Our house is a mess, we have the builders in - among other things they are putting in a new kitchen. Its all been very hectic hence the lack of posts. I've not really been out with my camera and inspiration has been a bit lacking!

Then I thought, what if in the middle of the builders chaos I went round the house with my camera and took pictures of things that brought me joy? So here you are - some of the things in my house that bring me joy!

This is a glass heart I bought while staying in St Ives, Cornwall. Each year my young son and I would travel to Cornwall to visit his godmother who had a flat in St Ives. These were always special times and the heart reminds me of them.

This bowl also comes from St Ives and was a 50th birthday present from the same friend.

I was very struck by the reflections and colours in this copper kettle, amazing how fairly mundane things repay close attention

and I love this heart, part of a string of lights from Ikea, against the ancient wood of our beams.

I love vibrant colours so this chest which allows my scarves to peep out is just perfect

This pink bird is one of a string of paper birds that hang in my studio

and finally this iridescent candle holder in my favourite pink

I'd love to know about the little things that bring you joy

Today I am one step nearer to having a studio. We have just finished the transformation of our study by having it painted and plan to start calling it the studio from now on.

This room has always doubled as a spare bedroom as it has an ensuite shower room but I sold the big sofa bed on eBay and replaced it with a smaller transportable solution which can live upstairs and be brought down for the dozen or so nights we need it each year. Instead I have a comfy chair bought from our local independent furniture store and a wide set of drawers from Ikea which will take art paper.

Lots of stuff from Ikea in the room including the heart lights,

and these two kitchen trolleys for storing paints etc. I first saw them used for this purpose in a picture of the art studio Kelly Rae Roberts, Flora Bowley and others have opened in Portland Oregon and just thought wow! (at least I think I did, but don't seem to be able to find it now)

Of course everything in the room isn't new, the desk bookcase and the filing cabinets have been there for years although the contents of the latter have changed significantly over the last 18 months

Books are an important part of my world and these are some I have been exploring recently.

In terms of decoration I have imported objects with meaning from other parts of the house, the Buddha I bought in Cambodia, the glass heart is from St Ives Cornwall where I used to spend time every summer with my son and one of my best friends. The candle holders are from our local agricultural show, the little pot from a family holiday in Turkey and the vase was a gift when I left my first social work job in 1979 to go on to start my training. All are treasured and seeing them brings back happy memories.

This little paper boat I bought at the Museum of Visionary Art in Baltimore just after 9/11. I was in Baltimore to attend the First International Conference of Appreciative Inquiry and after the conference had ended I spent the last day prior to my evening flight sightseeing. I ended up at the American Visionary Art Museum which was dedicated to showing the art of people who had no formal training. Sadly it was mostly closed in preparation for a new exhibition. I got talking to the lady in the shop and conversation predictably turned to the tragedy of 9/11 as every conversation did when you met someone in those days. She told me she had received an email from a friend who lived in Cornwall which said 'now you know what it feels like' said that she had not, until that moment, considered that the IRA were terrorists; which as I had been living in London at the time of the IRA terror campaign in the seventies and actually heard the Old Bailey bomb go off, rather shocked me. However it perfectly illustrates the old adage that 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter'. Having chatted for sometime the shop lady decided it was terrible that I couldn't see the exhibition and got the security man to take me round which was a real delight. I bought the peace boat (made by a local elderly lady) as a reminder of my visit to the museum and my conversation.

And finally I bought some new goodies to decorate the studio including this magnetic angel and inspirational magnets from Kelly Rae Roberts

And this banner (not in place yet) also from Kelly Rae

and finally the string of leaves from my favourite shop in Winchester

I hope you have enjoyed your virtual trip round my new studio

See you soon

xxx

The Joy of Small things

From Study to Studio by way of Baltimore!