It's warm. The paddling pool is out and the trampoline in full use. Am in the garden and thinking about Christmas - weird, very weird. Since January of this year, I've been all about painting. I dedicated myself to making new canvases and seeing where that took me. I work best when multi-working, drawings, paintings and printmaking on the go altogether. Earlier this year I set myself a mantra - or rather my lovely pal Janie of Glamhatters set me a specific goal (We did some dual microcoaching on one another - which was spectacularly successful I might add, do it) which was to 'Focus, then focus on Focusing' she knows me well. I wrote my goal all over my studio, my fridge, my workbooks, my children, the lot. I did focus down on one discipline and I'm really pleased with the results. (thank you Janie) Now we are in the 6th month of the year and my once-every-few-months telephone calls to the galleries that I supply, are telling me that my existing artworks with them are either wearing thin, or due to for a rejig. Cue thoughts about what I'm going to be sending them in my mid September send out, then again for the mid November top up. Hmmm. Time for a studio switch over. From easel to press, from acrylic paint to ink. Today I was planning to organise my studio and get ready for making works that will be popular in the autumn, but am at home due to an off-colour child that is currently eating quesadilla and watching telly with a cricked neck, funnily enough my neck is also cricked. Nice. This unexpected time lends itself rather beautifully to planning. Am set to spend the day looking at sales from last year and making a list of works I'd serve myself well to make this year. Over to you - what thing did you make last year that went down stormingly well not only for sales, but perhaps you made as Christmas gifts? I'd love to know. In the meantime, I'll be the one over here drawing reindeer in the sunshine. Best, Samantha