Monday 21 May 2012

Crafty Catch-Up

Well, I think it's been a good three weeks since I last blogged and I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get back here.  No, that's a fib - I do know why, it's because I have been feeling over-whelmed by something and the urge to write about it was very very strong but I couldn't at the time.

This week I shall be mostly applying for a job.  Before anyone jumps to an assumption about what I do at the moment I should make it clear that I do work, in a self-employed capacity teaching belly dance and selling the things I make, and I have been able to work around my young family without incurring child-care costs.  As my family all live about 100 miles away I can't call on my mum to help out and my son, although now three and a half, isn't due to go to school full-time until September 2013 (as his birthday is mid-September and they now only do one intake per year).  So my plan was to continue to struggle along self-employed until then, and then once he was at school look for some extra work.  The children have had a lot to deal with in the last 18 months since their dad and I split up and their emotional well-being has been top of my list of priorities.

Then three weeks ago a friend threw me a curve ball.  A potential job, back in the field I used to work in before becoming a full-time parent eight years ago.  It was finally advertised last week and between her telling me about it (with the instruction to apply once it was advertised) and today I have been hunting out childcare. Childcare that I feel happy with, with someone the children are comfortable with.  I think I've got that one as sorted as I can now and so I can focus on something else for a little while.

Now all I have to do is make sure my CV reflects my experience and skills correctly and write a covering letter.  Harder than you'd think when you know it's going to be read by someone who knows you well, but I have to forget that and write the letter as I would for any other application.

In the meantime I've been working on some commissioned headdresses and adding at least one listing a day to my Etsy shop - I've gotten a bit behind with that so need to ramp it up and make sure I at least get all of the descriptions drafted out properly.

Oooh, and my new love is digital scrapping - why on earth it's taken me so long to get my head round using layers and masque tools and such in Pixlr is beyond me but now I do have an understanding I can't find enough time to play around with images I have and have found for free on the net.  Here's a pic to show you what I've been up to:

And on that note I shall leave you with a link to 1st Unique Gifts and the Handmade Monday blog.  If I'm a good girl and finally sort out my application letter I shall sit down this evening with a slice of cake and a cuppa and make sure to catch up with what everyone has been doing.

10 comments:

  1. Just wanted to wish you the very best of luck with your job application and your search for childcare. I love the image, what a great technique.

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  2. Best of luck with the job application. Forget that you know who's reading the applications, pretend it'll be read by someone who knows nothing about you. Hope the childcare works out well too, I know it can be a difficult time searching and feeling happy with it all. Love the image too. I find it hard to get my head round layers too - I'd love to take Photoshop classes!

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    1. Watching this tutorial helped me loads...http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_944345&v=OGWq283jiuU&src_vid=btaVK303w5A&feature=iv

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  3. Good luck with the CV. Hope it all works out.

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  4. Good luck with the job and finding childcare - I really hope everything works out well for you. I love the image you have created, it looks gorgeous, great colours. Hope you have a good week.

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  5. Good luck with the job application! Love the digital scrapping. The furthest we have got with Photoshop is putting my son's head in New York, Egypt, the desert.....

    Have a great week x

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  6. I'll add my good wishes to the others with your job application.
    Love the image, digital scrapping is something that I've only recently heard about but it does look fun

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  7. Love the image. Good childcare is so difficult to find and like you I always put my children first. Good luck with the job application. :)

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  8. Such a striking image, lovely. Good luck with the job, hope everything falls into place for you

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  9. Thanks for all the good wishes everyone - I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. x

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