So I’ve had some time off to regroup as life has changed dramatically since my last post. Certainly lots of positives came from the negatives so I’m looking forward to the future.  I’ve got a whole range of projects which are finished, in progress and to be started.

In the finished section is a two-colour reduction linoleum print in an edition of 9 I had started mid June 2009, finished on New Year’s Eve, and then stored until today.  It’s certainly on my list of things to do is to make more hand made art. This is the first in what I hope is a playful series of Badgers.

I’ve rejoined the art group I used to hang out with. So there are lots more arts being created than there used to me.  I’m beck in the learning habit again. A portrait from the forum thread where users post their photo to be drawn.

I got my sewing machine for my birthday in April and so I have finished a long time project. My quilt. It’s a bit funny looking as it’s my first time sewing in a while and I didn’t have a certain foot I may have needed bit it’s warm and cozy and mine.

Feels good to complete something that has been sitting on the pile for four years to get done.

I’ve started my ‘dead umbrella’ project. When I see a broken brolly abandoned or thrown away I rescue them and re-purpose the fabric into nylon shopping bags. So far I’ve completed one, but it’s not perfect. Still a few kinks to work out in terms of sizing.

When I went home to visit my family I returned with a bag I had left there full of tailor cuttings of men’s trousers that had been altered where I used to work. Loads of cuttings in lots of fabrics. I’m thinking I can get at least one quilt out of it. Not sure if I can make some softies?  Maybe some badgers.

Hmm. I want to do some more painting. I need some supplies, though. Wood for stretcher bars. Staple-gun. Gesso, probably. Hammer and nails. Wood glue.
Work on my German. I haven’t spoken it in years and my vocabulary is almost all gone. I always think it’s a bit sad that native English speakers don’t often learn a language fluently as the rest of the world often does for English.

And finally, went to the Oakland Zoo when I was on holiday, Photos on my Flickr. Most of the animals just looked sad.

Best!

D

So instead of getting my sewing machine, I got myself the camera lens instead. It was either one or the other, right?

I am so happy with it… just look at the cat!

It’s the 5omm 1.8 fixed(not zoom) lens for my Canon and it makes me very happy.

I’m a bit of a macro fan so having a really great lens to shoot things with a shallow depth of field just floats my boat, if I had a boat, of course.

New 50mm lens taken with the zoom lens

Zoom lens taken with the new 50mm

There is something really satisfying having everything blurry except for exactly what i want to focus on.

So hopefully I’ll get some great new pictures going, and they’ll be a little more artsy and satisfying.

(I should restrain myself from posting too many of the cat though.)

I find myself spending too much time online getting exciting about things I want to do and try, and then when I go to bed I’ve woken up and forgotten everything and lost all motivation.

There is sewing, and knitting, and felting, and creating little animals, and printmaking, and drawing, and joining a choir.  How could any one person be able to do all these things?  The answer is I’m just a sad dabbler with no particular excellence in anything.

I’ve been exploring a friend’s flickr stream and it now I’m all excited about photography.  “I need a Macro lens for my camera!” I think, having a eureka moment, and I’m off on a 3 hour discovery of photography and canon macro lenses.  I’ve just been reading the beginner faqs on the PhotoNotes.org website to brush myself up on what might be a good lens because I’m a complete idiot on photography, and then I grab my camera and think “Oh! My Flickr page needs something new on it too.” I’ve pulled the battery to recharge it and now I just know that I’m not even going to touch my camera again until I see a new pretty picture to inspire me and I’ll be off again on another–probably unproductive and unfruitful–tangent.

I think my problem is I get all excitied about starting a project, but when the going gets tough, there is even the slightest hurtle, or even the fact it will take me longer than a day, I’ll give up, pack it away and forget about it for 6-12 months. It’s starting to get depressing and make me agry at myself. This blog is another example, 4 posts in a year! I mean seriously, whats that about?

At any rate, I’ve got two things to buy:

• a Canon 50mm 1.8, Ø52 (this one sounds pretty good) or EF 100mm 2.8 Macro/EF 100mm 2.8 Macro USM lens . Hopefully used.
• A sewing machine.  I really like this one from John Lewis.  Looks like a good price and 2 year warranty.

Because I’m such a baby at committing to spending money on myself, I’m hard pressed to just buy these things.

January goal, Acquire a Sewing Machine.  I can do that. The next issue will be will I use the blooming thing to make getting it worthwhile? I hope so.

A Pretty Picture to end the rant, It’s a winterland here. Not high-quality, just handy-iPhone.

I find it very hard to commit myself to writing blog posts (if that wasn’t already painfully obvious), so I’m making my new year’s resolution to write (at least) one blog post a week, every week. I have to.

Other Resolutions?
To be more creative daily
To be more emotionally self-reliant
To Finish Projects!

Is that enough?

I thought this might be the only place I could remember what I wanted for Christmas this year.

A sewing machine (sewing machines are expensive, gasp!)

A pair (or two) of boots

More socks, yowza

A radio\ipod dock for the kitchen

yarn from oxfordkitchenyarns.com

kitchen scales

New, stylish clothes

More time

More creativity

More excitement

More quality time with P

Less stress at work

Not a quality post but since its been a year, I thought it was about time.

Knitting on the train

At many fellow crafter’s advice, I have begun a blog to document my travels in the world of at home printmaking, travel, crafting, family, photography, art, technology, and anything else that takes my interest.

All I need to do now is get busy!