My creative journey

I don't know about you, but when I am busy at work my creativity tends to dry up and that has been my reality for the last few months. I have also been busy trying to finish stitching  Christmas gifts.  Because of the deadline, I didn't want to start any new stitching projects until they were finished, and as they took far longer than I expected  I had a few projects  (that I was itching to start) that were just collecting dust. Thankfully I have been able to start them now and they include kits from Wildfloss and Innocent Bones. This is not my picture but is the sample from the new embroidery kit I am working on from Wildfloss. Embroidery Kit, 8" Abstract design on natural canvas £36.00 I have completed every Wildfloss kit so far and I love them. I have been embroidering for about 18 months now but would still consider myself a beginner so I find these kits perfect. They offer the right balance of pattern/guidance to creative freedom. The cross stitch pattern I am working

Over the past few years, I have shared with you my favourite unique Christmas cards, stocking fillers and tree decorations, all available from Etsy This year I want to share my favourite advent calendars. Maybe like me, your children are growing up and so they will appreciate a unique advent calendar for the treat it is, or maybe you would like the joy your family members get from opening their gifts to extend beyond the one day, or perhaps (also like me)  you just want to treat yourself a little bit. The possibilities with Etsy really are endless, and there are many more options than those that I am sharing, so I would highly encourage everyone to grab a cup of their favourite hot beverage and spend a fun 30 minutes persuing these sellers, and many more besides that. For the foodies, I have a list of food-based calendars  that contain items such as pork scratching and cheddar cheese, alongside those containing the more traditional chocolate options.  Cheesies Advent Calendar £32.50

Etsy is a treasure trove of goodies and browsing the site for new sellers and products is my favourite way to whittle away 30 minutes. One of the Etsy features I love and use frequently is the favourites features as this allows me to save those products that I may not want to buy immediately but I know will perfect for a future occasion. As someone with quite a few favourites (read that as over 4,000 items) I think that it is fabulous that you can organise your favourites further into lists. At the moment I have 12 lists such as  Modern Jewellery   which contains items like these gorgeous  Eighties Squiggle perspex Earrings from OttoLangs.  I already have one pair but they will remain in my favourites until I have another pair. I have my  Embroidery Kits  list that contains kits I want to try, or try again, such as these from Wildfloss Embroidery and Dropcloth  Samplers I also have a Fun Homewares list that contains gems like these Oven Mitts And an Art list that contains prints

Maya Angelou famously said “You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” but I am sure I am not alone in not struggling with the concept, especially at the moment. Anyone who knows me personally will know that I have battled with my mental health for over half my life and despite an amazing support circle, the right medication and a whole toolbox of tools, sometimes my mood just dips that little bit lower than normal and despite a real urge to create (something, anything !!!) nothing appears.  I am by no means an expert and I sat here writing this rather than creating, so read into that as you may, but there are a few things I have been doing recently to try a keep my creative spark alive until something clicks and I can spend a few hours creating for me again. 1. Keeping up with my favourite creators on Social Media Dina Wakley is a huge inspiration of mine after first seeing her  on YT a few years ago, and she has been so generous with he

I have always been one for shopping small where I can but like many others this year I will making more of an effort as for many small businesses their futures really do hang in the balance. With their usual sources of income around this time of year being canceled, online market places like Etsy , really are important for small businesses in securing those all-important sales. I have been using Etsy for many years.  My first purchase was in May 2009, and in that time I have collated a HUGE list of favorite sellers and items, most of which would be perfect for Christmas, and it is some of these that I will be sharing with you today. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn an affiliate commission. I would never share an item that I would not purchase with my own money. Learn more  here . Let's start with a few stocking fillers...    Tinsel Tits and Cracking Nuts  soaps from Go La La £5.95 each  Chilli Oil and Spice Rub Cooking Gift Set £6.50 from Ca

Sharpened with plenty of vinegar One fat dumpy lady Grossly intimate most definitely not puritan Awkward Guilt A failed chapter The phrases for this poem came from  Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry by B S Johnson. A birthday present from my husband in 2018 that has to be one of my favourite books ever despite me needing to read it with a dictionary beside me. Perhaps it spoke to me only because of my day job but nonetheless speak to me it did and the language inspired a series of found poems. This is the first and my favourite as it is a self-portrait in poetry form. 12 October 2018