Hello 2013!!

So here we are at the start of yet another year. I'm not really one for New Years resolutions, probably because I don't remember the last time I managed to keep one! But it is a good time to reflect and set realistic goals so that is what I have done over the past few days... 2012 was a time for many changes and setting the ball rolling for me. I met the man I know I want to be with forever and moved in with him, which on its own would have provided a huge change but in a whole new place with a big old commute there have been a lot of adjustments to make!!! I also decided that after thinking about it for so many years that this was the year to apply to do teacher training, and once I had made up my mind and set the ball rolling was met with 'about time too' from most people that I know! So I am currently waiting with baited breath to see if my application was successful and have my fingers crossed that I will be offered an interview. I am very lucky to have a fantastic network of people around me who have offered me endless support and encouragement and have found support in places I never thought I would find it, thank you to everyone who has helped me in ways small and large... You know who you are. 2012 saw me having a fairly productive year creatively, you can see what i have been doing here: www.facebook.com/lucymakes I have set myself a number of small challenges this year and I am hoping to be much more productive and use my time more wisely, starting with setting a monthly craft challenge amongst a group of friends based on a theme. I hope that a monthly challenge will encourage me to get creative, perhaps experiment more and have somewhere to share my makes, doing it with a group of friends provides a forum for ideas and support and i can't wait to get started with this months challenge which is to make a frog! I will post the results when it is complete. The other challenges I have set and will reflect upon at the end of the year are all very achievable.... Send more cards, write more letters, make every present I give, make a cover for my diary, move back to Bristol by mid-February, make a case for the iPad, organise my computer and have a cleanup, make a skirt and a dress, mend things and repurpose things that I don't use, finish the pages in my sketchbook, do paintings from the drawings in there, try some appliqué, sell things I don't use on eBay and do a car boot sale, knit a bear for my mans little girl for her birthday, volunteer in a school, do more cooking, fix my bike and cycle to places, show appreciation to people, learn to crochet and make a blanket, make new things to show at the arts trail, write a blog at least once a month and post more regularly on my Lucy Makes page, listen to more music and watch more films, make more time for quality time, go for long walks and swim again! That should keep me busy, so on that note, I am going for a walk. Happy new year, hello 2013!!!

Crochet and knitting

I have recently discovered crochet and re-learnt how to knit (albeit in a very basic form at the moment!!)

Anyway, I thought that i would share with you my first attempt at actually finishing a crochet creature.... below is the cat that I made for my good friend Kirsten's lovely little boy William.... introducing 'Jess the cat' :)

Here he is in his raw form...




And here he is in all his finished glory...



Not a bad first attempt if i do say so myself!!

Etsy

I decided to take the plunge and make an Etsy Shop, after all, what is the point in making lots of lovely things if they can't be shared with anyone??

Creative Every Day Update

So, I'm sorry to say that I have already fallen off of the creative every day wagon!! Overall I have been much more creative (and generally more productive) over the past few weeks which was one of my new years resolutions, so I'm not feeling so bad about not making something every day as when I haven't been physically making something I have been searching out inspiration and finding things to aid my creativity. I have decided that as part of being creative every day, trying new recipes and looking at other artists work counts towards this as it all feeds my creativity, as it were!! I have joined the Pay it Forward campaign on Facebook to motivate me to make things, so have pledged to make something for 5 friends during 2011. Since the new year I have done the following things........ baked a banana loaf for a friend, made a vegan potato bake, invented a scrummy fat and sugar free flapjack alternative, started to draw my Christmas presents, bought a stripy trunk to hold all of my sewing things (on Keri Smith list - buy something that represents your creativity and use it everyday), bought some nice fabric, amazing ribbon and lovely buttons, learnt how to make a rosette, went on a spontaneous trip to see the Gauguin exhibition at the Tate and also visited the National Gallery and started to read 'The Yellow House' by Martin Gayford, which I plan to review on finishing it. I am also hoping to write a small piece on my thoughts about the Gauguin exhibition... watch this space...

Walkies

So after much procrastination I finally rounded up my wee bro for a walk to Ashton Court.... these are some pictures I took along the way.....

Creativity and inspiration

I have been spending the whole morning procrastinating (again!!) but I've been looking for inspiration (which is better than just doing nothing i suppose!!) and i have decided that i am going to have a go at Art Journalling in the new year

http://daisyyellow.squarespace.com/abstract/art-journaling-101.html

I'm also keen to try to create something every single day..... I have attempted this (and failed at it!!) before, but my previous attempt was to do a drawing a day, this time i am hoping to think of my creativity in a much broader sense, in terms of sewing, drawing, painting, baking, photographing, etc, etc, you get it!!

Anyway, I have been looking to this site as a starting point.

http://creativeeveryday.com/

I am going to stop procrastinating and get out of here, off for a walk... which I am planning to document in photographs which I might even bring together into a drawing or story.... here goes....... watch this space!! :)

Inspiration

Feeling a recent lack of inspiration I set myself on a mission and looked for projects to set myself and rediscovered Keri Smiths blog on route...

http://www.kerismith.com/popular-posts/100-ideas/

I'm going to make it my mission to do ALL of these things in 2011, I hope to put my progress on here along with other thing that i find inspirational and any ideas of things for me to do are welcomes :)

In 2011 I plan to use my blog as a tool for inspiration and feedback, so all coments and suggestions welcome!

Anyone in Bristol who might be interested in joining me for a group crit over tea and cakes give me a shout!!