When planning a trip, I put more thought into what I will do on the plane, train, whilst waiting in airports, stations and in quiet moments on holiday, than almost any other aspect of the trip. I have to get that planned well in advance, only then can I think about clothes and what the place will have to offer.
I will be taking my Scrap Happy blanket to crochet – yes you can take crochet hooks on board a plane. I have done so many times. (Just in case I meet with a problem, I take a cheap old plastic hook that I wouldn’t mind losing, keeping a better one tucked away in my case).
There needs to be an alternative to crochet as well. At first I thought I would take this 11″ x 11″ sketchbook in which I have painted some backgrounds,
but it is rather big and heavy, so I bought two 6 x 6 inch sketch books, one with black paper, one with white, and some gel pens intending to draw some small mandalas.
I’m not sure if the airline will be happy with a compass, hence an old CD to draw round. 
I drew some circles in preparation
and could not resist having a quick doodle.
and another
I remembered the ‘false writing’ Julie Balzer had shown us on the Whimsical Collage Workshop
It is such fun to do
These mandalas were not turning out at all as I had originally planned. I thought I would re-visit Alisa Burke’s superb online Mandala Magic Course, that I first took back in July 2015. She has so many wonderful online classes. I can highly recommend them – Alisa is very generous with all of her tips, techniques and ideas. Once you have bought a class you have unlimited access to it forever.
I was on a roll and enjoying this more minimalist form, keeping to the CD as the basis of the patterns – it feels like it might turn into a little series – I’m fantasizing about how I will frame them as a group …….
But Stop! This is supposed to be for when I’m travelling.
Luckily there are 40 pages in each book.
Reluctantly I have put them away for now.
What do you take with you to do when you are travelling?
Ravelry
Wild Daffodil 
I take a good book and my headphones. Nothing as clever as this
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I do wish I could concentrate on reading a book – it just doesn’t seem to happen nowadays.
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Must be the wrong book
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Not that I shall be going anywhere, but I am definitely with you on getting all the ‘things to do’ ready before I think about what clothes to take on a trip
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😉
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I am always worried about my knitting needles on the planes, as I travel from Johannesburg to Europe most of the time. So i do not take that chance. I try and read or watch a movie, but I do find the flights extremely long. I can not sleep on the plane, no matter how hard I try. 🙂 Maybe I shall consider drawing on the next one, it is a fabulous idea.
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I have seen people knitting on planes – so hard to know what is going to be ok isn’t it. I can’t sleep on planes either – except one blissful time when I had three seats to myself on the way to America!
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If only we were always so lucky, to get a row of seats. I once had a row of seats on a KLM flight, but it was a short hop from Amsterdam to Paris, so I had time to eat a sandwich and have a coldrink. 🙂 It was an exit row even, so a lot of space. Best flight ever.
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You are well organised! I used to be but now just wing it. Also I don’t travel much any more so am probably out of practise. Last time I went to America they threatened to take my fully loaded circular needles off me so I’m not sure I’d risk them if travelling that way. I recently signed up to Audible and so my phone and headphones would be a top requirement. I have been wondering about a good art class to get me back into mixed media – Alisa Burke shall be checked out.
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Airlines really ought to get together and create a worldwide code of practice around crafting on planes – although if they did, maybe they would just ban everything so they didn’t have to discuss it! It must have been a scary prospect to lose all that work.
Did you look at Julie Balzer’s online classes?
I think she is Queen of Mixed Media – although I have never bought one of her online classes, so can’t speak from experience. Trawling through her website might give you a kickstart to begin with.
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Yes I did and was really disappointed – it was just a hurried verbal talk at you instruction thing that contained nothing I didn’t know. Maybe I chose the wrong tutorial, but it left me cold. I’m still looking – so far all the ones that really interest me are too expensive sadly. But there will be something, somewhere 🙂
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Gosh, what a disappointment. I am really surprised.
I was very happy with Alisa Burke’s Mandala class, but less thrilled with the Altered Photograph one. If you want to do any of her classes it might be best to wait for when she does some offers. She did some great discounts over Christmas, so it might be a while before she does more.
Good luck with your search. Have you seen any of France Papillon’s videos? https://www.france-papillon.com
I used to watch them a lot, just love her gentle soothing voice-over.
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Ah, thanks for that tip – I’ll keep an eye out. Yes, I know France – though I haven’t watched her for a few years now. I’ll follow your link as I should check her out again. I have done courses with Tam LaPorte in the past – her lifebook was really worth the outlay and I am wondering if I might sign up for another one next year if I don’t find anything else to get me out of the arty doldrums in the meantime. Thank you for your thoughts 🙂
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I had not heard of Tam LaPorte before – thank you for introducing me.
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Life Book is one on-line (year long) course I can highly recommend if you love mixed media 🙂
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Thank you for the recommendation Pauline. ❤ 🙂
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I had to laugh ruefully at this as I had my cabin bag sidelined and rummaged through at Toulouse Airport on Wednesday as I thought I’d bring a crochet hook and a ball of yarn over to the U.k. with me 😒 They let me through but only after my knickers for the week had been exhibited to the rest of the shamed people who had tried to smuggle more than 100g of liquid through.
I wouldn’t mind but I thought Id just make a dishcloth or something in a quiet moment but, so far I’ve had to frog it twice as the sides aren’t straight.
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Oh no! How very annoying. I have learnt not to carry tea bags in the Cabin Bag – they required intense investigation on one trip.
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Books, books, books. Paperbacks.And often magazines. “The New Yorker” has traveled with me many a time. Finally, a notebook for jotting down notes. Different avenues for different types of creativity. 😉
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Yes, I can see why Books for you Laurie – I don’t read books much any more (I read blogs!) but I kinda miss that glorious feeling of being immersed in a story. I’m not sure why they don’t hold my attention anymore.
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Your flying fingers are too busy creating things. Different ways of being creative, and yay to them all!
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Yes I think thst is part of it. I listen to radio comedies and dramas a lot whilst crafting. Creativity is so important to everyone – I’ll join in wit your Yay!!! 🙂
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I am the same way! Even when I went to the Sate Fair for work (12-14 hour days) I had to have two audio books for the car, hand work, a piano book, and sometimes I brought a tub with my current sewing project, iron and machine! It is amazing how comforting and relaxing doing five minutes of something you really enjoy is. Now I make sure I have a book on my ipad, knitting and handwork. Even when we camp! I love your sketch books, they are exactly what I would think of for you to bring. You will have fun with them!
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Love it! Iron and machine! You do my kind of travelling Kathy – if I go away in the car, it is stuffed to the roof with crafting materials. 🙂
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I always plan my holidays around crafting and take at the very least a small crochet project whenever I go any where. I also often take blank watercolour postcards and a pack of watercolour pencils. I usually base the card on something humerous or interesting that I have seen or has happened on the journey/ departure. Then I have a card ready to send my family on arrival. Think I am now going to nick your idea of using a CD and case to make mandelas. Such a great idea and yours look beautiful.That seems like a lovely relaxing way to occupy travel and holiday time.
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So many of us of like mind. 😀
What a great idea to create amusing postcards to send to the family. I might pinch that one! Good swap!
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I take hexies. Lots of 2.5″ squares of fabric, lots of hexagon papers, thread, a small needle and my aeroplane scissors, which have blades about a quarter of an inch long, with round tips. I crank out hexagons ferociously, and then start joining them into flowers. It always starts conversations in the airport and on the plane.The sewing kit fits into a tiny tiny and the papers and fabric into a very small ziploc bag, so it’s a handy size for hand luggage.
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Perfect kit!
I love the idea of your rapid production line. I have some folding scissors with blades under 4″ long, which is what the rules state – but even the security guards often don’t know this. Only the ones checking the X-rays seem to know what is allowed. I used to ask before checking in my baggage, but now just sail through.
If I am drawing or crafting I never mind delays, as I would be doing that anyway – just in a different location.
And as you say crafting crosses language barriers and often lovely conversations ensue. Once I was sitting next to a guy from India – I was doing needlepoint at the time and he asked many questions about it – it turned out his mother had done intricate embroidery and he was missing her, his face just glowed when he told me about her and her work.
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I never risk anything valuable in my travel sewing kit, ever since the time when they took a pair of gold embroidery scissors with blades an inch and a half long. I’d checked, but apparently it’s down to individual discretion and these were ‘too pointy’. I usually have a book or
Kindle with me too, but reserve it for the plane where space is more restricted.
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I’m spending today preparing some handwork for an upcoming trip! It’s part of my fusion quilt, made with scraps of vintage linens. I completely agree that this sort of planning is crucial for a good trip. I really like the direction your mandelas are taking–it’s a lovely series. Have a good trip!
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It is great to know you (and Cathy) understand the importance of this sort of planning. Non-crafters never understand!
Your quilt sounds delightful.
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I agree you have to think of these things. Where are you going? I take my Kindle and some embroidery , just in case it rains one afternoon. The KIndle is enough for the journey, and I talk to my fellow passengers. My aim is to get the life story from the person sat next to me, unless they are wearing headphones which I think is very mouldy of them. Your note books are already looking great! Oh and I do need a notebook and pen, I always end up needing one. Oh and one year I enrolled on a Future Learn course and studied it on holiday. It was about Richard the third.
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You are a journalist/novelist at heart Cathy – it makes me smile to think of you interrogating your fellow passengers. Must remember to pack my headphones!
I leave it at least until halfway through the journey to speak to anyone, just in case they are annoying. 😀
I’m not sure why but I’m feeling like keeping my destination under wraps for now. I like your idea of learning something whilst on holiday … hmmmm, now what could I learn???
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