why not pay Emma Bridgewater a visit? There are things in her shop which, in my humble opinion, are irresistible!

The Kinks -with thanks to the Rock CHICk ™

2010-07-07T10:38:00.003+01:00

My dear friend Jean Yates found this for me on You Tube . Bless you dear heart :-) Sing-a-long with me & Ray - here are the lyrics!

The Kinks

2010-07-06T10:55:00.006+01:00

The Kinks

During the recent Glastonbury Festival, I was lazing one 'Sunny Afternoon' & singing along with Ray Davies. Julie Fountain's beads were on my mind as I was planning to make a variation of one of my Leather Garland necklaces using some of her summer-themed beads. It suddenly struck me that the most obvious name for this knotted necklace was 'The Kinks' !

Lilac Garland

Whilst you're here, if you want to join me in a rendition of 'Waterloo Sunset', here are the lyrics. I could warble this when the summer grass in the meadow was taller than I!

Neckwear & three cheers for UK art bead makers!

2010-07-05T12:54:00.006+01:00

Shoreline

A sterling silver wire & leather necklace featuring not one, not two, but three sets of beads by UK glass artists Laura Sparling & Josephine Wadman. Laura's conch shells and Josephine's scallops & decorated rounds are partnered by a set of Laura's famous 'Kamino' beads together with a smattering of wood for added organic accent.

Coming soon... 'The Kinks' featuring beads by Julie Fountain of Lush Lampwork & a rather saucy pendant with beads by Emma Ralph. Three cheers for UK art bead makers!!!

Sorely missed - Beryl Bainbridge

2010-07-02T12:14:00.005+01:00

Beryl Bainbridge (21 November 1932 - July 2, 2010)

I will never understand why this wonderful English novelist didn't win the Booker prize. There's not a single book in her oeuvre that I don't treasure. She was one of our brightest & our best.

Namaste Dame Beryl! I hope you meet Samuel Johnson & all your other boys in heaven!

Rocking the Rafters with Jewellery News!

2010-07-02T10:38:00.006+01:00

I really enjoyed Rodrigo y Gabriella's set at Glastonbury last weekend - was it truly just a week ago? They also played there back in 2007 which was my first introduction to their music. Here they are playing 'Vikingman' - I LOVE Glastonbury crowds!

If you want to dance all day, these two will fill you with jumping beans. I'm performing my bi-annual Shack studio muck-out at the moment and Rodrigo y Gabriella are rocking the rafters for me!!

I've also been making jewellery using beads by Emma Ralph, Josephine Wadman, Laura Sparling & Julie Fountain. There's a saucy pendant, a funky leather & Lush Lampwork necklace which goes by the name of 'The Kinks' and some beach babe drapery which features beads by Josephine & Laura. When I finally pack my hoover away, I'll unearth the tripod & get clicking.

Jewellery drooling with ford/forlano

2010-06-23T02:57:00.005+01:00

Full Pillow Necklace by fordforlano, 2009

If you're as obssessed with jewellery as I am, may I recommend fordforlano's blog? Actually I can offer you even more juice because their website is ravishing (my knees have been trembling ever since I viewed the gallery) plus I have a video to share too.

Enjoy....

Where to search for beads

2010-06-20T13:57:00.006+01:00

Netscape With Mermaids

I love the luscious art beads that I use in my work with a passion. Because I'm not able to get out to any shows in person, I search out artists online and thus I rely heavily on the wonderful SRA scheme. If you want to avoid buying fakes or getting involved in scams, check out the SRA index and hunt for the logo. And then you'll be able to find ravishing beads like these by Emma Ralph!

Farewell Kurt!

2010-06-19T23:22:00.007+01:00

My Saturday nights have just got sadder & duller for the excellent Swedish detective series, 'Wallender' has ended its run on BBC4. It's the only programme I regularly watch so I'd be bereft were it not for the fact that I've found someone who can supply me with the DVDs. I didn't see the first series so I've got 13 more programmes to look forward to. Yippee!

I hope you enjoy Anna Trenheim's haunting theme music which sadly isn't available on CD. I've fallen for her charms so I'm now off to download her album, 'Leaving On A Mayday'.

Rosa & Co

2010-06-19T16:36:00.010+01:00

Rosa & Co

With birthday week coming up ( Lula is ten on Wednesday, Ellie has an honourary on Thursday and Tom hits the big one six on Friday) I'm living in a flurry of wrapping paper. Having tussled with a sellotape dispenser that is refusing to dispense, yesterday I allowed myself time off for good behaviour and did a little light stringing. The result is 'Rosa & Co', a sweet little combo that would flatter any one's skin tone. I've added some blush pink Murano glass cubes & lashings of silver from Shiana to a truly delicious set of beads by the UK artist, Beverley Hicklin with the results you see before you.

Marghanita Laski's book is available from Persephone, one of my favourite bookshops. Jewellery and a good book - what more could one ask for on a Saturday afternoon? A working sellotape dispenser - that's what!!

Calling all contemporary art lovers!

2010-06-18T18:37:00.007+01:00

I have another programme to plug! This is the time of year when I like to bring the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition to your attention. For all of you who won't be able to attend this, the largest world's largest open submission contemporary art exhibition in person, BBC2 ran a Culture Show special last night which is now available to watch here!

Boo hiss that they didn't give the Wollaston Award to Gillian Ayres, though having said that, the winning piece is wondrous. No more spoilers here - you'll have to watch the programme to find out who won.

Louise Bourgeois documentary now on BBC iPlayer

2010-06-18T12:34:00.003+01:00

As promised, here is the link to the documentary about Louise Bourgeois.

Kim Miles is back in Blogland!

2010-06-17T21:33:00.005+01:00

Spread the word - Kim is back in Blog Town! Head on over to 'taking the long way home' as quickly as can be!

Coming up...

2010-06-13T14:39:00.006+01:00

On Thursday 17th June, at 11.30pm. BBC4 are showing a documentary profile of Louise Bourgeois in the 'Imagine...' strand. If this programme makes it on to iPlayer later on in the week, I'll add the link so that anyone from overseas can watch it too.

Dear Reader, I send you warm greetings on this chilly summer's day!

A strange state of mind

2010-06-10T13:27:00.009+01:00

I had to take the past few days out which makes me feel SO angry with myself; I loathe being at the mercy of emotions. And once again I'm fearful that my brain & body are beginning to over-ride me. Imagine having a dictatorial stranger in your house & that you are completely at their mercy. This is bipolar. I am not my bipolar, but my bipolar is me.

From Sunday morning to midnight yesterday, I managed a total of five hours sleep so I've been feeling very disorientated & restless during the past few days. Last night, my brain finally submitted and allowed me to sleep so I feel better today.

Now that a quieter place has opened up, I'm going to see if I can't paint it out. I think the trick is not to analyse it but to gently acknowlege it & see if it will work through. And I shall also count my blessings, for I am fortunate & have many.

Namaste!

Catching up!

2010-06-06T20:17:00.008+01:00

It was the perfect weather for taking photographs today; the light was clear & bright and I could sit in the study without melting mid-afternoon.

I've been wearing this bracelet with these scintilatingly beautiful beads by Emma Ralph for quite some time, but I'm now delighted to be able to partner it with this mix & match group of four earrings featuring Laura Sparling's famous Luminobeads. The earrings go by the name of 'Don't Tell Chris' - this posting from Laura's blog should explain why. I do hope Chris will forgive me ;-)

Just look what I've done with Helen Breil's stupendous focal beads! You're probably wondering why I've spilt the original setting (as seen on Helen's home page) apart. I promise that there is method in my madness. I purchased another stunning focal from Helen and, as I want to make maximum impact in a demi-parure of earrings and a collar, I decided to create these earrings in a sculptural form. I love wearing them; the line is so flattering to the neck. I call them 'The Peacocks' as they bob & weave in a similar way to the waltz of those stately fellows as they parade before shaking their tail feathers out. Once I've figured out how best to do justice to Helen's other dramatic, scene-stealing focal, I'll add a photo of the collar.

I have Emma Ralph to thank for the Harebell Ice beads in this set of earrings. At just over 6cms from the tip to toe, these are lovely & long. I'm heavily into dangly ear gear this year!!

A Special Edition of the Faces: Louise Bourgeois

2010-06-01T00:40:00.008+01:00

Louise Bourgeois: 25th December 1911 to 31st May 2010

Spiderwoman, you really started something!

Book Review: 'Digital Expressions: Creating Digital Art With Photoshop Elements' by Susan Tuttle

2010-05-30T16:43:00.007+01:00

I'm an old fashioned photographer in that I know a fair amount as to how to manipulate a camera shot, but place me in front of Photoshop & I'm sunk even with the aid of the doorstop of a manual that I bought to help me negotiate the programme. I get a pain in the neck just lifting the manual up so Photoshop & I have remained strangers up until now. With the arrival of 'Digital Expressions: Creating Digital Art With Photoshop Elements' by the highly talented Susan Tuttle, all this has changed.

Susan's intention is to teach us how to create beautiful digital art, something I've yearned to learn about as I want to incorporate such images into the art journals I keep. But hold on for one tiny second. In her introduction, in a lovely, lucid format, she has taught me what I've been looking for a long time - how to start working with Photoshop Elements! My days of a pain in the neck are over. She then proceeds to take you deeper and in thoughtful, step by step detail & with clear, luscious illustrations, shows you how to create digital art with chapters devoted to manipulating images, painting & drawing, layering elements to create digital collages, merging images to create montage art and incorporating traditional art into digital works. There are 25 projects to follow and a bonus CD with goodies for you to play with.

This book is lavish - information, inspiration, techniques & ideas abound. This is the perfect introduction & springboard for those of you who want to learn how to create digital art. Read this book and then run with it. Susan is giving you the key to the door and is the perfect companion to usher you into the world of digital art. I'm enjoying playing with this book so much & would heartily recommend it.

May I offer you a delicious serving of eccentricity?

2010-05-28T14:00:00.010+01:00

Courtesy of the BBC, a televisual offering can be found here: 'Behind The Scenes at the Museum'

This film is the epitome of all that beautiful BBC2 & BBC4 do best. It's one man's look at the community who oversee the running of the Freud Museum in London. It may sound dull, but I can assure you it isn't! From the developing 'atmosphere' between upstairs & downstairs to the organisation of the dating evenings - yes, you really could meet the partner of your, ahem, dreams ( joke? get it?) and the delightful Freudian slip-pers in the museum's gift shop, this is an hour full of gentle delights.

Fancy making friends with the museum's official dog? Or does finding a lost painting by Lucien Freud appeal? If so, please watch and enjoy. Because you're worth it :-)

The Perennial Question?

2010-05-26T21:16:00.012+01:00

I'm a person of extremes and much as I adore succulent colour & a clashing contrast, I'm also a sucker for the pretty nudes & blush pink dresses that are currently walking down a High Street near you. And here is my solution to the 'What Should I Wear With That?' question; one that I hope would stand out in a crowd.

My fingers tiptoed through my bead trays until I alighted upon this set of beads by Dora Schubert. 'Parfait' as the French say, and then I went scurrying off to sift through my collection of pearls because nothing enhances skin tone better than the oyster's greatest gift to the world.

So here is 'Neutrality'. Could this be an answer to the question?

*****************

Jean Yates kindly reviewed this necklace in this post from her blog.

Laura Sparling's Lonelies Prize Draw

2010-05-25T18:48:00.007+01:00

Would you like to win these beautiful, top quality 'lonelies' by the renowned UK art glass beadmaker, Laura Sparling? Then head on over to her blog, read this post & add a comment in order to enter her prize draw.

As they say, you've got to be in it to win it, so off you trot and may I wish you 'Good Luck!'

'The Faces' Jewellery Challenge: so what would you make for...

2010-05-25T00:43:00.008+01:00

I'm reminded of the 'Faces' jewellery challenge that I referred to earlier this month. My impetus is eluding me at present and my sketchbook of ideas for Ellen Terry ( please see this entry) is a staccato mess. Nevertheless, I have another face for you; a photograph of Virginia Woolf whom I mentioned yesterday.

Both this photograph and that of Ellen capture them before the originality & true colours of their lives had unfolded. Perhaps this is why I find it difficult to pluck out inspiration from these youthful photographs; I know what is to come and it is not yet a highly visible seed in these innocent portraits. Methinks I must bear in mind the character & experience of these extraordinary women and celebrate the beauty of maturity. Perhaps I should challenge myself with a photograph of the poet, Dame Edith Sitwell instead.

But ah me no; Dame Edith had more style in an elegant finger tip than I would ever dream of addressing. I dare not presume!

My search for a face continues...

The Art Journal & Creativity Bookshelf: The Long List!

2010-05-24T13:09:00.013+01:00

Our house groans with books. Literally. Walls have been scaled by carpenters & cabinet makers ( being married to someone in the antiques trade has its perks - Bushwood Antiques, I thank you) and shelves have been adhered to any wall not suitable for paintings. I love peering into books & sniffing out their treasures. And my books are more informatively interactive than Kindle. All book lovers should look away right now because I hereby confess to the sin of writing in the margins of my paperbacks. Indeed I have paperback copies of some of my hardbacks purely so that I can carry on a written conversation with the author. Remember the quote from my last blog entry,

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You, too? Thought I was the only one."

Well this is just one of the reasons why I write in my books; the magic spell of recognition.

My little addenda add an extra dimension to re-reading old favourites. 'Did I really think that? Oh shallow youth!' ( I rather enjoy feeling pompous about my younger self; it shows I may have actually learnt something as I've travelled through life and that all is not necessarily lost!) In fact my long standing loves which I refer to again & again, such as Virginia Woolf's diaries or Carrington's 'Letters & Extracts from Her Diaries', have special journals devoted to them which stand by their sides on the bookshelves. Carrington's paintings have always beguiled me, but when I read her enthralling letters & saw the illustrations which she added to them, I fell under her thrall & have remained her slave ever since.

Indeed, many, many years ago, it was Virginia & Carrington who first inspired me to keep a journal of my own. At first it was just a diary, but this one volume has blossomed into many. I now keep a diary, a reading record ( for thoughts I dare not expose in the books themselves!), an art journal, as well as a multiplicity of sketchbooks ( which, to my mind, are another form of journal). The latest addition is a more formal illustrated journal whose shape still hasn't comfortably settled in my mind.

But I digress. The reason for this post is that I've been 'editing' my art journal resource shelves. Not because I'm divesting myself of any of the books which have helped me along the journalling path, but because some seem more pertinent to the shelves in the Shack where I paint & make a mess whilst others seem more suited to the calmer climate of my study.

Now that I've finally finished dusting off & restating the bookshelves, I thought I'd list a selection of favourites books which I've referred to as I've mined my way through my own particular seam of journalling life. They are of particular help in the bad times, but also nourish me in the good. In other words, they are Battle Books!

Here goes...

Firstly the greats. You can treat yourself to books by any of the following authors and each & all will hold your hand and delight, inspire & inform you. Make space for:

Lynne Perella, Gwen Diehn, Danny Gregory, Maggie Grey, L.K.Ludwig, Ricë Freeman Zachary & her wonderful interviewees, Sark, Alan Fletcher, Dan Price & any of the volumes of 'Illustration Now'.

And now, in no particular order, here comes a lengthy selection of my favourites. I've added links to Amazon, not because I'm on commission ( because I'm not) but purely so that you can read a little more about each particular book.

'Kaleidoscope' by Suzanne Simanaitis
'Exhibition 36' & 'Digital Expressions' by Susan Tuttle
'Celebrate Your Creative Self' & 'The Creative Edge' by Mary Todd Beam
'Art Escapes' by Dory Kanter
'Collage Sourcebook' by Holly Harrison, Jennifer Atkinson & Paula Grasdal
'Mixed Media Collage' by Holly Harrison
'Journal Spilling' by Diana Trout
'Life is a Verb' by Patti Digh
'1000 Art Journal Pages' edited by Dawn DeVries Sokol
'1000 Journals Project'
'Complete Guide to Altered Imagery' by Karen Michel
'Exploring Colour' by the late Julie Caprara
'Handmade Prints' by Anne Desmet & Jim Anderson
'Drawing & Painting People: A Fresh Approach' by Emily Ball
'Painted Paper' by Alisa Golden
'The Artist's Sketchbook' by Lucy Watson
'Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art Of Designers, Illustrators & Creatives' by Richard Brereton
'Mixed Media Self Portraits' by Cate Coulacos Prato
'The Nature Diary of an Artist' by Jennie Hale
'Art Stamping Workshop' by Gloria Page
'Printmaking + Mixed Media' by Dorit Elisha
'Drawing From Life:The Journal as Art' by Jennifer New
'Journal Bliss' by Violette
'Drawing, Seeing & Observation' by Ian Simpson
'Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am' by Sara Fanelli
'Experimental Drawing' by Robert Kaupelis
'Creating Sketchbooks for Embroiderers & Textile Artists' by Kay Greenlees
'Making Journals by Hand' by Jason Thompson
'Artist Trading Card Workshop' by Bernie Berlin
'Mixed Emulsions' by Angela Cartwright
'Practical Printmaking' by Colin Gale
'Creative Awakenings: Envisioning The Life of Your Dreams Through Art' by Sheri Gaynor
'Taking Flight' by Kelly Rae Roberts
'Collage Unleashed' by Traci Bautista
'The New Creative Artist' by Nita Leland
'Keys To Drawing With Imagination' by Bert Dodson
'Creative Paint Workshop' by Ann Baldwin
'Drawing Matters' by Jane Stobart
Jim Krause's Colour Index Volumes I and II
'Sources of Inspiration' and 'Pattern, Colour & Form' by Carolyn Genders
'Connecting Art to Stitch' by Sandra Meech
'Acrylic Revolution' by Nancy Reyner

There are more, but I fear I may have exhausted you and that, dear Reader, will never do.

PS, I'm avidly awaiting the arrival of 'The Journal Junkies Workshop' by Eric M.Scott & David R. Modler which is available in the States, but not here in the UK as of today. Help! I'm not known for my patience! I have discovered Eric's blog though for which I shout 'Hurrah!'

On friendship...

2010-05-19T15:49:00.004+01:00

My sweet friend, Jean Yates, the Rock CHICk™ shared a lovely quote with me about friendship.

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You, too? Thought I was the only one."

At this point in my life, as I emerge out of a bipolar exile and meet up with old friends and exchange smiles with new ones, it seems entirely pertinent to share C.S. Lewis' fine words with you.

I also liked his quote about the soul; it's delightfully loud & proud! We are each of us so much more that can readily be perceived, but do we always remember that about each other?

Shine your light, dear Reader! And shine bright!

Today's happiness comes courtesy of...

2010-05-18T13:49:00.011+01:00

This choker featuring beautiful beads by Laura Sparling,

Catherine Witherell's blog posts,

Jafabrit's über-coolness,

Katherine Treffinger's Flickr Gallery,

Jennifer Sanchez' website,

Roz Wound Up's archive,

and Kelly Kilmer's journal pages.

Kelly's Pen List thrills me & she has kindly given me permission to share her pen video on Facebook. If you're a pen-head or stationary-drooler like me, I guarantee that you will feel the love!

Before you go, here's how today's happiness crept up on me:

Creating an illustrated journal - but how to start?

2010-05-16T14:53:00.006+01:00

Let me state my case clearly; I'm on the lookout for advice. I've kept private therapeutic art journals for years, my written journal is my best friend & alongside my dogs, my constant companion is a sketchbook. But now I want to take what seems to be the next logical step and start an illustrated journal. Maybe it's because I've got another birthday on the immediate horizon, but I have a fancy to leave something behind me & an illustrated journal seems to fill this archival need.

But...

This won't be my first attempt - not by the longest chalk imaginable. Time & time again, I've fallen over the twin hurdles of layout & my calligraphic inabilities. How do I produce a legible text? And how do I stop myself from committing drawing-squeeze or over-elaboration? Now the latter is a major problem. The art teacher who successfully sapped my self-belief & enthusiam for art at the end of 13, told me that my work was 'too detailed'. Since returning to the art fold after years in academe, I've strived to stay true to the line ( hence my love of unwinding with blind contour drawings) but my darned meddling brain gets in the way & before I know it, I'm restating until my page is a whirling mess. This isn't a problem in a sketchbook because leaves can be detached. In my art journals, gesso, paint & collage sort this problem out for me. But how to stay the hand in a journal? I'm seeking to display a clarity that I don't find in life itself; I want to sift my life & get the essence of it on to a page. So how to do this without getting in a mess?

If any of you have tales of discoveries you made when you first began your own illustrated journals or have tips about layouts, I would deeply & gratefully appreciate your advice. You never know; you might one day be doing my great-grandchildren a favour! How's that for an example of running before I can walk ;-)

The things I sweep under my carpet!

2010-05-15T16:48:00.013+01:00

Speck of Speck's Sketch Blog has reminded me of something else that didn't go to plan. I looked under the carpet under which I sweep these things and lo, I've found a few of the sketches which I drew for the Everyday Matters Challenge. I followed the Challenge from a distance as I don't possess the necessary talent to be a formal participant, but then my big, bad, bipolar blip got in the way & my plans went completely awry! However, I've still got the list so I can always start again.

Here are a couple more, 'What on earth was she thinking of' sketches, namely:

Number 1 - my espadrille

and Number 24 - an apple

Now, aren't you glad I shared these ;-) I do like to make a fool of myself of a weekend!!

I think the challenge has ended now, but to view the drawings submitted by the group, why don't you pay a visit to the Everyday Matters Group on Flickr. I promise you'll be enthralled!

A challenge! What would you make for...

2010-05-14T10:31:00.013+01:00

This portrait was taken by Julia Margaret Cameron whose work I'm quite mad for at the moment. It's of Ellen Terry, one of our most revered English actresses, taken when she was a free-spirited 16 year old, already married to the painter, George Frederick Watts.

To read more about Ellen, may I recommend Michael Holroyd's excellent , 'A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and Their Remarkable Families' which I enjoyed immensely last summer.

I have a fancy to display some more photographs from time to time so this may become an occasional series. Now, I wonder, what could or would I make for Ellen?

Sketchbook scenes: some days just aren't meant to be...

2010-05-13T08:51:00.015+01:00

Lost interest...

Eye went wrong...

So then I copied - after Van Gogh.

If days are going wrong, I know I can always turn to Vincent! The original is on page 30 of 'Van Gogh: The Master Draughtsman' by Sjraar van Heugten or can be viewed here.

Looking for 'it'!

2010-05-10T18:22:00.014+01:00

'Celebrate'

This is the first necklace that I've completed in nearly two years, hence the title 'Celebrate'. I'm not sure I like it, but I guess it's a start. I've forgotten so much; from wire wrapping to how to set up a photo & handle the Nikon! It's rather disturbing & I feel like I've made a clumsy hash of climbing what is a relatively small hill.

One thing is certain though. My tastes have changed and I don't have the techniques to produce what I want to make. So, deep breath, I've got to work out what 'it' is and how I can arrive at & attain this nebulous concept. Ah, the 'it-ness' of things; isn't that what all creatives are chasing?

'Celebrate' features cube beads by Melanie Moertel and Ice beads & ceramic charms by Emma Ralph.

2010-05-09T13:32:00.001+01:00

A recipe for happiness? 5 journals + 2 vanity cases + 2 rolls of pens + 1 watercolour box = a distinct possibility!

2010-05-09T13:04:00.006+01:00

I owe Ricë Freeman-Zachery a debt of gratitude for introducing me to the enchanting film above via her scintilating blog, Notes from the Voodoo Cafe. Ken Carbone has me itching to open up my pen & pencil rolls and work in one of the Moleskines which I keep by my bed in a vanity case from Cath Kidston. In another case, I've got all manner of journal goodies such as glue, papers, photo corners, ink pads, pens, masking tape, etc, etc.

I'm a portable gal, so why on earth do I have agoraphobia? Still, where there's life, there's hope which is something to hold on to. Oooh, I'm being positive :-)

Day Two of 'Project Getting Back to Normal' - but what is normal?

2010-05-06T11:52:00.009+01:00

'Normal' indeed! This last bipolar 'vacancy' lasted for so long that I've forgotten what normal is. So what do I mean by normal? Recovery entails accomplishing things over a period of time; doing a little more each day. 'Getting back to normal' refers more to pulling together the elements of your life that you've managed to regain & knitting them into a day or a week; forming a routine, if you will.

This week, to matters domestica, I'm adding a more formal attitude to 'work' into the mix. Up until now, I've just been doing things as & when I feel able. The time has come for a push though, so using the well known 20 minute technique and by staying SMART, yesterday I managed to lay out a necklace, started work on getting my wire-wrapping eye in tune again & sorted out my journal jungle! I failed on the daily drawing challenge though, but I'm not going to be hard on myself. If I can fit things in on a two/three day rota, I shall be happy. With the confidence these activites generated, I even managed to tackle my overdue pension correspondence which was a bonus. To do things I don't want to do, I have to back myself into a stall as if I were an unwilling horse. I don't look the thing in the face; I just gently lever myself into a position in which I can do the thing required.

Again, the twenty minute technique is invaluable. Set a kitchen timer for 20 minutes and stop work as soon as the alarm sounds - this breaks a task up into small managable bites and your task becomes SMART by which I mean:

S Specific
M Measurable
A Achievable
R Realistic
T Time Bound

I must confess that I'm a tad frightened though & feeling a little overwhelmed. Can I make this breakthrough & get 'back to normal'? I found a comforting response to this when reading the wonderful Judy Wilkenfeld's Red Velvet blog in which she wrote, 'Challenging one-self can be gratifying but scary at the same time too.' Moving out of one's comfort zone is not an easy experience, but with luck the benefits will outweigh the fear, nerves & trepidation. Sometimes feeling frightened is a good thing!

2010-05-04T20:21:00.007+01:00

If you want to listen to something smoothly intelligent, may I recommend this programme about Richard Buckminster Fuller. What a mind! And what a story! This is the type of broadcast that BBC Radio 4 excels at. A little treat!

Apologies that the image has been cropped so drastically. I can't make the file any smaller, so please click on it to see the full stamp. Coolsville IMHO!

Some favourite 'Bucky' quotes coming up:

'Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them.'

'I'm not a genius. I'm just a tremendous bundle of experience.'

'How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else.'

'Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.'

'Faith is much better than belief. Belief is when someone else does the thinking.'

Who did what, why & what for?

2010-05-02T12:55:00.011+01:00

'Vision of the Sermon' by Paul Gauguin

'Breton Women in the Meadow' by Emile Bernard

Don't listen to Mother; red & green should always be seen ;-) Here's another in a short series of posts inspired by the red & greeness of my blog which I hope to overhaul as soon as I've finished drawing up my list of excuses not to do things.

Allow me to show you another pair of favourite paintings which happen to be linked by an argument about development. Gauguin's masterpiece has stimulated my thoughts ever since I first came across it as a teenager, back in the mists of time, annals of history, etc, etc. It's not only the move towards an abstract form ( if someone I know is struggling with abstract art, I always refer them to these two paintings as a starter) that fascinates me. It's such an arresting puzzle; what is this painting about? I won't pontificate about my thoughts because I believe it's what a painting says to YOU, dear reader, that's important. Don't let other people's opinions get in the way of your own, she says offering an opinion!! I like a bit of hypocrisy on the side ;-)

On to the argument of which, of course, Gauguin had many. It's to do with those age old combatants, inspiration and plagiarism. I suppose that this one has a slightly more positive slant, in that it could be argued that someone 'borrowed' an idea and truly ran with it? But as I said before, I offer no personal opinion myself. To read more about this particular argument, why not take a squint at this article from 2005.

PS. Whilst you're here, let us not forget the influenence of Japanese prints ( please see my earlier post below) upon such artists as Gauguin, Bernard & Van Gogh...

Time for a revamp!

2010-04-29T16:41:00.010+01:00

I swear the red & greeness of my blog gave me the migraine tremors so some time soon, I hope to overhaul it and make this into a lighter, more inviting space to pay a visit to. I have half a mind (as all my friends will tell you, I really do have only half a mind) to start sharing some entries from my sketchbook & maybe my art journal too. However the latter is quite personal & who, for example, would want to see in my lingerie drawer? ( Oh Jennifer, do stop telling fibs! It's a mismatched knicker drawer with accumulated love & baby tokens hidden between the lace, cotton & elastic! I wonder; where, dear reader, do you keep your own love tokens, baby booties & mementoes of sweeter times?)

In the meantime, here is one of my favourite Hiroshige prints; art to dispel my misconception about red & green ;-)

My heart has been stole-n!

2010-04-27T09:16:00.007+01:00

I love the zig-zag stoles I've knitted!! I can fit two of my babes under one so we sit cuddling on the sofa with the wings tucked around us; I'm like a bird in a nest with my brood. It's a little bit of heaven!

The pattern is the easiest in the world - it's just an incredibly long, zig-zag shaped length of stocking stitch - but the yarn I used is what it makes it look & feel special. It's called 'Fandango' ( though 'Isis' is equally excellent - I just prefer cotton) from the Welsh company, Colinette Yarns.

I've made five (!!?!!) of these stoles so far ( Florentina, Adonis Blue, Jay, Zebra & Sweet Dreams, the latter being for 11 year old Ellie) , got one on the go ( Pagan) and have another waiting in the shopping cart. For those of you who know Lula, this may come as a shock, but Lula........wants one too! Yes, Lula the tomboy, she of the mini-tractor & dirt patch fame, wants a stole of her own! She's dithering between October Afternoon & Heavens Above, though there are a couple more that have grabbed her attention. Ideally she'd like four, but as I knit as slowly as a sloth, I've explained that she may not get all of these until she's grown up & got children of her own.

I think the key to this stole's charm, and thus its huge appeal to Lula, is its cuddle-ability. I unfurl one in bed whilst reading or drape one around me on the school run or when dashing down to my Shack studio. I primped our sitting room using Wabi Sabi principles, but it can be cold in winter so we cuddle up together with two babes plus me all under one stole. It's also an anxiety soother. If I'm out in a crowd & that familiar feeling of panic starts quaking, I've got a stole to pull around me; I guess it's a similar principle to baby wrapping & it certainly helps me. Why, somedays, I can actually manage to go shopping with just a stole & Bach's Rescue Remedy for company ;-)

I've been knitting scarves for years ( for which I have Nicki Epstein to thank), but my heart's been stolen by stoles. Not shawls, but lovely, long, drapery, pinned up or just coiled round.

The pattern, 'Elderflower', can be found in Colinette's booklet, 'Isis'.

A fill in!

2010-04-26T10:52:00.009+01:00

Something for you to colour in :-) You can find some more here!

I've just scrawled an entry all over Facebook which properly belongs over here. Here's a copy:

" Time for ‘the art of curiosity’. I’ve taken a deep breath and looked at my blog & website for the first time in an eon. Oh boy, do I have a lot of work to do! But have I the energy & determination to do it?

Thanks to bipolar blips, I’ve never been able to truly run with the concept of ‘the art of curiosity,’ but after this last big bad wolf of a bout, I feel an odd sensation of renewal & recovery this time. What could possibly have caused this change? I put it down to the humble pencil. By using my creativity to help do battle with the dragon, I feel as if I put more of myself into the fight this time & I think this self-knowledge may be the source of my more positive viewpoint today. Even on the worst days, when waking was a scream of anguish at my still having to live in my brain & immobile body, this time I managed to drive marks onto a pad of paper which I kept by my bed. Marks which looked like a scrawl to everyone else, but which were actually helping to anchor me.

I couldn’t have functioned without medication and the people who cared for me, but my pads & subsequent journals of marks allowed me to remain in contact with myself. Rather then being adrift in mire, these marks, which became more lucid & fluid when I had moments of feeling human, which ultimately calmed into meditative drawings and notations of what was around me, charted my days & I was able to see that not every hour was a heartrending scream. They helped me to start comforting myself and this simple act of being kind to myself kick-started something in my brain.

But enough! This is no place to bore you. This should be in a blog: henceforth meanderings about this, that, life, art & all manner of curiosities will – with luck – be contained once more in ‘the art of curiosity blog’.

I thank you! "

This blog needs..

2010-04-25T12:57:00.004+01:00

more than a tidy up. I've got to dust it off, buff it up and then starting adding my favourite things to it. And if this last bipolar blight really has decided to let me be, perhaps I can truly start working & taking photos of the results again.

To be free.....that's my desire. And to sail again and let optimism fill the spinnaker. And if it works out, may be I can shake my boring, mummified website up too!!

My first task was to change the poem in 'Life's Candle' to Carol Ann Duffy's marvelous poem, 'Prayer'. Now I'm rummaging through the places that I visit when I'm feeling curious. This is down on the right hand side. I've got friends & marvelous places to add so if you're watching, I'm working on it.

New post...new life?

2010-04-19T10:33:00.004+01:00

My computer went bang taking my life with it and as this coincided with a foul bipolar blip ( so much for medicated control!), I appear to have absented myself from life for a long, long time. Things have changed. I haven't made jewellery in an eon. Instead I draw, paint, make marks; trying to make art out of just looking. It's an absorbing way to live and a much better aid to recovery than just pills & therapy.

So here I am, taking baby steps along the road to recovery. Time to move on. Time to live again.

You Make My Day Award

2008-02-16T14:23:00.006Z

My dear friend Laura Sparling has presented me with this award - bless you Laura & thank you very much for thinking of me.

It's now my honour to hand it on to five people who make my day - here are the guide lines as to how to pass the award on:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day. Check!
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver. Check!
3. Display the “You Make My Day Award” logo. Check!
4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news. Just about to ;-)

I would like to give this award to:

Jean of 'Snap out of it Jean. There's Beading to be done!'
Corrine of Jafabrit's Art
Angela of Angela's Art Diary
Margot of The Impatient Blogger'
Dan of Dan's Blah Blah Blog

Truly unmissable blogs :-)

Trying a little longer...

2008-02-13T10:26:00.007Z

I set myself the task of making up some earrings which are a little longer than my normal range so my Flickr Gallery now hosts photos of eight sets of earrings which measure from between 55 mm to 70mm.

Featured here are ( from the top) a set of gorgeous 'Glowing Stacklets' featuring beads by Emma Ralph, some 'Rosy Tubular Belles' which are a stunning showcase for the work of Laura Sparling & below, a pair of 'Paradise Stacklets'. These beads were created by Beverley Hicklin & their beauty is utterly hypnotic.

I am SO LUCKY to be able to play with beads such as these!!

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day - Part II

2008-02-08T18:35:00.002Z

This stunning focal by Emma Ralph provides the 'Inner Glow' in this stupendous heart pendant. The word that springs automatically to mind is:

WOW!

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day - Part I

2008-01-30T14:48:00.002Z

It's time to get ready for the day when someone who's dotty about you, can hand over their heart! Click on Flickr for more sweethearts plus this 'I ♥ Kitsch' pendant.

Emma & 'An Elemental Wave'

2008-01-24T17:29:00.001Z

'
An Elemental Wave', I hear you ask? I chose this name because Emma Ralph has captured the essence of the Mediterranean Sea & trapped it in her nugget beads. If you click on the flickering Flickr show, there is a photo of one of these beads in close-up. It's a joy, but then everything that Emma makes is a joy!

Indeed, if you look below at the cover of Jean Yates' book 'Links', you will see more examples of Emma's work, this time in polymer clay. Are you hooked? Do you want to see some more? Have a rummage in Emma's shop!

Book Review - 'Links’ by Jean Yates - a source book for the imagination!

2008-01-18T11:57:00.002Z

My shipment from Amazon has crossed the Atlantic to England & delivered into my hands a luscious, lavish & extraordinary book, namely ’Links’ by the well known American jewellery designer, Jean Yates. I have the good fortune to own an extensive library of reference books, but I can't think of any other jewellery book or manual that explains the craft of jewellery design & creation as thoroughly & pertinently as 'Links'. I’ve been assembling jewellery for several years, but even so, I've learnt new techniques & I've certainly assimilated fresh perspectives about design.

Jean’s designs are so glamorous & gloriously feminine - they celebrate the art of the coquette & her womanly wiles. Turn to page 88 & enjoy the allure of Jean’s ‘Gigi Bracelet.’ Trace back to page 62 & behold the enticing ‘Blooming Chain Maille Earrings’. Tiptoe through the pages once more & prepare for the glory of the ’Sun & Shadow Necklace’ on page 118. Jean’s jewellery is sumptuous and, as I once wrote in a fan letter:

'Am I Madame de Pompadour?' Where is my Salon?' These are the daydreams that drift through my head when I survey your earrings. I may long to have the brain of a blue stocking, but I want to look like a luscious courtesan which is why I am so grateful to you for these earrings. They make me feel like a marquise & I swear that my neck lengthens into that of an aristocratic when I wear them. They are a Rococo dream & blissfully baroque! Jean, without doubt, you are a very special magician!'

In ‘Links’, Jean discusses & shares the wide ranging prompts, clues & cues which inspire her designs. In other words, she has created a source book for the imagination! The word 'inspirational' is bandied around a great deal now & there are times when I feel it's in danger of losing its lustre. 'Links' restores it - Jean’s book puts 'inspirational' back on top of the value pile & far away from any commonplace usage.

‘Links’ is also an account of a voyage. It’s an autobiography in jewellery of a remarkable woman’s life. For those of us who have the privilege of knowing Jean, she has created an emotional touchstone for us all. For those of you who are new to her work, read her stories & reflect & imagine. I defy you not to be moved by her words or inspired by her designs & ideas.

This is an extraordinary & extravagant book, richly inventive & full of fascination. Read ‘Links‘& be inspired - make your own links & begin to chart your unique stories.

To find out more about Jean, check out her blog: 'Snap out of it Jean! There's beading to be done!'

By the way, Jean is a bona fide Rock CHICk ( she puts the chic into Rock Chick, don't you know! )

because her son is in The Ruse!!

Why There's a Mug Shot of the Nativity Donkey!

2008-01-10T11:31:00.001Z

This photo of the brood exhibits a fine replica of Milady Lula's normal facial expression.

This mug shot doesn't. Let me tell you why.

Actually, looks are deceptive. As Lula is obsessed with animals, she was delighted, not only to be picked as the donkey in the Nativity play, but also to be put in charge of all the other animals. She has no time for the sheep - they are 'thupid'. There were some pigs & mice as well - I won't quibble about mice being present in a stable, but I don't recall a swineherd in attendance.

Her new sense of responsibility did go to her head a little. As - obviously - the donkey's part is a non speaking role, everyone ( especially her teacher, hence the high dudgeon exhibited in the mug shot) was rather surprised to hear the donkey shouting 'GET A MOVE ON!' at Joseph & a heavily pregnant Mary. I don't recall this incident mentioned in any of the carols I've heard - have you?

The time has come to re-read...

2008-01-07T10:54:00.000Z

Each year, aside from all the other books I'm reading ( four at present) I like to choose a book to reread which represents a bit of a literary tussock - one of those 'Books to Read Before You Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil'. For instance, and I swear this to be true, my Everyman editions of Proust's 'Á La Recherche du Temps Perdu' are well thumbed! That was quite a year and one in which I didn't get much else done. (Note the literary snobbery I allow myself by not using the imprecise translation, 'Remembrance of Things Past'. Purveyors of petty literary snobbery are not a pretty sight, don't you think? Please read the 'The Times Literary Supplement' for further evidence.)

Another year I forced myself to reread 'Jude the Obscure' by Thomas Hardy. Bar Mr Hardy's poetry, he & I do not make for happy company. Scholarly study means that we are overly acquainted. When my library shelves are finally installed, I shall allot a space in D rather than H for Mr Hardy; the D stands for 'Dismal Old Goat'.

This year, inspired by the BBC's exquisite version of Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Cranford' which was broadcast before Christmas, I've settled upon another book which unveils a canvas of life in a C19th small town & have picked up George Elliot's novel, 'Middlemarch' again. Pleasure awaits, but given my ditzy brain, I'm wondering how many vast tracts I will have forgotten by the time I reach the page entitled 'The End'.

Who he? Rufus Sewell as Will Ladislaw.

(May I put in a good word for Mrs Gaskell? She's a superb writer & often overlooked, thanks in part to her biography about Charlotte & championship of the Brontë sisters. It's my belief that if you like the Venerable Jane (Austen), you will savour Mrs G's volumes with relish!)

Moth Balled!

2008-01-03T09:54:00.002Z

Could it be possible that I'm putting my obsession with assembling jewellery up in the loft alongside the Christmas decorations? I fear the answer is yes for I'm taking a sabbatical. I haven't gone totally mad & thrown in the pliers completely. After all I still need things to wear even though my jewellery caskets are overflowing - I hold this frivolous belief that you can never have too much jewellery!

So what am I going to do? Most importantly, we are home tutoring our son who has been shamefully neglected by his school. Alongside their disastrous handling of the bullying incidents, we have now discovered that the SEN department has lost his file, PDD diagnosis and all. For the past two years, no account has been taken of his condition & he has received none of the support which should have been available to him. His school should hang its head in shame - quite literally in my opinion!

I'm not neglecting my voyage in the good ship 'the art of curiosity...' though. Oh no! I'm casting my net in different directions to see what I can find. There are always more things for me to discover & play with.

Happy New Year!

May it be a time full of peace, good health & happiness!

The Spell of 'Amélie'

2007-12-02T08:12:00.000Z

I'm a huge fan of French films. This is a slightly guilty pleasure because no one else in this household shares my addiction. Thus I can sit undisturbed without sticky children bouncing all over me or blonde ones rummaging through my dressing table. I've now discovered an exception and it's one I shall encourage - Ellie and 'Amélie'. 'Amélie' is one of my all-time favourite films and when watching it for the three thousand & seventh time the other day, the music lured Miss Ellie into my room and, draping herself along the end of my bed, she watched motionless & transfixed. I noted this in my diary - my children don't do motionless & transfixed so a diary entry was definitely called for!

If you haven't seen 'Amélie', I urge you to snatch up the first copy you come across & watch this funny/poignant/beautiful film. If you have art bones buried in your body, then you are in for a visual feast. Inspiration from 'Amélie' creeps up on me in strange & unusual ways - this blog's vista is a very good example!

( Postscript: I love the BBC!! It's nine o'clock in the morning and whilst I've been writing this, I've also been listening to a reading of 'Portrait of a Lady' by Henry James & in a moment, I'm promised a short story by Evelyn Waugh. Do have a rummage for broadcasts in http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/. For large chunks of time during the day and overnight, the priniciple background noises of my life emanate from Radio 4 & Radio 7 so these qualify for a 'Dangerfield Recommends' nudge as indeed does 'Amélie')

Next time I reappear, I have a Lulaism for you & it's quite a swell one because it involves Emily Dickinson & the school bus. Miss Über Sticky strikes again!!

Dipping a toe in the water!

2007-12-01T08:59:00.001Z

This isn't a picture of a younger me - I was never cute. I was always too grimy to be cute.

BUT this is quite a sweetly appropriate photo as I'm dipping my toe in Blog Pond for the first time in eons. Look how shallow & safe the water is - it looks cool too! Water wings are handy if you're not sure what you're doing - I guess the bipolar equivalent is diazepam. Well it is for me ;-) I'm going to try paddling for a while until I can swim again.

What have I learnt about life recently? Grab what you can, when you can & whilst you're still able. I'm talking about opportunities. My experience of bipolar is that bad 'episodes' usually teach me something. This episode's homily could have taken the form of 'I wish I'd done such and such when I was younger", but instead it appears to be following the route of, 'whilst there is still breath in your body, try to grab what you can, when you can.' I somehow managed to get close to death a couple of times recently and I'm guessing that this is why Madame Bipolar is trying to proffer a whole life lesson.

As my son is still having problems with troubles, I've been teaching him a poem that I know off by heart. I know that you will know it too - I think everyone should have a copy of 'Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou lodged in their brains.

Ms Dangerfield is absent because...

2007-10-08T18:47:00.001+01:00

1. Her brain is full of unwieldy thoughts.

2. Space monkeys sing jingles to her in the middle of the night.

3. She has decided to set herself free.

4. Her metaphysical house has blown down & she needs to reassemble it twig by twig.

No, I haven't lost the plot. I'm simply trying to learn how to live in a new way & part of this involves training myself to avoid being sidetracked by distractions.

Possibly this is something that many of us need to think about from time to time - what to do when our lives become simply too full of 'stuff'.

This stick person has peeled herself back to the bare bones as she is in need of restoration. It's a bit chilly at the moment :-)

Clucking Around a Petrol Station!

2007-09-28T17:36:00.000+01:00

This gadzookingly cool postcard was sent to me by Kate McKinnon during the Postcardian Quest. I'm so lucky to have this FABULOUS resource at my fingertips, as do you if you follow the link. It's a collection of the coolest images sent to me by some of the most beautiful people on Planet Earth. My original idea was to incorporate them into an altered book, but the words & names need to be preserved too, so they reside in an immensely grand postcard collector's album along with letters & paper titbits which relate to the Quest & Ovarian Cancer Action. It's an heirloom - maybe one day my heirs will donate it to an auction in aid of ovarian cancer. The Quest will go on...

Don't forget - this is what every woman should know!

It's poetry time again! Dear Reader, don't go sloping off. I try not to run a school room here.

I'm relying upon a commentary by the writer Molly Peacock for help in describing 'Filling Station' by one of my favourite poets, Elizabeth Bishop. They both say things so much more succinctly than I.

Elizabeth Bishop is often described as the painter's poet - she also has a lovely sense of humour. In this poem, she's finding solace in a petrol station!

I'll let Miss Molly take over for a while: 'When you can't make sense of the world in any other way, merely to describe what you see before you leads to understanding.....After all, when you are at a complete loss as to how you came to be where you are, to describe what is before you is the beginning of restoration....The unexpected result of training your eye on detail is that the world becomes beautiful simply because it is noticed & therefore appreciated.'

Miss Ditzey's back and what does she have to say? Somewhere there's a Mother Hen clucking around this filling station. Even the oil cans are fussed over by her unseen hand.

Though not always present, 'Somebody loves us all.'

Burma

2007-09-26T13:03:00.000+01:00

I pray that whom or whatsoever is in charge of the universe, keeps the people of Burma safe & strong in their quest for democracy.

Please Don't Shun a Child!

2007-09-26T08:13:00.001+01:00

I'm not brimming with many lucid thoughts at the moment, but I'm borrowing a soap box. I particularly want to make a noise about parental prejudice.

I apologise for copying my own comment on 'The Bad Hair Day Code' on to here, but I'm struggling with coherence at the moment so this seems the best solution.

"Over here, not every doctor understands adult neurological conditions let alone those which become clear in childhood. I've learnt to stand my ground & argue with health professionals, but it does take a while to overcome that fear that

'Mother always says,
that doctor does know best'.

I know this childhood rhyme is droppings from a male ruminant, but I worry about parents who feel unable to fully question what is going on - then both parent AND child are bullied into situations which could prove unhelpful at best, destructive at worst.

I also have a lot to say about the prejudice that children encounter -we know that children bully children, but there is more. My son has been educated in main stream schools & the prejudice exhibited by some parents at his primary school was appalling!

On several occasions in the past, whilst waiting at the school gate, I heard other mothers discussing my son. He was at a small, affluent village school where the staff were WONDERFUL. Were it not for small children milling around, I would have tackled the mother who'd instructed her child not to play with Tom & told her just where to stick her SUV!"

Because it was a small school, it was relatively easy for parents to work out which child had been 'statemented', particularly given the high level of parent-helpers. Statistics about such things are published each year & passed to parents - when only one pupil is registered, the so called secrecy of a statistic destroyed.

The woman who so openly instructed her child what not to do, wasn't the only sad, silly, stupid & ill informed sheep in the flock to do this, which is why I'm on the side of the wolf!

By the way, Tom doesn't read my blog. I've never told him about this. I'm muddle headed & very ditsy at the moment, but rest assured, Tom knows nothing about this & never will.

May I make a plea? I'm truly not overly lucid at the moment, but I loathe discrimination in any form & when it's against a child it's beyond despicable - it's heinous. It's for these reasons that I feel compelled to write about this. BUT if you spot any inconsistencies, goofs, gaffs, blurs or garbage,it's because I'm Miss Ditzy at the moment so I hope you will forgive the errors I make whilst trying to convey my message.

The Bad Hair Day Code

2007-09-23T12:54:00.001+01:00

I'm trying to climb back from a bipolar slump. I don't like to bore people with tales of what life is like if you're a bipolar babe - thankfully when one has spiralled down to the point of no return, one is usually too incapacitated to do anything other than pull the bedclothes ever tighter over one's head, so one couldn't write anything anyway! Sighs of relief all round :-) One can't keep people out of the loop completely though - my family & friends do need some explanation as to why I occasionally disappear from view.

We all develop different strategies of dealing with bipolar swings & mine are particularly irritating because I push people who are close to me away by being flippant & by denying that there's anything wrong. The crash comes & members of my close circle say gently that they did try to warn me - unfortunately I either didn't hear or I wasn't listening.

I'm also a difficult patient because I argue, joke & make light of things - I do my best to switch the focus away from me. I think I do this because I don't perceive myself as being a person - I am merely a thing with a series of human roles: wife, mother, daughter, listener, advocate, etc. Whatever was me was destroyed a long time ago. Please, please don't feel sorry for me - I only mention this for the purposes of illustration. I've never asked any fellow bipolar babe if they feel divorced from life in this way - it wouldn't surprise me if some of us feel that we can only participate in life from the sidelines. That's just the way it is for some of us.

Usually I refer to my bouts of depression as 'blips' & those that include suicide attempts as 'slumps'. I'm being dragged out of a slump this time & I'm fortunate that I'm being monitored via a daily visit from the wonderful health care team who are looking after me at present. Inspired by the hood-proof hair gel, I've now been allowed to add a new term to the monitoring lexicon - 'a bad hair day'. This covers days when one's concentration goes into hiding; when even the smallest things seem mountainous. The positive aspect is that one is at least trying to do something helpful because:

Razors pain you;

Rivers are damp;

Acids stain you;

And drugs cause cramp.

Guns aren’t lawful;

Nooses give;

Gas smells awful;

You might as well live.

Dorothy Parker

Sometimes it's essential to be frivolous. Being frivolous is not necessarily frivolous :-)

A hair gel that's hood proof??

2007-09-19T21:39:00.002+01:00

I've just watched an advert for hair gel that promised it was hood proof. This sends shivers down my spine - surely the hair will mould the hood?

So it's not enough that I have to wade through a swamp of discarded clothes whenever I venture into Tom's room on a plate/bowl/mug hunt. I may now have to clamber over a series of distorted head shapes too? This is either a vision from a nightmare or a future entry for the Turner Prize!

An Empty Paradox

2007-09-18T22:08:00.001+01:00

I'm having a Paula Rego time at the moment which is a state of mind so hard to describe other than by telling you it has a Paula Rego-ish feel. Motor away from the state of my mind and have a look at Paula's work in the Tate Gallery and in The Saatchi.

Like it or loathe it, one thing is certain about Paula Rego's work and that is the fact that you cannot ignore it. So, as there is an etching by Paula on the cover of the poet Amanda Dalton's book, 'How to Disappear', methinks this is a good example of a paradox.

The title poem is extraordinary & it too reflects my current state of mind, but can I find an example of it on the net? Noooooo! Well that's not quite true because I found one copy, but it was on a site so sharply bleak that I backed out as quickly as can be.

It's a beautiful poem - taut, haunting & another 'sticker' that I would try to persuade you to read over & over again if only I could find you a copy. Dang, dang & double dang!! I can take you by the hand to the Poetry Book Shop to meet Amanda and her poem 'Cut Off', but as I can't find 'H to D', I'm going to leave Aunt Jennifer in the Life's Candle slot.

I've only had my copy of Amanda's collection of poems for a week, but I've been utterly faithful to it ever since, which is a reasonably rare occurence for me. Her work is extraordinarily visual & accessible which are qualities that I greatly appreciate because, not only am I'm a slow thinker, but I'm very lazy too. So lazy in fact, that as I can't find a copy of the poem nor a painting that I'm allowed to paste into this entry, the paradox remains unillustrated!

How's that for saying something about nothing :-)

A 19th Century Zine?

2007-09-15T16:55:00.000+01:00

Look what I found! Could this be an early example of a zine? Click for more information about 'The Saturday Press'. I think I would have enjoyed a conversation with Mr Henry Clapp.

I had a letter this morning from a Mrs Testbutt. What a thought provoking concept!

What to do with a wine rack when you've run out of wine...

2007-09-14T15:05:00.000+01:00

My brain is more sieve-like than ever at present - could the changing season be affecting my cells?

I forgot to share a Lulaism - what a heinous crime! Here goes...

The ever inventive Lula has come up with a new use for empty wine racks. On a recent visit to pastures new, it was noticed that she was rather intrigued by the built-in wine rack adjacent to the washing machine in a friend's kitchen.

Now, Lula is not a tidy child - far, far from it. Her wardrobe is the floor. What is clean or unclean can only truly be determined by the sniff test. For any of you who haven't come across the rules of this particular 'snifter', you gauge the cleanliness of clothes by the smell of how much fabric conditioner you can detect. Play safe when you have a cold & are looking for dirty laundry. Stop. Desist. Leave all clothes on the floor. Nurse your cold & leave the offspring's clothes to fester. Rely on their embarrassment about the state of their garments instead.

The above only applies to children of a relevant & youthful age. Leave teenagers to make their own arrangements. If Tom's clothes don't make the journey from bedroom to laundry basket, I'm not bothered. Girl power will exert its influence soon & when it does, I shall be waiting for him by the washing machine along with a words-of-one-syllable guide to how to use the washing machine & dryer. If he masters these, I'll point out the ironing board too.

Where was I?

Lula's interpretation of the wine rack wasn't noticed on the first day nor the second. Daylight dawned on day three when she was spotted carefully inserting her socks & knickers into one of the holes of the wine rack. Careful investigation brought the other two sets to light. 'I fought you put your knickerths in there becoth it'th next to the washing machine. We don't have one of thesths at home. It'th very clever.'

So if for any reason you don't store wine in your wine rack, why not use it as a handy knicker or sock store? It's sure to be a talking point when you're next entertaining!

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

2007-09-12T11:48:00.000+01:00

I'm not up to full Blog Speed yet so please forgive my plodding pace whilst I ease myself back into training.

It's time for a new poem in Life's Candle ( which is down there in the right hand column) & the one I would like to share with you is a poem that is embedded in my mind. 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' by Adrienne Rich is short, but it will say a multitude of things to you.

A lot of people have written thousands of words about this poem - some good, but much twaddle. I no longer spend much time reading 'lit.crit.' because my life is getting shorter by the minute plus I have this egotistical habit of knowing what I myself think. In any case, no matter what is written, no essay will ever be as powerful as this poem.

I always think of Rousseau's painting when I read about Aunt Jennifer. The tiger doesn't remotely resemble the imagery of the poem, but the expression of the painting tolls a bell I can't ignore. Anxiety?

Henri Rousseau 'Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) 1891

On This Day...

2007-09-11T21:43:00.000+01:00

I send my heartfelt sympathy,love & tender wishes to all those whose lives changed on that dreadful day in 2001.

Breaking news....I interrupt this absense to report a momentous event....

2007-09-11T11:14:00.000+01:00

It's that time of year when a merry band of us join together in order to rejoice & give thanks for

JEAN aka the Rock CHICk!

On behalf of myself & all at Chez Hovel, I wish you a bootilicious, fantabulosa, ginanosaurus. glitzicious ( not quite sure of the spelling of this word), chicidicky, poodletastic

BIRTHDAY!

None of these words can be found in the vast volumes of the Oxford English Dictionary, but in my opinion they should be. When I get round to it, I'll petition those in judgement of such things & will pester them until they give in. Watch this space...

(I should warn you that watching this particular space may take quite a long time!)

Postscript

2007-08-15T00:54:00.000+01:00

Don't forget -you can always find something entertaining to read at

See you soon!

The Blog Sitter Blog Questions

2007-08-14T23:10:00.000+01:00

I'm trotting out of town until I don't know when ( 'I don't know when' sounds so free & easy and as much as I would like to reinforce that carefree illusion, in actual fact it means I'll return to Chez Hovel when the trench in our sitting room has been filled in. Call me fussy, but when we're entertaining I prefer to offer our guests a floor to stand on rather than a plank over a hole. I have a pernickety streak in my character which I don't think my husband will ever adjust to ;-)

When we all go travelling, we pick up things which we bring back home with us. These can come in the form of the acquisition of a memento, a shift in perception, a new dream or something requiring medical attention.

What do you go looking for? Have you any favourite mementos? Have you been somewhere or done something that has made you reappraise your life or plans or dreams?

I'm asking these questions because I'm hoping that you might consider answering or talking about them whilst I'm away. Oh boy, am I cheeky by asking if you'd consider doing a little light blog sitting?

Let's me hit you with a list. Here are five things that I'd like to be able to bring home after a journey.

1. A pebble.
2. Fresh drawings in my sketch book.
3. A bottle of milk for the tea I'm going to make as soon as I can lay my hands on the kettle.
4. Dirty washing that has magically laundered itself on the journey home.
5. Something new to be curious about.

How about you?

The Nice Matters Award

2007-08-13T19:19:00.000+01:00

My pal, the Rock CHICk ™ gives me such lovely awards & I'm eternally grateful to her. There might be an ocean between me & Long Island, but what's a bit of sea amongst friends. We sit on our beds ( are you sat on your bed yet, Jean?) & write, read, draw & make jewellery. My bed is in a house on what passes for a high hill around here & from my panoramic view, I can look over the valley to the distant hills which lie to the south west. Jean lives somewhere over there (quite a bit over there actually) and I regularly salute her - I'm a respectful creature!

Incidentally I'd love to know how many jewellery designers assemble their jewellery on their beds? I can sit comfortably in amongst all the beads, bits, bobs & tools and s p r e a d myself out as much as I want. My dog doesn't trip over anything & no one gets spiked by my pliers.

I shall now quote Jean who quoted June's friend because June's friend nominated June & then June nominated Jean who sweetly nominated me & my nominations are coming in a minute including one for Candi who is in fact Jean. Is everybody with me?

"The Nice Matters Award is a friendship award. This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. I understand that I have to pass it on to 5 other nice bloggers......."

The following people are a delight to know:

Candi

Angela

Violette

Rosemary

Christina

I Have Committed an Act of Immodesty!!

2007-08-12T17:32:00.002+01:00

I've just had the sheer effrontery to describe my blog as humorous. I hope I can fulfil this claim - perhaps Cathy's Award will help?

I know where I'm going to be spending the rest of the day - reading the other blogs listed on Humor-Blogs.com :-) I see some familiar names already!

Cathy & The Oracle

2007-08-12T01:01:00.000+01:00

For a long time, 'Learn how to use Photoshop properly' has been on my 'To Do' list. During the past two days, I've given it my best shot. I wanted to design a magnificent & theatrical logo for an award that some of you may not be familiar with. Despite reading two manuals and having lessons from Tom, Ellie & Lula, I failed to learn anything relevant to my project. I do know how far I can throw a Photoshop manual because there's one close to the bottom of our garden. The fox can read it. Despite my love of foxes, I refuse to make friends with this one because I suspect that he or she is responsible for the sudden disappearance of the partridges.

Accidents have been happening in Beadland. Miss Margot & Cathy of Aardvark Art Glass fame are nursing injuries - I wish both of them swift & speedy recoveries. Miss Margot's got a slinky dress to slide into for her birthday celebrations - I hope her wrist dressing can disappear in time ( STUPID BACON!)

Cathy held a high speed meeting with some stairs. Since my own tussle with a door & floor, I have been sporting some rather charming bruises in an array of fetching colours. I was quite proud of mine until I heard about Cathy's accident & saw what a real humdinger of a bruise looks like. Hasten over to 'Bloggidy Blog' & see the Oracle for yourself. You will then see why I felt compelled to give Cathy this award. I wanted it to be an exotic & flamboyant award but Photoshop & I just don't see eye to eye so the logo is as humble & modest as me ;-)

Do You Love Lulu Like I Love Lulu?

2007-08-10T22:00:00.000+01:00

Just in case you haven't paid a visit to Lulu Guinness's website recently, please check her out in 'The Treats, Tips & Temptations Scrapbook'

It's froth & frippery, but if the stock markets continue plummeting & inflation goes BOOM, we can still look at pretty things even if belts are being worn tighter for the next few seasons.

A Vain Passion?

2007-08-09T18:54:00.000+01:00

I nurse a passion & thus far in my long & uneventful life, I've not met anyone who shares my love. It's a cousin of my handbag lust.

I hope my handbags cut a dash, but they serve other useful purposes too. If I hold one close in anti-mugger manner, it helps to disguise the disgraceful state of my abdomen. If I'm nervous or panic stricken, I clutch one like a security blanket. They combat boredom too - I reorganise & tidy the contents when I'm early for appointments - I have no shame! Interesting things migrate into my handbag - I don't know why or where they come from - I obviously have a subconscious handbag filler habit.

The handbag's cousin is the vanity case & I'm guessing that my collection has grown well into double figures. Some live with our luggage, but I have others around the house & in the Shack. Only two are truly full of vain things - one lives in the Shack & the second is my bedside companion along with another which houses my journal, diary, note books & other blah, blah things. I have a really useful one which is part of my jewellery kit - it stores all the 'bits' that aren't tool-kitty. I use another to keep my costing notebooks & jewellery 'recipe' files in. I haven't lodged any of the information from these on to my computer - I like using a pen & I love scribbling so please don't take my notebooks away. If my computer died & took my life files with it, so be it - I could take it. I've got things written down on paper - I could start again.

I also keep a hospital stand-by one. I'm accident-prone & I have three children who also fall over. Having to spend the occasional night in hospital is a possibility - indeed the stand-by has proved useful on a number of occasions. If I was stranded in hospital & had to rely on James bringing me in some things to keep me going overnight, he'd probably bring in big black knickers ( panties?), the flimsiest white nightdress available & thick socks. This is the man who after 37 hours of my being in labour with Tom, turned to me & said,'Obviously men have a higher pain threshold than women.' He is clueless & cannot be trusted. Before I started to make my own, he bought me 'old lady' jewellery. I snapped after floral brooch number four. I recall my broaching (ha ha?) the 'Do you ever actually look at me?' question during my tantrum.

Thanks to my vanity case habit, all I have to do now is draw him a diagram of where the stand-by is located & back he trots, secure in the knowledge that his wife is not going to chastise him for bringing in washing up liquid instead of the shampoo that had miraculously hidden itself in the bathroom cabinet.

So there we are. You have just read the confessions of a handbag & vanity case addict who has tantrums about rhinestone brooches. Can you ever forgive me?

Laurel Sparks & a question for all the artists amongst you

2007-08-08T18:52:00.000+01:00

This painting is called ' Beautiful Blah' - I love it. Laurel Sparks is a new artist to me whose work can be seen here and here. There are some more paintings which I'm close to worshiping, but out of respect for Laurel, I won't show any more images on here. You must go & see.

How did I find her? This demonstrates how thoroughly bored I am at present. I typed 'blah' & searched for images! It was undoubtedly worth it because Laurel's work intrigues me & I'm going to ferret around to see if I can find some more of her work.

But doing an image search for 'blah'? Pursuing 'the art of curiosity...' can sometimes lead you into doing odd things :-)

As a matter of interest, what do the artists amongst you feel about about having images such as the above, displayed on people's blogs when they 'discover' you? I would welcome your opinions & guidance. I'm going to send a 'fan letter' to Laurel later, but in the meantime, I would be interested to read your opinions.

If you could provide this curious searcher with a little guidance, as soon as I'm able, I promise to skip along with respect, purpose & a large ladle of loopiness.

With love from Ditzy Daisy xox

Temptation!

2007-08-07T01:46:00.000+01:00

I've neglected 'The Treats, Tips & Temptations Scrapbook' on my website recently which is naughty! I've added something luxurious today & I'm going to rummage through my address book in search of a few more delicacies for you. It's my way of saying sorry!

Introducing 'The Big Easy: Savannah'

2007-08-06T19:18:00.000+01:00

May I introduce you to 'The Big Easy' bracelet. Why have I chosen this name? Because these are big babes with a big agenda - these are not your regular chain bracelet. No matter what you are wearing, put one of these on & you are DRESSED - you've got seemingly effortless Parisian shrug-off chic nailed! No one will miss the fact that you are a stylish force of nature - that you are creative & artistic right down to your bones. You are someone to pay attention to - 'The Big Easy' is your calling card. It's as simple as that!

I'm making a lot of claims about 'The Big Easy' but I can do so because of the sheer mass of compliments that these ladies have attracted. As soon as my rib allows me to pick up my jewellery kit again, I've already got two commissions to fulfil. My clients had a wonderful time looking through my bead trays!

Not only do I play with beautiful art beads, semi precious stones & my signature totem adornments, but I pay attention to space too. As any artist will tell you, negative space is an integral element in the composition of a work of art - in assembling The Big Easy' bracelets, my aim is to embrace this concept too.

'Savannah' features some of Beverley Hicklin's exotic, graphic beads from her 'Out of Africa' series. Two sets of beads by Emma Ralph are also on display - her flamboyant Flamenco Tabs and the hauntingly, beautiful Lunaris nuggets. These soft, luminous & ethereal beads shift colour & pattern in a glorious yet delicate interplay with light.

I hope you like 'The Big Easy' bracelets. Assembling them is a wonderful adventure for me :-)

Snap!

2007-08-04T08:26:00.000+01:00

I'm one of the most accident prone people in the world so it will come as no surprise to hear that I've had to pay another trip to Casualty with a cracked rib - I think this is the third time I done this. The last time it happened was when I was pregnant with Lula so this time round, I'm lucky as I CAN take pain killers. I don't recommend sleeping in a chair though.

Woe is me because I can't assemble any jewellery for a while - I'm scuppered :-(

Before my accident, I took a few OK-ish shots of one of The Big Easy bracelets, so l'll be able to show you these some day soon.

In the meantime, I beg you all to take very good care of yourselves!!

Sitting with The Vicious Circle

2007-08-02T19:17:00.001+01:00

Before you read the following paragraphs, please pay a visit to Jean Yates' blog, otherwise it won't make any sense. I call Jean 'The Rock CHICk' because she put the chic into rock. Earlier today, I called on Miss Margot * of 'The Impatient Beader' & 'Sparkletastic' fame (Margot's books are superb - you will love them. If you're a Brit like me, 'Sparkletastic' will appear on our shores any minute now, but until then, buy 'The Impatient Beader' books & frolic in the fun) and I read her post about titles. I would hereby like to make an official application to whomsoever deals with these things, that Miss Jean be also known as The Rock CHICk™.

Have you read Miss Jean's post yet? Her wish is my command :-)

"Today I lunched with the Vicious Circle, though why they allowed me to join them is beyond me. I cannot get my copy past the editorial team at the New Yorker - they are SO picky - but Mrs Parker made a scathing comment about me & I sniped back with a witty retort so I was invited to join them. I could tell this irked her - I suspect that Mr Benchley's invitation was an attempt to hold my flimsy red rag in front of her dangerous, piercing bull. Thankfully I sat next to Mr Ross so my meat wasn't minced today."

I do enjoy a nice day dream from time to time :-)

* I call her Miss Margot because she's a belle who wears beautiful dresses & has skin like porcelain. She also has a mind like a razor & this demands respect!

Come Back Lens - All is Forgiven!

2007-08-01T11:55:00.000+01:00

My photographs are suffering at the moment because my favourite lens has flown off to Nikon to have his motor mended. This is such a shame because I have a ' The Big Easy' bracelet to unveil which uses THREE Sets of art beads! I love it - I hope you do too.

I'm going to try to capture a few photographs with my second favourite lens, but it's not the same. I need my best friend back - I hope he's OK in Japan. I'm so sorry that I shouted at him when he didn't behave in the way that I wanted him too.

Dear Lens, please get better soon :-)

( PS: am I crazy?)

The Setting Sun

2007-07-30T17:33:00.000+01:00

I was rummaging through a memory card & found some of James' photographs of the wonderful sunsets we enjoy from our view across the valley.

We are SO blessed!

Project Procrastination & the Mslexia Effect

2007-07-29T16:58:00.000+01:00

I procrastinate every single day of my life. Indeed I would go so far as to say that it's become a fully fledged hobby - let's call it 'Project Procrastination'. So far I've worked on three projects today. Dreaming up the name 'Project Procrastination' was the third.

Number one took place when I added one of the two photographs that I like of myself to my profile. It was a toss up between me aged two & me aged twenty five. Twenty five won. It's a totally misleading photo, but I can be whoever I want to be on the web, so I'm a twenty five year old with permanently wet hair.

For number two, I thought about sorting through the pile of things to read which totters by my bed. This is dangerous - this shows that unconsciously at least, I had no real intention of doing anything today. Fortunately I picked up my copy of July/August's edition of 'Mslexia', a UK magazine for 'women who write' - there is always something in here that I want to talk about so finally I'm active.

In my humble opinion, 'Mslexia' is one of the finest magazines currently in print. Each page is absorbing & full of interest. It's published every two months which is perfect because this gives one adequate time to assimilate the content of each issue.

In 'Diary of a Literary Agent', you can read how 'It's odd to receive a wastepaper bin in the mail.' There's also an update on the 'Save Our Short Story' campaign, an article about shoes (writing about them rather than a retail recommendation) and a feature about writers on the web, 'the marketing tool that's taken the ether by storm'. This is soooooooooo interesting!

My friend, the Rock CHICk spoke to me recently about Tracy Chevalier - Tracy's sister has developed a cool website for her. Erica Wagner is a writer & journalist whose opinion I have never knowingly disagreed with. I could go on ( and on and on), but now that I have dropped these titbits into your lap, I feel I have accomplished something so it's time to move on & do the work I've been trying to avoid.

Having said that, I may have to pay page 5 another visit & re-read the article about shoes by Julie Farnworth. She describes the effect that a pair of ring-a-ding shoes ( my expression & not Julie's) has on her:

'but when I do occasionally wear them I am transformed from a stewed cup of tea leaving an unsightly ring on a glass coffee table into a firecracker.'

I know what she means. I've got a pair of boots that can perform the same trick!

If You Like Drawing...

2007-07-27T12:36:00.000+01:00

then please pay a visit to 'The Treats, Tips & Temptations Scrapbook' page on my website.

I hope you like some of my recommendations. If you have any of your own, I would be delighted to add them to the Scrapbook & I will of course include your name & any links you would like me to add.

Possibly it's frippery - perhaps it's fun too :-)

Keeping Mobile!

2007-07-26T16:59:00.000+01:00

I love this mobile. It's a picture that I've borrowed from one of my Swatch Books - 'the art of curiosity...' has numerous facets & 'The Swatch Books' are part of the plan ;-)

If life seems quiet in Jewellery Land, it's because I'm learning new skills. One should never rest on one's laurels - taken literally, what an uncomfortable position to be in! One must evolve - surely that's one of life's lessons?

A Poem for People Who Don't Like Poems!

2007-07-25T14:44:00.000+01:00

A copy of 'Poetry' by Marianne Moore is permanently pinned to one of the corkboards in my study. When I began the reading adventure that led me to give part of my heart to poetry, I struck gold by coming across this one at an early stage in my journey.

As I've mentioned before, I use poetry as a sieve. I use it to make sense of things which are elusive. Here comes another metaphor - it helps me to sew thoughts & feeling into comprehensible strands.

Marianne Moore is a poet that I often turn to. She's a very special tutor.

The Paul Klee Guide to Child Management

2007-07-24T13:40:00.000+01:00

Add the school summer holidays to a 13 year old chap who doesn't care for sisters (especially as there's a large age gap,)plus an 8 year old blonde & peachy party girl and a 7 year old tomboy who worships her brother and what do you get? Chaos & frequent cries of 'What can I do?'

One can arrange trips, treats & 'let's get the modelling clay out', but ideas to cover the fifteen minutes or so before they remember something more interesting to do, are harder to deal with. I used to read books - around the age of 10 or 11, I spent one summer holiday reading the complete works of Agatha Christie. 'Why?' I hear you ask. I hereby confess to being a sucker for 'who-done-its' & remain so to this day. Give me a P.D.James, pat me on the head, & you won't hear a word out of me for the rest of the day.

The brood don't respond to the 'read a book' suggestion. Indeed they look at me as if I'm an idiot for even proffering this as a idea. Their life is full of electronic paraphernalia - I do sincerely worry about their respective carbon footprints - and these thrills & spills dominate their lives.

I do however, manage to inject a large wedge of art & craft time into their lives, but I can't wave a magic wand & produce a table laden with projects in an instant. Harry Potter has led them astray - I can't perform magic.

Today Paul Klee helped me out - I'll bet he never envisaged helping a mother out of a sticky moment during a school holiday! I managed to capture 15 minutes for Ellie by us taking a line for a walk. It worked - and we're going to do it again.

Paul Klee's work, be it art or words, has always held me in its thrall, but I've even more reason to be grateful to him today.