Gratitudes and Celebration - Week 43 - Sing a new song - change can happen

Whatever is not working right now can be changed!

Change is stepping into the unknown, making steps to experience something different.  We can embrace it or we can run from it, and it can be for the better or could be for the worse but what counts is how you respond and react to change.

Many of us have experienced needing something to change but we don’t have the immediate resources, experience or knowledge of what steps to take.

A good place to start is knowing why you want change, if things are not working and you are unhappy there is no point in dwelling in the situation but do something about it.  If you don’t have the resources find out how you can get them, do you need to save up, change your job, get more creative, whatever it is do something, change the way you treat yourself and begin to sing a new song.

I am grateful today for the songs within my heart that tell the story of change that has occurred and will occur within my life and celebrate the new experiences that change brings with it.

What songs of change will you be singing this week?

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal

Have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Quotes Wednesday

A combination of quotes and photography...see where creativity and inspiration takes you!

Each week on my Creative Writing WordPress site I share a edited photograph that I have taken along with a quote I find inspiring.  I have grown to love taking photographs and whenever I can I make sure that I have my camera handy. The images have been either on my day to day, or when I have been able to take some time out and go on holiday. 

I thought that I would do something similarly here too, as a way to inspire and encourage, we come across so many interesting quotes.  Why not stop by my WordPress blog when you get a chance. Here are a few of the images and quotes I shared

Photograph - Amanda Trought, Quote - Jim Rohn

 The major value in life is not what you get.  The major value in life is what you become - Jim Rohn

Photograph - Amanda Trought, Quote - John Maxwell

 A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them - John Maxwell

Photograph - Amanda Trought, Quote - Gandhi

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary - Gandhi

I will be posting different set of quotes and images to here and at some point you will be able to purchase a print on my Society 6 site.

Tutorial Tuesdays - Faith in the process

Every now and then you have to unleash yourself on to your supplies.  You have to throw out what you think you know and just spend some time playing.  Forget technique and rules, and what should be placed where, or what goes with what and let your hair down.

I took a break from the courses and decided to play with my supplies, which included decorated paper, paints, modelling paste and whatever else I could lay my hands on and started to lay down colour and texture on the surface.

The more I let go the more that started to be revealed. I wasn't focused on the finish product but making my way on a journey of discovery that needed a bit of faith.

With each stroke it can help you relax and take your mind off all the stuff and clutter of the day, it is a necessary process to tap into your creativity, 

Giving yourself the time, space and the freedom to play allows you to find some special surprises as they emerge from the page.  I dare you to try something, take a leap of faith and have fun with your tools, and remember to play!

Faith - Mixed media Art

Material Mondays - Altering Beenie Hat

Altering a Beanie Hat with flowers

My mum has a hat that she loves wearing, primarily because it keeps her head warm, there isn't anything spectacular in the way that the hat looks, but I guess it is one of those things that we all have that we wear for comfort - much to my sons dismay I too have something that he says I shouldn't be wearing for one reason or another, but having lived so many more years than he I think I will park his fashion point of view for another post.

The hat before

Here is the hat, nothing to write home about, but she liked it.  I decided to give it a make over..  so a while back armed with my crochet needles and wool I decided to make some embellishments for the hat, without changing its comfort factor for mum.

With a crochet needle and wool you can do wonders!

I ended up making a couple of flowers and a strip that would go round the hat for decoration.

Flowers and crocheted strip

  I sewed the flowers and the strip to the hat once they were complete.  Here is the finished hat, modeled by mum....

 You can pretty much attach flowers to most things and they will give some added oomph when needed.

 It gives her the comfort that she wants, yet gives it an updated look

I will have a look at some of her other hats and see what updates can be made.  If you want to update an something you don't have to add crochet, you can embroider, or add some beading - find some jewelry that you no longer wear and attach it to an item of clothing for that extra sparkle.

If you are considering learning how to crochet, or any other creative activity check out Craftsy online courses, at the moment they are doing a special offer on some of their classes, and they are offering some free mini courses.Click here.