lists

I was never one to write in diaries, I did get one or two diaries for gifts and as much as I ever wrote was...

Dear Diary,

Today I

...at which point I couldn't fathom writing any more to this 'Diary' person and never opened the diary again. Notebooks I love and covet and usually have several on the go. I have always liked making lists, filling little notebooks with lists of movies, music, recipes, books read, books to read, dreams (literal), dreams (not so literal), quotes, ideas and odd little doodles. Notebooks are grand places to use the pens I also hoard collect.

I like to think of this blog as one of my notebooks in the digital realm, its filled with the oddments of what makes me tick...or at least the censored not quite as depressive version of my exploits through life, the craft world and pottering in my kitchen. As its the new year... well still January I thought I should do some resolutions but I find resolutions difficult to adhere to so aside from the stand by of loose weight, eat less pudding and be happier... I'm going to put a list here of things I want to try this year (or the next) nothing major, I'm not talking jumping out of planes or swimming with sharks, this isn't a bucket list (or end up as pieces swept up into a bucket list).

so here goes

A list of list-y things:

*have a proper design for my blog

*write more ~stories, drabbles.. start small I'm not ready for novel writing.

*draw ~I haven't doodled much in the last few months and though my skills as an artist aren't legendary I still want to draw more.

*make a zine ~I need help here because I have ideas and stories and a few doodles but cannot wrap my head around printing them... so please help and harp at me.

*letterpress printing ~ I badgered the lovely jax to print an Ansel Adams quote for Matt's Christmas present and it has got me thinking that I would love to go to a workshop letterpress day to play with letters (no idea what I would make a print of...probably a Firefly quote *geek*)

*learn to crochet *again*

*make a small quilt (I started some blocks last year but that's as far as I got.

*paint and distress (farmhouse - americana - shabby chic sort of thing) the chairs and table from grandma's house that nobody wants.

*make jam (as I only have had one failed attempt at blackberry jam... and I actually don't really like blackberries.

*probably some other things to be added later but I need to get the house work done and bake some cakes...

what's on your list?

It's My Jet Lag and I'll Cry if I Want To

noted

Its my Birthday today and I thought I would attempt to blog a few of my Birthday treats before I fall asleep, the only thing keeping me going at the moment is the coffee I seem to be mainlining, though hopefully soon I will be adding birthday cake to my sugar and caffeine intake. As you can see from the first image I got some beautiful leather notebooks for my birthday, the top one M got me (after several not to subtle hints) its from ArtisanGraham, the middle is an eco friendly nkuku, and the bottom one is a soft recycled leather journal from Barnes and Noble's that I bought myself along with a couple of novels. I really did need a new notebook and now I quite happily have three.

The next three items are gifts from my dad (my mother bought me clothes and a cute pair of polk-a-dot sketchers). The first item was a pendant made from a slice of a mastodon's tusk that will be the focal point of a beaded necklace. A lovely little vintage drawing and painting book , and a pretty little stone box.

The last item pictured is an agate pendant, that M bought me in San Francisco. It just looks like the ocean to me and makes me think of Bodega Bay. Frizbe dropped by with the girls this morning and brought me some lovely little birthday muffins, a little purple purse she knitted, and some lovely hair things too. I would feel spoiled if I wasn't so jet-lagged.

Mastadon pendant

vintage bird drawing book



pretty little stone box



agate pendant that looks like the ocean

Notebook of a Slightly Mad Woman

doodle for a bracelet that I haven't yet made

I have taken up the challenge from Jill at Miaou Crafts to take a few pictures of some of the things in one of my notebooks. Now she shows pictures of her Happy book, I'm not so organized or possibly as happy as that, I am a notebook hoarder though, I hate journals, aside from blogging of course, but have always kept notebooks everywhere, there is always one in my purse, and I covet them fiercely when I see pretty ones in shops or on Etsy. My notebooks are normally a collection of anything from doodles, recipes, knitting patterns, quickly scrawled out story ideas and dreams, and lots and lots of lists. M thinks I should join list makers anonymous.

"Hi my blog is Meridian Ariel and I am a List Maker. " naah It would never work.

Anyway here is random selection of sketches from my current bag dwelling notebook. A peep inside my messy little brain. Aside from a few jotted notes my handwriting is quite awful, I'm pretty sure that only I can read my notebooks for the most part, and wont put you through the horror of my serial killer scrawl, If you are interested in my writing then you can have a peep ad my sorely neglected drabble blog. The Teapot Nebula several of the drabbles were actually roughly written in my notebook first, namely "scene" and "butterfly" and "lunatic" my personal favourite drabble. I really must get to writing more, but I have been having such a fun time crafting...

random doodles of necklaces

lotus blossom sketch that I painted

a cartoon blue heeler