The last few months (Part Two)

So to continue my review of the last few months...

The later part of 2011 saw me journey over 2 days to get to the fantastic Bridport Hat Festival. The journey started at 10pm on a Thursday night with an overnight coach to London. The next day saw two further coach trips, one from London to Bournemouth and then finally on to Bridport a small town in Dorset that hosts the annual Hat Festival. Now in its second year, the festival sees the town come alive sharing a love of hats all thanks to resident Mad-hatter Mr Snook who runs his hat business from the town.  I wasn't alone in my journey with other milliners coming from Ireland and visitors from as far as Australia. I sat up my little stall on the Saturday in the Art Centre to a great reception. It is always so nice to get feedback from people and those I met seemed to really love what I'd produced. I showed of the newly finished Tattooed Heart range for the first time too, and was really happy with the comments I got!

On the Sunday before the mammoth trip home began I got the chance to have a look at some of the other designers showing their pieces. I met an amazing group of young women all having just finished at college including the very talented Holly Gaimen (yes, they have talent in spades in that family) who's caligraphy inspired piece I'd much admired in the Stephen Jones/Talenthouse competition we'd both entered earlier in they year. In fact it was Holly who one the public voting portion of the competition!

A little closer to home, in Glasgow, I met up with the University Steampunk Society for Glasgow by Gaslight II. The cabaret section of the day saw jugglers, magicians, belly-dancing and a guy playing classic game themes on a laser harp. I thoroughly enjoyed having a stall at this event and it gave me the change to dress up in my best Victoriana too!

Then came our bi-annual trip to the Yorkshire Coast and the little town of Whitby for Halloween. We had our usual stall at Alt Fest, but after a little accident and a trip to the towns hospital to determine if I'd broken my wrist we decided to call it a day on the Sunday and headed home instead, getting back just before midnight.

Its been a rather eventful year and my little girl is growing ever bigger an learning new things every day! We're still no closer to getting her to sleep a full 10 hours at night but we wouldn't change her for the world. 2012 promises to be an interesting year with lots of plans already taking shape. We're looking forward to a proper family holiday abroad this spring and time spent with friends, some who have just become parents for the first time too!

So its time to wish you all a Happy New Year! I'd like to end this post by sharing one of my favourite New Years Blessings by author Neil Gaimen!

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."

Have a fantastic 2012!