Another year

As 2016 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on what I have achieved this year in regards to what my goals were at the beginning.

the beginning

I have continued to try new things, worked on my book volume 2, and have been working on
a knitting project that I will be releasing in pattern soon into the new year.

I endeavoured to become more adventurous, and accomplished  this by heading out in all directions
around Victoria, and to my delight, found some very interesting spots to hang about in.

Something that I want to work on in 2017 is to become more social, perhaps getting out and
finding some groups to join....ooooo scared just thinking of it....and exhilarated. I have always been
a lone wolf, happy with my own company with the intermittent interjection of others.

Over the last few months, I have been scheming and planning all sorts of new challenges to
make happy my creative soul....so much bursts to get out there and become something...

What are your plans for 2017?

always in the clouds,
Suzanne

Rebekah Whittle

She holds a garden in her mind
And patiently waits to watch it grow
Each thought, a seed
She listens for which to water

Visiting daily
The knees of her jeans, stained brown
With soil between her fingernails
She works the grounds, so ideas may flourish

She speaks in color
Choosing words like flowers
Only once they are ready to fall
Giving wisdom with a steady hand

Poem by Rebekah Whittle

When I read this poem I completely
related it to how I feel about all the
ideas that are constantly fluttering
around in the seemingly endless
vastness of space that is my brain.

Awesome

Keep shining

Until you value yourself, 

you won't value your time.

Until you value your time,

you will not do anything with it.

M. Scott Peck

when

do you remember
when
you had no thoughts
of constraint
you were just free
to run
to play
to lay on the grass
and look up at the clouds
a rabbit
a whale
no bills to pay
no house to clean
just a dream
of a day
spent in fun

Suzanne McCann

So

So, I am back home after visiting with my daughter. She just turned 24. It is Sunday and I am relaxing, and deciding on what needs to be done today, and what I want to do. I keep looking outside and it is telling me to get out and wander in the sun. If you know me at all, you know why that statement is causing a fight inside me. I am like a vampire, I do not like the sun in the summer. I don't mind it in the spring, fall and winter. It is bright but not hot. This time of year it is just HOT, and likes to burn my pasty vampire skin. 

The fact is, I've just read this article about a town on an island in the Atlantic that has allegedly had a sighting of a rare mystical creature. A creature that no one has ever seen in real life. More like only in our fairytales that we are told as children, and that we tell to our kids. At first I thought this was a made up story like some of those fictional news makers do, but the more research I did the more I've become convinced that it is real. I even checked on google maps and found its co-ordinates. I could even see it on the satellite view. 

So, the town and island are real, maybe it is just a publicity stunt to get tourists and media out to the island and boost their economy. Anyways, I wanted to share this with my Facebook friends because it was so extraordinary, and you know me, anything fantastical like that I am totally in to. Unfortunately when I tried to share, it all just disappeared, all the links and pages I had opened. WTF. I have spent the last 1/2 hour trying to find the links, even the history of ever opening these pages is gone. The one thing that I wrote down was the co-ordinates of the island itself, but now when I check it out I see nothing. I will give you the info and you guys can check it out for yourself.

Lat 57.326521 and Long -27.597656.

Please check it out for me every so often and see if this little island comes back on the map.

I don't think I am crazy. But maybe I am,

fruitful hunting,

Suzanne

C.S. Lewis

"One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again."

C.S. Lewis

half century woman

I am a half century woman, yes I say that lightly, and proudly.

This HCW(half century woman) got up this morning same ole same ole Saturday morning,
the one day a week with no alarm. Pyjama morning. Had my porridge.
Watched an episode of Northern Exposure.
Decided to vacuum, wash the floors.

Made myself a caffeinated coffee...........now i'm really in Spring Cleaning mode.
All week I've been looking around me and wondering what do I actually enjoy
doing and what needs to go.

Every so often (maybe twice a year) I get the over whelming urge to
clean up my life......potental hobbies I decided to try and really realize I'm
never going to do it...out of here, clothes that I don't like anymore, out of here...
social media .......I think I've had 4 twitter accounts  over the years, and
people I don't know on Facebook and Instagram, just follow because
they are cool famous people......out of here.

Basically a general clean-up, a decluttering of the mind, a stop feeling
guilty because I'm not doing that jewelry fill it with resin thing, all sitting
around staring at me. You are outta here!!

Now to address the urge for adventure...I believe I am a wanderer at heart,
a nomad of sorts. I've always been adaptable and able to live where ever
life takes me. Doesn't matter if its the city, suburbia, or the country.....
I am able to take it in stride.

I've been bitten with the adventure bug, whether it be just exploring my
neighbourhood, or getting on a bus/train/ferry/plane and heading elsewhere,
that will be the next thing.....

Excited that it is a cloudy day with some wind and not too hot of a forecast.
I will finish cleaning and head on out into the world.....

Or at least get the groceries done.....and then a movie. The Lobster is playing
this afternoon at the Vic theatre...wahooooooo Colin Farrell and a quirky story line.

A grand adventure...

Suzanne

adventures in rememberland

Went on an adventure to my home province. Spent a couple of days with a friend that I've had since

grade 7, then off to my mommies for a week. I also saw one of my sisters and her family.

While at my friends home I came across this wonderful painting she had done when we shared an apartment while she was in college. I had just returned from Toronto having completed my own 2 years of college in a diploma course for fashion design, and 1 year working in the big city.

We found a 2 bedroom apartment in an old house that had been converted into three apartments. 

We had a couple of cats and we painted all the time. We painted on whatever was available, cardboard, drywall board, the actual walls, and when we were feeling rich, art board. I also acquired an industrial sewing machine and made us and friends lots of cool shit. 

I realized with remembering this time in my life that I had forgotten (memories buried in carefully curated boxes in the deep recesses of my mind) what fun we used to have, how I loved and have always loved being creative and making cool shit all the time. Makes me want to it going. Maybe I need to set myself a challenge to do more creating in any form, painting, designing, making making making.

This was definitely one of the better vacations I have had and I am planning to keep exploring new things this year of 2016....

Peace out, have fun with life and give yourself a break once in while to get messy, or lazy, or just whatever you feel like doing.

Suzanne

My friend Lori's amazing artwork. I believe it is Gulliver.

One of my paintings that survived my travels painted on a chunk of cardboard.

working on ............

So, this week I started another round of art classes

at Poppet Creative.

We worked on an exercise and this one

I brought home with me to finish. Lots

of grey circles filled with what ever I 

felt like. Very fun and relaxing.

Picked out some wool that I have in my Yarn cupboard,

yes a whole cupboard for yarn and needles. Well, at least 

half the cupboard is full of it. I had an idea to use up 

these 4 colours of similar weight wool so made up a swatch

to see how it would turn out. This is the back side. It is 

more exciting than the other. Not sure what it will be,

but loving the tester.

One more day left to the weekend, what else can I get up to.

ttynw (talk to you next weekend)

Suzanne

Love this artist's work.
Elwood Howell

It inspires me to keep working
and being creative.
So imaginative.

I played with an abstract self portrait of a sort.
Not sure why I am using pinks lately.
I guess I am in my Pink period.......

ttyl, Suzanne

March is half way through.

Such a fast paced year.

Second pair of toe up socks is on the go.

I had to reconfigure the pattern for a 

different weight of yarn.

The first one has almost passed the heel, stalled 

because of neck issues.

So although I am excited and inspired about a knitting

book of some kind, I have now become even more

excited and inspired about painting.

Taking the classes has me remembering how 

much I enjoy it.

I have booked another set of art classes starting

in a week or so. Will be awesome.

I have also been watching/looking at whats happening

for fall 2016 in fashion. 

I am a pattern maker, and am 

constantly looking around  for ideas.

Fashion is in a weird spot right now.

It is everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

There is not one idea, but many being shown. 

Basically its coming down to a personal feeling

that is being expressed. 

Somewhat confusing but I wonder if that

is why we have men dressing as cartoon lumberjacks

and women using the legging as an all encompassing

fashion go to for a pant....

Me, I have my "uniform" that I wear 

for work. A black t-shirt and jeans.

I find that I have so many creative things occupying my

brain at any one time that I don't have 

the creative energy to think about cool 

things to wear myself. 

Today I was watching an inspiring series

from Alexa Chung and British Vogue 

that kind of makes me want to put 

more energy into myself and renew 

my passion for having my own 

little shop making and selling my own designs.

The Future of Fashion

Well, thats all for now. Made a 

quick small batch of cookies.

Need to try one.

talk at you later

the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016

So, the last few months of 2015 saw a surge of creative ideas
flowing frantically from my poor brain.

I set up and had some of my poetry and short stories printed into the sweetest
little book for my family for Christmas. I even managed to sell a few.
I received very good reviews on the book. Of course it was all from
family and friends.

2106 is a year I have decided to try new things, finish what I start,
work on volume 2 of my little book, and research and develop a book of knitting.

So far in learning something new, I have successfully knitted a pair of
socks from the toe up.  To accomplish this I purchased some really pretty sock yarn
from the West Yorkshire Spinners birds line.
It took me a month, but I finished the project. Yeah!
(I have neck/upper back issues that limit my knitting time)

A lovely friend birthday gifted me a pretty ball of
Caterpillargreen sock yarn which I have started a second pair of
socks with.  So far so good.

I was also birthday gifted an art class. 6 evenings called Creative Sketchbooks.
We are being inspired to take some time each day and do something
creative in our sketchbooks. I am enjoying learning to work with a new
paint for me--gouache. Works like acrylic and watercolour. Very fun.
Even though I have painted/sketched all my life, this class is actually
getting me back into doing a complete project instead of just little
drawings here and there.

It is all ready February. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by.
I thought 2015 was fast, but it seems like 2016 will be even faster.

Lets wish for peace to all, and a healthy, creative, fun and fabulous year ahead.