Flower Childe Cottage

The LFC website should be up and running by the end of the day, after many long evenings of work (*smile*)! The site can be viewed at www.littleflowerchilde.com.

You know the funny thing about writing is that sometimes you simply just do not know what to write. Sounds a little confusing doesn’t it? But you know what I mean. These last few days I’ve been thinking about the second part or rather book in the Enchanted Series – and coming up a little blank with ideas. It was the same way with the first; I’d sit at my work station (by this I mean my comfy sofa) and stare longingly through my window at the trees outside hoping that they would in turn bring to me that bright little light of inspiration.

Inspiration is like that and anyone who creates, whether written word, art, craft can relate to this. Creativity is a free lively girl dancing from flower to flower in her own garden of beauty – and we, those who bring her light and beauty can only wait…or, take it one word at a time. It sounds droll, but really is a good bit of advice. Sometimes waiting for the inspiration only makes one even more frustrated and thus, even less likely to be created and inspired. If you ask me, those two (Creativity and Inspiration), are best friends,playing sport with our shaky artist nerves. So if one cannot write, take it one word at time- then do something else – like make something!

This weekend, while waiting for the elusive pair, I made myself a pretty bookmark :

and re-organized the files on my desk, replacing them with these pretty bags and labels:

Well, in the end it all helped, and inspiration came slowly in. You see that’s the thing about these two – sometimes you just have to allow them to be, to ebb and flow in their own way.

I used my lunch break to take a stroll to the shopping mall not far from where I work. Besides the blaring lunch hour traffic I always enjoy these mini-trips because it’s a chance to be creative in a way. Most times I don’t go looking for anything in particular but almost everytime I leave with some little knick-knack or the other. Toady I bought some mini bouquets of silk flowers and also an inexpensive alphabet stamp set. I think both will come in handy later tonight when I work on some cards and/or tags for the shop.

I’m counting down the days until I’ll be home again, when I can dedicate myself to my heart’s desires: writing for art and crafting for play. I’m a thinker or perhaps a better term is ‘daydreamer’ or ‘muser’. My ‘musing time’ is very important to me. It’s when I do nothing and creativity takes over and new ideas form and take shape. This ‘musing time’ is very important to my writing and my play. It’s the thing I’ve probably missed the most. I like the idea of lovingly creating my life and evrything in it. For me, my physical life, revolves around my home and I’ve missed just being home, playing in my couch (by that I mean crafting *smile*) or drifting off into my own little Narnia. I miss seeing a new pattern and painting it on the bathroom walls just because I felt inspired to do so. I miss early morning thrift excursions. I miss not having a routine. So now, as you can imagine I’m looking forward to all these things. Just the simplicty of creating, of being at play of just being able to be – fully.

I’m still working on the website, last week I had quite a bit of a hassle getting some graphics. I really need to get my own photoshop software. Furthermore, I fear my computer is balking under the pressure of all the work I’ve been doing since last August and it’s quite possible that I’ll need another before the year ends. I’m all for a MAC at this stage but I will continue using my current laptop, if not for anything but the sentimental attachment I have to it.

We’ll see how it goes…

Do you remember your very first project? You know the one that made you feel like you truly created something? For me, my very first piece was this small tablecloth I made in fourth or fifth grade I think. It took me a while to complete it because I tried to carefully make each and every stitch. Every afternoon at craft time, the class would spend some time working on their own individual project or piece. I remember carefully folding the edges to make the cross or herring bone stitch as my teacher called it and searching through books to find the unusual embellishment that I embroidered in the corner of the cloth. Of course that was some years ago. I actually found it last weekend in my mother’s kitchen – she had kept and both used it all these years, so as you can imagine it’s not as ‘new looking’ as its once was.

Over the weekend I bought myself my very own copy of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.’ This is one of my favourite stories and when I saw the book I couldn’t resist picking it up. I love reading classic children’s literarture. So, on Monday evening, with my new book in hand, I curled up in bed to read. Soon, I like Alice, had followed the white rabbit to the land of dreams and when I woke up it was 3am in the morning and a rainy evening had turned into a stormy summer night – with bright bolts of lightning and heavy thunder rolls.

Of course I couldn’t get back to sleep and I laid awake thinking about my books and the new website for Little Flower Childe. These are some of my best moments of inspiration and I let my thoughts roam as I wondered about the book covers, what colours to use on the site and ideas for new creations. It feels like so many ideas I had are coming to light and that’s wonderful but also a little daunting… I find myself worrying about some of the simplest things (smile). Maybe this too, like inspiration, is all a part of the creative process, that all of us  who love to create have experienced at one time or the other.

I’m on my way with working out my upcoming projects – as per my plan (*smile*). I’m having so much fun and it really is a wonderful time for me. I’m so delighted with what I’ve come up with so far. Yesterday I heard about this little store on Etsy that does wooden stamps called Sweet Papery and I ordered a stamp, which I’m really looking forward to getting. That’s one of the things I like about Etsy, Crafty people can find stuff that they need from other crafty people! The idea of buying handmade is really wonderful, because it’s about someone making something personal, from the heart, for another person.

Over the weekend I went to the fabric store for  supplies and left with some nice pieces, which I already have plans for. I’m still on the hunt for a machine and I think I’ve found the one I like, so now I have to order it and wait for it to come (sad sigh). In the meantime, I’m working on some embroidery and the piece I’m doing right now is close to me… it’s a replica of my tatoo. I got some pretty floss and a new hoop and am stitching away. Of course I had to find somewhere pretty to store my supplies, so I scouted my apartment and put this heart box to use. It’s actually a set of three, I think the largest one is at my mother’s and I have the other two. I’ve probably had them for years on top of my book stand and it’s great that I can put them to good use.

Well, what do you know I’ve been tagged by my Fairy Friend Ronni. Ronni is a Fairy Healer, Animal Intuitive and of course, an Artist.

Hmm… this is my first tag, I think I’m supposed to write eight things about myself. Well here goes:

1. I love fancy goldfish. I try to keep them alive for more than six months but it’s yet to truly happen. The man at the pet store keeps telling me that I need to get at least a fifty gallon tank, but I don’t have the space right now…drats! So for now I am quietly nursing that little love of mine.
2. On the whole I’m pretty reserved and what people like to call ‘dreamy’ but when they  get to know me they encounter my playful side. I’m very child-like in many ways and my husband is convinced that I’m still four years old in my heart. This is the part of myself that is most dear to me because it keeps me connected to  the truth of my heart.
3. I’m very spiritual. I beieve in Angels, God, Fairies and that our souls never die. Next to family, my spirituality is my deepest love and of course writing and making stuff.
4. I went to graduate school but forget I actually did most of the time. The most important things to me are love and being creative. I have to write and create and such…
5. Speaking of writing, I love to keep journals, I think I have more than eight right now. Maybe it’s a writer thing but I love buying journals and filling their pages with my thoughts. Writing is my art.
6. My favourite craft….. I love all sorts of crafts, but maybe my favourite would be embroidery and sewing. I started in prep (middle) school and it has stuck with me ever since. No matter how many new things I try I always go back to sewing.
7. I collect fancy evening bags (I love those inspired by the 1930’s and 1940’s) and scarves.
8. I’m very romantic in the truest sense. My soul is deeply moved by beauty and love and my heart swells when I experience beauty in Art.

There you have it, eight things about me *smile*.

Summer has already begun so perhaps I’m a little late, choosing to tackle this excercise right now. I’ve been drawing and crafting a bit lately so I think I’m due for a little break to re-charge my batteries.

This summer I want to get back to my stories so I think I’ll work on some plans and outlines and begin the narrative around September. I also have a new little idea budding, so I want to do some planning – but more of that later on.

So there we have it: I’ve proclaimed to myself, this summer is meant for planning and quietly nurturing new ideas so that they can come to light….

Have a lovely weekend!

So there I was – books, pens and notes in hand, all geared up to do some writing. In a matter of minutes the most unpredictable thing happened… a power outage. Drats! There we were in the dark with Chloe running around all excited as we tried to find the flashlight.

Well, the flashlight could not be found so we settled on our ‘Home Sweet Home’ lamp/lantern. These are a bit of a tradition here; most people have at least one in their home. So I lit the lantern, picked up my pen ready to write by candle light (how romantic)but once again became distracted – but this time with my own fancies.

I thought, “hmmm…this makes a lovely set-up….hmmm…I should take a few pics.” In the end they didn’t come out quite the way I wanted (too much flash), but pretty enough none the less.

In the Magical Forest, little Emily and her puppy Chloe discover a cluster of trees with twisted trunks…