Monday, 7 May 2012

Happy Days Proto-type ...

Here it is, the prototype, all about talking, feeling, doing ... 

making its way into the world ... via technology !

Hoping to share more information with you very soon.

Friday, 4 May 2012

Carers Trust Conference: Leeds

What a week ! or should I say What A Great Week !

Having made the 5.45 Tuesday morning train to Leeds with 2 over-sized suitcases, a couple of pasting board tables, 3 large bags and a totally helpful assistant for the day, Sue, we dived into our doorstopper sandwiches and configured the route from the station to the Carers Trust Conference venue - Park Plaza. Not even as difficult as choosing the sandwich content ... it was directly across the road!

I just wanted to say thanks to Blackpool Carers for inviting me along and to Carers Trust for letting me spread out my Creative Writing and Drawing Interactive Books, Memory Boxes, Dementia Day Planners, Signage and Prompts for people with short term memory difficulties.

I really enjoyed sharing information with Support Workers, Team Leaders and Seminar hosts from Caring Centres all over the UK. 

Thanks to everyone for your interest. 

Looking forward to meeting up in the future.

I've been considering a UK tour and wondering how I might co-ordinate this with the many requests I received during the day.

Ideas on a postcard, facebook, phone or email me ... happydayspublishing@yahoo.co.uk

Happy Days,
Gillian


Wednesday, 4 April 2012

Happy Days ...

Here's a sample of what I've been up to recently ...
Anything you need to know about laminating ... ask away ... I now have something like a Masters Degree in it !
Gillian

Friday, 30 March 2012

Is this right ?

For once, I haven't been procrastinating !! ... I've finally learned to FOCUS ! If I'd known how easy it was, I would have tried it years ago.

To be honest, at first, it felt a little bit like going on a diet ... forcing myself to procrastinate much less than usual and sulking when I couldn't while away some time achieving nothing much at all.

However, focusing soon became much more beneficial as my writing commission took over ~ if only I'd realised this before !

Face-book became my plain choccy digestives [banned - or one small one a day]
Twitter became my bread intake - try to leave it alone completely
Linked in reminded me of rice - you can sort-of live without it [apologies to Linkedin-ers] ... I just don't get around to it as much as I'd like]
Random searching of the web is like having a mid-morning brew ... if you meet up with someone ... it takes longer than you expected.
Blogs - reduced to weekly indulgent Sunday Dinner status [okay I realise it's Friday - but just like a diet ... I'm looking for my next treat]

So that's my procrastination for this week ... and feeling rather smug too, with around 110 pages under my belt ... in the bag ... on the road ... and actually ... on the page ... oh and I lost a stone along the way !

Happy Writing everyone ... Stay focused ... It's amazing how much you can do if you don't answer the phone !

Gillian


Thursday, 22 March 2012

Mystery Package ...

How many thoughts are in this decorated box tied with a ribbon?


... or surround the box ...

What keepsake might be so lovingly stored inside?

Who owns the box?

Who has decorated the box?

Is there a photograph inside it?

A cameo?

Does it have a handwritten message inside it?

Or a key?

Is the box empty?

Who would spend time, decorating a box to keep nothing inside it?

Just a thought ...

Gillian









Wednesday, 14 March 2012

All Change and Pzazz

Morning Everyone ~

Hope you don't mind the sudden colour change ... I'm on with some children's stories and created a new blog in readiness for the hundreds of thousands of readers and participants I'm expecting at Happy Days Publishing ... www.happydayspublishing.blogspot.com ...
I'll do anything to get my own PA.

In the initial stages, there's only a heart-felt welcome to you all so far - but decided I should use the gentle blues colour scheme and spring-time images from Arty Words. So er ... is that ok with you ?  I could of course pay a professional to sort it all out - design something with animation - something with pzazz [what is that by the way?]

Meanwhile, back to my real job ... should I get extra pay for putting in evenings too ?
So that would be nothing plus nothing and a half or double nothing ??

Writers ... don't you just love being one ??

Just a thought to get you going ...

Write THAT list of everything you want to do - ever ... [that should take some time up and allow you to procrastinate some while longer]

Ask yourself - What's the first thing I want to do on the list [something that's reasonably achievable]

So - Why haven't you done it yet?

Go Do IT !   ... then find another ...

ps
PZAZZ [noun] - an attractive combination of vitality and glamour
said to be invented by Diana Vreeland, fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar in the 1930's
[courtesy of New Oxford American Dictionary]

See you soon, Gillian



Thursday, 8 March 2012

Are you a ... or a ... or maybe ...


Bogbean ~ a feathery flowered [somewhat like an azalea] perennial herb - grows at edges of ponds 

Just a thought ...

I was doing some creative research the other day - vaguely known as drifting into areas unrelated to my real job ... and came across this idea ...

Which type of plant are you ?  ... 


The plant that ... offers shelter to others
The plant that ... hides in the shade
The plant that ... produces pretty flowers
The plant that ... produces fruit 


Or are you like a bogbean, a strong form, growing in a damp area, offering beauty and medicine ...


Just thinking, that's all - about translating into character traits ...


Enjoy,
Gillian