Back from the coast, blimey, it's much harder to sketch than I remember. I used to be quite good, now I'm shite, practice makes perfect eh? Here's the end beach at Portmerion where we spend alot of time in the summer, here's Monty and I sheltering from the midday sun under my magic sarong. I like sarongs, you can't see my body at all. Which is good. Think this the first picture of myself that I can bear to look at lately.

Sand, sailing and seaweed

Right then, we're off camping, lucky us. Off to Mrs Thomas's field next the Portmerion in North Wales. I'm also off to buy a nice sketchbook and a nice shiny new pencil or two as a little treat, to get me going. My inlaws are off to the Scillies today *Jelousface*, instead of to Scotland like they planned, you just can't tell where you'll end up when you are sailing. May the wind blow fair and the seas be kind to them. Pics of undulating sand at the end beach, Portmerion, and of some beaten silver and peacock pearl earrings I made a few months ago, my fave personal adornment at the moment.

Aargh, foiled by lack of organisation, all good stuff booked for this year, I pledge to return with some decent sketches from campingness, will also record and post some pics, promise. Have got a plege from darling husband that I can go to Hay on my own next year and gorge myself on culture all week. Oh, delayed gratification, how tortuous. Here are some picsof last June's solo visit to the Isles of Scilly, God, it was fantastic.

Plotting a visit to the Hay Festival, wish me luck universe... a combination of lack of confidence, not entirely positive thinking, having a 4 year old boy and husband and very little money may just scupper that. CBT good today, must retain the force.

Lest it look like I'm obsessed with carving little dollies, nice as that is, here's a nice necklace or two to vary the view. I made these last year after a very inspiring visit to the Isles of Scilly, I got into the edge of the sea, the froth, the seaweed, all that lovely soothing salty randomness. So, here's one with peacock pearls in fine silver wire, and one with peridot chips. They are crocheteted with a little tiny old needle from a chazzer, it wore all the skin off my fingers but they look great on. The pearl one lives up in Whitby now.

Isis and Luck

This is Isis, she's another peg sister, she lives in the US now. Just working out where the comments are, thanks Gemma, you're a sweetie. Counting my blessings here, been on a course today with relate, cripes, my problems fade into obscurity and I thank heaven for my life. Good to be reminded of that occasionally.

Cheered by the addition of a follower - Gemma, how sweet of her (and those chocolate crackles look delicious by the way, today's blueberry muffins just didn't deserve a pic, not so bouyant), I'll work out how to link to your site too eventually.

Been fretting over my lack of design ethic - I think a visit to the library may be in order. Anyway, here's another pic to make the site worth looking at, hmmm, what shall I put on today...

A nice acrylic paining of a chilli that has temporarily returned home, I did it last year on a bit of old plywood on the morning of the birth of my friend's son (they love chillies too so I gave it to them). It came home to go in my portfolio for my interview with Glyndwr in Wrexham to do an applied arts degree, no answer yet, may the applied arts fairies look kindly on me...

Oh my God, she's got no clothes on....

This is Red, she's carved from a peg, she's got really great shoes, which I'll post a pic of in a minute.

A funny thing happened to me yesterday, I was looking for a friend's blog, got sidetracked by the Oswestry blog listings and found my own blog! I had COMPLETELY forgotten I even had one, even suspected another friend had put it together for me and not told me.

It was like seeing a snapshot from another life, there I was in 2006, trying to promote a band that no longer exhists (see picture - a friendship that thankfully, still does). Since then I had a breakdown and survived, I don't sing so much right now but it's coming back.

I have found my way back by making stuff, I'm gonna put some pics on this site if you want to look at them. It may just keep me making when the black dog stalks and maybe, with a little help from my friends, I'll find a little more peace and a little more confidence everyday.