In the News - Christmas Fairs, Concerts and Reviews!

There are two events happening on Saturday 7th December that will inspire, encourage and bless you.

EEC Christmas Fair

If you are in London on then come along to the EEC Christmas Fair and Carol Concert.  I will be there displaying some of my work, there will be other craft stalls, international food and more, starts from 1pm to 6pm.

For every item purchased on my stall on the day I will be giving 30% to charity for the Philippines disaster appeal organised by Oxfam, so come down and show your support.

Concert

There will also be a concert the same evening starting at 7pm at Tokyngton Community Center, St Micheal Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6SA.  There will be a wide range of talented musicians sharing their skills.  My husband Alan will also be show casing one of the songs from his Ekidz album about internet safety for children. For more information on the concert at Tokygnton, email iiichronicles@yahoo.co.uk or call 07986893511

Book Review

DIY Gift Guide - Quirk Books

This book is one that I downloaded on my Kindle, I am always looking for mini projects to try my hand at and this seemed like a useful start.  The book was free on Kindle, so I didn't hesitate in ordering.  It has a selection of DIY ideas curated by Homemade Quirk, which is a place where people share their stories, ideas and they are not only craft based but have ideas of food gifts and treats.

The book is split into 6 sections - for the bookworm, for the lovebirds, for the kids, for the animal lover, for the foodie, for the geek, and aims to appeal to different needs has a total of 18 projects, 9 of which are food based.  The instructions are fairly straight forward to follow.

My favorite 3 projects were making the Tiny books, pink champagne cake which I intend  try substituting the wheat and dairy, and the mini candi charms using polymer clay.  My least favorite was the cat portraits made with real cat hair (never knew you could do anything with cat hair, although for those with pets this would be a great recycling project.  It is a nice book for kids to try their hand at trying to make some of the project, it could have had a few additional ideas or variations on the projects that were listed.  All in all as a free publication you can't go far wrong and it is definitely worth a look at least!

Katherines Corner

Today is also Thursdays Favorite Things on Katherines Corner Take a stroll over there and visit some of the inspiring and encouraging blogs, If you have a blog you can leave a link to your post and show some support by visiting others who have listed theirs.

It would be great to see you at one of the events if you are in the location or even in the UK on Saturday 7th December, share what you are up to, and if you have a pet will you be giving the cat portraits ago?

Finally, have a great day and blessings to you and yours!

In the news - Change, Coming Soon Club and Competition winner

Welcome to another special day, for us to be able to share our gifts, connect and make a difference in whatever way possible. Even the smallest effort can make a difference.  

Change

Flowers still in bloom - in October!

Yesterday I spent time in a park close to where I grew up as a child.  It brought back memories of my adventures with my brother Robert who passed away in June.  In thinking of our loss I still have a hard time believing he is gone, I said to my son Sekani that this time last year I was sitting in my brother's kitchen over a cup of tea talking about our creative paths, without a clue of what was to come.  As children we sometimes use to go to the park after school and play because it was close to our home.  The area has changed a lot over the years.  

Outdoor Gym open to all!

The park is now also home to an outside gym to encourage the locals to get fit, and a skateboard park and basket ball pitch for the younger crowd.  The apartments that you can see in the picture above used to be a school.  As you look around the park you can see that they have really taken time to consider what facilities they provide which has made it more accessible for community that live there. 

Creativity and organisation

Over the past couple of weeks I made a conscious decision that I wanted to make several changes to my processes, organisation, output etc.  I was feeling as if the things that I really wanted to do and see come to pass were so far out of my reach.  I prayed that the changes in my life I had been working on to manifest, would start to be evident.  This is really where patience comes in, any change that will be lasting takes effort and time.  You can decide to do nothing and change will still take place, whether it will bring the results you seek is another matter.  I guess in some cases my impatient side was looking for the immediate, but also know that unless you plan and make adjustments then you won't get the results you require.  

I looked at my output in my writing and art and wanted to become more focused, sharing and interacting more.  This is one of the changes that I have made on my blog, by having specific areas that I will share each day.  The frequency of my posting has increased and I have attempted to be more consistent in sharing part of my world with those that visit and also to stretch myself. For those who haven't yet noticed I have a new blog schedule:

Mondays - Material Mondays

Fabric and Crochet

Tuesdays - Tuesday Tutorials

How to....

Wednesdays - Memories of Home

Mixed Media houses

Thursdays - In the news

What's on?

Fridays - Gratitude's and Celebrations

What are you grateful for?

Saturday - Recycled Projects

Reuse, Recycle & Up-cycle

Sunday - Creating in Faith

Creating in Faith - Discussions and more

I am trying to work across the board with all of my social media, but as you probably understand - there is only so much time in a day, but with perseverance and passion a way will be made, and I hope you continue to join me as my work and practices evolve.

Competition!

I ran a competition last week on my Capturing Moments tutorial post, the prize is the mini journal below. 

The winner is Bloomers, and I am also giving a runners up prize of a mini journal and this will go to Ann K from Cairn Cottage.  Well done to both of you, hope you enjoy your mini journals!

Hot desk at the Coming Soon Club...

An organisation called  The Coming Soon Club has set up enterprise initiatives for local people who want to test out a business idea or arts or community project in a temporary space.  They not only provide the space but mentoring advice as well.  They also provide facilities hot desk and internet connection for those who normally work from home which is great if you want to dip your feet in every now and again into the office environment without the office politics.  I used them recently when my internet connection went down, it was great to be able to get on with some focused work without the distractions of home.  It is very relaxed space, they have some exhibitions on the way and they have a small cafe serving refreshments.

Creativity and Social Work

Tomorrow I am giving a talk to a group of social workers training for their AMPH qualification.  My talk focuses on being a carer and the impact of the role on my life, I will also be able to share some creative tools and reflections that I have used.  It is my third year of presenting this talk and it is great to be able to interact with the students and see how they begin to reflect on their own roles and the impact it may have on carers.


And finally...

Katherines Corner
Today is also Thursdays Favorite Things on Katherines Corner Take a stroll over there and visit some of the inspiring blogs listed in the links, you can leave a link to your post and show some support by visiting others who have listed theirs.  

Blessings to you and yours!

N is for News!

I wanted to share some great news and what better place to share it.

 

A while ago I submitted two pieces of art for selection in an exhibition about art therapy, and they have both been accepted.

Here is a sneak peek at a section of the two paintings.

The exhibition is called Art and Healing and explores how art psychotherapy and creativity can have a positive effect on health and well-being.  There are a range of artists, art therapists and their clients who have use art in a therapeutic way.

Dates for your Diary

19th April - 5 June 2013 - Exhibition in both venues - Street Gallery and London Art Therapy Centre

Thursday 18th April 2013 - Private view - Street Gallery - It would be great if you could come!
Venue: University College London Hospital, 235 Euston Road, NW1 2BU if you would like to come to the private view email arttherapy4all@mail.com to request an invitation.

Saturday 4th May - The Satellite venue will also be having a special event/workshop on Saturday 4th May to request an invitation email kim@arttherapy.com

 Blog Love

I am sharing some love with those who are also taking part in the challenge, it's not everyone whose blog starts with the letter N, but a few of them for you to start with....

Noveltea

Nothing but Truth

Nettiewriting

Not Just Another Mother Blogger

Nicole - The Madlab Post