Lena's Notebook

3 reasons why you really should take up a creative hobby.

2024-01-25T09:46:00.004+00:00

Myth: You need to be AMAZING at art.

Let me start by saying you absolutely DO NOT need to be good at art or design to take up a creative hobby. What does “being good at art” mean anyway? I couldn’t tell you.

As a beginner to the arts and crafts world you will learn so much more about yourself than ever, and you will give yourself something new to focus your mind on. This is what is important. Whether you work in the creative industries or not, a creative hobby such as drawing, painting, sewing, embroidery, knitting etc. have many benefits that you might be missing out on.

If you’ve never even considered taking up something creative for fear of failure, here are my top 3 reasons why you SHOULD start that creative hobby:

It will be good for your mental health: Creativity absolutely should be part of your self care routine. Whether it is something as simple as colouring or as intricate as embroidery, studies have shown that engaging in creative activity increases your mental wellbeing and reduces your stress levels. Personally I find doing crafty things is therapeutic. I can get lost in a painting or a piece of embroidery, and whilst I am focusing on what I am creating, I find myself wandering into the deeper and darker corners of my mind. I can release all my angst and locked up feelings through my artwork, ultimately helping me navigate through the complexities of life.

You will learn important life skills: You might find this surprising but whatever new hobby you take up, you will pick up on some important life skills subconsciously. Skills such as patience, attention to detail (goes hand in hand with patience!), technical ability, hand-eye coordination, and learning to follow instructions are important life skills that we will always need. There are probably loads of other skills you will be picking up on, but for me, patience is a personal growth goal I am trying to focus on. Because without patience, your ability to be detail-oriented goes right out the window.

It’s a great conversation starter (and makes you stand out in job interviews!): This may not be an important motivation for you personally, but a word of advice: some good hiring managers do keep an eye out for unique and “out of the box” talents. They want to know what makes you tick, and what motivates you, and what makes you stand apart. They want to know if you are keen to learn new things - one application I recently filled in asked What Have You Taught Yourself and What Was It For? It’s a great question as I felt I was able to put forward a part of myself I don’t get to normally talk about. And even if you are not in a position to apply for jobs anytime soon, it’s always a great conversation starter at social gatherings and events: “Oh I’ve been trying my hand at crotchet recently, look what I’ve made!” [Proceed to show darkly lit photos of your amazing work]. Perhaps you might find like-minded individuals and be able to swap some tips.

Above all, a creative hobby should be fun and not stressful. So if you try one thing and you can’t connect with it, then try another. Keep trying and discovering new things until something clicks.

If you have a creative hobby already, I would LOVE to hear all about it - post a comment below with a link to your creations and I will check it out for sure. And if you didn’t know already, here’s a link to the gallery page on my website for past examples of things I have created.

credit:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2899997/

Top Ten books I've read in 2023

2023-12-13T16:21:00.002+00:00

1. Yellowface by Rebecca F.Kuang

Literary masterpiece with mind-numbing grotesque and mesmerising scenes. Excellently written – a book that never let me go long after I read the final page. I loved how the story catapulted me back into the publishing industry where I’ve mainly had a the opportunity to work. Felt like home.

Also, how striking is this cover?

2. The List by Yomi Adegoke

Slow-burn fiction with a deep message – controversy as the heart of the story. Sometimes frustrating, sometimes almost on the verge of tears: this book was impossible to put down. The suspense was suffocating.

3. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Dark and haunting – this book made me weep inside. Again, controversial themes, however, the debate of good motherhood is depicted by a twisted future regime.

4. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Muraka

A feel good novel which has given me hope and made me look at life from a different perspective.

5. Kim Jiyoung, born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

I love how this story was told – the journey of a life of a woman from childhood to motherhood in South Korea and the difficulties of being a mother.

6. Brown girls by Daphme Palasi Andreades

A heartfelt literary coming of age story of the lives of young black and brown women. I love plotless books that explore character and cultural backgrounds in a deep and lyrical way.

7. What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

This book completely knocked me out – each little story revolved around the library in a wholesome and upbringing way. It is a super cosy read, one for reading in on cold wet days.

8. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee, translated by Anton Hur

Non-fiction memoir relating to depression – based on conversations with her therapist.

9. Days at The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Another cute cosy read – don’t you just love books set in bookshops?

10. Do You Dream of Terra-Two by Temi-Oh

YA sci-fi about a group of young adults on a mission to Earth 2.0 to start a new life. These young people have been trained for this mission all their lives. The story realistically depicts the ups and downs of leaving behind home and looking towards the future. Excellent literary writing skills and strong character exploration. Such a beautiful gem of a book.

My top 5 small business tips: Part One

2021-01-12T21:17:00.003+00:00

I have been running Art by Lena for nearly two years now – something which started off really slowly at first and is now running at full speed! It’s been an exciting time so far but I know I have a while to go to reach my goal. However, there is much I have learnt in the two(ish) years as a small business owner – and so here are my first five tips to running your own business.

1) Expenses: You will need to keep a track of what you spend on your business (supplies, subscriptions etc.) - it will come in use when you do your taxes! Use a spreadsheet to keep track of each expense – and include as much detail as you can (date purchased, merchant name, cost of product, shipping cost, order number etc and it is also good to include unit cost if you buy paper or envelopes in bulk). When you purchase something that you will use for your business whether it is stationery or supplies, you must add it to the spreadsheet – the very same day. It is always good to keep on top of it to save time later.

2) Look back at the previous months expenses: When you start a new month, it is always good to review the past month’s expenses. The spreadsheet comes in good use for this exercise. When you look back at what you’ve spent before, you can pinpoint purchases that were excessive or not needed. You can then decide what you need to order for the current month and see where you can hold back on. This is a good exercise for packaging supplies – perhaps look elsewhere for cheaper alternatives or just hold back if it is cutting too much into your profit.

3) When you are starting out, it is good to spend wisely. Don’t make any huge expenses as it will be incredibly difficult to earn it back. However if you think you have enough savings from a side or main job then it may be worth it. It will still cut into your shop expenses – be aware! I am talking about big purchases such as cricuts (cutting machine) which are expensive as well as paying for all the tools. Or even a very fancy laptop – you can get good laptops which are affordable. Then when your business starts picking up in terms of revenue you can invest in higher tech gadgets. My printer is a cheap £60 printer, but I only use it for stickers and printing admin stuff. I could probably use it for other things too – and at the moment I am very happy with it. Also I only bought this printer almost a year into starting my business. Perhaps in a year or two I will be able to upgrade both my laptop and printer!

4) Research: You must spend a good amount of time researching suppliers and the best software/hardware for your needs. If you want to sell printed products – some printers/suppliers will charge in bulk and if you are starting out you would want to buy in smaller amounts which can be quite expensive. However there are places out there online or in a physical store that will have cheaper options. Also it would be good to research other small businesses and see how they run their shop/services. See what’s trending right now and what the general prices are for certain products. Etsy is a good place to have a roam around as well as small businesses on social media. If along the way you see something you like – buy it if you can! It is always good to support other small businesses.

5) Quality control: If you are about to sell physical products (notebooks, stationery etc) and you have to find a supplier for these – it is always good to buy single test copies or some places offer small sample bundles. It would be worth spending money on this – because quality matters if you want returning customers. You can add these costs to your expense sheet. I have tested different sticker papers which I use to print my stickers on. I have found one slightly more expensive than others – but the quality is amazing so I feel it is worth the price. However the cost of my paper isn’t over expensive – as in it doesn’t break the bank ( so all is well!).

These are my current 5 tips for small businesses… I hope you found them useful – and I will be sure to come back with part two!

Thank you very much for reading – please leave a comment below or feel free to ask me a question.

With love, Lena x

The Shelf: Review

2020-07-11T22:10:00.000+01:00

Blurb:

Ever feel like you're losing a race you never signed up for?

Everyone in Amy's life seems to be getting married, having children and settling down (or so Instagram tells her), and she feels like she's falling behind.

So, when her long-term boyfriend surprises her with a dream holiday, she thinks he's going to finally pop the Big Question. But the dream turns into a nightmare when, instead, she finds herself on the set of a Big Brother-style reality television show, The Shelf.

Along with five other women, Amy is brutally dumped live on TV and must compete in a series of humiliating and obnoxious tasks in the hope of being crowned 'The Keeper'.

While inside the house, will Amy learn that there are worse things than being 'left on the shelf'?

My thoughts:

Quality of Writing ♥♥♥♥

Originality ♥♥♥♥♥

Plot ♥♥♥♥♥

Setting ♥♥♥♥♥

Character ♥♥♥♥♥

Overall ♥♥♥♥♥

The way this book started I thought it was just another ‘woe me unmarried after 30’ plot (which has been done a lot recently) – but this quickly took a surprising twist. I ended up finding it hard to put this book down – I was gripped.

For me, this is truly meaningful escapism – I loved the themes exploring everyday sexism and modern feminism. I loved the overall message of this book – about how you should put your needs first and not allow yourself to be pressurised by society to fit into the mould of a perfect woman. That every woman’s story and purpose is unique – and to accept that.

I loved each and every main (female) character – and kind of enjoyed the barbaric portrayal of most of the men. The whole story is character-driven – which is exactly the kind of book I like to read.

Overall, I can’t fault it – so 5 stars from me.

5 things I love about running my own business...

2020-05-05T22:17:00.000+01:00

As some of you may know, I am selling my art work in the form of bookmarks, prints, stickers, notebooks, and more on my shop ART BY LENA. I have been running this online shop for a year now and although it is a lot of hard work – it is SO much fun. I love every part of it! So today, I wanted to write this blog post on a positive note and share my top 5 reasons why I love working on my shop. I am hoping this blog post will also inspire you to set up shop!

Number One: BEING MY OWN BOSS

The best thing about running my shop is doing what I want to do, when I want to and making all the decisions – even something small such as how many stickers should I put on the envelope?! Or a big thing like is the production and printing price of a set of prints worth it. I get to decide myself about pricing, about what I think is good quality or not, or when the best time is to release a flash discount. I get to make ALL the decisions – yay!

Number Two: YOU GOT A SALE!

The thrill of getting a sale no matter how small or big is the best feeling in the world. It’s not even about the money – it’s the fact that someone wants your art in their home or want to gift your art to someone. It’s a precious feeling – I hope it never grows old.

Number Three: PACKAGING ORDERS

This is a weird one right? But I love packaging orders. I will spend a good hour just to pack up 4 to 6 orders! I have to get the various bits and pieces together (free stickers, thank you notes, business cards etc) and then wrap them carefully and close the package with colourful washi tape. It’s so therapeutic.

(If you want to watch my packaging process - check out my video on Instagram!)

Number Four: It gives you your own SENSE OF PURPOSE and a distraction from life

For me taking up art gave me the therapy and distraction from life that I really needed. And now that I have got my shop up and running, this takes up a lot of my mental space and time and sometimes it’s all I think about. I can spend ages working on my shop, planning updates, working on marketing and making beautiful art. Without my art and my shop, I wouldn’t be able to stay sane during these difficult times.

Number Five: SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT

Before starting my own shop, I didn’t know about many other small businesses but through marketing on twitter and Instagram I finally found my people! The support that other small businesses and artists have given is amazing. The community has been really helpful and rewarding and it’s just lovely how people come together for art.

And there you have it – the positives to running my own business – overall it’s rewarding and I love it like it’s my baby!

Thanks so much for reading – I will be writing more posts about running the business – so keep your eyes peeled!

Shop: www.artbylena.bigcartel.com
Cover Photo source: Canva

What I've read so far whilst in lock-down...

2020-04-21T14:33:00.000+01:00

Hi guys! I haven't posted in AGES but I thought I might grab this lock-down opportunity to share with you what I have been reading whilst we are all in quarantine - hence I call these my quarantine reads! To be honest, I haven't read all that much because at the beginning of lock down I was still working from home as well as running my shop which you can find here - but then I was put on furlough and I have a bit more time to read and do art. There are three books I managed to finish - these days I don't read all that much although before lock-down I read a lot of Sophie Kinsella for some reason. Now I am stuck at home forced to read the pile of library books I've got!

Anyway with out further a do, here's what I thought of the three books I managed to read so far:

Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.

Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.

Jane has tried to put the past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves...

Not Taylor’s best writing- weak characters and plotline, dragged on a bit and the ending was predictable. Not a lot of drama or suspense as much as I would have liked. I enjoyed the 3^rd quarter and there was one plot twist that was good and actually made sense. I hated how fake the characters were but I loved the location – the setting really set the tone and all the main action happened in a tight knit secluded place. The cult in the story was so weirdly sexualised – but I think that gave the story a more raw depth to it making it an interesting read. However, I could tell that this was one of Taylor’s earlier books from the style of writing. Her recent books are a lot better – however C.L Taylor still remains a favourite.

Until Darren and Jodie move in, Lowland Way is a suburban paradise. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Kids playing out in the street. But Darren and Jodie don't follow the rules and soon disputes over loud music and parking rights escalate to threats of violence.

Then, early one Sunday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone's story is the same: They did it.

But there's a problem. The police don't agree. And the door they're knocking on next is yours.

The first half really dragged – I found it hard to get stuck in. However after half way I started to get into the drama and the story. The writing was generally okay – I felt like I was part of the street and the neighbourhood – I felt transported into their world. The characters were kind of annoying and sometimes seemed two dimensional and sort of clichéd – but it is after all a domestic thriller. I guessed the suspect too early on, although it didn’t spoil the book. The ending was tied up nicely and I love good clean endings!

Charlotte is looking after her best friend's daughter the day she disappears. She thought the little girl was playing with her own children. She swears she only took her eyes off them for a second.

Now, Charlotte must do the unthinkable: tell her best friend Harriet that her only child is missing. The child she was meant to be watching.

Devastated, Harriet can no longer bear to see Charlotte. No one could expect her to trust her friend again.

Only now she needs to. Because two weeks later Harriet and Charlotte are both being questioned separately by the police. And secrets are about to surface.

Someone is hiding the truth.

So what really happened to Alice?

This is the first book I’ve read by Heidi Perks – although I have known her name for a while. I read this book so fast – I am a slow reader but this book was fast-paced and every scene just kept me gripped. I loved how I didn’t guess the suspect or the twists and it was so cleverly done. Although missing children stories are often sad or hard to read this was different and I felt so engaged. The only reason I am giving it 5 stars is because it ended too soon for me. The characters were so well developed and the author really brought them to life. I really must check out her other books!

Thank you for reading my mini reviews! I've been working on my art shop a lot - making prints and bookmarks and it has been keeping me sane! Now tell me, what have you been reading in lock-down? tell me below!

Mother’s Day Gift Guide – Etsy and Small Business guide

2020-02-25T23:30:00.000+00:00

Before my starting own art shop (art by lena) I have never thought much about buying gifts from small businesses - I never knew such a thing existed! However, I soon discovered Etsy and a ton of talented individuals who make the most amazing pieces of art - this guide puts together a list of creatives from which you can choose to buy your Mother's Day gifts from. Be sure to check them all out!

Wall Art by ZoeWare

Zoe’s hand-painted prints are so pretty. They are painted onto hand-made paper (which she makes herself) and also has options to be included in a frame!

Handmade Candles by Sunflowr Dog Resin

Jess at Sunflowr Dog Resin is super talented. She creates a wide range of art – from resin pendants, wire-wrapped jewellery, to candles and beyond! These candles are beautiful and would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift!

Hand-crafted Necklaces by Imogen

Imogen’s jewellery is magical. These gorgeous pink pendants with butterflies are perfect for Mother’s Day!

Notebooks and Stationary from Glitter & Earth

This is one of my favourite shops for notebooks – the designs are so cute and magical. The enamel mugs are beautiful and would make as lovely gifts!

Postcards and Greeting cards from Let it Bloom Art

These hand-painted postcards are stunning. I love the botanical, raw theme – and the level of talent is top-notch.

Magical and witchy bookmarks from AlmaMagicsArt

Alma’s witchy art is breath-taking and I just love those bookmarks! Perfect for those bookish and spooky mothers out there.

Jewellery Boxes by Resinateartuk

Jewellery and trinket boxes are perfect to give as gifts. These are handmade from resin, and they are so gorgeous!

Wall hangings by Grace Eve Art

Grace’s wall-hangings made from clay and crystals are so unique and beautiful. If you wanted a unique and memorable gift, Grace’s hangings are stunning!

Embroidered gifts from Jade Illustrates

Jade’s embroidered artwork is amazing. She does a lot of custom pieces so if you wanted something done from a photo, Jade’s the one to go to! This would be a very special Mother’s day gift.

Coasters and Resin Art from Iluminarts

Jess’s coasters are so pretty. They make a great addition to your kitchen or lounge, and are great for giving as gifts!

Thank you for reading my post and I hope this guide helps you to purchase the right gift for your leading ladies :)

If you like what you've seen, please do leave a comment below!

-Lena

Step by Step Crescent Moon – using waterbrush pens

2020-01-30T16:28:00.000+00:00

My magical galaxy mountain landscape in a crescent moon designs are my fave to paint. They are so simple and quick to create – and at the same time very therapeutic (which is why I like to create art in the first place). Once you know the basics and how to break down the process into steps – you can adapt this design to create cards, or use in your bullet journal!

Here are the basic steps of how to create your own crescent landscape moon:

Step one:

With a pencil, use a round object or the outline of masking tape to draw the outer curve of your moon.

Step two:

Then draw the inner curve free-hand by following the top point on the curve to the bottom point.

Step three:

Now that you have your crescent moon shape in pencil, use a black water-proof drawing pen (I use uni-ball pen fine line) to go over the moon outline. Rub out any pencil lines that are left visible.

Step four:

Now inside the crescent moon, draw the outline of your mountain. You can do this is pencil first – or directly with the pen. The most peaks I tend to do is three or two – but you can adjust this to how you want to!

Step five:

Now, choose which colours you want in the sky part of your crescent moon landscape. You can use traditional paint or waterbrush pens (like I have in this tutorial). For the sky, don’t use too many colours, no more than four. Make sure you have your aqua brush ready, or a small cup of water and paintbrush.

Step six:

The fun part! Add some splodges of ink/paint randomly using all colours chosen to the sky. If you want your sky to be dark at the top and light at the top, do dark splodges at the top and use light colours at the bottom. Then using your paintbrush or aqua brush dipped in water, spread and mix the colours on your page together. Use the brush to blend the colours – and try to stay inside the lines.

Step seven:

Once the sky part is dry, use a black pen or black watercolour ink to colour in the mountains to make them look like a silhouette against the sky. All this layer of sky and mountains to dry properly.

Step eight:

One everything is fully dry (you can use a hair dryer or heat gun to speed the drying process) – you can use a white ball point pen to dot in the stars. Use big dots for big stars and small dots for smaller stars. Using the white pen, also add some light shading to one side of each mountain. Use long even strokes downwards.

And there you have it! your basic crescent mountain illustration is complete – and doesn’t it look cute?!

If you try this tutorial out, don’t forget to tag me on twitter! @lenasnotebookThanks very much for reading my tutorial and I hope you have fun doing some art!

How to be Perfect - Blog Tour

2019-11-20T05:00:00.000+00:00

Thank you to Legend Press for a free copy of the book in return for a review. Today is my stop on the How to be Perfect blog tour!

Blurb:

Elle is holed up in an exclusive retreat where women pay thousands to mimic her extreme lifestyle, or die trying. But who's bankrolling Elle's new empire?

Abi just wants to marry her true love in the garden on New Year's Eve. But her ex-husband is building a financial cult in the shed and her teenage daughter's YouTube channel is gaining followers for all the wrong reasons.

Frances has a newborn and a WhatsApp mothers' group that's giving her anxiety. But she's certain that if she can just be more like those fitmums on Instagram, things can only get better.

Enter the world of How To Be Perfect… fake gurus, green smoothies and bad influences included.

Review:

I previously reviewed The Mummy Bloggers by the same author - and absolutely loved that book. How to be Perfect is a sequel to that book, and although it can be enjoyed alone, you will find a better understanding of the characters if you read the first book. How to be Perfect was an enjoyable follow-up - it delves into the world of family relations, loyalty, relationships and how to navigate a media crazy world. This is a fun read especially if you are a blogger yourself. I love all the characters - everyone is so interesting and different which kept me engaged through out. If you've read the first book and wondered what happened to the characters - this really is a great follow-up! One of the most infuriating characters is one of my fave character - and for that I really love these books!

Mini Indie Shop Haul!

2019-10-31T11:43:00.000+00:00

Hi guys! Firstly, apologies for not posting in so long - the reason is that I have been working hard on my shop and on creating cute headers and logos for fellow bloggers and online businesses! Such fun! But I am back to blogging - and I am sharing the amazing things I have bought from my fellow online artists. These people have such beautiful art and will always inspire me to soldier on. As such, I wanted to write a blog post showing how talented and amazing they all are! There are other artists I want to buy art from too, and I will continue to share their work on my blog.

Without further ado, here are my most recent buys from indie artists around the world:

Mary's Jewellery Bakery:

Mary is a very talented jewellery artist and her galaxy fox pendant is so pretty! I also loved the way she packaged everything - it made the shopping experience very enjoyable.

Sunflower Dog Resin:

Jess, the owner and artist behind Sunflower Dog resin, makes the most beautiful resin pieces. She is also a joy to shop with!

Autumn Lynn Art:

Autumn simply has the prettiest art I have seen ever!! These stickers are gorgeous and I wish I could afford her whole shop!

Kmctcreative:

KMCTCREATIVE has such pretty and bright art - her whole shop is full of lovely things and I cannot wait to shop from her again!

Dorkface blog:

Dorkface blog is an amazing artist with really cute and bright artwork. This sticker from her shop is my absolute fave!

Thank you for reading my blog post on these lovely and super creative beings! Stickers are my fave to buy and I am always on the look out for more pretty things!

Water-brush Pens - Art Tutorial

2019-09-05T11:28:00.000+01:00

This is a re-post of my article for Brighter Craft - original post

How to use Waterbrush Pens to create beautiful artwork

By Lena Mistry

Hello all! My name is Lena and I am a watercolour artist based in London, UK. Today I am going to show you how to make the best use of waterbrush pens to help you create beautiful artwork.

Let’s start with the supplies you will need. For beginners, I would recommend getting the Zenacolor waterbrush set which also comes with a free aqua brush! There are 24 beautiful and highly pigmented colours in this set and this is the first set I used when starting out with waterbrush pens. For today’s tutorial, I have used a 20 colour set from Mozart Supplies – these are very good as well, there is a lot of water in the ink and the colours are mostly bright, however, I believe for beginners, the Zenacolor set have a better range of colours. You can also purchase separately a set of Mozart Supplies aqua brushes (I have the set of 4) – these come in different brush sizes and depends on the kind of paintings you want to do. I am using one of the smaller round brushes.

Now you’ve got your brushes and pens, you will need good quality paper for these waterbrushes to be more effective. For this tutorial, I have used 300gsm watercolour paper from Cass Art. There are many sizes of paper pads you can get. Another good brand is Daler & Rowney or Fluid. To be honest, any 300 gsm, cold-pressed paper should be decent! Claire Fontaine is also a really good quality brand for watercolour paper – however, they are of the more expensive variety.

Supplies list:

Zenacolor waterbrush set or Mozart Supplies waterbrush set
Mozart Supplies aqua brushes set (optional if you already have an aqua brush)
300 gsm watercolour paper – Cass Art or Daler & Rowney (these are affordable brands for those on a budget)

The first thing you should do is ‘swatches’ with your waterbrush pens. You can create a grid for this or do it without. Colour in a square and then drag the colour down using your aqua brush to create a gradient keeping a square or rectangle shape on your paper (if no water comes out of your aqua brush, give it a small squeeze). Do this for all colours in your set. If your pens have names or numbers on them, you can write them down below each corresponding swatch. Once you have completed this, you can keep the swatches in front of you so when you are painting you can easily choose which colours you want to use. Here is what mine looks like when I swatched my Zenacolor pens: (apologies for poor quality photo!)

Finally, you are now prepared to start painting!

Here are 3 of my favourite ways on how to use waterbrush pens:

Tutorial 1 – Florals

Florals are the simplest and most relaxing things to paint. They are dainty, pretty and can be used for bullet journals and scrapbooking. Here’s how to create pretty florals:

Tutorial 2 – loose roses

Loose roses are equally as fun and therapeutic as the florals – it’s a different technique which involves allowing yourself to let go and be spontaneous in your bush strokes to create a loose rose shape. It can be done over and over again across the page, even in different colours. Add leaves and other foliage to create diversity in your artwork. Here’s how you can do it:

Tutorial 3 – Mini landscape discs

These are mini because if you do them too large the ink from the pens can dry too quickly and then it will be hard to create a proper gradient between colours even with lots of water (try to avoid waterlogging your paper). I absolutely love doing these little landscape skylines – and I love how I can do them in all colours. The effect the aqua brush can give is beautiful and I think the silhouette of trees or mountains is really atmospheric. Here is how you can do your own mini landscape:

These are only 3 of many things you can do with waterbrush pens. I am still discovering what the boundaries are, and I am learning how to make my artwork more defined and clear. The best thing for me about waterbrush pens are that you can carry them around with you as they are lightweight, they are not messy, and are easy and very therapeutic to use. I am very glad that I have discovered these pens and I am excited to see what else I can do these amazing things!

Thank you very much for reading my blog post and I hope my tutorials have inspired you to be creative! To see more of my artwork, here are my links:

ART BY LENA SHOP

Freebies!

Twitter - @lenasnotebook

Instagram - @lenasnotebook

5 Fave London Coffee Shops

2019-07-17T00:00:00.000+01:00

5 Favourite London Coffee Shops you Must Visit – in Pictures

I am an avid lover of visiting new coffee shops and discovering new tastes! So this is not an exhaustive list of coffee shops I have visited – just some of my favourites. For me good coffee shops have welcoming and cosy interiors, friendly staff, and most importantly, coffee that tastes good and isn’t burnt or any of that watery crap. I’ll happily pay more for good coffee! Here are 5 coffee shops that I think are worth visiting. Read on to find out who’s in my number one spot!

5 – The Coffee Works Project

This is a super trendy unit in Angel, Islington. Situated along the back path where all the designer shops and boutiques reside, this little shop fits just right in. The interior is very quirky and there are nice tables at the back if you want to work on your laptop, or in my case on your art! The music can get quite loud, but they do play rather good music.

4 – Barista on the Other Side

Formerly known just as ‘Barista’ this is a newly renovated café that has amazing interiors. Located across the road from Finchley Road Underground station, this lovely coffee shop is very popular with the locals and regulars. It used to be a tiny coffee shop corner but now has expanded into a beautifully designed café. The interiors are gorgeous and I love the big tables. The only downside is that the coffee used to taste SO good and only used to be £2.50. Now they changed the coffee they used – it does not taste so good plus cost has gone up to £2.80. I don’t go there as often as I used to – but it really is a nice place to chill.

3 – 93°C

This is a VERY new café – opened just this month near Finchley Central. I have put it on my list because the pretty and welcoming interiors scores high up on my radar. The coffee is decent – and the Barista was happy to make to how I like it (or close to). As it’s new, it’s fairly quiet – but once the locals cotton onto this place, I am sure it will be very popular one day.

2 – Harris & Hoole Uxbridge

This coffee shop (specifically the one in Uxbridge – zone 6 in London)is fast becoming my favourite place to go when I am down in Uxbridge (which is quote often it seems). Firstly, the coffee is really good and they’ve always made it how I like it. And they serve it in really cute rustic looking coffee cups and saucers – which is a plus because I am a sucker for details like that. I love the wide, open space, the big windows, the little stools and wooden tables and chairs – and the overall look is just inviting. The second thing I really like is their goats cheese (or halloumi) and roasted veg flatbread – these are just SO delicious. I love having this for lunch – it looks big but it’s not heavy which is good.

1 – Tintico

Number one on my list is Tintico – based in Finchley Central (zone 4 in London). This is number one on my list because this is the tastiest coffee I have ever had. Every singly time I go there, no matter who makes it for me, the coffee will always taste on point. It costs £2.70 for a latte – but worth every penny. I go here pretty much every morning or most mornings – I have done so for the last two years. The interiors are just gorgeous – it’s so open and clean and has lots of art up on the walls. The only negative is that in the winter it can be quote cold even with the heaters on! However, definitely a great place in the summer and autumn – and generally for me the best place for good coffee.

As I said, this is not an exhaustive list – I have many other favourites – so watch out because I will surely be writing about those too!

Blog Tour - The Mummy Bloggers

2019-06-26T07:58:00.000+01:00

The Mummy Bloggers by Holly Wainwright

BLURB:

Elle Campbell is a glossy, lycra-clad mum with washboard abs, a ten-year plan and a secret past.

Abi Black has quit sugar, moved to the country and is homeschooling her kids.

Leisel Adams slogs away at her office job each day before rushing home, steeped in guilt, to spend precious moments with her kids before bedtime.

All three share a label that they simultaneously relish and loathe: mummy blogger. And when they are nominated for an award with a hefty cash prize, the scene is set for a brutal and often hilarious battle for hearts, minds-and clicks. As the awards night gets closer, their lies get bigger, their stunts get crazier - and some mistakes from the past become harder and harder to hide.

REVIEW:

This review is part of the blog tour arranged by Legend Press.

Quality of Writing ♥♥♥♥♥
Originality ♥♥♥♥
Plot ♥♥♥♥
Setting ♥♥♥♥
Character ♥♥♥♥♥

Overall ♥♥♥♥

Wow! I absolutely loved reading the book. At first I was skeptical about reading a book that revolves around blogging - but once I started I could not stop. This book is honestly so relatable (not that I personally am at the level as the bloggers in the book) and it really outlines the subject of online life in contrast to real life. This book really brings out the reality of how fame can also exist online and how online fame can also be as damaging as other types of fame (such as movie stars, artists etc).

The characters in this book are SO well developed - even the side characters - and this is one of the main things I like about this book. I love character driven novels and although there is a consistent plot line, this book is all about character relationships and the dynamics of their lives. Each of the three main characters (Elle, Abi, and Leisel) are so different from one another and for that they really stand out. One particular blogger was so unlikeable and yet also this made her likeable - she was such a complex character.

I have not read any other books about fame in blogging - so this really was a breath of fresh air to read. I'm glad I agreed to take part in the blog tour because I haven't read such a attention-grabbing book in a long time. The only reason I have given this 4 stars out of 5, is that it was actually a bit hard to get into at first - but the characters did keep me hooked and eventually I got sucked into their worlds. Excellent story and writing - I will be reading more of this author hopefully!

Pastel Dreams (palette) - Unboxing and swatches in pics

2019-06-18T14:08:00.000+01:00

Hi all!

I recently purchased Prima Marketing Inc's Pastel Dreams Watercolor Confections palette as I've been seeing this brand all over Instagram. I knew I just had to get one for myself - these travel sized palettes looked delicious. So yesterday, I finally received it in the post and I was so excited to open it! I love this palette so much, I wanted to share with your my unboxing, unwrapping, and swatching process.

Initial Thoughts

When I first opened my package, the box that came out was quite small, and the palette inside was even smaller. I didn't mind so much as this meant I could use this palette on my travels. The little black tin the palette is in feels so compact in the palm of my hand - and I love this feeling. Opening the tin, I was greeting by this view:

It is so absolutely cute! All the paint pans are individually wrapped and slotted into place - and I just love the colourful range of paints. I was so excited to start unwrapping theses!

Unwrapping process

At first, unwrapping each paint pan was fun and exciting, but then about 4 pans later I found it a bit tedious... although I reckon some people might find this action relaxing - but my fingers tend to be a bit clumsy when opening small things. Here is the ultimate unwrapping process in pictures:

Each pan fits snuggly between my fingers - they are very small as you can see

as well as unwrapping the paper wrapping there is also plastic wrapping to take off- which is kind of a shame that there is so much plastic wrap in here.

Side note: I love the names these colours have been given - they are not traditional watercolour names!

Unwrapping these shades of pink was heaven - they are so beautiful!

Here are all the pans unwrapped - the pastel range is gorgeous - especially the blues and pinks.

Swatching process

Swatching a new paint palette is always a thrilling experience - especially when you don't know yet how the paints will play out on the page. Swatching is important as it allows you to understand what the actual colour looks like on paper. It will help you choose what colours you want when painting.

Here are some pictures of my swatching process:

my fave colours are: no. 39, 40, 42, 46 and 48

And finally, here are a set of three mini paintings I have done using this palette (these paintings will be up on my shop in July):

Overall thoughts:

Overall this is a really cute set. The quality of the paints are lovely and thick - however they are not quite as good as my normal set that I used for creating paintings. I think this set is perfect for hobbyists and for things such as scrap-booking, journal-ling or simply just for fun!

If you like the look of these paints or the paintings I did - please do leave a comment below!

Art and Stationary Wish List!

2019-05-31T13:01:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone! As you probably know by now – I have recently got into art again. Particularly watercolour art. As such, I am always roaming social media and amazon for cool art supplies. There are so many amazing products out there (and some naff ones too) that I really want to buy (but I need to watch my spending) – so I have created a wish list instead!! Here are a few of the things that I have my eyes on - if you are a stationary addict like me, please leave a comment!!

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour Paints (36 Colour Set)

There are lots of good reviews of this paint set which looks amazing – just love the colour range and I am so tempted to press ‘buy now’!

Professional Watercolour Paint Set - 24 Vibrant Pans + 1 Blending Brush Pen – Creative Peak

WOW – this set is a really good price and they look gorgeous!!

Prima Marketing Watercolour Pans:

Tropicals

Shimmering Lights

They look STUNNING and so cute. Just love the colour range.

KMS watercolour pans! (Etsy)

I love watched her mix and make paints on her Instagram page – I have just purchased a set of dot cards to test them out. However, I would love some pans such as this one:

Glitz water colour set

Pastel Tombow pens

These pastel pens look gorgeous – Tombow are an expensive brand and I have never owned one of their pens yet!

Castle art waterbrush set

I adore waterbrush pens as an alternative to traditional paints – I have seen these about on the internet and they look really cool. However, I am quite happy with my MozartSupplies set and I am afraid of trying out other brands!

MozArt Supplies Dual Tip Brush Pen Marker Set - 24 Colours - Flexible Brush & Fineliner Tips

I have the 12 set but wish I’d got the 24 set as they are SO good. Love how they blend with water!

Set of six drawing pens

They look so good and are not too expensive! I only have a pack of three sakura pigma ones.

Clairefontaine Fontaine Cold Pressed Watercolour Pad, Wirebound

(bought this a while ago and it has amazing quality watercolour paper!!)

Mega Box Karin Brush Marker Pro Brushpens Water Based Ideal for Painting, Drawing and Hand Lettering

I have seen these all over Instagram and they look SO good!!! But super expensive.

And for now - that is it. But trust me, there are LOADS more things that I just WANT WANT WANT!!!

Who else feels this way.

Comment below if you have a stationary wish list of your own!

-Lena

Card Swap! - a blogger collaboration

2019-05-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

Hi all! I have something super exciting for you today - something I have never done before.

Earlier this month, Lauren (blog name: Bournemouth Girl) and I planned to do a card swap! I have never sent anyone I met on social media some HAND-MADE cards in return for HAND-MADE cards to be sent to me as well! For those of you who like to be creative and artsy, this was a really fun project - I was excited to see what Lauren had made for me, and I am excited to know what Lauren thinks of the postcards I sent to her! Receiving her package in the post was like Christmas all over again.

And now without further ado, here are the pretty cards Lauren designed for me:

My Thoughts:

Art Work: I really love the clean, simple yet pretty designs on these cards. They are very soothing to look at - and I can clearly see the message in each card. I love the lettering - the black against the colour around it.
Quality: The quality of paper and ink is really good - the card is thick and the ink stands out very well.
The messages behind these cards are very motivational and inspirational - it is always a pleasure to have these kind of positive vibes alive around you - and especially in art form.
Currently I am now using these three cards for myself! I have pinned them up onto my work inspiration board - and it's such a lovely touch to my daily work life!
My favourite thing about all of these cards is the bright colours and illustrations - my favourite is the bee one - all the smiling bees makes me smile as well!

Overall, I really enjoyed doing the card swap - I really hope Lauren likes the postcards I sent her and I cannot wait to hear her thoughts!

If you'd like to get to know Lauren better, here are her links:

Blog - Bournemouth Girl
Twitter
Instagram

Psttt - if you want to know what postcards I sent Lauren, do visit her blog! ;)

April 2019 monthly wrap-up

2019-05-14T17:12:00.002+01:00

April wrap- up

Hello all! So this is coming a bit late (late? It’s midway through May!) – but I wanted to share what I got up to in April. Not much in terms of reading although I visited three different coffee shops, but I did a whole lot of art so there will be lots of artsy pics! PLUS I set up my own shop which is a huge step - it is called Art by Lena and you can find it here! Plus I have set up a Freebies page – so you can save my designs for your personal use.

Blog Posts:

So I managed to do 4 blog posts which is quite good for me…

PLUS - a guest post for Brighter Craft:

HOW TO USE WATERBRUSH PENS TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK

Here are the tutorials I did for the blog post:

Artsy pieces (comment below which is your faves!):

What's in my BuJo?! (Jan - Apr)

2019-05-02T16:09:00.000+01:00

What's in my BuJo?! (Jan - Apr)

Front page: Simple, sleek design. Easy on the eyes!

January, February, March, and April pages! I use waterbrush or dual end markers as well as washi tape for decor.

Next up: Random pages such as goals (did not achieve much! but working on it :) ), little art doodles, and a page showcasing my washi tapes! I have also used my Wish Upon a Star sticker I made!

And that's it guys! I will showcase my May progress at the end of the month!!

Also whilst you are here - please do check out my Etsy page!!

p.s sorry for a few blurry images!

Thanks for reading, if you liked what you saw, please do leave a message below :)

Fiction Review: Sleep

2019-04-26T13:38:00.001+01:00

Blurb:

All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret, but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they're on the island. There's a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they've set their sights on Anna.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up…

Artsy Giveaway 01 - NOW CLOSED

2019-04-11T21:26:00.000+01:00

Hello and welcome to my first ever artsy giveaway!

As part of this competition I am giving FOUR winners a bundle of one of each: One round sticker, one small sticker, an A5 art print, and a paper bookmark! Scroll down to see pictures of what you might be winning.

First - the rules!

To be in a chance to enter - follow my twitter page @lenasnotebook, and like + RT the pinned tweet about the giveaway. And lastly, please also comment on said tweet with the title of your favourite book and one line on why you liked it :) (Note: this giveaway is only running on twitter)

This giveaway runs all weekend - winners will be chosen on Monday (3 UK winners and 1 international)

Good luck!

And now, the prizes:

One of each!

art prints and matching square stickers

paper bookmarks

and my fave... stickers!

example on how you can make use of the round sticker - I have used it as part of my bullet journal and have done a spider diagram around it!

Thank you for visiting and entering the giveaway! Whilst you are here, please check out my monthly wrap-ups to see more of my artwork!:

With love,

Lena

Fiction Review: Nobody's Wife

2019-04-05T13:00:00.000+01:00

Nobody's Wife - Laura Pearson

Blurb:

Emily and Josephine have always shared everything. They’re sisters, flatmates, and best friends. It’s the two of them against the world.

When Emily has the perfect wedding, and Josephine finds the perfect man, they know things will change forever. But nothing can prepare them for what, or who, one of them is willing to give up for love.

Four people. Three couples. Two sisters. One unforgivable betrayal.

From the best-selling author of Missing Pieces comes a heart-wrenching story about family, loyalty, and obsession that will have you racing to the finish.

Review:

Quality of Writing ♥♥♥♥

Originality ♥♥

Plot ♥♥♥♥

Setting ♥♥♥♥

Character ♥♥♥♥

Overall ♥♥♥♥

Nobody’s wife is a well-written, lyrical novel but without sounding over pretentious. It is a character driven novel – there is a small plot element that adds to the character dynamics, but the characters mainly ARE the plot itself. Without giving anything away, the story centres on infidelity and the act of betrayal between siblings. These are two very unoriginal tropes which at first was a bit disappointing but it was as easy read, and the writing made it bearable! I did find it quite emotional at times – it really is a hard-hitting topic that mustn’t be written or read lightly.

I have a slight issue with this book. There is an abortion scene in it which I believe was not well-written. It was too short and abrupt – and I think something so trivial cannot be skimmed over. There was no emotion in the scene or between the two characters involved. It was barely mentioned again in the book. I just feel it lacked depth or meaning and that made me feel sad and annoyed.

Moving on, the ending also, in my opinion, made the whole book feel pointless and flat. However, I can understand that this book was just about the infefility – there doesn’t need to be much more added to the story. The ending, however, was also really sad and shocking – making this a rather depressing read!

That said, the writing was generally good throughout – especially the first half. I liked the mysterious tone throughout and how the narrative switched between the four main characters. I couldn’t put the book down – it was a depressing, but engrossing book to read and I really wanted to finish it. I loved the tension between the characters, and the chemistry between the two sisters.

Overall the whole story leaves you feeling sad – but in a good way that good writing should make you feel – especially over a topic like this.

Overall: 4 stars

March 2019 wrap-up

2019-04-02T11:55:00.000+01:00

Hello! It’s that time of the month again – a wrap-up of last month! What did I get up to? Well, to be honest, March went by so fast, yet it seemed I have not achieved much. I only read one book! And published only 4 blog posts (on the plus side, one of them is a proper lifestyle theme blog post)!

However, I went to three different coffee shops (discovered one right in the town where I live!) AND I did loads of artsy stuff which I am excited to show you all!

Now, without further ado…

Blog Posts:

Book Log:

Nobody’s Wife – Laura Pearson

This is the only book I finished this month, and it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read. I loved the writing and the sibling dynamics in this book, and I also loved that fact it was a character driven novel (love these types of slow burners!) – but I have so many mixed feelings about how unoriginal the topic was, and at the end I was left feeling stumped – like what was the point of the whole thing? I need to publish my full review of it still!

Coffee Log:

Daisy’s in The Park (Pinner)

This is such a cute place, but the coffee shop was in a temporary space as they are renovating the real building. Coffee was okay – the surroundings are LOVELY as it is based inside a pretty park. Such a nice place to come.

Some pics:

Miriam’s Munchies Coffee (or MM Coffee. Harrow)

So this place is my new favourite place for local coffee – and it’s in my hometown! It’s been here for 4 years and I never knew! The coffee is gorgeous, the blueberry and lemon cake I had was delicious (and I don’t even like fruit in cakes!) and the décor is really trendy without being pretentious. It’s a really nice place to hang out – quiet and on the edge of the town centre. The staff are lovely and made the whole aesthetic of an indie coffee shop complete. I’ve been here twice this month and would go here more often if I could (they shut way too early and also on Sundays too!)

Some pics:

The Doll's House (Harrow on the Hill)

This place is gorgeous to look at – lovely exteriors, pretty interiors – BUT the coffee was horrendous and everything is overpriced. I think the prices are atrocious for the quality you get – and sad to say I don’t think I will come here again (which is a shame because it’s really pretty and the setting is really nice too).

Some pics:

Artsy adventures:

I focused on my art a lot last month (and plan to continue to do so in April) – I’ve bought so many new art things and I’ve been playing around with colours and designs. Always a bit too eager to get straight stuck in!

Here’s what I got up to in March:

Thank you for reading my post - I hope you found it interesting!

15 ways on how to...

2019-03-22T14:21:00.001+00:00

When you start a new job everything is fun and refreshing as you take in your new surroundings and take on tasks you have not done before. You are learning new processes, learning how to interact with different people, you are alert and aware of the space around you and it fuels your passion to take in new information easily. The excitement of being in a job you’ve worked so hard to get flows through your body and the energy in you is like a kid with a new toy.

However, eventually you will settle right in and perhaps you will feel yourself start to relax into a bored state. You will find it hard to stay motivated to do the same thing each week day in and day out and as such your performance may start to slip. You don’t mean to do this – sometimes it just happens – and it’s happened to me. My attention and focus is easily distracted – there are 101 things I wish I could be doing (fun things like art, eating, watching Netflix) other than my work.

That said, I love my job and I love that every contribution to every task that I do is worthwhile and important to the company. I love how I can be flexible with my tasks and how some days are more hectic than others – but then there are the slow days where I find it hard to even move a limb! To combat this, I have to create ways in which I can keep on top of tasks and my daily job.

Today I have decided to write up my methods on how I stay organised and motivated at work and share it with all my readers – a lot of you of whom are in their first/second jobs.

Write down your days tasks – do this either as soon as you get in the morning or after looking at your emails from overnight – or the evening before. Sometimes I like doing it the night before I leave for home, so when I get to work the next day I feel more at ease knowing what I’ve got to work on!

Separate/allocate your tasks into morning and afternoon (or before lunch and after lunch) – setting this timeline really helps you to get a move on to complete your tasks within schedule.

Use a code or colour system to highlight urgent tasks – this will jump out from the page and will help you navigate between big and small tasks.

Leave enough space on your to-do list page or keep a separate notepad to jot down ideas or to further break down tasks into easier segments throughout the day. I use a separate notebook to write meeting minutes, and if I need to plan a blog post or social media campaign I will jot down ideas on a free page or a separate notebook – don’t jumble everything into one space!

Make or desk as tidy and aesthetically pleasing as you can before you start your day. The open space will give you freedom to breathe and assess your day ahead. Neat desks will also help to keep you calm.

Be colourful and creative – use coloured pens and highlighters to brighten up your task list! Not everything has to be grey and boring.

Keep all your files in a neat folder system with appropriate names so you can retrieve things quickly and efficiently when needed.

Know and be aware of your surroundings – whos who and where do they sit?

Blog Tour: Your Guilty Secret

2019-03-13T10:59:00.000+00:00

Blurb (taken from Amazon UK):

An intense thriller that explores the dark side of fame and family. Perfect for fans of Laura Marshall, Lisa Jewell and Louise Jensen.

You know Lara King.

The top billing of the showbiz pages, you've seen her every morning; over your breakfast, on your commute to work. You know everything about her; you've dissected her life.

Her perfect relationship with film-star Matthew Raine. Her beautiful six-year old daughter Ava.

And so when a terrible incident shatters the family's carefully constructed facade, a media frenzy ensues.

What happens when the perfect woman begins to unravel? When her whole life is really just a lie? One she will do anything she can to stop you from finding out?

This story is . . .

YOUR GUILTY SECRET.

Review:

Confession: I haven't yet finished reading it, BUT I am halfway through and so far I am loving it. I love how the story focuses on the trials and tribulations of being famous and always having to watch yourself in public eye. The idea that when being famous, you cannot even be yourself even in your own home.

The story is slow going, and bits and pieces of Lara's life and past trickles through the pages. Told through Lara's eyes and through the blog of an avid fan, this is a rather interesting book, and whilst it is slow going, I really do want to get to the end of it!

If you are not sure whether you are interested in reading this or not, please do read the excerpt below to find out what to expect!

Excerpt:

Ryans-world.com Entry: August 26th, 1600hrs Author: Ryan

Guys, I'm here. Right near the spot where she disappeared. Well, as close as we're allowed. The forensics, they've taped off an entire area. They're on their hands and knees sweeping up tyre tracks and it's looking like something out of the Burning Man Festival. I'm standing about three yards from the Sky News van. You might even be able to see me if you switch on the TV now. I'm wearing a white T-shirt. Denim cut-offs. I'm waving. See me? Look closely, because I'm not sure you'll be able to hear much of the report. The noise, you see. The helicopters with heat-seeking equipment, flying over the canyon droning in and out of earshot.

There are dogs too, sniffing around for little Ava King. I saw them in the distance, over by the police cars. Their noses were pressed into a small pink cardigan and then they were ushered out into the rocks. 'Go. Find her, Cyrus,' I heard one policewoman yell. I saw her fingers, crossed tight behind her back.

They'll be sniffing out a sweet scent, I reckon. Almonds and coconut milk. She looks like she'd smell like that, doesn't she? Pure and perfect and so innocent. Although I have to keep reminding myself that I don't know actually know her IRL.

They're really working those animals, though. They're crawl ing around the place, going down the ravines, under rocks, mouths foaming white in the heat. The police are scraping the ground with sticks, shouting her name and you have to think that if she's got lost around here, they've ploughed enough resources into giving her the best hope of being found.

Everyone's here too. The public, I mean. Like, thousands and thousands of people. Already. It's fucking crazy and the media vans, they keep screeching up along the road, clanking around to see where they can set up their big satellite dishes, and who can slick on their frosted pink lipstick the fastest.

We're all suffocating with the heat but people are giving out free bottles of water and sandwiches and stuff. 'Feeding the five thousand.' That's what I heard one person say.

The most screwed-up thing is that I reckon when she disappeared there was no one around. For miles and miles. It's end less here. Some of the view obscured by trees and bushes. I'm looking down now at all the shrubs, a patchwork of grey, brown and green. Six years old and all alone. Her heart must be going batshit in her little chest.

All this shouting and screaming isn't gonna be of any use though, not if someone's taken her. She won't be anywhere near here. That's what I heard the Sky News woman say. Apparently Lara reported hearing a car drive off.

Women, men, children, they're all weeping, shouting, 'Ava, Ava.' Flies buzz all over the place, their thick black bodies pressing themselves right in my ear. But I'm sure she's OK. She said so, didn't she? Lara. She said in her press conference that she was sure her little girl was fine. That she was clinging on to hope.

It's weird, cos they don't look like they think she's fine. They've blocked all the roads and I heard some detective shouting about the interstate. Three hours he was saying. If we don't find her in three hours.

Then what? I wanted to shout. Then what?

Anyway, they want me to speak! On camera! Imagine that. Me, the school geek always behind my computer and now I'm racking up traffic like a shit-storm and I'm going to be on live TV! Holy shitaake!

OK, so guys, I'm going to be your number one destination throughout the investigation. Check here first for all the latest and I promise you, I'll be here with all the exclusives. You all know how much I love Lara and Ava. I'm devastated but I'll do my best to be a good gatekeeper.

Anyway, gotta drink some water. My mouth is so dry. Be right back after. Tune in.

Here with the latest updates on missing Ava King, brought to you by Lara and Ava King's number one fan.

Twitter: @ryan_gosling_wannabe

10 things I’ve learnt as a Book Blogger

2019-03-12T13:32:00.000+00:00

1 – E-books are so good and useful!

Especially as a book blogger where I get to read ARCs – physical ARCs can be quite chunky and heavy sometimes so it is good to have an e-copy which I can read quickly on my nook device.

2 – Reading other people’s blogs and their thoughts on books they’ve read is fun!

I discover so many cool people and so many opinions from a range of people – it is nice to hear someone else’s thoughts on a book you’ve been wanting to read. Just gives you the clarification that you defo need to read it!

One book blogger’s whose reviews I particularly like to read is… Books on the 474

3 – I’ve learnt to appreciate writing more as a solid skill.

It’s not easy putting your thoughts into actual words that will make sense to the outside world. And I am sure it is the same for all other bloggers. So I have come to appreciate the skill of writing, and writing well.

One blogger whose writing and content I greatly admire is… Hannah

4 – Blogging is time-consuming… but so worth it!

It takes ages not just to write the post and then edit it, but also to make the graphics for the blog post and social media cards. I love making my graphics on Canva and I’ve learnt so much about branding and design already.

One blogger whose graphics I love is… Ashes Books and Bobs

5 – I’ve put myself out there in the blogging community and have felt the support of the community as a whole.

There are so many hashtags and accounts that are really good at supporting bloggers. They do follow chains, blog swaps, and RT your content.

One twitter account that is really supportive and helpful is… The Bloggers Tribe (Also more for book bloggers is The Write Reads with their Review of the Day tweets!)

Relevant Post: Ten Book Series I Loved as a Young Girl

6 – I’ve finally been invited to a blogger event this year! I’ve learnt that working hard on my blog lands me in the eye-line of publicity teams.

In February I attended Bonnier Zaffre’s Women of History blogger brunch and I SO LOVED IT! I got to meet Heather Morris, author of Tattooist of Auschwitz and got a book signed by her. You can see the pictures from the event in my February wrap-up post.

Visit Bonnier Zaffre’s Twitter

7 – I’ve learnt how to connect with bloggers and how to build up a good, respectable profile.

This is good because I can now use my personal account to help with publicity for the company I work for!

8 – Social media is important for reach and engagement – but at the same time you shouldn’t let it take over your life.

I’m only on twitter at the moment, but I do have Instagram for random pictures of books, my art, and lots of pictures of my coffee mornings! I am adamant not to overuse social media – although I am on twitter a lot! This is where my blog gets most traffic from. I’ve heard Pinterest is good too, but right now I only have brain capacity for one main platform.

One blogger who has a really good Bookstagram is @juliasbookcase

9 – There are lots of really kind and like-minded people out there!

I think without the blogging world, we would be missing out on getting to know some really cool people we may not have met in real life – or ever meet in real life. It’s not easy meeting like-minded people IRL so meeting them online and through their writing is a big plus.

One blogger who is really kind and supportive is… Laura Bisericanu (plus one other - L.M. Durand)

10 – Our work as bloggers is important to drive book sales (and sales of other products for those who blog about other things like fashion/make-up/days out etc.)

I’ve seen a lot of publicity campaigns by publishers that have ensured their books have reached top spots in the charts. A lot is also down to us bloggers who rave about the books and spread the word round through our blogger circles.

Thank you for reading my post – and to those who have continued to support and inspire me. Blogging has been an incredible journey and I hope it continues to do so!

Lena's Notebook

3 reasons why you really should take up a creative hobby.

Top Ten books I've read in 2023

1. Yellowface by Rebecca F.Kuang

2. The List by Yomi Adegoke

3. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

4. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Muraka

5. Kim Jiyoung, born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

5. Kim Jiyoung, born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

6. Brown girls by Daphme Palasi Andreades

7. What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

8. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee, translated by Anton Hur

9. Days at The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

10. Do You Dream of Terra-Two by Temi-Oh

My top 5 small business tips: Part One

The Shelf: Review

5 things I love about running my own business...

Number One: BEING MY OWN BOSS

Number Two: YOU GOT A SALE!

Number Three: PACKAGING ORDERS

Number Four: It gives you your own SENSE OF PURPOSE and a distraction from life

Number Five: SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT

What I've read so far whilst in lock-down...

Mother’s Day Gift Guide – Etsy and Small Business guide

Wall Art by ZoeWare

Handmade Candles by Sunflowr Dog Resin

Hand-crafted Necklaces by Imogen

Notebooks and Stationary from Glitter & Earth

Postcards and Greeting cards from Let it Bloom Art

Magical and witchy bookmarks from AlmaMagicsArt

Jewellery Boxes by Resinateartuk

Wall hangings by Grace Eve Art

Embroidered gifts from Jade Illustrates

Coasters and Resin Art from Iluminarts

Step by Step Crescent Moon – using waterbrush pens

Step one:

Step two:

Step three:

Step four:

Step five:

Step six:

Step seven:

Step eight:

If you try this tutorial out, don’t forget to tag me on twitter! @lenasnotebookThanks very much for reading my tutorial and I hope you have fun doing some art!

How to be Perfect - Blog Tour

Blurb:

Review:

Mini Indie Shop Haul!

Water-brush Pens - Art Tutorial

How to use Waterbrush Pens to create beautiful artwork

By Lena Mistry

Supplies list:

Tutorial 1 – Florals

Tutorial 2 – loose roses

Tutorial 3 – Mini landscape discs

5 Fave London Coffee Shops

5 – The Coffee Works Project

4 – Barista on the Other Side

3 – 93°C

2 – Harris & Hoole Uxbridge

1 – Tintico

Blog Tour - The Mummy Bloggers

REVIEW:

Pastel Dreams (palette) - Unboxing and swatches in pics

Initial Thoughts

Unwrapping process

Related post: Art and Stationary Wish-list

Swatching process

Overall thoughts:

Art and Stationary Wish List!

Prima Marketing Watercolour Pans:

KMS watercolour pans! (Etsy)

Card Swap! - a blogger collaboration

My Thoughts:

April 2019 monthly wrap-up

April wrap- up

Blog Posts:

Related Post: March 2019 wrap-up

Book Log:

Coffee Log: