Fox in socks

Yesterday's project was to become a Fox in Socks for a party. Several of us were going as the collected works of Dr. Suess.

Step one - acquire 3 metres of fur fabric and half a metre of fleece

Step two - create socks for feet and hands. Over-think the socks so that they become the most intricate, design-heavy part of the costume. Make super-quick, super-cute wrist warmers. 

Step three - using a tunic dress from the closet, trace out and estimate pattern pieces for (hopefully) a more flattering shaped costume

Step four - ears and tail... positioning is everything

Step five - add eyeliner where required, long sleeved t-shirt and stripy tights

Wow, time she flies

A list for today, because I have made several commitments to myself this year and this month and I want to check in and stay on track and tighten up a little too.

• I am trying to blog more, and although I'm not doing it as often as I would like, I am doing it more often than I was
• I am doing something in an art journal, most days - alot of it has been doodles in the doodle challenge moleskine that the Mr gave me in my stocking
• I am meditating, most days - I'm in week two of a mindfulness course (mindfulness-based stress reduction training - you can look it up as that, as mbsr or under Jon Kabat-Zinn)
• I am slowly chipping away at the clutter in my little studio, making some tough choices that will free up space in my room and my mind for my real work
• I am keeping the commitments I have made for myself with regards to food, but not the commitments I have made about exercise

How is 2011 treating you so far? And how are you treating it?

Jeudis des Journals

Deep breath. I already wrote everything I wanted to say, and it has disappeared into the ether. Sigh.

I discovered the other day why I had been feeling so unanchored in my journalling. Whatever else I have on the go, even another journal, I always have a black moleskine on the go as a kind of everything book. I've just had a look and I guess it's the one they call a large sketchbook. It's not meant to be pretty, and mine will contain sketches of images for relief prints, ideas for artist books, shelf dimensions, bad drawings, good drawings, lists, doodles, chopstick wrappers, photos, quotes pasted in, quotes written in. Seriously, everything.

I started this one in Seattle in April. It even has some paintings and drawings that I am very pleased with. At some stage I tucked it away, got involved in some other projects over the summer and forgot it existed. It explains why I always had a niggling feeling that somewhere I had a journal I was working in, so couldn't start a new one. I swear to you I had utterly forgotten about it, and there is work I LOVE in there. There is even a broccoli ninja, I mean, how do you forget about a broccoli ninja?

So to celebrate its rediscovery, I found the paper lace cardstock I'd been saving for stencilling, fixed it lightly with ancient sticky dot sheet adhesive, and sprayed away happily - but only after shaking the turquoise for three minutes during the good bit in the Mr's show. Not popular, me.