I'm giving birth*, and you're invited to attend!

One of many paisley patterns I designed during our recent stay in Wellington

I am having a baby.

* Like this woman from Canada, I am inviting the world to attend.

I promise that my birthing experience will be a little more gentle and fun though. So why would you do it? Some people actually like giving birth, and why not?

So the baby that I am producing is not actually a human, but it is definitely the result of a long and at times difficult labour (of love). Yes, I am about to give birth to my wonderful e-book about gift-making, without a Martha Stewart project in sight. (Not that I have anything against Martha).

We just came back from Wellington and we are just about finished fully unpacking, and putting away things from the past (some are going straight in the bin, as we wondered why we went to the trouble to carry them back). Every box is empty, but things are not quite in their place, but getting there. It is very therapeutic, putting our little lives back in order again.

We liken our time in Wellington to the birth canal: difficult and stormy, but something great is coming. And I have to say despite everything, our time in Wellington was very productive and definitely a time of growth, you can't keep a dedicated artist down. Limited to what I had on hand, I did not stop making art. Instead I continued to work on my Paisley series - I created many, many paisley designs. And now I can not help being struck by how fetus-like paisleys are. They are like little creatures curled up in the womb.

And of course, the work website has been redone, with a whole new focus, the other work website fixed up, and the e-book is nearly ready, along with its related projects: website, tutorial videos, iphone app(s) etc. I am so excited and a little scared about the upcoming birth, as you would be. And I need to consider how natural all of this should be, or should I induce the release of the ebook before or after I finish the iphone app and related babies, exactly how much help should I call on from outside sources, will it be a multiple birth or a series of births one after the other?

So during the next few months I will be giving birth to this amazing project, which I had no idea I would be involved in this time 6 months ago. And I invite you to attend. Because hopefully I will be able to post every last detail right here, both the agony and the ecstacy.