As part of my new year's resolution - to try and improve my art/drawing skills - I decided to try and draw a sketch a day, with a fantasy twist. So I picked up a pencil and paper, and looked for a subject.

Last year's calendar was sitting in front of me, complete with a photo of a red sqirrel, so I decided to try and draw that. A little while later, and with a couple of embellishments, my first sketch was completed. Choosing animals and birds for my theme seemed appropriate after...

For the first time in a long time, I have the inspiration to write again. It's been very strange these past few months. I've had next to no inspiration or inclination to write, save for the writing contest, and that felt a bit depressing, really.

Things have changed, though. I've got my inspiration back, and I feel like I can actually write something again. Here's hoping I can make a better go of it this time.

My creativity didn't completely abandon me, though. Following...

It's taken a while, but I've finally finished the little toy train and wagon Christening caketopper. I have to admit, too, that I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

My friend picked it up this morning, and she was really happy with it. It's the first project in a while I've done with air-dry clay, and now that it's gone, I kind of miss it.



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About this time last year, my sister asked me to make the centrepiece for her wedding cake. She wanted the little bride and groom figures, in full wedding garb, sitting on my now-brother in law's motorbike. That was a challenge!

After some sketches and a lot of time studying photos of the bike, I was able to make a little model out of air-drying clay, complete with figures (and "just married" on the number plate), painted it, and it went down really well. Looking back,...

I've been storyboarding for a while; sketching scenes that I haven't written yet so that I can remember them better later on, only to stall with the writing and enjoy the actual drawing more.

So now I've started to wonder if I shouldn't translate some of my stories into a graphic novel format. I've always wanted to try my hand at something like that, but always lacked the confidence in my ability. Now, however, I'm seriously thinking about giving it a go.

Now the only...