Self Pioneering !

Hi Everyone
A rather 'dull' day today but dry. Not sure if its colder but snow I'd forecast !! Lets hope it doesn't get here. I've had enough snow for this season.


This morning Ive been involved with volunteer work at one of our schools.A team of Mums made lots of cupcakes and have dressed them up for sale at a Valentine Disco this evening.I will get a few photos later to share.

I've also been busy with work meetings etc. time is running out for creative stuff. However, I've done a little more with Mary. Her flowers are gone and Ive sketched her bag. I'm not sure where to go exactly with the bag construction - I need to do a few examples and develop other skills. I do have materials for a crystal clay project which may lend itself to the job. I don't know what to do with the clay ? I need to find out.

The cupcake job reminded me this morning (while making and using butter icing) that practical 'experience' is so important. I am OK with baking and easy spread icing or filling a cake. Making and piping large numbers of cakes (300+) is another thing altogether. Having (with a few other girls) made the stuff and piped it and mixed extra when a huge bowl ran out etc., I feel we are well equipped to do it again, even better and more efficiently. It's an obvious lesson but it was so well experienced this morning. I think it's to do with confidence and just getting on and doing and having 'a go' - no matter what. I wonder, what is the worse thing that can happen ? I find myself regularly spouting this message to my boys. Thinking about this mornings job as a whole. My problems were not having enough butter, sugar etc and not having the tools and space and understanding where everything will be stored until we need it etc., as well as will the icing be good enough to eat ? and are my skills good enough to make the cakes look good ? and not spoiling all the ingredients. For a while, it was touch and go because we DIDN'T KNOW ! ie. we didn't know about all the variables Ive mentioned above. In the end, everyone pulled together and we met the deadline and cleared up (our very small kitchen was cleaner and more organised than when we started) and everyone worked well together. I left having had 'a feeling of achievement (in a minor way)'. My early thoughts were all about minor PANIC.

The lesson, I'm suggesting, I gained from this experience is that it's easy to forget how debilitating the feeling of 'self doubt' can be and often having overcome something can have a huge (almost out of proportion) personal benefit. I hope I can continue to use this example to push my boundaries in other ways - more to do with 'my art'. I tend to stay safely, inside my own comfort zone most of the time. I also wonder is having like minded people around you - all working towards the same ultimate goal (even if its a personal one). I definitely need to do MORE to extend myself.
PS - the cakes look fab !

Before I go here is a quick look at Mary without her flowers



The space where the flowers were attached has left it's mark, my initial thoughts are to develop a scarf arrangement around the skirt and top - initially, the flowers were a solution to this area. I like the skirt but the top is not a good look. I like the rather 'shabby' treatment on the right hand side where you can just see some 'wearing' of the wallpaper. I'm thinking of developing others areas in this way ie rubbing away some of the wallpapers surface.


I will repaint and repair Mary's top next. My newly found confidence is extending to pioneer the use of new materials and techniques. I must make the most of this and build on it.

I hope I will have a little time later to add more, in the meantime, I'm thinking about the possibilities.

Bye for today.