Gilfling's Designs

She lives!!

Soon to be inspiration 1, originally uploaded by gilfling.

To drive another day, or month, or six or longer (I hope).

I really can't thank you enough for all your well wishes regarding our car - it was a worrying time indeed.

After a 'nationally known car repair company who shall remain nameless' said that no garage would touch here, our local garage did the repairs and quickly too. A rather hefty bill which I am trying not to even think about, and we are just so grateful that we have a car atall.

So we get to drive through the beautiful dales of Derbyshire tomorrow where I promise to take photos. Usually I am just driving on my own so find it diffucult to stop, but with Mark at the wheel I can drive him to distraction by getting him to stop every five minutes to drink in the stunning views. We are off to drop my work off to this exhibition and then we shall have a flurry of cleaning and tidying in preparation for my father and step mum visiting.

Although I do have that craft fair this weekend so how clean the house will stay is another question!!

I really just want to say warm thank-you for all the comments and visits that come to my blog - I know I am far from the best blogger giving replies and thanks, but please know that I appreciate every little visit and word made on this, my own wee part of that world wide web. As one who works generally from home or studio in isolation I am so grateful for the contact and support.

Have a wonderful weekend!

PS photo above was taken on our summer holiday to cornwall last year, an occassion that is sadly not to be repeated this year but I am ever hopeful we will manage it in the next.

Should you wish to know more.

Good morning! Well it is beautiful sunshine here after a few days of hailstones, ever so bried sunshine and not so brief episodes of rain. I am sitting here at my laptop with my ever present cup of earl grey and I can hear the birds singing and soon I will hear the (screaming) children playing in the playground of the school across the road. Life is good.

I have some exciting news!  You can hop on over to this wonderful blog to read a really in depth interview about my work and my inspirations. Now you might feel that you have read it all here before (all about me that is), and be bored to tears by it all (!) but Waterrose really did an incredible job with the questions and I found them challenging and thought provoking in the most wonderful way. Reading back on my answers it has certainly re-confirmed in my own mind that I am on the right path however hard it may be at times.

I 'met' Rose via etsy when we were paired  together as mutual support for our blossoming shops! Featuring a series of artist interviews on her blog, it has been fascinating to read the various inspirations behind each person's work. I am also completely in love with the beautifully detailed cuffs and rings in her etsy shop, the colours are just gorgeous with an incredible amount of painstaking detail. So thank you Rose for a wonderful chance to talk about my work.

I have been working in my journal again and am really looking forward to taking some of these ideas on into larger pieces.

I did show the first pages in my blog yesterday but as a reader was curious about the writing so I thought I would type it here. When working in my journal along with the drawings I tend to just write whatever comes into my thought at that particular time. I don't worry if it makes sense or tells a story or pertains to any kind of reality, I just love playing with words and how they sound and look together and expressing my wonderings onto paper. They may even make you think I am slightly loopy and it does feel very revealing to write it out here, But oh well........here goes!

                                                 

I wish I lived centures ago.....and could view the moon and see nothing else

A vast expanse of emptiness all around

I would feel insignificant.....but would want to feel as if I am the space around which the full world carries on

No-one can see me

All the details and colours and textures surround me

As if in a Stormy Sea

                                 

                   PS - After almost a year and a half of writing this blog I still haven't got the hang of the lay-out and have wasted so much time trying to find out the most basic things! If anyone could tell me how to centre the images and my writing below it I would be eternally grateful!

Have a wonderful day!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

A little bit of everything....

Gosh I have so many things going on at the moment! So many ideas and so many works in progress. But I am at last getting the chance to get some things finished. Like this collar which has been made from these felted pieces from a couple of weeks ago.

                                              

I have also been sketching and developing ideas for some new painting. It has been far too long since I have dedicated time to my art and I really need to ensure this does not happen again!

Below is a couple of images from my inspiration board. I can't get enough of these organic and aged shapes, textures and colours. Inspiration for my art and accessories - hopefully all a reflection of me and my aesthetic.

                                                

But now I am really getting focussed. To be honest, this is a bit of a worrying time. Two teaching contracts have come to an end (they were only funded for a few short months) and although one of the groups has taken me on for more teaching it is at a far reduced rate as it is funded by a different area. I am trying not to worry too much and really just work as hard as I can on my own projects but, deary me it is not always easy!!

BUT, I have ideas coming thick and fast and inspiration constantly buzzing round my thoughts so it is an exciting time!! So I leave you with a new journal page. Hope you are having a wonderful week!

                                                

Fall Inspiration

After a day of rain, a definite chill in the air and no work in progress photos to show you I thought I would like to begin regularly posting my favorite things, my inspirations, my loves. Whilst I would love this to be a weekly thing I will make no promises but lets just say I will from time to time write a completely non 'me' centered post - and that can only be a good thing!!! Well I guess it is still about me as it is my inspirations, new discoveries, a real eclectic mix of all that I am interested in.

So without much further ado here are the things that currently have my heart this week.. Tiara - Invasive Species by Jan Yager

A good autumn read..... The nature of monsters by  Clare Clark

Spotted Bird by Daydreamers

Miessence Organic Deoderant - after reading so many reports about the harmful effects of deoderants I have switched to organic! This is so gorgeous with a real spicy fragrance with ylang ylang, patchouli and geranium.

Pomegranate by Octoberphotography

Just a few of the things that I am loving this Wednesday.