a shadow of myself

I would say my flat has returned to normal now that my ceiling has been fixed and walls painted, but I'd be lying. It's far from normal. It's a rare thing to be able to see this much carpet, to have cutlery in drawers and a have more than just a vague sense of order. But, it is nice and I think I may (attempt to) keep it like this! There are still the familiar piles of books and newspapers, but I can now navigate the rooms without having to climb over things. Anyway, having painted myself living in vile squalor, akin to Crack Fox in The Mighty Boosh I shall move on.

The eagle eyed among you may have noticed that my little Etsy shop has been unloved for some time now. I'm hoping to rectify that.....soonish. No promises of time scales yet, as I'm sure to break them. All that I was complaining talking about going on and not going on a month ago, is still going on...although not for much longer! I have 1 week left of my internship. It has been fabulous, I have learnt so much. I thoroughly recommend anybody to go and do something you love, even if it seems so ridiculous and scary and means being destitute for a while. At times I can't see how I have coped (thank you Chloe - my sister - whom I live with and who has put food in the fridge and covered the odd bill when I couldn't) but it has been totally worth it....for myself, my confidence, my art, my career......I can quite happily say that I will be continuing to work there on a freelance basis, at least until August, and then we will see what happens next. . And the actual change - the end and the beginning happens on 30th April so celebrating at Beltane .

Well, this post has turned out nothing like I had expected....it was going to be about new work....I guess it was in a way....but more about the polaroids and the ideas I have forming...ho hum, maybe next time.....

home is......

I have been thinking a lot about 'home' recently. What does it actually mean, and where is it?

I've moved around a lot, especially in the past year.......maybe more mentally than physically......I am not yet settled into my own nest. I feel like I am in a suspended place between the past and the future....this place doesn't quite exist and it refuses to fit. I'm like a snail who has found a new home in an empty can.

erica browne - city bird

That all sounds a bit dispondant. It isn't. I know these things must happen, and we must go through these periods of change.....we all (hopefully, anyway) find a place where we fit eventually, or I guess make the place we are in fit a bit better, or realise it fitted all along.....or something!

And also, these times make you think....get ideas flying around your head, albeit at 2am when you're trying to sleep in the bed that doesn't feel like yours.

........

I got started on lots of new things today - I can't just do one thing at a time, it's impossible! Each thing I start gives me new ideas, so they either get noted down for the future, or get started pretty much straight away. I did manage to finish a couple of lockets, well one - and one is almost done, and another few are drying.
I finally got round to making some new screens - I'm planning to go back to a few altered books and re-work them. But they're also currently drying in a dark drawer.
Maybe I end up doing so much because so much of what I do involves waiting for things to dry, so while I wait I start something new! Ok, well that doesn't sound like loads, but I'm not about to write a list of what I did today - really this blog needn't get any less exciting!

I feel a little deflated this evening, I think it's because I'm on my own again tonight...I don't know 2 days with company and now I can't seem to function on my own!

I think I shall just disappear now and go and read - 'The Princess and the Goblin' which my mother has leant me.

happy dancing and secrets

Well I've just been put in a very good mood - I made my first sale on etsy...followed by another about 5 minutes later! Yay - I'm doing a happy dance...although a slightly odd one as I'm shivering so much, it's freezing here today. I really didn't think I'd sell anything so quickly.

I've been working on new things today, although for now they shall remain top secret! I'm a little bit annoyed with it tho as I have to leave 24 hours until the next stage. Patience is really not my virtue...as you already knew if you read about my knitting yesterday! That obviously didn't get finished last night, although I did get some done - and a bit today whilst taking coffee breaks.

Tonight I shall be working on some more new things. I had an idea for a new embroidered book earlier on and want to get the ideas down on paper before the idea disappears.

Infact, I shall keep this post short and sweet as I'm going to go and wrap myself up in bed with sketchbook, cat and a nice mug of something hot to keep warm.