On The Move... Here we Go

We're moving! Inkmeup has found a lovely new nest high up in the sky with lots of room for a studio... to stop my head exploding I have closed all my shops for a little while.

We'll be back after the 30th March but will be around to answer convos in the meantime it just may take a few days so please be patient... hopefully once we are all settled in then I can get back to making things and feel a little less stressed and a little more inspired, it's been months since I picked up a pen.
I also can't wait to get back to regular blogging and updates... I have been struggling a little lately but moving is a stressful time so I won't beat myself up about it. It's the first time I have moved with the businesses in tow and I never realised how complicated it could be, you have to treat your businesses like an extra person... so not conducive for a creative environment!When I come back I will be celebrating with a house warming party and a giveaway in conjunction with my other shop Feltmeupdesigns I plan on giving away a special prize so watch this space.

xx
mel

Moving Home and Extended Discount Code

We have found a lovely new nest to live in and are going to move into it next weekend... my new nest will even have room for a studio... Yay!

It looks like I may need to close the shop for a few days when we move... with this in mind I am running my discount code until the 19th March code ONTHEMOVE Will get you 30% off your whole order.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/inkmeup

I am going to have a hot bath and a well deserved glass of wine after moving several heavy boxes to the new place... I can't wait to get into the new place and get busy making new things and new designs!

Who Am I?... Identity Crisis Part One

I've been experiencing somewhat of an identity crisis recently... I guess it was always kind of inevitable between running 2 creative businesses with completely different and separate products and holding down a part time day job. Something has to give... eventually.

You may or may not know this but before Christmas I nearly quit my day job... and then I chickened out... I had my notice ready and everything, I even talked to the boss and then realised I just wasn't ready to let got of the financial and emotional crutch a part time job gives me.

Since then I have been struggling with the juggling act that my life has become, on top of that I have been attending printmaking classes at night school which is helping inspire me in new ways and new directions... and I can't choose... I just want to do it all. I am totally loving the effects I can get with lino cuts and have started the magpie project but I am also playing with etching and treated myself to a little table top press for Christmas. I have so many ideas that I have found myself frozen with indecision as to which I should do first.

I can't clone my self (but if there are any evil geniuses out there who would like to try I'm happy to let you) and I can add that extra day to the week between sunday and monday (I'd call it craft day!) I've written to my MP and I don't think he took me seriously. So I guess at some point quitting my day job will become a necessity rather than a day dream.

Owls from The Felt Menagerie

I have all the usual reservations about becoming a full time creative, will I be able to support myself? Will I be able to motivate myself? Can I sustain working creatively? And one of my own more unusual reservations.... will I turn in to some kind of bonkers hermit who grabs people in the street and screams "FOR GODS SAKE SOMEONE TALK TO ME!!!" Which is my biggest worry because I am not a social bunny and going to work allows me to come out of my little cocoon and act like a normal person on a regular basis!

Owl Etchings

Currently John and I are waiting to find out if we have got a new bigger, nicer flat... with a second bedroom which will function as a studio for me (sends up silent prayer to the Gods of real estate) so maybe with more space the choices I have will become clearer and easy to make. I'm hoping a whole room to work in will really help decide if this is something I can do 24/7... until then I'll be hanging around trying to do 20 things at once and going slightly bonkers... but hopefully not accosting random strangers to entertain me.

Two For Joy...

I managed to finish my first magpie for the magpie project just before the end of January... which made me feel good. Unfortunately the Great British Weather has been grey and dull and the light has been too bad to photograph it until now.

But here it is in all it's black and white glory!I am very pleased although I can see me reworking it at the end of the project as I get better at carving the lino and drawing magpies!
It's also been pointed out that my mum's name is Joy and she has therefore stolen my first print! Oh well you have to keep the Mummys happy!
Now I need to move on to one fore sorrow... although I am inclined to leave sorrow for a while as I want positiveness for the start of my year!

Silly Sale... get em before they go!

We're moving... yay... we don't have a new flat yet but our lease is up and we're looking for a bigger place as all my crafty doings have completely taken over the flat and it's been decided that they need their own room!
Soooooooooooooo... I decided to declutter and get rid of a few discontinued designs and have a silly sale with super low prices.
Visit my sale section on etsy to pick up a bargain, including half price lavender bags and prints, all prices are already reduced in the sale section so there's no work for you to do just click and buy!
Sale is here on Folksy, not much most is on etsy and once it's gone it's gone.

I'm very excited and we'll be looking at dream flat number 1 on wednesday... I can't wait!

Two for joy...

Two for Joy... lino cut and first print proof. It's not quite finished, I will be removing that black boarder and fixing a few things that I missed but I am really happy with it so far!

New Year, New Me...

Every year I make a New Year's Resolution and every year I break it by February! This year I decided to do something different and give myself some goals rather than my usual trick of say thing slike "A drawing a day!" which I can tell you now I'll never stick to.
This year I have 2 resolutions, the first is to be healthier... I don't eat vegetables and I don't do exercise unless you count flinging stacks of books around in my day job as a book slave. So I bought myself a hand blender and am learning how to make soup... cos I will eat vegetables blended into soups!.The second new years resolution to be more creative! Yeah Ok so I run 2 sucessful businesses and I make something almost everyday but it's starting to feel like a job so despite the fact that today I finished 3 felt birds and sewed a bunch of lavender bags I don't feel that I have been creative. I have set myself a project, the 7 magpies project where I have decided that I shall illustrate the Magpie counting rhyme:
One for Sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told

I have found versions of the rhyme that go further than seven but I thought seven was a nice number to aim for... lets see if I can do it! I have started Two for Joy as a lino cut... no pics yet it's not finished but it's based around the magpie I goccoed for my shop!I also bought myself a table etching press as an early christmas present to myself and to beat the VAT increase in the UK. So I am looking forward to getting back into etching again... when I find the time... so I have big plans for this year and the direction I want to take my business in. It's all very exciting!