Tuesday 8 January 2013

Hibernation, new year plans & excuses to craft...

Happy New Year -  I hope you had a joyous Christmas & relaxing break!

I feel like I've been in some sort of hibernation mode since Christmas and have done nothing much of anything... including crafting which is highly unusual.  In actual fact I felt slightly under the weather with almost 2 weeks of annoying cough & laryngitis so in addition to not being able to talk as much as usual I guess it just sort of generally quietened me down.  My husband was also ill on the 'big day' so that dampened the spirits a little too.

Anyway, here we are in 2013 and I am beginning to feel the cogs start turning in my head again and ever so slowly the ideas are beginning to tickle my creative fancy and give me reasons to craft - although in all honesty it's not like I really need any excuses to craft however,  I did also get this rather lovely pair of new embroidery scissors as a present and they really need a little testing out..



Like many of you,   at the beginning of a new year I start to think about what the year might hold, where I am going and what I could achieve and so on and normally there's a crafting theme in there somewhere.  Last year I set a self imposed challenge to improve my embroidery skills - largely influenced by receiving the gift of my Grandmother's silver thimble from my Mum as a Christmas present (and yes, I did have a tear or too at the sentiment!). I really love having it and to me it is one of the most beautiful crafting accessories I own...


vintage thimble

Here's a few of my practice pieces, worked on through 2012..


handmade needle case
A good place to start.. a home for my needles!


swallow embroidery


blackwork embroidery sample
I must try more 'Blackwork' embroidery....
Haven't quite finished the sampler I started... maybe I'll put that on the list too!

This year I am setting myself the continuing challenge of improving my tatting skills so you can expect another update on that soon ;-)  

In addition I am about to start a short college course in graphic design to 'fill in the gaps' of a skill that I have a fair bit of experience in but have not been formally trained in.  I am looking forward to it and you might even see some results of it on the blog.



Anyway, I have just started putting together my 'stuff' (oh the joy of buying new stationery... it's almost as good as crafting stuff!)  and I think I have everything ready although I can't find a pencil sharpener to put in my pencil case.   And I've just realised I don't actually have a pencil case - well there's one good reason to craft then..

Happy New Year Making!
xx













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