Pay it forward...

Some of you might have seen a thread on Facebook where people who comment on a status:

I am participating in 2013 Creative Pay-It-Forward: The first five people to comment on this status will receive from me, sometime in 2013, a special gift -
perhaps a book, or one of my pictures, or a candle, or music or a small object - a special surprise just for them. There will likely be no warning and it will happen whenever the mood strikes me. The catch? Those five people must make the same offer in their FB status and deliver during 2013....go on, you know you want to :-)

I did this but only a few people commented. Is it because people are too busy? Is it too much trouble?
I wonder if it is a symptom of something deeper?

I see, in general, a deepening of suspicion, a tendency to snarkiness, a sense of unkindness.  
Where there are pressures, those pressures can be manifested in carelessness for the feelings of others.

But why...?

Kindness costs nothing.

Kindness

1. The act of being friendly, generous and considerate.
2. A kind act.

I am a huge fan of kindness. It is free. It helps to make the world a nicer place.

I think that some think that being kind is weak. That being kind is inappropriate in a business or work relationship.This is not true.

Where people are valued, appreciated and treated considerately, they respond positively. They do not, in my experience, take advantage. If the values above are part of any relationship that relationship will be better for them. If a person in authority espouses those same values, they are not being soft, and need not fear lack of respect. Indeed, lack of respect is much more likely to occur where people are not treated well.

I bought a notebook the other day because it had this on the cover:

If they don't respect, appreciate and value you, then they don't deserve you.

This is an important message.
Heed it.

I made a Crafty Christmas.

In November I signed up for  Crafty Creatives boxes. The boxes arrive monthly and contain surprise themed crafting materials as well as a kit for making a complete article. My first box was vintage/Christmas inspired. I made these from it adding materials I already had.

We received a bundle of cinnamon sticks. I used some satin and gauze ribbon to tie them up for the tree.

We also got two plastic hoops. I wrapped one in white ribbon and glued gems around it to create sparkle.

This one is wrapped in red ribbon and has silver metal snowflakes from a broken earring suspended in the middle.

The wings on this angel card for a friend were made from icy sequins contained in my my second box themed on frost and snow.
Finally my craft work for Christmas included these items I made as gifts and for my online shop Teeny Tiny Textile Art

 These hearts were personalised by embroidering initials and adding bells (from November Crafty Creatives box) for those for my grandchildren.

 I had already regained my creative mojo but I'm looking forward to my future Crafty Creatives boxes.

From now on I am going to...

Return to my belly dancing class.

Spend time each week making my tiny pictures.

Walk on the weekends.

Read part of my book everyday.

Make mindfulness part of each day.

Thank those who help me.

Continue to help those who need it.

Take NO notice of the naysayers.

Dance as if no one is watching.

Sing as if no one is listening.

and

Live life as if each day was my last.

The story of a Teeny Tiny Textile Art picture.

I thought it might be fun to show you all a story in pictures showing how I go about making one of my pictures.
 First, here is my work space.

 Next, I choose a piece of felt for my background. Sometimes I know what I want, other times I just look until I get an idea. Today, I knew what I wanted.

 Then I get out the resources I think I might need.

Wool

Embroidery thread

Beads

 

 

 

 

 And the tools I use.

I decided to make a picture of a rock pool. So I began by making the rocks by needle felting two colours of rough carded wool.

The two colours of wool on my foam felting pad.

The needle is extremely sharp and barbed, as it is pushed in and pulled out the barbs catch in the fleece tangling the fibres.

The wool becoming matted by the movement of the needle

This is the 'wrong side' of the felted wool showing how the needle drags the fibres through.

Here I have added extra colour.

Now I have made my 'rock' I can start creating my picture.

Natural raw fleece is used for 'sand '.

The fleece is felted into the background.

The elements start being drawn together. The rocks are felted in place and I've used some brown fleece to represent seaweed.

Although I never try to make nature accurate pictures I sometime look in a book to check I have the right sort of colours. Here I checked in a Collins book of the Seashore.

With this guidance I added these to my picture.

Starfish and anemone.

Then I added some further embellishments. Can you spot them?

I added a tiny shell with a pearl. Several clear beads as air bubbles, a striped bead as a sea snail. There are highlights of green fleece and metallic thread too.
 I hope you have enjoyed this insight to my work.
This piece, and the others I have made can be seen and purchased at Teeny Tiny Textile Art

Autumn walks

Wellies on.
Walking pole in hand.
Clump of boots and tick of stick.
Striding out along the path.
Down the hill.
Buzzards wheeling above the trees.
Rooks cawing in protest.
Along the footpath,
squelch and slip.
The mud reveals the
night time visitors to this field.
Deer, badger and fox
trod where I now tread.
Golden leaves hang and shake
as gold coins on a dancing belt.
Here, I see the fieldfares
feasting on nature's berry bounty,
hips, haws, blackberry and rowan,
Trip, trap over the bridge.
No trolls here.
Water taking my path as a short cut.
Along to the spinney marvelling
again at waters power,
where the brook cuts the clay.
The spinney path is still frozen from yesterday's frost,
crystals decorate leaf and blade.
The sun never sees down here.
The brook again,
The water runs into the sinkhole,
disappearing down to the rock below
to appear once more as a spring down along.
Spring Wood covers the hill top,
and I turn away, up the valley side
towards home.

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week#51

I have not written for weeks. However, tonight I have time before I begin my internet sabbatical.
The prompt from Julia is …. the line was drawn ….

It was time...

Yes, it was time the line was drawn under the whole unfortunate affair. Quite how Esme and Beatrice had managed to escape their Nanny will never be known. What persuaded them to acquire the toad is also veiled in mystery.
The bald fact that Grandmamma is still sniffing on smelling salts as if her life depended on them is inescapable. However, there is no point in carrying on as if the world has come to an end when it has not. They are naughty, naughty girls.
It was very funny though I should not say so...
Grandmamma has a very loud scream!

Summer...

The weather has exerted more influence this year than I can ever remember. I experienced the drought of 1976. We all stood fully clothed in the rain after weeks of baking sunshine.
The tremendous irony of being under drought restrictions as the heavens opened in cataclysmic style escaped no-one. All around me were jokes about the rain. Now all drought restrictions have been lifted. We all long for a prolonged change in the weather so that we can dry out literally and metaphorically.
However the plants and trees have been enjoying their prolonged drinking session. As I drive the country lanes the verges are blowsy with overgrown sappy vegetation. Our lawn became a meadow, Mr G has resorted to a sickle to lower the height of the grass. As he commented sickles can operate in ALL conditions. His sickle was purchased at a market stall specialising in old hand tools. It has been honed to razor sharpness and now the meadow has been mown.
Today the sun shone though. As I stepped out into the garden this afternoon I could hear the bees buzzing in amongst the lavender and fox gloves. Their relief at being able to forage in the warmth was almost palpable.

Photo from here

As I write the clouds are gathering once more. Through one window the sky is blue with powder puff clouds. Looking the other way, the window frames an all too familiar picture of lowering rain filled clouds. It looks like it is raining in the valley.

For those awaiting a new piece of Teeny Tiny Art, there is a new very different piece, still in my style, at planning stage.  A completed piece will be going to a lovely person before the end of the month. When the originals are safely delivered to their new homes I will publish pictures of them here.