The Inner Voice

Everybody wants to be understood and have some form of recognition or validation. There are so many voices out there clamouring for attention that the world can seem a lonely place. But we all have an inner voice that we carry in our heads and this gave me the inspiration for the third embroidery in my 'Maps' series.

I am constantly having an internal dialogue; sometimes it's helpful and encouraging, at other times destructive and brutal. Your soul as companion is an idea used to great effect in Philip Pullman's novel 'Northern Lights' with Lyra's 'Daemon'. These daemon's are a physical manifestation of the inner self in animal form - a constant friend to guard against loneliness.

This is the beginning of the embroidery-

 The full title is:-

'Walking; I hear you Talking.

 In the back of my mind; You're always there'.

 

The image of the figure (one I kept as a cutting from a fashion magazine when I was at college), is a representation of me, as everything in my work is. The whole concept is to tell my story, plot my life, the things that touch me, influence me, inspire me, shape me The autobiographical is literally stitched into the fabric and the influences that I pick up and absorb along the way become integrated into who I am.

 

I'll be posting progress reports over the next couple of weeks.

 

Amanda xxx


 





Tiny Urban Garden

Having my own little garden is so important to me and while thinking about the content of this blog it's become apparent that posts about it will be a regularity. I am working on my art projects but have realised that my garden is very much a part of this - my art work is about me and my personal story, it all feeds into me and who I am; and the garden is a part of that story and so I have named it 'The Tiny Urban Garden'.

Monty Don
 

I know it's time to get back out there when 'Gardeners World' is back on television presented by the wonderful and charming Monty Don; and this year he's accompanied not only by that canine star known as Nigel but a new young pup called Nellie. I love to watch Monty every Friday evening as he accompanies me through the gardening year, sharing advice and the delights of his own stunning garden.

As for my garden, I have made a start, digging over the border in the back which I then spread with mulch. My plan is to fill this border out this year with a few more shrubs and a good mix of perennials.

I went to the garden centre and got myself an Easter treat. A Garrya to go in the front garden, a Camellia and a selection of perennials for the back border. Having them all grouped together in their pots, it looks like I've got lots of goodies but I know that once they go in the ground they'll look a lot less significant.

 

 

So I planned where to put them all and then, as I knew they would, they just seemed to disappear into the ground. Looking forward to Summer to see how different it all looks then. I just hope they're all happy in my soil, and thrive, and don't fall victim to the Slugs!

Today I aerated the lawn and felt very happy as every time I put the fork in the ground at least 2 or 3 earthworms came wriggling out, and I know that they are very good for the garden.

Amanda xxx

Re-Focusing

Well, I had the flu; almost made it to the end of Winter and then it just snuck up on me. I had several days in bed, a complete loss of appetite, it lingered for weeks, and I found myself lost in a fog of melancholia.

Just before all this I got out for a walk on a lovely mild, calm day and took some pictures which I hoped to share. As my focus has started to come back and I've caught up with the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed the house, read through a pile of books, I've now reached the part of my never-ending checklist that says 'post blog'.

These are the hills across from where I live - I just go to the bottom of the road, walk up the hill, and then I'm lucky enough to be rewarded with this amazing view. I'm on the edge of a town with access to nature at her finest.

I passionately believe we should plant more trees. There are all the obvious benefits but on a more primal level I am completely in awe of trees and the power they have to transform the landscape. David Hockney's paintings of trees are some of my favourites and I'm sure I'm not the only one who hoped to find my own Magic Faraway Tree as a child; and who can resist the charms of a tree house?

So the trees are now starting to bud, gardens coming back to life and I've spent some time in my own garden tidying the borders. More about this next time.

Amanda xxx

Bringing Greenery Into Your Life

One of the programmes that I love to watch at this time of year is 'Wanted Down Under'. If you've never seen it I'll summarise the format:- couples/families decide that they have had enough of life in  the UK, for various reasons, and seek a new and better life at the other side of the world in either Australia or New Zealand. They then fly out for a week to sample the homes, lifestyle and work opportunities so they can make an informed choice about where they want to be.

It's fascinating tv, having at its heart the desire to find the perfect life. One of the things that always strikes me is that part of that better life is having beautiful scenery and nature which is something we have in this country in abundance, something to be celebrated. At the moment everything is pretty dormant but Spring is just around the corner, and then the magic really starts to happen.

Today was a really frosty start and branches are bare but there is such beauty in this. As Spring arrives there's no greater joy than watching trees and flowers bud and bloom and it's so incredibly beneficial. Doctors have started prescribing time in the garden to help people with depression because of the therapeutic properties and it's obviously uplifting to look out of a window and see greenery and trees as opposed to concrete and bricks. I can't wait to get outside in my garden, get my hands in the soil and make plans to create my own urban oasis.

When I first moved into my new home, the front garden was just a square of grass. You can see here that I dug some borders out and slowly but surely I keep adding little bits. It does require patience and time but I'm learning as I go and getting pleasure from my own little plot.

Amanda xxx

 

Just a Sprinkling

Woke this morning to see everything looking picturesque with a pretty dusting of snow.

I really love how everything looks when the snow has fallen, but I don't love the chaos it causes as buses grind to halt and schools decide to close; so I'm really hoping that was it for snow this Winter. My son is hoping for more snow - enough to close school. You just can't please everyone!

Happy new year by the way. I can hardly believe that we're already halfway through January. This was my first free weekend of the year and I made the most of it by relaxing in my armchair, drinking cups of tea, catching up with my reading and looking at some of my Christmas presents.

I treated myself to 'How to be Parisian' as I've had my eye on this for quite a while; and I also treated myself to Garance Dore's new book 'Love Style Life' as I love her blog and illustrations. My sister, knowing about my addiction to gorgeous notebooks, bought me a beautiful Ted Baker journal along with some jotting pens. Can't wait to start scribbling ideas for new projects in here.

I always feel so excited at the start of a new year - all the possibilities that lay ahead. I hope to make some real progress with my embroidery and will be sure to post updates here.

Amanda
xxx

It's Almost Christmas and It Was My Birthday

I think I must be the most organised that I've ever been in the lead-up to Christmas; I posted out my cards the first week of December and bought most of my presents, which got wrapped pretty much straight away, and the tree is up.

The angel on top is from the 70's and is the one we had on our family tree when I was a child. It's amazing that she's still going.

Work is incredibly busy at the moment and I'm loving the frenetic pace. There is Christmas magic in the air as I found myself invited to tea with friends I hadn't seen in a long while - it was so good to spend some time with them.

Then yesterday was my birthday, my last day off before Christmas. So as well as catching up on chores such as ironing, changing the bed and cleaning the bathroom, I also got to spend time with family and friends drinking cups of tea around the kitchen table - fab.

I love this time of year - I have little splashes of Primrose colour in my garden and the delicate flowers on my Viburnums are just perfect. My pictures aren't the best but things are hectic so it's a wonder I got any at all.

Amanda xxx

The Empty Stocking

Christmas is fast approaching and the thick layer of sparkling frost covering everything this morning seemed to herald its coming; which brings me neatly to the reason for todays post - my absolute favourite Christmas book of the moment:-



'The Empty Stocking' by Richard Curtis
illustrations by Rebecca Cobb

I absolutely adore this book and I urge you to get your own copy, whether you have children or not. It will give you that 'feel good' feeling and have you reaching for a nice glass of port and a slice of stollen.

Written by well known film director Richard Curtis, his hand is very apparent as he pulls, to great effect, on your heart strings. The utterly charming illustrations by relative newcomer Rebecca Cobb work perfectly to bring the story vividly to life. She has a childlike style combined with a sophisticated attention to detail.

It tells the story of 7 year old twins Sam and Charlie who, on Christmas Eve, are preparing excitedly for Father Christmas to visit. But Mum and Dad are a little bit worried as this has been Charlie's naughtiest year yet. Does Father Christmas know? And will he fill her stocking?

The first time I read this book I immediately fell in love with it and had to get my own copy. My son was already a teenager at this point so I couldn't pass it off as a present for him, but I was more than happy to gift it to myself.

Books are such great gifts, never more so than at Christmas, the perfect time to cosy up by the fire with a warm drink and a great read. I'm busy compiling my list now.

Amanda xxx