Sweet, Sweet Inspiration.

Thursday, January 28, 2016 Unknown 0 Comments

Hello! It's been a few of weeks since my last post, but to be honest it's been fairly busy. I've started back at work after having a lovely break over Christmas and since then a couple of friends of mine, I am proud to say, have opened a gorgeous little cafe in Wheatley called "Ochre cafe". They have done marvellous things with it and business seems to be going well already. Consequently they have kindly asked both my mum and I to regularly help out by making a variety of homemade cakes and muffins. What a honour!! I do recommend if you're ever in the area to stop off for a delicious cup of coffee, piece of freshly homemade cake and a chat with friendly staff that work there. Not that I am biased AT ALL!

Raspberry Burst Cake

Lemon Drizzle

Cupcakes

{Ochre Cafe Instagram}

So as you can probably imagine I have been a bit busy baking cakes for the cafe, but I love it. I love cooking, I find it quite therapeutic. It makes me happy and this pushes me to do more of it. Now mum and I are on Pinterest, constantly, looking for inspirational recipes and creative decoration ideas to try out. Such Fun!

However since it has been a busy couple of weeks, getting into the groove of 2016, I haven't done much creative making. A rubbish excuse I know! But I will endeavour to get the inspiration book out quickly.

My Inspiration Book

One of the most important things for me is having an inspiration or ideas book at the ready. Actually I have more than one. As often as I can, I mossy on down to a well lit, bustling cafe in Oxford and sit with a Large Chai Latte and an Apple Flapjack, my inspiration book and the iPad, for a couple of hours. The great thing about Oxford is that sitting in a cafe watching the world go by as you deeply ponder on things, is not unusual in a city full of students. I do some of my best thinking in coffee shops.

Occasionally when the creative juices are running low and some serious time out to just "process life" is needed , well... those are the days the inspiration book stays safely in my bag for another day and I sit and watch the world go by. Nevertheless, often just being surrounded by an unfamiliar environment and having a constant flow of new faces go by, helps me think clearer and I'm able to jot down some creative ideas, do some research or make a helpful "to do list". I love making lists!!

Of course one vital ingredient to all of this is required, a lengthy motivational Spotify list. There is nothing worse then chilling in a coffee shop with some bland, cheesy, elevator music playing in the background. Or worst.....Silence. Ick!! No, I always have my headphones nearby and a playlist ready to go with the mood. Thank goodness for Spotify I say.

{My Spotify}

I'm always collecting bits and peices for ideas.

And i am forever collection images that inspire me with Colours, Patterns, Textures and Photography ideas.

So my mission till next time is to book an afternoon to myself at the Ochre cafe and get my creative hat on. I'll have my inspiration book out and ready and hopefully this will be the motivation I need to get me going.

When at home.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

Monday, January 04, 2016 Unknown 0 Comments

2015 was a strange year for me. It seemed to be the year of change. People coming and people going, starting adventures in far away places and distant lands. How delicious I say!!!

The problem, however, that I seem to find, is when your friends are going traveling or moving to another country, you desperately want to give them a parting gift, a farewell 'prezzie' (an Australian term for present). A momento! Something they will remember you by, but will also be useful and of course nothing big and inconvenient. But what...?

There are only so many times you can buy someone a passport cover or a small travel bag and expect them to be excited and appreciative of such a general gift. No no no! For me, I want to give something sentimental.

Now I know many of my friends are terrible at both taking and keeping photos. Luckily working for a photography studio has taught me a couple of invaluable things. 1) always snap away and then keep all your photos, whether on a disc or in the cloud. You never know when you'll need a them and; 2) always have a high regard for hard copy photos. They are your hard copy memories.

Yes, I have come to surround myself with many a happy memory. My bedroom wall is covered with the fondest moments with family and friends, as well as some of my holiday snaps and after all, this is part of what makes a house, a home, for me, anyway.

Some Handmade Bunting

That's it!!! What is better than giving a few fond memories in printed form, then when they are far from home they can still feel at home. So that is what I do. Here are some examples of miniature treasurers I have made.