I've moved....

As I've gained experience through uni and life my working style and tastes have developed so I feel my lovely LoulouMay blog pages do not reflect exactly where I am right now. I've begun a new page - Loulou The Brave - as a visual diary of my final year of study which will hopefully motivate me to push my boundaries and leave my fear of judgement behind. Go look!

*sneak peak* my final year begins....

...off to Barcelona this weekend!!!!

Last project of the year! Accessories

Today I've been working on my very last project of 3rd year - Accessories - and as a change I've decided to design a fabric for fashion. As its such a short project I thought I'd choose a topical issue for impact and to hopefully make a small difference. Of course the issue that's moved me the most recently has been the disasters occuring in Japan and as I have a real interest in this inspiring and mysterious country I chose to focus my work on the positive aspects of Japanese culture and hopefully raise awareness of their problems.

45RPM

Inspired by my current favourite brand 45 RPM I've decided to design a square scarf which can be adapted using a braided strap into a shopper or halter top..........

Yesterday I had the most fun trying my hand at Shibori as you can see in the image of my wall. I spent all day stitching and tying and dunking my fabrics in dye, there are so many possibilities - its so great and easy peasy - you should try it!

Proenza Schouler does Shibori

I had a little play with some colours for the braided strap on the remains of my last warp which lends itself quite well in terms of weight and pattern...

Will let you know how it progresses!

x

learning to trust money

i have a love/hate relationship with money but have recently realised that my negative attitudes towards money are having a negative effect on my bank balance....

'where attention goes energy flows'

as currency is fundamentaly a flow or current of energy from the hand of one person to another i've decided to change my spending habits to treat money as if it were a loved one or a part of me; with nurturing love and attention.

here's my action plan:


1. investing in a beautiful new wallet.....

...now you might be thinking I've missed the point a bit here but please hear me out..... normally I cram all my cash, cards, receipts, hair clips, stamps, memory stick etc etc into one tiny coin purse never knowing exactly what's in there and prefering not to know. A new wallet will help me organise my spending and respectfully keep my beautiful bank notes in crisp condition.

2. paying with cash........

I've been told that very rich people always pay in cash and this makes sense to me. Often I pay for things on one of 3 bank cards, never really knowing whether its going to be declined or push me into the red.

'out of sight out of mind'

Budgeting at the beginning of the week and withdrawing a set amount of cash will allow me to keep a close eye on my spending and this will encourage me to make my money stretch further. Carrying my money with me will bring it closer to me forcing me to take good care of it.

3. digging my head out of the sand....

I'm guilty of avoiding checking my bank statements, even when I visit the ATM! I'm not sure why I bother trying to kid myself that this is a good idea but I'm determined to stop this and face up to the reality of the situation for obvious reasons.

4. value

The underlying reason for my disrespect for money runs much deeper than it may first appear. It basically stems back to a lack of value for myself and a fear of the responsibility having money and possessions would bring.

My biggest challenge - and one which I am approaching as though climbing a mountain, one step at a time - is to build up value and trust in myself which will accumulate and grow through every aspect of my life.

Do you have any hints or tips on how you look after your money? I'd love to hear them!

winter walkies!

Happy new year to you all! I hope you had as fun and relaxing a holiday as I did!

this afternoon I walked up the hill with my trusty companion Tala to gather some inspiration for my next weaving project

The light was breathtaking, shifting in an instant as scattered clouds sped past the low winter sun.

I was stunned by the rich colours of the landscape, seeing the land properly for the first time after the snow had gone.

I hope I can capture these vivid colours in my next weave....next stage is to take these photos into the studio to paint and collage.....