Idea! Test! Vary!

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It is a week of busy here. That means new ideas are tested, variations of old patterns are made, lots of notes are written, and a lovely apron is worn throughout all this.

Moving Around Blocks

© Melissa Gaggiano

You've got a plan, and you know you can bring it together. But then something breaks. Against all experience something just isn't quite working. It's the middle of the day and you really are only halfway there. What is there for you to do?

When there's a block no amount of lifting or swearing at it is going to move it. The only thing for it, is to take a tea/coffee/chocolate/drawing/walking break. Don't think about if for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or however long it takes for you to see a fresh path. Then, and only then will the answers start to come to you – The thread is too weak; There is too much fabric; I need to sew more rows, et cetera.

Once you see the new path around the block, drink some water, brush your teeth and get back to the job at hand.

Push That Yellow

© Melissa Gaggiano

    I drew another yellow dress! It would seem I'm just going to keep drawing yellow clothes until I have an actual yellow dress in the wardrobe.

    Some might think I have summer on the brain. The truth is I've been wearing dark colours for so long I feel like I'm turning into Lydia Deetz. I love Lydia but enough of the mourning colours and living in Victoria is no excuse for blending in with the buildings. It is time that I dig deep to my Queensland roots. I have decided that each piece of clothing  that wears out on me, I will replace with something bright coloured.

Life Lines

© Melissa Gaggiano

    This shell caught my eye on a favourite beach. It reminded me of a vase. It reminded me of the lines on my palms. Intersecting lines, cutting, connecting. The markings of a life path that is not linear.

The Moments Between

© Melissa Gaggiano

It's good to be busy. Not crazy, stupid, oh my god, my screws are coming loose as steam escapes my head, busy. But 'bee' busy - gently flying from one flower to another. For me that means having a weekly list of goals, which I like to write on a Sunday. My list is small if the tasks are large. My list is big if there are lots of short jobs. It's about realistic management, isn't it?

The body can tire if we move from job to job with no breather between. I discovered this only too recently. One job wasn't balanced and my health was compromised. Mistakes were made, but on the plus side the experience made me see what my vulnerabilities are. As my body slowly reboots I now balance the work I do with other activities that involve eating, and exercising my neck muscles (it's all about mobility and strength baby).

The other thing about working is that the mind needs periods of rest. So when the tasks are ticked I have a go at letting my brain have down time. No easy thing! My body is happy to sit, but my brain is almost always storming and itching for me to do things. Can you picture a stove with multiple pots bubbling away together? That's what it is like inside my head.

The kids had a couple of days off from school and this presented me with an opportunity to let my brain off the hook. When constantly thinking about next week, next month, next year, being present can take some getting used to. But if you can switch off and focus on what is before you, be it a garden or a child, then it is time well spent.

© Melissa Gaggiano

Sixties Love + Missing Sharpener

© Melissa Gaggiano

    There is a curse in this house. The same curse that afflicts every household I would imagine. There is always that one thing that disappears. Even though you tell yourself that the you will put away that one thing in the same spot, it still manages to disappear into oblivion.

    Over the years many random things have disappeared into that void. There was a time when the cat was a klepto, but she has since grown out of that phase, and yet, things still disappear – a Gruffalo plate, Spiderman spoon, erasers, my trusty sharpener. I'm thinking of installing a black hole proof safety box for housing my next sharpener. 

Inspire You

Buffy & Luke Skywalker

Thoughts by Melissa Gaggiano

iMpasse

© Melissa Gaggiano

Need to Learn

© Melissa Gaggiano

    From machine stitch to hand sewing. From rag dolls to armature. From mermaids to fashion dolls. From felt pattern pieces to needle felted sculpting… My journey in doll making has been varied and expansive. 

    More than a decade ago I fantasised about constructing my own china dolls. I imagined modern dolls made with old school doll making techniques. Nothing came of this, as these thoughts were before the dawn of the online crafting renaissance. Then two years ago I discovered there were artists achieving this very thing. It gave me hope and with gradual research have discovered resources that can demystify these doll making techniques.

    After at least a year's worth of um-ing and ah-ing I began practicing and teaching myself how to sculpt. This is no easy task, as I am back where I began when I first tried making dolls. When you are learning from scratch the path ahead looks scary and bumpy. There will be mishaps and the outcome seems so far away. Despite all this there is something inside that says 'just give it a go'. 'Surely a couple of steps forward wouldn't hurt'.

    My first sculpted doll head was simply fugly. Though with each attempt at sculpting, while rough, it comes closer to what I need it to be. I've still got a long way to go with this sculpted doll making, and ultimately it may not be the right thing for me, but for now it's what I need to be learning.

© Melissa Gaggiano

The Vending Machine of Love

© Melissa Gaggiano

    I just had the most wonderful idea. You know those vending machines that sell snacks and sodas. They are wickedly wonderful because who can say no to junk food sitting right there in your office.

    I was just thinking what a nice change it would be if there were alternative vending machines that provided cute, wee wonderful things that have been handmade with love, or miniature embroidery kits, miniature pin hole cameras, love poems, letters, and polaroid photos with little notes.

    These vending machines could be a destination for people who want to buy a special gift, or treat themselves on a lonely day. Imagine the joy such a vending machine could bring. Because there is no eating, you've got a vending 'thing' for life. A vending machine could become a 'love being human' experience.

What is Creativity?

© Melissa Gaggiano

    What is creativity? A lot of people presume creativity is limited to what they regard as the traditional arts. In much the same way some people have the terrible concept of a 'starving artist'. Well, I am here to tell you that creativity comes in mysterious ways. So mysterious in fact, that half the time you don't even realise you are being creative.

    Creativity is the act of creation, but it is so much more than that. It is the spark of an idea. It is that moment when your boss drops a problem on your lap, and you find a doable solution. It is finding a new path to work, while avoiding peak hour traffic slow spots. It is coming up with a new cake recipe when all you've got is plain flower, and one egg to work with, and you absolutely cannot drop in at the grocery shop.

    Creativity is how we respond to the world and what life throws our way.

Right Now

© Melissa Gaggiano

Doodle of the Day

© Melissa Gaggiano

Pickle Lost

© Melissa Gaggiano

Some days are going to feel a bit like that. Need I say more.

What is Beauty?

    Seriously, what is beauty? Is it how we feel about ourselves? Or is it a projection of other people's contradicting expectations? Whose opinion really counts - yours or the social collective?

    Beauty blogger, Em Ford, puts herself out there make up free, and make up on. For just a moment put aside your perception of people with acne, and people who wear make up, and  watch this short video.




    It is said that thoughts can't hurt, only actions. But that message was phrased long before we had social media. Now thoughts can hurt. And they do hurt. Remember that inbuilt filter between brain and mouth, which stops us from saying hurtful things out loud. Perhaps it is time to hotwire that filter between brain and keypad. Just a thought…

Visit Em's blog… mypaleskin.blogspot.co.uk

Almost Had It

Melissa Gaggiano written bits

Inspire

Feet + Heart

Some Days

Melissa Gaggiano art