On this spread there are lots of layers of paper and acrylic paints.  The advert, German text and the lady came from free to use internet pages.  I bought a cheap little rubber stamp that says Dreams and the red dots are from another small square stamp from a retro collection.  I don’t know who made the collection.

The spread changed many, many times before I was happy with it.  The quote is by Marsha Norman an American playwright and dramatist who won the Pulitzer prize in 1983 for her play Night Mother.

I have a confession to make, a few weeks ago I said I was going to try and make art with the things I have around me and stop wanting more and more stuff.  Well it hasn’t worked the truth is I can’t go past a craft shop or a shop that sells some kind of craft supplies without going in, and I usually part with at least some money before I come back out again.  We don’t even have good suppliers near where I live.  I now also visit all the local charity shops and car boot sales whenever I can and buy bits and pieces that I think might come in useful.  The truth is I am now well and truly addicted, I’m a hopeless case!

On the plus side it feels really good to be creative.  I am the bread winner in my household, my husband was unable to work for many years due to health problems and now can only work part time.  I don’t like my job, apart from the pay, there is nothing rewarding about it.  My talents are overlooked and underutilised and I seem to spend most of my time supporting people (men) who get paid much more than I do and, who most of the time, haven’t got a (expletive deleted) clue!  BUT I decided a while ago that I wasn’t going to let it bother me anymore, I am at that awkward age when it would be difficult to get another job at the same salary and I do get paid a reasonable amount and at the end of the day I just switch off and come home.

I love the stuff I do with my local history group and that really gives me lots of job satisfaction and a sense of achievement and worth AND I am loving learning all this stuff about creating art.  I actually leap out of bed early each morning so that I can get my fix of being creative before I get dressed and ready for work.  Art in my Pyjamas!  Sometimes it’s hard to tear myself away and go and do the boring day job.  Then as soon as I get home I’m in my room again either working on the history group or making more art while my husband looks after the catering arrangements.

Big love

AJ