Sew Right!

Hello everyone! Look at what I did, I am sooo proud of myself for learning to make this bag and I enjoyed it so much. Look it has pockets too!

At first I must admit was a little apprehensive about sewing, even at school I never did well. But I love the whole idea of making things like bags, skirts and softies for myself and the kids. So now I feel with the limited knowledge I can go forth and learn more progress and have more crafty fun!

My next project in sewing might be a skirt!?

This bag is now my art bag, it has a charcoal, 2b, 4b, 6b, 8b pencils, water colours, brushes, sketch water colour pad and a journal. I take this to my art classes on Thursdays.

I am learning so much from Kim my teacher, she is fabulous and so energetic and inspiring, a real gem! So far we have been doing a lot of sketching and learning about value tone and colour, also a bit of dabling with water colours, next week we start with acrylics which I am excited about and then mixed media, can't wait!

Happy creating everyone, Angie :)

Friendships and Creative Spaces

The very first thing I would like to express is a great big thankyou to Hybid J for passing on the "WaterMelon 10 Award" , I believe that it is for people who blog and share their creative spirit on line, (even though of late I have been rather out of touch on the sharing).
So again THANK YOU and I would like to pass this torch on wards to 3 other gorgeous creative ladies:

• Beverly Baird from Bunny's Girl


• Tamarak from Tamarak's Table


• Cynthia from Under a Violet Moon

These ladies have shown me that as women we can be supportive of each other and inspiring too. So thank you girls for rocking my creative boat!!!

As part of the 'Self-portrait' art prompt this month in Creative Every Day I have been thinking about what things express who I am, what things in this world help define me, show my true colours. I wanted to show you my creative space where most of my work is done. (Often this space is also over taken by 2 smaller girls!) As you can see on the left side I have a sewing machine, given to me by mum 2 x-mas's ago, haven't used it yet. But have just bought some material to make a bag, that is why I have the machine out. I love fabrics and the textures of sewing, but have always been afraid to actually do it! I feel myself resisting to do it. But with baby steps, micro movements, I will make that bag. I have already cut the material ready for sewing, just need to iron the batting on.

Another thing I have been revisiting is Aromatherapy, before children I used to make my own bath salts, massage oils and face masks. Somehow in the busyness of life having moved 3 times since having children I kind of lost a part of me, kind of forgot stuff. (I made massage blends for the girls when they were babies but then I stopped)Here and now I am slowly remembering what is important and have started to make up some new recipes for me. I have a new motto, Natural is best, if you can't eat it its best not to apply it on your body. My first new cleanser I have been using at the moment is a sugar and olive oil scrub. I have oily skin but this seems to give my skin a glow, especially now as it is winter and the heaters are so drying.

So give this a try - 2tbls of brown soft sugar with 1tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and a drop of your favourite essential oil, I use bergamot. I do this in the shower and the aromas of the essential oil are sensational. When I started doing these homemade remedies I felt like it was such an indulgence. I was giving myself the time to care for myself and reconnect with my body, in winter I often feel like I hide my body under the layers of clothing and don't even look at it until summer comes!

Hope you all give yourselves time this weekend to reconnect with yourselves and indulge a little in some YOU time...

Angie ox