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I'm one of those people that lives and eats like an insect: fast and sugar only.  As I get older I'm trying to learn to slow it down, appreciate things more, vary my diet and not expect everyone to respond to my texts/emails/wassap instantaneously.  It's not going well.  When I quit the rat race a few months ago I started working on a couple of collections, I didn't get any feed back and I started to lose heart.  That feedback has finally come and things are moving forward in a super positive way.

The problem with living like this is that if you don't get a response when you expect it (like, now), you think that it must be for a negative reason - the respondent has died for example, or maybe, and a less extreme example, they just think you had a horrible idea and are now hoping that if they ignore you, you'll go away.

What I'm trying to say is don't be disheartened fellow insects, if you've finally got the guts up to email that publisher/magazine/organisation that you want to get involved with, and it's a few weeks down the line and they still haven't got back to you. They're busy people.  If you've had a good idea, they will.  You just need to slow it down and be patient.






All of these pics are little peeks from the new collections.
What I'm having to come to terms with, is that I'm not a great blogger.  I like meeting people, and talking to them!  I'm not unhappy with my written 'voice' but I really am all about physical, human interaction.  But let's not forget the visuals, I'm ALL about the visuals.  Words just can't do justice to the delight and beauty that I see in things around me, or the effect that they have on me on so many levels, but I can capture and share some of that.  So I shall continue with the blogging and hope to carry on meeting like minded lovelies.

On the theme of delightful and beautiful things, this really is where I get a lot of my inspiration.  I find collecting images feeds my creativity - those little snap shots sink in to your subconscious, and weeks later, when you're out picking yarn for a new bag or hair bow, they come back out.  So if you ever wonder if the compulsive need to photograph things is unhealthy, or what the borderline breaking and entering to steal a flower from a rail waysiding is for, remember: it's nourishing your creativity.

Here are some of my faves from this week: 1. A stolen flower from a rail way siding.  2. The shadow from a coil of ribbon.  3. Gifts from my love.  4. The colour of the sea sent me straight home to this ball of cotton yarn



 

When I recently set out to 'get involved with social media' I didn't really understand what I was supposed to do.  I started posting things on Instagram, faffing with this blog more, and poked around on facebook joining makers groups.  But I still didn't get it.  I knew there were amazing makers out there, I'd been looking at their feeds, but I wasn't entirely sure of how I was supposed to 'connect' with them, or why.

You'll know about my Instagram addiction by now, but it's for a very good reason.  I started following people who made things I liked.  I eventually got the courage up to leave comments on their feeds, and now, a few months in, I finally 'get it'.  I love the little group of friends I have in this crazy, virtual, visual world.  I look forward to their comments and seeing bits of their lives.  I love the fact that they range from Melbourne to Norwich.

It's not about networking in the old fashioned sense, which is what I thought people were going on about, it's literally just about making like minded friends, and every now and then something will spark and you'll suddenly have a collaboration or a commission.

In fact this week I did my first hashtag for makeitsewcial - a lovely curated collection by craft genius Alison Sadler, and won maker of the week.  It was honestly as exciting as passing my driving test or giving birth, and from it I've met even more new like-mindeds, it's brilliant.

I finally understand that the more you share your creativity with the world, the more you share the worlds creativity.

 My makeitsewical bag