JOURNAL 52

Joined an online group where there is a journal prompt each week. Last week was Somewhere, A Simple Place.

And this week it is 'You Make Me Smile'...

A friend is expecting a baby soon so made the hippo from the last post and have just made a little hat!

Nice to be doing something creative.

 

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CRAFTING CONTINUED

Well, not quite there with sorting the craft room but have managed to make a few things in the last few months.
Got great book - 55 Christmas Balls - so made a whole bunch of them for christmas and to give to friends, love them! Next year I want to design some of my own.

Having had a lovely Christmas it is back to sorting out the house. But to help me keep on the creative path I have joined a multimedia prompt group on Facebook, Journal 52, which gives prompts each week for us to produce a journal page. First we had to produce a cover, so I used a book I already had and played around.

The first prompt was 'Up, up and away' and this was my interpretation, using a background I had already started.

Donna and I are also doing the Kate Crane Art Calendar Challenge where we produce a calendar page for each month of the year. All good things to make me get out the multi media as otherwise time goes by and I never get round to it. Donna did the whole year last year so I am going to try and do the same this year. Here is January - Donna did an awesome page!

Then the latest thing that I completed was a hippo for a friend who is expecting very soon!

This is how it started life - about 50 different patches...

Gradually taking shape...

Happy Hippo!! Turned out rather larger than I had thought so more of a decoration rather than a toy!!

Should get craft room sorted in next few days so come Monday am hoping to start trying out the gazillion ideas I have - and hopefully making some stuff to sell so I can start bringing in some money!! Will still have to fit in painting an awful lot of woodwork but will just take it one day at a time x

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SHETLAND, MY SHETLAND!

 Ah all is right with the world! I am at last back where I should be - Shetland! The best place that was ever created - well, pretty good anyway! But to backtrack, have spent last 5 weeks or so down in Devon looking at houses - not as much fun as you would think after a while! - but some promising things. David, the poor man, is beavering away at the Olympics and they obviously are very disorganised but hopefully he will be back in the main stadium tomorrow and that should be better. The first few days here did some lovely walking and sat watching a family of merlins and also sighted a minky whale. Then later walked down to the beach and up round the cliffs, looking out to the island of Foula and to Fairisle. How did I get so lucky. I have been pretty much sitting outside in the blazing sunshine the last few days, spinning away to my hearts content - see, I told you I was very easy to please really! Happy as a sand girl!!! However, just cos I am enjoying it doesn't mean that I am good at it so tomorrow going down to the South Mainland to get an hours tuition in spinning evenly and plying, and then the second hour I am going to learn to knit fairisle properly with the two threads over the two different fingers!!!! Oh yes, life is one long challenge after another. Here are some insights into my little world.

Sitting outside cottage I am staying in in place called Watsness

View from where I am sitting spinning

Artsy fartsy of first wool that I have done from washing fleece, carding, spinning and plying - love it!

Taught myself to Navajo ply with the wonderful Zwarbles fleece I got

Anuver view

Got roving made from pure Shetland wool just up the road, spun it and then this is it after Navajo plying - going to be brilliant for the weaving I want to do

Did you get that I LUUUUVVV that view!!

There you have it - my wonderful world of wool. Shetland is a very magical place - to go all poetic an that, it makes my heart sing! If only David were here too it would be perfect - though as he doesn't really feel the same way about Shetland maybe he is happier where he is!!
Hope you are having as much fun as I am x