What kinds of materials and tools of your trade inspire you? Have a look around your space today and try something new with a tool or material that inspires you. Add a comment to share your favourites!

Here’s mine for today – something different from wool! My Craft Scissors.

I really like my scissors. The stand spins and I dip in and out of it all the time for crafty projects, cutting fabric and making cards and ATCs etc.

The colours and the patterns provide lots of inspiration.

Happy Inspirational Wednesday to you all!

I’m starting to think about Christmas now. It is only 5 weeks away. It is my Target Tuesday Goal to handmake all my gifts this year. Throughout December, I’m going to be sharing with you everything that I make and there will be lots of tutorials. Do you have special plans for Christmas? This year, Christmas won’t be the same for me because it is the first Christmas without my Mum. I’ll be spending Christmas morning at home and then spending the rest of the day with my Dad and sisters and family.

I have a site for you to go have a look at, called Glass Jar Gifts. It has lots of craft kits for you to make your own gifts for Christmas, as well as, plenty of gift ideas. Take a peak for yourself.

Well it is ‘Move-It Monday’ in another sense today, for me. We are expanding to new premises and I’m buried in brown boxes!

I’m very excited about the move and it will be the start of lots of new things. This has been something I’ve been working towards in my Target Tuesday goal to buy another place and I’ve just managed to sneak it in before the end of the year! There’s lots of fields at the back of the property too, so I’m planning on early morning runs for Move-It Mondays!

Hope you’re all enjoying a good Monday. What are you up to today? I’m going to go for a swim today and I might try and squeeze some gym time, in between boxes! 

Sorry Folks, but the Woollywotnots forum may be down during the transfer and whilst the servers get set up and running – but the blog and website will continue.. I’ll keep you posted.

This month in Woollywotnots’ Bookclub , one of the recommendations is Tiny Yarn Animals by Tamie Snow

I have one copy to give away for free. : ) The winner will be announced on this blog in 2 weeks time on the 29th November.

As always, for your chance to win this book, add a comment in reply to this post to let me know one way in which you have spread the word about Woollywotnots Bookclub. Don’t forget to add a comment for each thing you do to spread the word about Woollywotnots Bookclub; to give yourself more chances of winning!  The more actions you take to spread the word of our bookclub, the more chances you have of winning!

Here are a few ideas, but add a comment for anything extra you can think of!

1. Display the Woollywotnots Bookclub button on your blog. Add a comment to let me know where to find it.

2. Tweet about Woollywotnots Bookclub and giveaway. Add a comment to this post for each tweet you send with details of your twitter name and the date and time of your tweet, so we can retweet your tweet.

3. Blog about Woollywotnots Bookclub and giveaway. Add a comment with a link to your post.

4. Stumblr this blog post. Add a comment to let me know your Stumblr name.

5. Link this giveaway post on Facebook

6. Plurk about the giveaway

7. Diggit

8. Spread the word on forums

Joining the Woolly Wotnots’ Book Club will encourage you to try reading something new and allow exchange of assimilations of different ideas from the books.

It is a great place to learn new ideas whilst not being forced into a classroom and discover different interpretations of the ideas presented in a book.

Look forward to discussing books with you. Good Luck in the giveaway. The winner will be announced in 2 weeks time.

I’m looking forward to the weekend because…. look look look

I’m off to the South of France with my knitting. I bought the wool to make a start on Paul Smith’s exciting design.

I love new wool. It is a such a treat and a new pattern and in Nice, France. Lovely! : ) Hope you all enjoy a good weekend. Don’t forget to visit my blog tomorrow for your chance to win a lovely new book. Like new wool, new books are always a real treat! : )

Something a little different for Pink Friday this week… a book review by an author with the surname Pink : )  The book is A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink

On Sunday for Woollywotnots Bookclub day, there will be another book giveaway and I’ll miss giving a book review, so I thought I’d chat about my book today – seeing as the author’s name is Pink.  (Pop along to my blog on Sunday for your chance to win a crafty book! If you aren’t a member already, pop along and join in with chatting about books you’ve read or are on your wishlist.

I don’t think of myself as a pure right-brain, however, Daniel Pink in the book A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink  it lists a set of skills that everyone needs to use in order to find success. It is a bit like the American Way and the book does cover a bit of politics too; but I thought it was an interesting read. Pink focuses on people belonging to the New World. I thought the list was interesting and I liked the creative way in which he has given names to the qualities:

1. Design – moving beyond function to engage the sense

2. Story – Narrative added to products and services – not just argument. Best of the six senses.

3. Symphony – Adding invention and big picture thinking (not just detail focus)

4. Empathy – Going beyond logic and engaging emotion and intuition.

5. Play – Bringing humour and light-heartedness to business and products.

6. Meaning – Feelings and values of products.

Pink talks about these six essential aptitudes on which he sees his professional success and personal fulfilment to have been based on. How do you fair against these six qualities that Pink sees as essential for the creative being? Do you need to practice or acquire any skills? Perhaps something to consider and food for thought…

Just finished watching House of Eliott DVD box set. Really enjoyed this series, following two ladies setting up a fashion house in the 1920s.

I’m so excited because I’ve found this fantastic free knitting pattern for a cardigan designed by Paul Smith that I’m really looking forward to knitting. I’m off to buy wool…! The pattern was published in Harper’s magazine earlier in the Spring.

A cardigan designed by Paul Smith. I love Paul Smith! His fashion designs are ace and I really like his fragrance called Extreme by Paul Smith.

I’m looking forward to knitting with all the colours and also seeing how it turns out;  because there is no picture, only a sketch. I’ll show you how it turns out, once finished.

As it is Wednesday, I think it is time for some art inspiration! Here are ten links I’ve enjoyed:

Inspiring journaling tips by the artist Bridgette Guerzon Mills

Collage Freebies

36 free ebooks

Reflecting

Guerrilla Art

photography

Art Journal

Free embroidery patterns

very cool paper and bookmarking blog

pretty home and garden inspiration

I’m currently studying for a PhD and I love reading about subjects of interest and researching. I do lots of exploring online and read lots and lots online and books. I like to take some time out on Tuesdays for exploring creativity, me, life and art. Here are five links to share that I thought were good reading for Target Tuesday.

5 Simple Steps to Great Living

How to live artfully

Stay Motivated

How I found what I loved

Exercising your creativity

Have you been reading any interesting articles recently, if so, please share your links : )

Hey Movers, how is life going for you all?

I’ve had such a busy last few weeks with so much working. I just haven’t made time for exercise and I’ve missed it. I’ve felt so lazy and just want to get back into a routine. So today, the start of a new week and its back to action. It’s so close to the end of the year and my desire to lose the extra poundage before the New Year is not looking remotely like reality! Last night, I cooked up a big pot of winter vegetable stew for these cold days. Yum Yum and very healthy! : ) Here was breakfast:

I love dragon fruit.

It is so easy to fall out of habit quickly when not doing something for a while. Do you find that you start to lose courage and lose that Nike ‘Just do It’ attitude? It is like my muscles forget how to act and my brain puts up bars instead of being active.  Even after just a short break, my mind starts to concentrate on other things and I need to direct myself back to what is important!  I found this appropriately named article today – How to overcome fitness laziness.

What do you find to be the best fat burning calorie things to do? Any secrets on how you’ve lost weight? I’d be interested to hear what has worked for you.  I need some fast fixes! In the meantime, I’m off on a run…