As much as I love sharing my writing and my photographs online, I love making things I can hold in my hands even more. So I've created this printed journal and I'm really excited about it.
Here it is. There are 104 pages, full of my photos (and some of Ffion & Sarah's too), my illustrations and nature observations. It's the best bits of my Three Somethings email and much more.
The seed of this idea was planted before Christmas when Kris, one of the readers of my weekly Three Somethings email, asked me when I was going to be a writing a Three Somethings book, because he'd love one on his coffee table. I loved the idea but I felt like I wasn't ready for a big book yet. It felt too finite somehow. You know, like the content was still unfolding.
But then in January IĀ realisedĀ the content couldĀ still unfold, and go into print bit by bit, in the form of a yearly magazine! That felt like something I would LOVE to do and I couldn't wait to start. Spring felt like a good time to launch,Ā so I got to work.
I don't normally take my work home these days but I already had a lot of projects on the go in the studio so I worked on this weekends and evenings for weeks, choosing photos, designing a layout and writing a lot.
I loved every second. You could not have pulled me away from it if you tried.
It's a gentle walk through the seasons, a look back at last year and all the things I noticed while I was out on my walks, and how those things made it into my work.
Mostly the photos are all taken within an hours walking distance from my home. It made me realise how incredibly rich and varied this valley is and how much variation we have through the seasons.
I used Pureprint, and environmentally friendly, carbon neutral printing company, who printed the lovely We Are Makers magazine that I was in a while back. They were ever so helpful. When I sent it to print I thought it might take a while but FIVE days later my journals arrived. I was nervous to open the boxes in case it didn't live up to my expectations. But when I finally dared to have a look I was absolutely delighted! The quality is lovely!
I already know that next years cover will be moss greenĀ and I can already see all the colourful spines sitting together on my bookshelf in ten years time. How lovely they will look and what a sense of achievement I will have as I approach my sixtieth birthday!
Is there room for a collection on your bookshelf?
You can order your copy here. x
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