27 November 2012

Listening to Alice....

I made a piece of work earlier this year which is based on words from Alice in Wonderland
The real quote is very long, but is often paraphrased into "if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there"
Well the other day I came across another phrase, of which only part was mentioned. Appropriately, to me, I discovered its from Through the Looking Glass. The remainder of the sentence, which I'd not seen, struck me:
Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas -
only I don't exactly know what they are!
Its like thoughts colliding, because here I am, with stickers all over a craft magazine, that's a good idea, and that one, oooo, and I can do that. Then I get torn in pieces, because I can't possibly copy something else, that someone else has struggled and processed to make. But then on the other hand nothing is new, its all recycled in some shape or form, each interprets, and putting it out there in magazines etc, is it not for sharing?
Perhaps I should go back to my own notebook, because in the very front of it, I have this, as a quote
They copied all they could follow,
but they couldn't copy my mind.
The Mary Gloster   by   Rudyard Kipling

Nah, no-one needs to look into my mind, lots of times I think its stuffed with cotton wool anyway, between the brain and the fingers there's very often miscommunication, well that's my excuse.  So I think I'll have a little play inspired by other people's work.... and may be go back to another love, making work which fits quotations.

24 November 2012

The C Word (computers and cleaning!)

Attended the ERTF World Textiles Conference this past Saturday.  It so nice to catch up with people, course now I'm on the Committee and now we've been going for a while people are getting known to each other.  I took supplies to sell in the inhouse shop, and managed to make some sales, so that is good.  The guilt over the volume of stash is pacified.  Though as I tell him indoors, you should see what other people have, my stuff would fit in a corner compared!!!

Its time for a Spring Winter clean.  No, not the house, don't be silly, my personal arty records on the puter.  Phew feels a lot better now to be up to date.  cv is done, and updated on my website.  I've renamed/dated things properly so I can find them.
And the biggest and most outstanding job.... my records of each individual piece.  I got myself in a muddle this year because I'd not updated things, like where the work has been shown. Ended up submitting something which had already been shown at that event!!!  With so much extra personal paperwork this year, I didn't discover my error til a few months later, so upset with myself.
I didn't keep records of pieces for a long time, (save my notes as I made and photo of finished item) until one day the lightbulb went off... going into the garage for about the tenth time to measure a piece of work, so I could fill in a form about it... duh, idiot, why not have that info listed.  So I have an Excel chart, and its easier.
Next ask will be to draw up a plan for next years art work... sounds efficient and likely won't work out, but I think a rough, need to have made by Spring, need to be in process by Summer.  This got me through all my CandG studies, I love a nice tick when its done.  I also know I need to pace things properly for a while, too much gone on this year, and its not finished yet.  I need some free brain space, all this flitting between all my arty projects and other aggro. My list for dangling people who annoy, out of the 10th floor window by their ankles continues to grow.  Some repeat offenders might only be held by one ankle!!!  (rubs hands together in anticipation, mwah ha ha)

Next is the dreaded C word... and I'm wondering what I should buy myself crafty wise.  As a child I always had something to make, frequently Boxing Day afternoon I would get it out and enjoy. Stitch kits, pink paisley knitting bag, that latest craft gadget from K-tel, Ronco, or whatever the companies were called. In recent years I lapsed back in time and bought myself a flower loom, as yes had one of those back in the day. I might make myself a crocheted Afghan square bag... I made one of those as a teen, and have a yearning.  As I will spend part of Xmas alone, ideal opportunity to indulge, (wot you don't already?) with something a bit silly.  Just need to work out what....

15 November 2012

Exhibitions, Sales and the need for Chocolate

Friday went over to see EAST's exhibition.  Its one of the few exhibitions I must not miss and I think I've possbily missed only 1 or 2 since inception in the mid 90s.  Its nice to see what everyone is doing, when you've known people for a long time.  Their work is always very well displayed, crisp and clean and, well, as you'd expect, professional.  Himself was with me, and came to find me to say he liked one of the small art works and we should buy it.  So we did, and that hopefully will come home in December.  The only surprise to me this time around was the lack of 3d.  Yes there were large pieces, more installation work, but hardly anything in terms of 3d. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a different look to the entirety.  Its good though that things move and change, otherwise why bother to visit a group if you see the same every time.

Small Sales - well delivered my little chiffon flower brooches today, wheeee!!!  And packing up goodies for the ERTF Cornucopia (in house) shop on Saturday.
For the ERTF shop it will be extra supplies to try and sell on and a little booklet I wrote all myself, plus did all the diagrams myself, and put it together myself.  My dear friend Anne, acted as proof reader, and very good she is too, as I write like I talk, ie with a Norfolk accent!
I gulped at the supplies.... you see in the first place I bought way too much, but I also remember that at the time my thinking was going another way, I was going to fully immerse myself, make, show off and then sell on these extras.  But life twists and turns and things change and you end up with a box of things, which I still love and cherish but am never going to use all in my lifetime.  Hands up how many have done that then?
Fetched the float for Cornucopia today... sigh another reason I'm turning in a grumpy old bag.  Why does everything get complicated?  I phoned first, I simply wanted to know can I come in and get this amount of change or do I need to pre-order it.  Of course its not the branch I'm speaking to but a call centre in another country, despite being the phone number quoted for the branch (grrr).  Anyway never got that question answered.  Instead they would pre-order the money for me ready for me to go and collect.  Oh how nice and helpful, not.  Turned up and everything was in coppers, the teller heaved out this bag which I'd need a wheelbarrow for, to start with £15 in 1p pieces..... sigh.  So despite ordering and despite it all being in a sealed bag, the teller had to start over and get me what I wanted from scratch.  And... to answer the question, yes I could have gone in and got that amount of change without having to ask in advance.

Sorry all I seem to do these days is moan, but its been one heck of a year and a lot of aggro and hassle and lots of time stupid issues which if individuals did what they promised, I wouldn't have had to do unwanted, unexpected work and spend days writing emails to sort out. I do have a novelty business idea... how about, people deliver the product/service they promise.  Bit radical hey, need to lay down until the moment passes. (but there is of course, always chocolate!)

07 November 2012

Linking Up

Well they did warn me that Facebook is the great time waster.... well I've not fallen into that hole so much, but I have found another one!!!  Had a happy time playing and updating adding clickable logos to my blog and website.
So over on the righthand side you will find these little gems.  But now I'm irritated, I cannot find anywhere a reciprocal logo for Blogger (which clicks though to my personal blog).  I want to put the blog badge/button (and that's another issue everyone calls them something different) onto my website.  Do they not have a "get your badge here" department?  Seems a bit daft if they don't.  I'm trying to operate my own mutual appreciation society between all these things, promoting each of them on each other and moi at the same time.  So until someone can offer any help, think I may just have to settle with my clickable link on my website.

In the meantime aside from self promotion (cough) The Material Girls have received the dates for the collaborative exhibition in Canada - a brief summary is in the righthand margin, and more details on the dedicated page above.  You can of course also bookmark The Material Girls website and blog.

The Rochford Art Trail came to an end, no major sales, but its not really the point of doing, well not for me.  However, my chiffon flowers were well received and I've been asked to turn several into brooches.  It was always a possibility, and had been considered, but it feels better responding to demand, rather than making and hoping!!!  You may have seen before, but here's a pic.