So I’m taking part in an open studio event again this year (did it for the first time last year) and so far it has been busy!
The first time I visited studios during h.Art week was in Sept 2019, when my friend Lu and I decided it was high time we follow some bright pink signs and have a nosey around artists’ studios.
One of the venues I visited was Berrington Press, where I met Sarah and Francesca. It was there I tried letterpress printing for the first time, and I can honestly say it was love at first clunk.
The first poster I saw printed at Berrington Press
I immediately commandeered an Adana from my dad’s antique collection, and got myself kitted out with ink and type, and it has been an obsession ever since.
I’ve now had my studio in Hereford for nearly 18 months, and have sold my printed work at fairs and in shops, as well as in my studio in The Apple Store Gallery (venue 3), and at Sacred Tree Spirit (venue 73).
Such was the obsession that my last novel for adults, The Girl Who Loved Much, had a letterpress theme, and the cover was a photograph I took of my own printing blocks in my studio. I also did a limited edition print run of extras to go with the book.
I have had many, many hobbies in my life, but I can honestly say that I feel that printing was what I was looking for all along. It helps that the printing community on Instagram and in the British Printing Society are the loveliest people I have ever known!
So if you’re local, do check out h.Art, and if you’re a reader wondering why I haven’t written so many books lately, this is one of the reasons why!
I’ve had quite a long break from blogging regularly. There have been a myriad of reasons, work, relationships, moving home, etc.
At first it was nice to have a break, then after a while, I missed it. But it seemed too difficult to get back into the habit, as so many other things had taken its place.
It also felt impossible to try and catch you up on the many happenings of the last 4 years, I just didn’t know where to start.
So I’ve decided not to try to. I will just start again from where I am.
I’ve been reading a book called Do/Pause – You are not a to-do list by Robert Poynton. It seems perhaps I needed this long pause from blogging. For what reason, I may never know. But from now on I hope to write more regularly, though I’m warning you now, my posts will likely be riddled with typos, as I am now blogging through the app on my phone and my autocorrect hates me quite passionately.
So hello there, thank you for reading this, I hope to see you again very soon.
So happy and excited to reveal the cover for my newest book, The Magical Mermaid Portal! Here it is! It will be available in paperback, hardback and Kindle on the 20th July, 2022. I will get the pre-order online as soon as possible, and am planning a special pre-order of signed copies (signed by me and illustrator Lucja Fratczak-Kay) with a little gift, so do keep an eye out for that announcement!
Here is the full cover!
I really can’t wait to get this book out! I will be releasing some excerpts on videos on Instagram over the next couple of weeks, will reveal a few more details about it. Though the reading age is aimed at 8-12, this story really is perfect for all ages. Fans of The Magical Faerie Door range from age 6 to 66!
What do you think of the cover? Are you excited? Let me know!
The series is expanding! Finally! The Magical Faerie Door was released in 2018, and now, finally, book 2 is underway. The cover and release date for The Magical Mermaid Portal will be revealed on the 10th May 2022!
You can also now get The Magical Faerie Door in paperback as well as in hardback and on kindle. The audiobook is still on the list, but I promise it will happen!
We are even talking about book 3 in the series, so watch this space!
Yes, it’s true. I started a podcast. In true Michelle style, it is not a regular thing, I create episodes when I am out walking the dog, it’s pretty rough (slightly edited to remove excessive barking etc.) and there’s no rhyme or reason to my ramblings, but actually, there’s some good stuff!
You can listen on pretty much any podcast platform, including Spotify and Apple, or on Anchor, which is where I record it.
Check out an episode or two, and I promise to keep randomly creating them!
As well as being an author, I am a publisher, editor and publishing mentor. I’ve been honoured to work with some really incredible authors over the last few years, bringing their books to life, so in order to revive my blog and share these awesome books with others, I’ve decided to start this book feature.
I met Dev in 2013, at an event in London called the Millionaire Mind. We later met up again, at another event called Unleash the Power Within, with Tony Robbins. We spent several days dancing, screaming, jumping up and down, walking on fire and changing our mindset, it’s the kind of place where you make friends for life!
In 2016, Dev was diagnosed with tongue cancer, and went through an incredible journey of discovery and healing. We kept in touch through social media, but it wasn’t until Dev reached out to ask if I could help him to publish his book, that I got to know what he had been through.
Wow. All I can say is, that Dev is the real thing. Genuine, positive, strong, resilient. He faced each challenge that cancer presented, not only with determination, but also with the selfless idea of recording it all, in detail, so that he could produce a book that would help others in the same position.
And this book will do exactly that. It will help anyone who has been diagnosed with tongue cancer, or who is having treatments, or the friend or family member of someone who has. It is practical, thoughtful, and will take the fear of the unknown out of the journey, so that challenges can be faced with knowledge and from a place of empowerment.
It’s been a pleasure to work with Dev to get his book published, and I’m so proud of him and honoured to be his friend and fellow firewalker!
Dev’s book, Tongue Cancer and I is available now in paperback and ebook, from Amazon and other retailers, links below.
Last night on BBC2 Jon and I were on My Unique B&B with Jon’s horse cart! It was so much fun watching the episode, and we can’t wait to welcome guests to the little cabin on wheels!
It was a great experience, working with Simon Parfett and the Plimsoll Productions crew to film the episode and to turn the cabin into a boutique space for people to stay in.
Even little Chouli starred in the show, so if you haven’t seen it yet, do check it out! The whole series is wonderful, and features lots of great B&Bs in the Forest of Dean area. If you have seen it, what did you think? Let me know!
I have decided to ask people to donate (if they feel called to, and they can afford it) to the Secret World Wildlife Rescue, because they do such wonderful work for the badgers, hedgehogs, deer, foxes and even mice! They rely on donations from visitors, and I imagine that those have been quite scarce over the last year. You don’t have to donate through me on FB, you can donate directly, or buy them something on their Amazon Wishlist.
I have been to the Healing Weekend which is hosted on the Secret World land, several times over the years, and it really is a wonderful place.
So head over to the FB event page on the 20th January (tomorrow!!) and check out the tea party! (Photos and videos will be posted throughout the day)
Last year I was honoured to help a wonderful friend (and author of Not From This Planet’s upcoming release, Burglar to Buddha) to publish a book that he had compiled, called Self Love Now. Simon had asked the question – Why is Self-Love important at this time in humanity? and the book contains answers from 54 visionaries, and is beautifully illustrated.
Working on the book with Simon got me thinking. What is self love anyway?
Some would say it’s setting boundaries in relationships. Others might say it’s eating healthily. Or buying yourself treats. Or saying no to things that don’t serve you.
I think it may well be different for everyone. For me, self love is acceptance. Of my body, my flaws, my finances, my relationships and my current situation. And it’s not a one-off deal. It’s a daily occurrence. Every time my body changes, I need to accept it all over again. Love it completely again. Whenever my home changes, (which is way too often) I have to accept it again. When my relationships evolve, grow or die, I have to accept those new changes again. Self Love is not berating myself for making mistakes. Self Love is knowing that I am doing the best I can every day in every way. Self Love is never speaking an unkind word against myself, even in jest. (still working on this, self-deprecating jokes are deeply ingrained!) Self Love is a quiet joyfulness. It’s my trust in myself to cope with whatever transpires. Self Love is knowing that I am worthy and deserving of love, abundance and joy, regardless of my productivity or creative output. Self Love is knowing that I have my own back. That I am the sole creator of my own happiness. It’s taking responsibility for my emotions, and not blaming someone else for making me feel bad.
The thing about Self Love, is that it is limitless, it is abundant, and when it is felt in every fibre of your being, it spills out from every pore, and shines on others too. And it is effortless. To truly accept and love yourself is to release all resistance. And when resistance is gone, so is effort and struggle.
One of my most popular letterpress prints on my own handmade paper
Apparently I started to write this blog post in February last year. I had the title and a single sentence (which I have just deleted), and then I apparently got distracted.
But oddly enough, it is very relevant in this moment, and was relevant throughout the whole of 2020. Crafting and creating is what kept me sane. And continues to keep me sane. Making things is my favourite thing to do when things get to be too much. And right now, I cannot help keep getting more and more materials to make more and more things. Very much like my main character, Caru, in The Girl Who Loved Too Much, I have a LOT of hobbies.
I letterpress print things on my Adana presses. I knit things. Crochet things. I love making Luna and friends, by Sarah Peel, with their tailored clothing. I enjoy making things out of leather, and stamping metal with words. I love taking photos, making little videos. And then of course I love to write, though you could argue that wasn’t a hobby, but my work.
Luna Lapin and friends!
Why is creating so therapeutic? I know that not everyone has hobbies to the level I do, but over the last year, I have seen quite a few friends who have declared themselves uncreative in the crafting sense, take up a craft and find themselves enjoying it a lot. And not just enjoying it, but being damned good at it too!
I genuinely think that a large part of the difference between those who create things and those who don’t, comes down to whether they were encouraged to make things in their childhood. When I was little, we were ALWAYS making things. Always. And I watched my parents constantly make things. It was normal. But when I ran a little crafting group 15 years ago, I found that none of the children were allowed to craft at home. Because it created mess. Because it meant having to find somewhere to put the things they created. Because it didn’t fit into the neat and tidy lifestyle the parents had created.
Special Edition of The Girl Who Loved Too Much
This is something I tried to address in my latest novel. Is it possible to be creative, while also being wealthy and neat and tidy? So far in my own experience, these things are mutually exclusive. To be creative is to create mess. There are things drying, things in half finished states, things at various stages. Then there are things waiting to be sold, or given as gifts. And money? Well that gets spent on materials, on packaging, on courses to learn more about your craft and on yet more materials.
But when I consider the question whether I would prefer to be creative or be wealthy, or creative or neat and tidy, creative wins every time. Even though it drives me crazy that I can’t find things. Even though I keep moving house and having so much crafting equipment and materials to move is a nightmare.
Because to create things is part of who I am. These things are extensions of myself. They are manifestations of my thoughts, my excitement, my enthusiasm. And they are my way of coping with things. Of moving through these ultra-weird times we find ourselves in.
So tell me, do you create? What do you create? Why do you create (or not)? If you have Instagram accounts, or somewhere I can see your creations, post them in the comments!
