A picture I did this week. Not a great quality photo unfortunately.

We got some great news about the craft centre the other morning. About 6 weeks ago I applied to the Arts Council for a start-up grant to pay our rent in the 6 months running up to Christmas. We attended a seminar about what you can apply for and how to apply for it - they told us they didn't give grants for on-going overheads like rent, but there was a grey area if it was a specific length of time for a specific reason. I stressed in the application that the main selling time in the craft centre was Christmas, and 6 months rent would mean any money we make in those 6 months can help towards raw materials and stock orders for December. Which is all true, and would you believe it, they have given us the grant! We can all breathe deeply now and enjoy these few months, and just try to make as much stuff as possible. It's not like we'll all be rolling in it now as we didn't know how we were going to afford it in the first place, so it's a bit of a life saver, just at the right time. At the moment I'm trying to increase the range of smaller things in the shop - little cards and books - but I'm also painting left over laminate flooring from when I laid the floor in there - waste not want not.

It's still been incredibly quiet at the craft centre, but I've sold a couple of small handmade books and a couple of small paintings, and had lots of compliments from browsers, so I feel like if we hang in there and build up the range it will slowly pick up. The cafe has opened now I think so that should help things, and there is an evening exhibition preview on the 20th. So all is good!

I can't wait for Nick's next gig, it seems like lots of people will be there, they have good new songs, a good slot, and it should be a belter! I just wish a certain aardvarc could make it! (Nudge nudge!). Nick has made head way with finding work experience, as he's editing once a week and writing reviews for a website called High Voltage...he sent in a couple and they liked them so much they asked him to be Film Editor...unpaid but all good practise/contacts/foot in the door type stuff. When it comes to films, he does know his stuff. He was on local radio again the other day with the band playing live - they'll have infiltrated Manchester and then the world before we know it!

In food news I have discovered I love Camembert (had never tried it before) and can't stop eating avocado. Yum. Sweet potato wedges with paprika are pretty tasty too! *drool drool* Drool is a good word, I've never noticed. The word, that is, not the drool itself. That's not so nice.

Hello,

Some more pictures of the craft centre - but it looks a bit better now I think. Obviously it's not all ready yet but we are open and in there working now! It's very quiet around the craft centre at the moment, although a new cafe is opening soon, and a new marketing lady has started. From talking to the other craftspeople, a couple of weeks at Christmas is the real selling time of the year, and we just need to survive until then through the quiet times. However quiet it is, we can still be making, making, and making more, so perhaps we can do crafts fairs and so on when we have more things ready. It's lovely to be in and working though. It's a bit hairy because my wage at the gallery doesn't cover both my living expenses and the craft centre expenses, so I'll just have to be careful - and keep working!

We're all struggling to work out pricing. I've realised that I'm worried about charging so much (well - what seems 'so' much to me) because I'm used to scrimping and saving - and most of the people I know are like that too - but they are not the market for my work, so I need to get out of that mindset. I need to think about materials and overheads, and a reasonable wage for my time. It makes me feel slightly more at ease with it when I remind myself how much people pay for trainers these days.

Ooh, and I've sorted out my self publishing thing so Mr Pumfry is now listed on lulu.com...here



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The Inner Sleeves have a gig booked for next Saturday night at Night and Day cafe...which is fairly soon. If anyone can make it at that short notice then come along!

Still not finished the floor at the craft centre, had a hellish day and have blistery hands. A small bit is still to do tomorrow and it'll probably take all day going by today's standards :( But the majority of the floor is done and looks good :)

Someone just posted a link to this article about a 4 day working week, and I found it quite interesting. Obviously not all of it can apply to everyone, but things like “Does my job facilitate my life, or does my life facilitate my job?” and "When I’m old, I won’t wish that I spent more time building web apps or organizing events. Spending time with people I loved or helping people is what will really have mattered to me" really do make me think. It puts up a pretty good argument.

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/fourdayweek

A painting I've been working on. A bit different to my usual, so I'd like to know if people think it looks silly! The picture is pretty dodgy because I took it without any natural light.

Hello,

I've been using that new type of moisturiser on the market which has a hint of tanning stuff
in so it builds up gradually - I think it's great - it's like fake tan for wimps. I've managed
to take the glare off my white skin without a hint of skin cancer in sight. I'm not the kind
of person who dares to slather on the fake tan, so this is perfect for me. I like it.

In other less frivolous news, we are plodding on with the shop renovations - and I mean plodding
at the moment - but we are gradually getting there. My kind family came down to help lay a laminate
floor - swear words did fly. But not too many. We thought we might get it all done in one day, but
it took us about three hours to lay the first couple of rows. Then we discovered 'the knack', but
we realised it wouldn't go under the door anyway, so we could only go so far. I'm now almost a pro
and have laid a good bit myself, up to the door at least. We considered shaving a bit off the bottom
of the door, but it's an ugly door and we want a new one some time anyway, so we decided this was as
good a time as any. Rang round for various quotes, chose a joiner who couldn't do it till a week later.
He told us at the last minute he can't now do it till Tuesday, so the floor is still waiting in limbo.
If he mucks us around again I'm going to be asking for some kind of discount. I would be more angry but for
the fact that we have plenty of other jobs to get on with. Then there's the beading round the edge to
do - every job seems to have 20 other smaller jobs tucked away under its wing.

Anyway, I'm not making any predictions about when we'll be done. We'll be able to afford to complete
the shell of the place, upholster some chairs, and buy some work space before we run out of money -
anything else will wait until we've made some money, but we'll be able to work and sell in there, which
is the main thing. Today I'm working on an application to the Arts Council for funding. Budget balancing
is not fun, no no no! I've also got quite a few paintings which need more work doing to them, and some
blank ones waiting to be started. Also got some work to do on the Mr Pumfry book which I'm self publishing
through lulu.com to sell in the shop. Lots to do! In work at the gallery Mondays and Tuesdays now - it's
frustrating when it comes round and I have to stop all the craft centre stuff, but the regular pay cheque
at the end of every month means it is most definitely worth it.

Nick is good, out at work at the moment - he has a part time job in an art shop in town. He's a bit hay fevery
at the mo, which he's never been before. The band are getting their demo submitted to various places (including
the Brickyard in Carlisle) so a gig shouldn't be too far off. Alia does a show at a local radio station in
Manchester so she's been playing their demo and talking about them, which is great.

Okay, I'm really only writing this much to put off writing the budget bit in the funding application. Maybe I'll
have a cuppa then get stuck in...

This week seems to have lasted a month! I've been sanding, filling and painting every day at the Craft Centre. Everything seems to take twice as long as we think it will - starting to see results now though. I've never spent so much money at B&Q in my life.

Everyone must go to the Inner Sleeves site and hear the new demo! Go listen!

Here... http://www.theinnersleeves.co.uk/sightsound/sound/index.html

Went in today and talked to the manager, and we've sorted out a timescale, so I'm feeling much more settled about the whole thing. We're paying a deposit next Thursday which is when we'll be given keys - but we can get in before then to do up the shop. Then our first rent isn't due until May 15th so that is our target to be trading by - should be plenty of time to make more stock, and not have to rush the shop make-over - no botched jobs!

Here's some pics.

The craft centre...



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Did this painting/collage this afternoon. Need to do lots in case I get the shop! This one is much smaller than the other, about 30cm diameter. It's a circular canvas so there's no white bit in real life.

A new piccie, 'tis collage, acrylic, pen, watercolour, ink, glue and tea on canvas. Real size about 115cm x 100cm. Bit of a dodgy photo.



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Going through some old foundation work the put in the sketchbook bit of my website...came across this silly, silly picture. Me and my brother eating ice cream, then and now...

Don't know if this will come out right, but I made a moondancing gif...too big a file to use as an icon though. Went to see Walk The Line last night, the Johnny Cash film - I enjoyed it very much, I would recommend it.

Had a lovely day trip to Glossop in the Peak District yesterday with Nick and Jen. It would only have cost us £1.80 return on the train but we splashed out on an all-day breakfast in the co-op (classy, I know, but we felt like pushing the boat out ;-) ) which went down very well, and also a pint after our 5 mile walk, which was just right for the daylight hours we had. On top of the moors the heather and grasses were all decorated with frost - it felt like such a strange landscape. In honour of this I did a moon-dance-type-thing (see below) - watch this space for the animated gif!

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Last one for today, I promise...

'nother...

Too late, it's a series!

Today's picture is something a bit different. Maybe I'll do a series like this?

Honesty seed pods for Jen - hope it's something like what you had in mind. Bet you're all sick of flowers! Here it is anyway...

Today's picture - cornflowers. It seems everyone I ask has different favourites and least favourites. I take that as a good reason to have as big a range as possible, so I'm going to carry on with these till I get sick of them, then try something entirely new.