portraits – While Darcey Sleeps

The One In Which The Things Got Done!

Hello kitty cats! Well I spoke too soon! COVID found me at the beginning of April – I’m glad it was the milder version and that I had 3 vaccines on board, it still managed to give me a horrendous cough, headache and shattering fatigue. The good news is I’m back to normal whatever that means lol!

Let’s have a look at what’s been happening, to do that we need to dial back to January- to when I started looking at goals for this year.

I read this book and followed Gemma James on Facebook ,Instagram you name it…

The key thing that resonated with me was Gemma’s use of the word upgrade – so I set about doing just that, first I wanted to upgrade my pet portraits so I have joined this ….

I’m working through the tutorials as we speak!

I did I live draw with Bonny a few weeks ago and this happened…..

I have finally finished my crochet course, with an Ebook and a Facebook Group of tutorials ….

You can jump on this course by signing up here..

https://mailchi.mp/a59881afcc02/karenscrochetheroes

Once you’ve signed up I’ll send you a payment link and then the Ebook and FB group link will fly to your inbox – and did I mention that it’s only £5?

While all this excitement has been happening I’ve been working on getting some stock into my shop, including this cutie…

I’ve also started another order for my friends at Epic Bizzi Box – a shoal of angel fish….

Finally there’s a new range coming! The teeny sweeties, here’s the lemon meringue lamb…

My Facebook group really helped me with this concept, are you in Darcey’s pack? Join here…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/darceyscrochetpack/

I think that’s enough for today – oh I forgot I shall be taking part in the Folksy spring Fair – I’ll pop the links and the discount code on soon!

Kisses

Karen

The One In Which It All Changed – And Got So Much Better

Hello again my lovelies! And here I am as advertised! It’s time to get a cuppa and find out all the excitement that’s coming your way in 2022!

But first the serious bit! Over the last few years I have got busier and busier, you have commissioned me to make – well everything! Here’s some of my faves….

Chair bunnies of a rabbit charity( wearing his top hat to look more in charge)

This has been fantastic but my poor arthritic hands and elbows have taken a hit, and I’ve been having steroid injections into joints to keep going .

Which is fine ( I have a lovely dr who does them) but not a situation that can continue forever.

So, from January I shall be limiting my commission orders to two per month and I’ll let you know when those spaces have been filled .

What happens if they don’t get filled?

For a start I shall be making stock for the shop and I shall be bringing you some of the designs that I keep promising, like this one….

Yes it’s a Christmas doll but I’ll be starting this in January 😉

And maybe more things you or your little ones can wear, like this ….

A little bunny hat – the new ones will be crocheted

Plus of course making things for Epic Bizzi Box like these …….

Let’s talk about paintings now, I have loved the commissions I’ve done this year, like these…….

I want to extend this part of my business this year, because it’s not quite as stressful on my joints, I shall taking more commissions and testing out whether I can paint some landscapes and flowers😊

While we are on the subject of testing, I have started doing some digital illustration …….

I’d like to try some portraits digitally and I will be looking for testers for these 😊

Finally, I am going to write a book! Welcome to Darcey’s Wood will come out next year, to be followed by Milo’s magical forest, both centring around the wood near our house!

I’ve actually got a free ebook coming out at the end of this month, here’s a sneak peek …….

Follow me on Instagram to sign up for a free copy!

Thanks for reading and I hope you are as excited as me for the New Year!

Kisses

Karen xx

Oh wait! There’s one more thing, there might just be a couple of ideas for subscription boxes on the boil, here’s the vision board so far….

Coming To A Mailbox Near You!!

Good Morning! its Me! in the middle of the month! who’s excited? I think you know I am!

Lets start with some good news! I have upgraded the blog so that soon you will be able to order and pay me on here! I will be clumping products into simple categories, for example CE tested (child safe) toys like these ……

Will be one category with a flat rate price of £8 and then I will put them into postage bands – Uk, Europe and the rest of the world. As a guide shipping will be about £5 from anywhere in this lovely world. Thats right we are shipping everywhere!!!

It also allows me to place videos! so expect see more of this….

Now, lets have a look at whats happened in the last couple of weeks! this commission was gifted, so now I can share with you…..

I loved doing this, I have painted for this client before and she always supplies such amazing photos! this is her friends dog sitting in his going out chair!

My competition winners were announced, the over 10 winners mum ordered her a Battenburg unicorn, so with the under 10 and the runner up prizes this made a lovely queue for the post office!

Now, Andreja who won the under 10s prize chose the colours for her blue maned unicorn and that, together with some input from Mr Darcey Sleeps inspired this…

A mercorn! This design is well on its way, so you will have a finished picture soon.

I shall be spending the next couple of weeks on a mountain of gingerbread men, oh, and i’m just going to leave this here……

Confused? all will become clear! lol!

See you in a couple of weeks- with a video!!

UPDATE: I have added a couple of pages, by the time you come back in a couple of weeks they will be up and running!
<!– START ADVERTISER: Buysubscriptions.com – Immediate & BBC magazines from awin.com –>

<!– END ADVERTISER: Buysubscriptions.com – Immediate & BBC magazines from awin.com –>

Kisses

Karen

The One In Which I Was Nearly Late…..

Good afternoon my darlings! So there I was reading my good friend Shell’s blog post when I realised I should have done one!! So here is what is happening at WDS HQ this month!

While we are on the subject of Shell, she ordered two mermaids from before Christmas, I was true to my New Years resolution and used the opportunity to design my own……….

and this is Shell! she also ordered one for a friends daughter….

Not sure if this one has a name but I do know that making these knotted wigs for them has been my favourite thing! I wish you still had to put your profession on your passport- because I would have mermaid wig maker!

I also redid my bunny pattern and used this amazing yarn which self patterning flowers …

he also has a little backpack which you can fit a creme egg in! These have proved so popular that I cannot work quick enough to get any in the shop!

With the next make I went back to my beginning and made a bear, a bear that wants to play at unicorns…….

This is Blossom and I will be putting her in my shop tomorrow, she is the softest bear with the sparkliest eyes! I hope she finds a special someone 🙂

I also got a commission for a portrait of some gorgeous dogs, can’t post a picture until its gifted but its a great commission as its in black and white- something I haven’t done in forever!

Finally, I am so excited to have a stall at the Paper Daisy Easter Boutique Market on the 31st March. I think i might have to grow more hands to keep up with orders and make some stock! If you are local to Sussex in the UK we will be at the Shoreham Centre all day 🙂

Right enough chatting to you lot, its back to Easter bunnies for me!

Kisses

Karen xxx

Happy Birthday To While Darcey Sleeps!

Morning! Grab a piece of cake and a glass of sparkle because we are celebrating!

This little blog is 2 years old! So in the words of Craig David lets “re re wind” and have a look at how far that unicorn has flown!

The 10th of December 2014 was the first entry on this blog and the first anniversary of me suffering a panic attack and developing anxiety and panic disorder. This major upset had left me feeling like this…….

But then I went to therapy and a wonderful lady restored me basically to factory settings, so what to do with myself now? Too sick to return to work for HM Government it was up to me to find an occupation that fitted around my disabilities. That’s how While Darcey Sleeps was born, an umbrella name for this blog and my painting/craft business. It was so called because I could only work while this madam was asleep!

After a suggestion from family I started painting and did a few test run dog portraits for friends of my daughters…….

This has become the backbone of the business, and for me a dream come true, to paint and get paid for it feels incredible.

For me the equal pleasure is to write this blog every week and not confine our discussion to crafts, we have talked about everything, from colour…….

To make up…….

Fashion (especially hand bags!)………

To gardening…….

We have had a good time…………

We have laughed…….

And we have cried……

Through it all, this has been the best place to hang out, I hope you have found it useful or thought provoking or just enjoyed the pictures.

My unicorn will be stretching her wings this year, making more, talking more and generally taking it to the next level, know this for sure, this sparkly door will be open to anyone, 2017 is going to need all the love we can give it and all the support we can give each other.

So here’s to us, and another year of spangly, glittery, emotional, funny experiences!

Kisses

Karen

The Terror Of The Blank Space!!

Morning!! As you know I made a plan to spend at least a couple of weeks of January trying to perfect my fur painting (awfully specific I know), if you are a keen follower of this page you will know that last week was a bit of a ‘mare for me so work didn’t start until this week.

I grabbed my lovely large canvas and…….OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS IT IS SO BLANK!!!

I was suffering a complete crisis of confidence, I hadn’t really picked up an oil brush for about 25 years!! Time for a bit of music therapy, I started blasting Gwen Stefani’s What Are You Waiting For on my return trip from dropping husband at the station, the lyrics are just perfect, dealing with Gwen’s own crisis of confidence on setting out one her own. So with “take a chance ‘cos you might grow” ringing in my ears, I sketched the Millie cat………….

So far so good, with arthritis making its presence felt that was that for day one. I then picked up this marvellous book, and…I could not believe how hard it was!

By the second day I had something approaching fur……..

I started to relax a bit and made a bit more progress……

I then tackled the eyes……….

It was at this point that i could see that oil is a very different medium and that it produces a very realistic look. The picture is still a long way from finished but I’m loving it, and I hope that this will be an option I can offer clients in the future.

Have a great week.

kisses

karen xx

How I Found The Key To My Imagination And Restarted My Unicorn

It was December 10th 2012 and I was dying, my vision was hazy, my arms were numb,my heart was pounding and I could feel my pulse in my throat. I felt as faint as the damsel tied to the railway lines but remained frustratingly conscious.Terror had gripped every fibre of my being as I waited for death-but I wasn’t dying i was having my first panic attack.

Calm, good in a crisis, everyone’s go to gal had lost it in spectacular style. years of hiding my emotions of trying to be a Kirstie Allsop/Nigella/super mummy hybrid and childhood abuse that I thought long forgotten had repeatedly kicked my brain until it finally lay down and quit.

The weeks that followed were the hardest I have ever lived (even the ones when I had cancer) taking rubbish to the bin a mere 20 feet away was terrifying, the ground would seem miles away and I was consumed with the fear of collapsing.

In desperation I went to A and E twice, to the gp twice until I got an appointment with the doctor who knew me best, quietly and sympathetically he asked a few questions and diagnosed panic disorder and depression. he upped the antidepressant that I take for pain control and told me I would wait 10 weeks for talking therapy. he may as well have asked me to fly, I took the decision to see a psychotherapist privately, surely the wisest decision I have ever taken and I started to recover.

Fast forward 2 years and here we are, with me starting a little painting and crafting business and with this blog. I will be talking about painting but not too often, I will share my pick of crafty gorgeousness I find on the web,it will have my pick of bags and beauty, and some foolproof make it with your eyes shut recipes that i have found and rely on, and a tiny bit of gardening which I hate but I do prefer flowers to weeds!

The blog will evolve over time and get prettier and easier to use but it was really important to get it up today!

And where does my headline come from? the beautiful bag below made by http://www.itsnotmeitsyoulondon.com it really summed up how I felt at the beginning of this tale.

So join me if you will, hold on tight and lets see how this unicorn handles!

kisses

Karen

ps please share any stories you have of losing your key as I discussed my problems with people, I realised I was not alone and it really does help to share.