The Moody Octopus...a call to arms!

Hello All!

This blog post is a little later than anticipated but I wanted to make sure a lot of this project was in place before I announced it!

I am super excited to announce The Moody Octopus Project!

As you all know I am a big supporter in crafts being good for your mental health but lately I have been doing a lot of research into statistics surrounding mental health in this country.

The volume of people that suffer from mental health issues is huge. Emotions are a complicated thing & we all posses them; positive & negative. So I thought rather than spouting statistics & motivational phrases why not demonstrate how different we all feel!

Enter The Moody Octopus! It would initially just be a head created by me with its legs all being created by you, voluntary members from the general public.

picture from ayarnstory.co.uk how amazing?!

The idea behind each rectangle, to be sewn together to create the octopus' legs, is that it’s an individual’s mood diary for a week. Each leg would be totally randomised in design with moods reflecting a colour from a specific colour chart. Once all the leg pieces are collected together they will be sewn together on the day of The MakeFest 2016 at Liverpool's Central Library as part of Girl On Purl Action's stand.

Each day for 7 days you would knit or crochet 4 rows (30 stitches in DK on size 4 mm needles or hook) in a colour that corresponds to your average mood for that day. By the end of the week you will have a piece consisting of 28 rows. The idea is to demonstrate that everyone has different moods all of the time, reflected in a giant display of colour!

The project would see each rectangle being anonymous as I wouldn’t know what way is the right way up or why a person was feeling that way that particular day or even what day of the week they started the project; also it allows for different interpretations of emotions.

I'm also going to be working with local businesses for varied drop of points prior to the MakeFest so you create more than one mood piece and contribute to the animosity of the project! 

A fantastic multicoloured octopus by Olivia Laws!
https://oliviartcreations.wordpress.com/

I would love this octopus to be as big as possible! It also needs a name....

If you are not Liverpool based & would like to be involved in the project GO FOR IT! Drop me an email: enquiries@girlonpurlaction.co.uk or on Facebook & I can give you an address to post them too!

I'm still in discussions on a display home for The Moody Octopus after The MakeFest but it will be somewhere!

Liverpool's Central Library

Colour Chart

Red – anger/frustration

Yellow - happiness

Pink – love

Green - content

Orange – amused/energised

Purple – reflective/spiritual

Blue – sad/lonely

White – hopeful/

Black – depressed/lost

This isn't strictly fixed - have lilac instead of purple? GO FOR IT! This is just the guide that we will be using at the display.

Will you be involved?!

The Etsy mind field...

The internet is being installed in our new flat on Tuesday...

Now I have enjoyed not having internet as its meant that instead of staring at some form of catch up TV I've had a few conversations with the boy & so far we are surviving but long term with us both running our own businesses (he's a comic book writer) it is not sustainable. 

Turns out he's quite a nice chap!

Its also frustrating at times, especially times when I need to send important emails, transfer funds for exciting new stall bookings, purchasing things on-line, updating my website, social media updates & EVERYTHING!

Love it but doesn't have the same reach as the internet...

Its also super annoying when you spend an evening on a Etsy selling workshop with a group of fantabulous people on International Women's Day & go home with a rocket of enthusiasm up my behind to not be able to so anything...blah...

Next week that should be all changed & you should be sick of me by next Friday. 

My Etsy workshop on Tuesday was brilliant, how I have ever made a sale on it with so much information missing! I think I've got my head around it all now so to celebrate the glorious return to being back on-line & my Etsy re-vamp I'll be having a great big sale to celebrate! 

Watch this space! 

The Big Move

Yesterday we moved house! Well, flat to flat!

The new place is so bright its beautiful & my new craft room is now bigger although everything is still in boxes for now.

Is this garden big enough? Pegs for scale.

Sadly, although we did try in advance, our internet is not being connected till the end of the month! I'm gonna try as much as possible to still have an on-line presence but if I go quiet its only due to working & not having a chance to go to the old flat.

If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen that I have been taking part in the #marchmeetthemaker challenge! If you like you handmade items or local artists its really interesting to see how people work & also to get to know them a little better! Like mini independent business blogs! 

Tonight I'm going on another of Becka Griffin's Etsy workshops so this time next week I'll be a whizz kid with Etsy (got a good grasp of it but this woman really knows her stuff!) - again internet permitting.

My wee man has been staying with my folks whilst we have been moving so I think I'll feel much more settled when he arrives. I've also done the most grown up thing I've ever done so far (except you the basics past bill paying, feeding & clothing myself, setting up & running a one person business etc) I've bought a couch! This makes moving more interesting as now in our living room we have 1 armchair so the TV is currently taking up residence in the bedroom so another 6 weeks till we are truly settled.

In the mean time here are some of the newest items that I'll be putting up on my Etsy shop asap!

However if you are local to Liverpool you'll be able to buy then from The Rare Bear Boutique this weekend.

Bunny

Dinosaur

Chick

Unicorn

What a difference a week makes...

What a difference a week makes!

My last blog was so boo-hoo about life stresses & uncertainty but this week I have a new flat that we are moving into next week! It's so beautiful, right next to Sefton Park with a view of The Palm House from the end of our street & so bright! It's going to make photographing new products a dream since I've currently had to wait until I could get to my Mums as our current flat has very little natural light.

I also got a promotion at work! This little business of mine is my full time dream but for now whilst it's still growing I need to work as sadly landlords & bills don't except dream building as payment. I'm one of this people who really needs security, I don't even sleep without a cover at night regardless of how hot it is!

My life is now organising & packing but we are very behind as I'm sick! All the sudden stress relief after 6 weeks of argh has left my poor body exhausted & full of cold which politely has taken up residence on my kidneys causing inflammation. Chronic kidney disorders are the worst, before this I could soldier on with a cold but now small illnesses wipe me out if my kidneys flare up. 

I have been that state of ill where you secretly go woo! Couch day & Netflix with knitting it is but I've managed very little; the mermaid blanket is now to my knee, that's it.

I did manage to get out to see a new store opening on Bold Street in Liverpool. The first store I was ever involved with, Rex, is opening again in a much bigger & more central location. It's going to be an independent department store & the plans look fantastic! Watch this space...

What was so nice was bumping into so many other independent business owners & having a catch up with my business mentors at The Woman's Organisation. 

Now the stress is relieved I feel like I'm getting back on track! I'll be having a big Etsy sale in the coming weeks to celebrate. These things are sent to try us, it's not about taking over the world, it's about looking after your own.