Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors. ~Alice Walker

Finally I have time to revisit this blog....The end of 2010 was a very busy time for me creatively, with deadlines to meet for clients. Anyway Christmas done and dusted I decided to take a month off to catch up with all those little jobs that needed to be done, oh and meet up with rather neglected friends.

Today I spent time in my studio :-) I feel energised now and my head is buzzing with ideas. Surrounded with my fabrics , yarns, paints and various nik-naks inspiration no longer eludes me. I am still working on my "1001 Arabian Nights" theme....I so often return to this sketchbook of work for ideas. I love the exotic colour combinations and vibrancy. I like to be surrounded by colour, especially bright pinks, purples and cyan blues, speckled with sparkle....my comfort zone, they make me feel happy. You will never see me working , or wearing come to that, BLACK......a little splash maybe, but too much makes me feel melancholy.

Oh yes I was going to share with you why this is called "Paper boats and steamy tea shops". Well....I spend much of my time in North Norfolk, I always level out when I am there and always come home with lots of fresh ideas. I love the sea washed colours of the houses, big open skies, wild beaches, the old fashioned quaintness where time has almost stood still. I love sitting in steamy tea shops on a cold day, people watching and gathering notes for projects. A sense of contentment and comfort indeed. paper boats, well this is where the madness comes in.....I write letters to people who may of upset me, outlining how I feel, that way I can get rid of anger and frustration without further confrontation. I write words to friends here or since departed, little poems, almost like prayers, telling them how much I love them. These letters are then folded up into a paper boats, taken down to the water’s edge and set off to sail on a journey of discovery. I also write to a very special friend, hoping that one day my words will sail across the sea and be found.

Here are a few pictures I took that inspired my mood boards and sketch book. The little seaside cottages are delightful and the colours were just perfect to sit alongside the soft shades of sky and water.

My inspiration was then transferred into a sketchbook telling a story of my trips and holidays with family and friends. My work is multi-layered so some of my words are hidden as some I keep firmly in my heart, but I think the pages reflect the colours and my story perfectly. This project was then developed, and finished up as knit and crochet designs.

I came out of my comfort zone with this as I am drawn to very strong bright colours in most of my work, so the washed out seaside theme was quite a challenge for me. This is one of my favourite sketchbooks as it tells a very personal story and the resulting designs for knitted art were popular with friends and clients.

If you would like to see more of my work visit studio23.moonfruit.com

Hugs 4 smiles Maxine x