Bloom - PDCC106

'Bloom' - a pink silk cuff

I've been happily at play this morning, experimenting with more free motion sewing... I still find it a real challenge to get my hands and machine in sync, but there is only one way to improve my skills, so I continue to practice when I have the oportunity and time.  I've been wanting to work with this gorgeous soft pink silk since I've purchased it and felt like doing a bit of beading today too!  The latest Play Date Colour Challenge #106 gave me a little more direction (adding yellow & grey), it grew like topsy and I taught myself how to make these sweet yellow flowers along the way! 

Stage Fright - Inkurable Stampers

'Stage Fright' ATC

Have you ever had a sudden onset of 'stage fright'?  Was it a one off experience or is it an ongoing/forever kind of thing like it still is for me?  Aparently, when I was in Year One, I suffered from such a severe case of 'stage fright' that I never did manage to get up on the stage  that night.  My mum told me the story, a very long time ago and I don't remember much of the details... I think I may have been an angel in a Christmas play... it's times like these I wish mum was here to ask!  I have no conscious memory of this event... the blurred memory of mum's story causes me to think that she tried all manner of things to get me up there on the night and nothing worked!  As a teacher of Year One's now, I find myself in a similar position to mum... convincing some kids that they really can get up there and do it, just the way we practised.  Most manage it and occasionally it's too much for some... but hopefully they will learn to be brave and conquer the fear enough to get up on the stage and perform.

Orange, Purple and Green is currently the challenging theme at Inkurable Stampers.  I struggled to get started with this piece until I found this ARTchix collage picture, she was my starting point and I enjoyed setting the scene with Oxford Impressions new plate 'Vintage Circus'.

Technology - Holding It Still

'Holding It Still' Postcard

It's postcard swap time again and I'm pretty pleased that mine is completed well in time (for a change).  November's theme is technology. And my, how the technology for photography has developed over the years!  I got my first camera when I was about 11 or 12.  My parents bought it for me so I could take photos whilst on a school camp - I still remember the precious excitement of having my own camera.  I'm pretty sure I still have those first photos tucked away in a safe place and I know when I look at them again many good memories will come flooding back. 

Today, I totally love having a digital camera!  It's so nice to not have to worry about the expense of film and to just keep snapping away until you get a more than decent shot!  The only thing to worry about now is my computer crashing before I've backed up all of my photos, because it's pretty rare for me to print them.  Earlier this year I thought I'd lost all my photos on my computer... yes, I had a very big melt down, but thankfully my techno-wise friend came to my rescue and nothing was lost!  Hopefully I have learned my lesson to back them up!

The camera is a Kaisercraft rub on and pretty much else is from Dark Room Door (the photobooth photos and great range of photography themed stamps).  The film strip is pretty old... I have a LOT of it... one of my friends cleaned out her garage before she left the country and found tins of filmstrips from her earlier teaching days.  I was totally thrilled when Trish handed over two tins of it to me!!!