You've done well

Image:Ingrid's iPad. Words: Mike Dooley

These are great words to remind us to keep looking for the positive. 

Whether it is trusting that the sun will come up again tomorrow 

or that there will be time to make the marmalade.

Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are.

Mosaic Monday - Chiang Mai style

Not trying to make you jealous!

Just want to share a bit of Thai warmth with you.

Chiang Mai 2012

A little mosaic of my week in Chiang Mai: teak trees, organic coffee, lush vegetation and Thai massage.
Hope the sun is shining on you too today.

Great Words from TED

• Be interested
• Be generous
• Be interesting
• Connect

These are the TED imperatives.

Just read on Seth Godin's thought provoking blog.
In Seth's words

" If all you can do is repeat cocktail party banalities about yourself, don't come. If all you're hoping for is to get more than you give, the annual event is not worth your time. If you're not confident enough to share what you're afraid of and what's not working, you're cheating yourself (and us)."

If they resonate with you try subscribing to his blog - it's always got something to make one think.

TED is a nonprofit that brings together fascinating thinkers and doers from round the world. You can attend in person or view online. Hours of great ideas waiting for us there.

Image:Ingrid's iPhone

Have a great day. 

I'm off to the flower market in Chiang Mai this morning - hoping to share some images later.

Snow in Thailand

Why I am making snowballs in Thailand?

Image: Ingrid's iPhone

Tag Tuesday is a great excuse to get stitching, writing and inspired by the creative tag makers of the world. I joined last week and started stitching.

The great thing about holidaying in Chiang Mai, Thailand is that there is no shortage of raw materials to start stitching. 

Image: Ingrid's iPhone

A short tuk tuk ride to the market had me overflowing with pompoms, white fabric, threads and needles.

Back to the Thai sunshine!

Stitched up

I started 2012 with one word to focus on ...write


Not much evidence of that recently on this blog you may say!

As if that weren't enough, I am now going to add another word to my year ... stitch


Here's the reason why...
Last week whilst I was wandering on the web, I ended up in jail. Not really sure how I got to Fine Cell Work, but it made me want to get stitching again.

Images: Fine Cell Work

"Fine Cell Work is a social enterprise that trains prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework undertaken in the long hours spent in their cells to foster hope, discipline and self-esteem." 


I first came across the work of the prisoners who contribute to Fine Cell Work in last year's Quilts exhibition at the V & A Museum in London. I was blown away by the artistry and workmanship of the prisoners who had worked on the exhibition pieces.

"I find it great that I can trace a piece of white plain cloth, a couple of skeins of coloured cotton and with a needle I can not only make something practical and beautiful that gives a lot of pleasure to someone who buys it"   H.M.P. Long Lartin (a long term prison in the UK)

Hope you will read some of the stories of how stitching has changed these prisoners lives on the Fine Cell Work site. Thought provoking words.

This got me thinking about how creating with fabric gives me a sense of fulfilment, so why don't I do more of it? Just because I am in Chiang Mai this week, soaking up some Thai sunshine, there's no time like the present to get started.

Previous ideas of mine:

Read more here

Read more here

Here are a few more places I found inspiration this week:
Carolyn Saxby and again
Cathy Cullis and again
The Silly BooDilly
Spirit Cloth

Have you been thinking of a word for yourself this year?
I'd love to know what your word is if you'd like to share it below.