Sunday, September 18, 2011

Monday Marvellous - Autumn's sky blue

{image from Banana Strudel}

Hi,
how was the last week for you?
Mine was super busy. Really super busy! I had my job, physio, helping up at school, my Etsy work,
kid wrangling, shopping, cooking... and so on!!


Anyhoo, that is all about to change for 3 weeks - as I am off 'home' to Blighty to see my family. 
Four more sleeps that's all! Yay!




This 'Monday Marvellous' post is inspired by a blue grey that I associate with Autumn / Winter skies in Europe. (Its more of a Duck Egg blue really, I guess, it just makes me think of home...
AND it's such a pretty colour too, don't you think?!

Origami Crane earrings
Vine pendant
Raindrops necklace


1950's Abigail teacups
Layered flower brooch


Always Remember print...


Enjoy the week ahead,
love,
 Sally x0x

Saturday, September 17, 2011

CREATIVTY...

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Hello, how are you today?


I was inspired by a little piece in a recent weekly school newsletter, entitled 'Ways to kill creativity' (see below), it inspired me to share the ways I encourage creativity...

Ways to Kill Creativity
taken from Creative Thinkery by Michael Michalko 


Want to make sure you never come up with a great idea?

Always think the way you've always thought. Always do what you've always done. 
Don't embarrass yourself. Be sceptical.
Never try anything you haven't tried before. Avoid mistakes. 
Never assume responsibility for what happens. Don't ask questions.
Pigeonhole people.
Avoid diversity. There is only one right answer. Don't trust your intuition gut or hunches. Be practical.
Avoid taking action. 
..... ..... ..... .....  ..... ..... ..... .....  ..... ..... ..... .....  ..... ..... 


This got me thinking about CREATIVITY... 
Firstly you may ask, what is Creativity?... well it is basically the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new! I am not sure if this entirely sums it up, does it have to be NEW to be creative?? I guess technically speaking.... but...
to me it is really about simply creating something that is pleasing to yourself or others. I know that that that is technically being more Artisitc than creative - hmm, this is always a tricky one!!








“It is easy to consider the essential role of   creativity in bringing joy and meaning
to the human condition – without creativity we have no art, no literature, no science, no innovation, no problem solving, no progress.” 
– Starko, 1995, p. vii.


Here are my ideas on 
Ways to encourage creativity
Try new things.
Don't worry about embarrassing yourself.
Remember no-one is perfect.
Make mistakes - they often lead to what I call "Happy Accidents"!!
Stop to smell the roses.
Travel, even to visit new towns nearby.
Notice the little things.
Smile.
Say hello to strangers sometimes!
Encourage curiosity in yourself and others.
Be resourceful with art and craft supplies, 
(it's also great for the environment if you recycle or repurpose items!)
If it doesn't work - try another way.
Watch children play - or better still join in!
get your hands dirty!
keep an art journal, or inspiration board.
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"The chief enemy of creativity is 'good" sense.'" 
- Pablo Picasso
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"You can't use up creativity. The more you use,
the more you have." 
- Maya Angelou
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"I make more mistakes than anyone else I know, and sooner or later, I patent most of them." 
- Thomas Edison
"Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things."
 - Theodore Levitt

paintbrushes


How do YOU encourage & nurture your creative side?
  Or the creativity of your kids?


Love,
Sally x0x


P.S. "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
- Henry David Thoreau

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Customer Appreciation ~ Becki's bracelets!

Hi there, how are you?


I love it when my customers send me photos / blog links of things they have made with Jambo Chameleon supplies.
I just received a link to such a blog post on her blog BeckyButton.


I recently sold a custom listing of grey buttons to a lovely customer named Becki.
She wanted the buttons to make bracelets for her best friend's wedding. Just look at the fabulous job she did! She bought the grey ones from me and the pink from another Etsy seller (although I would happily have supplied her both, I don't have pink ones listed though... I digress, sorry!!).


Becki has her own great etsy shop, Becky Button, which you may like to check out!
Images courtesy of Becki at BeckyButton
Are YOU a button lover?? 
What do you make with them, if so?


Love,
 Sally x0x

Monday, September 12, 2011

Monday Marvellous - Red, White & Blue {9/11 Tribute}.

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Hi there.


It's tuesday here really. Tuesday 12th. But it's still Sept 11th and MONDAY in parts of the States, so there you go, we can have a 'Monday Marvellous' tribute to New York on the 10th anniversary of the tragic 9/11/01 events.


{I found most of these fab Etsy items, through my current fave search method - the Taste test!!}

Images from top:
Vintage 70s red white blue gingham dotted maxi dress

Of course Sept 11th 2001 is a day on which we can all remember exactly where we were / who we were with etc - I was in China; where were you?


I hope your week is going well?
Mine has been pretty sad, so far,  one of my online friends Julie-Ann was buried today, also my Auntie Sandra, who sadly passed away last week. 


here's a little floral tribute to them both, and everyone who lost their lives in 9/11/01:
May they ~ REST IN PEACE ~
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and finally some butterflies for my Auntie sandra - she loved butterflies.
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Love, 
Sally x0x

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A surprise in the post...

Hi, how're you going?



Today I received a parcel. yay! 
Inside the large envelope, the contents were wrapped like a gift...
... I have been excitedly waiting for this package to arrive, it's a "surprise package" that I bought from Little Mo & Friends which was an item donated for the Twigg family that recently sadly lost two loved ones (a mother /wife and a daughter/ sister), you can read my original post about this tragedy here. 


Anyway, this is what my lovely, beautifully wrapped package contained:



{YES!... it was indeed Helena!!!}






Wonderful stationery and a fun print created by the adorable, talented Helena!


One day I might commission Helena to make one of her fun portraits of my family!



   


check out Helena's work and her cute Etsy shop,
Little Mo and Friends.




Or perhaps you'd like to visit Helena at her blog.





Hope your week is going well,
mine has been very busy so far, (kids and work and such...!),
take care,


Sally x0x