5 in 5 - June 2019 - The Lighthousekeeper

Welcome to '5 in 5' where on the 5th of 

each month I post 5 photos that I have 

taken in 5 minutes.

In March I went to a Artbookart Exhibition to see the collaborative work of local artists and friends.  It was inspired by the book 'The Lighthousekeeper' written by Jeanette Winterson and I had not read the book prior to my visit.  However, I was inspired by the story and the artwork, so I promptly ordered a copy and was not disappointed. Some might find the flitting back and forth in time does not appeal to them, but for me it was a different and enjoyable read, where the characters came to life and my imagination taken on a journey. Sometimes surreal, sometimes sad, this book weaves a story about an orphan child who goes to live with a lighthouse keeper. Here are just a few of the exhibits that were part of the collaborative exhibition:  

Sculptured objects by Gwen Simpson

Bringing the imagery of 'Lighthousekeeping' out of the page

  Part of a textile collage by Karen Apps

"Carry your own light and you'll never get lost in the darkness"

 A Pop up book using Turkish Map fold and origami envelope fold by Chris Ruston
"All of us bound together, tidal, moon drawn, past, present and future, in the break of a wave" Jeannete Winterson

Sculptural Bookart by Sally Chinea

'Some wounds never heal'

I think you'll agree, this work is impressive and I was so glad I went a long to see it.  I also enjoyed the chance to catch up with the artist, Chris Ruston, and have a day out with my friend Ruth. A good day all round!

……………………………………...

As always, I invite you to join in this 5in5 monthly challenge and I hope some of you will do that. Trying a new way of doing things can spark new ideas and add interest, so here's how it works: 

1.  Choose a location.

2.  Have your camera ready.

3.  Set a mobile timer for 5 minutes.

4.  Take as many photos you can until the time is up.

5.  Choose 5 photos to download and share by using the link tool 

   

You have until the 25th of the month to add your photos and if you want to know more about 5in5 there are details here.

And one more thing - when you use the link tool, please click on your post title.  This will show the web address. Please right click, copy and paste this as your link.  This will take readers directly to your '5 in 5' blog page and be easier for them to find.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

ZEITGEIST

Today I am officially no longer in full time employment and it feels incredibly exciting to say this!  I have chosen to leave my professional role and this feels a huge leap of faith into the unknown with loss of  financial security.  
But it feels so right!!

It wasn't a decision made lightly and it took a long time for me to reach this point.  But once I got here handing in my resignation was easy.  One friend called it zeitgeist, a term I had not come across before.  But when I looked it up, I saw what she meant.  ‘Zeitgeist’ is made from two German words, zeit, which means time, and geist, which means spirit.  The push and pull between doing what I love, and love what I am doing, was becoming ever stronger. 

Because, yes!  There were parts of my professional role that did love and I am sad to leave behind.  There are things that I will miss....  BUT giving this up frees me to focus on other areas of my life that have been long time put-on-hold or neglected.  The tension between the two was ever growing............

And now there is a sense of liberation:

There will be no more regularly getting up at 5am
No more long commutes - sometimes sitting for hours in traffic
No more commitment and having to fit my life around work
No more push and pull


So what will I do?! 

Well, it has been my long-term dream to spend more time being creative and sharing what I do.  Back in March I took my books to an ArtBookArt fair and I was encouraged to arrange space in a local community art-café project.  But there was no point.  I didn't have time to make the stock to fill a shelf, and like other opportunities this had to wait until my situation changed. 

And so now I have arranged space in the shop and I DO have my work displayed and on sale!  It is a pop-up project and not sustainable, but at least it gets my work shown and other opportunities might follow.
 
But even more exciting!

I WILL BE RUNNING BOOK MAKING CLASSES
AT A LOCAL CRAFT SHOP!!!!

Three classes are booked through August and I have also been asked to run Scrapbook classes, so dates for these are planned too.  I have been encouraged to take examples of my work to another shop and I have other ideas planned.  I didn't imagine that one door would close and that another would open so fast, but I am so excited!  Finally I have time to follow my dream. 

Financial security is important, we all have bills to pay.  But life is short.  I cannot be true to myself and carry on as I was.  The time feels right to take a risk and to follow my heart rather than my head.....   

ZEITGEIST

WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON - Blog Hop

If you have time why not grab a cup of tea and join me for a moment or two...  because my lovely friend Louise Gale has asked me to participate in a blog hop with a difference. I love Louise's work and the life that she has created for herself, so thank you Louise for asking me to take part, I felt honoured.

 As part of this hop I was asked to invite three other friends and they will follow next week. And so at the bottom of this page you will find links to three lovely ladies who happen to be blogging
friends of mine, and by coincidence their names all start with J! So do pop along on Monday May 19th to read their own responses to the questions.   

Meanwhile this was a lovely opportunity to take some time out to ponder the questions asked of me and Louise has responded to the same questions here.  So.... make yourself comfy while I tell you what I am focusing on right now:

1. What am I focusing on? 

Each year I choose one-word and this year it is CREATE.

Back in January I decided this is going to be a year of more action. Things I had started would be continued or completed and there were other things I wanted to fulfil. But it wasn't just about doing. This would be me putting my heart into it! I would be taking more risks and challenges and time to create the life that I want. 
And I have! 

My main love is making mini books and I have been busy experimenting with new designs.  I love constructing with paper and I have made several new books that I am really pleased with. You can see one on this YouTube video here.   

The book shown here has hidden pages and lots of space for journaling or photos. I love photography and take my camera everywhere, so putting my photos into books is one of my favourite things to do. Each book tells it's own story. Some people like to scrapbook but I love the size of mini books and the interaction with pages. I confess - I can get excited by construction and all the different kinds of books you can make. 

As well as making books, I also love going on retreats with creative friends, taking part in online courses and swaps, and attending classes.  Recent ones include stained glass and felt making and I have a soldering weekend booked as well as one with Francis Pickering. I was also excited to be invited by PaperArtsy to take part in their recent 3UP. You don't need 3 guesses to know what I made!

Recently I was invited to have a stand at a local ArtBookArt fair.
I have started to say 'YES' to opportunities and to share more of what I am doing.  Interestingly the more I do this, the more opportunities present.

As well as attending classes I also love running them. This week I had a wonderful day showing a group of ladies how to make one of my latest books.  I hope to run more classes and also I am planning some of these online as some people who express interest can not attend due to distance. My first is work in action and I will be announcing details soon, so if you are interested in local or online courses please let me know by email or in a comment. 

I mentioned earlier that I love photography. Something else I enjoy
is my monthly neme '5 in 5'. I started this last year and love that other bloggers join in and share their own photos and story. What I didn't anticipate when I started was that my friend Melanie in Australia would join in. There was just one problem - Melanie does not have a blog! I tried to be creative in my thinking and so every month I post a page written by Melanie. Nor did I anticipate that good friendships would be formed. Joy is one of my tags who you will be introduced to shortly. She discovered my blog through this neme and I am so glad that she did. We now share happy mail and have a meeting planned in August. I can't wait!  

I completed Project 365 for a number of years and sadly this has been neglected of late. I've not given up on it though and hope to get back on track. I recently signed up for an online Photography Course and I also hope this will help to motivate me with Project 365. 

I have also signed up for an online writing course and would love to write a book one day. I am always writing. As part of The Artist Way I write morning pages, I also write lists, notes, letters and a journal. Meanwhile my blog provides a way for me to be creative and to share other things that I love.

2. How does my work differ from others of its kind? 

My approach is eclectic. I love to upcycle, recycle, use new materials and create my own. I like originality, so each of my books is personal and this is also what I teach. I encourage people to take my idea and to make it their own. For example, at last weeks book-making class my example was a sewing themed book but I encouraged everyone to make a book that was meaningful to them. These ranged from wedding, craft inspiration, a gift for a husband and project books.  Ideas were bounced around, materials sourced, and everyone created a book that was unique and personal. I shared more about the day here and this is the book I used for inspiration:

3. Why do I write/create what I do? 

Because it feels part of who I am and I can't imagine not creating! My mind and hands are never still and I am always busy making or doing. Apt name for my blog then - itchifingers - chosen by my
daughter. 

I have tried many crafts (too many to mention) but first and foremost I love papercrafts. This is because it is easy to carry and do where ever I am. I have a campervan and even though space is at a premium I always make room for a project that I am working on. At work I have sat in the camper during my breaks, paper and glue strewn across the table. And when we go for a weekend or more, a big bag is always packed. Luckily I have an understanding family....  

I started making books as keepsakes for family and friends. Small books with photos and memories.  Then I realised I gave them away and had none of my own.  That's when I started making them for myself, and I now have several baskets that I love to look through. So much nicer than looking at photos saved on the computer. Here's a few more of the books I have made over time. I have created some photo albums onto DVD and mean to do more of these - there's only so many photos you can put into a mini book and it is another way I can be creative!

My creative influence is also around the home.  I have upcycled furniture and transformed an antique bookcase into something I love.
Then there was the piano stool....  and the dining room chairs. More projects are in progress as I write , including some beautiful fabric that I want to use for recovering an armchair and making light shades.  So many ideas... so little time.... 

Having a personal influence is important to me. My husband has hand built furniture over the years and these pieces are more precious than things bought from the shop. Our table has a story, it has been adapted over the years to suit our family lifestyle and it is destined for another change. I want to paint the legs. The top was  indented at Christmas by my youngest granddaughter. I may leave it. A memory of the time she came to decorate a gingerbread house and decided that scribbling on the table was more fun than paper. Or perhaps she was just lost in her own thoughts and did not realise what she was doing?  A doodle perhaps... at just 3 years she hasn't yet mastered that, but give her time. Sharing creativity with my granddaughters is something else I love. Luckily, they love it too.
  
As well as family, social networks and friends are also important to me. Last October I set up an online community and together we are working our way through Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way. This group is very special to me, it allows opportunity to do something else I love - write - and to continue on my journey of self discovery and fulfilment.

Another online group I set up was 'Fit for Fun'. Being part of a supportive group allows opportunity to make yourself accountable and since Jan 2013 this special group of ladies have supported and cheered each other on in their efforts to improve their health and fitness. Like The Artists Way, this group is now closed to new members as it was important to establish trust and confidentiality.

  

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

I work very much from intuition.  Like all my creativity, I start with an idea but then allow it to free flow. I love to trust the process and never know what will develop until the end. Part of the pleasure and satisfaction is discovering that it has a life of its own and allowing it to reveal itself, rather than trying to contrive something that it is not meant to be. 

When working with paper I do not measure or use instructions. Again it is a connection with the material and experimentation, and a learning process. I need to be more detailed for online classes though. Not everyone thinks in the same way and my instructions and information need to be clear! I love challenges and new ways of thinking, so I see this as fun and yet another opportunity to learn.

I work in the same way with fabric and other materials. I sometimes use a pattern but more often I will see inspiration and create my own design.  I am self taught in many things that I do.  Some things come naturally, others are more of a challenge.  I have yet to fully master crocheting but need to remind myself that practice makes perfect!  For me, creativity extends in all areas of my life. I love cooking and baking and recently went on a breadmaking course and learnt how to make sausages by watching a YouTube video. In all these things I adapt recipes and experiment and sometimes I wish I had written notes as I went a long so that I can do it again. But mainly I like to work intuitively and it works for me, most of the time...   

So!  Thanks so much for visiting and I hope this has given you an insight into what I do and love.  Have a wonderful week, what ever you are doing, and next week  the blog hop will move over to these three lovely ladies, so please be sure to pop back and visit them on Monday 19th May.

 

Introducing:

Joy Shallcross

Joy recently turned 66 and has been crafting all her life. She's very much a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type creative, loves knitting, crochet, gardening, photography, homemaking and writing. She's also done painting, dressmaking, quilting, fabric art and various other crafts, and always more than happy to try something new. Joy is retired from paid employment and runs her own business as a Phoenix Trader https://www.phoenix-trading.co.uk/web/joyshallcross/. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and her beautiful grandchildren.

You find visit Joy's blog here


Julie Kirk

Julie Kirk is a blogger, freelance magazine contributor and the one-woman kit creator, product-photographer, branding-designer and marketing manager behind an Etsy shop selling vintage paper packs and creative supplies. Throughout all those things she is motivated to either inspire and encourage others or to make them laugh. Preferably both [as long as they're not holding craft scissors while they're laughing. That could be disastrous.]

She shares a house and a life in the North East of England with a small mound of ephemera, an overflowing wardrobe, a newly stripy workroom and a man who doesn’t mind any of it. 

You find visit Julie's blog here


Jemma @Just-Jimjams

Jemma is married with three children (one still at home). She is a former computer programmer; trained as a primary school teacher; and is now working in a theatre.
Jemma has been scrapbooking since 2006, and is currently on DT for Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog and S J Papercrafts, as well as being involved in UKScrappers.
Jemma has been Blogging since 2011. Her former hobbies include Fencing and Tae Kwon Do; while her current hobbies include Geocaching and reading.  She is part of a reading group who meet in a tearoom where they serve wonderful cakes!
Jemma lived abroad as a child in Indonesia, Holland, Spain, and Nigeria.  And as an adult she has lived in Sweden, Holland, and Belgium before finally settling back in Cheshire. You could say  that Jemma is well travelled!

You find visit Jemma's blog here

TURNING THE PAGES...

I was really touched by the encouraging comments I received following my stand at the recent Book Art Fair.  Thank you! It is wonderful to feel that I am being cheered on.

I did not have time to unpack afterwards because I was busy making a commissioned book and getting ready for more making at this weekends retreat.  What joy!!  Creating from dawn until dusk is my idea of heaven, especially when I share this time with my blog friends Alexa and Ruth, and other special friends who I see more often.  And then there is home cooked food served to us with no thinking about
preparation or washing up.  What can I want, except more of the same!  But that will come soon as other retreats are booked and looked forward to.  Lucky me!! 

As well as admiring and being inspired by other people's creativity I used time this weekend to make a book using file folders. I bought a pack of these last year and the idea has been growing since.  I have learnt that I work best under pressure or promise, and so I let others know that I planned to do this and invited anyone who was interested to join me.  Friday night I played, and next morning the idea had developed.  There was more response than I anticipated and after showing my example and the construction everyone went off to create their own book.  I loved how each one was so different and unique, and how everyone can start with the same design and make it their own.  Here's mine:

Each page has a side pocket and I made the insert extra wide.  This folds and creates another page, creating extra space for photos and journaling.  The file folders are really strong when covered with paper and form a great base to work from. I'll be using them much more in future.  Seeing these photos reminds me that I planned to share the story of my solo Road Trip.  This was an adventure that led on to other things, including more road trips planned for this year on my own. So I'll save that for another time, a long with more photos of my books at the Book Art Fair.  

While on my retreat I took the opportunity to take photos for 5 in 5, another month passes and it's nearly time for a post. Where does the time go?  At least the clocks have gone forward and we are enjoying lighter evenings and a splash of spring.  Thank you for popping by....

LAUNCHING HANDMADE BOOKS!

In 2012 I visited a local Book Art Fair and I was blown away by what I saw.  What's more, I was so excited when I was invited to have a stand at their next event!  After sending examples of my work I was accepted and then it was weeks of preparation.  I had so many ideas and this was my golden opportunity to show what I do.....  this has been a long time dream. 

I met inspiring book artists and loved our shared passion for creating with paper.  This took many forms from tiny bears sewn together out of pages from a book, and amazing dimensional landscapes covered with beautiful lines of handwriting.  I could have admired for hours.  If you want a glimpse of some of the work it is shown on the Artbookart Facebook page a long with some of my own. 

I was so pleased when my friend Pauline said she would come for the day to help me, I am always glad of her company.  Other friends came during the day too and I finally got to meet Patricia.  We met through my 5in5 neme and have enjoyed getting to know each other through blogging.  We share other interests too (such as VW campers and a like for walking) and although we live nearby this was our first time of meeting - but certainly not our last.  I loved Patricia's enthusiasm and excitement for the books she saw and she left the Fair with ideas, a shopping list and she headed straight to a craft shop!

And family came too.  My grand daughters nearly burst with excitement seeing my work displayed, especially as some of the books have been made for them which I borrowed for the occasion.  They were so proud when visitors stopped to look and ask questions.  And they were excited again when they each made a tiny book and asked if they could add it to my stand.  I added a 50p price tag and their faces was an absolute picture when someone bought the books. What a wonderful boost to their confidence...  I may face competition next time!

Anyway, enough words.  Lets have some pictures and a snapshot of my day: 

 

'Launching' myself meant I had to find ways of telling people what I do.  After lots of thought I made bunting and leaflets that folded into a small book.  I also made lots of tiny books for people to sew and decorate, to take away.  This was enjoyed by adults and children and one man wrote on every page about how much he liked my stand and making the book.  He gave it to me to keep and I will...

 

 

Below you can see people busy making mini books on the side table.  And do pause to admire the work on the stand next to mine.  The shoes and doll are all made out of pages from books.  This is work by Karen Apps and it is amazing.

More of my work below. 

I will post about individual books and how I have made them another time. 

 

I am planning to run local classes where people can learn how to make their own book.  If you are interested do let me know so I can keep you informed.   

 As well as making books from scratch I also love upcycling.  I recently found this copy with beautiful illustrated pages and I hoped to finish the book in time to display. But I didn't want to rush it.... making books is a joy and I love to loose myself in this.  But there are only so many books I can keep for my personal use and so I planned to sell this book when finished.  It is one of those books that I would gladly keep, but it's label 'waiting for someone to love me' spoke to my friend Sue.  And though it would be nice to keep the book, I know it is going to be well looked after and appreciated.

 

 My books take many form and sometimes simple is good too. 
The little notebooks below were very popular at Christmas. They sold out first day in a gallery and I had to make more.  The idea is to write down 3 or 5 things each day that you are grateful for.  It is too easy to get caught up in the pressures of life and not to take time to smell the roses.  And right now I am counting my blessings and excited about what comes next.  

 

I realise I have been neglecting my blog a bit lately but it is not because I have lost interest.  No!  My one word for 2014 is CREATE and that is what I have been doing.  Lots of books made, ideas forming, and here I spoke about how I want to create space in my home because that too has been neglected.  Well, I have been busy in all these areas and making huge progress!  My head is popping with ideas of blog posts and I plan to create time to organise myself so that I do this more.  So, thank you for popping by - and watch this space!