Calling ALL Blogging Pals! FUNDRAISER!

Recently I came across a beautiful calendar made by Jessica Doyle on Etsy, showcasing her beautiful art work.  I have made calendars in the past, for family using photos, I think we've all done that from time to time.  Anyhow I got to thinking.  I have made some great friends here on blogger, some of us budding artists, some more established artists and you may also have seen a recent post on my other blog Simply Pleasures about Cathy Bueti.  Well, this idea I had, wouldn't it be great if we all got together and maybe 'donated' a picture of a piece of our own art and made it into a calendar to be sold and all the profit go to cancer research?

My wonderful brother, Jay, back in the UK is currently making me a template onto which I can insert said pictures as we blog!  Once done I can give specifications required for the picture.  If you would like to join me in raising some funds for much needed research into a disease which has touched most of us at some time in one way or another please either leave a comment, or e-mail me for further instructions!!  This message will self destruct....ha ha!  sorry  got carried away then!  I know it may seem like mission impossible so near to Christmas, but trust me I think we can pull this off!!!

JFAC Prompt I and II

Journal Prompt One:  Since today is the first day of the class, I wanted to start our journals with a "Welcome" page.    I want you to include a little blurb with five adjectives explaining your life right now as well.  So, it will go something like this: 

Welcome to my ______,______,_______,_______, ______ life.  

This will be a nice little intro for our journal :)

Finding five adjectives to sum up my life right now was fairly easy.  I just moved from a small home in the UK where I worked five days a week, to a bigger home in a dream setting, in Northern Ontario, Canada and right now we are taking a 'work break'.  As our garden backs on to the forest there's a very good chance we'll see bears and moose.  So my life right now is truly wonderful, wild and exciting!  Images typical to Canada sprang to mind immediately.  Producing the piece, however, proved more difficult.  I have a trunk full of art supplies somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean!  Manitouwadge is a small township with nothing as grand as an art shop!  And so it is that all I can muster is a rather poor quality sketch book and some even poorer quality felt markers in a limited range of unexciting colours!

Journal Prompt 2:  I am a huge fan of writing out my goals, short term and long term.  I thought it would be appropriate to have some journaling goals for ourselves too!!  What are your goals for your journaling?

Straight away the word 'smart' popped into my head! After several years supporting people with learning difficulties in the community and within Day Service Provision I am used to setting 'smart' goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. To my previous Line Managers at Aldingbourne Trust and West Sussex County Council , all those courses paid off you see?  I actually learnt AND retained something!  And so the idea was to word my goals in a way that the acronym could be used as bullet points.

Upon leaving school in the late 70's all things 'arty' were abandoned.  Boys, discos, clothes and having fun ruled.  This was closely followed by marriage, domesticity and motherhood. So thirty something years later my confidence in my creative ability is somewhat shaky.  If it wasn't for the encouragement of my good friend, Lorrie , I wouldn't even be doing this!  So anguish over my ability is what holds me back most.  Issues of time, or lack of, and leaving things unfinished are well used excuses and tactics for avoiding failure. Reviving skills and trying something new are the 'cure'!

Now.  At this point I would be tempted to apologise for my,what I consider to be, a disappointing offering.  But then that would negate the first two goals......