Certificated…

…which kind of sounds a lot better than “certified”, which is rather close to “certifiable” which I may possibly be – who knows? As I keep saying, being normal is over-rated and I’m proud to have a collection of quirky friends and to be deemed a little quirky myself.

However, the reason I am writing this blog post is to share the fact that I passed my art course! I now have an NCFE Level 2 in Art and Design; which is the equivalent of a GCSE, and it makes me probably unreasonably excited that I have now achieved it.

It’s been a two year course and if you’ve followed this blog at all, I have kept posting bits and bobs about it throughout that time. We’ve now continued the group at a local community centre on a much more informal basis – so we still have time to paint, chat and enjoy each other’s company, which is just as important as achieving a qualification.

Also, things are getting busy in my writing world as I’ve just signed a contract with Joffe Books, under the Choc Lit imprint, for the fourth book in the lovely Padcock series – this one includes the Padcock’s Got Talent show at the summer fayre, so it was great fun to come up with some random acts to put on that stage – but it’s ‘not the pyramid stage at Glastonbury’ as the organisers keep reminding everyone.

Alongside that, I have started writing the fifth book in the Pencradoc series. I have a long way to go with it and if I can get it written and submitted by February, it’s got a good chance of becoming my 2024 Christmas book. But as always, I have to get my bum on that seat and carve out the time to do it. I’m almost a quarter of the way through which sounds good to say – but there is a lot to do yet. Wish me luck, and I’ll check in again and report back on how it’s going when I get a chance!