Good morning

Good morning everyone - I'm feeling bright, breezy and inspired this morning hope you are too. The reason I’m feeling uplifted is that I have made some decisions. I have spent the last few weeks contemplating where I am at, which sounds very profound but my mind has been in overdrive thinking about the way forward for my business.

Over the last few months I have spent such a lot of time thinking about the future should I be offering more workshops and lessons, should I have a website built, should I advertise more, do I need to improve my blog, expand my understanding and use of social media. In fact I exhaust myself as I seem to think a little too much and my list of things I should or should not do is immense.

What I hadn’t really factored into all of this was my health limitations, the reason I no longer work full time in the Health Service is due to my ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The challenge is that my mini crochet business has proven to be a success and a big part of how I think and function is to look at ways of improving, expanding, perfecting and refining things, hence all the brain activity.

The reason I am feeling as though a weight has been lifted is that I have decided to do “nothing” well not really nothing but mainly not to expand. I don’t have the capacity to add to what I currently offer and if I’m not careful it will have a detrimental impact on my health and well being.  My decision has been not to expand but to improve on what I already have. I don’t need a website or to advertise as I am already fully booked until the New Year, advertising could just add extra pressure for me to find extra capacity.

My aim is to improve my systems to help me do what I currently do better. I want to improve the quality of the information I share through my Blog, Face Book and Instagram. I recently went on a one day course run by Emily Quinton. Emily is an amazing photographer and she was running a course especially for Knitters and Crocheters to help them improve their photography skills, taking photos of finished projects can be really difficult. My daughter Kate had spotted the course and enrolled me onto it for a special treat. It was a great day and Emily shared lots of hints, tricks and guidance about setting up our photo shoots. The day also included help in using camera phones as well as standalone cameras to create beautiful images.

I have really noticed a difference in my images and I have fallen in love with Instagram even more, probably to the detriment of my Blog. One of the things I took away from the day is that it is much better to do something well once a week or once a month rather than producing photos or posts just for the sake of it. I used to be a prolific blogger and was posting most days. I don’t think I ever posted just for the sake of it but I did feel stressed and under pressure when I didn’t post. The problem I have since found is how to get back into posting again,

With my new found freedom I have decided that along with my Instagram which is a much quicker in the moment form of communication I am also going to blog once a week on a specific day. I haven’t decided on the day yet but it may be a Friday in future.

I have lots to share as always so thought I would just add a few images today as a way of a catch up.

busy making crochet hearts for a craft fair 

preparing for a workshop

all set to crochet a mandala 

my lovely new stool cover using one of Susan Pinner's Patterns.

a little bit of granny striping

don't think you have met Posy Clementine - my new grandaughter xxx

a new good read

a cup of coffee and Emily Quintons new book  - bliss

my new finds....to add to my prop box

still loving a spot of baking - yummy Hummingbird brownie recipe 

baby cupcakes 

shortbread  biscuits for one of my crochet workshops

 Hope you enjoyed the catch up 

            talk soon xxx