Making Ideas Real

I've always been an ideas person. I have at least three or four a day that I am convinced are brilliant. This is probably (definitely) not the case. But I aspire to think outside the box and let my creativity flow. In theory this sounds great, but in practise it means that I want to do so many things that I cannot really do any of them as I am already fully invested in doing something else. I don't understand boredom (other than in the workplace if you're unlucky). I can potter from dawn 'til dusk and still not touch upon many of my ideas.  I am resolved to not let myself be seduced by the 32" temptress that lives in the lounge. So many hours are stolen from me, I say stolen because the seduction is so effective that I don't notice the thief of time stealing my precious hours.
I recently visited a friend who hasn't got a television and she is a domestic goddess and mother to three lovely toddlers. I felt positively slovenly, I come home from the gallery make dinner and switch on the silver screened devil and write my blog at some point. I now think if I invested even a portion of that time to developing one of my less outlandish ideas who knows what would happen.
I am going to do it and see what happens.
I have mentioned that I have a busy week at the gallery as it's time to tie up all the loose ends. Matt has got a few more chores. It'll be all hands on deck as we enter the final phase of renovation. I'll do another virtual tour tomorrow so you can the developments since the last time.

Everything's Just Peachy!

Doing so much D.I.Y comes at a price. Firstly, there's the whole perpetual painty hands, dirty nails, annoying cuts which are small but painful all of this is swiftly followed by achey hands. Then there's the numerous bruises. I have skin like a ripe peach, (that's a lovely bit of imagery for you) unfortunately not in the smooth and firm way. In the touch me and I'll bruise way. It's a curse as I also have a weird illness that interferes with my spatial awareness which means I'm constantly walking into door frames, corners etc. This coupled with my recent epic D.I.Y mission has meant that I am covered in bruises from head to toe. Just kneeling on a solid floor bruises my knees, I am currently sporting the same kind of bruises I got as a child when I tried to get involved in group skipping activities. The ones where a catchy ditty is sung and you have to run in and start skipping immediately. I was rubbish at those, multitasking may be a skill I have now acquired but as a child singing and skipping was beyond me.
I had to go to the gallery today as my plasterer was coming to look at the walls so I thought I might as well make myself useful. I painted my door, the step and the new frame. I also cleaned everything down as Matt had generously provided me a nice thick coating of dust. With friends like that......
The thing I was most excited about and most scared about at the same time was my glass brick wall. I had the grand unveiling today. I thought it might fall down as soon as I removed the supporting board but wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles it stayed up and it looks great.

I just have to do the other side and then it will be all finished. I've got a busy week ahead as I need to get all the tidying up jobs done so that the office and workshop are completely finished. I will write myself a list of things to do and carry on as normal.
I hope you're all having a great weekend. I'm going to a fancy dress Halloween Party and I'm guessing it's about time I thought about my costume.

Panic on The Streets of Swanage

I'm starting to get used to being responsible for two premises, but only just. I often wake up late at night with a rapid heartbeat and sweaty hands, and the thought that dominates my mind is 'Did I remember to lock the door?' This happens with my car too so I think that the minute I'm responsible for anything, I need to have panic attacks about them.
I have been doing my admin again today so it means that I am sat clickety clicking on my laptop. I am trying to go on a spending go slow as I have spent soooooooo much in the last two weeks that I am having panic attacks about that too. But spending is a necessary evil if I ever intend to get the gallery open and half as cool as I want it to be.
This means that I research everything to the nth degree as I want to get it at the best possible price. I'm sure that there are other people out there who do the same. If you are one of them, I can empathise with the tedium that you go through and the jubilation that you feel when you save a couple of pounds or get a total bargain.
I have got to go shopping for guess what? Starts with a P and ends with a T. Matt has revealed that under my the carpet on what I am calling my 3D stage there's a lovely wooden floor. It needs a little bit of work but with that and a lick of paint I think it's going to look great.
I have decided that I much prefer wood to carpet but at the moment it's all I can afford. I am going to have to find a carpet fitter that doesn't want to fleece me or lay a carpet as good as I can. Which is code for 'really badly'.
The more I am a business owner the more I think that I don't like people, more precisely business people. They are on my case everyday trying to get money out of me. I told a woman yesterday who was trying to sell me something that I had 27p in my bank account, she said 'that's 27p more than me, and the advertising space I'm trying to sell you is at a very reasonable rate'. What do you say to someone like that? Give her the dial tone is what you do!
I also think that I am going to work my way backwards from 'you're lying and I don't trust you' to get to the truth behind the lies. It's a dog eat dog world and I'm a borderline vegetarian, so this canine carnivorous diet is giving me a metaphorical stomach ache.
I am going to go and buy some paint and I will let you guess the rest.

Make Mine A Double!

Later than I wanted but that's the way my life is. I am going to get my blog written. If you are a Facebook user you may have seen the Autism Quiz? Well I have often thought that I must be on the spectrum as I have taught many people that are and I can see the similarities. So the test was an absolute must for me and surprise, surprise I am probably on the tail end of the spectrum. I always thought as much. I arrived at the gallery this morning (late because I overslept) and the first thing Matt said to me was 'I'm more autistic than you'. I told him that I thought he probably was because I could see the traits. I'm sure that's why we get on because we would rather go to a museum than the theatre.
The picture on my blog is by my friend Maria's, it is a painting not a photograph. I'm very impressed. I mentioned before that she's going to have her own show at the gallery. I am looking forward to it.
At the gallery I now have a new fire door and with some instruction and guidance a new glass brick wall. I did the latter. I have only just finished picking off the Grip Fill from my fingertips. For those of you who remember your art classes, when you painted your hands with PVA glue then painstakingly tried to remove it in one piece.....You would love Grip Fill same experience with the added bonus of being fairly toxic and very capable of making your head a little fuzzy at the same time.
I have got to paint my new fire door tomorrow, well at least give it an undercoat. I'm still recovering from my whole 10 counties in two days experience.
I'm going to show you the print that I did on Saturday just so you can see it really. I don't think it's the best thing I've ever done but it's the thing I've actually done which at this stage is more important.

I'm going to rework the small skull using Drypopint, so it's intentionally pale. Anyway, I've managed to do at least 1/3 of what I want to show you. So better luck tomorrow when I get home at a reasonable time.

Doesn't that Pheasant Look Unpleasant?

I know I promised you a really visual blog today but I just can't do it. I have literally just walked in after a 6.5 hour drive. I feel duty bound to write but uploading images and getting them uploaded to my blog is just a job too far. 700 miles round trip.
I have been on one Hell of a road trip. It was good but very tiring. I'm not sure if I've mentioned before that I am a big softie when it comes to all animals. Driving cross country has a tendency to depress me, I wince every time I see some poor animal that has come to a messy end on the side of the road. It was one of the reasons that I didn't learn to drive until fairly late in life. I cannot stand the thought of killing something, so long journeys give me the horrors. Everyone has told me that pheasants are stupid birds therefore they tend to end up dead with an alarming frequency on A roads. I think they are beautiful and if you make the parallel between beautiful birds (avian) and beautiful birds (human) stupidity may be the thing that links them?
I purchased my etching press today and it is a lovely bit of machinery. There's always a story so I might as well tell you.
I saw it on eBay for £745 which believe it or not is a good price. I arranged it all and this week I was going to buy it and pick it up. I phoned the guy yesterday to organise a time and get his address etc and he said it was £795. I argued the toss but he stood his ground and got shirty. (cheek). What he didn't realise that he was dealing with someone who is sick to death of people taking liberties, to put it politely. I was going to pay cash and he wasn't going to have to pay eBay their cut he was going to be quids in. Until...... I looked on eBay found the press and bought it via Paypal. Ha!!!! He had to pay eBay roughly £40. That will teach him to mess with me. If you are an eBayer you will fully appreciate what I did. Look out world I'm armed and dangerous.
Matt has been working away in my absence and bless him he read my blog and saw the screaming inadequacies that I had the audacity to post yesterday. He has finished the walls, he has planed the door, he has exposed the fascia and started to make it good. He has also sought out the materials necessary to finish the fascia. I've said it before and I'll say it again if you live near me and some of my readers do, Mr Matt Suttle is the man that can when it comes to the majority of all building work.
Rest assured I will give all brilliant workers a mention and a free ad both in my blog and on my website.
Tomorrow I will make good on my promise so please do bear with me.

5 Counties in one day!!

Another day, another town. Today I've seen seals. Awesome! I've been in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire and finally Northampton. Many hours in the car later. It's been great but tiring. A big thanks to our friends in the North for lovely food and company with a bunch of kids thrown in for good measure.
If you read my blog yesterday you will know that I'm on an etching press mission tomorrow. I'm excited.
I spoke to Matt earlier he has been hard at work in my absence. He's done the door I think and maybe the walls.It was difficult to hear properly as it was chucking it down and I was walking. He did say something about glass wall but I'm not sure. I should be back in time to make it down to the gallery tomorrow. So I'll fill you in properly then as I'm sure he'll have done a load more since I was there last.
I am looking forward to getting the ceiling up this week. I've got so many pictures to show you I might just write two lines tomorrow and give a totally visual blog. Please do watch this space.

It's not the size that matters, it's what you do with it!

Wow, yesterday was my first blog free day in 6 weeks. I partly blame Matt and Rozy for making me celebrate too much. Then I had a 6 hour drive to visit friends. Needless to say I was feeling feek and weable. But it's been lovely so no complaints. Gallery news, I'm finally going to buy my etching press. It's exciting and scary at the same time. Every time I make a big purchase and the zeros are more than two. My heart races and my palms get sweaty. I need to get used to it.
I'm not going to be at the gallery until Thursday as I'm paying a surprise visit to my sister. So Matt will be working on his own tomorrow so I've left him my iPod and crisps in the cupboard. I'm sure he'll be just fine.
I'm writing this on my phone so I'm going to keep it short. I forgot to tell you about James' visit on Friday. His work is looking great and when I'm writing this on a laptop I'll share them with you.