No more excuses about why I haven't written in so long. No more excuses full stop!
I'm in a transitional period of changes. I'm starting over and if I'm honest I'm scared. After much thought and hesitation and fear I signed up for Kelly Rae Roberts e-course Flying Lessons I'm enjoying it a lot although I have to admit, there's a LOT of information and I seem to have slipped behind a little already. Plus Kelly gives you life time membership to a private facebook group of fellow students and I'm such a facebook addict! I have always loved Kelly's work and I'm happy to be doing the course. I'm hoping this may be a new beginning for me.
I have lots of 'new beginnings' happening, my husband (of 15 years) and I have just separated and I find myself alone again at 46, I have 2 of my 5 beautiful children still living at home, a grandson turning one in September and another due in November. I'm currently in turmoil about whether or not to re-home 2 of my 3 beautiful fur babies as I had a scare with one of them needing treatment last month and I'm wondering if I can afford to give them the best anymore? I also need to get a smaller, more economical car and until a few weeks ago I didn't even know how to put Diesel in it! And I'm wondering whether or not we should move to a house without a garden as I find mine too much to cope with alone. So many choices! Part of me thinks it's not the time for making big life choices, but life has a habit of going on whether you feel 'ready' for it or not.
I'm trying desperately to see all this as an exciting opportunity for change, when the fear inside me just wants to believe life as I know it is over and I need to curl up in bed.
I would love to make the effort to keep up with my blog, kick start my art, make some new friends, get up, brush off and move on. Really - I need support, I need cheering on and some days, some minutes, I need lots of it. Here's to new beginnings and the courage to let go of what is, to make room for what's waiting for me.
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
I'm hopeless - I apologise!
Yet again, I've been away from my blog far too long. I'm sorry, I MUST learn to come here more often!
I'm sooooo excited, I have a new filofax! :D My 1st EVER filofax! My husband says I'm way more excited about it than is normal lol. I LOVE it so much! It's all pink and leathery - look!
I also made myself a new on-line friend :D (truth be known I probably stalked her ruthlessly on youtube lol) but today she sent me a filofax starter kit as a gift!!! How cool is that?! Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU Imogen! - Mwah!
Look at what I got!
The pink pen is limited addition and I wanted one SO bad, but couldn't find it anywhere near me :( PLUS she sent me a matching pencil, some cute mini highlighters, sweetest ever coloured paperclips, filofax inserts, handmade To-Do lists, instructions how I can print my own, gorgeous moo cards, sooo many lovely things! Thank you! Go visit her blog imysworld and see how cute she is! Or watch all her great videos at imysworld on youtube. I'm sooo happy!
There's a few other things I've been up to lately that I want to share, but my kids are hungry and complaining so it will have to wait until a little later. I promise to come back! ;)
Yay for new friends and filofax's :D Thank you - Did I say?
I'm sooooo excited, I have a new filofax! :D My 1st EVER filofax! My husband says I'm way more excited about it than is normal lol. I LOVE it so much! It's all pink and leathery - look!
Look at what I got!
The pink pen is limited addition and I wanted one SO bad, but couldn't find it anywhere near me :( PLUS she sent me a matching pencil, some cute mini highlighters, sweetest ever coloured paperclips, filofax inserts, handmade To-Do lists, instructions how I can print my own, gorgeous moo cards, sooo many lovely things! Thank you! Go visit her blog imysworld and see how cute she is! Or watch all her great videos at imysworld on youtube. I'm sooo happy!
There's a few other things I've been up to lately that I want to share, but my kids are hungry and complaining so it will have to wait until a little later. I promise to come back! ;)
Yay for new friends and filofax's :D Thank you - Did I say?
Saturday, 19 February 2011
Forums, Journals & Studying
I've been giving my art quiet a lot of thought recently. I use the word recently fairly loosely as actually my thought process has stretched itself painfully over years! I always feel somehow like a drifter, unable to focus and jumping almost randomly from one thing to the next. My depression and, well, my life seems to get in my way a vast amount of the time and I've seemingly ended up back at the start line again (or behind it)
If I slow down for a while and allow myself to imagine that in everything there is a plan and I don't always, in my wisdom see the bigger picture, then just maybe I'm still on course to wherever it is I'm headed!
My friendships on Facebook have almost accidentally led me to open my own forum today! I have to smile, ME, the person who doesn't know the first thing about the technicalities of the web has her own forum!
It's called healing art journals and is, you won't be surprised to learn a place for us to explore the relationship between art journaling and emotional, mental and physical healing. It's a subject I'm passionate about and at the same time realise fairly ignorant about. So if you want to head over there looking for some kind of enlightened guru you might be looking in the wrong place. I'm simply an explorer willing to learn and hoping to do just that with like-minded people. I expect to fall sometimes along the way and I hope there will be others there to pick me up, dust me off and cheer me on! Healing is something we could all use in different degrees and this new journey both excites and scares me.
I intend to record most of what I'm doing here and on my flickr also. I expect there will be some things that I'm not perhaps ready to share and that will be OK but I want it to be as honest as possible because I know without honesty there will be little growth.
If you'd like to join in, I'd welcome you! I'm not intending necessarily for there to be great mater pieces to critique, that's not what it's about. Some of the pages probably may stay unfinished as in life, they will be works in progress waiting for the next chapter. I'm not aiming for correct form, or colour or correct anything. This is about feeling, connecting, working out and listing, observing, noticing the patterns life draws and learning from them into freedom.
If you'd like to watch it unfolding or to write your own chapter you can follow me here or come over to the forum and say hi. I'd love to sit a while and drink coffee with you and talk about your day.
One of the books I'm reading just now is Art Journals & Creative Healing. I've only just started this book and I also have the tendency to dip into more than one book at a time but the photographs of other artists journals are inspirational and I intend to use some of the ideas in my own journal which I will post as I go along. You can see more of this lovely book and others reviews on Amazon by clicking the link below.
If I slow down for a while and allow myself to imagine that in everything there is a plan and I don't always, in my wisdom see the bigger picture, then just maybe I'm still on course to wherever it is I'm headed!
My friendships on Facebook have almost accidentally led me to open my own forum today! I have to smile, ME, the person who doesn't know the first thing about the technicalities of the web has her own forum!
It's called healing art journals and is, you won't be surprised to learn a place for us to explore the relationship between art journaling and emotional, mental and physical healing. It's a subject I'm passionate about and at the same time realise fairly ignorant about. So if you want to head over there looking for some kind of enlightened guru you might be looking in the wrong place. I'm simply an explorer willing to learn and hoping to do just that with like-minded people. I expect to fall sometimes along the way and I hope there will be others there to pick me up, dust me off and cheer me on! Healing is something we could all use in different degrees and this new journey both excites and scares me.
I intend to record most of what I'm doing here and on my flickr also. I expect there will be some things that I'm not perhaps ready to share and that will be OK but I want it to be as honest as possible because I know without honesty there will be little growth.
If you'd like to join in, I'd welcome you! I'm not intending necessarily for there to be great mater pieces to critique, that's not what it's about. Some of the pages probably may stay unfinished as in life, they will be works in progress waiting for the next chapter. I'm not aiming for correct form, or colour or correct anything. This is about feeling, connecting, working out and listing, observing, noticing the patterns life draws and learning from them into freedom.
If you'd like to watch it unfolding or to write your own chapter you can follow me here or come over to the forum and say hi. I'd love to sit a while and drink coffee with you and talk about your day.
One of the books I'm reading just now is Art Journals & Creative Healing. I've only just started this book and I also have the tendency to dip into more than one book at a time but the photographs of other artists journals are inspirational and I intend to use some of the ideas in my own journal which I will post as I go along. You can see more of this lovely book and others reviews on Amazon by clicking the link below.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
This makes me so sad
I'm talking about the on-going 'dangerous' dog debate. I have listened to many arguments about this and had many discussions with my own friends. Here in the UK we have a dangerous dogs register. Banned dogs that we aren't allowed to keep because they are potential killers.
I fully understand that some dogs are strong, powerful, some are trained to kill by their owners, all dogs are at the core wolves and all have the potential to attack (It's likely I know more humans with that potential though)
It seems to me, we go through phases of the latest 'in the news' dangerous dog. There have been: German Shepherds, Dobermans, more recently Rottweilers and Pitbulls to name a few.
It seems to be one of those debates that people have strong views about one way or the other.
Here is Amos:
Here also is Emily.
Amos used to be my dog. He is not a Pitbull, he is an American Bulldog (no, they are NOT the same thing!) I loved Amos, he was one of the best dogs I have ever lived with (not counting his puppy chewing habits when he got bored) I also love Emily. This is how 'dangerous' Amos was/is.
I re-homed him. Not because he was dangerous, or I thought he might 'turn', or because I couldn't trust him (except the chewing thing) he wasn't schizophrenic or dominant. I re-homed him because my husband has arthritis in his elbows and couldn't walk him without pain. I also have a Yorkshire Terrier, Amos was bullied daily by him! I really miss living with Amos.
The truth is 'dangerous dogs' are trained by their owners to be that way. At the moment I have a potentially dangerous Chihuahua! (really! I'm working on it) Admittedly a Chihuahua is never going to kill anybody and a Pitbull could, I get it. But it is STILL the owner NOT the dog. Let's crack down on dangerous owners keeping dogs that are strong enough to kill people. Ban THEM. Licence dogs again if we have to, responsible owners are willing to do this. Register them, tattoo them, do what we must, but PLEASE don't try to kill out the breeds, please don't ban the dogs, and PLEASE don't put down healthy, friendly dogs because they are on a dangerous list somewhere. It makes me SAD.
I fully understand that some dogs are strong, powerful, some are trained to kill by their owners, all dogs are at the core wolves and all have the potential to attack (It's likely I know more humans with that potential though)
It seems to me, we go through phases of the latest 'in the news' dangerous dog. There have been: German Shepherds, Dobermans, more recently Rottweilers and Pitbulls to name a few.
It seems to be one of those debates that people have strong views about one way or the other.
Here is Amos:
Amos used to be my dog. He is not a Pitbull, he is an American Bulldog (no, they are NOT the same thing!) I loved Amos, he was one of the best dogs I have ever lived with (not counting his puppy chewing habits when he got bored) I also love Emily. This is how 'dangerous' Amos was/is.
I re-homed him. Not because he was dangerous, or I thought he might 'turn', or because I couldn't trust him (except the chewing thing) he wasn't schizophrenic or dominant. I re-homed him because my husband has arthritis in his elbows and couldn't walk him without pain. I also have a Yorkshire Terrier, Amos was bullied daily by him! I really miss living with Amos.
The truth is 'dangerous dogs' are trained by their owners to be that way. At the moment I have a potentially dangerous Chihuahua! (really! I'm working on it) Admittedly a Chihuahua is never going to kill anybody and a Pitbull could, I get it. But it is STILL the owner NOT the dog. Let's crack down on dangerous owners keeping dogs that are strong enough to kill people. Ban THEM. Licence dogs again if we have to, responsible owners are willing to do this. Register them, tattoo them, do what we must, but PLEASE don't try to kill out the breeds, please don't ban the dogs, and PLEASE don't put down healthy, friendly dogs because they are on a dangerous list somewhere. It makes me SAD.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
January Art Journaling
Although this post probably says 4th January as it technically is, it is actually still 'my' 3rd January - 2.30am but I still haven't gone to bed yet, which means whatever the time it's not yet my 'tomorrow' (did you follow? lol)
Today has been a fairly busy day for me with family and life and I have only just finished my art journaling for the day! I'm a proper night owl, this is actually quite 'normal' for me.
My art journal prompting today was to carve my own stamp to use. This is something I haven't actually done before, so I don't have any carving tools. I tried carving a potato, which I vaguely remember my Mum doing for me when I was a child but I failed miserably. Eventually I cut out recycled cardboard shapes and glued them onto a cardboard base. This of course wasn't really 'carving' but I did still make a workable stamp, which made me think I could probably make one of a kind craft stamps out of other things, which of course would make my art more unique and save tons of money as well (and of course recycle, which fits in nicely with my projects for this year)
All in all then, quiet a productive day I think!
Here are some photographs of the creative process in ... process :)
Let me know what you think.
This is my recycled pizza box. I cut two equal sized squares and cut shapes out of one and glued to the other to make my stamp.
I used a recycled newspaper (black page) ripped in random shapes and glued to my journal page. Added white acrylic paint to my handmade stamp to cover my newspaper background.
And this is my finished journal page with a white scrap paper journal box for me to write in later. Here are the close up elements of the page:
Today has been a fairly busy day for me with family and life and I have only just finished my art journaling for the day! I'm a proper night owl, this is actually quite 'normal' for me.
My art journal prompting today was to carve my own stamp to use. This is something I haven't actually done before, so I don't have any carving tools. I tried carving a potato, which I vaguely remember my Mum doing for me when I was a child but I failed miserably. Eventually I cut out recycled cardboard shapes and glued them onto a cardboard base. This of course wasn't really 'carving' but I did still make a workable stamp, which made me think I could probably make one of a kind craft stamps out of other things, which of course would make my art more unique and save tons of money as well (and of course recycle, which fits in nicely with my projects for this year)
All in all then, quiet a productive day I think!
Here are some photographs of the creative process in ... process :)
Let me know what you think.
Play January Art Journal at milliande.com
Saturday, 1 January 2011
"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." - Oprah Winfrey
What a wonderful quote!
I don't appear to have been too successful with my blog last year. The whole blog scene is really new to me, I'm really not too sure I 'get it'? And I clearly haven't shown enough commitment to it. For the people that were kind enough to follow me, I'm truly sorry.
I plan to focus much more on my art projects this year, journaling, saving money and the environment by refashioning my wardrobe, living more simply and making 'Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without' my motto for the year.
I would like to learn to make PDFs (I really don't have a clue) Pay more attention to my blog and hopefully start some kind of social website.
What will be will be and again I step out into "another new year and another chance for (me) to get it right"
Blessings to us all as we continue on our journeys
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Where does the time go?
Shame on me! Nearly two whole months have gone past without me posting anything!
My eldest daughter has given me my very 1st grandchild! It has been a roller coaster of emotions. My daughter has had 3 strokes and having a baby was a huge decision. It is something she has always longed for and also posed a huge risk to her health, while she was expecting she also had the added complication of finding a hole in her heart. In hindsight I hadn't allowed myself to get too excited about the coming birth and the morning she went into labour was a nerve racking wait. Praise God she had a 5 hour first labour and delivered a beautiful 6lb baby boy! How exciting. What a blessing he has been to her already, he is absolutely gorgeous!
Beautiful Baby Archie
So besides having my 1st Grandchild, who I'm delighted with, other things are changing for me also. Today we re-homed my beautiful American Bulldog Amos. It has been a very sad and painful process for us, finding him the best home that we could. He has been a pleasure, what an intelligent and beautiful, loving boy he is. Sadly, as he's grown, my husbands arthritis in his elbows has got increasingly worse and Amos has got harder to handle. We are already missing him greatly, I'm hoping to have an update on how he's settled with his new family but for now we are very sad to see him leave us and our cute little terrier, Sid, must wonder where he's gone.
I'm currently searching the Internet for workshops and groups and reading new blogs, taking in as much information as I can handle as my art is changing direction yet again! For a while now I haven't made very much new jewellery and I've been interested in getting back into my mixed media artwork and journaling. We have been looking into running Messy Church at our local church and I am very interested in multi-sensory worship and would love to incorporate my art somehow in that direction.
All things change and I can feel another chapter opening in my life right now and I want to express that in my art work. I briefly thought about starting a new blog for people that would be interested maybe in that new direction, but as I am constantly growing and changing, I figured I could possibly end up with 100's of 'new' blogs so it was best to reflect who I truly am here. I hope you will stay for the ride.
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