New beginnings

So over the last few weeks I have been rambling on about where I am going with Wellydog. I don't have a really clear direction, but I defiantly have a starting point and am feeling bit more positive about what to do next.

When I set up wellydog I wanted a clean, simple and stylish image that had one line of products that I thought would be successful, I was pleased with the start I got positive feedback commissions and a few sales started to come through online.

But there was nagging feeling and something didn't quite feel right. I like my shop and I love the silver jewellery...but its not me....well not totally its just one part of me.

If I was to describe myself it would not be simple and stylish it would be scatty and diverse. I never stay with one thing for any length of time. I move from one thing to another, my creativity is not linear it doesn't move in any order but more squiggly and less defined. Part of what keeps me creating is the experimentation with lots of different materials, they all eventually lead into each other and I can't separate them without a lot of effort. I have always been told this is a problem and I need to find my style and concentrate it. My father is always quoting the saying 'Jack of all trade master of none'.

I think what has been nagging at me is that my shop doesn't reflect me. I am trying to be something I am not, for the first time in my life I have decided to be me and to hell with the consequences.... so my first goal is to make my shop, MY shop not what I think people want from me.

Below is a small amount of the things I have created and a choice of directions to take and I can honestly say I am excited about the uncertainty.....

Featured on cuteable

I just had a lovely e-mail to say I was features in a blog at http://cuteable.com/, I was well chuffed, check it out its a great blog and loads and load of wonderful craft item to see.

Lavender

Yesterday I was doing loads of cooking. The main reason for being so productive in the kitchen and home is to try and keep myself occupied with non strenuous tasks whilst I am not very well.

I had made some strawberry and lavender sorbet, and this got me to thinking what can I do with all the lovely lavender I have in my garden.

I remember making corn dolls when I was you but the lavender stalks are too brittle and snap when you bend them to much. So instead I made the traditional lavender wands. Weaving the long stems with ribbon encases the lavender

heads. I do like to leave a few odd bits poking through to give a more rustic look. The wands will be great to put in the draws with my clothes and to leave around the house.

I have made some extra so if you don't have an lavender or no time then you can buy them from my folksy shop.

http://www.folksy.com/items/612397-Lavender-wands

Garden Goodies

I love this time of year...........

This weekend with my home grown goodies I have made starwberry Pavlova yum yum.........

Strawberry and lavender sorbet was my next treat. My lovely children bought me an ice cream maker a few birthdays ago I try not to use it to often, as I would eat ice cream all the time, but now I am experimenting with sorbets, I sort of hope they are better for me...........

Then I picked the Black currants, and made black currant cordial, it should have filled the bottle but unfortunately it didn't, not quite sure why but it is yummy, not as sweet as shop bought but nevertheless good.

As I also picked other goodies from my garden , The Mange Tout or sugar snaps are best eaten fresh. I like to use them in stir fry's but they are lovely as a dipping veg especially with caramalised onion humous.

Strawberries and other bits were then made into a summer fruit jam. I was worried it wouldn't set as it had lots of strawberries in that are low in pectin so sometimes doesn't always work. Luckily I think I had enough gooseberries, redcurrants and lemon juice to add that brought it together and it has set very nicely.

I also picked some lavender and am trying to do some lavender rattles, but that's another tale..........

Gardening- Strawberries

So its Wimbledon again!! I like the tennis but I LOVE the strawberries even more.

A couple of years ago we had an allotment and although we had some good crops and enjoyed it, it really took up too much of our time . As the children left we didn't need such a large plot. So 2 years ago we made the decision to dig up half our garden ( we are lucky that we have a quite large space) and have an allotment that was more manageable and we didn't have to travel to right on our doorstep.

But I had a fantastic strawberry bed. I would get 20 - 30 lbs of strawberries a year and give loads away and make jams, jellies and Ice cream ( heavenly) with the rest. I wanted to take it with us. But the weeds were terrible to manage at the allotment and so I took the decision to start again I bought new plants as I didn't want to risk bringing unwanted weeds with me with the runners from the allotment.

So last year was not brilliant, but wow this year we are getting a good crop. Yesterday I went out and picked this lot in the picture and am getting that amount most days. As its roughly a pound in weight per punnet then I estimate I have had so far picked about 8lbs, not bad considering I probably have another couple of weeks to go, before they stop producing so many and a smaller plot.

When I am picking them it always brings back memories of when I

was a child growing up in the vale of Evesham. They had just started doing Pick Your own. I was not happy as I lost a part time job picking them for local farmers after school, but I do remember on one occasion a couple arrived with a large ruck sack once they had picked a few strawberries they sat in the middle of the field and brought out 2 small stools, bowls spoons and a pot of cream, and sat in the field enjoying eating the ones they had picked, they then packed up and left without paying for anything, the farmers face was a picture when he was told what had happened, and he was threatening after that to weigh everyone as they went in and came back out again..... it did make us all laugh.

My nest is empty....

My life is changing, The children have all left home and hopefully no longer need our constant support. So this leaves me in that terrible empty nest zone that I thought I would sail through....well I haven't and I am at a bit of a loss.

I always assumed I would be fine, I loved watching my children grow in to confident adults and to take the plung into new and exciting lives. Both my girls left home a few years ago and although I missed them I was happy for them and loved becoming more friend than mother to them. I have been trying to kick my son out for the last 2 years to stand on his own to feet and make a life for himself. Well to everyone suprise he did just that back in March.

I was pleased as I thought it would be good for him, which it has been and I was very pleased for myself and my hubby. We married quiet young and started a family very quickly so we never really were a couple before we were parents. I love my husbands company and couldn't wait to spend more time together. It is great and I have no real problems or issue in that respect but I don't think we make the most of our time together and I do miss being a Mum. I know you never really stop being a mum, but its more part time now. I've found I have been worrying more about the children especially my son, in the last few months than I have for years. I think I am just trying to cling onto what is no longer there. I have lost a sense of who I am and what my role in life is.

I had planned to take my jewellery making from hobby to business and was confident that it was all I had ever wished for but I am realising I don't have what it takes to become a sucessfull business person. I don't have ambition, or drive or massive amounts of energy and commitment. I am sure I could push myself and would probably do ok, but what I have come to realise in the last few weeks is that if I have to push myself to do it, its probably not what I want any more.

So what do I do now? I want to find out what makes me happy and what do I really want to achieve.... a sort of job description for my new role and my new life .

Having done some research, many people suggest a list to help you make a desicion, so here is mine, of my loves and hates:

Things I hate/ need to stop

Be less isolated
Stop worrying about things that I can’t change or have no control over
Watch less telly
Be less patient with people so they don’t dominate my time so much
Say NO more often
Being bored/not having much to do
Wish my days/weeks away at work
Stop wasting money out of laziness
Stop picking at food coz I’m bored



Things I love/want to do

Be around people/be part of a community
Gardening
Being creative
Have a sense of achievement at the end of the day/week
Spend more quality time with my family
Read more
Learn to relax
Make the most of every day
Cooking
Look after the house better and make more of what we already have
Be more environmentally friendly
Be more active

All I have to do now is figure out what to do next...................................................

Holiday snaps

Meeru island resort

Wildlife

Flowers

Transfer on seaplane to KOMANDOO