work in progress 2

I've started this so i might as well finish it. I've just added another layer and will do some more when i get back from my holiday. Woo woo!

the woman inside the machine

i found this old art college book buried under a mountain of sketchbooks. we had a project where we had to take an object and dismantle it.

i chose a typewriter

when i took the cartridge inside it to pieces and read the tape (backwards)

i realised there was a woman in the machine.

her cv and letters etc were on that tape. it seemed like the typewriter was her tomb.

i felt a bit voyeuristic but it was in the name of art and if people can chop up sharks then it must be ok to read someones accidental memoirs..........

it's funny where we leave traces.

i have three more typewriters......

if you are at a loose end this weekend.. i thoroughly recommend smashing something up to see what's inside

this reminds me of another textiles project i did. where we had to deconstruct something to find inspiration

i'll show you that another day when i have ventured deep enough into the landslide of abandoned and unfinished art projects to find it!

painting in progress

i don't usually mind that much what people say about my artwork

although i was very flattered once when someone who was wearing the

coolest shoes in the world bought a painting off me.

the truth is

the only person i am really trying to please

is

myself.

is that bad?

anyway. this effort doesn't really have much of

an effect on me at all. it's kind of

here

and

I'm doing it

and I'll probably

finish it.

i've been working on it in the living room,

on white sofas which might have a bit of

dark paint on them now.

it's been here for a week or so.

it's been interesting

observing people's reactions to it.

Most people look at it and ask

if i did it and then they just go ummmm!

A couple of people

said they liked it.

my reaction to their reaction?

indifference

is that bad?

wHat wOuLd yOu do wiTh thiS?

well this is what i did (i might do something else too) in my humble Paint programme. I've put a linky list over on the right somewhere so you can check out what everyone else does - so give me a nudge folks when you are done and i'll add u in.

Thanks for joining in :o)

wHat wOuLd yOu do wiTh thiS?

One of the things that most fascinates me about art is how you can have a group of about thirty people give them the same task and they all come up with something different. It's amazing.

This is a collage and paint background i created. I was about to work over it but then i wondered what other people would do with it. So if you have the time, download this image and work your magic with it. Just remember to show us what you do!

important information.

more digging

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I reckon Seth is the super hero of the blog-e-sphere.

Not only does he create awesome art and produce an impressive blog and Etsy shop (not forgetting the zine) but his powers stretch to getting us all together on a regular basis and inspiring

creative endeavours galore.

We should make him a super hero cape

(perhaps grrl can knit him one).

As part of his latest call for action - I've been digging around and found this image which I took last year in a quaint old street in northern England. I love the way the shoes have been carefully displayed - they remind me of lttle birds. I love old shops they make such a refreshing change from globalised high streets or, worse still, the out of town shopping centres that my friend calls 'non places'. You know the type of places she means... places that suck out your soul. Motorway services stations, large corporate office buildings, banks, fast food restaurants. We need grrl to cover these places in knit and save our souls.

Anyway visit here to see the little man that owns this shop checking on his window and some of the other shops in this street.

thanks to Anne for this award

and check out her blog for a chance

to win some stamps.

I'm convinced that

making books is

good for the soul.

To counteract

the bad karma from any

shopping malls you may have visited
check out Karin's brilliant video

here

There's a chance to win a lovely book too!

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evidence of an orderly person

It might be hard to believe it when you look at this but in my head I am convinced that I am an orderly person - I mean I can write lists. I'm surprised i don't even have lists of lists. Look at this one at the front of last year's holiday sketchbook. Can you see how neatly I have crossed everything off?

and look how neatly I packed everything

into my little art bag ready for the journey.

This is evidence of

extremely organised behaviour and a good reason

why my (for the time being nameless friend)

shouldn't have my number in her moble phone under

Ms Clutter.

Look, the sketchbook was even divided up
into sections surely proving that
i am a meticulously organised being.



On line courses seem to be the rage and I bet
you'll all be lining up for my lessons in how to
live a life like this.

digging around

there's been a lot of excavating for buried treasure going on around blogland recently and there's more to come soon. I've been doing some digging around of my own recently as my protracted house move (I won't bore you with the details) gradually nears it's conclusion. Anyway, I found this canvas that I did last year - it was one of four I did but I haven't found the others yet!

it's only small..here's some of the detail

and here's the finished piece

I've got to make room..it's going to etsy.

Buried Treasure

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Is there is anyone that doesn't know Seth and his call for buried treasure to be unearthed? I think not so I needn't explain anymore. I think he was one of (if not the) first person to find my blog and make comments. When we have the blog awards - i reckon he'll be first down the red carpet to pick up a well deserved award :o)

here's what i dug up
http://thisdisorderedlife.blogspot.com/2008/01/today.html


qqqqqqqqqqqqqqq

pink graffiti

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i've been doing some stuff for a nine year old girl

and her granny

and, as my friend would say,

things around here have got a bit
gopping!

(i love that word)

so when the spray paint and stencils

came out to play

it was hardly surprising that

the graffiti

was

pink.

I'll be baking cupcakes next.

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where there was mess

it's great to have a tiny bit of time to get things done in what is turning out to be the longest house and studio move in the history of disordered artists - but don't let these pictures of ultra organisation fool you, there are plenty of piles of mess to be dealt with.

and the answer is.............

a giant yellow plug

yellow

kkkkkkkkkkkk

over at grrl's place there's some

amazing knitting action

going on and

we can help with her yellow escapade.

I've had an on/off relationship with yellow.

For ages i hated it...

someone told me my chakra was blocked.

I'm kinda over that now and it's funny

that all the flowers

my students gave me at the end of term

were yellow.

What were they trying to say?

Is there a message here or just a coincidence?

Anyway

I especially liked these sunflowers

and it's so kind of them to give me gifts

for just doing my job.

I've even been crocheting yellow

and this one's for Grrl

(subject to me posting it in time)

Can you guess what it is?

books

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i found this illustration at the local art college

end of year show. it really reminded me of

Maira Kalman and the regularly pored book

that Lynne so kindly sent me.

i also found this artist whose whole

project was all about

books and literature

and this carefully crafted

piece of writing caught my eye.

as well as the oversized books.

I've started making a few alterations

in this book which is going to be

one of my summer projects

now that term has finished

and i only have 843 jobs

on my list of things to do.

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more stuff from the show

i liked this by Sophie Dawes very Louise Bourgeois i thought

found art

n

found this on a quick visit to the local college art show

n

don't say i didn't warn you

bearing in mind what follows

i couldn't help but see the funny side

when the lovely Helen at Justalittlepeek
awarded me the lovely blog award.

Now I have to nominate 15 lovely blogs

that I have recently discovered.

I'll get back to you on that one

when I've had a scrummage around.

here's the pictures from

the treatment of dead enemies section

at

The Pitt Rivers Museum

more to follow........

tradition often seems insane to me and I was fascinated

to discover that Oxford University students comply and attend

their exams in these rediculous outfits.

no doubt when they've finished the go for a punt

and then cycle home

but the best thing about Oxford is the dimly lit

Pitt Rivers Museum

where, if you can put to one side your discomfort about our disgraceful colonial past,

you can spend hours shining your wind up torch (supplied)

into cabinets (yes I said cabinets )

full of fascinating artifacts from all over the world.

From writing tools, to baby baskets

and surgical instuments to textiles

a great place to visit for anyone interested in

human beings

.....more to follow including images from the gruesome 'treatment of dead enemies' section which fascinated me but might scare the pants off others......

still

blimey......I can't believe it has been so long since I've been here but now that I can see the light at the end of the academic year's tunnel and now that the clipboard carrying inspectors have carried their clipboards off and my lovely students are as ready (well almost) to sit their exams as they'll ever be.....it leaves me a bit more time to hang out around here.

I'm looking forward to my visits here and here later in May.

back soon !

output

it was back to work today. cars came off the production line

wire was wrapped and wrapped and wrapped

sequins

and beads

were sewn. wiggly drawings came to life.

n

oh dear

inventory

tight squeeze

i'm astounding the new neighbours with my ability to squeeze an impossible amount of art stash into my new studio

[shed]

in what is turning out to be the most protracted move

ever.

At the moment I'm

'installing'

my favourite materials for making things;

fabric,

paper,

weird objects,

more chopped up vintage tins than i can surely ever use,

paints,

glue,

stickers,

ink pads and stamps,

a whopping collection of papers,

wool and knitting / crochet / french knitting paraphanalia, sketchbooks (we are talking zillions),

canvases

..........the list is endless.........

later,

when the last few spaces in the new place are up for grabs....artwork such as

these below

will be vying for their place

.....it'll be good to let go.....

and another

bones

I found another plastic toy drawing.

rosie posted this lovely image for the

4th folder 4th picture thingy.

well guess what?

My 4th folder doesn't have 4 photos in it.

so here's a random image from a random file

from the days when i used to draw plastic toys.

skinny knitting

I'm on the lookout for some skinny poles

for these skinny knits

for the global guerilla olympics

organised by

the soon to be beachside

grrl+dog

next time I think I'll do things

the right way round and

find the pole first

des res

n

inside the new 'studio' (i use that term very loosely)

there is quite a bit to be done

and it looks like another artist

was there before.

no heating,

no electricity,

but it's a space to work in

and keep all this

well, as much as i can squeeze in.

n

new year, new studio

he's lovely and tactile, he's cheeky and he's right outside the manager's office. thanks to Artsparker we now have a lookout post. Hooray

I spoke to the Rehab officer last week and she told me that the guerilla knits are great for blind and visually impaired people at the centre to find their way around and they also provide a bit of cushioning just in case there's the odd bump here and there! I think it is our duty now to go and knit woolies for poles and posts throughout the land. Forward knitters, forward.

weather proof knitting

Thanks to a rambling rose we have another fabby knitted pole at Henshaws. Its knitted from plastic bags which made me think maybe i could knit a plastic bag from plastic bags. THANKS SO MUCH - WE LOVE IT :o)

disordered blogging

i i'm not sure if it is necessary for people with blogs called this disordered life to point out that blogging might not always be in an orderly fashion (probably not) but i really would like to be here and over at your place a whole lot more and i am currently working on a masterplan to give me the time to do that 8 in the meantime apologies for sporadic, chaotic and random blogging of a disorderly nature.

cute angel and sparkley knits galore

one of the artworkers where i work made this cute angel pin

and louise made these festive sparkley knits for pole art.

jingle bells

we got a great surprise from Balou this week. amazing pole crochet in the brightest, fabbist, colours imaginable and it it's got bells and tassles too ~ woohoo ~ thanks Balou :o))

as requested

well they've opened their presents early so for those of u who asked to see the full pictures.....

secret santa

maria asked me to

make something for tony

meanwhile.................

tony asked me to make something

for maria!

and is it just me or do photos in blogger get posted in the opposite order to the way you upload them?

(how diSordeRly)

aran

This is Aran. Alison made him. I like him because you don't really see him until you get up close. Guerilla knitting sometimes needs the camouflage approach.

oooomph

sometimes when pictures just ain't going right you just wish you could razz them up on the computer and give them a bit of oooomph

posting posts

they're coming in thick and fast. but please note the bare pole in the background which still needs a bit of knitted outerware. this season's poles are wearing a variety of looks. fringes, flowers, beaded french knitting (anything goes). And look what happens to ordinary objects (like chairs) at Henshaws.

guerillaing around

here's some of the action so far ....... as usual my photography is second to none

more to follow...............

The original Guerilla Art

knitting action will follow shortly

inside job

we work there so we know how to get in at night. our covert operation is to decorate 26 poles around the arts and crafts centre and gallery with funky knitting grrl+dog style. wanna join us? we need knitted, woven, textile etc strips of gorgeousness to tie round the poles. Each piece needs to measure 11.5 inches wide and can be as long as you like (up to about 2 metres). The arts and crafts centre is open to 70+ artists who have learning difficulties and other disabilities. Many are blind or have low vision so the more tactile the better and squeaks and bells etc will go down well too. Durable materials recommended as it rains a lot around here! The centre is open to the public so feel free to 'tag' your artwork with your name / website / message as we hope this will be seen by lots of people visiting the centre over the next 6 months / 1 year. The action starts next week so get your needles clicking !

Oh and by the way - we don't reckon the management are going to arrest us and send us to knitting prison - we think they'll LOVE IT.

send your contribution to:
The Knitting ARmy
Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre
Bond End
Knaresborough
HG5 9AL
UK

THANK YOU LOVELY PEOPLE

codeword: drop one

************************************************

guerilla medals

ddddddddddddddd

blimey - it's so long since I've been here I've almost forgotten how to post messages and upload pictures. but here's one of some of the medals to honour the brave comrades who came on the art 'ant'ics a few weeks ago. it was a fine mission. there were ants in the cafe, ants in the cinema, ants attached to bicycles, babies, cars and railings. apparently it's shrines and monsters next.

antics

guerilla art uk battalion ready for action

Grrl + Dog = (quirky + wierd) X yummy

i i got a grrl+dog parcel
it's full of yummy things and they're even yummier than when i saw them on her blog
gorgeous painted papers
a one armed effigy of a weird artist
vials of unusual stuff
scrummy tags to go on trees
thanks grrl r

busy busy

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can't believe it's been a whole week since i've been here....work has cranked up a notch and things have been a bit hectic to say the least. Anyway, here's a few cyanatypes (have i spelt that right? I dunno) and now I'm off to check up on what I've missed over at your place.
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me and surfaces should not be allowed to reside in the same place

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I'm not trying to frighten you or anything but Lynne did ask t

o see it in it's full glory! I'm in the process of moving house at the moment and negotiations are currently in progress as to just how much of my mega art mountain gets the boot (this is just a fraction of the full horror).

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messy collage - the whole thing

At jean's request, here is the full collage with part of the sofa to try and give you an idea of scale.

messy collage

these are close ups of parts of a giant messy collage made with found papers (enlarged x a million on a photocopier) and ink.

yellow

generosity

i was very giddy yesterday because the kind and generous Lynne Hoppe sent me treasure - i was so giddy that when i left the house after the parcel opening frenzy i thought i saw a man eating the pavement in our street - turned out my head was so full of treasure he was a workman down a whole in the ground and as his head went up and down with his digging he looked like he was having a concrete lunch.

anyway, i'm not a big reader, i wish i was, but i'm not. i've got lots of books - most of them books you look at rather than read cover to cover. i have read some books but i never have time and when i try and read novels i drift off into my own world - my eyes follow the words line by line for ages but i'm not paying any attention to what they mean and i have to back track so many times and force myself to concentrate- so i just don't do it [often]. its why i don't think of myself as a wordy person and i am surprised when people say something i've written on my blog has made them laugh or i have a 'way' of telling a story, because i just blurt out rubbish most of the time. i would like to get good at telling stories though like the awesome frida -now that woman nows how to write.

anyway [again] the treasure that Lynne sent was a carefully wrapped pebble and a gorgeous book which is easy for someone like me to read - i've read it cover to cover and I'm proud as punch. But better than that, the illustrations are to dye for. this is the book it reminds me of sarah fanelli who is a fabby illustrator and i've been collecting her books for a few years now. well, when i checked out the author and illustrator Maira Kalman i was amazed by her work and now I'm dangerously close to collecting her books too (it's a good job i am not rich).

Thank you Lynne - you are a kind soul and i feel very greedy for grabbing this before anyone else had a chance.

mass production of not massproduced items

I'm gearing up for the [optimistically speaking] seasonal rush of customers at my craft stalls and my work room [i'm talking like the whole house isn't just one work room] is brimming with handmade cards, paper decorations, new canvases, jewellery etc etc. for some reason these funny little pillow brooches are first out of the factory. i have no idea if there is a big market for cushions as accessories or if there is one single person on the planet with an outfit that just begs for an extra bit of padding to finish it off but i suppose i'm about to find out.

unspectacular quirks

ppppppppppppppp

look at me with my pristine white table and flowers in a vase - well when the rozzers are due to visit to ask you about your car theft you don't want to risk getting arrested for crimes against tidyness so you stress out about it for two days and then rush round the house in a tidying and cleaning (well sort of cleaning) frenzy so that there's a vague chance they might consider you normal.

As a reward for having a completely clear, table and sofas (oh yeh) you treat yourself to a new notebook - just like the other 14,000 notebooks you have only this time your going to write in it for longer than just the day you bought it, you are not going to write just one 'to do' list in it and then abandon it on THE PILE in fact you're not going to buy another notebook until this one has at least 75% of its pages used. I think I can safely say this is one of my quirks which brings me to the next part of this post 6

The lovely Lynne Hoppe has taken time out from her magical forest walks and painting gorgeous vibrant paintings to tell us about 6 of her unspectacular quirks and has tagged me to do the same so here they are 6

4the notebook thing - as mentioned above

4the flower thing - buying nice flowers and taking them home and leaving them in a jug in the kitchen with the cellophane and price tag still on - (so you can't actually see the nice flowers)

4the list thing - there is order in the disorder and there's a lot of lists, there are even lists about lists.

4the piles of dust thing - sweeping up (occasionally) and leaving a pile of dust in the middle of the room - a similar pile (this time of soil) was recently spotted on the paved area of my garden

4the plastic bag thing - on the handles of doors with things in or as rubbish bags - it drives some people nuts

4the light pull thing - i think i could quite possibly be the only person on the planet with a bathroom style, dangly light switch in the middle of their living room (it's a long story)

right who's next? of course - who else?

grrl+dog

clutter

considerate thieving

yesterday i had my car broken into, the thieves had somehow managed to wind one of the windows down without damaging it, open the doors and take the radio. They left the Dolly PArton tape on the dashboard and left all my posessions (junk that i am going to take to a car boot sale to get rid of!). It's a bit weird to kind of feel grateful to someone who's done this for not causing you loads of hassle by smashing the window etc but strangely I do. I'm surprised they didn't leave some kind of customer comments card and if they had I would have written "A very professional job, causing minimum disruption. Next time would you kindly wind the window back up so that my car seats don't get soaked." If you are going to get your car robbed I highly recommend these thieves.

Anyway, it didn't stop our trip out in the miserable pouring rain. We went to a rather deserted [georgian i think] old house which is open to the public and i took these photos of the loos. They are a bit blurred because i seem to specialise in out of focus photography, i have a pants camera, and i was rushing because i was getting funny looks hanging round in the loos taking pics.

Hearting blogs

As if the delicious Thai meal that I've just devoured wasn't enough to make my day special, the lovely Jean at Art It (check out her gorgeous paintings) has kindly presented me with this award. As we say in Yorkshire, I'm well chuffed. So now it's my turn to pass this on......to another seven blogs I love.....well there's lots out there and you know who you are....i visit you everyday :o) - so i thought i'd pass this on to someone new Mary Taitt. Mary has more bloggs than I thought was possible and I love her drawing. Check her out.

new book

************************

sorry for blogging [or not blogging] in a disorderly fashion over the last few days. I've been engrossed in making another altered book, sketchbook type of thingy. I have absolutely adored making this and have deliberated for longer than usual as to whether to keep it to add more artwork to or put it on the shelves in my etsy shop. imagine if etsy was a shop in real life where you could go and browse all the goodies in person. How big would it be and how long would it take to look round? I don't think I'd ever get out.

*************************

my new bird in a flourescent pink cage

after a summer of rain we have finally had a break in the clouds for long enough for small children to part with their toys so that they can be mine. this is one of my most favourite finds ever - imagine my delight when i discovered the battery induced chirping and windup ability to move head and flap tail feathers. bliss upon bliss.
as if that wasn't enough i found this little colourful wooden bird on another stall
and this gorgeous fan.
total cost 80p

more shop fittings

the street that time forgot

if you ever get the chance to visit Bridlington on the Yorkshire Coast in the UK, check out the High Street in the Old Town where some of the shops don't look like they've changed in decades.

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

There's this scrummy cafe....

this totally [un]globalised shoe shop - here's the owner checking on his flock at closing time today...

an amazing Georgian Chemist with the most awesome shop fittings you have ever seen which distract the eye completely from a rather bizarre mix of crafts. The lovely lady in the picture was very happy to tell us about the history of the shop which was a working chemist until last year

and loads more shops that make me wish I'd taken more photos - but now I've got an excuse to go back :o)

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great stencil

when i saw this valentine sign in a shop last february i had to have it and hounded the manager until he climbed up some ladders and gave it to me. since then it's been hanging on my coat rack in the hall but today is the day that giant valentine sign becomes stencil.

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turning my stash into cash

I've made a start using up my art treasure making handmade books to sell on etsy - they are very labour intensive but fun to make - this one's my favourite.

visual journal

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yesterday i started a visual journal [i don't know why because this blog is really my visual journal]. it'll probably just be a place to experiment in and perhaps record a few life events in. anyway it 's a lovely little book by jean bowring about cake decorating and it has gorgeous end papers. here's a peek at the cover and my 2 journal entries so far.

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what was i thinking?

yesterday i posted about finding long lost artwork and good feelings associated with that - today i experienced different feelings when i found these 'pages' of a clay 'book' i made. when i made them i thought they were ok but now they give me the creeps! it's good to stand back from your art isn't? a few years away from these has given me a whole new perspective on them [YUK]

feeling graphic-ee

i've been a good girl and done some tidying up - well a little bit - between throwing some paint around and stitching. Anyway - one of the good things about tidying up is that you find things you had forgotten you had. This book was buried -- along with about 10 others i made -- under a mountain of life drawings. it's nice being reunited with old friends and it brings back memories of what i was doing when i made them.

found art - various artists

in the loos at a delicious Moroccan cafe in Leeds

illustration friday *detatch*

well as it's friday - here's my illustration

digital fun

I really enjoyed creating these but how i wish i had photoshop :o(

The Pulse

i can't believe there is anybody who hasn't found their way to Seth Apter's The Altered Page but if you haven't ~ you *must*. Starting on Monday there's the results of The Pulse......where you get to find out stuff about artist/bloggers and this time there's pictures too of artists' studios {i don't know how i dared} and other things. Thanks to Seth's hard work there's loads of artists taking part and it sounds like it's going to be the place to be.

****you've seen the blog now get the zine !****

i've had so much fun doing this blog and find it such a great way to 'figure out my creative path' i've decided to do a zine as well. i'm only going to produce 50 of each issue * the first one * features art work about the global clothes industry. its in my etsy shop *$4.00* get yours [before saatchi snaps them up]

african images

i was lucky enough to spend three years working in the rural areas and townships in Limpopo Province in South Africa. these are a few sections of some artwork i did based on my memories of my experience there. i think it's a theme i'll come back to when i have more time.

strawberry blush

this is a section of a textile piece I made to celebrate summer.

sandal drawings

i like drawing shoes because they keep still!

soul journal

here's my houses and doll for the soul journal challenge. The doll is a present for my great aunt who celebrates her 90th birthday this weekend after having a flying lesson! She's always the first on the dance floor and the last to come off hence the disco diva badge i have adorned her with :o)

cabinets, cabinets and give away winners

you would think a woman with this many cabinets lives in a big house ¬ but she doesn't. you might also think that she would not be tempted to say yes to another cabinet on 'freecycle' even before she had seen it ¬ but she was tempted and she said yes and for a few hours before she collected it, she imagined the new cabinet and dared to think that it would be the cabinet of her dreams and that somehow it would fit into her house (which wasn't really cluttered) and every time she looked at it she would feel the joy of finding such a unique article for free. she went to get the cabinet ~ it wasn't the cabinet of her dreams but she didn't say so ~ she bundled it into her car and drove away ~ she realised her mistake and at last she acknowledged the fact that there might be too many cabinets in her tiny terraced house (although they are all very nice). the new cabinet is now at the charity shop and the woman has learnt her lesson.

despite the cabinet antics - i have managed to do some tidying up - and i am pleased to announce that all my fabric is in one place de-de-dah. Thanks to everyone who responded to my giveaway challenge and offered advice about how to de-clutter. It was hard to choose a winner but I think Mistie's tips were the most useful so the Visual Chronicles book will be on its way to you soon. I would also like to send Grrl+dog something for her tempting advice (it seems you know me too well!). Woohoo!

soul journal day 9

I'm dipping in and out of this project and here's one of my pages for day nine of the

challenge. Join in people

soul journal

not very good quality pictures i'm afraid but here's today's effort for the soul journal challenge. first i covered over the original artwork in the old sketchbook. i quite liked the page so it was quite a good lesson in not being materialsistic or sentimental to stick things over something that i liked. i chose a 'found' handwritten note to stick over the top and i punched a circular peephole on the bottom of the page (and the next one) and stuck a button to the third page. then i followed the instructions and wrote all over the 3 pages beginning with today i feel - after this the whole lot got painted in white paint leaving a few areas peeping through. Sarah suggested writing our name all over the book - i wrote it a few times and then drew some little pictures.

I really shouldn't but I'm going to

well thanks to the ms {phabrik} and ms grrl+dog who have been creating gorgeous art as part of the soul journal project over at sarah whitmire's blog, i have decided to pretend to myself that i don't have a tax return, a job, and a major tidying up project to get on with before i can move house......instead i thought i'd join in the fun! Well sarah says you don't have to follow the prompts to the letter so i think i'll just dip in and out. Anyway, day 1 is choosing a book to work in so i've chosen an old half finished sketch book [below] and i'm going to work on top of the splats and drawings etc created about 10 years ago! first of all i have to cover three pages with pages from a dictionary or book and then write over the top................

is it me or does this one {above} kook like a face?

Do you see what I'm up against?

Give away

As I mentioned earlier - I'll be moving house soon and I've started the daunting process of downsizing my art stash (it's quite a big art stash - the kind that has escaped and run amock all over the house). To help reduce the clutter I'm giving away a copy of Visual Chronicles to the person who gives me the best advice as to how i approach this challenge and reduce da mess. To be in with a chance of being the winner just leave me your top tip[s] in response to this post and I'll announce the winner next Tuesday.

de-junking

I'm moving house sometime soon so my art mountain has to be reduced [slightly]. It pains me to part with precious art treasure but it has got to go, go, go so I'm listing some of it on ebay starting with these handmade paper collage packs [above]. I'll keep listing new items so if anyone's looking to aquire more art stash - you know where to look............ here

dolls heads and light bulbs

We found these great little artist workshops when we were on hols in St Ives [good thing] but they were closed [bad thing]. I really liked this artist's work - I think his name might be Daniel Barnard as there was something in the window advertising an exhibition of his.

a meadow and some post

Yay! I'm back from my hols and not only have i arrived back to find some lovely mailart from Joy Logan (thank you Joy) but also the wildflower meadow that my sister planted in her garden has turned into a bumble bee paradise in the unusual heatwave we are having in the UK. Lucky me. And i don't know why these pictures have come above my writing they were meant to come below (disorder, disorder).

sun sand and art art art

at the end of this week i will be off to st ives, cornwall for a week of relaxation by the sea in a place that has inspired artists for generations. Here are some st ives art links for those of you who can't come with me elaine pamphilon michael rees barbara hepworth sculpture garden tate st ives printmakers gallery and check out Linda Styles' ceramics at hidden art cornwall

get out the red carpet

Well now, I think I can do links properly. So having received my award from Mistie I would now like to pass it on to the following:

{phabrik} i don't know if I am allowed to pass this on to the person that gave me it but i am - for a wonderful creative blog with a great name and for lots of comments and encouragement

The Altered Page for continuous information, images and links to wonderful art and inspiring projects

The Artful Zebra for gorgeous things made with scrap metal

This Joy of Art for a wonderfully colourful blog and for teaching me how to do links

ms sunday for very clever writing

ps pirro for liking my untidiness, and creating two great blogs

Painting Lady's Webblog for lovely, sensitive artwork

The rules of accepting are as follows:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

there's just no stopping me now

i've only gone and put a picture of an award i've been given on my blog - there is just no end to my computing genius. Anyway, the fabulous Mistie has given me this award and i am very chuffed indeed. Very soon i will learn how to do fancy links in my posts but until then you will hopefully be able to visit Mistie and her wonderful phabrik blog (what a great name)by this link http://phabrik.blogspot.com/ Once i recover from this frenzy of technological advancements i will be making my nominations for this award and passing it on to some other deserving blog creators.

i've added a link, i've added a link

the lovely Joy Logan added my blog to a list of blogs on her blog - and with my limited technical skills, I have managed to put a link to her blog on mine! to you experts this may seem quite a little thing but to me in my disordered life it is a massive step forward :o)

woohoo

fruit salad

did i tell you i work with adults with visual impairments and learning difficulties? well i do (2 days a week) and yesterday we opened a new show called 'fruit salad'. it's a great celebration of the work of the most unpretentious, creative and positive people i know. most of the work is for sale at very reasonable prices - just give me a shout if there's anything you fancy.............more to follow soon. x

random sketchbook pages

believe it or not this is actually a self portrait

degree show highlight

this giant green felt preying mantis was at a fine art degree show i visited recently.

new pages for alphabet books

this time i chose v for vintage and g for glamourous

(bloomin heck i hope i spelt that right). the great thing about joining in swaps and mail art projects etc is that it encourages me to do art (and finish art).

i so love vintage fabric

pretty wedding

shapes and colours