Category: Family & Friends

An Audio Christmas Present

Published on by Liz20 Comments

My gorgeous husband and I share many things in common but we have totally opposite views on books. While I sit surrounded by piles of books I am sure I will one day read, Stephen on the other hand has a handful of beloved titles that he has read many times and so knows with great depth and understanding.

One of his favourite annual traditions is to read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Sometimes it is just to himself. Sometimes it is a special treat for me to hear him read out loud while I sit knitting.

This year he has taken things to a new level. Stephen is an expert YouTuber and so has a range of high-quality recording and editing equipment. This has enabled him to produce a podcast version of A Christmas Carol which I am delighted to be able to share with you. This is a veritable showcase of his many talents – he has even played and recorded the music used for the introductions to each chapter and at the end of the reading.

In his podcast blurb, Stephen says “I profess no great acting skill, but I do hope my love for this book comes across in the telling.” It sure does. Love you Hub! ❤️

You can listen to the podcast via the internet here https://anchor.fm/stephen-humphreys

Here is the Spotify link https://open.spotify.com/show/4qRa42PdeApjTBjZkL9Bne

We both hope you enjoy this festive offering. Cheers and Merry Christmas! 🎄

 

I Still Do And Always Will

Published on by Liz28 Comments

25 years ago today, this gorgeous, wise, caring, funny, kind man said ‘I Do’ to me and I happily said it back.

All the time we were saying our vows we could not stop smiling at each other. It is one of my favourite memories of a day packed full of lovely moments.

 

I give thanks every day for my good fortune in finding such a wonderful man to share my life with.  You can read about the happenstance of our first date here.  The only thing I would change? If I had the time again, I’d find him sooner.

Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary my darling Hub ♥️♥️♥️

Julie’s Blanket: a crochet adventure

Published on by Liz39 Comments

It’s been many months since I last wrote about any knitting or crochet projects. This is not through idleness, however. On the contrary, I have been beavering away on a most enjoyable commission project, thanks to my dear friend Julie.

Last May, Julie was giving me a lift to London’s Gatwick airport and we chatted about her wish to have a crochet cover for her king size bed. No problem, I said gaily, relishing the chance to have a go at a bespoke creation. I don’t think I had fully engaged my brain on the enormity of the challenge. But I have enjoyed so much the whole process – from conception to happy customer.

Initially, having established a few likes and dislikes on Julie’s part, plus palette options, we homed in on a kind of ’tiled’ approach and I set about designing the key components.

 

Most of the colours survived from this test palette. The beige in particular didn’t make the cut. The yarns are a variety of DK weights from the Stylecraft range.

Continue reading “Julie’s Blanket: a crochet adventure” →

100 Days of Creativity: it’s a wrap!

Published on by Liz19 Comments

On 13 June 2018, I embarked somewhat rashly, or so it seemed at the time, on an art project that would last 100 consecutive days. I committed myself to producing and publishing a piece of digital art each day.

Writing about it at that time, I wondered whether I would be able to complete the project. I spoke rather modestly about creating ‘doodles’.  But overall, I was hoping that it would work, because I had long wished to create a daily art habit.

Well, I did it folks! On 20 September, I published for the 100th day in a row, producing a total of 107 images (on some days, I built up a head of steam and published more than one picture).

 

Fireworks marking the 100th day of my project

 

It has been an amazing journey. I learned so much about creating images, making improved use of my digital art tools, and perhaps most importantly, my own style as an artist.

I’ll be reflecting further on what the project has taught me in future posts. But for now, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me all through this project. Whether you have joined me via instagram, facebook or this blog, it has meant the world to me to have all the likes and comments. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my art with everyone, and having such warm and positive feedback to spur me on each day.

 

 

So what’s next? First, I have arranged for all the images created for the project to be publicly available. I hope people will enjoy using the artwork for cards, wallpaper, blog posts or any other personal endeavour. You can read more about this, and find links to my new Flickr account here. Feel free to have a browse through the pictures – do you have any favourites? I’d love to know.

And for the future, I will continue to create images for free personal use. I will probably give myself a few days off, but watch this space for possible sightings of some spooky Halloween images! 🎃