Thankyou all for your birthday wishes, it's been a bit of whirlwind week, and I'm getting to grips with a new laptop, which is very nice but I'm not really technically minded, anyway as you can see I have managed to upload a photo. Maybe that's not such a big deal but dh has updated my photo cropping programme, and it doesn't make as much sense as the old version I was using. I only know how to do certain things and end up with 3 different programmes running at the same time. My favourite programme for doing things is Corel draw, simply because they give you a sheet of paper, aslong as I've got that sheet of paper I know where I am, but if I'm in Corel and I need to crop something I have to take it to Paint Shop Pro, then take it back to Corel draw, computers can be so frustrating, or is it us, misusing them or not instructing them what to do that's the problem!

Anyway Mayday came with more sunshine and the postman bearing gifts from my Knitters Treat Exchange Pal, Suzie, this is a fantastic, well chosen package that Susie has put together for me. There are some really quirky ideas in Knitscene, and its not a magazine I have seen, there's also this beautiful handpainted merino fibre, and the 2 balls of wool, you're absolutely right Susie, you can never have enough wool, there's the junior mints, simple perfection, and how did Susie know about the facial scrub....I was trying some foundation with a Clinique beautician Saturday, who was telling me I needed to use a facial scrub and this Mint Julep arrives, I tried it out this morning and it does make your skin feel so tingly and fresh.

All in all it's a fabulous package and I've really enjoyed being part of this Knitters Treat Exchange, thankyou so much Suzie!

As it is my birthday today, we drew the birthday competition this morning, there were 5 correct entries, and Neo had the job of pulling a name from the hat....drum roll please......the winner is Sheila. Who guessed correctly that I was number 16. Did you notice how odd the numbers on that photo were, there were 6 combinations of 6 and 7, which were 6,7,15,16,42 and 43, with a 5 (32) in there for good measure. I was born at home in house number 7, and I know its a lucky number for some, I like to think its lucky for me too.

Ok here are some pictures...

I was born at home and was a much longed for baby for my mum and dad, my older sister Jackie is 12 years older than me, although she would have liked a little brother...but had to wait another year for one, musn't forget to mention the younger sister too! As you can see I was quite a bonny little thing, I was born with dark hair but by 1972 it started getting lighter.

And eventually I ended up quite blonde, in this school photo I would have been about 5, I love the blue dress, I'm not sure whether my mum or Jackie made it but I do have the same fabric in pink and yellow, waiting for a special project, in my fabric stash.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the competition and everyone who visits and supports me by commenting on the blog.

Works in Progress

Can you see what it is yet? maybe I should have put a ruler in for scale, I've still got the Vogue cardigan waiting for blocking, but I've been busy with other things and having a little dabble with amigurumi too!

I wasn't happy about having nothing on my needles, so I printed out the Knitty magic toe up cast on and started my first toe ups, this is my first time knitting socks on circulars, and I couldn't see the point of knitting one sock and then the other, now I've worked it all out although can you spot the deliberate mistake!

Yes indeed socks are meant to soar on 2 circular needles, I wasn't paying attention this morning and managed to knit both onto one needle, doh!

Gratuitous cat pic, just because I felt like it, Keith thinks I've lost my mind because I've started collecting Willows fur, just wait until my cat loving friends start to collect they're cat fur and send it to me too, completely barmy.

Doodle Magic

Well it's been a week of finishing homework for my C & G course, and not much knitting or spinning going on either. The art work has been fun this time, and I just want to show how a simple doodle can be transformed digitally into a pattern, that could be used in any crafts discipline aswell as knitting.

This is one of 6 small doodles in my sketchbook that I had done a while ago with a view to making a lino cut for printing, but it was also ideal for the contour lines exercise we had to do at college last month.

This is the same doodle simplified into contour lines and coloured in.

And this is what happens when you start to play around with it a bit, by cropping it and mirrororing it in a repeat pattern. This is one of six doodles that I have used in this way as part of my homework.

I can almost see this last sheet translated into some kind of lace edging!

The blog has been a bit sluggish of late, but I'm hoping to get back in the swing of it this week, I'm almost up to my 100th post!

Who's That Girl?

There was no getting away from the fact that I have a birthday coming up in 2 weeks time, so to celebrate this auspicious occasion I am holding a competition. I am offering up a skein of Posh Yarn, Lucia sock wool (30% cashmere 70% merino) in colourway 'Chortle'. This is an earthy blend of pale green, ginger, pale blue, and terracotta, since I am born under an 'earth' sign....all you need to do to win is pick me out of the line up above, just leave your answer in the comments, all correct entries will be entered into a draw on the 30th April. If no-one gets it right I will enter everybody into the draw and I am happy to post where-ever!

Marianne had this Birthday Calculator up on her blog this week:


30 April 1970
Your date of conception was on or about 7 August 1969 which was a Thursday.

You were born on a Thursday
under the astrological sign Taurus.
Your Life path number is 6.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2440706.5.
The golden number for 1970 is 14.
The epact number for 1970 is 22.
The year 1970 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/6/1970 and ending 1/26/1971.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Dog.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Beaver; your plant is Wild Clover.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Epipy, the third month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 24 Nisan 5730.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 25 Nisan 5730.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.17.16.13.2 which is
12 baktun 17 katun 16 tun 13 uinal 2 kin


As of 4/15/2007 1:46:31 PM EDT
You are 36 years old.
You are 444 months old.
You are 1,929 weeks old.
You are 13,499 days old.
You are 323,989 hours old.
You are 19,439,386 minutes old.
You are 1,166,363,191 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Kirsten Dunst (1982) Jeff Timmons (1973) Carolyn Dawn Johnson (1971)
Michael Waltrip (1963) Isiah Thomas (1961) Carl XVI Gustav, King of Sweden (1946)
Jill Clayburgh (1944) Burt Young (1940) Willie Nelson (1933)
Cloris Leachman (1926) Eve Arden (1908)

Top songs of 1970
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel I'll Be There by Jackson Five
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head by B.J. Thomas Close to You by Carpenters
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison I Think I Love You by Partridge Family
Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross American Woman by Guess Who
War by Edwin Starr Let It Be by Beatles

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.28336594911937 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There are 15 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 37 candles.

Those 37 candles produce 37 BTUs,
or 9,324 calories of heat (that's only 9.3240 food Calories!) .
You can boil 4.23 US ounces of water with that many candles.

Your birthstone is Diamond

The Mystical properties of Diamond

Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire

Your birth tree is

Walnut Tree, the Passion

Unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egoistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromises.

The moon's phase on the day you were born was waning crescent.

You can try the birthday calculator for yourself here

Whirlpool

I started spinning this new yarn last Sunday, I've decided to call it Whirlpool, its a merino, alpaca and cut silk mix, plied with a rayon thread.

I've also been invited to join The Weekend Whirls, a group for spinners, soWhirlpool was aptly named for my first posting over there.
Initially I couldn't come up with a name for the yarn...but felt compelled to name it. On the flipside I was thinking it doesn't need a name, its just yarn, you don't need to call it anything.

The blues and greens were still asking for a watery title, I even tried hanging it from the ornamental fountain in the garden for photos, but cascade or waterfall just didn't fit. I do believe the yarn starts to speak to you as you spin, some of the other skeins I've spun have whispered to me or a picture has come into my head. Although apart from asking to be named, I only have 120g so this yarn is asking for a small project.

It seems slightly ridiculous to me that I havent actually knitted anything with my handspun yet...although I've come to realise that I don't 'spin to knit'. I was very interested in Anne's question about Why Do You Spin over at The Weekend Whirls.

I spin because I love to spin. It fills some craving deep inside me, mixing colours and textures to create something new. At the moment I am feeling my way around different techniques, which is why I like to make small batches. As an artist there's almost a battle between making a yarn practical and pushing the boundaries into new territory art yarns, and I'm still in the experimental stage, but always my main adversary is finding the time, but I firmly believe weekends are specially for spinning, and weekdays too!

Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before!

Our SP10 Hostess has asked us to answer the following questions...

1) How old were you when you learned how to knit?
2) Who taught you?

I think I must have been about 6 when I first learned to knit, I was in the Brownies and we used to knit squares for blankets for Oxfam. I never did any casting on or casting off, mum would have been there to do that bit, I don't even think I learnt to purl at that time, just good old garter stitch squares. A combination of Brown Owl and mum would have taught me.

I don't think I did much knitting then apart from the requisite squares, until I was 12, and the knitting fashion at the time was to knit with one large needle and one small needle to give a lacy effect, I fell in love with a jumper pattern and asked for the yarn which was a fuzzy emerald green and black mix for my birthday. I don't recall how much of it I actually did by myself or how much mum had to help with it.

scribble part 2

I took my new Turkish spindle to the 1066 Spinners monthly meeting this morning. I spent last night practicing the Andean plying technique, with the three small muffins I had made, and then after spinning a fourth mini muffin this morning I demonstrated the technique for Mary and Linda.

The front ball is the plied Corriedale pencil roving, the other 3 balls are all merino tops, I've just been mixing and making rollags in shades of blue and purple merino to co-ordinate with the Corriedale.

scribble yarn

Some people start out with a spindle, which I think is a great way to try the craft of spinning, before the rush and push of treadling a wheel. I want to become proficient with a hand spindle so that I can confidently and competently demonstrate this ancient art, and maybe capture the imagination of others.

Yesterday morning a special package that I'd ordered arrived. As you all know I can spin on a wheel. I have a couple of homemade top whorl spindles, but I just hadn't got to grips with them, not to be defeated I went to Wanda and Ed at Jenkins Woodworking and treated myself to a Turkish drop spindle. If you've tried to spin on a top whorl and don't feel like you're getting anywhere, it may just be the spindle, not you. As I have now found the right spindle for me is this Turkish spindle, it's a work of art, perfectly balanced and I love the way it makes a little centre pull muffin, ready to ply with another.

I was feeling a little down in the dumps earlier, but I was also keen to have a go with the Turkish spindle. As I spun a little pencil roving, Neo was doing a little drawing, I decided it would make a fitting background for my spinning as he was using exactly the same colours.

Finding Water Check In

This weeks Finding Water, Uncovering A Sense of Resolve, has been a difficult week for me. I've missed at least 3 days of morning pages, and it always makes it harder for me to get back into writing, when I've missed a day.

I did manage to fit in a visit to the children's section, of the local Waterstone's Bookshop, and made a few inspired purchases. This first book is called The Night Pirates, I really liked the collage style illustrations and it's become a favourite bedtime story for Neo too. It's very politically correct as the pirates in the story are actually little girl pirates who borrow a house for a disguise to steal some treasure from some grown -up pirates.

I've had my eye on this Oodles of Doodles book for a little while, so was glad of an excuse to buy it, I'll show you more of this when I actually get some drawing done.

I'm still battling with time and balance, but I keep planning my way out of it. I find trying to fit everything and Finding Water into every week quite a struggle, but I'll persevere with it! I would still like to do The Artist's Way but have decided if I do start it, to spread each week
over 2 weeks because I think I could balance everything a bit better that way.

Recently I've read Neil Gaiman's Coraline, it's also aimed at children,as is this book The Wolves in The Walls which is beautifully illustrated by Dave Mc Kean.

Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
I love natural fibres like wool, silk, linen, I love noro, but think its badly made and overpriced now that I can spin.

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
Acrylic or eyelash, although even eyelash could be recycled into something else on a wheel.

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
I’d have to check for fibre first…because it’s such a novelty to be able to see and touch fibre before you buy it around here.

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
I spin, knit, sew, draw, paint, collage, do needlepoint. I’d like to try my hand at making my own paper, and I’m really into those amigurumi dolls, but haven’t got around to doing any, and I’m keen to do tapestry weaving but there are not enough days in the week!

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to?
I subscribe to Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits. I've only recently had the IK and think I prefer the Vogue although I do enjoy reading the articles even if I don't like the patterns.

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference: Crochet / Other Craft / Knitting / Food / Home / Fashion / Celebrity Gossip / Garden
Crochet / Knitting / Other craft / Crochet / Home /Fashion / Garden / Celebrity Gossip / Food

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
I like to knit small items like bags, hats, gloves, socks, scarves, I also like to knit garments like cardigans and jumpers. I haven’t really crocheted much but I like to play with the hook and yarn in a freeform manner!

8. Are you allergic to anything?
I’m not allergic, but I don’t like nuts. I can be a bit sensitive to some bath products, but I’m not able to pinpoint anything specific.

9. What do you like to* smell of?(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of)
I like fresh subtle smells, nothing too overpowering. Lavender makes me sneeze.

10. What's your favourite way to relax?
I like to spin, swim or have a nice hot bath.

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
The sweetshop

12. What do you come out with?
Peppermint creams, maple fudge, coconut ice.

13. Where do you go next?
Tea room for a traditional cream tea with clotted cream scones, sit back and watch the world go by.

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?
Since I started spinning I am more fibre obsessed than anything else, although I still knit and want to make more time for collaging and drawing. I like coffee, but I'm not a hardcore coffee person, I like vintage stuff…like magazines, buttons, beads, fabric, and I even collect the pretty paper bags things come in.

brown paper packages!

Look what the postman brought me yesterday morning, a brown paper package....no string! This is the first package from my secret pal...don't worry secret pal...you're not late getting this package out, if anything I would say you're early, I think I must be the first person in Secret Pal 10 to get a package, well done and thankyou.

We have some Montesumas chocolates, which are very nice, and even better Neo didn't like them...so they're mine all mine, a lovely scented candle and some hand dyed sock wool, in a colour my pal is calling Pansy.

Even better is the brown paper they were wrapped in (background) and the delicate and pretty tissue paper they are standing on, great for collage!

Random Tuesday

Oh the randomness of Tuesday...the excitement mounts, drum roll...I found this over on Knittiotherapy's blog and thought it was such a cool idea I snuck away with it like a thief in the bright daylight of a Tuesday morning!

There are 643 tracks on my Nano at the moment, most of the time I listen to the radio, but when I do listen to tracks on shuffle... well it always seems to know what to play.

''IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?''

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...

Opening Credits: Everloving - Moby

Waking Up: Return to Patagonia - Lemon Jelly

First Day At School: Sleep Well Tonight - Gene

Falling In Love: Modern Way - Kaiser Chiefs

Fight Song: Lovestain - Jose Gonzales

Breaking Up: Get It Together - The Go Team

Prom: Hold Tight London - The Chemical Brothers

Life: Charlie – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Mental Breakdown: Long Time Coming - The Delays

Driving: The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash

Flashback: Apples and Oranges – Dogs Die in Hot Cars

Getting back together: First Time I Ever I Saw Your Face - Johnny Cash

Losing your virginity: The Beach Party - Hot Chip

Wedding: As Good As It Gets - Gene

Birth of Child: Phatt Bass – Warp Brothers

Final Battle: And Da Drum Machine – Phat B

Death Scene: 40 Years/Back - Royksopp

End Credits: Survive – David Bowie


Would you like to see this film? I think Natalie Portman would be ideal in the lead role, we might have to keep Random Tuesday as the title of the film...although an alternative would be Far To Go...as in Thursday's Child Has.....

Thursday's Child has to go....more later!

Riddle me This!

My love of Rubics Cube type puzzles meant me digging out my favourites from my collection and the yet to be completed Bart Simpson earlier today. The above cube is obviously a desk cube that doesn't need completing, you just have to adjust the day and date everyday, but it's the only one I've ever seen.

This little 2 x 2 cube is my favourite, it looks simple until you pick it up and start turning it.

Bart Simpson is also a 2 x 2 cube, but is causing me a little frustration, well actually all my cubes cause me frustration but it's an enjoyable challenge. If I knew how to solve it just by a few turns it would have taken the fun out solving this puzzle years ago. What makes Bart even more frustrating is just the shape of the pieces and the fact that he's difficult to turn.

No knitting content today...I've finished the fronts of the Vogue cardi and have started on the sleeves!

Transformation

From this....

To this...

Last week with Finding Water, I didn't manage my artist's date or a walk, so this weeks plan was to kill 2 birds with one stone by taking myself on a walk through Hastings Old Town.

I had also decided to take some of my handspun yarn to Made in Hastings to see what they thought. This is the yarn I spun Monday evening, its 100% merino from the bright batts I made with occasional threads of cut silk waste mixed in.

The lady I spoke to said ''It's like Noro''.

I secretly thought to myself when I finished it, that it's like Noro....Noro without the bits so I'm obviously thrilled that someone else can look at it and see the similarity, because when you sit down to spin you don't really know what the end result will be.

This has to be my favourite so far, I've taken loads of photos because I love the randomness of the colour mix and it just changes at every angle.

Now to my friends, what do you think? and what do the colours remind you of?

Count Your Blessings

Can't believe its been almost a week, I'm in one of those ruts where you just don't know where the time keeps going.

This week in Finding Water we are Uncovering a Sense of Automony...for me this means just keep knitting....and yesterday I did some more spinning. Sometimes it doesn't feel like enough, I want it all and I want it now.

Remember me carding these bright colours into batts back in January, well yesterday I felt ready to spin it, photos coming soon.

True Colours

I've really struggled to capture the colours of this silk yarn, and the problem is not the sunshine, I've tried shade, overcast, black background, white background, flash....and then it dawned on me that I had just the same problem with capturing the true peacock colour of Shedir.


So in the end I've just tweaked the colours in the photos just a little bit, if anything it's still not quite 'jade' enough, but its close. The reality is a deeper Jade...picture a twinkling Mediterranean sea....I love this yarn, I have no idea what its going to be, but I've got almost 100g!

The Vogue Cabled Cardigan is progressing well, I'm only a couple of inches from completing the back although I do need to check that I've completed my knitting and design homework for my C & G Knitting Course this Sunday.

I'd also like to say a big Freestyle Thursday HELLOOOO....to my secret pal, thankyou for the e-card....as you have seen from my questionnaire it's my first time.

My pal has asked what my favourite Spring flower is and I think its the Primrose, something pretty, simple but understated in its pale yellow. I also absolutely love Bluebells, but because of their late arrival I don't know if they are actually considered a Spring flower or not.

I have finished spinning and plying the silk hankies...but after reviewing the photographs I took yesterday, well lets just say the combination of very bright sunlight and silk yarn don't equal very good photos. I will try again on the next cloudy day!

Conditions have been nice enough to do some alfresco knitting and I have started a new project. I have been eyeing this pattern since my Winter Vogue arrived, but being on a yarn diet I didn't really know where I was going with it, until I remembered Francesca, this yarn as you can see is Jaeger, and its been in my stash for at least 10 years, I've always liked it but I just hadn't found the right project for it, and I did have that big gap of years when I didn't knit at all (which is completely unfathomable now!) The yarn is a blend of 45% wool, 15% viscose, 14% silk, 14% mohair, 9% nylon and 3% linen, and I'm knitting it up on a 4.5mm circular.

Unfortunately you can't pick up the slight colour variations in the photo, its a blend of purples with a bit of pink, blue and green textured nepps with an almost gold thread. Perfect for Spring so I better crack on with it.

Hankies at the Ready!!

Your mission....first call in here and then here now BE INSPIRED!


I've just started drafting my silk hankies and honestly it is as easy as it looks!

Life's a Peach

This is the first fibre off my Ashford Joy wheel, its free fibre of the random sheep variety, because I didn't want to use up any of my bestest batts while getting aquainted with Joy.

I'd dyed the fibre up with Kool-aid, and the one thing about kool-aid is it has left it smelling lovely and fruity.

All the time I've been spinning this up I've been unhappy with the colour, and even talked of overdying it.But there's something about it, an almost rustic feel to it, and when it comes to overdying it, that again is a whole new world to explore, and I didn't really where I was going with a new colour, was I going to try and make it a darker richer red, or just overdye it something completely different.

It could easily be said from my last two posts that I do suffer a bit with perfectionism, and I know this is a perfectly good yarn, I was going to say it isn't saying anything but maybe my negativity about the colour impedes my hearing because I can see it knitted up into a garment.

There's 250g or thereabouts in an aran weight and all it has said so far is don't put me in the dyepot.

Hang on I hear a faint whisper....someone will love me put me in your etsy shop!

Dare I think about opening an etsy shop? I've been thinking about it for a little while. I've made alot of stuff over the last few years with the intention of selling it, and I've got new ideas and things developing and etsy looks like a good place to be, so I'm gathering my gumption together and giving it a go, what's the worst that could happen....

I'll make a little song and dance when I'm ready to open.

Finding Water this week is about Uncovering a Sense of Support, and I find alot of support amongst my fellow bloggers and the comments that you all leave for me, and I'd just like to thankyou all, passers by, commenters, visitors.

Plying Pains!

This is the Wensleydale Longwool I purchased back in October at Alexandra Palace. It was giving me plying pains, originally I went to make it into a 2 ply but wasn't happy with the way the colours muddled themselves, these first two photos are the reject 2ply yarn.

Kath suggested that I Navaho ply the yarn, this method keeps the colours together, but unfortunately I'm not very good at it so it's a bit over plied, and there are a few lumps and bumps, but it is quite pretty just the same!

Lack of Content

I feel there has been a lack of content on this blog of late, I've finished the back of Durrow along with the sleeves, and have decided to cast on the front in two halves to make it into a zip up jacket, but haven't actually got anything on the needles which is always a bit of a worry.

I'm spinning some fibre up on the Joy but I'm unhappy with the colour, so once it's all spun plied and the twist has been set it will be back to the dyebath.

I need to start knitting up some hems for this months knitting course homework or I will get behind!

Its very very wet and miserable here and I'm feeling a bit like I've lost my mojo...

In the interim I found this over on Marianne's Blog

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

What's your VisualDNA like?

Finding Joy!

"A longing for excitement can be satisfied without external means, within oneself; for creating is the most intense excitement one can come to know." ~Anni Albers (wife of josef albers)

It's been a mixed week, there have been ups and downs and inbetweens and over the last few days my list of things to do keeps growing and I don't seem to be getting anything done.

Maybe this has something to do with it....

Can you guess what it is yet?

For those of you who don't recognise those sleek lines I'd like to introduce you to Joy!

I was in the right place at the right time last Sunday, and when the opportunity arose to bring her home with me I didn't hesitate, she was filthy dirty, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.

She was also in need of a couple of springs and a brake band, so due to lack of time for a couple of days I just wistfully pedalled, then I borrowed the old brake band and sad looking spring from my old faithful Ashford Traditional, I have also taken possesion of a drum carder on long term loan, so after carding up some fibre to play with we started to get aquainted.

It almost feels like we're old friends!

How ironic in a week of Optimism I find Joy!

Optimistic Namelians!

Over on Steve's blog last Friday he was showcasing the Namelien creations of his 5th graders. Go and have a look because they're alot of fun.

To create a namelien you:

a. fold a piece of paper in half
b. open your paper up
c. turn your paper so the fold is horizontal
d. write your name in cursive, "real big" on the fold line (a thick-tipped, dark-colored marker, crayon, or pencil works best)
e. keep your paper where it is, fold it up again, and trace the name you wrote (a thin sheet, a lightbox, or holding the paper against a window with good light can help make the tracing easier, if needed)
f. open your paper again
g. trace over your name again (write on the original, front side), this time you'll be writing it backwards
h. turn your paper so that the fold line in the middle is now vertical--choose which way is rightside up (you will now see an interesting, symmetrical design created from your name)
i. have fun adding things (we make ours totally symmetrical)--such as eyes, arms, legs, antennae, wings, hands, claws, feet, hair, patterns, textures, colors, etc.
j. create a nonsymmetrical background/environment for your namelien (optional)

I enjoyed the post so much, and thought it was such a cool idea I decided to create my own, just to clarify Jo is short for Joanna!



The thing is creativity is all about having fun, immersing yourself in the things you enjoy, otherwise what would be the point. Sometimes we spend far too much time stressing over the results instead of just enjoying the process.

What I would really like to see is for the namelian to become a new kind of meme...I'm not going to tag anyone, but just for the fun of it I'd like to see my friends having a go...(how about you and Gracie, Marianne?)...and posting the results unashamedly on their blogs!

I have also signed up to undertake a new creative journey called Finding Water, a 12 week course by the author of the Artists Way, Julia Cameron.

We started week 1: Uncovering A Sense of Optimism, on Saturday.

So far I am feeling a sense of optimism and positivity. I don't really know where the journey will lead but I am going to try and enjoy the ride.