IT'S MY BLOGIVERSARY and A GIVEAWAY!!!!

Three years ago I signed up for an online course called 'Take Flight'.  I'd never done anything like this before.  It wasn't cheap.  It felt a huge risk. But...
 
             WOW!!! 

It turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done. Of course, I didn't know that at the time... I felt completely out of my depth. Some people had businesses or established blogs, some had big dreams and ambitions. And I felt like Christopher Columbus sailing into new territory.  I had a lot of learning and catching up to do!!   And I still feel like that a lot of the time.... 
I had no thought of starting a blog when I set out on that course. I had signed up to be part of a creative group where I could share my ideas and connect with like minded people. And starting a blog felt such a brave thing to do.  A fellow 'Flyer' and I took courage to do this together.... three years ago, to this day. 

And what I did not expect when I set out on my journey, was the wonderful community of friends that I would meet along my way. My life has become all the richer for this. I went on to discover other online courses and made lots more friendships. But I learned that blogging is not something that is confined to online.... 
             
             Oh no!! 

I now have a wonderful friend who lives quite near and so we see each other regularly. We met through Shimelle's 'EXPLORE' course when we were encouraged to find a buddy. Well, Pauline has become much more than a buddy. We both love photography and get excited over the same creative ideas and materials. We have so much in common.... she feels like a twin and I feel so lucky.

And I didn't anticipate going on a residential with blog friends, but I did!  Lizzie organised this with a band of helpers and what a fantastic time we all had!! I knew lots of the people before we went.... some by name, others because we have formed online friendships or follow each others blog. And after our meeting, closer and new friendships have been formed.  Some of us are meeting up again in November, at another residential. I can't wait!  And the other week, while I was on a day out, I arranged to meet up again with Ruth.  But what is magical about blogging is that you can also 
call someone and invite them to meet even if you've not met before!  I did this while on a visit to Devon this Easter and I had coffee with Jenny.

 

There have been other unexpected surprises. I recently took part in a swap and I loved one of the cards that I received. I didn't know the artist but I emailed to say thank you... and another friendship was formed. And what is so exciting, is that in the very short time I have known Dawn, I have seen her 'Take Flight'.  After donating one of her paintings to raise money for families who lost homes and loved ones in Oklahoma, her work has taken off! Dawn did not expect or plan this and it is all thanks to this wonderful world of the internet and blogging!  And of course, to her generosity, because what goes round comes round.

I have plans to meet other blog friends too. I have two more residentials booked in the coming months, both arranged by people I met on that first online course.  And my connections interweave as friends meet other friends and my journey continues... becoming ever more exciting and adventurous. And I am so full of gratitude! I never imagined that my journey would unfold in this way and I feel I am still at the beginning. I still have so much more to learn! But I am proud of my first video downloaded onto YouTube. And I have  promised a tutorial to go with the Maxi Mini book. It is being written now. And I also have something else to reveal: my first neme. I want more focus writing my blog, and some fun! So more about this very soon.

  

Meanwhile, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has been part of my wonderful journey. I have been inspired, cheered on and enriched by your support, comments and friendship. I will be sending some good mail...  

 

AND ALSO A GIVEAWAY....

If you would like the chance of winning one of my handmade notepads just leave a comment. You don't have to write a blog. Maybe you like to read them. And I will pick a name from random on Saturday 29th June. 

 

 

Thank you for visiting. And when I am home from work I will be pouring  a glass of wine to celebrate.  

Cheers!!!  Happy Blogiversary to me!! 

LOOKING FOR ORDER IN CHAOS! - WOYWW

Here is my workspace this week.... I am almost ashamed to show.

It's a crazy chaos that I am trying to organise and clear. It also spread back into the house a few weeks ago and the dining room table is also covered.  I have bought rather a lot of new materials recently including more this weekend:

Did I mention that I filled a new loyalty card in my last post?  Well I did, and I did it again at a different shop this week!  You see I spent Saturday with Dyan Reaveley, learning art journaling techniques.  The colourful mess page you see above is one of my first attempts of creating background pages in my brand new journal. And because I can see I am going to fill the journal quite quickly I thought I had better buy two more! I also bought a new Perspex block as this one is good for larger stamps and has a measure down one side and a curve on the other - useful for drawing lines to journal in or for giving pages a different shape edge. 

I already have Cut-N-Dry foam but can't find it so decided more was needed.  And the 6x6 Template sheets are for cutting out my own stencils. Yay!  What fun it will be to design my own - I was going to experiment with a laminated sheet and I will still do this as they will be considerably cheaper if they work.  Completing my shop is a collection of Dylusion sprays - I've thought about buying these for so long!  I posted about my day with Dyan here so pop over if you want to find out more.  It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to book another day it her. 

Sometimes the universe gives us what we need... 

For weeks now my head has been very messy with information and ideas that I have gathered.  In fact, my head has been as messy as my workspace.  So I have been writing it all into a notebook to contain it...  make sense of it...  and keep it safe. 
And I knew were to find it. 
Only now I can't because very annoyingly I left my notebook at the workshop, and I am lost without it.
    
So I am stepping back and starting with a blank page because One of the things I had been working on is ideas for my  third Blogaversary next week. The problem is, I had so many ideas that I was overwhelmed and consequently nothing is planned as yet.

But I will!  I don't want the day to pass un-noted so without my book I will start again and this time I will keep my ideas simple. My wonderful friend Pauline has offered to pick my book up for me.
Phew!! 
And here are a couple of other things on my workspace, work in progress and things to come. 

I do hope you will pop by again next week to celebrate my third Blogavesary with me. I am thinking a giveaway, a swap, or something equally fun! 

So that's me, for now.  Over at Julia's you can find out what other people have on their workspace today.  And what a great way of finding out what others are making a mess with, buying, and doing.  Have a great week and thanks for popping by!