Unemployed Again! Can't wait.

A long time has passed since I posted on my poor little blog. If I want fame and fortune I shall have to work harder at it.

The good news is that my contract at uni is coming to an end and it doesn't look as though there will be anything more from then. This is a good thing because it has made me very, very, lazy. I am returning to self employment.

I shall be rebuilding my music studio: flute, recorder, clarinet and saxophone. this means I will actually get to play music myself.

I will be bringing out more knitted toys designs, including the long awaited dragons and other mythical beasts.

I will be writing more books-non-fiction and some fiction, at last.
And I will be doing lots of drawing and painting and illustrating.

And then I will be happy again.

Oh, and I will make a big effort to keep my blog updated.

 

Work, work ,work- loving it

At last, lots of committments are out of the way and I can get down to real work. I've got a couple of book covers to do which is exciting but I can't say much more than that. It is so refreshing to get paid for drawing.

Yesterday I went to Stanthorpe with Carl to see Tom Spence's exhibition there. We know Tom from his time in Katoomba and the show was very inspiring. I wanted to get out a sketch book there and then. The trip from Armidale, up through Guyra, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and then to Stanthorpe was beautiful in that silvery grey winter bleak way. I didn't take the camera- big mistake.

Writing is rushing along: Gentlemen Rogues and Wicked Ladies, my first title for The History Press, UK is the dominant project this month. I love doing this kind of research.

I also have two fiction manuscripts I'm entering in development programmes and my PhD novel has started successfully (meaning it has the thumbs up from supervisors, colleagues and my agent).

Lots to keep me busy. Unfortunatley the Doiley Birds are a bit cross because I haven't got further with their caravan. I did explain that it isn't the best weather to be going on a road trip in Armidale but they said that would just make it more exciting. To make up for my slackness on the caravan front I'm taking them to Uralla to a very special shop to buy some supplies. I think they will be thrilled.

This picture is of Genevieve and Tilda's adventure in the forest. These two long time friends had to leave their home when they were thrown away in the skip by the new owner of their house. I must say that the photo looks worse than it really was and neither party was hurt.

I want a toy shop

I want to have a toy shop selling handmade toys. I want it to have a black and white chequered floor and those old fashioned windows with lots of small panes.

I want beautiful dolls and cars and dolls' houses and castles and knights and teddy bears and merry- go-rounds and robots and puzzles and wooden blocks and prams and tricycles and pedal cars and tea sets and softy monsters and dragons and glorious picture books and farm sets and Noah's arks and peg dolls and soldiers and mermaids and fairies and sock monkeys and space ships and rockets and ships and rocking horses.

I want it chock a block full of lovely things.

More dolls

Here we are again, just me, myself and I. Well, we enjoy our company. I'm going to put some new photos up of my dolls. They are all designed and made by me. Enjoy!

Help! Someone read my blog!

This is my second attempt at having a blog. This time it's all my own! I still bet nobody reads it. Oh well, you can't say I didn't try. I'm giong to put some pictures up of the things I do best.

This is one of my knitted dolls. I've been working on a design that is funky and different to the type of daggy thing you get at fetes. This is a goth girl, probably a vampire. I'm so in love with knitting toys at the moment. The doll at the top is Melanie. Both these dolls were inspired the Asian ball jointed dolls so popular at the moment. I wanted one but couldn't afford it so I decided to make one myself! In wool.