Happy New Year!

Well, what a year 2015 was! I think it's time for a round up of the last 12 months ...

Last new year I decided I wasn't going to make any new year's resolutions as I never manage to keep them anyway. Instead I decided to jot down good and positive things that happened throughout the year and save it until the following new year to open. I even managed not to peek all year! 

Opening it all out to read was actually quite exciting, and also very surprising. It is amazing just how much stuff we forget, or don't actually realise happened in the last year. Sometimes things seem like they happened ages ago, and yet it was all in the last 12 months.

If you haven't done this before, I really recommend it. It's very quick to do and easy to keep on top of, and a lovely thing to look forward to next new year.

2015 was the year that I had my first ever stamps published for Stampotique Originals. I can't even begin to tell you how exciting it is to see your art in rubber! One of the best things was seeing what the fabulously talented Design Team came up with. You can see their lovely art *here*

Here's a few of my makes from during the last year using my own stamps:

Of course I have always had a bit of a soft spot for Stampotique Originals and use them often in my journal pages:

Throughout the year I have continued to mess about in my journal, and sometimes just on recycled card (can't resist an old cereal box!):

I started to make art in the new Dylusions black journal which surprisingly makes your paints appear really bright!

  An angel for Christmas:

And something new for me - painting mandalas with my *new* DecoArt fluid acrylics.  Love!

My lovely friend Mell ALWAYS manages to inspire me and get me hooked on new things. For my birthday back in July she gave me a lovely planner which set me off on a new creative direction. Love planners! And they are so portable, and kept me well occupied during family holidays and travels during the summer months:

Throughout the year I have continued to teach art at various locations, and I am always very grateful for the wonderful enthusiastic response I receive. It is always a great honour and pleasure to share this artistic journey, and I'm looking forward to lots more classes during 2016. You can see all the details *here* And if you are heading to the Stitches Trade Show in February at the NEC, Birmingham, you might just see me there!

The Artistic Stamper, Kent

Frodsham, Cheshire

Art from the Heart, Harrogate UK

The Stamp Attic, Oxford

It's Crafting Time, Cambridge

Rossendale, Lancs

I also did a bit more filming of classes. I filmed my new Marvelous Miniatures class, and also my class for the awesome Wanderlust. Eeks! Very happy to be a part of this!

And there were a few things I wanted to try in 2015 ... 

1   Bookbinding ... yes, I took a workshop and learned how to bind books! Still more to learn but at least I made a start.

2   I wanted to make art on a bigger scale ... no, I failed miserably on this. Still there's always another year. 

3   I wanted to learn how to crochet ... Yes, I did this! Although I have been a knitter all my life I wanted to crochet, but more specifically I wanted to crochet blankets from the Attic 24 blog. I got myself a book, I looked on you tube and I did it :-) 

(Thanks to my friends - Wendy, Gez, and Angie for inspiring me and cheering me on!)

Over Christmas and New Year I tend to shut down and hibernate, and focus on family, as family time is so so precious. My youngest turned 13 this summer so now I have TWO teenagers in the house (yikes!) This has made me even more aware of how quickly time flies, and the importance of spending time with each other (before they flee the nest ... I can hardly even think about that). 

But now, as we enter the new year it feels like it's time to come out of hiding and get going again. 

I wish you all a fabulous 2016 filled with love, happy times and good health. And colour. Everyone needs lots of colour in their life ;-)