Tuesday, 22 December 2015

As 2015 comes to a close....


Christmas is a busy and exciting time for most of us that celebrate it, with all the preparations and 'to do' lists and parties and events (if you're the social type, or a parent of social kids!), or if like me you may prefer to keep things simple, once the whirligig of gift shopping and preparations ceases, I batten down the hatches with my husband and moggy to enjoy some rare time for quiet and reflection. As one year comes to an end and a new one begins, it seems a very natural time for taking stock, resetting the compass and making plans for what I'd like do over the forthcoming year - yeah, I know how to party!!

Highlights of 2015

It's been a hectic and exciting year for me. I've continued to enjoy teaching workshops in Swansea including Magical Christmas Knits. We had a really fun and relaxed day in November making small gifts and ornaments including these beaded baubles -and one of the participants (who wishes to remain nameless) really got the bauble bug and has made several more, ringing the changes and making each one slightly different - aren't they great?


Another workshop highlight was Fathoming Fairisle where those that were brave also took scissors to our knitting to cut steeks. This proved to be a highly popular workshop with several folk left disappointed at not getting a place, so I'll be repeating it in April. Here's Clyde, the steeked version of the fairisle cowl I designed for the workshop.


I love teaching workshops and get a real buzz out of inspiring and enabling others to master their craft, and also learn a lot and find inspiration from others in the process. I'm looking forward to next year's workshop programme which which I've now put up on the website.





Another highlight of the year has been publishing my first book Elements in collaboration with Alison Crowther-Smith - we are known collectively as Smith & Jones knits and we have plenty of other collaborative projects in mind for the future. I designed 12 projects for Elements including the Cockleshell Cardigan featured in The Knitter magazine, shown left.





















One of my favourite designs is of course the Garden Song Cushion and Blanket - I love colour work and was really pleased at how this heirloom piece turned out. Many of you have seen this design in progress and endured my shameless (and endless) tit jokes!


The book has been well received so far, and I can't tell you how exciting it is to see my designs being brought to life when I see them knitted by others. It was also a first for me to do a fashion show of all the designs with Alison and also the wonderful Martin Storey who's a pleasure to meet and is as lovely in person as his designs.



In addition to publishing Elements I've also been involved in pattern checking and tech editing for other designers and publishers. I enjoy this immensely as, not only do I get to fully indulge my inner nerd, it's really satisfying to work with others in this way to ensure the patterns and instructions are as clear as they can be, which ultimately feeds into my love of enabling other knitters to enjoy and master their craft.

As well as knitting I've continued to enjoy making textile art with Stitches Coven, a creative textiles group that I help facilitate. We held A Stitch in Time, our 3rd annual exhibition over the summer, which focussed on memories including a joint project we donated to the Alzheimer's Society. You can read more about it on our blog, and here is one of my pieces, Irka's Gingko which relates to my Polish Grand Aunt Irena.



I've had a pretty full on 2015 with some really steep learning curves, and am grateful for all the support I have been given by others - it's been a great year for me in terms of meeting new challenges and having a fun time with other folk in the process. I'm looking forward now though to having some much needed rest & recreation over the festive period. I'll also be making plans for 2016 which I'll share with you in my next post. in the meantime I hope you have a lovely Christmas if/however you choose to celebrate it, and I'd love to hear about it so do leave a comment below.

See you next year!

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Sunday, 8 November 2015

Changes Afoot..........

.............it's going to be goodbye fyberknitics and hello Donna Jones Designs.

You'll be seeing some big changes to my website over the next few weeks as I have taken the bold decision to change the name and have a bit of a face lift! After quite a bit of thought I really think its time to lose the name fyberknitics which I've had for many years, and to run instead with the more personal Donna Jones Designs - if nothing else it's easier for people to spell :-) The new web address is donnajonesdesigns.co.uk, but don't worry, the old web address will still apply during (and for a good while after) the change to the new one.

So don't be surprised to see some odd things happening on the site and across my social media platforms as the changes happen and evolve over the forthcoming weeks. Please do be reassured though that these changes are merely cosmetic and will not affect any of the workshops or services I currently provide - I am definitely here to stay but, thinking for the longer term, I just need to make these changes which will improve the appearance and usability of the website etc.

Thanks in advance for sticking with me during this transition.

Friday, 14 August 2015

Smith & Jones knitting book, Elements, has gone to the printers

As some of you will be aware I have been collaborating with knit designer Alison Crowther-Smith  over the last year to produce and independently publish our new knitting book Elements. It was only last May when Alison & I were doing a workshop together at Swansea and  we had the first inkling of doing a book together. Over the summer our seed of an idea began to take shape and we had decided on a theme and design board for the book, and after a very intensive 11 months or so we have now just had our book sent to print - Hoorah! Here's the front cover - I can't tell you how exciting it is to see our ideas materialise in this way.

http://www.smithandjonesknits.com/

It's been a very steep and exciting learning curve, on which I will reflect more in further posts, and a wonderful experience to work with some very talented creatives such as Sarah Hatton and Emma Chapman. We're really delighted with the outcome and hope you will be too. We have also been busy behind the scenes building a designated website - smithandjonesknits.com - which we will continue to develop over forthcoming weeks so be sure to drop buy regularly for news, events and updates. Elements will be available from Rowan Stockists and our website from the beginning of Oct, and on Fri 25th September there will be a preview event at Swansea Bay Yarns, 6-8pm. In the mean time look out for sneaky peeks of the projects and news of the chance to win a copy of Elements on the Smith & Jones Knits blog and our other social media hangouts including Pinterest and our Facebook page.

Thursday, 18 June 2015

6 tips for writing your own knitting patterns

If you have been knitting for a while, you may be hankering to branch out a bit and make some of your own designs, or you may already be designing your own items but without  writing them up. This is fine, but what if later your best friend sees and falls in love with your wonderful creation and wants one of their very own? You’d love to make one or enable her (or indeed him) to knit one up, but you would now be a bit hard pushed to remember how it was made. If you just want to make the design for you and your friends, then you won't need to worry too much about how well written it is, so long as it works for you. However, you may think that others are going to love to knit your fab design too, and with the convenience of internet at our fingertips these days, it is easy enough to list your patterns for sale on places like Ravelry or Etsy. You are unlikely to get rich quick by doing so, but it is a real thrill when people like your design enough to purchase it, and to think that somewhere out there in the world a number of you designs are roaming around.


A word of caution though, as it is so easy to get your stuff out there you will find that, as well as a pile of absolute gems there is also unfortunately a pretty big pile of stuff out there that is, well......not so gem-like . So make sure your contribution is of the best quality it can be before sending it out there so it is adding to the right pile. Here are my 6 top tips for doing just that.

#1Start small!

If this is your first foray into making your own patterns, start with something relatively simple like a cushion or accessory - for the love of your mental health (and that of those around you) don't fly straight into writing a multi-sized raglan cardigan! Better to create a well-crafted simple pattern than make a hash of something more complex - you can build up to more complex items as your skills develop.

#2 Establish style and layout

Although there are a number of strong conventions for pattern writing, there is no single standard way of laying out or writing patterns. The aim though is to produce a concise set of directions that are clear to follow and expressed consistently. So firstly you need to make some decisions about how you want to set up your pattern. To get started on this, look at patterns you particularly like the look of and consider how they are laid out.  Decide on which abbreviations and phrases you like to use best and compile  this all into a template, or what is often called a 'style sheet', so you can remember which options you have chosen and keep it for reference. In general a good pattern should be set out in a logical order and include additional information about:
  • size
  • yarn
  • needles,
  • other
  • tension
  • abbreviations
  • pattern notes
  • charts and/or schematics (where appropriate)

#2 Write a draft of the pattern out before you start making it

Otherwise it is like taking a journey in the car without having a map or clear idea of where you are going. It is possible to do this the other way around (i.e.   make it first, then write it up afterwards) but if doing so you must be very disciplined and ensure  take extremely clear and careful notes as you go.  I personally think it is actually more difficult to do this way around, though of course we are all different and some folks would disagree.
Design software or Excel spread sheets can be helpful for producing charts or working on multiple sizes, but are not essential, particularly for smaller, one size items. If you are using design software though, use caution and check any instructions produced very carefully - they will rarely be satisfactory as they are  and you will need to make adjustments - the instructions need to flow and make sense to humans, not computers :-).

#3 Keep an accurate record of quantities used

This is easy to forget but extremely important. You can measure quantities in terms of either weight or length.  I find it easiest to measure by  weight in grams on electronic food scales. It is good practice to weigh, and most importantly RECORD, each ball without the ball band before you start knitting, and then any unused yarn. This will enable you to calculate exactly how much yarn you used, and then add 10-15 % allowance and round up to balls.

#4 Great photography

You may have the world’s most amazing creation, but few people will be able to visualise it from a set of instructions. Great pictures are a must to show your creation off to its best including some close up of any special stitch details etc. Although helpful if you have it, you don't need any fancy equipment, and good photos can be achieved with the most basic camera. You can get plenty of great tips online for free if you do your research.

#5 Work with a professional technical editor and/or pattern checker

If you intend to sell your pattern it is essential to have it edited and checked by a professional tech editor and/or pattern checker (or someone you know with those skills) so you can be sure your pattern is correct and is of a suitable standard. This applies even if you are a pattern checker yourself as you simply cannot proof your own copy. Hiring a tech editor and/or pattern checker is more affordable than you might imagine, and another benefit of doing so is you will learn a lot about pattern writing in the process. They can also help furnish you with charts and/or schematics if you are unable to produce these yourself. Not So Granny has a helpful post on the topic called What is a tech editor? if you need any further persuasion about their value.

So I hope these tips are helpful to you, and that you feel brave enough to have a go at writing your own pattern, if indeed you haven't already. You may have some other great tips to share about this topic - if so, please feel free to add a comment below.



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Thursday, 21 May 2015

Behind the scenes: Misty May Photo Shoot


Earlier this month we had an  outdoor photo shoot for Elements: 24 handknit designs inspired by nature and the outdoors that will be published in the Autumn. Having set the shoot up up for the  beginning of May you might be forgiven for thinking that weather conditions would be fairly reasonable - well that was my expectation, however that was not how it went down! The forecast was not at all favorable and my heart was sinking. These things are set up quite a way in advance, and with quite a few people involved it’s difficult to be flexible so you have to fix a date and just hope for the best.  Having coordinated everyone to get to the location site at a set time, we were greeted by drizzle with the threat of heavier downpours, and it was a real pea-souper of a day. This did not bode well, as then there was the additional challenge of how to keep the rain off the equipment as well as ensure our models didn’t  get a soaking. This was alleviated with the help of plenty of plastic sheets and diligent umbrella bearers:-)



 However after our initial feelings of concern and despair, it became apparent how fortunate we were. The rain for the most part did actually hold off, and we had glorious layers of mist which, whilst unexpected, were ideal conditions for setting the scene for the more autumnal designs of our collection - you could swear it was October rather than May. I can’t show you too much at this stage, but here’s a photo of one of the backdrops.



So luck was shining on us after all, as did the sun the moment we finished taking photographs.

Elements will be available in the Autumn and, if you live in the Swansea Area, you can join Alison Crowther-Smith and myself at Swansea Bay Yarns on Fri 24 September, 6-8pm for a preview of the collection and book-signing.

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Blossom Mitts

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Local Yarn Shop Stars: Swansea Bay Yarns

You may be aware that it was the second year of Yarn Shop Day last Saturday here in the UK which aims to promote and celebrate local yarn shops (perhaps better known as Wool Shops to UK knitters) and the range of services they offer to the knitting community. This event was thought up last year by craft magazine publisher Aceville Publishing where shops across the UK participate in putting on a wide range of activities, promotional offers and events for knitters and crocheters.

I'm a great fan of the internet, however it's really important to support our local shops - whilst online shopping is convenient, yarn is such a tactile material you really can't beat being able to touch the yarn to know how the fibres feel, and colour is best seen for real and in daylight if you want to be able to see its true hue. Yarn shops also offer a focal point for the knitting community to gather in a more personable way than online forums can provide. Now I'm not knocking online forums either, by the way - you can share an awful lot of expertise from engaging with these and watching videos on YouTube. It's essential though to have some face to face contact too and enjoy all the other things our yarn shops have to offer such as advice, classes, inspiration and knitting groups - and many a new or known knitterly friend can be stumbled upon in your local store.

However, we all know it's a challenge for these shops to survive in today's economic climate. With the high overheads of running a bricks and mortar shop for a niche interest group, it's really important to appreciate this and show our support or their presence on our high streets will continue to dwindle. So in the spirit of supporting and celebrating our local yarn shops I am going to do a regular monthly feature on different shops, beginning close to home for me with Swansea, but gradually spreading the net out further.

So this month I'm going to introduce you to Swansea Bay Yarns which is tucked between the Brangwyn Hall and the Patti Pavillion on St Helen's Avenue.


The Shop front, which is a delight with regular changes of inspirational window displays, beckons the yarnoholic like a siren. Once inside you will not be disappointed as it is beautifully laid out with a relaxed vintage style, has a good selection of quality yarns, and you can be sure of a warm welcome from shop owner, Morgan. Swansea Bay Yarns is the Rowan stockist for Swansea, and also stocks other quality brands such as Bergere de France, Lang, Sublime, MillaMia, Adriafil, Erika Knight, and some lovely Manos amongst others.


Opened just last summer after a life-changing experience, Morgan took the brave decision to turn her life long passion into a business. Since opening her doors for the first time last June, Morgan has been beavering away to provide a hub for the local knitting community with the provision of a knitting group, classes, regular resident expert sessions for knit and crochet, as well as special in-store events such as the Rowan Yarn Taster I helped facilitate last month.


She is also active on twitter, and takes great pride in posting photos of the beautiful finished projects her customers bring into the shop to show her.

Morgan is already planning a new programme of events and classes for the rest of 2015 which will include, amongst other exciting events, an evening with Alison Crowther-Smith and myself for an exclusive pre-launch view of our collection for new book Elements at the end of September. So be sure to pop into the shop and follow her on facebook page for further updates.


Do you shop for yarn locally or online, or both? If you know of any great local yarn stores I'd love to hear about them for future features.

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Thursday, 16 April 2015

On the Needles: Rowan Alpaca colour & yarn tasting

Another brief post I'm aftraid - not only due to the design deadlines looming fast, but I have had no email/internet service for my PC since Saturday. I'm currently 'piggy backing' my iphone personal hotspot.

And apologies for the topsy turvey pic, for some unfathomable reason it will not import the right way up!


I've been swatching with Rowan Alpaca colour - one of my favorite Rowan yarns with its muted tonal colour variegation, and it knits like butter. the finished design will not be in this colour though, but in a rich warm yellow (Topas).

This week I also enjoyed supporting a Rowan yarn tasting at local wool shop, Swansea Bay Yarns. This was really well attended and I think a great time was had by all trying out a wide range of Rowan yarns. You can see everyone was hard at work knitting a few rows in the various yarns:

Morgan of Swansea Bay Yarns showing participants her lovely shawl

Hope you are enjoying some knitting - what have you got on the go?


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Thursday, 26 March 2015

On the Needles: Rowan Panama

This month I have a few things on the needles, but at the moment I am focusing on one of my new designs for the book I'm currently collaborating on. Deadlines are getting pretty tight now so this post will by necessity be brief, but just thought I'd share with you what I'm up to in the studio.



I've been swatching with Rowan Panama which is a 4ply weight yarn made of viscose, cotton and linen, and I have to say I really like it. The fibre content means it has a beautiful drape and will make for a light and breathable fabric, ideal for a summer garment. Although fairly crisp it has a slight texture to it which means it will take a bit of fancy stitch work but not too much, so less is more and I'm thinking of having a just a dash of a simple lace pattern.

The colour doesn't show that well on screen, but is a beautiful golden green. I'm rather partial to it but will be opting for a different shade such as the lovely lotus (sh 309) - a rich mid blue shade similar to lapis lazuli gem stones.

What have you got on the needles? Do tell by leaving a comment below.

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Friday, 20 March 2015

Getting to grips with Crochet

Crochet continues to enjoy a renaissance, increasing hugely in popularity over recent years. This may be related to cultural trends and experiences such as a period of austerity, the slow movement ethos, and a growing interest for many people in seeking a more simple life.


As well as being a great craft in its own right, crochet works beautifully with other textile crafts such as sewing and knitting in particular. If you are a knitter, crochet adds another string to your knitterly bow and enabling you to make effective edges and embellishments with relative ease.

The real challenge though with crochet is that as a beginner you need to get to grips with the hardest part first. Learning the basics of how to hold your hook, working a foundation chain, and making simple stitches in rows can be quite effort full , and feel a bit like you are wrestling an octopus! This can be a little off putting and frustrating to start with as we are mostly used to learning things the other way around, in that when learning something new we generally start with easier tasks, building up to the more challenging elements.

This can seem a little disappointing when you decide to learn crochet, and many of us imagine we'll be whipping up projects immediately, when in fact your only reward for a day's work at that stage is likely to be a few wizened looking scaps - if you manage more than that on your first attempt then I take my hat off to you! The hard truth is that, as for most crafts, you cannot expect to achieve fantastic results immediately - there are no shortcuts and you simply have to put the time in. The trick is to take your time and enjoy the journey rather than being too fixed on having a finished product on day 1.

I recently taught a Crochet from Scratch workshop at Swansea. I always enjoy workshop days - a whole day of woolly goodness, sharing your passion with a group of fellow yarnoholics - what's not to like?

Setting up at the start of the day

Here is the group of lovely participants who beavered away all day getting to grips with their first crochet stitches - and as you can see they were still smiling at the end of it.

The good news with crochet though, is once you've got to grips with those couple of building blocks, and that really doesn't take an age, it becomes easier and easier to learn more advanced skills and it really is just a tiny step more to start making some really beautiful projects. Honest. It really is the case.

April's Workshop at Swansea will be Next Steps with Crochet which helps you achieve just that, reinforcing those basic building blocks and walking you through a few new skills. Next Steps in Crochet is aimed at those who already know how to make chains, and can remember how to work doubles and trebles (even if a little rusty). This workshop moves you from the basics to making twirls and working in the round to form squares and motifs. You’ll be able to have a go at crocheting with beads, and you’ll be able to go home with your own unique flower corsage.

If you've already learned,or are in the process of learning to crochet, I'd love to hear how you got on with this - What did you find particularly difficult or easy? What did you find helpful when you were learning? Do leave a comment below, it'll make my day.

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Thursday, 26 February 2015

Elements: A Collaborative Handknitting Project with Alison Crowther-Smith

If it seems like I've been a bit quiet here lately, it's because there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Not least of all I've been beavering away on an exciting collaborative  project with designer Alison Crowther-Smith. In six months time we will be launching our new (and first) collaborative book: 'Elements'. Elements is a collection of 24 hand-knit designs. Knitted with Rowan yarns, and inspired by our native landscapes, Elements will be available in September 2015.

It's a thrill to collaborate with Alison whose designs I have long admired, but also because she is such great fun to work with. I first met Alison when we both worked as in-store Rowan Design Consultants at Bristol a number of years ago. Both sharing a huge passion for the art and craft of knitting, we quickly became firm friends, and working collaboratively on Elements seems to me to be a natural course of that friendship.

I'm afraid I can't share any pictures of the project right now, so instead here's a picture of my latest offering, Blossom Mitts. This design was originally created during that time as a Rowan Design consultant, but I've dusted it off and reworked it.


Knitted in lusciously soft baby alpaca these lovely fingerless mitts will keep you snug in the cooler months and make an ideal gift.

Knitted flat and seamed, this design will suit knitters who don’t knit in the round. The cuff is softly frilled and worked in a simple twisted rib. The hand is worked in stocking (stockinette) stitch with a fully fashioned thumb and single opening for the fingers. A knitted flower with a central bead adds a feminine touch, but you can omit this or easily substitute for another motif if you prefer.

Rowan Baby Alpaca DK has now been discontinued, however you can use any DK (light worsted) weight yarn. I fancy re-knitting these in the sumptuous Rowan Alpaca Colour which I love.

Blossom Mitts will shortly be available to purchase from my website, Etsy shop and via Ravelry. To get your hands on a free copy ahead of time though, simply sign up for my newsletter below and you'll receive a personal email with the pdf  pattern within 48hours.

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Thursday, 29 January 2015

Knit Design Inspiration

There is often the perception that artists and designers have lighting bolt/out of the blue flashes of inspiration which arrive 'from within' or from a divine entity as a full or near fully formed idea. Whilst this may be the experience for some individuals, and on rare occasions for others, for the majority of creative folk it's a much more grounded process often starting with a spark of inspiration and working (hard!) over a period of time teasing out and developing an idea from this original source.

More often design inspiration is found outside of ourselves in the first instance and may involve an interplay between this and our inner selves, previous experiences, current preoccupations etc. Finding design inspiration can be a real challenge for many, but the truth is it's all around us and we often encounter sources of inspiration in our everyday lives and often by accident. For example here is a Romanesco (broccoli/cauliflower) I had in my veg box one week: 
 



I don't know about you, but I hadn't seen one of these before and found myself completely fascinated by it and in awe of nature for this impressive structural design. Like many others, I often find inspiration from nature, though in this case I didn't even go outdoors! I've not done any design work with this yet though I'm sure I will, and it's on a back boiler while I ruminate further. I don't know at this stage what the destination will be, but it suggests a play with textured stitches such as blackberry stitch but I also want to capture the spiral/fractal structure............

I'd love to hear what sort of things fascinate and inspire you - do share by leaving a comment below.



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Thursday, 15 January 2015

Introducing Millie - Feline Design Assistant


"One Approves"

Well I thought it was time you should meet my fab little feline studio assistant, Millie - Wherever there are textiles to view Miss Millie is there like a whippet to perform essential quality assurance. Here she is undertaking a thorough assessment of the felted nuno scarf I put out to dry on the table. I made the scarf at a workshop I arranged last October for Stitches Coven which was tutored by the talented and inspiring Mandy Nash. I'm pleased to say it was a definite hit with Miss Millie (or Miss Millamena as she is sometimes called) who is a lover of girly accessories including bags & shoes.

The same could not be said for her opinion of the colour scheme I've been putting together for a new design. Here we see Miss Millie just in shot heading straight for the trouble spot with those blue/grey shades at the top of the stack.



She's quite right too with her diagnosis as there is simply not enough tonal contrast happening there, but I think a quick substitution of ivory for a blue does the trick.



After all that hard work here she is having a well-earned rest.


I can't believe how well behaved Millie is with my knitting and other work - unless you really waggle a bit of yarn under her nose that is. Do you have little 'helpers' like Millie? Or do you have little 'hinderers' instead?


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Friday, 2 January 2015

How will you be greeting 2015?

A new day and a new start- yesterday we took a bracing walk on the beach to dust off the cobwebs and welcome in the New Year.  There we witnessed the Port Talbot New Year Dippers - a local tradition where brave souls gather at 11 in the morning to greet the new year by stripping off to their bathers and racing en masse for a dip in the icy sea.




Many will have gained sponsors to raise funds for various charities, some will do it for the fun (?) of it, but for others it is a way to embrace the new year with attitude - demonstrating an intent to face any challenges ahead with gusto. I was merely a spectator but hope this spirited approach will have rubbed off and I can take a leaf out of their book.

I'm not keen on making New Years Resolutions in the traditional sense - I see little point in making lists of things that I musn't do - where's the fun in that? I think it's always best to go with your strengths - and I have willpower by the sack load - just not so abundantly gifted with won't power!

So instead I like to think about what I will do - I have a short lost of things I'd like to achieve, such as learning a new skill or tackling a specific project I have in mind, and I like to have a couple of  life enriching principles/philosophies in mind to focus on for the year ahead.

1.This year I'm feeling inspired by Paloma Faith's recent song offering - Ready for the good life - this is about letting go of negative experiences, fostering optimism & positivity and being receptive to the good stuff instead.

2. Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful (William Morris). In order to be ready for this 'good life' I'm also going to be big on the decluttering this year to allow plenty of time and space for all these wonderful things that will of course be coming my way!

How will you be facing 2015? Do you have any New Year traditions or do you prefer to simply go with the flow? Do share by commenting below.

I hope you have had a lovely holiday period,  and wish you all the best for a fulfilling and creative 2015


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