Creativity Boot Camp - Day 1

Right, enough of the procrastinating. I have looked at other people's work on the links from the creativity boot camp blog, and they are fabulous. So, of course, I think I am no where near good enough! When I look at some of the creativeness that people are producing I know they are artists and I am not. Why do I not think of myself as an artist. I like to create, I feel that I do have a creative soul. I just am never happy with the end product, I guess. But then who is? I guess that is why there are so many tortured artists. My God, I am an artist after all! LOL.

I can't paint, I can't draw, my photography is a bit of hit and miss and my digital scrapbooking is pretty basic. Occasionally I am happy with something. I guess that is what it is about. You need to take hundreds of photos sometimes, and somewhere in there is the masterpiece. The one that works. I just need to strive to find that more, to practice more. Not just take photos and hope one is okay. So practice, practice and practice some more, I guess is the way forward.

I have been procrastinating as well in deciding what is going to be my medium. Photography, when it can take some time to set things up, and the lighting has to be just so. Or digital scrapbook pages, which are easier to do at any time, day or night, but probably wont push my creativity as much as I would like. And......I really do want to improve my photography.

I am happy to share my work with anyone online and probably my husband too. If there is something really good, I might even share it with close family via facebook.

Creativity Boot Camp

Have gone on to DSP chat for the first time in months. As usual after the one hour chat I am full of creative ideas and have loads of websites on. Usually takes me several hours to go through it all. I often end up on the most wonderful websites and blogs as well.

Just came across this blog - http://creativebootcamp.blogspot.com/2010/06/day-1.html

It's a bit late now to start getting into it, but will start tomorrow and journal my journey on here.
Quite excited as I haven't done anything creative for ages.

Climbing trees and other adventures

Millie having a great time whilst out for a walk last weekend.

Have been having a great time out caching with some great adventures. Last weekend was really good. On Saturday I went round a series of 6 caches in a mile long circle. One of the caches was about 25 high up in a tree. I left my bag and walking stick on the ground and walked along the large trunk that had fallen at an angle. It was a bit nerve racking but I managed it slowly and carefully. Millie was going crazy howling and crying. I reached up and signed the log and put it back. Then started coming down. Millie thought she would join me at that point and lend a helping paw which made things tricky. I was so worried that she would fall off. Anyway we both made it down safe and sound.

I continued along the footpath that was in a dark wooded area that was absolutely covered in bluebells. The smell of the bluebells was really strong in the enclosed area. The next cache was interesting too. It was a box inside a large log that had been cut out. Very clever.

Then on Sunday I joined my caching pal Jill to drive round a local town to pick up some caches. We found everyone of them. Two of them were brilliant as they were not the usual plastic clip and lock pot or 35mm film container. One looked just like an apple but was hand made out of some unknown substance with the pull out core as the log. It was in a very dark part of the woods so difficult to get a photo. Howeve I did manage to get a photo of the next one which was a clay, I think, mushroom. Very enjoyable.

I will finish off with a fantastic view across the English countryside. We had found a cache under a bench and were sitting on the bench signing the log. The sun was shining and the world was a good place to be in that day.

Caching

Am enjoying caching everyday. It is quite challenging to do at least one every day. I have done at least one cache every day for the past two weeks, so going well so far but not sure I will make 100 consecutive days. as it is hard going.

Had a great day today. I dropped Alice off at college and had two hours to do a bit of caching before picking her and Sev up to take to an interview they both had at the same place. I have never been into the woods that I went into today and it is always nice to explore somewhere new. It was pretty hilly in these woods.

I also found a pink cache which was unusual. Sev was surprised that it did not stand out from all the green and brownness of the woods but I explained that it was well hidden away in a hollow log.

I have twelve caches that I have laid for others to find and there was a couple who had been looking for my caches over the weekend. They said they couldn't find one of the caches that had already been "muggled" just a month ago. So I was pretty annoyed to think it had gone again, and with a trackable in it again. So as I was off work today I popped along to see what was what. Luckily the cache was there and the trackable were still there. Thank goodness. The same couple said that the log in another cache was full so I went to replace that too. When I got home and checked the log it was actually not full at all. Very strange as the couple certainly weren't new to caching with approx 750 cache finds. I was surprised at their comments, but at least all is well.

Over the weekend I replaced a log that had been left to get wet. It was not at all possible to sign as the paper was just one papier mache mess. I took the log home and pulled it carefully apart and hung the pieces of paper from the log up to dry. It has dried beautifully. Not sure what to do with it now because the cache owners no longer go caching. The log is five years old so I wont get rid of it.

I've got one cache in mind for tomorrow, and then I want to go to Surrey to do the MUGS series and nab about 25 caches in one hit!

A walk after work

Had a busy day at work today, Katy had the day off so it was pretty hectic for me. Still loving it though. I know it has only been a month but I am so much happier where I am right now. There is no way I am going back. YAY. Words can't express how happy that makes me!!! :D

Last night I saw a new cache right near work. I did debate with myself about nabbing a FTF first thing this morning before work, but it would have been a one mile walk and I probably would have ended up hot and sweaty before I even started. So I waited excitedly until work had finally finished at 5pm. Drove to the Country park car park and set off. The first one was literally just 500 yards away. I was lucky in that I was just putting the cache back when I dog walking muggle came into sight! Phew. That was close.

It's a beautiful evening so I know I will have a nice walk, especially as I have managed to find at least one cache today! YAY. Third day in a row. Heee hee. So off I go to the new cache. Nice easy walk along a clear pathwhich was slightly muddy in places. The cache was hidden in a log. It took me a few minutes to find it but was pleased to find it eventually.

I walked back to the car. There is one more nearby, a third of a mile away, but i decided to leave this to another day. After all I need to save some to continue with my 1 a day for 100 days challenge. LOL.

Caching

I have managed to find a cache yesterday and two today. I read someone's caching blog where they have set themselves the challenge of finding one cache every day for 100 consecutive days. Well I have managed two days in a row, I wonder how many more I can do in a row!! Doubt I could make 100 but it is worth a go. Trouble is I am running out of local ones to do before or after work during the week, so will have to plan carefully.

Just seen a new one come on line tonight which is right near where I work. Now do I get just that one or do I get another one nearby? Hmm, that might actually depend on how much time I will have, particularly if I plan to go before work which I am!

Tonight I went off for three caches and to give Millie a walk too. It gets boring going round our local woods every night, so it is nice to have a change of scenery as often as possible. The first one I went after was uphill - Plumberow Mount with a little mound at the top. There were some lovely views across the countryside. Unfortunately there were a couple of lager louts loitering right by where I thought the cache might be so I could not get to have a look even, just turned around and went back downhill. Millie had a great time running up and down with a log to throw around and chew. We popped into the car and drove a short way to nab two easy ones. The first had a DNF from November 2009 and nothing logged since so I was not too hopeful about finding it. But lo and behold it was an easy find. Funny how that goes sometimes it is dead easy, sometimes what everyone else has logged as an easy find can take me ages to locate. Anyway signed the log and started trekking up another hill to the next one. There was a lovely carpet of spring flowers on the ground, not bluebells, these were white. Not sure what they are called. There were limited views from the top of this hill. The cache was in a great hiding place. It was in the top of a telegraph pole that was hollow at the top but the cache owner had placed a little lid on top with the cache inside. Very neat.

month of SPAD

During the month of February I took part in a challenge to take a self portrait a month and here is a layout showing a few of those photos. It was quite a challenge as usually I am pointing the camera the other way! Also finding new and inventive ways to take a photo of the thing, namely me, every day was quite difficult too. The challenge was on Digital Scrapbooking Place website and there were quite a few others doing the challenge too, from all over the world. I really enjoyed finding out about these people, all of whom I have never met. It was great to see their day to day goings on throughout the month. I certainly will miss the comments and chatting with each other but I dont think I will miss thinking of different ways to take a photo of myself.