Shop Update: Activity Zine

meanwhile

bit of silence here as i work on some images for other people. currently in the midst of getting some new prints done, which is taking a little time as i try to fine-tune the final outcome in terms of colour & size. slowly getting there. will also be bringing back an oft-requested image that i sold out of some time ago, once it looks right in digitally-printed format.

in other news, i'm up to day eighty over on girl faces. you can read a nice little post on the project over on the fox is black.

new blue

rather pleased with my new bags! black cats on a blue cotton tote; snap one up here.

this post is slightly different for me, as i've deviated from writing about things that aren't work-related over the last couple of years. however, the image above is related to what follows, so there's a connection to my usual blogging.

christmas 2011 was simultaneously my best & worst christmas (in fact, i think christmas 2012 has trumped it as best as nothing bad happened). alongside all the good stuff on the day, my left ear randomly started ringing later in the evening & it continued to do so as i lay in bed that night. dealing with the unknown when the unknown is something i can't control is quite the catalyst for my becoming an anxious wreck, so when i woke up on boxing day & the sound in my ear was still there, i began my decent into a week or so of fretting, not eating & basically solely looking forward to going to sleep, which was the only time i didn't have to listen to the constant noise.

i could go on about the situation (the doctor's predictively dismissive tone; on how i found comfort in sounds that aren't usually enjoyable, such as the washing machine, the extractor fan in the bathroom and the humming of my computer at work), but after a while i realised that the best way to deal with the noise was to keep busy & listen to lots of music & podcasts. i'm not sure whether i simply got used to it or if the ringing did actually get quieter, but for the greater part of the year i thankfully didn't really notice my tinnitus. in fact, it was mostly only audible when i was stressed out about something unrelated, & it usually quietened down again once i'd chilled out. i feel like i've been pretty lucky with the whole thing.

so why has it come to the forefront of my thoughts again? well, the last couple of days have seen the sound of the ringing being dialled up & the noise is also now available in surround-sound - joy! alongside the original ringing in my left ear, my right ear is now emitting a variation between two tones that are less likeable than the original (& i didn't even like the old ringing to begin with). however, the increased ringing has coincided with (what i think is) mild tonsillitis that i've had since mid-last-week, & i'm hopeful that the sounds will fade along with my other symptoms.

anyway, since the start of last year i've wanted to illustrate my tinnitus somehow, but i've not been sure of how to approach it without just doing a drawing of me feeling sorry for myself. then, earlier today, i listened to the latest episode of this american life, entitled mapping, that had a story about mapping ambient sounds (the kind of sounds that i originally found some solace in when my ear started ringing). you can listen to the segment here.

throughout the piece, a keyboard is used to demonstrate the notes that are emitted from objects. & i realised that the noise in my head sounds a bit like a little keyboard, constantly playing the same note. & so, the above image formed.

the concept of the story - that sounds can affect the mood of a person - is a little disturbing to someone who has no control over the noise they're subjected to. however, i'm focussing on enjoying the piece as an interesting story, rather than something to worry about. plus, i got a drawing out of it, so it's not all bad.

i've been pretty lazy with my camera this year. flickr has become merely an image host, & i've not adorned my new facebook account with photographic documentation of all my adventures. however, i'm still using instagram for capturing & sharing day-to-day things. above are some niceties from december (i promise i do more than food & shoegazing).

pipeline

finally working on some new things - feels so good! as well as stocking the shop for the festive season, i have a magnificent deadline for making things thanks to a craft fair on 4 december. i've written a to-do list for pretty much every day over the next few weeks.

above you'll find a cat i drew yesterday - possibly the best cat i have ever drawn.

i've been keeping an eye out for some plants small enough to put in the tiny pots i make, but until now, no joy. however, my boyfriend & i went for a walk in the sun today & came across a 'CACTUS SALE' at the botanic gardens - & voila! £2 later, a tiny cactus & a tiny succulent, the perfect size.

in wild waters

my boyfriend recently opened an online shop to sell his prints. all bias aside, i recommend you take a look at his work (including the above print, in wild waters). he's had a few sales already, but he's still offering a free mini-print with the next seven orders. go!

i'm an impatient person, though i'm trying to embrace the fact that some things take time. i tried out wood carving a few weeks ago & the thing i made is still no-where near finished, so instead i drew a girl carving some wood, & the drawing is done.

new website

take a peek at my new website layout, freshly uploaded to the internet last night. a better balance of text & images, & approximately a thousand times easier to update. everybody wins!

speaking of website updates, my lovely boyfriend added lots of new work to his. go visit!

I reopened my ceramics shop yesterday! So this photo is already out of date & I already sold a bunch of things, but I'm posting this anyway because better late than never, right? ☞ Bolden is OPEN: http://bolden.bigcartel.com