Some Artwork for sale

No real updates as yet, but I thought I'd put a couple of pices of my artwork here, just in case anyone is inspired to buy any. Feel free to contact me if you're interested in any.

Chakra Vase, recycled glass vase, hand painted to represent the Chakra colours. £20.

Submarine Supernova. Mermaid in shadow, acrylic. £25.

Sunset Fall. Acrylic, more reds than the picture really shows. £20

Jasmine Pool. Acrylic on board, 20 X 20.

£25 SOLD

Vortex.
Mixed Media on Canvas. 20 X 55.

£85

More news

24th January 2007

Well, things are moving along! It seems that this is now reality and everything we now do or think about is geared towards moving the project forwards.

I have been in contact with the Yurt supplier, Tim Scarlett, and have let him know our requirements, he’s preparing an invoice for us so that we can sort out our order in time to have the yurt delivered by October of this year. If we move over to Ireland before then, we’ll use our HUGE tent until we can get the yurt sited. We’re also looking into the possibility of shipping our things over and keeping them in the container on site until the house is finished. The cost and logistics may be prohibitive though, and if we get the piece of land we hope for, we’d need to make up a road to access the site, so we may not be able to get the container onto the land! All things to look into, and on the ‘to do’ list.

This morning I had a very useful chat with Simon Dale, the builder of the ‘Hobbit House’ that set us on our journey. He was very supportive and enthusiastic about the project, which only served to fuel our enthusiasm even more. He and his family are happily living in their house and all is going well. Simon had some very good advice for us, and also recommended some books that will be of help. In addition, we’ve been invited to visit the house and meet Simon and his family, and to see the house ‘in the flesh’. We’ll be able to discuss all the boring bits like drainage and electrics etc.

Simon also has access to people who will be able to physically help with the build, such as woofers, and he has also said that he will come and have a look at our project when he can as well, and offer any help and support he is able to. This means a great deal to us, to have first hand knowledge from someone who has done it will be invaluable. Simons’ enthusiasm will also be of great help in keeping our enthusiasm going, and to know that so many people are behind us means that we feel more and more, that the dream is no longer a dream, but reality in the making. Who says manifesting doesn’t work? Best bit of cosmic ordering I’ve done for a long time!

Update

20th January 2007
Well, time for a swift update. There isn’t much happening as yet, however, we have now told most people about our plan, and have received very positive feedback. Along with the inevitable comments that we’re completely mad of course.
We’ve put together a ‘Wish List’ of items that we’ll need to get the project going, exciting stuff like damp proof membrane and breeze blocks, and have already managed to acquire some taps for our bath and basin. We don’t have the bath and basin yet, but we will! A couple of good friends in Ireland are trying to amass some of what we need, and store it till we get there, and one has her builder checking things out for us as well. We’ve also already had more offers of help with building the house.
I’ve been doing more research, and have sourced a site for the Yurt that we intend to live in whilst we’re building http://www.ulaantaij.com/ seem to have all we need, and as soon as we know when we’ll be off, we’re going to order our Yurt along with the stove and some other bits and pieces. So at least we’ll be warm and dry while we get the building sorted. We’ll keep the Yurt, so that we can use it for guests and later as another workshop space. I’ve also had someone ask to be booked on a course as soon as we’re up and running, and that’s before we even get there!
I get the jitters every now and then, so many of our previous dreams have remained as dreams, but this time, everything seems to be falling into place. So many lovely people have offered their support and their time, and anything they can do to help us, that this time, I KNOW we’ll get there. Keep popping in to see how we’re doing.

The beginning

January 16th 2007
Following a life changing incident in October of 2005, the Summer of 2006 saw us make a decision to sell up and move to Eire. We wanted to live a self sufficient, eco friendly life, and planned to buy a house and some land, for as little as possible, have no mortgage and work for ourselves. Adrian was not convinced, but agreed to give it a go, as much to pacify me as anything else I think, but nevertheless, the decision was agreed on. I started looking around on the web for suitable properties, and checking out removals etc.

As time went by we realised we would not be able to raise enough funds without a mortgage, which meant we’d need jobs, which we couldn’t get as we were I UK, couldn‘t move without jobs…vicious circle! A dear friend of ours living and working in Eire, Nick Abel, agreed to help us out. He was in the midst of trying to buy himself a property, and agreed that when he had, we could move over and live with him while we got ourselves sorted, we discussed buying in with him, and agreed that if we could find the right property, that idea was a goer. Eventually Nick and I wanted to open a holistic centre/school, so it was a good move.

However, for various reasons this did not work out, poor Nick couldn’t find anywhere suitable, that he felt comfortable with, that he/we could afford. So, he moved on into a rental property, whilst we continued trying to work out how we could go it alone without putting any undue pressure on Nick. We knew what we wanted, 2 -3 acres of land, with a derelict/renovatable property on it, reasonably priced so that our equity from our property could be used to fix it up. We wanted to be ‘green’, to have solar heating/lighting, wind turbine, composting loo, grey water system, our own water supply and animals, not too much to ask for!!!

We kept coming up against the same problem though, we could probably afford the land and building, but not the work required to make it habitable. Then, January 10th 2007, I received a newsletter from Innocent Smoothies, with a link to Simon Dales’ site http://www.simondale.net/house/index.htm showing a low impact woodland home, built by himself and his father in law, for a cost of £3000 finished in 4 months!!!!! I delved into the site, ummed and ahhed, and finally showed it to Adrian. He just loved it, and agreed that it was totally possible for us to do the same thing. I mailed the link to Nick, and he also fell in love. So, our decision has now been made…we are going to buy the land, and build a couple of these houses, one for us, and one for Nick, and then, in the future, add a couple for workshops and courses, Heartwood Village Centre will be in existence!

I have so far designed a very basic house, contacted Simon Dale for help and advice, and also figured out how to build a composting loo. We already have one offer of help with straw bale building, a big part of the house design which we have accepted, and are hoping for more help. We’ve found a suitable piece of land, and are saving every penny we can and putting our house here to rights, with a mind to move over in September of this year. Lots of decluttering to do, lots of things to sell or recycle, but we’re going ahead, and every step is taking us towards our dream.