Christmas Break

The last semester has been mental and i cant believe that its Christmas Eve already. The year has flown in, the second half more so. The break is well needed by many and I cant wait to stop and relax....if that is at all possible. It was a great feeling to get everything handed in, Essay finished, presentation done and technical files completed and handed in. This semester has been a test on the old dyslexia and i have seen it has been on others who are dyslexic too. I am going to look into some learning strategies, different ways to retain information, when i find some i will of course share them. That will be my christmas present to you all...ha! I hope you all have a wonderful christmas. Much Love xx

The Dreaded Essay

Who hates writing essays?? Well I know that I do. The one that I have had to write for Crafts in Context has taken forever, it was the most difficult thing I had to write. Normally I can get into them but it was not happening with this one. Anyhow its done but I thought I would leave some essay tips not just for people with dyslexia but for anyone who struggles with the.
Prepare - I left mine to the last minute, I dont recommend anyone doing this. I thought I would be able to do it in a few days but it took a lot longer than that. So give yourself plenty of time.
Essay Plan - find a question that you will be interested in. Then write headings about what you would like to cover that relate to that question.
Reference - do this as you go along, it will make your life a whole lot easier
Bite Size Chunks - give yourself 2 hours at a time then go and do something else for half an hour, bit of house work or even a walk.
There are so many more you can do and for those who are Dyslexic giving yourself plenty of time is so important. You will be able to enjoy what you are reading rather than panicing that it needs to be in. It can be enjoyable as the essay is to do with a course you have chosen to do. So unlike how I dealt with it  ...relax and enjoy!!

If there are any more tips that people would like to add please do!!

Bird Art

My ceramic project is looking at the decline of wildlife in Britain and I have focused on the Lapwing as these are extremely vulnerable . They are one of the most beautiful birds around and it would be sad if we were to never see them again. Today a few of my classmates took me to a dead blackbird that was pretty much in tact...though at first it may of been a bit of a laugh I started to think how I could use it within my work. I brought it home to photograph and as I laid it out on a piece of white paper I felt sad and actually quite sick. His eye was a bit of a mess and there was a little blood around his nose and beak, it started to make me question if i really want to use him in my work. I love black birds, they are beautiful birds with a character I cant quite explain but they make me laugh. This poor bird lead on this piece of paper probably didnt die naturally so I wonder...do I bury it?? or do I cast it in clay to use in my final display to symbolise death??

Back to uni

I hope all you folks out there who are getting ready to go back to uni in a few weeks have had an ace summer!! Its been great to see on facebook many of your updates and having new experiences in different countries. I cant believe how quick the time has gone by. I wanted to do so much art but have barely touched on it, think its because there is so much I want to do and dont know where to start. Im in the process of knitting my bear a scarf...once he is finished I will pop a picture up on here and if anyone wants the instructions of how to make their own bear let me know. Well Im going to make the most of the next few weeks as Im in no rush to get back...lots to get on with at home. Will get the wee bear finished and a photo taken so everyone can see Mr B. I dont have to much crack at the mo so will leave it at that. I am determined to keep up on this more regularly with some interesting stuff! I forgot to say went for a spot of bird watching along the solway and saw some Golden Plovers, Snipes, Black Tailed Godwits, Sandlings and one of my fav birds Lapwings. There were more there as it was a high tide but my list may go on a bit so will stop there. You cant beat a spot of bird watching!!

New Project

I can not believe how quick the summer holidays are flying past. Though the weather in England has not been that great I have been enjoying pottering and getting things done around the house. I still have loads on my list I would like to achieve before I go back to university...wether they all get done is another matter. We have been given a summer project to work on called 'Boundaries, Borders and Connections'. Its a great title and the possibilites are endless, its a challenge to narrow down the ideas. I have been pushing my brain into thinking outside the box..pushing my own boundaries...to come up with some ideas. I have been thinking about my interests, things that are happening in todays society and the visible boundaries that we see everyday. Im not giving to much away at this stage but i will update as soon as my ideas are set in stone. Do you find that when you are an outsider looking into someone else's work that the ideas pour in much easier? Once involved it seems to be much harder...or is that just me?? Ha!!! Think i just need to run with my idea and if it works then great and if it doesn't then no one needs to see it...ha!! Well on that note Im going to get started.....fingers crossed!! And to all my class mates who are working on this...good luck, I look forward to seeing and hearing about your ideas! xx

The French Life

I cant believe that I have been travelling around France and Im back sat in front of my laptop updating my blog! The country was amazing and so diverse from Mont Blanc in The Alps to Chateaus in Tudor Towns. There was so much to see probably to much for the time that we were there. Yet it didn't blow me away in the way I thought it would, dont get me wrong I loved it and would happily return but there wasnt that pull that i was expecting to get. For a while I have fantasied about living there and I was expecting that draw from England but it did not happen. Im not sure if my fantasies were to unrealistic or if it was that gradual change in scenery from the North to the South. However there was one place that I think both me and Mr M liked and the was Josselin in Brittany, in fact I think Mr M liked Brittany the most. We stayed in a very nice family run Hotel, there were six rooms in total and we stayed in the family room at the top of the house and had a whole floor to ourselves. The lady of the house was more than lovely and really took care of the guests. In the morning for breakfast a spread of various breads, crepes, coffee and tea was laid out and either a fruit medley or home made natural yogurt would be brought out to us. We sat on a big table with the other guests which was wonderful and gave a really homely feel. The only thing was most of the guests were French who spoke no English so me and Mr M, mainly Mr M would try our best to speak with them with the very little French we knew. It was an interesting experience but I will most definitely be brushing up on my languages. I think we both felt a little rude and ignorant to be travelling in their country speaking very little of their language. But it was all a learning curve and a wonderful experience. Now im home I want to be really getting creative but I dont know where to start, lots of ideas but not sure which one to choose. Also there is always housework to do...thats always a bit of a distraction, i find myself constantly trying to get organised. Tomorrow though I will get into it, once I am back from town I will be putting my creative head on!

Family Visits, France and Life

The last couple of weeks have been mental but lovely. My family have been visiting and its been great to see them, to show them the lake district and show them a bit of what I do. Though I must admit i feel that my creativity has been zapped from me and its been nice to have a break from it. I think its important to have a bit of time out, time to refresh, get new inspirations. Im off to France for a month with my man, we will be travelling to the Alps and along the coast. A budget trip so we will be camping which will be ace and will be a great way to get some inspiration. Also the break from uni will help to let all what has been learnt sink in, its been a mental year and I have learnt so much and im looking forward to doing some of my own things with my new skills. Well peeps I wil be back soon with some of my work from the last year. I do hope that for those who have dyslexia or a mental illness realise that there are so many opportunities out there for them and finding a creative outlet will really help. Speak soon. Big Hugs x