I want to learn how to…. (a Bucket List of sorts)

I don’t have is a bucket list – for some reason it has never appealed to me.  However I have always had a vague list of stuff that I would like learn how to do.  I love learning about new things.  I get overly excited, I Google it extensively, I watch tutorial after tutorial on You Tube, I buy books and read everything possible about it, I might even attend a course or two and eventually I will attempt it.

I love the challenge of learning something new, pushing my boundaries and trying stuff that I have never tried before.  The problem is that as soon as I have figured out how to do it (not even mastered it, just how to do it) I get bored and move onto the next project.  Sometimes I will go back to that project because I really enjoyed it, or I found out more about it and realised I only just scratched the surface with my abilities and then I will get all excited about it again.

My problem though is that my list of things I would like to learn about it is endless, varied and I forget about the one as soon as I have thought of something new.  So ci decided to write them all down ….  Here are just a few that I can think of at the moment:

• I want to learn how to do quick sketches on location (and make it look like the people are people and not monkeys) – STARTED - WORKSHOP BOOKED, BOOKS ORDERED, GOOGLED EXTENSIVELY – See other blog An Ordinary Life – Sketched
• I want to learn how to take a decent photograph
• I want to learn how to paint a decent portrait (properly) – STARTED – SIGNED UP FOR THE DIARY OF FACES ONLINE WORKSHOP – PART ONE with Sharon Tomlinson
• I want to learn how to work with chocolate
• I want to learn how to make fondant (sugar paste) figures decently
• I want to learn how to design a website
• I want to learn how to use my Silhouette machine properly
• I want to learn how to illustrate a children’s book (I will even settle for drawing a decent greeting card)
• I want to learn how to use a photo editing program with a little bit of skill
• I want to learn how to use a graphic design program
• I want to learn how to make money out of property
• I want to learn how to retire rich (don’t we all)
• I want to learn about trading on the stock exchange
• I want to learn about permaculture
• I want to learn how to reupholster furniture
• I want to learn how to write more creatively
• I want to learn why my tomatoes keep dying
• I want to learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• I want to learn how to bake a Black Forest Gateau
• I want to learn how to swim more efficiently – for long distance open water swimming
• I want to learn how to hand bind a book
• I want to learn how to do Lino Block Printing

As you can see my list is extensive and varied…..  Although you will note there is nothing musical on there. Even I know my limits.  I am totally tone deaf!!!

I have decided that instead of just having a vague idea of things I would like to learn and randomly doing some as I come across them I am going to try and work my way through my list.  I am not saying I am going to try and learn them all.   Some I might scratch off the list all together.  I am also not giving myself a time limit.  Who knows, I might find one on the list that I absolutely adore doing and get stuck on it for ages.  Then again I might try and do two at once.

There are also some obvious constraints – obviously money is a huge one (if you offer courses in PE or online and want to donate a space to me in any of the above I will gladly accept – just saying…..). Time is the other biggie – I have a full time job and a 3 year old.  Space is another – the garage is my husband’s domain (or he so he likes to believe) I can’t really just take over the entire house and garage with my stuff.  I have already taken over about 95% of all available storage spaces (including the garage) with my hobbies (yes, I have a few).

So, with this in mind I have asked to attend a Pen and Wash workshop held by Talbot Cox for my Birthday, it is all about sketching on location and using your sketchbook as you go.  It sounds exactly what I am after at the moment. The course is in a couple of months and I am very excited.  HERE are details on the workshop if you are interest.

What would you really like to learn how to do, or like me do you have a list?

A Sketched Life

I love drawing! I like painting with oils too but I really love drawing, either with pen, pencil or charcoal.

I used to carry a sketch pad everywhere with me although I did not always use it as much as I would have liked. It was kind of like my running shoes, I had to have them close… just in case, but years could go by when I never used them.  In fact when I moved to London in my early twenties there were 3 things that I made sure I had packed.  My sleeping bag, my sketchpad and my running shoes (listed in order of most frequent use).  My backpack only weighed 14 kgs and contained everything I thought was important!

A few years later I when left London to backpack around New Zealand, I once again packed those three items, (although by then my backpack had probably doubled in weight). This time however I actually used my sketchpad quite a bit.  I found that I loved just sitting somewhere and sketching what I saw – I used pen.  One of my favourite days was spent in Christchurch in front of the cathedral just drawing.  After New Zealand I went to Australia for a year, followed by Sweden and I never really drew much while I was in either country.  I don’t know why I stopped…

When I returned to South Africa I started art classes, painting and drawing, but always from photographs, never just sitting somewhere and sketching what I saw. I realised that I missed it, I want to be able to do those quick sketches that capture people as they go about their day to day business, I want to be able to catch a glimpse of a place, using my sketchpad, and not just a camera.  At the moment though I am not quick enough, people move, I move, stuff happens.  Although as with everything I am sure it is all about practise.  So that is what I have decided to do.  I want to try to do a sketch a day.  Something small, something quick;  I can’t promise that it will be good, or accurate or even decipherable but I am sure that they will get better.  I found a website called Urban Sketchers and then bought their book The Art of Urban Sketching, it has really inspired me. So, to document my progress I have decided to start another blog, one just for my pictures and sketches.  I am hoping to see some progress, some improvement and hopefully some frequency…. I have called it “A Sketched Life”  Please click HERE if you are interested in seeing it.

Little OL sleeping

Latest Art work

Charcoal Drawing on paper

Here is a charcoal sketch I finished last night – copied from a photo I took of Little OL.

FBC – a doodle

A Doodle by me

 

I drew this using a fine-liner, correction pen (otherwise know as tippex) and my new favourite pen an ink brush pen by Pental – see HERE.  Its called a Pocket Brush Pen, I am guessing because unlike a normal brush you can just pop it in your pocket and it is ready to go.  It does takes some getting used to and I tend to be a bit shaky using it, but love it.  I will keep practising.

February Blog Challange Day 1

Cupcakemummy is running a blog challange for February - I can’t guarantee that I will do everyday, as I try to avoid my computer on weekends, but I will see how far I get.  As it is I already am 1 day late.

The first of Feb was meant to be a self portrait.

I funnily enough did actually take a photo of myself yesterday – after I drew this picture – of myself drawing this picture.  Does this count as a self portrait…..

A sketch of me sketching me, sketching me…..

And then an actual photo

My word for 2013 – DO

A couple of years ago Lynette wrote that she chose a word for the year.  I think she has started a trend as I have been seeing it more and more.  This year I have decided to join in – my word for 2013 is “DO”.

At the end of last year I hired a life coach The Coachman - for a few sessions, it was one of the best decisions I have made in a very long time. I would highly recommend him.  One of the things he does is hold you accountable, so for example, if you say you are going to do something you need to “DO” it, at the next session he will confirm that you actually did it.  It can be one step in a process or a goal or whatever.

This resonated with me.  I often have an idea, or a thought, something I think I should do, but after a couple of hours or months I have done nothing about it.  This year I am going to “DO” something about those thoughts.  It is not that I want to do more stuff – in fact I actually want to do less, but I want to really focus on the ideas that I have.  I want to work out if they are viable, if they will add to my life, my marriage and my daughter.  If not, throw them out, but I want to have worked through them in a systematic way, step by step. The same with craft projects – I want to “DO” them. (no more unmade Christmas gifts)

So to this end I need to get organised.  I can’t function when there is chaos around me.  My first action this year was to declutter.  My second was to organise my home office and my 3^rdwas to organise a crafting notebook.  I am going to write down all my craft projects – what it is that I require to finish them, when they need to be finished by and any other problems or requirement I might have along the way.  I also now have a file that has work in progress projects in it, so that I can easily go back to them as I get the time.

I love organisation, I love processes, I love to work through things – so this is what one of the things I mean by “DO”

I also want to “DO” more life.  Mr OL and I are going to travel a bit this year and I would like to “DO” some races in different parts of the country.

However one of the things I am NOT going to DO this year is Ironman.  I must admit I was very tempted.  It is on my Birthday, my brother and sister are both probably going to do it again and I have a good fitness base.  I am however very happy with my decision (as I am sure  Mr OL will be when (if)  he reads this….)

 

PS:  The Coachman (Erich Jordan) is based in East London, but I did all the sessions over Skype so you can do it from anywhere.  His website is http:www.thecoachman.co.za.  I would highly recommend him.

A handmade Christmas (almost)

This year I decided to make a few of the Christmas gifts, I however ran into a few snags along the way. Actually that is not entirely true, I only ran into one snag but it was pretty major, I ran out of time.

Next Christmas I need to plan better.  This year, although I knew what it was I wanted to make I underestimated the time required to make them. That and the fact that I left it all to the last minute, I am training for a ½ Ironman and I decided to take cookie orders all kind of played against me.

I am however very happy with the gifts that I did manage to make, the others, oh well, the intended recipients will never know that there were actually a few other gifts planned for them.

For both the grannies I made a cushion cover each, out of clothes from Little OL’s first year.  I intend to make a quilt out of the blocks I cut, but realised that I have a few blocks extra, so made 2 cushion covers.  (I still need to make the quilt)

I personalised each one a little by making sure at least one block was from an item of clothing that they gave to Little OL.

For my mother-in-law I also baked biscuits.  I saw this tutorial on line with this colour scheme and idea for the Christmas trees and thought it was stunning.  I deviated a little as I was trying to do it from memory but am very happy with the way they came out.

For the Blog Secret Santa that Stiletto Mum was running on her blog I also made a couple of handmade items.  The first item is a notepad I covered.  I used a normal cheap notebook then decorated the cover a bit using dress-making pattern paper, paint, washi tape, printed letters and a fineliner pen.  I am very happy with the way it turned out and hope that the person I gave it to like it.

The second is a “Best of my Days” calendar using a printable from Ashley at Under the Sycamore.  I printed quite a few of these and gave them to some of my friends and family as well.  Follow the links to have a look – I did not take a photo of them.  (also just a note to add that Ashley’s blog is one of my favourites!!)

There were a few other items that I made as well, but forgot to take photos off – like Christmas Cookies for Little OL’s teachers and cards.

I had planned on make more Christmas Cards but…. next year. My word for 2013 is going to be “DO”

I hope you all had a very good Christmas and a that 2013 brings all you hope for.

Random photos

Little OL trying to distract us from the fact that it was bed time by being super cute.

The pony tail lasted a whole 30 mins. Which is about 29.5 mins longer than ever before.

We spent a morning hanging out here! Plett – one of my favourite places

Ready for some early morning swim training….

my silhouette cameo arrived. Can’t wait to use it!

 

A support group!

Ah, the relief – I am not the only one.  In fact I think I have found a site that makes me look like a bit of a slacker in the “I love notebooks” department.  Look at this blog - http://www.notebookstories.com

How amazing are some of these books.  I want, I want, I want!!!!

And in totally related news I am not allowed to visit Cape Town or Jo’burg in the near future as I might blow my upcoming Christmas bonus (if I get one)at Typo!  Can you please all STOP blogging about this shop.  It is making me sick with jealousy.

30 Days of Gratitude – Day 15 to Day 19

Day 15 – I am grateful for the ladies at my art classes I go to. I have been going for over 11 years and it is more about the social aspect that actually getting any painting done.

Day 16 – I am grateful that it is Friday!

Day 17 – I am grateful that I get to spend the day with Little OL.  She is getting cuter and cuter each day.

Day 18 – I am grateful to Mr OL for watching and entertaining Little OL so I could do a triathlon in the morning and finish decorating over 100 Christmas cookies that a friend ordered.

Christmas Tree Cookies iced and ready for wrapping.

Day 19 – I am grateful that it feels like summer is well and truly here!  I woke up this morning and it just had that summer feeling about it. When I was out in my car at lunch time the temperature said 30 degrees (which made me grateful for air-con). But I love summer!!!!!

Wrapped Christmas Tree Cookie