#amanartis

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If you didn't have to make money...

.... what would you be doing?

I often ask people this because I truly believe that if we didn't have to make money, we would be creating. We'd be making, designing, cooking, discovering, and experiencing life in the most creative way that is natural to us.

The challenge is that we have built a world around the pursuit of money rather than the pursuit of our innate being; to be at one with nature and our surroundings.

Why do we love to lie back on the grass and look at the sky, or feel the sun on our skin or walk in the rain? When we seek moments of relaxation, peace and rest, it's because we want to connect with nature.

In this act of being, we'd be challenging things around us, we'd question and wonder. The time allowed to experience this is all being slowly taken away and less and less time is being devoted to the act of wondering because we are wondering how to pay our bills and afford to buy food or stay healthy.

Don't get me wrong, these are valid things to be wondering about however they shouldn't consume us, there is enough food in the world, nature has provided us with endless remedies for all our ills and as for bills, if not for greed, we could all afford them.

What am I saying? Embrace creativity and the act of wonder and curiosity as if your life depended on it, because in a way your life does. It's this act of living and thinking this way that fuels the spirit, a stirring energy deep within - it's our human nature.

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Saying no is sometimes the best decision you can make.

When I first thought about this post, I'd decided to share how saying 'no' was one of the best decisions I ever made. It was a simple decision - I decided to say no to working in a certain way - it was no longer served me and it was having a very negative effect on my self esteem.

What I did by saying no was to create space, I created space to say yes to the right things. In some respects it's not news - you must have heard the saying "as one door closes another one opens". Well saying no, is you closing the door, as appose to having the door closed on you and then allowing doors to be opened for you - nice right.

So that was going to be the sum of my post until I considered a more recent time when I said 'no' and closed the door on something quite serious.

Today is International Women's day...

...so I thought I would share another decision I made in the hope of inspiring others to believe in themselves and have faith. For me, it's having faith in God but having faith in more than what you can see, I believe is essential in life.

So about a year and half ago I left my husband. We had been together for 16 years, married for 7, had two children and had become quite unhappy.

I left the family home, packed my tiny Fiesta (R.I.P) and the children and we moved into a new house that we rented with the hope of calmer happier times. For me divorce and separation has been everything that you hear about, the stress, the battles - it can be ugly and feel like it's never going to end. But what did end was the decision to accept the unacceptable - I said no - no more.

Self worth, value and love can get quite blurred in relationships at times and it can be hard to see clearly, however for me, the thing that helped, was making space (once more) closing one door to open another.

So many doors have opened since making that decision - more than I could have imagined. I'm beginning to see so much clearer now and that's a good thing.

I'm going to end on one other note though. Going through this huge change in my life makes me think of what it has taken to make this move. I had assets, friends and family who were able to assist me financially, a business and a close network of friends. It has been a team effort and one that I could not have done on my own, so as much as I say "say no" my heart goes out today to all those women who as much as they want to, can't. You are loved stay in faith.

Today on International Women's Day - I spare a moment for a thought and prayer for you. xxx

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Yellow is my favourite and my best...

to paraphrase Lola from Charlie and Lola.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love colour - You've seen my previous post on colour and texture. Well for today's March Meet the Maker post it's all about one of the most joyous colours to me, Yellow.

I love it. It goes with everything (trust me), it's warm and when good things like lemon tart and your good friend in her sunny yellow hat, what's not to love.

I always seem to find a way to bring yellow into things, from my brand to my designs, to food and decor.

Art from left to right:

Portrait of me by Kim Noce, Art Nouveau 'Lillys' by Carrie Ward-Mills, Me and my Mum.

First Outing.

And the Winner is...

Me! I'm so chuffed.

Me with the Elected Mayor Peter Taylor, Councillor Aga Dychton and Chairman or Watford Borough Council Bilqees Mauthoor.

The Audentior Awards is in it's 17th year and celebrates the achievements of local people that are dedicated to working towards making the town a better place to live and work.

I was so excited and grateful to have won the Chairmans Cultural award for 'Amanartis' - the artist studio and gallery I set up to support artists with studio space and a place to build creative connections in Watford.

I'm working on a new range of jewellery that got it's first outing at the awards. I'd had the idea for a while but in my sometimes typical fashion I had chosen an hour before the event to bring them to life (my mum was not impressed lol).

I really love them so now I'm refining them and making a range in other colours as well as yellow.

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"Serve, give what you can and create with love"

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Me and my work...

...it feels like a distant thing some days and other days it feel like I can't work fast enough for the ideas.

It all started years and years ago as a child, I was going to be a fashion designer!

And to be honest, not that much as changed. I've explored different crafts and art forms, but nothing has really changed I still love art, colour, expression and making.

My first love was art nouveau.

It was all about the corner detail, solid lines and colour and the stylised patters and expression of movement. I loved the pallet and slightly merky tones.

My art nouveau inspired bag 'Little Lady'.

My exhibition stand with a 'Little Lady' on the back wall. This was one of my most popular bag designs. I made so many of them in so many colour combinations it satisfied my creative need greatly at the time - it really was a joy to make but like all creative people, there's always a desire to try something new, learn something new.

Love and Problem Solving .

That's the starting point.

The problem - I want something. The solution is to make it... the answer.

I have to Love it.

I've said this many times before, it's my seal of approval or and indicator that something is finished and ready to be shared with the world - 'I' have to love it. If I don't, how can I expect anyone else to.

For me and my work its about an exchange of emotion, exchange of love. I desire to share a love of what I do with others and hopefully they will feel a little of that love enough to exchange something of value to them, time...and in the world we live in its money amongst other things.

The energy of love is really something, we know we've all done crazy things for it, but without digressing too much - it's really powerful, its inspiring and sometimes it can feel like a surge of energy that is going to explode and you're wired and giddy, you know what I mean.

Colour and Texture...I love it...

My wardrobe, kind of says it all. It's what inspires me.

And then I bring a little bit of it into my work. A combination of colour and texture is what I love about this necklace (To order drop me a line ;-)).

It's a joy and and a blessing to be able to do what I do and I'm thankful for the love that is shared and exchanged to be able to do so. Sometimes I lose my way and other things get in the way but I always find a way back.

I'm sampling a new range of velvet bags. Ready to go in a few days - excited...

This month is meet the maker March, I'm fortunate enough to have a wonderful studio to work from. It's open to the public and is a beautiful space to be in, buy art and independently made items. If you are ever in Watford or would like to visit me at my studio, do, you're always welcome.

#amanartis - The Chapel in The Cemetery, Vicarage Road Cemetery, Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 0EJ

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And the winner is!

Goodness me, where does the time go. After the success of our first design fair I have to admit I'm guilty of taking a tiny breather and then all of a sudden it's Christmas, well almost.

However for three lucky people Christmas has come early.

Thank you to all those that retweeted and shared our event in various ways, you may not have realised but all your names were entered into our price draw.

So it's now time to announce the winners!

The first lucky name out of the hat was David Rees - A one off leather hand bag made by yours truly is on it's way to you. I appreciate that it may not be your colour ;-) but I'm sure it will make a great gift for someone.

Second price goes to Julie Liebling - You've won a £50 voucher from artist and ceramist Amanda Toms, redeemable against any workshop or commissioned piece of work. And that's not all, it comes tucked away in a very cute leather change purse (another one from me, I was feeling generous).

And our final price goes to Alison Wall - Lucky you, you've won a beauitful handmade glass pendant by Artist and designer Jenny Hoole.

All you all need to do is email me with details of where to send the prices and that's it.

Merry Christmas!