A change of seasons

So the clocks have gone back (apparently it's officially now autumn/winter!) and on Sunday I woke up to sunlight streaming through the window which was lovely after the gale force winds and rain we've had here for the last few days. 

Normally I don't mind this time of year, as long as I'm wrapped up with several layers on and a scarf of some description (pretty much indoors and outdoors!). But this year I've really noticed the change in light, and am not liking the idea of getting up in the dark and returning home from the day job in the dark either... 

so to combat this negativity I'm making sure any photos that I need to take (for blog posts, etc.) are done during my day off or at the weekend, so that I can make the most of the natural light I prefer to take photos in. I'm also thinking it gives me reason to get on with anything that needs doing indoors(!) and I'm also going to get down to some more journal pages, accompanied by my daylight angle poise lamp, it's been such a good investment my daylight light bulb. Now is a good time to finish off all those half started projects or ideas you've been meaning to try out.

It's a perfect time really to just be creative indoors, as when it's better weather and brighter, we all try and make the most of the time outdoors, so now we should be doing the opposite right?! :)

So what tricks do you have up your sleeves to combat any seasonal blues? Any items 'to do' on your autumn/winter list?

Hand printed wrapping paper

This is one of the items on my to-do list and has been for way too long. Now I know that I could screen print these and have had the opportunity to do so in the past but I want to print them in a different way. Either by hand with small size stamps, carved from either lino or the softer block option (so much easier to cut!) or by creating a repeat pattern from a drawing scanned to computer using photoshop. 

So my question to you is have you done this? and if so to what success?

My other question on this subject is where to get the right size paper from. I know that on average I'm looking at paper sized around 50x70cm. So where would I be able to purchase such sized paper? and where, if I wanted to get a design printed, would do this/print such a size?

Your help on this question would be much appreciated. I have thought that I could get an A3 size printer at home to do limited runs, as I don't want to print reams and reams of the same design(!) but A3 paper falls quite a long way short size-wise at 29.7x42cm and I'm guessing I'd need to stock up on inks as well!

Blog moodboard

Well as you know I'm one of the many students attending bootcamp this October. Our homework this week was to create a mood board for our blog - mine is for how I'd like my blog to be.

We had the option of creating a digital mood board or an actual physical one. I've never made a digital one so would like to have a go at this but in reality I don't think I've ever made a proper physical mood board for a project myself either; so as I have a number of pin boards knocking about I thought I would use one of those as a base to lay inspirational bits and pieces on. Here's what I came up with:

I've gone for what I feel/hope is a clean fresh palette with blue/orange/grey, accents of colour to go on white. I want something simple, workable, not too busy. As once the look/layout and 'pretty' aesthetics of my blog have been finalised then my concentration will be on what I post about. I've included a lot of text on my board (using handwritten fonts), love these and want to use them more on the blog and in my photos; these snippets of text are my focus points, giving ideas as to the focus of my blog too. It's a work in progress at the moment.

So what do you think? I know there isn't any right or wrong but it would be good to get your feedback :)

One of my favourite blogs: Dispatch From LA

I know that if you're anything like me you probably have more than one favourite blog. However that said, I do have a few blogs that I perhaps favourite more than others, maybe this is because they inspire me in a different way, or a way that I need at this particular point on my creative road. These are blogs that I visit often to see what they are up to, what they've been doing/creating/sharing. Blogs whose words, views and work I am interested in reading and absorbing; learning from and being inspired by.

One of my favourite blogs is Dispatch From LA written by Mary Ann Moss.

I love her blog as she shares a mixture of bits of her life (teaching, etc.), her handmade journals and travel. The combination of her travel exploits with her journals is truly inspiring. I love that she is a keeper of experiences and memories in her journals, that she does them for her own enjoyment and benefit. She keeps travel journals, visual journals and written journals. It is also a relief that she has an attitude when working in her journals, that anything goes, there are no mistakes! Sometimes we can all be too precious with our sketchbooks/journals, thinking that they need to be perfect, when really they are our practice spaces, playgrounds for experimenting in and keeping notes/memories/thoughts as we please. Her views inspired me to journal and to be braver when working in my own journal(s) as well. I have done a couple of her creative online courses over the last few years and thoroughly enjoyed them. Her approach is fun and infectious. She teaches and shares her knowledge through written and visual ways, with easy to follow instructions and provides bags of inspiration from which your own ideas spring and evolve.

So what are your favourite blogs and why? I'd love to see. Leave me a link in the comments, who knows I may need to add them to my list of favourites too!

(images courtesy of Mary Ann Moss)

Blogging Your Own Way: bootcamp for me!

I'm sat here in the spare room aka my little work space, my place to be. I'm here bare foot but dressed(!) in front of my laptop typing to you and for me. It's October already, where has the year gone? and I'm taking a fresh look at my blog and it's content/quality/focus/look/goals. I think that I've said before that I want my blog to be a creative and inspiring place to come to, for you and for me. I don't think I've necessarily felt that way for a while, lost my creative mojo a bit. So instead of languishing or hiding my face under a pillow I am meeting this 'problem' head on. I've enrolled with a host of other creative bods on to Holly Becker's online course 'Blogging Your Own Way' but to make this even more of a challenge it is 'bootcamp' which you know is going to tougher than a plain ol' class!  

oh which notebook to use for class?

So I am ready and already enthused and excited about the next few weeks. The class is full of talented creative individuals to be inspired by as well as the teachers! However where normally I can feel intimidated by such classes' as this, feeling a tad inferior, I'm making an effort (for me) not to, as we are all there to learn, whatever has brought us to the class and everyone's ideas and opinions are as valid as the next person's; it has been so lovely to see 'students' helping each other as well. Great camaraderie in class.

pens + 'enthusiasm' in my bag for class!

So if you notice changes in and on my blog over the next few weeks this will be why! I will be working hard (in the time that I have) to make my blog a more enjoyable place for me to be, because if I love it, that can only be a good thing hey?!! So I am aiming to:

Photography reflection

can you see my lovely pink geranium reflected in the spoon?!

Well I've been so carried away researching and reading about this and that, and things I can and will be doing over the next month to improve my blog that I totally forgot to do my Friday post! *tut tut shame on me*

I've also been experimenting more with my camera, snapping the most ordinary I suppose everyday things really to see if I can simply take a 'better' photo. Experimenting more with light, composition and a favourite I've found in reflections.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend. We've been lucky with the weather here and spent the afternoon perusing a v yummy food festival x

Renegade Craft Fair London

So, book and magazine in hand I set off on the train Sunday to London, to meet up with my sister to go to Renegade Craft Fair. It was fab! Full of inspiring people and their creative work. Lots to see and tempt the pocket!

Image courtesy of Renegade Craft Fair

There were so many talented and creative individuals to be seen. Here are a few purchases I made

earrings by Lovely Pigeon

print by Drew Morrison

necklace by Ladybird Likes

There were so many gorgeous things to buy but alas we could not buy everything! Here are a few other artists/crafters that we loved:

I am acrylic

Kayleigh O'Mara

Debbie Greenaway

Mellybee

The cat in the shoe

to name a few!

If you want to see all the artists and links to their websites then check out the Renegade Craft Fair site itself x

Through the lens...

Sparkle and shine...

reflection of a kitchen light no less!

Image from kateydate

Image from weheartit

It's nearing time for magic dust...

Sewsister

From looking at 'popular posts' and even my stats I can see that a lot of people have been dropping by my blog and reading about my lovely friend Sue or 'Sewsister' as she is known. I cannot blame you at all for eagerly reading and looking at the pictures of her work. She is fab! Such a talented lady, always a kind and encouraging word or more when it comes to creating. Recently I visited Farnham Maltings to see the Festival of Crafts which she was taking part in. Not only were there many wonderful stands there but more importantly to me I was excited to see what new things Sue had on display. What can I say?! I was not disappointed in the least.

Fab signage and how can you not like Sue's cute owl logo?!!

A glorious stand packed full of goodies

One of the beautiful fabric collages, they all have a story

Bundles of bright fun fabrics

Another fabulous fabric collage, cakes yum!

The amazing Giraffe which everyone was invited to help decorate over the weekend. Decopatch is addictive and fun!

One very cute and very large bunny, you need to cuddle these and will instantly feel better!

Apologies for my somewhat dark photos. It has to be said that the lighting there wasn't the best. That coupled with me still getting to grips with my camera doesn't make for perfect photos just yet! Anyway I hope you enjoy these photos of Sewsister, Sue is one talented and fantastic lady. Be sure to drop by her website for a peek, it is something she is constantly updating and building on. You can even book a 'Workshop Visit' to be all creative with her. I am hoping to make a date with her to visit her studio as I am sure it well be an absolute box of inspiring creative delights! x

Sketchbook

Well I am all ready for some creative me time. I know that I am making and creating as part of Weft A Bit alongside the 'day' job however it's also nice to make time to do some selfish creating too! I am now all prepared as it were as my lovely new sketchbook arrived this weekend.

Oooo so exciting! I know those of you out there will know what I mean at the joy of starting a new blank canvas to create and experiment upon. What is even more perfect about this particular book is that it is handmade and coptic bound, so that the pages lay flat for an even bigger space to play upon......

This book was purchased from a lovely British based etsy seller - thepapergardenuk - Stephanie's work is fab and I can't wait to use it. I have my paints, paper, fabric and even my sewing machine at the ready as well as my colourful Sharpie pens!

Time to get creating then...!!! x

Page for my sister...

Thank you for looking and supporting me in my decision to blog here once again. I shall be doing some more tidying and freshening up of things around here, hope you like the cleaner look and my new blog header. 

scanned image of my collage

My first post is short and sweet and is a collaged page for my sister to remind her of home while she is away. The base paper is a colour copy of the original piece I made for her a long time ago now with paint, paper and fabric on a wood block. I found the colour copy of it in my stash and added some other snippets of fabric, paper and stitch to it. I may keep it as it is or even use it as a journal/sketch page at some point, we shall see. I am gathering all my supplies around me to start doodling and experimenting once again...a creative refuel.

Thinking...

Hello, v long time no see (well at least here!). I, as you are all aware have been posting over here (see below)

this year as part of the new business venture I am a partner in. I'm wondering though about starting my blog here up again and wondered what you all thought? I'd be posting about stitching, doodling, journaling... sound interesting? Would love to share what I'm creating and get input from all of you out there x

Oops....

Well *cough* first I want to apologise for not having posted my Week6 52MMMC, oops!

It's just that I'm now manically (after getting my sewing machine back after a week without it) making the last bits to complete an order that I'd hoped to have completed by now. I did not add in the factor that my machine would become temperamental and need it's service asap! stroppy thing....

Anyhow please take my apology as I will be posting by the end of the week a bumper post of makes for week 6 and 7 to make up for it, phew!

Thought I would share this beautiful dawn with you that I had the pleasure to see Sunday morning. I was up v early as a certain person (not me!) could not breath properly through ones nose and was keeping me awake with various breathing noises so I thought I might as well get up and get on with completing items for my order.

*sigh* sunrise and sunsets are all so lovely


and just to show you that I have really been working and not shirking! my threads in use


one bag complete


and another


and fabric bases and colours getting ready to be transformed into purses


yes the creative clutter and turmoil ensues whilst one creates don't you know!! :) x

Roll Up! Roll Up! Stuff for Free!!!!!!

Yes that's right you did read FREE STUFF!!!!!

I'm having a tidy, a clear up and clear out! and so you my blog chums are more than welcome to treasures I will not be using. As they say - your trash is someone else's' treasure!
So below I have taken pics of all the bits and bobs I'm hoping other people may want and be able to use for some creative endeavour!
I shall put a few notes under each pic so you can get a better idea of what is 'going for a song!' quite literally......... falalalalalallaaaaa ;0



so first up 18 beading needles; 2 embroidery hoops 8"; 1 embroidery hoop 3 & 3/4 "; 2 spools of metallic thread in a chocolate brown colour and 2 in a rusty copper tone



2 floral brooches and 1 flower, I'm sure these can be used in a project, you could always remove them from their brooch backs; 1 set of sml & lrg square cardboard boxes; 1 set of sml & lrg rectangular cardboard boxes; 23 wooden pegs



various resin handles for bag making



oddments of string, cord, green wool, petrol green wool & pale blue wool; bag of feng shui leaves; Angelina fibres x 7 in watermelon, copper fire, calypso blue, ultra violet, raspberry, gold iris & ocean blue



1 & 1/2 packs of peacock feathers; 1 pack of white feathers; 1 pack of guinea hen feathers



1 large and 5 small packs of mixed coloured feathers



1 pack of various coloured tissue paper squares in 2"/4"/6"; 1 large blue butterfly peg; 1 small white butterfly peg; 1 pot of iridescent beads; 1 pack of royal blue sequins; 1 pack of lilac sequins; 14 bags of various coloured sequins



various coloured and sized beads. (The containers will NOT be included with the beads, I will put them into separate sealed plastic bags)



a few more beads and sequins



various pieces of colourful organza



various pieces of colourful polycotton



various remnant pieces of fabric


Phew I think that that is all for now!
So to the details......... here are the instructions/rules whatever you want to call them...

1. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED

2. EMAIL ME WITH THE ITEMS YOU ARE AFTER - hello(at)meplusmolly.co.uk, you know the symbol to replace the 'at' with.

3. I WILL POST THE ITEMS OUT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSS AFTER HEARING FROM YOU.

4. THE ONLY MAJOR RULING IS THIS - I ASK THAT YOU WOULD BE KIND ENOUGH TO SEND ME BACK IN THE POST THE COST OF THE POSTAGE IN STAMPS.

5. BECAUSE OF THE ABOVE RULE I CAN ONLY REALLY POST THESE 'FREEBIES' WITHIN THE UK OTHERWISE THE POSTAGE WOULD BE TOO COSTLY AND I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE THE STAMPS YOU SEND ME!!

There that's it, simple really!?? well I hope so anyway, any questions just ask. I've put the rules as it were in bold so that there aren't any confusions, well hopefully!
So hope to hear from you all soon, so I can have a cleaner, tidier workspace!!

Hope you're all having a good week, I'm nearing my taster workshop and its fully booked so there should be plenty of hearts and birds being created by various people on Thursday, hoping to be able to take pics to show, until then, laters taters! ;0