Perhaps only if you've been to Artfest you will understand why this image fills my heart with peace. Walking back to Officers' Housing after breakfast, catching deer grazing on the green, I am quietly filled with joy as I know that I am surrounded by so many beautiful, creative souls, each on their own pursuit of something virtually indescribable. About to dive into a day filled with art, with finding friends both new and those known only across the wires of cyberspace.

I was saddened today to read that Teesha Moore has decided that Artfest 2012 will be the last. She explains it so beautifully in the announcement on her blog, that I do believe she has made the right choice. I am grieving though. As for so many others, my first visit to Artfest changed my life (saved my life?). I have found friends and mentors and a whole community so very dear to me, so very necessary. I have found courage and direction and the tools I need to follow them, even when I'm not sure where they will lead me. So yes, I'm grieving, gently, and with curiousity and optimism about what the future will bring.

And I am so grateful to have been part of something so wonderful, and to have crossed paths with so many wonderful people, many of whom have been guiding lights to me, knowingly or not. Thank you, Teesha and Tracy.

Teesha Moore

Tracy Moore

Judy Wise

Carla Sonheim

Liz Lamoreux

LK Ludwig

Anahata Katkin

Susan Wooldridge

Anne Bagby

Theo Ellsworthy

Dawn DeVries Sokol

And there are so many more, but these have had an impact on my life in a way that I can put my finger on in a very specific way. If you were here I could show you. I may have to yet.

This was a quick one. I used an oval cutter i bought years ago for friendly plastic (turns out, I'm not so friendly with the plastic). Then I used a spriggy rubber stamp I have to put in the pattern. I used by regular letter stamps to press in my word of the year and fired it. I'm not 100% happy with it, but it was an experiment in using rubber stamps (I used vegetable oil to lubricate the stamps).

This one was made for a friend. It took 3 attempts to get it looking the way I wanted to, and there are still some flaws, but that is the joy of the learning process. I used a five petal cutter to begin the shape, but snipped out a piece from the ends and added detailing with a needle. I shaped it over my knuckle.

She can wear it with the bead over it if she doesn't want people asking her why her necklace says "try" all day.

This one was pure inspiration and play. I was thinking bubbles and pebbles and played around with techniques for shaping and joining them. 

I wonder what's next?

A couple of weeks ago I took the Silver Charm Bracelet and Pendant class at The Make Lounge in Islington. This has been a favourite haunt of mine since way back in 2007. I've lost track of all the classes I've done there, plus a party or two, and I can't recommend it enough. The classes are well levelled and organised for beginners to try out a craft, but they work well for somewhat experienced dabblers such as myself, too. This time they had the lovely Emma Mitchell in to teach Art Clay Silver. Do take a look at her website, her work is just up my street.

I managed to make 12 charms out of my silver clay, but on average you can expect to make around eight. I was surprised to find myself inspired, once again, by the sea. I am, at heart and by family, a Nova Scotian, although not raised there. Time and time again, the rocky shore creeps into my work when I am least looking. I ended up with a necklace with a silver pebble and a silver charm plus a bead (I've changed the chain from the one in class as I wanted more length). My charm bracelet has a silver shell, starfish and feather, spaced with silver pebbles and the pearl-like beads. There were casualities though, a broken feather and two slightly uglier pebbles, poor things.

I couldn't resist a little bit of autumn imagery either. I never can.

Finishing up Carla Sonheim's Faces 101 - Art Camp. I've done 91 faces, so 10 left to go. This little pin-up is copic markers on gessoed tea box.

Getting ready for week 2 of Carla Sonheim's Art Camp - Faces 101. 101 faces in 5 days? Just watch me!

Discovered many vintage-y, crafty, lovely shops in Frome, Somerset. Watched poor Amy Winehouse on BBC2. Wine and crisps. Bliss.

Waiting for Scott Pilgrim vs the World to start at the Film4 Festival at Somerset House. (Love that film!)

Home-made book press out of two out-of-use IKEA shelves, 4 clamps and freezer paper lining. My godson and I are making a watercolour sketchbook out of an old Alfred Hitchcock hardcover "Monster Museum". He's going to fill it with little creatures using techniques from Carla Sonheim's Art Camp - Imaginary Creatures.