snow and hares ...

Just got back from a relaxing week away in Yorkshire. It was a great break, we didn't do too much, we had a fair bit of snow so it was warmer to stay close to the cottage. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of our week ...

time for a change ...

I decided it was once again time for a change to the look of my blog so I've changed the template, more chages to come soon ...

Bloggers unite: CPSIA Blog-in

"As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Thanks to Kitschy Coo for the above text (used with permission) ... I hope this helps!


UPDATE:
Well all the blogging about the CPSIA seems to have made a difference. It would appear that the proposed changes due February 10th this year are to be held off until 2010 to give further time to look at the proposals.

Full details here.

hello 2009!

Well today sees me back home from a lovely Christmas/New Year break in lovely Yorkshire ... as usual I didn't want to come back and it was all made worse with the icy roads and the fact that we got stuck in a traffic jam on the M5, which was closed for most of yesterday due to a fuel spillage, and had to go on a long detour ...

Now I'm trying to get back into the swing of things ... and sorting through piles of spam ... back soon with some photos.

Happy New Year to all - may 2009 be a good one!!

wishing all a merry Christmas and a creative new year!

I'm taking a couple of weeks away from blog land, so I just wanted to take this opportunity of wishing all who should happen upon my blog a merry Christmas and a happy, creative and fulfilling new year!

... Season's Greetings from me & my needle felted friends ...

'Custard'

'B'Elli'

See you all in 2009!

An Evening with Ari Berk, Brian Froud and Alan Lee

Yesterday evening we went to a public lecture arranged by Plymouth University called: The Creative Influence of Dartmoor: An Evening with Ari Berk, Brian Froud and Alan Lee ...

Image courtesy of Plymouth University

Now anyone who knows me will know how much I admire Alan Lee and his illustration work. I have met him in the past, on 2 separate occasions, once when I visited him at his home on Dartmoor to do an interview and later at a book signing. I have several of Brian's books too and some signed copies, I admire his illustration work but have never met him. So as soon as I heard about this event I had to get my seat booked.

It was a lovely, relaxed and rather informal evening. Rather like a conversation between the 3 men, Ari Berk, Brian Froud and Alan Lee, who are friends and share a love of Dartmoor. It was interesting to see how the 3 men have been influenced by the magic of Dartmoor, all in different ways.

I found it a truly inspiring evening and hope to take that inspiration with me through my Christmas break and well into the New Year ...

Here are a few of my own photos of Dartmoor taken when we visited Wistman's Wood in 2006 ... I think we're due another visit soon ... ;-)

work in progress ...

This is one of my needle felted creatures in progress ... I tend to have several on the go at one time and switch between them.

More needle felted 'thingy' s to come soon ...

and now for something completely different ...

One of my recent creations ...

the post has arrived ...

And Long Tall Sally has a good look at herself and some old friends in print ;-)



Thankyou Gretel for a lovely calendar - read more about them on Gretel's blog.

If you want one of these calendars - they're available here ...

life beyond 40 ....

While we was away a week or so ago I 'celebrated' my 40th birthday, and with that there have been quite a few changes in my life ...

The biggest change is that I have been made redundant from my day job, so I am now totally and completely a freelancer - my own boss. Mixed feelings, but I know in the long run, no matter what happens I will come out the other end stronger and hopefully more creatively fulfilled.

Anyway - here is a collection of images from our break in Yorkshire.

On my birthday we went on the 'Eye on the Bay' - a big wheel on Bridlington's seafront - I am scared of heights so I found it a little (to put it mildly) scary ...


In the garden of the cottage we rent in Yorkshire we often see various wild animals - this time it was stoats - not a great pic - but you get the idea - they were running around like maniacs ...


Bempton cliffs seen from Speeton beach - one of the most beautiful views in the world (imho) ...


We had a trip on the North York Moors Railway as a pre birthday treat, we went from Pickering to Grosmont, where we stopped for a little picnic on the hill overlooking Grosmont, then we travelled back. It was a lovely day out ...


... a view near Grosmont ...


We also visited Sewerby Hall and Gardens, where there is a small zoo and other animals in large paddocks. I saw this sweet scene in one of the paddocks ...

and this little wallaby too ...

back from break ...

Just wanted to add a post to say we're back from our break, have been for a few days now, but I haven't got as far as downloading my photos or thinking of what to put into a full blog post. We had a lovely time which included my birthday on the 18th, so I came back a year older ;-)

Things are a bit muddeled at the moment, but hopefully they'll get straightened out soon, so hang in there I'll get a nice post with piccies sorted soon ...

getting away from it all ...

After all that's been happening here over the past few weeks (it's a long story) we've decided to take a break, so I will be away from my blog for a bit, but hopefully I'll return with lots of new things and positivity ...

introducing ...

I decided to make the most of the sunshine at lunchtime today to take some photos of some of my needle felted creations - to introduce them to the world ....









When I get things sorted out these creations will be for sale online. In the meantime ... if anyone is interested in adopting one of them before then, please just drop me an email. I will also take custom orders, so if there's anything you fancy please email me to discuss ...

one of my last bus journey's home from Kingsbridge ...

These photos were taken from the bus, so they aren't super quality, but they do give an impression ...


a view looking towards Dartmoor near Modbury


a colourful sunset over Plymouth

newly organised office

We spent a large proportion of the weekend doing a blitz in the house to create a work area for me. It looks lovely, but alas it sits there and I sit here in what's left of our old office in Kingsbridge. The working at home has been delayed ... hopefully only until tomorrow ;-)

a big change is on the horizon ...

There is a big change on the horizon in my life and I'm full of mixed feelings about it, some positive and some negative ...

From Monday I will be working from home (still employed, but home based - not office based). In most ways it's good - quite a change for me as in order to get to work at the moment I have to travel for 3 hours (yes some people in Devon do commute). Working at home will give me those 3 hours of my life back, and of course I'll save money - no bus fares and all those extras I end up spending when I'm away from home.

But then again I'm a bit concerned about being remote and isolated from the office team ... thank goodness for the Internet.

Watch this space and I'll let you all know how things go with this life change ... ;-)

Still here ...

Just wanted to post a quick update to let any one who pops by know that I am still around.

Things are fairly busy on the freelance design front, so that is keeping me very busy during most weekends and some evenings.

I've also started exploring needle felting in the little spare time that I have. Initially I thought I might be able to do some needle felting on my long daily commute (by bus), but after experiencing how sharp the needles are I've decided that's not a good idea.

Anyway - I'm still here and I'll be back soon with photos of my needle felted creations ... I will be offering them for sale on Etsy, so I guess I will have to unveil them soon ;)

hares galore

Don't ask why - because I don't think you'd get a sensible answer - but I have developed a sort of fascination with hares ...

When we were on holiday in Yorkshire in March we saw a few, but never close enough to photograph. I did take this one photograph, but the hare was so far away ...



Since then I've been sketching and doodeling hares ...

a walk on the beach

Yesterday we drove to Dawlish Warren, a lovely seaside village on the South Devon coast. The main reason for the trip was for me to judge pets at a hamster show put on by the Southern Hamster Club. In the end there were several judges for the pets so I only had to judge the rabbit class, it was a pretty quick job really as there were only 3 rabbits taking part. I had a good time, and it was a chance to catch up with some people who I don't see very often.

While we were there we went for a walk along one of the beaches to look for shells - here are some pictures from our walk ...

welcome Long Tall Sally

This week we had someone new come to stay with us - introducing Long Tall Sally ...





She was made by the very talented Gretel, visit her blog Middle of Nowhere or visit her etsy shop - Red Flannel Elephant Designs.

Gretel - Thank you so much for making Sally, she is much loved here with us and I promise she will be well looked after. Thanks too for the lovely cards you sent with Sally X