KtShortcake

Home...

2011-08-09T06:54:00.003+01:00

I used to refer to the UK as Home. It's where I was born, grew up, got married, and lived until 7 months ago when I moved to another country. I was raised to be proud of my British heritage, and informed of UK history. While studying at university I felt compelled to give back to the community and began working in schools, later completing training in Education.

I've worked with difficult youth, experienced their aggression first hand and listened to the reasons behind it. They explained how they felt over-looked, undervalued and misunderstood. They talked about how the groups of friends or gangs gave them purpose and made them feel important, powerful. By over-protecting them and under-disciplining them we've created a generation of misinformed youth that thinks no-one cares. They've become selfish and lack any fear of consequence as they haven't been confronted by any before. They are empowered by their ignorance, believing that looting and public disorder will only effect the police and government. They lack the foresight to understand that it is the hard-working members of their communities they are sabotaging, the people they so desperately want to respect them. So the divide deepens, fear and contempt grow and the rioters don't make their point, it still goes unheard but they do close the doors that could have helped them get it across.

It's so painful to watch the coverage; these young people destroying their memories and their futures, destroying the places they have grown up in, the places they may possibly raise their own families. They don't comprehend the privileges they have access to, they take for granted; the opportunities they are given. I understand that in comparison to others in the UK they may not have much if anything, but consider their fortunes in comparison with other parts of the globe. Yet, they display their selfishness and lacking fear of repercussion by taking the things they want and more beside, but are still too cowardly to show their faces, choosing to hide behind hoods and scarves; they are still children after-all.

Home may no longer be the UK for me, but it holds a hugely special place in my heart. I long for its crisp mornings, frosty windows and cut-grass fragrance. These are the images I will hold dear, hoping that eventually these troublemakers will see sense and beauty in the country they seem intent on destroying. I hope the fear they are creating does not consume too many and they can claw their communities back from these events. The British spirit is strong and welcoming, all those who now call the UK home, I hope, will help to clean it up.

Kt x

A Thursday...

2011-08-05T12:22:00.011+01:00

In Dubai, Thursdays are the last day of the working week as the weekend consists of Friday (Prayer day) and Saturday. And yes, getting up on a Sunday to go to work takes a bit of getting used too! Summer vacation means I'm at home and privileged to spend time with this little fella:

We played Jasper's favourite game of chase, under the blanket (he thinks you can't see him, like he's in stealth mode). Although I've learnt from previous games to keep my body parts out of the way so I used a plastic stick as bait.

As you may be aware, it's Ramadan. August is a difficult month for it to fall on as it's so very hot. The Municipality have imposed shorter working hours as they do every Ramadan, which is lovely as it means Mr Shortcake is home a little earlier.

Due to the restrictions on eating and drinkng in public I've not ventured out much other than to pop to the corner shop (it's more of a massive supermarket not on a corner!). Mr Shortcake thought it might be interesting to explore Dubai a little to see what kind of changes take place during Ramadan. We were aware that some businesses close and most food outlets only offer take-away for those not fasting so we went to see for ourselves. We started in the Mall of the Emirates where they have a beautiful display of twinkly Ramadan lights in their fashion dome. The huge inflatable stars pulsated too:

It was eeriely quiet in the shopping mall. Any of you that have visited Dubai will know that the malls are packed day and night so it was very strange to see it so sparsely populated.

Next stop was Safa Park, Gate 4 where they have a cannon that fires at sunset to signal the end of the days' fast. As it is our first Ramadan we were keen to check it out. We weren't sure what to expect but we were certainly a little intimidated by the sight of the sleak military cannon and the four officers sat nearby.

A few spectators had gathered early like us, but as sunset drew closer large SUV's pulled in with the passengers choosing to remain in the air-conditioned atmosphere of their vehicles rather than stand on the side lines with us. I moved at the last minute and stood on the other side where you can see the people in the image above. You will see from the video I've included below that it may not have been the best idea.

BOOM! I'm grateful that my ears didn't mind the sudden abuse but the poor young man next to me was a little shocked by the sound.

As the call to prayer rang out and the fast was broken we drove to Jumeirah Mosque, a mosque that is open to visitors on certain days. They had put in an extra special effort to decorate the mosque for Ramadan and it looked spectacular:

So beautiful! It was lovely to view and experience some of the aspects of Ramadan here in Dubai. We also plan to visit an Iftar buffet at some point too. Traditionally fast is broken with dates (I love dates) and juice, followed a little later with a slighltly heavier meal, but of course in Dubai there are many many variations to try. Tomorrow we have a clothing fitting at the tailors, I've never had tailor made clothes before so I'm a little excited!

On the beach: Crustacean

2011-05-23T20:26:00.002+01:00

Lull.

2011-04-11T05:29:00.005+01:00

I'm suffering from what I guess is a creative lull. Two action packed months out here in Dubai, with glorious weather followed by an intense week of sightseeing with my parents has clearly exhausted my creative flair. It's ok though, I know it will return. I've been using my sketchbook this week, the first time for months, and I start a new job at the beginning of next week so all will return to normal once more.

It has been a strange week for Dubai, the weather suddenly changed, humidity and temperatures rose and a lingering sandstorm imposed itself on the city. I stayed in the apartment most of the time as I'm not one for getting clammy. Then yesterday the sandstorm gave way to cloud and lots of it. By the evening we were watching a fantastic display of lightening and heavy rain. I believe it rained for most of the night.

It has left this morning feeling fresh and regenerated, but cloud and drizzly; the balcony is bearable this morning, allowing me to write this out here and enjoy my morning cup of coffee. I also receive delivery of my hire car today, I'm a little nervous about driving on the crazy roads!

For now though, I will endeavour to continue with my regular blog posts. I know they don't give a lot away about my personal life and creativity, that will come with time. Soon I hope to inter-disperse them with posts about new work and adventures.

Until then, your patience and feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Love love love,

M.I.A

2011-04-04T06:30:00.002+01:00

Apologies!

I've been Missing In Action as my Folks came to visit. I had the best of intentions to continue blogging while they were here but this never transpired; I was having way too much fun at the water park/dune-bashing/going up the world's tallest building etc! Normal service will resume with a (slightly late) On The Beach post.

Thanks,

Love, love, love...

2011-03-22T09:27:00.005Z

Love this tutorial...

Via

Love this one too….

Via & Via

Love this one as well…

Via

(copyright for images belong to sources)

Looks like a weekend full of DIY is on the cards…

Love, love, love...

On the beach: foam

2011-03-21T06:19:00.002Z

Still not sure what this is!

Coloration: Orange

2011-03-17T12:47:00.004Z

Love, love, love...

2011-03-16T05:15:00.005Z

Love this living room…

Via & Via

Love these woven fabric, the colours and patterns are delightful…

Via

Love organised collections…

Via

(copyright for images belong to sources)

Love love love,

On the beach: bricks

2011-03-13T18:04:00.002Z

Love, love, love...

2011-03-08T20:28:00.005Z

So in Love with these boots:

Via

Love how cute these socks look:

Via

Love to try this when my hair is longer:

Via

(copyright for images belong to sources)

Love, love, love

On the beach: bowl

2011-03-06T07:49:00.005Z

New look, new features...

2011-03-02T11:39:00.004Z

As I've started a new life in another country I thought it was an appropriate time to give my blog a makeover. I hope you like it! I'm very new to the html editing that goes alongside running a blog, so with the help of the Blogger forums, my time and patience I've finally got there!

I'm also going to be introducing some regular features:

On the beach - Mr Shortcake and I have pledged that we will walk down our local beach at least once a week together. The beach is a magical place for me, evoking childhood memories of holidays, books and movies. I do also find that the beach can be a strange place where treasures can be washed up and wondrous moments can be witnessed; I plan on documenting these findings in my weekly blog post!

Love love love - I have used this title once before but I think it's very appropriate as I use the term so very often! I will be posting three things I love every week; whether it be art, music, places, people, food… who knows! I will share my inspiration with you.

Coloration - a fortnightly post of photographs involving colour in my neighbourhood. They will be themed: one colour per post, sometimes a combination.

Ornamentation - alternating with Coloration, this will include images of patterns and flourishes I've discovered in my daily adventures.

Although an 'on the beach' post has already snuck in I'll be starting these regular features from Sunday. Until then I'm going to allow my brain to relax by spending some time on the beach……

On the beach: nap-time

2011-02-27T20:25:00.005Z

testing, testing

2011-02-24T18:28:00.001Z

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Blossomking Bespoke Bouquets

2011-02-06T07:08:00.011Z

My amazingly talented friend gave me the most precious wedding gift; my bouquet.

Becky and I met at college where we studied Art and Textiles together; we've been great friends ever since. After college Becky went on to study Floral design; she has a natural flare and set up a business in with her mother: Blossomking Floral Design. Becky's arrangements have always had that little something extra, for her own wedding she used lanterns, mirrors and wired bodices incorporating flowers for her table centres, it was beautiful (I pinched a lantern and have it on display in my home alongside a photo of the happy couple!). I have always known that when I eventually got married it would be Becky I would entrust with the floral arrangements; she just gets me!

So after Mr Shortcake proposed I immediately started to filter images and inspiration from wedding blogs down to Becky.

Via

We were planning a long engagement to allow for sufficient savings to be made, as we didn't want to fall into the trap of taking out a loan, so my thoughts on bouquets took a back seat while I finished up my studies. Unbeknownst to me, Becky's creative brain had been ticking over and she produced this beauty in the summer time:

The minute I saw it I needed it! I put in a request to reserve it and kept my fingers crossed someone else wouldn't get it before me.

A few months past and Mr Shortcake got the call for the job in Dubai and suddenly our relaxed wedding plans, which were just pictures I'd saved into a folder, had to be actioned. We had TWO WEEKS to plan a wedding. The panic set in. I called Becky to let her know and asked if I could buy the bouquet on the website. She said yes! Becky also added that if I need anything changing she would do it for me if I let her know. Once Mr Shortcake had picked my shoes (yes, I let him choose, he has great taste!) I acquired some ribbon to match and sent it down to her workshop in Bedfordshire. Accompanying the ribbon were some vintage buttons that matched in colour. Becky gave me a call and asked the colour of my dress and whether I had a preference between gold and silver. I then received this tantalizing picture:

I was now uber excited; she was making me a bespoke bouquet, all of my own and was also giving it to me as a present. It was so very generous I had a little cry! Along with the bouquet were matching buttonholes for Mr Shortcake and Dad Shortcake and a corsage for Mum Shortcake too! They were beautiful and more than I could have hoped for. The most precious thing was that as they are all artificial we are able to keep them as a memento of the occasion. Mum and Dad Shortcake have theirs next to a wedding photo of us!

Becky has since gone on to produce numerous designs in different colours for brides that want something a little bit different form your standard bridal bouquets. One of my favourites’ is 'Victoria', a beautiful gold bouquet:

'Victoria'

Becky collects all the buttons and jewelry herself, bedding them on a base of foam roses. The foam roses look so authentic one customer actually remarked how lovely they smelt not realising they were artificial!!!

Hop on over to Becky's Facebook page and have a look.

Toodles,

Moving...

2011-02-01T07:50:00.020Z

I'm moving to Dubai if you haven't already guessed from the previous posts. If I'm honest, and I know Mr Shortcake won't mind me saying, I was not best pleased when he told me he'd been offered the job. We were all set to go to France for a ski season, until my shoulder healed slower than expected (I had it stabilised after a snowboarding injury), so the prospect of living in a city in the middle of the desert for a few years did not take my fancy; I made that clear as well, probably a little too much (Sorry Mr Shortcake, love you!).

Mr Shortcake has made a lot of sacrifice and compromise to support me through my studies and various career paths over the years, so I sucked it up and agreed to sup

port him in this little adventure. He assured me it didn't have to be forever, but if we didn't try we will always wonder about what could have been.

So here I am, on Flight EK002, 13.45 from London Heathrow to Dubai airport. My spouse visa is in my bag with my passport, the cat has already been exported and is sat on the bedroom window-ledge waiting for me to arrive. Most of our house has been packed up and put into storage and the rest was sold or gifted. We've shipped the essentials which will hopefully arrive sometime in April; I imagine that will

feel like christmas, lots of boxes of our treasured possessions turning up.

Waiting at the gate to board

Mr Shortcake has been gone for over two months now. We've kept in contact using Blackberry messenger and Skype. I've lived with my parents for the last month, something I haven't done for 10 years! It was great to be able to spend so much time with them before I left. They've been an amazing support base, helping with removals and packing, cooking and letting me u

se their space. I know it couldn't have been easy having me invade again!

The giant A380 Airbus

Mr Shortcake will be at the airport to meet me, I'm so nervous. I don't know whether I will laugh or cry when I see him. I can't wait for a hug! He's got the day off tomorrow and wants to show me around, as I've never been to Dubai, although neither had he until he got the job! We really have embraced the unknown with this venture. I hope it bears the fruit it promises.

I've got lots of exciting plans to implement, business ideas and hobbies to take up. I want to take advantage of the facilities on offer. First stop is the marina yacht club to sign up for kayaking lessons. I was lucky enought that I gained my level 1 kayaking certificate at my last job, I would love to improve. Then there's the textile souks, I have a little sideline that's a bit of a secret at the moment, but the fabrics available in the middle east may bring that added edge I was looking for. I've got a few

plans for our new apartment which involve some statement rugs and textiles so the souks are a definite hot spot for me.

First things first, lets get this flight over with, I'm not a keen flyer!

Toodles,

*Update: I made it to Dubai in one piece. One of the nicest flights I've been on, Emirates are a great airline, everything is included and the entertainment was excellent; I watched a couple of films, read the information provided on screen about Dubai and watched the aircraft land via the onboard cameras mounted on the tail, belly and cockpit with a lovely lady I met on the flight. We had a good giggle actually! :)

The Special Event

2010-12-07T21:53:00.010Z

So, that event I told you about that took place in the garden really was a great day…. I got MARRIED!!!

Yep, Mr Shortcake and I finally tied the knot. With TWO WEEKS notice we booked the registry office, set up a Facebook Event, called the family, purchased a dress, picked some shoes, sorted a suit, made some decorations, had bouquets and buttonholes created, organised photographers, hired caterers, acquired rings and wrote our vows. WOW!

The reason for the rush? Mr Shortcake was offered and accepted a job in Dubai; it’s illegal to live together unwed over there, so we whipped up some plans. We were already engaged and I had been gathering inspiration for our impending nuptials, I just wasn’t prepared for them to be so soon! We kept the reason a secret so we could tell everyone at the reception and thought we'd be inundated with questions about the rush, but no-one did! They all just put it down to our crazy, impatient personalities and thought it was 'typical' for us to do something like that!

I’m simply amazed at what we achieved with so little time and a very very small budget. I couldn’t have asked for more; the best day ever, FACT!

I’m sharing it here, as I want other brides to be to understand that you don’t need to spend thousands to have the perfect day. Here are the details and some pics:

The Outfits

My dress is from Warehouse, the shoes are from Kurt Geiger and were purchased in the sales. I made the bow in my hair and I changed the laces in the shoes. I knew immediately that it was the dress for me. It has long ruffled sleeves and a tiny bow at the back. Cute! Mr Shortcake picked his suit up in House of Fraser and I found him a tie to match my shoes. My outfit cost £76, his came in at £150. Bargain!

The Bouquet

Made and gifted by my AMAZING friend Becky of Blossomking Floral Design It's completely precious, crafted from foam roses and reclaimed jewellery. I still can't stop looking at it.

The Cake

The cake was completely gluten and wheat free, tasted delicious and cost a few pounds! It's a Chocolate and Cherry sponge from Marks & Spencers, the weekend we went to purchase it we were informed they were on offer 2 for £3 so we picked up 7 chocolate and 3 lemon drizzle for a bit of choice. £15 for a 5 tier wedding cake + spares is pretty good going! I made the cake toppers from wallpaper samples and wooden craft sticks I had in the cupboard. While I was getting ready my nimble assistants dressed them. The cake stands are made from thrifted plates and glassware that I stuck together with epoxy resin! The prettier glassware I saved for the sweeties! The table cloth is grey suiting fabric I had in a box with a piece of statement wallpaper over the top.

The Bunting

In the cake room the bunting consisted of hearts cut from the wallpaper samples, loving hole punched and glued by my friend Laura.

Outside we had tissue paper bunting and pom-pom bunting (see below). These were also made with the help of Laura along with another superstar Jacqui. These lovely ladies couldn't make it to the day so we had a craft session and a curry to make up for it, creating these beauties in the process!

The Reception

At such short notice it was difficult to find a venue for the reception at a reasonable price. We knew we didn't want a sit down meal, it just wasn't us, so we went with the BBQ option, supplied by our local butcher Johnny, in our garden. The food was awesome and it produced the relaxed atmosphere we wanted. However, it was the 6th November so we provided a couple of patio heaters and a hamper of blankets, scarves, hats and gloves which went down a treat.

The Entertainment

It was the day after Bonfire Night so it would have been rude not too! Fireworks supplied and lighted by my new husband, purchased from the firework factory down the road. Sparklers were handed out to everyone and we gazed up at the sky in wonderment!

The Photographs

Our photographs are brilliant and we were lucky enough that it didn't cost us a penny. We asked around and got a couple of volunteers with cameras that were eager to use them. Our wonderful friends Laura and Dru got some absolutely amazing shots, they have a natural talent. I then tweaked a few on Photoshop which will be framed up and hung in pride of place.

The Live Video Stream

Mr Shortcakes family were spread across the world on the day we got hitched. It was important to us that they were still able to be a part of the day so clever-clogs here, set-up a channel on Ustream.tv and broadcast the wedding ceremony live! It was a wonderful idea as anyone who couldn't make it was able to watch at home/work/on the beach. We recorded it as well so we can watch it wherever we are, whenever we want!

It truly was a budget affair but such an amazing one! We are so blessed to have such fantastic people surrounding us that pitched in and made it a day to remember. A BIG THANK YOU to all those that helped and attended.

Deeper shade of white

2010-12-02T08:39:00.006Z

Snow.

Britain is just not equipped for the white stuff. Every year it comes unannounced. Every year we skive, sorry, can't make it in to work because of treacherous driving conditions. So why don't we prepare ourselves for the weather?

I love the white stuff; it's pure and clean. It's reflective properties illuminate the city/village/countryside. It gives a new lease of life to the surroundings, wrapping them up, covering the less attractive elements. And, most importantly, it fun!

The pom-pom is a decoration left over from a special event that took place in our garden. I'll reveal that at a later date. It was a magical affair and the pom-poms around the door are a lovely reminder whenever I come home!

Toodles Ice-pops!

Kt x

bad blogger

2010-11-25T18:42:00.004Z

You can see a pattern developing can't you! I'm awful at blogging. To be honest I don't blog regularly as I don't think I've got anything interesting to say or show, which slightly defeats the point of blogging as, I think, as it's about being yourself and then if people find you interesting/funny/inspiring etc, they'll read and visit again. So I'll do my best to blog more often, but don't hold me to it. I've got some plans for possible posts and plenty of time at the moment (the reason for which will be revealed in one of the posts). So I'll be back soon!

2010-10-01T21:21:00.004+01:00

Excuse the poor quality picture (phone camera!) but I wanted to share the fact that I'm finally creating some sketchbook work I'm pleased with :)

I've been making an effort to use sketchbooks again since encouraging my students to do so in lessons. Over the summer I cracked my 'white page' and 'precious' issues and began using an A4 hardback to doodle in, this has been my launching point. It has provided a personal place to explore, to make mistakes and most importantly to play. This in conjunction with some great feedback and thought exchanging with friends has given me the confidence and inspiration to start a new sketchbook dedicated to a new project. More will be revealed at a later date. I had forgotten the joy of a project that is self motivated, virtually all of my work over the last 10 years has been for courses, work or because I felt I 'should' be working rather than wanting to.

I'm enjoying this exploration so much, I plan to encourage the feeling to stay!

Toodles for now,

Kt -x

Dandelion Pancakes and Assignment 4b

2010-04-16T12:23:00.004+01:00

The clouds over Nottingham are like a loved moth-eaten blanket today, keeping me warm by filtering pockets of beautiful sunshine into the garden. There is just enough to encourage the dandelions to open their full yellow, mane like flowers, which I duly plucked from their bitter stems:After a through wash to remove the creatures that also think dandelions are tasty, I dipped them in pancake batter and gave them a fry.

Although I wouldn't say they were outstandingly delicious as many TV faces would have you believe, they had an interesting savoury flavour and accompanied my classic lemon sugar pancakes just fine.

The Chai Latte was an extra treat to drive my perseverance forward to completing this next assignment. Only 8 weeks left and three more assignments (including this one) to go. I think this will be an unsettling period, the relief that the light is finally visible at the end of the tunnel but also the anxiety of what the future will hold, which paths to follow and adapting to the changes that are sure to come. It is exciting though!

Toodles for now!

Kt-x

Love, love, love...

2010-04-13T17:09:00.004+01:00

I love the view of the sky from the windows of our apartment,

I love finding patterns and sparkles in DIY stores

I love special hot chocolates made by friends :)

I love playing in the garden and calling it work!

I love finding pretty friends

I love finding flowers that smell beautiful and bringing them home

I love fish

I love reaching the top

I love the coast, beaches and the sea

I love doing all those things in cute shoes too!

Paper, string and smiles!

2010-02-21T00:10:00.011Z

Such beautiful use of colour featured in some blogs at the moment. Here's two that have directly inspired me:

Love this lady (she has a great name too!) ColorMeKatie

Via Flickr

and this is just spesh!

via Essimar

So today, to kill some time and distract me from the jobs I should be doing I made a little heart garland from some scrap paper.

It also gave me an excuse to use my Photobooth application, which I've been playing with.

Then this happened.....

....which made my day!

Right, I'm off to cut some more paper hearts!

Toodles!

Kt x

journeys.....

2010-02-03T21:04:00.005Z

I love being the passenger......

Colour everywhere.

Just watching space move by, watching people and landscapes....

Seeing patterns and shapes in everyday places. Twilight is also a lovely time of day, the light is always different.

Yesterday....

2010-01-28T21:50:00.004Z

Yesterday, I coordinated nicely with the train upholstery. Nails, dress, and coat all matched, Lovely! I was convinced if I sat still long enough I would disappear!

I was inspired by my surroundings yesterday, the train seats and my book bag contrasted nicely.

Waiting outside the station the Tarmac seemed creative...

I love the way the lines wear away, makes me think of photocopies and vintage screen prints.

Textured stripes, a muted palette. I want an outfit in these tones, or maybe I just want to blend in with my surroundings, first the train now the street!

<3 Kt -x - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Miji pens, grapes and Inclusive practice...

2010-01-28T11:55:00.006Z

Today is study-day! I have a few assignments to do and lessons to plan but an awful cold so I'm keeping my spirits up with blog breaks, fresh coffee and fruit!

This is my first post from my iPhone, I'm interested to see how it turns out!

I'll be back in a bit with some pictures I took yesterday :)

Toodles!
<3 Kt x - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Year, New Post, New Goals!

2010-01-18T13:30:00.004Z

2010 is here. (I know, it's been here for 18 days but I was slow to realise!)

2009 was productive, I started my teacher training, I learned to knit, I met some fantastic people, changed my hair, sorted out the studio, brushed up on my snowboarding, spent some time with the love of my life and GOT ENGAGED!!!

So what will 2010 hold?

I'm going to make some goals rather than resolutions. The teacher training is sinking in and they will be SMART:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Timed

So first up is.....

1. Finish assignments 3days early. - That may not sound like a difficult task but it means I need to be spot on with my time management, planning and self-discipline, so its a good one to measure these against!

2. Share more on the blog. At least once a week, doesn't have to be my own work but must have sources. - This also helps with my training as I am responsible for widening my subjec knowledge so it is reasonable that I share new things on here, it will also act as evidence that I have done some research!

3. Complete the activities in Danny Gregory's book, The Creative License by July. - Now before you say it, yes that is a long time, but I am also studying on a teacher training course full-time and have 5 assignments to do before the end of May so it's a balancing act!

Erm, for now, that appears to be it. BUT as they are goals, they can be added to or adapted as the year progresses, which I plan to do. (is that technically another goal?)

I'm off now to do some lesson planning, so see you later on in the week!

Toodles! Kt-x

Winging it!

2009-06-21T23:42:00.005+01:00

A very lovely and talented friend of mine is holding an exhibition of some of her work and I feel it is my duty to share it with you!

Heather Zeale and Charlotte Knight

Winging it,

an exciting exhibition of contemporary textiles based work.

The Theatre

Chipping Norton

28 June - 19 July 2009

Heather Zeale is delightful (although I am biased!) Her work is gorgeous, a blend of print and embroidery, 2D and 3D. I find her very inspiring, see for yourselves:

I adore this cutlery! A tea cup and teapot have also been created for the exhibition, I can't wait to see it at the weekend. Heather is currently working on a website and I'm persuading her to create an Etsy shop!

Charlotte Knight is the other artist involved in the show. She is a print based artist currently working on paper, printing and manipulating her creations. I look forward to seeing her work at the exhibition.

So if you're in the Chipping Norton area over the next few weeks come and have a look!

Toodles!

Kt-xx

I'm in a shop!!!

2009-05-30T21:52:00.005+01:00

I mentioned in a previous post how supportive the lovely ladies in the Textile Workshop have been. I popped back in this week and dropped some things off with Karen, and I'm pleased to say they went on display immediately, complete with the cute tags Mr Shortcake made!!!

These lovely ladies are finished now, complete with dresses, jewelry and some underwear! I've got another which will be going on Etsy when I have the time to list it!! I loved making these so there will be more to follow!

Here are some purses that I made. It's so satisfying to see them amongst the other lovely things.

I made quite a few and as with the doll they will go online eventually! My buddy Laura over at Delightfully Delirious is having a charity sale soon too so she's gonna have some things from me too!

The contrasting linings make me smile. I'm planning some more, maybe embellished....

My current obsession, Birds!!!! I'm addicted to these things, I've got six other bird paintings on the go at the moment and a sketchbook with a load more waiting to happen. I've got plans for some plushies and some brooches, but with all the other plans I make I'm not sure when they will happen! :)

Its done wonders for my confidence and its certainly helped my inspiration. It's amazing how inspiring a purpose can be!!!

Toodles for now!

Kt-x

Tags...

2009-05-26T03:18:00.005+01:00

Mr Shortcake is always supportive, last weekend I made him happy by talking about my work with others so to show how pleased he was he agreed to help me 'merchandise'! We popped to Hobbycraft and purchased some colored card and a tag shaped paper punch (I was super excited by managed to hold it in!!).

The idea was to print my logo as a repeat and punch out the tags so I can attached them to the various different products. Mr Shortcake set to work, plotting out the repeat on my little laptop, only for it to crash after 2 hours work as it ran out of ram!!! He hadn't managed to save the file as it was too big!!! I felt so bad! But after a dinner break he carried on and eventually produced these.....

I'm really pleased with them! I get a real satisfaction out of punching these little things out. I'm planning to create some patterned ones to use as gift tags! They are sooo Cute!

Toodles,

Kt-x

Ruts, interviews and other excuses....... :)

2009-05-24T10:06:00.004+01:00

Well, I just had a shock! I've just seen the date of my last post, very bad!

It's been a strange few months actually, I finally got the courage up to apply for University to do my teacher training, the interviews came through really quickly and after a full stress out and unnecessary panicking I have accepted a place! Roll on September!

I've also been snowboarding in Austria, which was A-mazing!!! BUT I twisted my knee on the first day trying to conquer a drag lift (if you don't know what that is, it's better off that way, they are not friendly to snowboarders!), which I coped with fine until the last day when I decided to go for it and started to practice jumps....oh dear! I spent 3 weeks strapped up when I got home and wobbled around on crutches for a little while!!! Still, the NHS were good to me and it appears to be fine now!

Hopefully I have also started to conquer my creativity rut. I'm one of those frustrating people that can dole out advice to others but never listen to it myself! I have a terrible fear of rejection and no confidence in my work at all, even when I have people ordering paintings and other things I just don't see it!! That was part of the reason why I started this blog, to get my products out there for some feedback, but instead I have shied away from putting things on, giving reasons like 'it's not finished yet', 'I've not listed it on Etsy yet' (which, by the way, doesn't happen either!) and various other excuses!

Well, I bit the bullet yesterday and visited my local craft shop The Textile Workshop. I needed to have a chat with Karen about a placement before my course starts so I thought I'd take some things up and see what she thought. I'm really pleased to say she liked them all! I took a couple of dolls, paintings, my knitting needle case and some purses I've been working on, which she would be pleased to put in the shop for me. We had a lovely chat and I came away feeling positive and inspired. It's half-term for me this week so I'm planning to finish things off, label up and pop them up to the shop for display. The remaining things WILL go on Etsy and Folksy and I WILL create some more!!!!

I suppose the moral of the story is to just do it, as the old skool Nike ads used to say! Having a chat with Karen was the best idea I've had for a while, I only wish I'd done it sooner! Oh well! It's all good now!!

Right, off the Hobbycraft to stock up on supplies!!

Toodles!

Kt-x

I've been blogged on Ikea Hacker!!

2009-02-26T17:51:00.003Z

I was so excited today to see my studio space featured on Ikea Hacker's blog. This is my first 'blogging' and what a lovely feeling!!

Lisa Currie & The Scribble Project

2009-02-20T23:55:00.004Z

The Scribble Project, the creation of Lisa Currie. I originally discovered the project via Rachel Denbow's blog, the page was inspiring and I immediately wanted to fill one in. So like a good girl I emailed Lisa and waited for my sheet to arrive in my inbox. It did, (very quickly!) and I printed one off as well as some of the sheets done by others, for inspiration, packed it in my bag for work with the intention of filling it in if I had a spare moment.

It was a busy day at school and we were short staffed, I found myself with a group that wasn't engaging in their work and I was about to lose them when I remembered the Scribble project! I handed out a couple of sheets and suddenly calm rained down and they worked well, expressing themselves. I was so pleased I email Lisa to say thanks!

Eventually I got round to filling my sheet in.....

I'm quite pleased with it, Lisa has given me some lovely feedback already. Take a look at the site, the responses have been great. Lisa's sheets are inspiring and I'm certainly going to keep an emergency stash in my school bag from now on!

Go scribble......

Knitting Needle Case

2009-02-20T21:06:00.004Z

Pleasingly its been a very productive week for me. I've sorted the studio, caught up with some unfinished projects and started some new ones. One of which was this knitting needle roll....

I've been meaning to make one for a while, all my needles were clumped together in a box with rubber-bands. There were some scraps left over from a special project Mr Shortcake was working on (I'll tell you about that tomorrow) and I managed to throw this together in about an hour including a tea break!! I'm sure there must be some tutorials out there on how to make these. It would make a good starter project for a class I think!

Cloth Dolls: mini naked people!

2009-02-20T20:37:00.005Z

Their life less forms lay on the cutting mat and I could take it no longer!! The hair went on first, lovingly hand-stitched to their bare heads then one by one the bodies developed (!). I couldn't resist giving them Lady-gardens, it was too much of a giggle! I diligently matched hair colors too!

They have a range of faces as I couldn't decide on a style so I tried them all out. I love the overall effect of them together with their varying expressions!

I'm in the process of designing some dresses for them to hide their modesty! Hope I've not offended anyone!

Toodles, Kt x

Reconstructing knits.....

2009-02-20T18:05:00.003Z

As you are aware, I've been sorting out the studio. During this process I unearthed a box full of handmade fabric, knitted swatches and woven fabric I have created. I was overcome with inspiration, well, slightly inspired to make use of these pieces. It seems such a shame to have them just sitting in a box, so I got thinking!

There was a piece of turquoise knitting I inherited with some gifted yarn that just screamed at me to make it in to a hat. There was a small hole left in the top once I stitched it together so I made a lovely big Pom-pom to cover it. I love pom-poms!!!

The other piece was a black knitted swatch I made to pass the time about 4 years ago. It was just the right length for an arm warmer, so with the rest of the yarn I had left (yes, after 4 years!!) I made another one!! I'm chuffed with myself, it's been a while since I've been so motivated! There are still some bits left so I'll blog them in their new forms soon!

Studio....Finished!!!

2009-02-17T10:39:00.007Z

I promised I would keep you updated so I will!!! And here it is, the studio, finished and finally organized! To see the before shot have a look here. I'm so pleased with it, I didn't leave it last night until I went to bed! I took some photos last night and a couple this morning so if the light is a bit off that's why and also because I'm no David Bailey!

The bookcase worked like a dream, the shelves are all movable so I was able to adjust them to the height of the books. I also managed to condense both bookcases in to this one which is great, the only things that don't have a home yet are my collection of Vogues and other magazines which will stay in the study (but that's the next project so enough of that!).

I had said that I wasn't going to touch the paint cupboard but I had second thoughts and I'm glad I did. It's lovely and organized now, and I don't have to remove eight tins of paint to find the one I want. I realized it was full of old, unusable emulsion, so I got tough and sorted out what I really didn't want.

The new sewing desk, it's so good I had to enclose two pictures! I love it! This was such a non-space before, I didn't know what to put on the wall and things used to just pile up at the side. The desk has plenty of storage and loads of workspace. The pin-boards where stuck behind a cupboard in Mr Shortcake's study so I gave them a coat of paint and hey presto! New inspiration-boards!
The call of Ikea was too great and I gave in a replaced my old desk sooner than expected, but I'm pleased I did as the room feels complete now and there are no finishing touches hanging over my head waiting to be done. This desk is smaller than the original but its shape makes it easier to use and as with the sewing desk I've added in extra storage.

I think I might send these to Ikeahacker as the units are for kitchens and the curtains are made from Ikea duvet covers! What do you think?

Pancakes or Crepes = Yummy!

2009-02-17T10:24:00.005Z

I love breakfast but it's posed a bit of a problem for my the last couple of years as I was diagnosed with some food intolerances. A fair few to be exact! I've got a lot of them under control now but I still have to eliminate Gluten, Dairy, Soya and concentrated fruit juice from my diet! I've got a pile of fabulous cook books but I came across one last year that is now invaluable, all because of one recipe, yes, you guessed it, Crepes!

Oh, how I love thee! My heart was broken when I had to give up cakes and pastries but when the realization hit me that it meant crepes too, well, I was devastated! :( I experimented with shop bought, as I have with the cakes too, but they're never up to scratch, dry and crumbly. I sourced some flour I could use but couldn't get the old family recipe to work right, then along came the book! I'm pleased to say I now frequently have crepes for breakfast, and numerous other times of the day which gives me great joy! I'm a traditionalist, it's always lemon juice and sugar for me, but my, they are delicious!!

Just thought I'd share a little of my obsession with you!! :) What food could you not live without?

New Year Resolutions, An Update!

2009-02-15T07:15:00.003Z

I'm please to say that I'm working quite well on a few of my resolutions. I'm drinking far less coffee, turns out it was affecting my sleep by making me over heat! I've been commenting on more blogs, which is great, especially when you get responses, I love the interaction! Sweets have been cut out from my diet, not completely but enough :P we've got a Learn Spanish pack from Mr Shortcake's mum, the Etsy shop exists just need to sell something! The house has also begun it's transformation, I did a big de-clutter in the lounge the other day and my studio is in the process of being kitted out!

This week is half-term holiday so I hope to be very productive, I'll keep you posted on any further developments!

Toodle-pip!

Kt-x

Cloth Dolls

2009-02-10T18:22:00.004Z

Over Christmas I made this young lady and a couple of others to give as gifts. Very cute and very long!!!! I absolutely loved making them and it has inspired me to create some cloth dolls that may end up in my Etsy shop! This lady was a little too long though so I'm refining the pattern.

I wanted to create my own pattern but wasn't sure where to start. How long should their legs be? Should I give them joints? Clothes or clothing shaped bodies? So many questions!

So I took a couple of patterns from a book and used them as a template, adapting the head and body shape, blending them together, varying the limbs and changing the construction method. Here are the six prototypes I've created.....

My favorite is the fourth one along with the small head but I'd like her limbs to be a little thinner. I also like the last one, although I might give her the small head too!!

They're in the process of getting hair (and body parts!?!) and i've got to dress them! I really enjoying creating these ladies!! I'll keep you updated on their progress and add the development photos!!

A Smitten!!! How Cute!!!

2009-02-09T20:54:00.004Z

I came across this today on Curbly, a Smitten! It's so adorable!!! Designed by Julie Weisenburger, the pattern is available via Coco Knits. Ok, so it's a little geeky but who cares, you know you all secretly want one!!

I do!!!

The Studio, a Work In Progress!

2009-02-09T20:01:00.005Z

I'm in a very fortunate position, where Mr Shortcake loves my creativity and has sacrificed the spare room to provide me with a Studio space. However, I do really love the space but it needs a bit of work. I've been so inspired by the Handmade Spaces on Modish, all the beautifully organized rooms, tidy shelves and cupboards that I made a couple of decisions, I recently sold this.......

......My weaving loom, a treasured possession that was invaluable while at University but since then has sat in the corner gathering dust, looking sorry for itself. So I bit the bullet and put it on eBay and it's now winging its way to Sweden to be used and loved. This has given me the cash to sort the studio out! Yay!!

So I thought I would document the before and after look. Now, don't get too excited, the changes will not be massive but hopefully enough to make it a little more usable. As you can see there is a lot of stuff!!! Eventually there will be a new desk in this space but I'm going to make do with this one till I find 'The One'!

This bookcase has never met requirements! I'm hoping to condense two bookcases into one when the new one goes into this space but we'll see.......
The Paint Cupboard!!! This will remain as it is, it does the job and that's all that matters!
The weaving loom lived in this corner, I never realized how much space it took up! Along this wall will be my new sewing desk, it's bright yellow (we got the work-top in the sale already!) I'm very excited about this bit, it's long enough to have both the sewing machine and the overlocker on at the same time if needed!
Overall, very exciting! Mr Shortcake has some spare time at the moment so he's helping to sort it out. I made the cabinets for the sewing desk yesterday and gave the wood for the bookcase a wash of white. Stay tuned for the finished article........

Snow, snow, snow!

2009-02-02T23:05:00.005Z

Well, to say we were unprepared would be an understatement!!! Although the snow had been forecast for a days, the roads were not gritted, the traffic jams began and the accidents happened.....But on the positive side we had SNOW DAY!!!!! So much fun! I had a lovely 2hr walk with Mr Shortcake, we built a snowman, watched some families sledging in the park and walked round our area investigating the Snowings-on!!!

I've worked hard and tidied the studio, it's helped a lot and I've started to make some rag-dolls/cloth-dolls. I'm experimenting with shapes at the moment and have six patterns I'm working with. I'm also going to be doing different hair and clothing on them too. I'll post some photos when they're completed.

For now, adios!

Kt-x

25 Random Things about ME!!

2009-01-31T08:40:00.004Z

Time to share a little about me......

A friend sent me a request for 25 random things about me through a networking site, I quite enjoyed the process of writing the list so I thought I would share it with you too!!

Here it goes...

1. I want to be a teacher

2. I don't like kids!

3. I don't drink, smoke or do drugs

4. Shoes are my only addiction

5. I used to have a phobia of knives

6. I used to be afraid of heights!

7. I climb rocks (real and fake)

8. I only had 3 wisdom teeth, now I have none!

9. I won a prize in an Art competition when I was 5

10. I talk to my cats and they understand me :)

11.I can speak a little Spanish

12. Whistling drives me absolutely crazy :(

13. I don't like my knees being touched

14. I collect Bhudda's

15. I eat in my sleep (not literally but I make eating sounds apparently!)

16. 16 is my lucky number

17. I like to act like I'm six, 'cos it's cute!!

18. When I grow up I want to be taller....

19. I talk too much

20. I'm scared of going blind as my Nan did :(

21. Chickens WILL be my next pet!!

22. I want to dress like a Japanese girl ( a little inappropriate for work!)

23. I'm allergic to almost everything!

24. I wish I could sing!

25. I LOVE to CREATE!!! (but I'm a little lazy!)

Try writing your own list, it's funny to see all those things together!!

Toodlepip!

Kt-x

better late than never.....New Year Resolutions!

2009-01-29T22:11:00.004Z

With Chinese New Year just passing I've finally got round to settling on my New Year Resoultions! Oh well! Better late than ever! Here they are:

Create more
Create selfishly
Sell my art on Etsy
Learn to Crochet
Learn to knit
Take more photos
Leave more comments on other blogs
Complete all my projects
Work smarter, not harder
Manage my time
Surround myself with positivity
Get better work/life balance
Eat healthier
Drink less coffee
Clean my house and reduce the amount of clutter
Be better with money
Brush up my spanish
Develop my style
Read more books
Take more walks
Go climbing
Go on more adventures
Learn to love every minute of it!

I'd like to thank the other bloggers that have inspired my resolutions by sharing theirs!

A Lovely Surprise!

2008-11-20T22:46:00.007Z

On returning home today, I found Mr Shortcake busy in the kitchen. When I enquired what he was up to, I was shooed away as he was creating a special Gluten & Dairy Free fruit cake, just for me!!! OOoohhhh, lovely!! He has never baked so this was a very special treat and it is delicious....light, fluffy and fruity, so good with vanilla ice cream!! The recipe is on the This Morning website, it is labelled Gluten-free, it was aired today! Enjoy....

ETSY SHOP NOW OPEN!!!!!

2008-11-18T20:53:00.006Z

I've finally done it! Yay! I've opened my Etsy shop under my blog name...www.ktshortcake.etsy.com. I've listed five paintings so far. It's all so exciting! They are all hand-painted by me. I'm going though a little change in technique and inspiration so new different piece will be added soon.

Autumn....

2008-11-04T19:07:00.008Z

Well, it was back to work for me yesterday but what a lovely day to go back! I was fortunate enough to be included on a field trip to Lawrence Field, in the Peak District National Park....such a beautiful place! We ventured in to a disused quarry to climb and this is what we were confronted by...

...A beautiful forest of Silver Birch trees embedded in thick spongy grass!!

The rock faces were beautiful and surrounded a still pool, it was cold and damp but the scenery made up for it!!

The autumn leaves glistened like dropped coins, a very romantic place! Even if the rambling sheep interrupted the silence occasionally!!
I love Autumn (or Fall if you're reading this in America!!). I love the colours, I love the cold, I love big winter coats, I love the steam of your breath outside, I love hat and glove sets, I love Bonfire night, and most of all I love the excuse to cuddle on the sofa to get warm!

So go cuddle!!

Kt-x

Phone camera...

2008-08-22T02:11:00.005+01:00

Recently, I invested in a mobile phone with a decent camera, I'm not a fan of phone gadgets, as long as it makes calls and sends text messages I'm happy! So I have been embarking on training my brain to remember I have a phone at hand and use it more often! This week, between rain showers, I went to my local park......

I'm quite impressed with the outcome, I took plenty of photos of course but these were my favourites, the colours are inspiring.

Well....Hello!

2008-08-22T02:05:00.002+01:00

I'm a bit behind the times it seems, as I've only just discovered the joys of Blogging! I've been inspired by many creative spaces and decide to give it ago. I hope to keep it frequent but I have a habit of taking too much on, so apologies in advance for delays! This space will be used to display things I like, things that inspire me and things I've created. Let's see what happens...... x

About Me

2008-08-18T04:37:00.000+01:00

"I eat grated cheese out of the bag, talk to my cat in French, name my cars according to their license plate and procrastinate a shockingly high amount! I'm a bag of contradictions."

This is what I've written in my Blogger profile to give a brief insight in to the workings of my little brain. I have neglected to mention that I am a teacher, artist and entrepreneur. I like things to be organised and tidy so I make a lot of lists! I've recently relocated to the United Arab Emirates with Mr Shortcake; we brought the cat along for the ride too. I'm newly married and enjoying concocting plans for our future together.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog, if you have any questions please feel free to email me at Ktshortcake at hotmail dot com!