I'm not gonna lie...

... It's been a heck of a year, so much has happened and it's flown by. It doesn't seem like 5 minutes since Christmas last year. I think it's really important to take stock of life and to review the good things that have happened over the year, otherwise, we're in danger of not seeing the blessings that we have in our life.

I am truly blessed to have a wonderful family surrounding me. My husband, John, is my rock. he will call me out when I'm being a complete fathead but will support me and make sure I take care of myself, I feel truly blessed to share life with him. Our three children bring joy (and sometimes frustration). Our Eldest started University this year and I'm proud to see him grow into a caring and independent young man, even if I don't really want to hear of the student night out exploits!. Our Younger son seems to get taller with every passing day and is a funny and caring young man. He has a cutting wit and it's safe to say I'm often on the receiving end of it. My daughter grows in confidence and is beginning to be an assured young woman. This year has seen lots of performances and drama opportunities and she is beginning to think about what she'd like to study after GCSEs.

Once my husband completed the 2nd year of his Baptist Ministry training he entered the 'settlement process' (the process of finding a church to serve with), it's safe to say it's very unsettling and quite exciting too. We don't know quite where we will be at the end of this academic year, but we are trusting that God has us safe in his hands and that wherever we end up we know that we'll be serving him. This year is certain to bring some changes and maybe even a house move, we will have to wait and see.

I'm always busy with work and enjoy my Art making and sewing when I'm not at work. I had a solo exhibition this year and spent a lot of time working towards this. I tend to work in cycles and go between thinking about making art to making it to refining it, to developing the ideas to making more art and so on and so on. More about the art project in a separate post. I've sewn a lot for myself and quite a few things for others this year too and I have a sewing review post which says more about that.

January started off well, My daughter and I took part in Panto and thoroughly enjoyed it. We're doing it again this year and I really should be learning my lines! I was scheduled for an op to sort out the FAI on my right hip in April, but got a call mid January to say they had a cancellation so I ended having my op on 31st January, which meant some time off from work, longer than anticipated, but my recovery was steady and I've had good results, life is a lot more comfortable.

While I was off work I did a lot of drawing and hand stitching, things I could do on my knee. I also planned all the finer details of our school trip to London, which took place in early July. It was a fantastic trip, lots of arts, theatre, circus, drama, but London was very hot and our accommodation did not have air conditioning!

Our summer was quite full, we spent a few days in Devon visiting friends that we hadn't seen in years and had an amazing time with them. Both John & I helped out at a youth camp run by the Church of England up in Seahouses called Staying Alive. We both ran workshops, haled in a scratch performance and John was part of the band too. Our eldest got his A-level results and secured a place at his first choice of university. Towards the end of August John and I had a couple of days away in Dumfries and Galloway. beautiful scenery!

Once September came around the world seemed to go mad. John was back into college with a bang, We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with a wonderful meal at the House of Tides in Newcastle and saw Ieuan safely deposited at his halls of residence in Leeds. I was so excited for him.

As usual, I took on too much and by the end of October, I was starting to feel the pressure. It just seemed like I didn't have any time to myself and I ended up feeling stressed and frazzled. Lots of things all coming together at once. I don't really handle this type of thing well any more and was really starting to feel very down and on the edge. If I've learnt anything over the year it's to be a lot kinder to myself and allow time to chill and have a bit of self-care. I hoped I'd be able to make it to the end of the school term without crashing, but the last couple of weeks took it out of me so much that I started to feel run down and by the Wednesday of the last week the cold that I'd been fighting off finally beat me and I ended up spending the Thursday and Friday in bed with a horrific sore throat and the headache from hell that I just couldn't shift. Thankfully by Sunday I was starting to feel a bit better and was able to enjoy Christmas, although I still have a hacking cough a week later.

So I look forward to the new year, I already know that January is hectic, but after that, I'm not booking anything in for a while, just the sort of things that feed my soul. I'm prepared for next year to be a challenge as John finishes his training and the youngest two kids have important exams on May/ June. And at the moment I'm ok with the uncertainty of where we'll be this time next year, whether it be in the same place, church, job and same house of whether it will be the other end of the country. it will be an adventure and I can't wait to live it.

5 ways to boost creativity... my guide to a creative new year.

A rare opportunity to have a full day printmaking at home

 I'm well aware that as a blogger I'm inconsistent. It takes time to write good posts and when time is short I don't write so many, I really enjoy reading blog posts of those who have something to say so I stay engaged with the creative blogosphere even when I'm not writing my own.

This used to worry me a bit. How would people know what I'd made? Would they be interested in what I had to say? where would I get a response to the creative things I do? Is blogging stuff more important than making stuff? Hence my guide to boost creativity - this is sort of a new year resolution, but also a letter to myself and to you if you find this as challenging as I do.

Quick studies - A few minutes a day experimenting with hand embroidery

1. Little and often
Whatever you do, make it part of your daily routine, or something you can do in short bursts. It's really tempting to just want to spend a whole day being creative - I love doing this, but in the reality of life it just doesn't happen as often as I'd like. Can you find 5 or 10 or 15 minutes to do something creative. Carry a pen/ pencil and sketch on your bus/ train commute. Knit or Crochet while waiting for the kettle to boil or the spuds to cook. 10 minutes at the sewing machine as soon as you get in? A few photographs taken on a walk during lunch break or while walking the dog?

Experiments in texture - the bag the oranges came in and a bit of ink

 2. Stop caring what other people think about your art/ makes.
I used to worry that my art was not commercial enough. In fact I changed my style a lot to try to make it appeal to others. While I Like doing a bit of observational painting/ drawing now and again - I get bored of it very quickly. When I make art to please others, when I blog to please others, when I try to fit in the things I make with those things that are 'on trend' on other blogs, websites I find I lose myself a little. In honesty I'm always happiest with my work when I don't care what others think. when it doesn't need to be good, when it's just me trying something out, when I mix and match ideas to suit my own tastes - in other words when I stop trying to be something I'm not!

Gelli Plate prints - first attempt - not quite sure what was going to happen

3. Play and have fun
Always be willing to try something new. Learn a new skill, read a book or watch a video about a technique that you've never used. Try a new idea. This could be as simple as changing the surface you draw on, or what you draw with. It could be a whole new medium or technique. It could be drafting your own sewing patterns, trying to write a poem in a different form, using a different sized needle to hand stitch a design. If you feel the need go on a course it could open up a whole new world!

Learning how to make 3D wet felted forms

Crafternoon - Craft & Chat - a great way to make friends

4. Collaborate
Work with other people. Making things together is often one of the most creative outlets. Sometimes just seeing how someone else tackles a technique or skill and open up a whole new way of doing something. Its a way of learning and sharing. Join a craft group or art class. Could you teach someone how to do something? Could you make something together for a community group, school, church etc.

Demonstrating a skill to others

A selection of prints from my full day printing day a few weeks ago.

5. Value your craft/ art
I'm not talking about money here. Value the time it gives you. Personally time creating functions in many ways for me. I know that it helps me unwind from the work day and helps my well being. It gives me a sense of purpose and self esteem. I am more confident than I was before. My creativity is an expression of my faith and world view. some people use it as a meditative practice, for me it helps me pray and reflect on God's provision for my life.

So as we start 2018 I won't be creating a Resewlution list, or a #Makenine2018. Hey I hope I'll make more than 9. I won't promise to blog often but i will continue to create - It might not be very regular, I might not create any finished works or items of clothing worthy of recognition. but I will make and I will be creative - it's a part of who I am, who God has made me and that's the way I like it!
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