A dream come true...

The colourful photo above was taken at the Eden Project and sums up my feelings right now - bright and cheerful!

I just had to blog today, a dream (which might not seem like much to some people, but means so much to me) has come true today. Let me explain...

One day in 2006, a day like any other, I found, quite by accident the online world of Etsy. And it was here that I found the shop and artwork of Kelly Rae Roberts. Ever since then Kelly's journey to becoming an artist has been something I have followed and been greatly inspired by. Kelly's work resonates with myself and indeed, with so many other people as well. It was Kelly's blog, detailing her story in detail that spurred me on to believe I too could live the creative dream and follow my heart's desire - to become an artist. After leaving university I began to take both small and HUGE steps to realising my dream. One of my goals was to contact Kelly and become a sponsor - something I had never done before. It would be the understatement of the century to say I was delighted that Kelly agreed and now I can be found amongst so many other talented artists on Kelly's site. Thank you Kelly :)

That's all for now!

K x

Promised new prints!

The two images above are now available to buy in my shop! Please go take a look! :)

Back home

After a lovely long weekend away in sunny Yorkshire I'm now back home getting on with catching up with my work, emails etc. The few days I had away were just the ticket for recharging my batteries after a very busy week! I thought I'd spend this post sharing with you some of the things I got up to:

The heather on the moors is stunning at the moment, this is the time of the year it turns purple. It looks like a purple carpet covering the rolling hills. Unfortunately the purple colour doesn't last long so you need to make the most of it while you can!

We made a trip to an RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs, a huge spectacle awaits, with over 200,000 seabirds there between April and August.

The photo above shows both adult and younger gannets as they bask in the sunshine and fly off to find food. They are a very pretty bird and we were able to see lots of them, amongst other birds, at various viewing points around the cliffs. Earlier in the year it is possible to see puffins and their young which sounds fantastic!

We also visited Rievaulx Abbey, a nearly 900 year old abbey with beautiful surroundings and gardens.

It was a brilliant break and we were also lucky enough to see a barn owl one evening and two hedgehogs looking for slugs!

Now I'm back I'm busy catching up on all aspects of work, I'm still running and swimming and also trying to find some time to relax! I'm also going to be adding some new images to my etsy shop and continue to add my work onto my new UK shop, folksy.

K x

Running Number!

My running number has come through the post! Seeing your number and reading the race information pack makes it seem much more real now...not long to go now until we leave for Newcastle! I'm keeping to the training program and trying to fit swims in on days I'm not running. I know I'll be nervous nearer the time but excitement definitely cancels out any worries I have!

In other news, I'm still getting to grips with twitter, I can't believe how easy it makes keeping in touch with people! I'm also busy working on things for my shop, researching and talking to people amongst other things. Busy, busy, busy! :)

K x

New shop for UK buyers!!!

I have been wondering for a while if I should open another shop, alongside my Etsy shop. After feedback from friends, family and people I've met whilst promoting my work I have decided it would be a good idea to offer my work in GBP for my UK buyers here at home!

After searching for just the right place I found Folksy - an online market of all things handmade based in the UK. It has a huge selection of beautiful work and very talented people.

For buyers here in the UK, the website address is www.folksy.com/shops/inspirednaturally

Hopefully this additional shop will make it easier for people to purchase my work, wherever they are!

In other news, I finally succumbed to Twitter! You can find me and my ramblings at www.twitter.com/KateMacAndrew I can't believe it's taken me so long to find out what all the fuss is about! :)

K x

Holiday continued...

Whitby was one of the main places we visited and the weather was both hot and sunny. The cooler sea breeze was a welcome relief! A statue of Captain Cook, a famous seaman, is situated at the top of a winding path down to the shops and coastline of Whitby - an unexpected guest found itself in my photo as I took a picture of the statue.

The Whitby Abby, the place where Dracula is meant to have landed, looked altogether less sinister in the sunshine.

The Yorkshire moors themselves looked as beautiful as ever as we drove to and from where we were stopping and the sunsets were a real treat.

On our way home I noticed a heart-shape within the clouds and managed to get a snap before it disappeared.

Back to business now - hoping it wont be too long before I'm back! I'm spending time now designing new images, I've got a few things I want to get done and I've also been accepted to exhibit in an Artist and Designers Fair in Buxton but more about that nearer the time (don't want to mention Christmas just yet!)

More soon

Happy Sunday everyone!

Tipis, the Eden Project and other fun

This was our home for the first part of our holiday, a 20 foot tipi nestled into its own clearing complete with gas stove inside and open fire facilities outside. It was surprising how quickly you got used to living inside a round tent-like structure!

The tipis were all connected by winding paths which all led, at some point, to the spring-fed lake which used to be a quarry. I was brave enough to row out in a boat and be able to photograph some of the lake's beauty.

For a day out we visited St Michael's Mount in Marazion, taking a short boat ride across to it because the tide had hidden the walkway.

This was the view from the top of the castle of the garden. The views were stunning.

The Eden Project was another day trip and eagerly anticipated - and we were not disappointed! The biomes which held the different environments were huge and very interesting structurally on their own.

The paths leading to the biomes were bordered by the most stunning flowerbeds, the colours and variety of flower were fabulous to see.

Inside the biomes was just as beautiful...all manner of vegetation, plants, flowers and an enormous waterfall!

Originally we were due to stay in Cornwall for our holiday but after bad weather was forcast for the rest of the week we packed up and travelled to Yorkshire, a very popular holiday destination for me, and with the promise of sunshine how could we resist?!

I'll continue my holiday entry tomorrow - off to see the new Harry Potter film for the second time!

K x