Year 2...Feeling blue!

Well Hello Year 2 and welcome back to my blog (or weekly whinge....)  

  

Crikey...I don't even know where to start as since breaking up from year 1 so much has happened but what I will tell you is this, I had built up a lot of anxiety about returning back to Year 2. This anxiety has had a huge impact on my first brief (which I've just handed in....Hence the happy poo face. PHEWWWW) and my outlook in general, something I'm hope will start to resolve over the next few weeks. It's really not been easy and I'll be honest, I struggle, I struggle on a daily basis but 6/7 weeks in and so far so good. I've only cried driving home about 50  times! :-D

It's not helped either that our family lost our dear 'brother' Brendan, unexpectedly at the start of October and without getting the chance to say goodbye, I've been faced with feelings and emotions very alien to me and have put me at times into quite a "dark" place. Luckily I was able to channel some of what I was feeling into my work, quite literally!  

Going to miss you so much Bren.

Looking back on my work that I have produced for my first brief back...Although I'm pretty pleased with my final outcome and what I had achieved in constructed textiles, I'm not happy with the paperwork side of things and I know for certain this is going to let me down and affect my grade.....Grrrrr! Got to be top form for the rest of the year if I want to hit distinction targets...Not putting myself under any pressure at all *winkwink. Here's a couple of pictures of what I've been upto....I've been working hard, Promise. 

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Last week I've been given my new brief which is going to take me up to Christmas and this one is pretty exciting. We are collaborating with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and being commissioned to design a capsule collection which conveys the attraction and to develop a tropical inspired print...EEEEEKKKKK....So exciting. A day out last Thursday to the botanical gardens with my trusty camera has filled me full of inspiration and I'm raring to go. I've got print ideas flowing and a range plan ready to put down on paper (which I'll show you next week). 

Thanks for reading you lovely folks. Until next time. XXXX 

My son used the F word at me this week!!!!

Just call me Sparkle

How adorable do I look? lol......My new Unicorn onsie. Anybody who knows me, knows how much I love Unicorns so when my hubby bought me this..Well it's taken some prizing off my body.

Ermmmm not sure if I've told you this but I'm flipping KNACKERED...STILL. hehehehehehe. To be far I'm feeling much better this last week. Really finding a rhythm, finding my feet and getting organised at home. My husband even made the comment to me that he thought I'd been the most productive in a very long time and that this is just what I needed. I called him a cheeky s.h.i.t but actually, I think he is right.

Front single crochet

Mondays and Wednesdays we spend time with our textiles tutor Rachel and these are fully hands on sessions. Our brief at the moment is called Knit, Knot and Weave. I showed some weave in the last blog. Well here is a small sample of some single crochet chains. I felt a bit like the cat who got the cream as I already know how to crochet so Rachel left me to it, whilst she taught the rest of our group. They gave a bit of ribbing for it at lunch..First time in 15yrs I've been called teachers pet! ;-)
My lovely friend Claire from create-some-time taught me how to crochet at one of her fantastic workshops. She also runs a facebook group and a monthly craft club which you can find here. In this single crochet I used a green plastic and gold lurex mesh contrasted with a soft new wool...the opposite of textures. My sample book is filling up nicely!

hmmm forgot the name of thing already

I needed match sticks and coffee for this next task. Transferring our paper blocks to card to make hard copies. BORINGGGGGGGGGGGG. Kerry laughed at us a lot, listening to our grunts and groans but as she said 'you'll never have to do this again'. I bloody hope not. Can't even remember what this needle, spiky wheel thing is called but I caught my finger on it a few times so accordingly named it THE PRICKER hahahahaha.

Considering I only drew my own blocks (patterns) from scratch for the first time 2 weeks ago, I could do them with my eyes closed now, Thanks to Kerry. She is an awesome tutor and we have a real giggle in lessons with her. So creative and dynamic. Very inspiring lady. We get on sooooo well..She's a mummy too so she understands the struggle #mummypower

He used the F word!!

I've got to say..I have a new found respect to all those parents who work full time and raise beautiful families. I miss my little boy so much,not being able to take him and pick him up from school everyday, I'm not takin him to his after school activities and sometimes it's bed time when I get to see him *insert sad face here but I fully appreciate our time together even more than ever. Actually I think I totally took it for granted before,the huge amount of time we did have together.A Friday is ''our'' day now. I pick him up from school, we go swimming, we go out for tea and then we go and see Nanny and his cousin Louis and we really make the most of it. Last Friday he actually called me FUN......yes, fun. Ha! What did you think he said..F@&K.
Anyway check out his cheeky face.

My new self portrait is up on my page. You can click here to have a look and perhaps leave me some love. Your more than welcome to leave any comments on my blog too. Till next time. Abi xx

Woahhhhh...I'm so tired!

Knackered mom face

Hi lovelies....Knackered student mom here *insert laughing face emoji!

I really was not prepared for this last week and there has been some tearful moments..I'M FLIPPING KNACKERED..Beyond belief. I think I was really naive in thinking full time college (3days...3 very intense FULL days) and being a mom wouldn't be so bad. I was so wrong. Our house has now turned into homework club as Ryan and I now sit down together to do our homework except I have about 10 times more than he does minus the spellings #lol

I have to say though, It's not all tired, tears. I'm absolutely in love with my course, aside the fact it is very intense and full on..I'm doing something I'm passionate about and hungry to learn about, coupled with my photography....I'm inspired to the hilt (and this can only be a good thing)

My sea inspired weave

This last week, My textiles tutor had made a dolly-peg loom
and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and get weaving. Inspired by my love for the sea (to look at, NOT to swim in) I produced this weave..What do you think? Kerry, Our fashion tutor loved it so much, She would love it as a wall hanging in her home :-) This weave is made up of strips of wadding, wool,tulle, sheer poly and paper rope to give lots of texture.

I'm feeling pretty inspired to make some more weaves...So watch this space!

Can you spot my assistant?

I bought a new dining table a couple of weeks ago..It's shabby chic and the chairs are painted in A.Sloane chalk paint. A bit bigger than our old one and blooming hell, do i need it. I have so much homework!Most of my free time was taken up, trying to get it done and I had taken up most of the table but my furry,white homework buddy managed to find an empty spot. Bless him.

Even though I was snowed under with homework I still manged to find some time to get out with my camera and get my self portrait challenge done. I'm a member of Instagram Birmingham and we meet on a regular basis. Saturday we had an access all areas at The Symphony hall in Birmingham. The perfect backdrop for a self portrait. See my self portrait here and leave me some love.

Thanks again for reading lovelies. Until next week. Have a great one. Abi xx