I'm a bit sad.... ;-)

At first it feels like an avoidance technique, especially when I have deadlines to meet - but actually having completed, it is a form of liberation.  Iam feeling really really smug - I have tidied out the drawer where I keep my beads. Yes I can open my own shop with the amount I have - but they are almost my drug of choice. I do have to tell myself "step away from the beads" in a shop or at an event. I can watch my hand reaching out for them, swear its not in my control, and before you know it, kerching! I found beads I didn't know I had of course... beads I thought I must have thrown cos I couldn't see them... and the dreaded several packs of the same colour all part used, cos I obviously bought more thinking I didn't have any. Whoops. Wheeee finally got all my Nymo threads in one place, found the reel of pink I knew was somewhere. Embarrassed squirm, I found a pack of self made 'sequins' square ones cut from coloured plastic bottles. I remember spending ages making those, cutting out, squashing under books to get them flat - nice selection in blues and greens - never ever used of course, grin!

I decided how utterly useless the containers I had were, so bought some new. Back in the day we used to visit diy stores and buy all sorts of boxes and things to store our stash in.
And I had 2 of these for my beads... but after day 1, things have never been sorted, its been a case of shove stuff in where it will fit, wedge packs around them in the drawer. Then you can't see what you've got, can't get your fingers in, nor the bead scoop, so let's not bother and only use the beads which are on the top and have easy access.

I have huge quantities of some, from the days when it was a trend to make beaded neckpurses - sigh, we all did them at the time - heck I even taught a class in making them.
So now things are together by colour, so hopefully it will be much easier to pull out a selection, and it will make me actually use the wretched things.

Ssssh we won't mention the bead loom which lives in the bottom of a wardrobe. I have offered the diy boxes to him indoors for the garage... his eyes rolled and he said they could go with the other boxes I've so generously donated to him over the years. Well, as a Textile Artist - there's is nothing quite like a nice storage box!!!
See the one thing they never ever tell you when you embark on an artistic life - is the stash expands to occupy every bit of the house.  A bigger house would be good - cough, I suspect that would mean more space to fill with very important must have stuff!!

Done It - Next One!

Hooray, I've submitted my piece for the ERTF selected exhibition.  Here's a piccy of it.  Ha!!!  Its a smidge and I've tweaked it.  You may know what it is.  I'm not going to show you photos of the item properly, as that's not fair, for one its still under the selection process, and for two the Exhibition should have first dibs on it.  If it doesn't make the grade then I may reveal all.......
Also attended a committee meeting yesterday.  A long way from home, but this time I choose the pretty route.  Mileage shorter, journey longer - but lots of very pretty villages to pass through, we'll swiftly ignore driving past the Category C prison in the midst of the greenery!!  But its a reminder really, ought to get out and explore more of what's around us.  Its good to see the decision making processes at work, and just how difficult this can be, and how you have to find an answer which is the best for the circumstances, if not the ideal.  Everyone who volunteers to run organistions are faced with this, and I think it would do ordinary members well to take a stint at some point, just to see how much consideration is given to making something suitable for the majority, it really is talked over and considered, and sometimes hotly argued.
I do have other deadlines to work to... paperwork in this morning requiring my approval.  But I'm also in need of tackling the age old problem, of stuff everywhere, bags and boxes emptied to get at the one thing, time to force their way back into the cupboard.  I'm going to have a couple of days to clear the head of one set of work, before getting on with others started - sometimes I can't make decisions or think straight about work, because there are too many thoughts bouncing around in that empty cavity attached to my neck!!!

Dead fly, anyone?

I'm aware that I'm not showing off anything exciting - well most of my making is for other purposes, which have first dibs, so I can't. But I am doing stuff, honest. The ERTF selected exhibition for instance - deadline a little over a week away, cough choke.
The above is what we did at our Embroiderers' Guild meeting this past Saturday.  We, a rather loose term, this is what I did - everyone else made nice pretties, I got out the paper string to make mine.  They want me to make a spider to go on it.... I told them I'd leave it on the windowsill and wait for a dead fly to land!!!
Yesterday I went to my first meeting as a member of The Material Girls.  Again I can't say what I'm up to for that because its only the beginning of an idea for one, but also that too is for exhibition next year.  Enjoyed the meeting immensely.  So nice to be able to sit and chat textiles with others.  Whilst of course we do that with the EG and I do value it, its not the same as within an exhibiting group.  All of the various organisations or magazines I take give me little bits of what I need to make up the whole - and I like that.
So today I need to crack on with the ERTF piece.... it is an absolute masterpiece - in my head!!!  But before we start, as always I need a cuppa - want one?  You will have to provide your own choccy biccies I'm afraid.

Sun, Sea (and Wind and Rain)

I still feel like I'm running to stand still, art wise.  Nothing finished, deadlines approaching. The Burnham Art Trail I ended with my two postcard sales.  So if you went to the Trail but would like more information you can always contact me, look up my website.

You know how us British always talk about the weather, with good reason, yesterday was stuffily hot - today its chucked it down with rain, but I've been out to the seaside, which is not many miles from me, when the rain stopped.  But its blowing a howler of a wind - so obviously the wind surfers were having a good time.  Sun was bright so I couldn't actually see what photos I was taking, - not like the photographer in the corner with his super duper camera.  Mine was more like a 'lucky dip' sweetie bag, had to wait until I got home to see what I'd captured.The expedition is to do with another project which I can't tell you about - not least cos its got the tiniest smidge of an idea, as in - I think I'd like to base it on.................
But this pic, is literally at the bottom corner of Essex - its open sea to the left, and straight up to London/beyond on the right - this is the Thames Estuary.