And Summer's lease...

 

If you read my previous post you would know that the colour of this British summer is grey. I tried blaming the Aussies for stealing the sun, but apparently they are not guilty of said crime. Thank goodness for Kristin and her Summer of Colour. She's got us squeezing our tubes and spraying more than sun-tan lotion.

This week it's citron and turquoise - I threw in a bit of Shakespeare too...

Been quite a few weeks what with holidays then the chaos of being back at work, immersing my evenings in a new course (Making Art that Sells) and.... and this is a big AND....

I SAID THIS IS A BIG AND

I have been having a bit of a clear out. Yes Mum, you'll be back just in time to read this and no doubt weep with joy. I am slowly working my way through the clutter and realising that the recording of the Top 40 I taped off the radio back in 1985 (that I haven't listened to since, well, 1985) can probably go in the bin... It feels like a total sacrilege (I loved that Strawberry Switchblade song ... in 1985...), but needs must.

I require more space around me. My cats are getting nervous that I'll be using them to test theories, but fear not little fur balls I would never swing you!). Likewise, I will never use the Holly Hobby notepaper I have been hanging onto for 30 years and nor do I need quite so many photographs of rainy scenes from the Lake District. That mystery tool that lives in the shed can go to scrap metal recycling bin and it is time for William's baby clothes to find a new owner.

It already feels pretty liberating. Well, it did until today when I had to move most of the contents of the lounge into the kitchen in order to have the carpet cleaned. There is now an assault course between me and the fridge, although that's probably not such a bad thing!

Strange goings on...

I think I may have become possessed by some form of crazy decluttering sprite, for the urge to cleanse and organise is oozing from every pore. This Goddess Leonie and her tribe have cast a spell on me... Help!

Do you know that last night I actually sorted through a whole heap of CDs and DVDs - the kind you write yourself - to see what was on them. They were from the 'must sort these through one day' pile. I even found some long lost items hiding on them - including an old iTunes backup! Now, I'm sure you are thinking, "why on earth didn't you write down what was on them when you made them?". I asked myself that same question many a time. I think the same part of brain was operating as when I hid my online banking password - or worse... the time I wrote a secret code which I couldn't remember how to solve...

As we all know, getting access to one's own money online (or otherwise) can often be a tortuous affair. This particular bank required that I turn up in the branch with ID - even though over the telephone I could tell them the entire history of my bank account back to neolithic times. Still, security is important (I've been hacked twice before!). Only trouble is, they've pretty much done away with the branch and replaced it with machines that suck and spit cash. Heaven forbid that you actually might wish to talk to someone. "There's a bit of a wait" I was told... "about half an hour".... Seriously?

Then, the whole logging back in part took further precious moments of my creative time (or decluttering as it has become).... "pick a memorable word", "mother's inside leg measurement", "town of birth of your great auntie's cousin's grandmother's neighbour". It's enough to send a person doolally. I diligently recorded all of my secret answers on a scrap of paper. Now, if I could only remember where that was...

On a brighter note. Last night, I did manage to restore about 90% of my iTunes database. It took around four hours of pain and monotony, but I got there. The remaining 10% of tracks presumably couldn't remember their "first pet's date of birth" and have been banished from virtual reality.

PS: I'm sure that by now you're wondering the significance of this charming shot of The Three Degrees. Well, I typed 'decluttering' in google image search and this is what came up, so why not?

Art strikes back

I am sad and sulky. When I upgraded my pc somehow my iTunes didn't copy across properly and half the songs are missing - sometimes half an album... It's really odd. They are still on the iPod though,  however I can't update my iPod without losing them. Anyone know some good (preferably free) software that lets you rip everything over?  I admit this happened months ago, but this weekend (as part of my getting organised plan), I resolved to fix the issue once and for all, and we reconnected the old pc to attempt once again to get the music over. It spent 2 hours copying empty folders. You have no idea how frustrated I am. The music is THERE on the old pc. I can hear it! Why won't it copy over?

That aside, here's a sketch I did while watching The Empire Strikes Back with my son. Even though he had never seen the movie he knew what was going to happen next from playing the lego game on the Wii. Funny!!

I know I mentioned an art ban earlier this week, while I declutter and organise myself. However, surely a little pencil sketch is allowed... What do you think??? And the odd digital piece....??? I mean I can't totally abandon the creative urge. This doll-like face with big blue eyes was begging to take form in my sketchbook.

For Sunday Sketches. Pop on over to Sophia's pad and see what everyone else has been creating in their sketchbooks!