Creativity for my own Wellbeing

Sorry I have been alway slightly longer than anticipated, I had some access issues with my blog.  Thankfully I hope they are all sorted now.

I just got the urge to make Christmas ornaments for Hang and C's tree (as it is now tradition!). Last year I made one ornament with everyone's initial on, F is a new addition this year.  

The initials are:

• H - Han
• C - Catarina
• L - Lancelot (dog)
• E - Eggy Bread (Cat)
• F - Fig (Cat)

This year I decided that everyone needed their own ornament, and opted for Christmas Jumpers! Jon helped me by bending paper clips into hanger shapes. Each jumper measure approx 8cm length and 10mcm wide.

The prototype: I created this first to see if the concept could work.

 

   

     

Then I got the urge to be creative with pumpkins again! So set about creating my own pumpkin table mat. I have just finished stitching the pumpkin lines, I have to add backing wool/felt.  But unfortunately I have been quite unwell, I developed a condition called costochondritis, basically inflammation of my ribs on the left side.  It is a really painful condition, I have to take shallow breaths as even breathing hurts.  Any form of movement is very painful so I have been sitting on my really comfy stitching chair with a lovely furry blanket crafting! Of course for my own wellbeing!

                                     

I still have to finish the mat, but felt the urge to do something else to keep my mind busy to distract from pain. I actually am really pleased with this next project, it's a cross stitch I started some (cough) time ago! I took a photo before I restarted again thinking, oh just stitch a little! But I got into the swing and really loved seeing all he colour emerging, I finished it! I really love Belinda's designs.

Blue Ribbon Design 'Botanical Blessings'.

I then went onto a project that OMG! I have had for so so long that when I bought it I said to myself I would stitch it when I have time.  Ha ha Well thats now! 

I have only just started these, completed October: I used DMC threads that were converted within the chart.  The original threads are a combination of Gentle Arts, Classic Colorworks and Weeks Dye Works. I have not as yet thought how I may display or show them once I have completed them all? Any suggestions? I hope to show my progress of each one I complete, fingers crossed I complete this project!

We have had a little visitor/helper! Its Lancelot! Han and Cat went to the London O2 to see Lady Ga Ga and we looked after the animals.  Jon spent time with the cats and naturally fed them too.  Lancelot is getting on a bit now, he is 8 I think no doubt Hang will correct me! He recently this year had a tough time where he had an infection is his eye, it had to be removed as could not be saved.  It was touch and go as it exploded just before surgery, we thought the worst but the vet was amazing and he pulled through.  He such a lovely placid dog, likes to be around people this is why we don't mind him staying with us. Incidentally they both LOVED Lady Ga Ga.

Lancelot watching me stitching! Well falling asleep!

Lancelot sitting on my lap wanting my attention! With his one eye! He has adapted really well, although does occasionally bump into furniture.

Lancelot sleeping in his bed! This is a normal position for him!

Oh one last thing! 

I created a free cross stitch chart for people to enjoy, HERE

I think thats me all caught up!

Until the next time....

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Everywhere!

 I seem to be fixated with pumpkins at the moment! I cannot get enough of them!! I really enjoyed drawing them in my last post, so I decided to create a dedicated book just for pumpkins!

I adore working with textures so chose to use wool/felt and created an appliqué design to cover my book.

The finished design as my pumpkin book cover.

I wanted this book to be filled with what ever medium at the time of drawing/creating I chose to use.  this could be, collage, water paints, acrylic paints, stitch, seriously anything! I really love experimenting so I thought this book would be great for that.

Here is what I have done so far...

Do you have a favourite from what I have created so far? Do you love using a specific medium, and want me to try it? 

I have created something else! Something Halloween fitting, every year I create Christmas ornament/s for my daughter Christmas tree, which I will share in an upcoming post.  But for Halloween this is the first one I have created for my daughter, as she loves Halloween.

My daughter really likes the retro Halloween designs, after doing a little exploring online I created this drawing.  My daughter loved it so I decided to created it in appliqué for her table.

But I got side tracked as she also wanted a pumpkin keyring!

I changed the design slightly when I appliquéd it, turned out really cute and my daughter loves it, it's on her table. Of course as I added the year this also is now expected every year too!

Have you done any Halloween stitching? I did start a Blue Ribbon design,  Behind The Gate, it's going slower than expected as I keep getting side tracked with other things.  Looks like it's going to be for next year now. I love how this design is interactive.

Are you stitching anything for Halloween?

Until next time...

Where do my ideas come from?

I get asked this all the time so I thought I would explain my process of gathering ideas.  Everything around me influences, shape, colour, nature, buildings, patterns, textures and much more.

I like draw, I am not an artist, I draw in my own style, it helps me to process what I have seen or recalled from memory or in most cases a mash made up imaginary world.  Mostly doodling as this is my way of generating little gems that I want to develop further. 

As Halloween season is fast approaching I started with pumpkins! 

This is a mixture of drawings and painting on other paper then cut and stuck in this book, I guess a kind of collage. This was the finished page.

I should mention this book, I decided to start this book, the pumpkins were my first doodle.  This book I hope to use regularly as a way of offloading ideas and things I just want to draw.  Being autistic my head never switches off, I am constantly thinking about things.  

The next page I decided to create leaves, all aspects of nature fascinate me, again a kind of collage. I like to add pattern to shapes to make them more interesting.

At the moment I am happy using water coloured paint and watercolour pencils, I may switch to just fine liner or other mediums.  I am just going with what I feel at the time.

This next one 'Houses' literally took me just over an hour! I wanted a quick result, not searching for realism.  I was exploring colour, shapes and placement.

Back to nature next with 'Fungi and Mushrooms', I chose to add the name of what I wanted to draw to each page as it just made sense to me to do that. I really liked creating this page as it reminded me of all the lovely mushrooms and fungi I have stitched.

Sticking with nature I decided a plants page was needed! I love house plants, having nature so near makes me happy. I do not have an outside space sadly, so I bring plants to me!

The next page I created was trees, in a fun shape gathering way! Thats the thing with me, I just create things I like so if it means odd shaped trees, it's that! 

Today I wasn't feeling colour at all so created a black and white then a monochrome page.  Not sure if you all know but without my Irlens tinted glasses I only see monochrome, no colour at all.  The specialist tint gives me colour and it's actually really amazing however some days I find it too vibrant and return to my monochrome world.

My Irlens tinted glasses, each tint is made up of a combination of colours.

I find drawing a great way to generate loads of ideas for designs I may want to hand embroider. Developing my drawings further helps me to process what I will create with embroidery, what colours to choose and how I will do it if it is 3 dimensional. 

Do you enjoy drawing?

Until next time...