therefore I am in business.

Tis the logical conclusion - business cards mean...'it's business time'. I need some strategies and marketing ideas and and and....any ideas?

going postal

I have to admit I quite enjoy getting my stuff all ready for posting. I take pleasure in making a cute tag and wrapping it up with a bow. I keep all my scraps of wool (of which there are plenty) for the final trimmings, nothing goes wasted here.

Vanitas Vanitas, All is Vanitas

We watched Atonement last night. I covet all of Keira Knightly's clothes in this film. It gave me a good kick to try to lose a few pounds for the summer. Just so I don't have to worry about what clothes work depending on 'muffin tops' and the like. I don't think I will need to do anything drastic to lose it. Just lay off the chocolate and walk Gretchy more.

I also have this slightly strange workout routine, just to sicken Shane, who pays gym membership. I put on some loud music and set the timer to 10 minutes and run about the house like a crazy woman till the 10 mins are up. And it works! My muscles ache the next day!! You just gotta keep moving, every muscle and no rest.







I listed this little clip-orama yesterday, you like her? The lime green part is made with super chunky lamps wool and the red part is high quality 100% crochet cotton. yum yum.











This is my incentive photo for my summer bod. Alas I feel I will always be trying to work my way back to this image. I wish I knew that then, I could have enjoyed myself a bit more. It was taken in Croatia the summer Shane proposed. Young love.

High Fidelity

This is my favorite movie of all time. There ya go, I said it out loud, I am committed to a life long relationship with it now. I could never grow tired of High Fidelity, I must have seen it over 30 times and every time I find something new in it. It is my no.1. movie to introduce to friends. Last night we introduced it two of our friends In their cozy wood stove warm basement. This time I became particularly entranced by Rob's (John Cusack) apartment. I love it.

Ok I shall close with simply saying: Watch this movie, but don't just watch it once, watch it again and again, rewind and re-watch if you think you missed a joke. And let yourself cry at the closing song. Surrender yourself and enjoy.

Robs opening line in the movie:
"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

Oh and read the book too.

Love Much

Years ago, Shane gave me a beautiful
book of poetry by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
There is an inscription in the front,
beautifully handwritten it says:
"To my dearest and best
mother, with fond love,
Winnie 1911'

I love holding it and thinking nearly
100 years ago this very book was a
gift to 'Winnies' mother! When I
researched Wilcox I discovered that
has always been snubbed by the
literary crowd as a 'trite' and
'popular poet'. True she rhymes a lot
and her poems are mostly optimistic,
but her poetry yells and testifies at
conquering through suffering.
And can that really be trite?

Last night we watched the movie
'A Mighty Heart', there is a scene towards the end
where the lead character, Marianne
(played by Angelina Jolie) has just received news of her
husbands death (it isn't really a spoiler). She locks
herself in her room and screams and yells. It is really
difficult to watch, uncomfortable, I really felt that I was
invading a very personal moment (Jolie is great at crying,
e.g. girl interrupted). It brought me right back to the two
occasions when I have reacted this way. One of those times
was when I had just received news that my mums surgery was
not successful and she only had a few months left to live.
It was a surreal experience to hear my voice make noises
I had never heard before, I felt that I was
floating in the sealing watching myself lose it.

It is these kind of things that really threaten to break
your spirit. I find myself clinging on to my core beliefs
that have been shaken, that life IS beautiful, people
ARE good. That love DOES conquer. I am trying to learn
the poem below of by heart.
It is a principle I am clinging to. I never thought I
would get a tattoo, but I reckon 'Love Much' would be a
pretty good reminder to have permanently placed upon me.


Love Much 


Love much. Earth has enough of bitter in it.
Cast sweets into its cup whene’er you can.
No heart so hard, but love at last may win it.
Love is the great primæval cause of man.
All hate is foreign to the first great plan.

Love much. Your heart will be led out to slaughter,
On altars built of envy and deciet.
Love on, love on! ‘tis bread upon the water;
It shall be cast in loaves yet at your feet,
Unleavened manna, most divinely sweet.

Love much. Your faith will be dethroned and shaken,
Your trust betrayed by many a fair, false lure.
Remount your faith, and let new trusts awaken.
Though clouds obscure them, yet the stars are pure;
Love is a vital force and must endure.

Love much. Men’s souls contract with cold suspicion;
Shine on them with warm love, and they expand.
‘Tis love, not creeds, that from a low condition
Leads mankind up to heights supreme and grand.
Oh that the world could see and understand!

Love much. There is no waste in freely giving;
More blessed is it, even, than to receive.
He who loves much alone finds life worth living:
Love on, through doubt and darkness; and believe
There is no thing which Love may not achieve. 

Delilah Neck Lace

Delilah Neck Lace
Originally uploaded by steen ink

last night I dragged Shane out in the cold and snow to go hunting for crochet cotton and a fine crochet hook. and tada! - introducing Delilah....This was todays work. You like her? I loved modeling her for the photos, she feels so delicate and pretty and she brightens up the most boring outfit.

Oh yes I am proud of this one, now if only Etsy would speed up and my items would get snatched up quicker. It can get rather overwhelming when I think that I could work work work till my fingers fell of but I still need a buyer. I need to find ways of getting outside publicity. hmmm.

Movies, Maps and Journals

Last week we went to see ' Charlie Wilson's War ' , I would give it a very recommendable 4 out of 5, really great, though not quite as perfect as the wonderful 'Juno'. Anyway, at one point in Charlie Wilson's War, Wilson (played by Tom Hanks) draws a mental picture in the air of North West Asia, including the names and positions of all the countries (the ones I like to call the 'stans').

I was instantly jealous of this kind of knowledge, there are so many countries I don't even know exist, never mind their geographic position! I usually find myself sinking into my seat when I end up in a conversation that involves some sort of geographic understanding. So I have set myself a challenge to be able to draw a mental picture of the world, all the countries and their positions.

I have dusted of our Peters World Atlas (btw, the Peters projection is amazing, bin your old map and get this! read why here) and have begun the learning. I almost know all of Africa!

I made myself a new journal, I made it with all the blank pages in my old school books (telling isn't it?) and a page from a road map we have of the UK (wont be needing that anymore). I love the therapy a journal offers, I barely ever write about day to day things in it. I usually scribble, doodle, scrawl poetry, collage, etc. I have named it the 'fix me notebook' , it is my plea to the journal. I am glad to put the old one behind me (and so was Gretchen considering she expressed her true feelings for that account of history by chewing it up). I hand bound the journal with thread.

I had overdosed on knitting last week, So I am having fun with brooch ideas and jewelry this week.

I am being forced to make this a fashion friday (4)

mix tape bag
Originally uploaded by steen ink

I just realized it was Friday, apologies for my extreme slackness on fashion Friday front. Next week will be an extra exciting Friday, promise!!


Here is a bag I made this week, I thought the colour had an 80's/early 90's feel to it, so I embroidered a cassette tape on it.

prideful me

Originally uploaded by steen ink

I made this little beauty last week and I am soooo happy with it. I am currently felting another one similar to this but with a few more experiments tangled into it , hmmm. Felting a bag is always exciting/scary, I never quite know what I am going to end up with.

I called this bag 'Starry Night' - she is up for sale in my etsy shop.

It's another snow day

button revamping
Originally uploaded by steen ink

There is a storm coming, I secretly love storms (not that secret anymore). Today I am parading around the house in thermals, two sweaters, a big huge scarf and a hat.

Last night I started experimenting with a boring old white top I have, I am gonna cover the colar in buttons, yum.

I also listed a new bag today, it would be perfect for a valentines present.

Someday I will blog here about pricing. I have real problems with pricing. Since this is more than just a hobby for me I need to be giving myself a wage. The bags take a lot of time and work and it just drives me NUTS when I see someone list a felted bag for a ridiculously low price. It isn't doing anyone any favors. grrrrrrrr. let me at 'em.

anyway, I am confident that my bags are worth it. If I do say so myself.

:o)

Cut out the fat cat middle men in their fancy shmancy suits

agh

the Noreen Bag
Originally uploaded by steen ink

There is one bag I am working on with lots of text embroidery on it and it is driving me nuts! I keep getting letters wrong and having to rip out and start again.

So I am slumping in front of the computer trying my best to avoid the bag scowling at me from across the room :o)

This bag is one being posted to the ol' homeland this week. it was my first attempt at a zipper bag. yup.

Ok I am away to find other distractions.

Lovely Brooch

Lovely Brooch
Originally uploaded by steen ink

I am trying to think of quick and affordable items that would sell fast for valentines day. hmmmmm. This is one of my experiments, It began it's life crocheted, then felted, then embroidered and finally embellished with a sparkley button. What do ya think?

A Valentines gift to remind your honey how lovely you think they are.

I want to make a nice card to pin it to and then print the world "you're" above the pin.

not today

Well it may be Friday but I am not feeling so fashionable. In the trend of bloggers like Dooce I will be brutally honest and just say that the ovary demons are visiting, so all I want to do is stay in my pj's and slippers and groan every now and then (ya understand me all you woman out there?).

I am glad for the clean slate of a new year. I feel I need it. It is probably due to my point of view right now but I can't help but feel that 2007 was a year of uncertainty, feeling lost, hurting etc. But I know someday I will be able to look back on it and see the good stuff too.

Bring it on 2008 I am ready for some silver linings.

We had the biggest snow the other day, it was wonderful. This is what greeted us when we opened our door in the morning.