Stories From The Studio #4, 23rd February 2019

Stories From The Studio #3, 17th February 2019.

A Note On Valentine's Day.

Listen, Valentine's Day day isn’t just about tacky gifts and overpriced roses. Whether you are in a relationship or not, it's all about love! Share the love with yourself first, treat yourself to your favourite things, and why not spread a little extra joy wherever you go? Think of others who may be hurting, for whatever reason, and share some love with them. Try paying things forward and watch the smiles that light up people’s faces when they realise someone has noticed them.

On Valentine's Day, Brian and I went to a cheap and cheerful lunch at Cracker Barrel, and then went bowling together, (we went to a much fancier dinner in the evening.) and while at lunch, I noticed an older gentleman dining by himself. The whole restaurant was full of older couples, all dressed in their best pink and red clothes in honour of the day, and this guy looked sad and lonely. I paid for his meal anonymously, and just asked the server to tell him it was taken care of, and to say Happy Valentine's Day. As you can imagine, he looked confused, but his face lit up too. I hope I made his day, and that he in turn, might do something for someone else down the line. I am a great believer in karma, and paying things forward.

And, as a side note, please, never, ever, settle for anything less than you deserve. I have known far too many people put up with terrible relationships, because they think the important thing is just to be with someone - anyone - to validate their lives. It is better to be single than with someone who treats you badly. I was lucky enough to find my perfect partner, who is willing to embrace ALL of me, (including my penchant for crazy costumes!) but I had to cross an ocean, kiss a lot of frogs, and go to hell and back before I found him. It took me a very long time to realise that I deserved more. That I deserved someone who loves me, that isn’t cruel or abusive. Someone who supports me and challenges me to achieve more. That’s the kind of love we all deserve, so please, don’t ever settle.

We are all worth love! We are all amazing, beautiful, crazy, fabulously flawed humans that deserve to be happy. Be brave, seek your happiness, and do whatever makes your soul sing!

Stories From The Studio #2, 5th February 2019.

Stories From The Studio #1, 29th January, 2019.

Olde Towne Portsmouth Antiques and Flea Market.

Hello my lovelies, how have you been? Sorry I have been absent for a little while, sadly I lost a family member and flew home to England for the funeral. It is times like these that make it so very hard for me to live so far away from all my loved ones back home. It is wonderful that modern technology means I can Skype, FaceTime, or WhatsApp them all at the touch of a button, but it is not the same as being able to spend time with them in person. 

However, I am back in Virginia now, and I only have a few days to get ready for my next event! I have signed up to sell at the Olde Towne Portsmouth Antiques and Flea Market next Saturday, 2nd February. The event is from 10:00 - 14:00, rain or shine, but it is under cover, so even if it is raining, we won't get wet! And since it is so close to Valentine's day, this is the perfect time to come and find something unique for your loved ones. There are so many different vendors, of all kinds, so you are bound to find something perfect for someone you know. Or why not treat yourself?! I often do. ;-) 

For more info about this event, follow the link HERE to their Facebook page. Oh, and by the way, this Flea Market is held on the first Saturday of every month, so if this one goes well, I hope to make this a regular thing. The location is very close to me, and I would love to do more fairs locally, as well as support the Olde Towne business association. 

New Year's Resolutions.

Okay, so I'm a little late posting this, which is not a good start. I must do better! This year I am committed to doing so much more in my art, that I really need to be clear about what I will be doing, what my goals are, etc. One of my goals is to take more videos, one, to share on social media, and two, to get more comfortable in front of the camera, so that I am able to do tutorials, interviews and suchlike in the future, without working myself into a severe panic attack about being on film.

So, here's the first video of the year, giving you a quick peek at my current studio space. Let me know what other videos you would like to see... Perhaps some time lapses of my work? Some tutorials of how I create things? The stories behind each thing I make? Maybe a how-to Halloween makeup video? Let me know! And let me know how you're getting on with your resolutions too! Maybe we can all help to hold eachother accountable to help reach our dreams.