Moving Over!!!

Okay, this is it! The time has come.....

I have been writing an identical blog over at typepad for a while now and have been cutting and pasting from that to here, but the fact is I still cannot truly get to grips with blogger (I rubbish, I know!!!) and it is toruous at best. So I have now decided to focus completely on my typepad blog and end this one.

So if there are any readers of my blog here and you would like to join me and my other regular readers over there then you would be very, very welcome! I would love to see you!

So here is the link... http://gilflingsdesigns.typepad.com/gilflings_designs/. I am still promoting my work and etsy shop and will shortly be doing a free giveaway so come on over!

xxx

Past, present and near future.

What a gorgeous day it is here in Nottingham today - the sun is shining - it feels like it may even be the start of spring. I shall have to go out and take some photo's soon. Bit housebound today as my back is bad (6 weeks time can't come too soon for my injection!!) but I am having a great day just catching up, painting, resting and creating (oh and lots of coffee in there too!)

So the exhibition ended yesterday, all my work is back home and I managed to get some photos of the corset (collaboration with the wonderful stiletto heights) on my mannequin which I think shows off the shape much better. I am tempted to try it on but I think it may even still be a bit too small for me (curvy girl that I am!!) It will however probably be going into my etsy shop tomorrow.

The exhibition website is up and running now and if you go to the exhibitor's page there is a rolling screen of many examples of many of the exhibitors work (it takes a wee while to fully load) and is well worth a look to get a general feel of the whole exhibition.

I have gradually been putting the artwork into my shop today as it was starting to look a wee bit empty after a wonderful successful (for me!!) evening on Saturday where I participated in the Saturday Night Specials in the etsy forums. Unfortunately I won't be in it this saturday as we are away visiting Mark's parents (and I think etsying all night might appear little rude!!) but I can definitely see it being a fairly regular occurence in the future.

So I did a workshop on 'The Role of Costume Design in Film' to a group of rather rowdy but brilliant teenagers last night who are working in a group with an organisation to make a couple of short films tackling teenage issues. It was great fun and I may pop along and watch some of the filming next week for a few hours to see how they are doing and also to see if any of what I said made sense!

I have also been working once a month with a group of woman survivors (of various forms of abuse) and I am teaching them accessory making (bags etc) with a view to them setting up their own social enterprise to sell their work in order to raise funds to keep their group going. They are wonderful and to see them grow in confidence is just great. The work they are producing rocks and they are thinking about selling on etsy soon so I better watch out for the competition!! I hope they go ahead with it as I think it would be the ideal platform for them and their work.

I guess the next 6 weeks I am going to have to take it easy a wee bit, (till pain relief injection and scan) but I shall enjoy the challenge of working from home. I also really need to begin contacting theatres and film companies again - it is so tedious and takes up so much time but I am really going to need to get some work for around then - so CV sending and internet hunting galore!! Fun times ahead!!

Well I think I shall spend the rest of the day painting and making a few new ACEO's as I really want to stock the shop up and get some new artwork in there as well as bags (felted and fabric) and other accessories (cuffs and corsages). Maybe even a corset belt or two? Who knows what I will come up with. Infact I even have a wee idea brewing for a 'new for me' item which I am quite excited about so keep checking back!!

My next planned project is a group exhibition with the arts group I am a member of and that is in May so I shall be updating you on that!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

What a week, what a week!!

Well my lovelies where do I even start!! Firstly I must apologise on my absence and lack of updates regarding the exhibition. Also for not being able to catch up on your blogs.
So here is roughly how the week has gone.

Monday - work, work, work. Finshing up corset, artwork, framing pictures etc, etc etc. Go to bed at 5.30am on Tuesday!! (Feeling tired but also a wee bit ill)

Tuesday - Wake up at 7am - immediately so sick!! Mmmm all is not well. Try to get everything together to take exhibition and as well as feeling sick, back has also decided to give out and try as hard as I can - I cannot lift my mannequin!! Panic, what am I going to do!!! Okay I will lie down inbetween bathroom trips and cold sweats. Who can I call?? Mark is away working over night, everyone is working - there is nothing for it, I shall have to call exhibition. Tears of frustration. Dizziness. I am ill!! Tired? Yes, but also ill!!!

So I have to wait till Wednesday. Mark comes back, I cry again. Lots of hugs, things are not so bad, the world has not completely ended after all.

So after much sleeping we depart to take work to the exhibition. I am shaking like a leaf - have slept practically the entire day before. But nevermind we get there eventually. Exhibition is set up and I am so proud - and pleased with how it looks!!! The whole exhibition is more than I could have imagined!! Everything looks wonderful and the work is spectacular. (I wish I could take photographs but obviously I can't - although there may be exhibition photos on the exhibition website next week.

I am so pleased with how the corset came out!! Stiletto Heights has made it to the UK!! Jenn's artwork looks incredible I think you will agree. I really wanted to use lots of colour in this corset and I think the pink, purple and gold gives a very baroque almost carnival feel to the piece.

Jenn I am actually rather nervous about you seeing the finished thing!! I really hope you like it!!

So I have one other corset as well as a full costume in the exhibition and also 4 framed pieces of art. The Follies costume is from my art college degree. The corset I have hand painted and embroidered and the skirt is hand felted vintage lace. The unicorn headress is sculpted from wire with wool running through the framework and a hand made mask.

The other corset is again printed leather and is more of a victorian style.

There are 4 pieces of framed artwork

Two costume renderings (one of the follies costume) and 2 new pieces.

Please excuse the terrible photos!! I plan to get more of the art corset taken on the mannequin when the exhibition comes down as you can't truly appreciate it till it is on a figure. And this is how it looks all together!!



I am really please with how it all came out.
BUT I didn't make it to the preview!! It was all just too much and I slept solidly for 2 whole days practically. Yuck I was ickily ill. Not good. I haven't even tidied my workroom yet. Infact I shall have to photgraph it as a lesson to myself to NEVER let it get in that state again!!

So that is the exhibition!! I hope you like it and are not too sick of hearing about it!

In other news, my appointment at the spinal unit came around much quicker than I had anticipated and I got a cancellation appointment today. The news is that I am going to need surgery probably in a couple of years but in the meantime they are going to inject my spine in about 6 weeks time and I am having scans. The injections will be every 3 months to numb the area so I should be 'almost' pain free and will be able to work etc.

I only started my own business officially last october so it has been quite a worrying time that I have been earning practically zilch since the end of december as I have only been able to do the few workshops I teach and the occassional commission. Not a great start. But I am going to have a wee bit of an experiement next week and have an 'etsy' week whilst looking for theatre work. I really want to see how much I can make and list in a week and consequently how much I can sell (ha ha - now that is the HARD part!!). But the fact is I need to take a bit of a break until my injection and not push myself to do too much other work. I will still teach but I want to see how things go the next 6 weeks until my injection - then it will be full steam ahead (hopefully!!) and I will be able to start doing the occassional film again.

So that has been MY week!! How has yours been?! Okay I have to be off now to prepare for a workshop I teaching tomorrow - sorry this has been a bit of a random/or overly focussed on me post. I am thinking of you all and am looking forward to catching up on all your blogs over the weekend. Work tomorrow, cinema to see 300 on Sunday and the rest of the day drinking tea and blog browsing. Bliss.

Take care and have a great weekend!!

A Wee Bit of Imagination

Well my darlings!! How are you all? This again I am afraid is to be the shortest of posts but I so wanted to update you on the corset (and please forgive me for the lack of linky word thingies but I am so in a rush - things to do, things to do!! ) I feel like the rabbit from Alice and Wonderland!!

I really want to thank you all for reading my blog and leaving lovely comments and just really being such wonderful people, working from home can be a lonely thing sometimes, but no longer when I have such truly incredible support and friendship here!! You are all lovely!!

So here are a few update photos of the position of the corset as it was 2 days ago. I had hoped to be further on with it but alas (please forgive me for boring you with this!!) yep it was the week of being driven insane by my back etc.

But here we have it nonetheless - and all I ask of you is to use a wee bit of imagination!! I love this stage actually, making the toile, as there is no other way to say it, but at this stage the 'prototype' always looks hideous!! And it can be hard to picture it in all it's glory in the final wonderful fabrics. I have made this pattern from scratch to fit around the artwork on the leather provided by the wonderful Jenn.

As the other corsets I am displaying are TINY!! I have decided to go for a wonderful womanly size for this one. Shock horror - an actual size 14 (US size 10 I think!!) Ha ha no size 0's in this house baby!! I myself am a rather curvy size 16 and do not subscribe atall to this notion of 'thin is the only kind of beautiful'. (It has to be said too that I also wanted to get as much of the artwork by stiletto heights onto this corset as possible and that simply would not have worked on a tiny figure!!)

I had originally intended on handpainting and embroidering the fabric on the rest of the corset but after holding up samples against the leather I decided to let the artwork be the complete focus, I think it just stands out so beautifully and did not want to allow anything to detract from that. The fabric I am using on the rest of the corset is a wonderful dusky purple taffeta and the flounce is going to be hand dyed fabrics with a bit of gold in there too!!

I did however add a little bit of gold fabric paint (just the absolute minumum!!) and some gold embroidery to the image (I hope you approve Jenn!!) just to tie it into the gold fabric that I have used in other places on the corset. I had to get gold in there somewhere!!

I am really ridiculously excited about this as well as being stupidly nervous about the whole exhibition. I am displaying one other costume (a follies costume I made at college - which feels a bit like cheating but I have been unable to make a new one due to health and finances - but I feel it does fit in with the theme of the exhibition). I have also been working on new pieces of artwork and am framing 2 large costume rendorings from the same previous project. So it all has to be finished tonight!! I am teaching a workshop this afternoon which I am so ill prepared for and it is over an hours drive away so how I am going to be able to focus on that I do not know!! I will be itching to get back home to get on with things.

My poor lovely and adorable Mr Cox has just been wonderful the last week. He has been on holiday and has had to put up with my artistic temperament times 100 whilst making meals and supplying me with endless cups of tea and coffee etc. We did manage to get out for a lovely dinner on Friday and also went to the opticians for eye tests and I am getting 2 new pairs of beautiful glasses!! (Buy one get one free) which will be a godsend as my current pair are a disgrace. I was asked if I wanted contacts - but no frames are the thing for me - they are part of my appearance and I love them. Mark is getting glasses too for the first time and I cannot wait - he will look adorable in them.

Okay back to work for me!!! Sorry for the lack of blog commenting etc. I will be back with all my heart and soul on Wednesday - with new photos of the exhibiton and finished work and cannot wait to see what you have all been up to.

PS Vanessa - typepad has been acting like a petulant child for me again and I have been unable to leave comments on your blog!!! I am so sorry - but your shop looks wonderful - I am so proud to know you!! Emails will be sent shortly!!

Oh and as for the 'sorry this will be a short post' idea at the top of the page - clearly I am completely incapable!!

Busy, busy bee

Just a quick update from me today as I really have to get alot of work done!! I hope you are all well my dears. Will be working on the corset all day today and looking forward to making some headway with it. Going to be handpainting taffeta and free embroidering in gold metalic thread to contrast with the beautiful artwork by Jenn which has been printed onto the leather which will make up the front panel.

I am going to be making a few small pieces of artwork too and as I really don't think I can take any time out to go hunting for antique frames I have found the next best thing in hobbycraft (I want to hate this store but actually it is continuously saving my bacon when I am desperate for some art materials or forget to buy something for one of the workshops I teach). They are very ornate and gold (oh I adore gold!!!) and are probably not anywhere near as nice as the real thing would be but I have gone for a bit of a baroque theme so they will look perfect along with my other costume and will just contain the small paintings beautifully.

They are hideously expensive though so I can only afford a couple and can only get small ones but that is okay as I am quite enjoying working on small pieces at the moment. Isn't it funny, at art college I also wanted to work on large scale pieces when I considered studying fine art but since choosing costume I have found myself enjoying working on a smaller scale.

These small circus themed art cards were listed in my etsy shop yesterday - and although I have listed them separately I would really love them to be bought as a set - they are a family and as such could not bear to be parted from each other after all!!!

Right that is it - off the work room for me!!! Why is it as soon as I contemplate working my tummy starts to make desperate noises of hunger??

Dreaming of a life in the country

Well my dears!! How are things with you? I hope life is good and all is well. The weather has been so beautiful here the last few weeks - so unlike the UK!! But every day even though it should really be the middle of winter - the sky is blue and it is gloriously sunny with just a bite in the air.

I had a wonderful drive out to Derbyshire last Friday to get Jen's arwork printed onto the leather for the corset for the exhibition. And it just looks better than I had even imagined!! The colours are so divine (there will be progress photographs in the next couple of days I promise!!). At first I couldn't decide between a beautiful aged creamy leather or a darker leather but in the end decided on a pale glove leather which just makes the colours sing out and makes it so true to the original piece which Jen emailed to me. Now I just have to make the corset!!

After the leather shop I went to Cauldwell's Mill which is in the Peak District and is a working Mill with coffee shop, gift centre and artists workshops. This fellow above is there to greet any arrival to the coffee shop - and I treated myself to what has to be the most gorgeous home made soup and cake in the county!!! Just have a look at this!

It is such an old fashioned place filled with history and I would really love to read more about them. I am sure there are many tales and adventures to discover about the history of the places and the people. It is our dream to eventually buy and old stone cottage there with maybe enough land to build a studio in the gardern for me. I would love to have a few ducks and a river or a stream at the end of the garden - just how divine would this be!! Of course who knows how possible that would be - prices are prohibitively expensive and it is only the city dwellers who are rich enough to have second homes or holiday dwellings who can really afford this - but a girl can dream!! I mean who wouldn't want to wake up to these views every morning!

Saturday morning we drove out to a farmers market and bought so much food!! All fresh vegetable and glorious bread and other tasty delights. I think this just shows that we are really country bumpkins at heart - forced through finances to live the city life for now - but we will get where we want to be - I am ever hopeful!!

Poor Mark - I do feel bad for him. He is on holiday this week from work but as luck would have it, or bad planning, or just the way life works - I of course am really busy preparing for the exhibition. This always seems to happen when he is on holiday. I have some other thing going on and cannot really take time off. And even worse than that (although I am sure he would try to deny it!!) is the fact that our main PC seems to have picked up some life threatening illness and is just sitting in the corner of the room a big hunk of useless metal. So Marks dreams of a week playing World of Warcraft or whatever it called have had to be abandoned. So he is feeling a wee bit sorry for himself. Of course I have tried the 'life could be worse dear' words of wisdom which haven't gone down too well!! So the droopy petulant bottom lip continues. Poor dear.

We did decide that maybe we could go away for an overnight trip up to the historical city of York and eat out and have coffee and be tourists for 2 days at the weekend but at the moment it is dependant on how I get on with my work this week. And knowing my complete inability to judge my time and how long it takes me to complete tasks I have to say that I not too hopeful!! But how do I break it to him?? Oh dear - to have to be the bearer of bad news. Any other time I would have been able to have worked day and night to get my work done so we could go away but alas I am not sure my back is up to it at the moment. I shall just have to put out a wee advert for some fairies or elves who can work at some handstitching whilst I am sleeping - just like that wonderful fairy tale of the elves and the shoemaker that I so loved as a child!! Oh but where to find them??

I have discovered so many beautiful and wonderful blogs and inspiring creators on the internet the past few weeks. I am so dying to highlight them here - maybe when I have a little bit less on my plate then I shall trawl through the bookmarked pages to show you!! I am still such a slow bunny on the internet - when will i ever get used to links and html and all these things that are so foreign to me!!

No artwork to show you today. But I did sell 'Sophia' the same day I listed her last week (she is on my last blog post) so was over the moon. After the exhibiton I am so looking forward to working on loads more pieces of small art for my etsy shop. I have a couple more ACEO's to list but that may have to wait till tomorrow!! It will give me a reason to update my day on here again - I so want to get into the habit of saying hello much more regularly as it is the highlight of my day reading all of your posts and thoughts and seeing your work.

Ok my lovelies - back off the spare room for me - there is work to be done!!! Have a wonderful day wherever you are!!

Creating and Anticipating

Well my dears - how the time passes (do I begin every post in this way....oh dear!!)

Ongoing projects are continuing - the burlesque exhibition looms - 10 days I think until D Day - 10 days!!!! How can that be! The leather is to be printed tomorrow - now that I am so excited about! So the plan is that there will be 2 new corsets including the collaboration with the beautiful stiletto heights which will be hung on gorgeous ribbon covered hangers on the wall (hangers still to be made).

I am also working on 2 framed pieces inspired by burlesque and incorporating costume ideas. I would have loved to have found some stunning ornate antique gold carved frames to put them in but alas I think I have left it too late to make a miraculous discovery such as this - unless I have time to go antique shopping next week and they by some stroke of luck fall at my feet I cannot imagine I will make such a find.

Unfortunately my back condition has made life a wee bit difficult since my last post (I am now being put on a fastrack to an appointment at the spinal unit - so am not sure how long that will take 'fastrack' could mean anything!!) so my dreams of making a fabulous, glitzy and spectactular new burlesque costume for the exhibition has not really been possible - I am trying not to worry about it though. Money is a wee bit tight so it was probably a bit too ambitious anyway. I would much rather make a few well made pieces and be happy with what I have achieved, than rush to make a full costume which I feel is rushed and not well made.

And in other news!! Well I have been putting more small art pieces in my etsy store the last couple of days which I am happy about. I am still finding my way and really just spending time happily at my work table drawing away and I really have not been thinking about what others may feel about the pieces or what the response would be. But I was absolutely over the moon yesterday when the above piece The Masked Ball sold within a few hours of putting it in my shop!!! The thought that someone, somewhere saw this and loved it enough to want to own it just overwhelms me!! I am not sure I will ever get used to that feeling - in the best possible way of course. It will never cease to delight me.

I love making the cuffs and corsages and the bags, but my aim is to really begin to fill my shop with much more original pieces. More artwork and original accessories such as art inspired belts and even sculptural pieces. I feel I am slowly making my way there and each piece that I sell encourages me to make the things I love.

The above piece - Caged by Beauty was inspired by Creative Challenge #40 and this is my idea behind it;

Inspired by Creative Challenge #40 this illustration represents to me our past transgressions against nature and in particular the animal kingdom. Caging animals for their beauty has now led us to cage animals in order to ensure their survival – at least in some forms. I am a huge lover of museums and have often been inspired by the animal sections, however the rows and cabinets and cases of stuffed animals has often led me to wonder where they came from – especially the rare species. Surely they could not have been collected purely to be encased in dusty old Victorian cabinets – I hope not but I do fear that is the case. Endlessly fascinated by cabinets of curiosities though for their sadness and their beauty I guess I love to include them in my work.

I haven't managed to submit it yet so that is my next task for today.

And this is another piece going in my shop today. Sophia is again inspired by my love of victorian photographs of obstinate children, dressed in beautiful but constrictive victorian clothing, and clearly bored to tears by the trauma of the length of time it took to take a photograph. I just adore them!!
Okay my lovely and beautiful blog friends - I have to get back to work now, but will it be to the spare room to sew or to the dining table to paint and draw and dream - I am not sure. Gosh this has been a very serious and tack orientated post! But such is my life at the moment I guess. I must, must, must take my camera tomorrow for my drive to the green rolling hills and valleys of derbyshire where I am going to get the leather printed. I may even stop off for tea and cake on the way!!! And I must have photographs to show you for the next post - oh yes that is what I shall do!!! Take care!!

When A Week Seems Like a Day

Oh my dear hearts - how I have missed you!! Gosh where has the time gone this past ....... week and a half.....has it been...it couldn't possibly....I think it has. Busy, busy, busy...and I have so much to catch up on. Blogs to read, catching up on all your adventures and dreams and activities, yes that is what I shall have to do. I am so sorry I have not been commenting on your wonderful tales, I have had the occassional brief visit to read and gaze but so little time for writing and thinking.
Life has been too busy this past week, work and business courses and commissions and teaching and worrying about money, and being frustrated as I have had zero time to create, my etsy shop is severely neglected, the work table covered with half and almost but not quite finished projects. The exhibition looms (oh just wait to see the image Jen stiletto heights) has made for the corset project - can I show it? It has already sold in her store, it is more than I could have hoped for and I am off to get the leather printed this week. But how can the exhibition be so soon!!

I am excited and terrified all at the same time. So much to do and I want it all to be perfect. There is such a buzz around the event, with a big weekend party with press and burlesque dancers, all very exciting. There will be progress images as I do the work for it here, so look out for those!
But life as ever is never all rosy, and my spine and neck problems are making it all very difficult at the moment. The last week has also seen a visit to the doctors yet again (a lovely and very sympathetic doctor this time who vowed that to get me pain free until my appointment at the spinal unit was her priority) so a change in medication, tears of frustration when my fingers and hands haven't worked when I have had deadlines looming and still hours of hand sewing to do (the deadling wasn't met, the white elephant of a wedding dress is still weighing heavy on my mind and my time) and I have had most of the day in bed today as I just couldn't get up having overworked myself the past week or so. So there we have it - the life is like a box of chocolates scenario - most of the them are lovely and sweet and just right - but then you bite into the one that you just could have done without. Oh am morose today....do I delete the last paragraph or just be real and leave it in? Okay I shall be real then.....you will get to see a more rounded image of me rather than the one dimensional 'isn't life wonderful' me that I sometimes wish I could portray - but it wouldn' t really be me now would it!
It is amazing how writing in this kind of public way can sometimes be freeing, sometimes achingly difficult. When things are great I want to tell the world...when things are not so great, well it has to stay inside somehow. I was never really one for keeping a journal as a child and only wrote my first one in my twenties when it felt like I would burst otherwise. I have not kept a journal for a few years now, life is more settled and I am generally a much happier person, more content - for me a journal was to cry into, to try and understand myself, not so much for celebrations or to write achievements - and now I express myself and find my self and feed my soul in other ways. Oh I am waffling a wee bit here!!
I would love to hear why people blog - it is something I am still getting used to, being more of an old fashioned girl myself I am really intrigued by it. I have always been a voracious reader more than a writer (I dream of being a writer of course - with notebooks of ideas - maybe someday) and I just adore meeting new people. I am living in a city where I can sometimes feel very lonely - I am a member of a wonderful group of artists but we meet so irregularly. Most of my close friends are so far away and it seems strange but emailing and texting can sometimes make it harder, if I miss someone I want to SEE them! To laugh with them, reminisce, come up with new 'in jokes' that you can only have with that particular set of friends, that no one else will understand. I am the worlds worst at keeping in contact with people, and it is never that I don't miss them but that I am just waiting to see them again!! Nothing else will do.
And so my friends (old and new) I wish we could meet for a coffee (and cake of course), discuss art and life, relationships and 'oh how gorgeous that pendant is' or did you see that dress she was wearing at the oscars'. 'real' sleep overs, movie nights, what did you want to be when you were a child - I wish we could do all that for real!! But isn't this wonderful nonetheless. That I can meet you all in blog land, a peek into a pocket of your lives, see your art, your loves, read about your mini adventures, your passions....yes it might make me a teensy bit wistful and sad but it is mostly wonderful and illuminating, and is also one of the highlights of my day. Whether it is a great day or one where you can't wait for tomorrow.
Oh but I cannot finish without mentioning the absolutely incredible piece of art I received through the mail this morning from the wonderful stiletto heights. It is here and is just even more beautiful than the image suggests if that is even possible. It is so appropriate that it arrive today, a tuesday and really captures the way I am feeling today, a wee bit sad, lost in my own thoughts, but there is always tomorrow. And would you believe that when finding the link to this I even had to buy some more!! But you know when you are just drawn to something and it fits, well what more can I say.
Have a wonderful day my dears.

Sleep Over Stories and who ate all the cakes!!

Well my lovelies - I was a fairly rubbish guest yesterday - did you notice I had crawled behind the couch and fallen asleep whilst you were all partying!! After an exhausting day of teaching on very little sleep it all just got a wee bit too much for me. (There was also a little trail of donut crumbs courtesy of Aimee which would have led you to my partied out presence!)
Okay so it is 11am here in the UK and I am up and about with a wedding dress to finish and I am going to sneak out for a bit with my sweetheart for Sunday Lunch! But before that I have to show you what I have brought to the party today!


Well what do we have here? Mmmm homemade coconut and almond squares - all 2 of them, me thinks some one has been gatecrashing the party and has got to them first! Martini, red wine on a sunday morning! Scandalous! No actually these were taken last night.

Okay I have 3 tales of slumber parties of old and I would love to hear of yours!!

#1 When I lived in London aged 9 or so I used to stay at my best friends Suzanne where we would watch and laugh our socks off at Dolly Parton in 9 - 5 - we were so 80's! Dancing to cheesy music and munching on chocolate ice cream!

#2 Aged 13 and in Scotland now - staying at Dawn's and a terrible experience with a ouija board and a 'ghost' named emily who said she had come to scotland in the 16th century and died in a huge fire - and she could tell us things about us that we did not know about each other - cold draughts and 2 terrified girls!! Was it all for real - I still wonder even today!

#3 This is my favourite! Now aged 15 and I used to stay at my friend Jane's house at least every 2nd weekend - In one adventure ridden weekend with many a catastrophe!

- She had an old horse called Fred Flinstone and we both rode him a few miles down the old railway line to a picnic site where we unpacked our picnic delights. Fred was a tame and slow old soul who never usually needed to be tied up - alas on this occassion he decided he had some spirit still left in him and decided to bolt through the woods and out onto the main road and gallop off into the distance!!! With us in hot pursuit! A car stopped and asked if we needed a lift to go after him - a polite young man - but we had left the saddle and bridle and food at the picnic table - so Jane told me to stay to look after it all and she would come back for me. It was only when she had gone that I started to panic - thinking she was going to be murdered or something - she had just gone off with a man in a car for goodness sake! I sat sobbing while a group of children cam along and asked if they could eat my food! I sat there crying for about 20 minutes with children eating my oranges and yoghurt not knowing what to do, till Jane returned with her mum to tell me Fred had been found right at the back door of her house looking very sorry for himself.

- The VERY SAME weekend - we decided to have a game of seeing how far up the stairs we could jump off onto a pile of blankets and pillows at the bottom of the stairs and who would chicken out first (because that is what you do when you are 15 isn't it). We thought we were keeping ourselves out of trouble after the 'Fred incident'. It was only later that night when we were in our beds that we heard her mother cry 'Why is there a huge dent in the floorboards at the bottom of the stairs!!! She would probably have never known about our antics if I hadn't of let out a shreek of despair under the duvet and discoverd Jane in absolute hysterics under hers!! Needless to say Jane's dad had to pull them up and completely replace the 3 broken floor boards the next weekend - gosh we were popular.

And what do we have here - pie-jimminies and mickey mouse socks! and yep one is inside out!
Okay truth or dare time!! I want to know who your oldest and most embarassing celebrity crush is - and I don't mean the length of time you have had the crush! I mean OLDEST!!

Okay mine are 1) Harrison Ford 2) Jack Nicholson 3) Billy Idol 4) And I think Willie Nelson is just so cute!!!

So you have to write about yours either in the comments or in your blog - and come up with a truth or dare for everyone else too!

Oh Mr Wonk (my dad's old teddy bear since he was born) looks most annoyed that we are about to make face masks out of his honey - oh I am sure he will get over it - honey is not just for eating Mr Wonk!! It will make us even more beautiful too!

Okay peeps - My sunday lunch is calling me now and Mr Cox is impatiently waiting for me to interrupt the party to get dressed so we can go out.

Don't forget I want to hear your slumber party stories and you secret 'oldy' celebrity crushes. I shall be back to visit you all later!!

I am such a dufus!!

Okay I don't really know what it means but I take any excuse to use the word dufus as I love it - is it rude? I don't really know - please don't tell me if it is!!

BUT I missed all the recent comments you lovely people have left me on here as I have been just using my typad account lately and hadn't realised anyone was visiting here!!! But I shall now keep it up.... now that I know you are visiting that is....if you still are....please come again soon!

Okay enjoy the party this evening ladies - I have to get my ass into my entirely British bed as it is after 2 am this morning - sorry to be such a party pooper but I am up in 5 hours!! However I shall begin partying again, playing truth or dare with myself, maybe have a glass of wine and put on a face mask and be ready to begin again tomorrow - and with photographs even!!

Love and hugs to you all.

Dancing to David Bowie and The things I do to avoid putting in a zip.

Oh my gosh - how did this happen!! Over a week since my last blog post - I haven't wished any of you a happy valentines - and well things just have been running away from me!!

I really have to ap0logise, I have been religiously reading all your blogs as usual this week (I could never miss out on them now, they are part of my daily routine, I look forward to them so much) but I am not sure if it is laptop trouble or just me trouble but I am having real difficulty commenting on blogs - blogger is just a long tortuous process and typepad (the very blog device I use!! - having completely neglected my blogger account) well the damn thing will not allow me to leave a comment! It takes FOREVER and then seems to time out with no comment left. I tried to resort to saving my comments so I could try again - but after time and time again it just wouldn't work. If anyone can help me on why this would be it would be much appreciated! But please know that even if I do not leave a wee message I am still popping in to see how you all are.

Anyway onto more delightful things. Did you have a wonderful valentines? I hope you all did my sweets no matter whether you were with a lover, friends, family or spoiling your own self rotten with long soaks in the bath and chocolates by candlelight.

As for me, well I had to have a self imposed banishment from the computer for the day as after waking up before Mark as I usually do, I went through to the living room to peruse blogs, etsy and all my usual other daily things when he came through with such a look of mock disgust on his face that I would 'choose' etsy over a lie in with him that inbetween laughing at his utter dismay and trying to appease him with cups of tea, I thought I should actually spoil him with my undivided attention!! Seriously, he was devastated! But I have to tell you, he spoiled me rotten. He bought me the much coveted Ray La Montagne album, Trouble - I have wanted this album for so long! We went for a glorious breakfast at our favourite deli for the gourmet breakfast (sooooo delicious). And then he had to go work, which was a bit sad. He works 4 late shifts on weekdays which means most of my evenings are spent alone, I guess I get to watch what I want on the TV though!

The rest of this week has gone by in a bit of a haze due in part to ridiculous levels of back and neck pain and migraines - and in all of that have I made sure I have enough of my prescription pain relief? - no I haven't. And I can't get anymore till next week as I can't get a doctors appointment. Damn and blast.

So what else have I been doing? Oh yes dancing at sporadic moments inbetween working to David Bowie's Greatest Hits - yep even with back pain I can still dance to David Bowie. I love him. And it is great when I need a break from working. Speaking of which - I have to finish a wedding dress for Monday (this was part of a semi-distastrous workshop I tried to teach a few months ago - I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say I have to get this thing finished for Monday and it has become the bane of my life. Invisible zips - who designed them anyway!!! Buttons and loops - Can I sew them in half an hour? Of course I can't - it will take at least 6 hours which I seriously don't have.

So what is the photo we have here? Is it the wedding dress? No. Is it the leather Pirates hat I need to have finished by Tuesday? No. Is it the hand bags and lesson plan and instruction leaflet I have to have done for teaching the accessories workshop with the ladies group TOMORROW!!? No my dears it is not. Is it the many other distractions I have been playing with to prevent me thinking about all of the above? The stamping on the back of ACEO's cards to work on. The 2 box canvases I am painting. The 2 flat canvas cards I am thinking about what to illustrate with. The cuff I am knitting, the headband I am finishing. The trinket box I have started. Yep it is all of these things. Is there a zip in sight? No, that has been banished to the other room so I do not have to look at it.

Oh goodness - so many other things to write about!! Should I? Or should I get back to work. Oh why not use it as a delightful distraction! I received the most wonderful parcel from the incredible and beautiful Stiletto Heights - 2 more of her Art Cards and the 3rd instalment of her comic - wonderful!! I did not think it was possible to show such emotion and heartbreak in a comic, but it absolutely is!

And I have to tell you however briefly about our forthcoming collaboration! I can't believe I haven't mentioned it yet - but I am seriously excited about it. The exhibiton is in Nottingham and is called Ooh La La Burlesque Inspired Art March 2007. I am currently designing work, or should I say WILL be designing work in the way of a costume, corsets and artwork to display here. I have previously made printed leather corsets and costume parts and am incredibly honoured that Jenn from Stiletto Heights is going to be making a piece of her stunning artwork for me to use on a corset. More details as it happens!!

And the final thing.... (I have been interrupted by so many phone calls whilst writing this that now I really have to get back to work) but I am going to a slumber party tonight!! It may even be my first one since childhood or at least since I was a teenager (not including the sausage casserole, eybrow tinting, gin, although I would always forget to drink it, and any Joaquin Phoenix film filled sleep overs from when my best buddy Kate would come over to stay when I still lived in Edinburgh) and YOU could come too! It is a virtual party (which means I am not really sure how it will work - but I don't care, all I know is it will be a hoot and it is all weekend long!!). There are many glorious and fantastic people who will be popping in over to the weekend long party. More details will be on Jenn's blog where there is also a guest list. I have to think of what to bring..... of course cakes, a face mask, my pyjama's..... oh and maybe an unfinished wedding dress and damn blighty invisible zip? And lots of dancing music....anyone for David Bowie?

Bye for now my sweets and hopefully see you at the party!!

Movie Dates and A long Awaited Return to Femininity

Oh it has been too long since I last wrote already! I am really enjoying all your lovely comments and interest in my wee part of the world and I LOVE, LOVE the fact that I am meeting so many creative, lovely and talented wonders in this apparently small internet world - through the blogs I read and the names I recognise so many of us are connected by our interests, obsessions and loves.

So the last few days have been a kind of a wonderful blur. Sunday we went to see 'Blood Diamond' and oh my gosh - it is one of the most devastating, amazing films I have seen for such a long time. It is well known to my friends and family that I am not really a huge fan of 'girly', 'fluffy' films - I would always choose Gladiator over Bridget Jones, anything epic, challenging, 'boy's film's' really. In truth I love most kind of movies, but this was really incredible.

I sobbed all the way through it (and was still crying when I got home - gosh I am always crying!) but for me it is really important to see films that affect me in this way - when I am complaining about the trivial, when I feel morose and forget what a wonderful life I have, when I forget how to be happy, this brings me down to earth with a bump. For me if a film can affect me in this way, it can completely change my outlook on my life and the world. It is hard as I spent the first half of the film feeling like I hate the world we live in, that these things go on, but ultimately it also makes me appreciate so much the good that is there.

Sorry if I am harping on, and I hope I don't sound like I am preaching but there it is. Oh and in my opinion both lead actors completely deserve the oscars they have been nominated for.

Okay onto lighter fair and tonight I went to see Miss Potter! Wonderful and lovely and a treat - the look of it is beautiful, the scenery spectacular, and I drooled over the costumes. I love the way she just emmersed herself in her her creative world - that is something to aspire to I think!

I came to a horrible realisation today that I am losing my femininity! Seriously, up until recently I was the 'skirt girl' - not only skirts, but petticoats, boots, bloomers, earrings, all day every day till I got home and then straight into my 'pie-jiminies'. I owned one pair of jeans, a pair of converse old style trainers and they only came out for working on film sets. Today I realised that I wear jeans (and I can't believe I am admitting this...) more days that I care to mention. And it has crept up on me without me even realising. Now I know in the grand scheme of things it shouldn't really be an issue, but HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!!!

Well basically I have become too comfortable and I want my dress sense to go back to the way it was! the thing is, I either work from home (when I may never leave the house) or I work in my studio (which is above a furniture workshop and hence the dustiest filthiest studio in the world). I become a dust mite within seconds of entering that place - so I have been dressing down, down, down. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with jeans, but I look like a dumpling in them and I just realised how much I miss my former victorian-esque, World War II evacuee, Railway Children kind of style (okay maybe it wasn't quite as good as that - but that is how I imagined I looked). So from tomorrow, out come the petticoats, the patterned tights, the beads and I will be back to my usual self, I shall even get out the red lipstick. Okay so I am only going to the dusty old studio, but I will look like I am going to the theatre!

I finally managed to finish my effort for the Etsy Creative Challenge from about 3 weeks ago. It is a belt which I designed and created and was influenced by the wonderful singer/songwriter Kate Bush, who I am so in love with. Here is my description of the idea behind it - based on the song 'A coral room' -

This belt is for me more a piece of art as it represents so many different things (see details below). The belt is made from varying different silk fabrics which were bleached to give a faded effect, and then dyed with a coral fabric dye. The effect is a purposefully aged, worn, vintage look.

The lyrics of the song (written below) inspired me to make this belt. The song brings images to my mind of lovers waiting for their men who are at war, not knowing if they will return. As the song reminds me of images of fighter pilots of the first and second World Wars I wanted to give an aged and worn look to the fabrics – as if it had been lying in a trunk for generations only to be found moth-eaten and faded, but inherently beautiful. A vintage piece with memories worn into the fabric.

The belt is for sale in my http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=46051&order=§ion_id=&page=2

(PS I am having real trouble figuring out the best and most effective way of photographing garments on a mannequin. My photographs for small items is gradually improving since making a sort of light box, but if you have any hints and tips for photographing clothes and accessories on a mannequin, they will be gratefully received!)

Have a wonderful day.

A CORAL ROOM

There's a city, draped in net
Fisherman net
And in the half light, in the half light
It looks like every lover
Is covered in webs
Moving and glistening and rocking
It's babies in rhythm
As the spider of time is climbing
Over the ruins

There were hundreds of peole living here
Sails at the windows
And the planes came crashing down
And many a pilot drowned
And the speed boats flying above
Put your hand over the edge of the boat
What do you feel?

My mother and her little brown jug
It held her milk
And now it holds her memories
I can hear her singing
"Little brown jug don't I love thee"
"Little brown jug don't I love thee"
Ho ho ho, hee hee hee

I hear her laughing
She is standing in the kitchen
As we come in the back door
See it fall
See it fall
Oh little spider climbing out of a broken jug
And the pieces will lay there a while
In a house draped in net
In a room filled with coral
Sails at the window
Forests of masts
Put your hand over the side of the boat
Put your hand over the side of the boat
What do you feel?

by Kate Bush

Wardrobes and Everlasting Love

Gosh I have been neglecting my blog this week. I have missed it and the contact with the world, also the way in which it helps focus my thoughts and motivates me to get on with things. And of course most of all I miss the thought that somewhere, this holds some interest for those who may be reading this.

Mmm well it has been a bit of an up and down week...the down's include strange petty arguments over nothing on Saturday..... there are only 2 things that get me and Mark niggling at each other (not very often it has to be said) one of which is the old money worries, the second is the ugliness and insecurity that comes from me being over tired and in pain from my back. I become a little monster! Two days sitting on really uncomfortable seating and then a whole day standing on Friday had just proved a little too much for me and my old decrepit spine. So that was Saturday....but it was okay, because he knows me better than I know myself and after half an hour of silliness, and me feeling so empty I just wanted to hide away, I just sat in his arms and cried..... and the pettiness was over.

Sorry, this is turning into a morose tale...it gets better I promise! This week is our 2 year anniversary and we had planned to go to London Tuesday/Wednesday - the place where we met and fell in love. But money is tight and so we decided instead to spend half the money we would have spent on 2 days away...... on a wardrobe! Well I cannot tell you how much in love with this wardrobe I am..okay it is from IKEA, Ok it is not the vintage style loveliness I would normally have wanted to go for, OK it is completely and boringly practical, but we can fit enough in there to fill 2 wardrobes (it is tall enough for a rail above and below and we have so little space in our wee flat) and we don't have to fight to get our clothes of a rail that falls down every five minutes, and it is just .....lovely! Okay enough with the wardrobe.



So instead of going away, we have had 2 lovely days on our own together, just doing our thing. Tuesday we went to our favourite deli for our all time favourite organic cooked breakfast (you wouldn't believe how good this tastes) then just wandering around town, chatting and freezing our butts off. Yesterday we drove out to the Derbyshire Peak District (the place where we dream of living). Stupidly I forgot to take my camera, but it is all green hills and woods, old stone villages and craft shops, mills, the stuff of Jane Eyre and old Sherlock Holmes movies. We ate Bakewell Tart in Bakewell, proper rustic soup and bread and more cake (coffee and walnut) near Matlock and it was just a dream date for our anniversary. It is so important to us to never let the day to day stuff of life take over, and we love our days out in the country - who cares if it makes us seem old before our time - if we are still doing the same stuff when we are 85 then I will be thankful for the wonderful life we will have had together.

I think I shall finish there for today as I have to get back to work. No new artwork to post today, only a new cuff (which are gaining a wee following I think!). I am finishing up a few bits and pieces so shall hopefully be able to display them here over the next couple of days.

So a not particularly art inspired post, but just a little more of the tales of my life. Take care my sweets!

Man on the Moon and the Possibilities of Burlesque

OOhh this has to be a quickie tonight as I should have been in bed about 2 and a half hours ago - I have been watching Man in the Moon with Jim Carrey (such a great film!) and now I have to go to bed where my love is sleeping and I feel a little sad but shouldn't really wake him for a hug.............no I really better not.

Tomorrow I have to get my act together to put in an application for an exhibition on Burlesque. I have had email contact with the artist and photographer who is curating the exhibiton and it seems they are really interested in me being part of it, now I just have to figure out some ideas! It is really exciting (if more than a little nervewracking) as it will really be the first gallery exhibition I will (hopefully) take part in. It shows in March and I would really like to' display a corset and a corset based costume - possibly with a headress/mask of some sort. Also some framed artwork/illustrations - gosh!! There is already a corset designer taking part so I need to make sure my work is very different so I will definitely go for a more  'costume' based design rather than commercial I think, making use of the handpainting and textile work that I love doing. I am so nervous! But it will be a real challenge and I am anxious to get my teeth into a project such as this as it feels like a great opportunity to get my work seen. It will really motivate me to concentrate on my artwork too and come up with some good ideas.

Ok off to sleep now. The above knitted neck warmer has just been listed in my etsy shop  today - I hope I am getting a fraction closer to making the kind of work that I can call 'my own' in my shop. Crocheted corsages were fine to start but I want to make it so much more about my original work - a long way to go yet but I shall get there, I am sure of it.

Lots to do tomorrow - but I am really hoping I can get some ACEO's and mixed media done - I feel that is a good sign - maybe I really am getting the 'bug' back!

Hot Cross Buns and The Colour Purple

I am not usually a person for having pet hates - but sometimes you know when you wish something just wasn't... you know....part of life. But then because it is in your own thoughts, you can bend the rules a little....? Well, maybe I should explain.

Christmas - well that starts in September - cards and decorations and Christmas songs in retail stores. It is just overpowering - then Christmas day happens and all of a sudden there are red hearts everywhere (OK so that is not so much a bad thing - I am not opposed to romance at all!) and then easter eggs all over the shelves in January! Well all that spoils the holidays for me - I love the event, I just hate the months of build up to it all . And here is where I get to make up the rules for myself as to what is my pet hate and where the line is drawn.....especially when it comes to hot cross buns. Toasted, butter covered, mixed spice flavoured hot cross buns....in January....love it! And Mark says I can be contrary - where does he get that from!

I have had such wonderful comments on the art cards and miniatures that I had been fretting over. The part I am 90 % managing to ignore, says it is undeserved, the truth is that as much as I would love all my confidence to come from the inside, I still bashfully and gratefully feel so happy when other people understand and somehow appreciate what I do. And what do you know, but didn't I go and sell 2 of my art cards yesterday on etsy!! I am still in shock and over the moon! My first art to sell in my etsy store and my first sales of the year. Wonderful.

I am working from home mostly at the moment, mostly due to a flair up in a long standing back injury (a trip to the emergency room just before Christmas, when up in Scotland staying with my family - not much fun) but it kind of means I am a bit hesitant to chase up film and theatre work at the moment. Instead I am focusing on art and my design work. I am currently working in my sketch books coming up with ideas for bags and accessories, corsets etc hoping to focus more on craft fairs and commission this year. Also I am hoping to be involved in 2 exhibitions in the next few months (more on that later) which for me would give the chance to really get back to working on my own costume designs which I am so excited about.

I really appreciate all who read this and take the time to comment. It makes the creative and stay at home world much easier! Have a great weekend.

I am also going to be making a big effort with my etsy store and to begin that I have listed 3 items today (a record for me!). I am particularly pleased with these Elegant Gloves . They have a detachable bracelet accessory with crocheted flowers and they are for sale in my etsy store and I do love them - there will be more on the way in varying colours. I sometimes worry there is too much going on in my shop - with artwork and accessories mixed together - but perhaps I do gravitate to a particular style overall - at least I hope so.

More Insomnia and Finding My Niche

Soo many things buzzing around my frantic little brain at the moment - most of it do with indecision about my work, my style.... my life. I have been staying up so late as I cannot sleep and having to take a notebook with me to bed as I keep waking up with so many ideas that I just cannot settle and relax.

As it has really been soo long since I have been truly productively and consistantly creative ,I am finding that I have forgotten how. The usual and 'hard to live with' consequence of that is that I am being drawn to view the work of people who greatly inspire me and the consequence of THAT is that I am so conscious of how I measure up - and the conclusion is, not very well. I see the things I love about other people's work and I forget the things I am good at (or forget how to be good at those things) and I end up feeling......lost.

The fact is that all the ideas and thoughts swimming round in my thoughts - well I cannot possibly do it all. I want to paint, I want to sew, I want to knit, I want to make costumes, I want to do collaged art, I want to illustrate, I want to make art jewellery, I want to do leatherwork......where will it end! Of course I want to do it all in my own style and to express the things I love about creating, but I do need to refine my ideas a little and settle to one or 2 things - otherwise I will achieve nothing! Oh and I want to write poetry and a childrens book too.... oh and make a puppet .... oh gosh.

So in order to try and settle down to only a few achievable but nonetheless very exciting things, I have today emailed a gallery about creating work for an exhibition and also am going to get together a proposal in for another. The first is a burlesque exhibtion which is being set up by an artist and photographer and I would love to make a themed corset based costume for this and also some hanging art work. The second exhibition which I need to get together a proposal for is a gallery looking for artists to submit work based on fairytales and myths. Again I would love to make a costume and work on some artwork for this - so just a couple of wee things as you can see! But I think they would be great for getting me focussed and refining my ideas - also for redeveloping my style again. At least that is the plan! I really hope they would like me to be involved as they could be great opportunities for getting my work seen and I really think they would challenge me to come up with the work which I know I can do, given the chance and with a wee bit of confidence.





So there you have it - my mini (but to me all consuming) creative crisis. Here are a couple of wee pieces I have produced over the last couple of days. The one above is The Broken Hearted Muse . The image on the left is The Solitary Vision and both are available to buy in my etsy store.

So I am off to see my web designer about the latest developments to my site (the front page is up and running - just needs a couple of tweaks then I should be ready for the big reveal!!) and then back to finish up a couple of accessory projects I have been working on and then hopefully time to start this weeks etsy creative challenge. I am so excited by this and cannot wait to get started. The challenge is to make a piece influenced by a singer and I have decided to choose....well should I say.... Oh go on then, it has to of course be Kate Bush. But Ssssh - don't tell anyone.......