Author: Marina

4/52

It’s week 4, and I’m making some changes to this project. I’ve decided to include the “fruits of the womb” project in here as well, to keep track and record the week of both my babies. Hope it works!
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2014”
Olivia: She’s still enjoying bath time very much (and so do I!). She insists on washing herself, including her hair and loves singing while doing so; although the singing continues all day long.
Baby-to-be: He/she is still very quiet. I can feel my belly  growing almost daily, and my weird food cravings are being accommodated.
Linking up with Jody from Practising Simplicity.

My tiny creative corner


I have always dreamed of having my own space to create. A place where I could have all my books displayed, all my supplies organised by type and colour, where my sewing machine would always be ready to use, where I could leave all my on-going projects on a desk without having to tidy up every time, a place with lots of storage units and a big desk where I could do some proper painting. Well, this is still a dream, but I’m working on it.
In the meantime, I tried to make the best of what I have available, meaning just above 1 square meter of space stuck against our living room wall.
The space is tiny, but is well organised with minimal furniture (thanks IKEA!): a white desk and a very useful drawer unit, a readapted and painted wall storage unit and a black swivel armchair.

The desk area is where I do all my crafting, painting, writing (obviously!), so I try to keep it clear to avoid having to tidy it up before starting any work.
Unfortunately it doesn’t always work and most of the time the desk is covered in clutter.
For the past year or so, this working space has been neglected big time! It has become a place to dump stuff waiting to get sorted, making it a living mess and an unusable surface. Without mentioning the fact that my 2 year old was extremely interested in what was going on on the desk and as soon as she was able to pick above it, we had a few accidents…including inking her hands with black permanent ink!
So, to go with my word for 2014, CREATIVE, I thought it was time to gift myself, once again, with a creative space where to explore my word and live all the mess of my living room behind.
I cleared the desk and organised, more or less, the storage space.
Halfway there
Loose pens, pencils, colours, scissors and cutters are stored in three black containers, while I keep some cute cards, mails and generally any unclassified stuff (including my hand cream!) in a wired basket all hanged on a rail mounted on the wall. This turned out to be a great workspace saver.
The white wall storage unit contains a bit of everything. My on-going pocket/small sketchbooks and all boxed paints, pencils, pastels, etc are stored in the left hand side. The middle section has two storage boxes which contain all my stamps and inks and some more colours. The right hand side houses sprays and varnishes, and a pencil holder where I keep some highlighters, pens and pencils that Mr G is allowed to use (as the rest if off limits).
The top of the unit houses a few boxes, containing generic stationery, my sewing tools and craft supplies, refills for my printer, some jars with all sorts of buttons and some artwork.
My sewing machine and a wicker basket with all my knitting tools and on-going knitting work are kept under the desk.Together with some imperial sheets of watercolour paper.
The drawer unit is my favourite. It has 5 drawers and each is designated to a specific activity:
minibooks; painting tools; cards making supplies, including lino printing, embossing and die cutting tools; fabrics; notebooks and sketchbooks. 
Additional fabrics and painting supplies and all my books, magazines, reference materials and sketchbooks are not so neatly displayed on the bookshelf, but I’m working on that too.

I love this space, I love sitting in my chair and feeling creative, I love that when I’m at my desk the rest of the living room is behind me and I can concentrate on what I’m doing. It feels like I’m in a completely different world.

We can finally let everyone know…

…that we are expecting another baby for mid July! We safely made it to the second trimester and we felt it was time to spread the news amongst friends and family. We kept it as a secret for three months and it was hard at times, but also felt nice to have a little something just for us. My belly is growing very quickly and it is definitely noticeable now; I wonder when my little Miss will start asking questions about it!
I wasn’t sure how to document this pregnancy. With Olivia I made a minibook to include pictures as well as important dates and facts, but with this one I wanted something simple that didn’t require too much time to put together. I went for the “Fruits of the womb” concept, getting the idea from Amanda O’Rourke of Joy Ever After. Each week I’ve been taking a picture of me, or my belly as soon as it has been visibly protruding out there, and a fruit or vegetable to represent the growth of the baby. I get the comparison between the baby growth and a fruit or vegetable every week from baby centre, making some changes when I couldn’t find the relevant fruit. Starting this week I’m planning to post a picture every week, as well as some facts, if any.


All of the above pictures were taken using my Iphone. Selfies were done using the app Timer Cam and text was added using Phonto. Editing was done using some of the filters on Instagram.

3/52


This is you pretending to eat a plastic orange from your grocery shopping trolley
It’s week 3 and you are becoming funnier everyday! This week you moved to a new class at nursery, and although were a bit confused at first, you were vary brave and adapted better than expected to the new teachers and the new routine.

Current reads

In relation to my One Little word for 2014 (you can read about it here), I’ve chosen a number of books that I’m hoping will help me through my creative journey. Funnily enough, all of those books were bought in November last year, way before I began this adventure and way before my word was chosen. Maybe it was by owing these books that my OLW came to me…who knows. These books spoke to me, one way or another; for some was the cover, for others the raving comments, or just the title. They all had great reviews overall, but you know, people have different opinions and needs and sometimes a great book for one could be a waste of time for another. I’m planning to give it a start to all of them and then eventually ditch the one that are not for me. I’m just hoping I will be able to find some quiet time to get lost into these books.

Amazon book description: Cultivating Your Creative Life: How to Find Balance, Beauty, and Success as an Artist is a multifaceted book where creativity and wonder intermingle to show how to live a creative and balanced life while moving toward your goals. You’ll delve right into the creative process and find practical and inspiring suggestions on making a living as a working artist. This book holds reverence and respect for the natural world in high esteem, using a central visual metaphor of the growth and blossoming of a tree. Alena Hennessey’s illustration style combines nature, whimsey, delicacy, and a modern sensibility; vibrant pen and ink illustrations accompany relevant quotes of inspiration, tips, and creative journal exercises. Cultivating Your Creative Life is not only an interactive creativity guide; it is a work of art, in itself—a beautiful, collectible volume—to save and to savor, or to give as a gift to the special creative person in your life.
Amazon book description: Utilize your creativity to manifest your personal intention. Work in the spirit of the laws of attraction to visualize the life of your dreams. Follow the journey of twelve artists, each who will set a personal dream or intention. Witness the process that each artist takes, as they create a mixed-media piece that sows the seeds of their intention. Step-by-step techniques for a variety of mixed-media processes accompany each piece of finished art. Read about how their lives changed as a result and learn how to set intentions of your own using the bonus tear-out “dream-prompt” cards.
Raw Art Journaling by Quinn McDonald
Amazon book description: In a raw-art journal, you don’t need to know how to draw; you don’t need to know how to write well. You don’t need worry about messing up techniques you’ve never attempted before inside your raw-art journal. You just need to be you because raw art is you and it thrives on creative play, on experimentation and even on making mistakes.
Raw Art Journaling will teach you how to embrace your art, confront negative self-talk (a.k.a., your gremlin) and make meaning with your words and with your art. Inside Raw Art Journaling you’ll discover how to:
·       Write meaningful thoughts with a single sentence
·       Create thought-provoking poems through found poetry
·       Uncover images hidden in your photos
·       Make personal meaning with the simplest of lines
·       Finally feel free to make mistakes
·       Use clever techniques to keep your secrets secret
Quiet your gremlin, grab your permission slip (it’s on page 19) and start making meaning in your own raw-art journal today!
All I Did Was Listen by Rachel Awes
Amazon book description: Rachel Awes, licensed psychologist, tells a story of wholeness + healing for everyone through colorful drawings, prose-like reflections, + inspiring quotes from her clients. Show More
Amazon book description: Tumble down the rabbit hole and find yourself in an inky black-and-white wonderland. This interactive activity book takes you on a ramble through a secret garden created in beautifully detailed pen-and-ink illustrations all waiting to be brought to life through colouring, but each also sheltering all kinds of tiny creatures just waiting to be found. And there are also bits of the garden that still need to be completed by you. Appealing to all ages, the intricately-realized world of the Secret Garden is both beautiful and inspirational.
this book is currently sitting in my drawer at work. 
i need some creativity when i get fed up with with numbers

Craft-a-doodleby Jenny Doh

(This book was actually the chosen prize of a giveaway I won from the craft institute)

Amazon book description: Using a simple doodle as a starting point, 18 artists take you on an inspirational, crafty journey! Filled with inventive prompts designed to fuel the imagination, these 75 exercises motivate crafters to pick up a pencil, brush, or marker and explore their artistic voice. From quick ‘try it’ ideas using shapes and patterns to doodled portraits and contour drawings, these step-by-step projects are wild, creative fun. The featured artists include Cori Dantini, who provides a ‘Recipe for a Face’; Flora Chang with innovative watercolour designs; and Teesha Moore who offers ideas for adding personality to doodled characters.

The little light of mine by Kelly Rae Roberts and Hope Lyda
Amazon book description: Kelly Rae Roberts’ unique and compelling art inspires all women to shine in all that they do and all that they become. This delightful treasure will be received with a bright smile by women embarking on new ventures, honoring friendships, and igniting dreams. The engaging paintings of popular artist Kelly Rae Roberts illuminate this colorful celebration of hope, faith, kindness, courage, and gratitude. Inspiring quotes and reflections of possibility invite readers to explore their personal adventure of life and joy.Show More

Happy reading!