A book of my own

Back when I was in the process of stepping away from my job, I started looking for an art class. I rejected the tempting City & Guilds courses. I am stepping away from one treadmill and I recognised that I was trying to legitimise my decision by stepping onto a treadmill towards a qualification. I may do it one day, but I have to accept my creative pursuits don't need a certificate to make them acceptable.

In the search I discovered this great place that runs an amazing selection of courses, creative and otherwise. It is in two huge old Georgian buildings on a picturesque secluded London square. It's the Mary Ward Centre if you want to take a look. I chose a course called "A Book of Your Own". I couldn't resist the Virginia Woolf reference. I am drawing a lot at the moment and very excited about making books. Perfect.

We had the first class on Tuesday. I hadn't been sure whether each term would be the same course repeated, or whether it would develop across the year. I only signed up for this term. The class was so amazing and there is definite development across the year that I rushed home and signed up for the other two terms. There are only 12 in the class and a huge waiting list. They have a policy that you do not automatically get a place in next term's class, it is first come first serve for all, so I didn't want to risk it.

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Seven: Inspire Me Thursday

Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. Of course, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life too, but I mean it in the very real sense that today was my last contractually committed day as teacher. Next year I will still be involved in the life of the school, keep my post as director of studies and do a bit of supply cover. But I will not be trapped in the hamster wheel (you know, the hamster wheel that they use for the rat race?) To put it into context, we are talking 3 hours a week instead of 50 to 60.

Part of what I want to do is habituate art in my life. To that end, I have been collecting inspiration blogs. The first creative imperative is, of course, to create. So I will write and draw and paint and scrapbook and make.

Inspire Me Thursday asks :

DISCUSS: What seven supplies would you choose?

Imagine you are going away on a trip to an artists’ retreat. A few days tucked away in beautiful scenery with nothing on your to do list except to let your muse run wild. Only one caveat: you are only allowed to bring seven items with which to create art — what seven supplies would you choose to bring?

  1. A spiral bound journal - it would be a toss-up between my everything journal, or my new wabi-sabi journal in a kraft paper book given me by my lovely friend Z for my birthday.
  2. Sharpies - a black, an olive, a turquoise (which I realise may count as three right there!)
  3. My tin of neo-color II crayons. But if that is cheating, I would take the lovely teal, a white and a brown.
  4. Gel medium, whichever I grab first & I'm prepared to use my fingers as spreader to keep an extra item (If I haven't used up my 7, if we are playing strict here. If we are playing strict then I will keep the black sharpie and the teal crayon).
  5. Glue stick for found objects.
  6. Stapler for found objects. Loaded stapler!
  7. My buff fluid acrylic.

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Cool! Now I want to go on that retreat!

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Bridal Fun

My friend and boss is getting married on the 16th. We planned a bridal shower for her at work. The thing is though, I ended up organising it. And I am not that girl. I don't know how to do it. I don't enjoy it. But actually, it was fun. It was on Monday and it went really well. Everyone else sorted out the food and drink. I brought sparkling wine and organised the games, prizes and pampering box.

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Left: Prize - a glass decorated with Sharpie and glitter, filled with sweets. Above: The sweets! Chosen for their pretty colours and the fact that we are a bit obsessed with the sour ones, and I didn't pick any of the weird ones like teeth!
Dsc_3579_3Above: You really need to click on this to see the bridal insanity. We did this for another shower recently. Everyone wraps a little something. Then you put it all together in a decorated basket and by virtue of abundance it becomes a real treat. Dsc_3578

Bridal_shower_thumbWe played the games from this book: famous couples and If I were the one getting married. We were also going to play Animal Dating Game and Always/Never, but it got late.

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