Happy Summer Sunday

It's glorious weather here at the moment and I am thoroughly enjoying the warmer weather...it feels like we are having the summer that was taken from us in July.

This week has been full of events and things are now slowly falling into place.  I am almost too scared to talk about them just in case it all goes wrong, but rest assured that as soon as everything is more concrete then I will share.  The last three years efforts (yes three years) are all coming to fruition so you can see why I am holding my breath.  But it will be life changing.

Right, I am off to make Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes.  I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday wherever you are and have a fabulous week ahead.

Love and happiness.

Helen xx

A quote for a Sunday afternoon

JTC Photography

So very true.

Happy Sunday

Helen xx

If in doubt......bake!

My creative time of late has been filled by baking.  Daisy and I have created cakes and iced them to our hearts content.  I love baking and I love baking with Daisy.  Teaching her things my Nan and Mum passed on to me, seeing how excited she gets when she bakes and watching her gain confidence each time we make a cake, is just out of this world.  Children are so pure it's beautiful.

Anyway, here's some of our latest efforts.

After watching the Great British Bake Off one evening, I decided to bake some fairy cakes after the programme.  The next day Daisy asked me why I made these without her....talk about being guilt ridden.  However, that was quickly forgotten as she tucked in!

I made this Raspberry and Coconut cake on a whim and it was a bit of trial end error as I made it up as I went along.  However it did taste delicious (Rona, promise to email you the recipe!)

And then Daisy and I made these last night before she went to bed.  Nice chocolate fairy cakes.

We also made a low fat Date and Apple cake the other day, but I wasn't able to snap any pictures of that one.  However I will be making it again soon and will share the recipe too.  And whilst I am on the subject of photos.....I have a really good camera but snapped these using my phone so apologies as they are not great (but when you've got cakes to eat you want to tuck in straight away!)

And finally, I leave you with a video of Daisy being Betty Crocker....just absolutely adorable.


Daisy being Betty Crocker from Helen Mills on Vimeo.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Helen xx

A brief intermission

I am learning at the moment that I need plenty of patience and lots of determination.

It seems like I have been on this particular journey longer than I ever wanted and certainly longer than I thought possible.  So whilst every thing else in my life has kind of been put on hold, I have managed to achieve one incredible thing.  After far too many years to count, I have donned my swiming cossie and ventured back into swimming. 

I love swimming (always have) but the fear of showing myself in a cossie to the locals in the swimming pool was just too daunting.  However, there is one good thing about getting older.....you care less about what people think and more about yourself, in an unselfish way.  So I did it....I dipped my toe so to speak, and haven't looked back.

So whilst I try not to get stressed, frustrated and frazzled over things I cannot control, I make time now to spend it improving my health and fitness. 

Hope everyone is healthy and well and I really hope to be able to be creative again soon.

Love and happiness

Helen xx

Oooh a wedding....

It's been a while since my last post and things have been pretty manic.  I assisted Jim at a wedding on Saturday - how I love doing these.  I feel so privileged to be part of a couple's special day.  It's just the most fun ever and it's supposed to be work.  Get that!  Here's a little collage of some of the photographs.

I haven't had much time to paint which is terrible.  I have two commissions waiting to be started and fortunately I do not have an immediate deadline, although it may be better if I did!  I am kind of involved in a few projects which are taking up my time, which I will share in another post when the time is right.  I am also trying to learn wordpress (ssshh close your ears blogger) although I have no plans to defect, it's for one of the projects I am involved with.

But I am still here....doing the day job, being a step-mum and trying to fit in some creative time. I am tempted to keep a small sketch book with me so that I can fit some sketches in when I commute etc, but if I do I really musn't put myself under any pressure to fill the book.....just let it flow.

Hope you are well well and not flooded out.  It's supposed to be summer in the UK, but it appears to be monsoon season!

Oh and if you are in Excelsior Springs, MO, please do drop by my dear friend Kelly Berkey's art crawl.....she would love to see you!

Love and happiness

Helen x

Sunday Sketches

It may be a bit late in the day but I'm here for another Sunday Sketches.  Today's sketch is a little fishy.  Just doodles really and allowing my pen to follow my imagination.

I hope you are all well and please join me to look at the other entries, I just know they will be fab!

Happy Sunday to you all.

Helen xx

Sunday Sketches

Hello and oh my I've made it to another Sunday Sketches post.  It's been a bit too long but let's not dwell on  that....at last I can unveil the finished Octonaut's Banner.

I decided not to paint 'Happy 4th Birthday Ollie' on it as after all the work that went into it, I thought that Ollie would like to hang it on his wall.....which he has done.  So lovely Jim found the Octonaut font and created a separate banner with the words on which I must say looked good.

This was a real challenge for me (a labour of love) as I've not painted such a huge long piece of work before and it was difficult to find places to lay it out.  I've certainly learned a lot from this should I ever be mad enough to offer to do this again (although I fear I already have....).

Above are some shots of each piece of the banner as it was over 6ft long.  I decided to scan in and print off the characters faces, logo's and the inside the Octopod and stuck those on to give a more realistic effect.  The rest was all painted in acrylic paint on wallpaper....a remnant of the cottage renovation.

 And here's the birthday boy himself!

Please join me in visiting the other Sunday Sketchers.....there is always such a variety of artwork to see.

Happy Sunday to you!

Helen xx

ps....I think if you click on the images you get a larger version which may help when viewing the banner.