I am going somewhere with all of this. Somewhere that has nothing to do with scrapbooking or card making.

I want to use authentic objects in my mixed-media work - real stamps, real photos, real postcards, real books - not just photocopies and reproductions

I want to use personal objects in my work - things that have come from my life, such as stamps that came from a letter I received, train tickets from journeys I have made, religious icons from missal cards I collected as a child

I want to say something with my work. I want to express my feelings and experiences, my wishes and desires

This stage is about research. I am gaining experience, learning techniques, gathering inspiration and collecting materials. I am building my confidence. I am on a road and it goes somewhere. I don't know where it goes, but I know a road when I see one.