Still here...and stitching!

Been quiet for most of June - not finding

things easy still, but am determined to keep

positive and looking up!

One thing that helps me so much is being

creative - it is my healing and heart space!

I am stitching a lot at the moment - have finished

one cross stitch piece and waiting for it to be

framed - and in the meantime

working on some little freehand stitcheries,

either to sell as patterns or (hopefully)

as another needlework book.

I do love the cross stitch, but it is fairly

time consuming, as I always stitch my own models

myself - it's the only way I can make

necessary changes and improvements as

I go along!

However, the freehand stitching is both

quicker and more relaxing - since one

doesn't have to be continually following a chart.

I am attaching a picture of one freehand

picture done a little while ago - hopefully will have

a few more up and finished soon!

May all of us have a peaceful and

contented week, finding joy and  pleasure

in the little things of life -

which actually aren't so little at all.

Blessings...

Gail xxx

creating a life...

Haven't posted for a little while -

have been finding life a bit stressful and difficult,

as so many of  us are doing right now!

Financial worries, lack of payment and

a general feeling of being 'stuck' have

been hard to deal with, and move through.

But, I keep going, as I always do!

And I believe when we do that, ultimately

good things will and do come, even

if it isn't as soon as we would like. (For example,

I am trying to send out several new book

ideas, but they all seem to either be rejected

or simply vanish into radio silence.)

Today I felt inspired when I read about an author

who faced similar challenges in her work -

and finally took the leap of faith to simply

publish her own book (it was a huge 

financial risk at the time, but ultimately it has paid

off in that she now has not one but two

book deals with major publishers)

So I need to keep hoping and working on

my own little books, too!

Recently read this lovely quote by Anais Nin, 

one of my favourite authors...

"Had I not created my own world,

I would certainly have died in other people's."

Food for thought there!

Blessings and happy Sunday!

Gail xxx

Seasons and Stitches...

Greetings to all! I am currently in a

bit of a state of flux as regards my stitching

projects going forward! I finished the

book 'Inspired Stitches' a little while ago,

(hopefully it will be published towards

the end of this year) and now I

find myself at a bit of a crossroads creatively.

I enjoy doing both freehand and cross stitch

designs, although cross stitch is really what I

am known for - so perhaps I need to stick

with that for now...I would love to get another

book together, preferably one with seasonal

designs, thoughts and recipes too!

Any input or ideas will be most welcome -

I am a bit stuck right now. 

Wishing everyone a blessed

and safe Thursday in any event!

Gail xxx

La Vie en Rose...

Firstly, to let everyone know, I am also

sharing these posts on my older blog, 

rosebudlane.blogspot.com, for a while! I have

a lot of readers on this blog, and I

would like to be sure they don't miss

out on my posts and updates.

In addition to cross stitch I also love

doing freehand/traditional embroidery, and

would love to do a book featuring this, too,

at some stage.

Attached is a little stitched piece, done in

freehand stitches and also with a little watercolour

embellishment. La Vie en Rose... a lovely

concept and one we should all embrace - seeing the

beauty and potential in our lives, and in

every day we have on this earth!

Blessings and light..

Gail xxx

Miss Bobbin's Needle!

I have started work on the little journal/newsletter I

mentioned in the previous post - this one for summer,

and completely handwritten/illustrated by me!

It will take a little time, but hopefully

it should be ready to send out in late June.

I am also revisiting my old mice friends, 

in particular Miss Bobbin, a stitching mouse

who is never seen without a needle

and thread in her hand. I am working on an idea

of a book featuring her and her little 

stitched creations, to be tentatively called

"Miss Bobbin's Needle,

Stitches and Stories from Rosebud Lane".

Obviously this will also take some time

to put together, but I will post

images of the designs and other ideas

as I develop them! I love the mice

and would love to do another publication

featuring them. (My first book about the mice

was published in France in 2018 and is still available

on Amazon!)

So many things to do and create - I am

grateful for this in my life, and the peace and joy

making things brings to me 

and hopefully to all of us at this rather

difficult time.

Blessings to all this weekend

And so it is...on we go...

Gail xxx

Cottage comfort...

Now, more than ever, I think many of us

are appreciating our homes, wherever and whatever

they may be - they represent comfort,

safety and simple pleasures at a time when

all sometimes seems strange and disconnected!

I certainly am finding that spending more

quiet time in my little cottage is helping me

to feel grounded and peaceful, in 

spite of the challenges of the day! 

And it is certainly fuelling my creativity -

I have been thinking of a little illustrated

newsletter, with recipes, thoughts and

ideas for a simple, comfortable and beautiful

home - to be called 'Cottage Comfort.'

This is something I will be working on soon, along

with my other ongoing projects!

I have been fortunate enough to have many homes

in my life - some nicer than others, of course.

But I have always had a safe place to land, to

sleep, to be...which is a luxury not afforded

to everyone. Some years ago I met a young homeless

refugee on the streets on the city where I lived

at the time - his only dream was to get his papers in

order so he could get work and find a little place to live -

even just a room, as he put it, where he could close

the door, be safe and warm, and drink a cup of tea!

Sadly he died of an pre-existing health condition

before his dream came true! But I have never

forgotten him, and the insight he gave me

into how blessed I actually was, and am.

The picture below is of a cottage I stayed in

for a while, a few years ago - it was on a farm, looking

out upon trees and down to the river - not far from

a field where the wild horses grazed. I can never return

there, the farm is sold now - but it lives

forever in my heart, as do the lives and loves

I found there.

Blessings and light...

Gail xxx

The heartmade life...

Meraki: this is a Greek expression,

which means to give oneself totally to whatever

one is doing or being: in other words,

to do, live and be with absolute creativity,

joy and passion, with an open, whole heart.

This, in my humble opinion, is what living a 

heartmade life really means. And it is something

we can choose, every single day. Right in 

the present moment, whoever we are

and whatever out current circumstances.

Obviously some people think that happiness

is dependent on having ideal circumstances,

money, work, a great family and so on! However,

I have come to believe it's exactly in difficult 

times, when we have problems, trauma and

stress, that we need to shift our focus away from

the current issues, towards making our lives

more full of heart, joy, trust and creativity. 

Not always, easy, as I know too well,

but that's when we can truly step into a heartmade

way of being.

I am currently putting together the proposal,sample

copy and artwork for a little illustrated

book about living a heartmade life - it will be

a journal too, with space for people to write 

their own thoughts and ideas. 

I am really excited to be doing this, and

hope to find a publisher for it in due course.

If not, maybe I will publish it myself,

as I have done with other little books I have created.

Watch this space!

Blessings and light...

Gail xxx