The Golden Boot

Moving House . . .

I am moving house (or rather changing blogs).

 

You can now find me here and here.

 

Au revoir folks! xo

Have you got rhythm?

(gonzalezgui)

 

DO YOU HAVE A RHYTHM YOU LIVE BY?

 

 

I try to - cause without some kind of rhythm, without some kind of organisation, without some kind of thought process, we can sometimes lose our way (example #1 - me and my blog here, I am trying to find my blog rhythm again, but maybe my blog rhythm will be better this time).

 

I find when I am without a life rhythm I don't tend to get done what I have to get done! Life gets a little more chaotic, and things get left by the wayside. However, when I speak of rhythm I don't speak of strict, rigid rules that I must abide by everyday! NO - I speak of that fun kind of rhythm, you know, the type where you get to play drums all the time and have so much fun!! Where you can move to the beat of your own drum, and create the life you want with the motivation that is unique to you! 

 

I have tried to follow this idea of rhythm in all aspects of my life - my swimming would have been horrific with no rhythm, my art practice would have been non-existent without opening myself to creative rhythm, my academic career would have floundered without a study rhythm. 

 

So, do you have a rhythm of life that you try to follow? Got any ideas on how to sustain rhythm - or change the rhythm for the better?

 

(Crafty good times is coming, but seeing as this is a blog about my art, my craft AND my life, I am also going to start including aspects of my whole life, so enjoy!)

 

xo

. . . I admit . . .

 . . . I am introverted.

 

 

(Leslie Supnet)

 

xo

Oh where oh where has the time gone?

I seem to be taking an unconscious break from blogging . . . but you know what? I don't mind, sometimes you've just got to go with flow of time and go where your mind takes you. Mine has been taking me to motivational speaking - another job that I am developing. I now have three jobs coming up and am very excited.

 

I am still crafting when I can, and I will photograph what I have done over the next few days. I haven't been well over the weekend, and so the energy to work on anything has disappeared. How do you cope with not feeling the best? Especially when you are a driven and goal oriented person?

 

(my motivational speaking website has been update and is looking oh so prett-eh!!! - Elizabeth Wright)

 

 

Where have I been??? (down a rabbit hole I think)

Or rather, being distracted by the realm of real life. Part of this distraction was being here . . .

 

 

for Arcade Fire (at Edinburgh Castle). 

 

 

It was an awesome concert . . . even though I was

 

 

very, very, cold!

 

I promise to try and get back into the swing of blogging. I have a busy Autumn coming up, so here's hoping for some organisation and inspiration.

 

xo

 

 

p.s. thanks Jess for your photo's of the night of awesomeness that was :)

I like to drink tea.

I used to hate tea. Tea and coffee was stinky and tasted bitter and yuck. Then my sister introduced me to (and pretty much dared me to try) green tea. I was in my early twenties - and with regards to tea I have never looked back. (Don't ask about coffee though, I still can't stand the stuff and the smell of it makes me gag, but I know people out there love it and I respect that, I really do).

 

So now I love my black tea (straight, no milk, no sugar), I love my green and white teas, my herbal teas, my green/white/herbal teas (you know, the mixed together ones). What is my favourite tea at the moment?

 

why it's Clipper's Organic White Tea with Natural Raspberry Flavour. All I can say is "yummo", this is a tea that reminds me of white chocolate and berry cheesecake . . . 

no really!!

 

 

So anyone have any tea recommendations? 

 

xo

Some new books . . .

I have always been a bit of a bookworm (have I ever mentioned this before in this blog? I probably have, does it make me a bad blogger if I forget these things? I don't think so, just means I am emphasizing my love of all thing book-ish, I think). I received yesterday some new books. Have you ever heard of Edward Gorey and Elizabeth McGrath? No? Well here's a taster of their work from my new books! ;)

 

 

 

Edward Gorey

 

(I can see this style translated very well into stitching, I am starting to experiment)

 

 

 

Elizabeth McGrath

 

(As an artist I have always had in mind to explore, creatively, notions of the freak show - particularly in regards to my own experience of living with a physical disability. I really like Elizabeth's play with the macabre, difference, the idea of the freak from a historical context.)

 

I am always inspired by other artists. When I am a little bit stuck for creative juice I flick through my artist books, childrens book, zines, etc, and find ideas dump on me by the truckload. I love being creative and I love being inspired by other creatives, who inspires you?

 

xo

Friday Favourites #17 - the cake in the tiny?!?

Yes, todays FF is about the cake in the tiny, or the miniscule in the food, or cupcake in the small . . . or about PetitPlat in the magical world of miniatures. I stumbled across Stephanie Kilgast's etsy shop when I was looking for gifts for folks . . . (sorry, can't mention any names here ;). However, isn't her stuff just amazing? I have never seen such detail on miniatures like this before.

 

(These macarons are my favourites)

 

I have always loved teeny-tiny things. When I was a child I was so convinced that as I slept my tiny Star Wars dolls would actually come alive and live out their lives in my room. My favourite books were about a tenth of the size of the average book (the books were little picture books about different ballets). I used to make tiny creatures out of polymer clay who lay in little beds of walnut shells. I was so excited when I was about 6 or 7 and the first thing I ever knitted was a purple and gray box dress for my barbie doll. 

 

xo

 

p.s. have you been to my etsy shop dementedsnowflake lately? I have a few things on sale at the moment and more will be going up in the next few weeks (to make room for new stock). So please go have a look and see if you can snap up a bargain!

You know what?

I need a plan. A business plan, a life plan (dare I say it - a Christmas Plan) is needed. I am feeling all of the ideas for both businesses (motivational speaking AND my etsy/cottage business), but non of the direction. I need direction, I need to develop goals and mini goals, and pathways to get myself moving forward. So I have made a plan. A plan that this week will be my planning week. I will research, read, listen, look at anything that will give me inspiration to plan my careers. Anyone have any advice? Anyone else in the process of making a business and/or life plan?

 

What else have I been doing? I have been designing and stitching - 

 

 

I have been watching The Borgias - 

 

(aren't the costumes divine??)

 

(and the men handsome!)

 

I have also been cooking up a storm. This week I have made Carrot Soup (so SO good), Potato, Onion, and Garlic Soup (good - not as good as the carrot, but good), and Whoopie Pies (though I substituted the plain flour with rice flour and made buttercream icing to use as a filling as opposed to marshmallow).

xo

A pretty something to distract from the grimness . . .

I am really moved by the personal stories coming out of the riots in London today. It is horrible what is happening and for awhile my faith in human nature was in danger of disappearing completely, but when you see the good, law abiding citizens coming together to support and protect each other it is heartwarming. My thoughts are with those affected by those idiots that are rioting . . . (Okay, digging myself out of this sadness . . .)

 

I have made a garland!

 

 

It is a deliciously simple garland.

 

 

I want to make a lot of them to hang all over the place.

 

 

(excuse the slightly messy flat in the background).

 

xo