Create for Life

Starting on my CAL (Crochet-along!)

2012-01-29T22:42:00.000+08:00

Here are my first few rounds of the Sarah London crochet-along I mentioned in my last post. It did take a few attempts, think I started too close to bedtime! The great thing about crochet is that you only have to undo one stitch rather than a whole row, and you can see what you've done wrong very quickly because it just doesn't look right! I've decided to use really bright colours to brighten up our lounge room in the winter, because despite the 42 degree day we had yesterday, it really does get fairly cold in the winter here. Honest.

And it looks as good from the back ...

And I called the blanket a 'yarn-eater' when I think the pattern is actually called the 'wool-eater blanket', though I suppose I'm correct using yarn as I'm using my huge stash of acrylic yarn - and I'm going to try really hard not to buy any new stuff until it's absolutely necessary - when the yarn has all been eaten!

Back from hols ... Madora Bay Magic

2012-01-28T00:36:00.000+08:00

Hello, did you miss me? I certainly missed blogging about my endeavours, but totally enjoyed the relaxing time by the sea in Madora Bay. Doesn't it look magical?

I also enjoyed not having access to any internet and being technology free for a while. Just sewing hexies for a swap I've joined, reading books and being with the kids, blissful. Though on my return I did have to do some catching up and found a crochet-along happening with Sarah London; if you go here you'll find the pattern for her yarn-eater blanket which looks amazing. I'll be doing my crochet-along with a dear and special friend in the UK - it's heart-warming to know that everytime I pick up the crochet hook for a round I'll be thinking of her. :) And we'll keep each other accountable too, bet she'll do much more than me, she's become somewhat of a crochet whirlwind!

Only a few more days of the holidays, then it's back to 'normal' - whatever that is!

Making tacky - non-tacky ...

2012-01-15T21:40:00.000+08:00

This a sneak peek of part of a present I've been working on for my sister. It looks great now, but I have had a technical problem to overcome. I don't know if it's the humidity or what, but the gel medium I use regularly without mishap has been misbehaving and wouldn't dry properly. It would have been too tacky to pack up, and would have probably become stuck to packaging en route to its new home in the UK. So I've been trying to come up with solutions and of course the simplest was the best. Simply mix some PVA glue with a little water, and paint over the tacky surface. Et voila, dry, non-sticky surfaces! Thank goodness, I was beginning to panic!

My Creative Space: Poncho for a birthday girl

2012-01-12T22:11:00.000+08:00

Well, I've been really busy creating for the past few days I'm pleased to say, but I can't share much of it here at the moment because it's either for a mystery activity or for someone who may read this blog before their big day! However, I can share the little poncho I've hooked for my niece as she's not reading this blog yet (but I'm sure she will when she's old enough :))

I'm particularly proud of the two tone lilac and pink tassles!

It's knitted in acrylic 8 ply for ease of washing for her mum; I used a pattern from Spotlight (the 'Charmed Knits' mini booklet). I used really pretty girly colours as she does love pink. Best news is that it is incredibly quick to make up, you'll be able to make one in a weekend. Winner!

and another pic, just because it's so pretty ... :)

For the love of tomato sauce ...

2012-01-11T21:36:00.000+08:00

Daytime - I prepare 2kg of lovely, juicy homegrown tomatoes

Oh ... My ... Goodness ... Now I remember why I haven't made this ketchup for such a long time - because it takes over half a day to make!!! This is a very well rounded bottle of sauce containing tomatoes from our garden, a friend's garden and huge beef tomatoes from Aunty Noelle. I use the recipe from Jamie Oliver's 'At Home' book. Only difference is that I add more sugar to taste at the end and I made a double batch so we ended up with a whole litre (learned that lesson from last time!)

Evening - the finished product!

Then tonight, we had yummy woodfired pizza from our local pizzeria, and the beloved Heinz was overlooked in favour of homemade by the whole family :) It may take an eternity to make, but it does taste soooooo good ....

2012-01-07T23:09:00.000+08:00

A good day.

I woke up this morning for a coaching session, which was really wonderful. It is such an honour to be witness to someone's story and a part of their journey, if only for a short while. The session was also a good reminder of how much I enjoy connecting with people in this way, and that what I want to do with my life is coach and encourage others. Sometimes I fall off the path and let 'fear' entice me away and find excuses for not doing what I really want to do. So that reminder is a gift.

And look at what I've been creating - I've started to crochet a poncho for my niece. It will be finished very soon - I love the speediness of crochet! I'm not sure if you can make out the background very clearly, but it's a piece of hand quilting I started back in 2005! I'm intending to complete projects this year ... :)

Memories - making a 'Book of Days'

2012-01-03T20:49:00.000+08:00

Provoking memories - hydrangeas remind me of my mum - they're her favourite flower. Somehow she doesn't feel so far away ...

Wow - funny how you put something out there and connections start turning up like magic :) I'd spoken yesterday about my intentions to work on exploring and expressing my 'roots'. Well, today through one of my Facebook groups I found out about a year long project that encourages you to make an art journal of memories - Effy Wild sends out regular emails and short videos to get your creativity going (a passion close to my heart as you know). It looks wonderful, I'm really excited about it even though I don't fully understand what I'm supposed to do yet - though some of the words being bandied about including journalling and altered books are getting the imagination up and running! If you're even getting the slightest feeling of curiosity, go look at Effy's website here to register - you can only get the newsletters with info if you do this. And don't panic about having to catch up or keep up - Effy's advice is to embrace 'your inner turtle'. Don't you just love it already? :)

2012-01-02T20:35:00.000+08:00

Here are my little crochet squares, being sorted into two halves so I can sew them together in a seemingly random, yet kind of organized manner! I am trying to finish projects rather than constantly start new ones - completion is good too!

Woke up in the early hours of this morning thinking about a film I'd seen recently called 'Contagion'. Rather than being purely about people catching a virus and it spreading quickly, it's also a brutally frank study of human behaviour. Fascinating, thought-provoking and very scary as it shows us the shadow side of humanity (but also the honourable side). I think New Year resolutions are a kind of contagion - we all catch the bug for making new resolutions, then destroy our self-esteem by not meeting the expectations we set for ourselves. I would rather look at dreams and projects for the year ahead - if you can own the intention, and love what you want to do I believe you have more chance of staying the distance. And the good thing about dreams is that they never go away - they may change shape and form as you develop, but that is brilliant! My dream project for the year is to look at my roots - how my life in my homeland and subsequent new homes in other countries has shaped me. I've been mulling it over for a few years since I came back from the UK with a load of old family photos and copies of documents. Whilst I've been pretty slack at keeping up with the research on ancestry.com I feel like I can explore and express my discoveries through art, so that's what I'll be doing. It's something I've been planning for a while, now it's time for action! And of course I'll be documenting it here as I go ...

Part of my journey has been to find some blogs about my last UK home on the Isle of Wight, and I found a lovely one called 'The Living Isle' with simply great writing and beautiful photos - I aspire to write as he does! Check it out here ...

Going back in time ... and forwards

2012-01-01T19:38:00.000+08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! May 2012 be very special and full of opportunity xxxx

Went back in time last night at a Disco themed party. I fuzzed my hair by putting pipecleaners into washed hair, taking them out in the evening when the hair was dry and backcombing my locks. My dog wondered what on earth I was doing and almost didn't recognize me, and my daughter told me I looked like I used to when she was little. Not sure whether that was a compliment or not ...

There are some dodgy people out and about on New Year's Eve

So, now after all the excitement I'll be reflecting on my last year, and imagining what will be happening this year ... what are your dreams for 2012? Feel free to share :)

Become a Mystery Muse in 2012!

2011-12-30T23:40:00.000+08:00

Start the year with art! Become a Mystery Muse - click here to sign up - the lovely people at Artella are organizing a Mystery Muse 'swap'. You have all through Saturday to sign up - then early in January you'll receive details of your swap partner by email, with whom you'll swap 2 pieces of creativity throughout January. What a lovely way to spread creativity across the world and connect with likeminded spirits! Don't just take my word for it - visit Artella and get the full details!

Happy Christmas

2011-12-24T21:40:00.000+08:00

Top decoration totally self-designed and made by Little Man

I want to wish you all a peaceful and joyful Christmas, wherever you are in the world and however you celebrate the season. Love is the biggest and best gift you can give, so give someone a hug, or a phone call and let them know you're thinking of them. xxxxx

My very best wishes for you all and oodles of love too! :)

My eldest still thinks this is the best Christmas tree in the world ... xxx

Baking to relax

2011-12-19T22:58:00.000+08:00

Hectic! But finally a day when I can calm down and do some cooking instead of rushing around doing Christmas things.

Today I made a birthday cake - a little bit late - but what a cake! Using my friend's recipe for the best ever chocolate cake, topped of with lots of cream and strawberries. As it turned out to be quite a light cake I thought I'd go for the torte type. Really pleased considering at one point the mixture looked curdled at the end and I thought I'd blown it - still don't know how I managed to curdle the mixture when it's an add everything and mix recipe. Tastes great though and the recipients were very pleased :)

Thanks to my assistant Little Man who helped with cream and strawberries - nothing to do with being able to eat the leftovers I'm sure xxxx

Middle of December already!

2011-12-14T22:53:00.000+08:00

Is it only me, or has Christmas sneaked up on us this year? I'm feeling like I have no time left! I'm frantically making last minute pressies, and sending them overseas on a wing and a prayer and hoping they get there on time! Rush, rush, rush and I thought it was a time of peace? But it is all a choice, I don't need to be rushing around or stressing out - I can choose to be peaceful. And that's my wish for you all tonight, a few moments of peace amongst the rush.

'night, 'night. :)

Hearts and words ,,,

2011-12-05T21:01:00.000+08:00

Hearts because I love them, blue because that's how I was feeling at the start of the day :( Better now - listening to my body and having a sleep in the day helped, but my best therapy was writing - the old fashioned way in a journal with a pen :) Mostly gobbledegook, a list of things, annoyances, feelings and so on, it won't make sense to me, let alone anyone else in months to come. But wow, did I feel lighter! I even managed a small sketch for an art quilt I want to make at the end of the blah, finding a way back to my creativity ... It's something I'd recommend to any of you struggling with what you want to say, how you are feeling - write, write, write ... It's a great idea to write a letter and put down your thoughts and feelings - you don't have to send it. It's just important to get the words and your feelings out!

My Creative Space ...

2011-12-01T21:41:00.000+08:00

I'm still plodding on with my teeny granny squares - I like to have a pot to chuck them in as I make them. I found a slightly battered biscuit tin in the laundry, so I hammered out the worst dents and covered it in pretty wrapping paper ...

treasure revealed inside!

And look what the postie left on my doorstep today, a very cool amigurumi crochet calendar for 2012 by crochetme. So fabulous you can even download all the patterns - looks like I'll have at least one crochet project a month for the next year :)

Check it out here to see other creative spaces ...

Housework won't kill you ... but why take the chance?

2011-11-27T20:58:00.000+08:00

Tidying is tiring! I've spent the whole weekend having a spring clean as we have a few visitors before and during Christmas, so now the house looks shiny and new - and I feel like I need a holiday! But time waits for no man (or woman) so I'll be right into making Christmas pressies over the next few days.

Apart from that, I have nothing to write about - all that tidying has burned out my circuits ... :)

My Creative Space

2011-11-24T20:39:00.000+08:00

Patchwork!

Look at my messy cupboard, alas with no door ...

Patchwork comes to the rescue ...

Doesn't that look a whole lot better; so simple yet so pretty and I made it all myself!

Someone always has to come over to have a look at what's going on ...

Wondering what else is going on in the creative spaces across the globe? Check it out here ...

Body Image - journalling

2011-11-23T21:17:00.000+08:00

I was given a journalling exercise the other day, asking me to think about my body - all the things it does right, or on its own without being told what to do!

So it got me really thinking. I usually look at my body and only see what's wrong with it, what I would like to change, and even see it as a separate entity sometimes! But after brainstorming and putting everything down on a pretty piece of paper I can happily say I see my body as an important part of what makes up me, and that it's not so bad after all! My favourite discoveries were that I feel my body enables me to experience the physicality of this world, to act out my feelings, to express myself. Also that I like to move, whether it be to music (belly dancing!) or walking with my dog in the woods.

It's great to look at the same old, same old from a different perspective - it's like a breath of fresh air. (Try it and see! xx)

More doll happenings!

2011-11-22T21:20:00.000+08:00

Last week I was lucky enough to get tuition from a friend who is also a very talented doll maker. She showed me how to needle sculpture a doll's face and this is how mine looked at the end of the lesson. So now I have more doll pieces hanging round the house - it's starting to look a little like Frankenstein's laboratory here!

Lots of doll stories to share for the future ...

a little visitor ...

2011-11-21T21:05:00.001+08:00

Sorry for the big gap - technical problems again with internet and computer! All fixed now I think. I don't do the fixing, just the waiting and getting impatient :)

But I have been busy in my absence and have a few things to share over the next few days. Lately I've been going patchwork crazy, sewing lots of squares together, and marvelling at the beauty of such simplicity.

Also been trying to catch up with finishing off some bags which have been in pieces for ages and needed sewing so that I can put them on my Made-it store. I'd forgotten how to make one of the variations and was sitting on my bed looking for the instructions when the little fellow above scuttled across the quilt. Don't know who was more frightenend! After the initial shock (well, would you expect a tiny lizard to scuttle across your bed when you're surfing the net?) I rushed to get the camera and snapped away whilst the poor little thing tried to get out of the window in vain. He's safe now and back in his home :) Love living in the forest xx

My Creative Space: More macabre happenings in an art doll's life ...

2011-11-10T21:18:00.000+08:00

Here it gets creepier - some more body parts of my lovely doll Ima-jin are slowly being made. This time I've been working on her legs. They are quite amazing really, jointed by using a big wooden bead. The arms will be made in the same way. It's interesting journalling the progress of my doll in this way, watching her come together piece by piece. If not a little weird ... ;)

Check out some more creative happenings here ...

Shopping at Guildford Pottery

2011-11-09T20:44:00.000+08:00

In the recent holidays Little Man was lucky enough to do a pottery workshop and today I was able to pick up the lovely dragon he made (and 2 little dishes he made on the wheel - very impressive!). The classes are held at Guildford Pottery, phone up for details.

I also had time to look round the shop and did leave with a few treasures :) The beautiful blue sugar bowl and the little gumnuts were made by one of the teachers at the children's class, that's what I love about buying from the galleries - you get to meet the people who made the objects you love, it all makes it so much more special.

Check out the gallery if you're passing through Guildford!

A lesson for me and for you

2011-11-08T21:27:00.000+08:00

Believe in yourself xxxxx

Ups and downs - the weather and me ...

2011-11-07T21:12:00.000+08:00

Strolling along the beach at Shanklin (unless you're Little Man of course xx)

Not really sure what to blog about today. I think we may all have a brief and temporary episode of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). See, it is meant to be almost summer here, but today has been like winter, and although I do love winter and have a few problems with the heat, I do like the weather to behave and the seasons to be seasons - all should be correct and in its proper place.

But that's not the reason for my lack of inspiration. I'm still beating myself up about this weekend's minor setback in my plans and letting other people's opinions influence me (it makes it harder to carry on regardless when it is people you value too). Getting myself into a right old muddle!

Dunc asked me what the matter was earlier as I was so quiet and obviously miles away, and I had to admit that I was thinking of a time back in the UK this year when we were all wandering along the beach at Shanklin one evening, and how lovely it was to be in one of our old haunts. So, I found the pics and have been thinking of the happy times we had on our holiday and it's cheered me up. I'm grateful for the time we had together and have lots of fond memories to sustain me, lovely, lovely!

2011-11-06T21:09:00.000+08:00

You know when you have an idea you've been playing around with, you get all excited, then you tell your friends, then they don't react in the way you expected and you start to doubt your idea? Well, that happened to me this weekend. So now I'm doubting my idea, which I really liked before chatting with my friends - I just wish sometimes I could make a decision and stick to it! Do you think sometimes it's better not to share?

Now I need to get my vision clear in my head again, and find a balance between anxiety about moving forward with the desire for something better as seen in my vision. OK - self-coaching session over! Always follow your dreams folks, and if it's your intuition calling the shots - it's probably right!

ARTbundance™ in Australia!

2011-11-05T21:46:00.000+08:00

My profile pic

Well, I've been working on my entry in the Artella directory for ARTbundance™ Coaches and Practitioners and thought I would share mine here with you! So here goes:

"I live in the wonderful hills of Perth, WA with my beautiful family and gentle dog. My life consists of embracing creativity everyday, whether it be through my crochet, knitting, sewing or mixed media art as well as taking care of my family which I also see as a creative act!

It's a passionate belief of mine that everyone is creative and I would love for everyone to embrace their own innate creativity. I look forward to meeting many more creative spirits and sharing in your stories ...

To me, ARTbundance™ means undertaking the journey to finding your authenticity, using creativity to help come to healing and wholeness, and learning the way is inside yourself.

My own unique specialty is to help you embrace your creativity in a very gentl way by providing you with a safe space to do so, a listening ear and inspired wisdom gleaned from you sharing your story - I am a nurturer! :) "

If you'd like to find out more about this method of coaching or the training itself, I'd be happy to answer any questions by email (just look for the contact button on my profile page). I'm very happy to do coaching by phone or skype.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend ...

My Creative Space: hexies, squares and blankies

2011-11-03T21:18:00.001+08:00

Here's my little offering for today - some more of my teeny tiny granny squares for the random multicoloured afghan I hope to make one day :) I love these for summer crochet - no huge, heavy pieces of warm knitting sitting on my lap! Another perfect project for summer small pieces is the hexipuff - discovered these during Blogtoberfest - little hexagons you knit in the round, then stuff with a little wadding before binding off! (It's a project called the 'Beekeeper's Quilt') I haven't stuffed any yet as I'm not sure I'll ever need anything that warm in Oz, but when I looked at Tiny Owl's site just to check out the finished item once again, for inspiration - it's gorgeous - I was tempted to fill a few as they are so perfectly squishy and squashy. Might make good ornaments for the Christmas tree?

When the kids asked what I was going to do with all these hexipuffs and squares, I answered 'make blankets' and they rolled their eyes with a 'not more blankets' kind of look. Well, I might as well admit it now - I am a blankie addict - I can't help myself. They are so comfy and nuturing. And I think imagining what the finished article will look and feel like is part of the fun.

See what other craft addicts are up to at Our Creative Spaces. xx

Dos de los muertos

2011-11-02T19:35:00.001+08:00

Frida Kahlo

Today is the second day of the Mexican festival 'Dos de los muertos' - Day of the Dead. Rather than being as spooky as it sounds, it's actually a time to remember those who have passed on - children on the first day, and adults on the second. Skulls are a prominent symbol and symbolize both death and life - the Mexicans celebrate by making fantastically colourful shrines and special foods. You can find out loads about it if you Google it.

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who used the symbology of skulls and skeletons in her work. She was an amazing woman and her work is thought-provoking and sometimes brutal, but for me very inspiring too. So I remember her today, and my grandparents - and also the lovely people who are still with me and bless my life.

Thinking about Death (1943)

Frida's artwork is available to be viewed at sites such as this one and I found the photo of Frida on the Library of Congress website, which looks like a huge resource for all sorts of images. And click here for what looks to be another good site for art research (it's where I found the self-portrait). Places to start your research if you so wish!

Something Different

2011-11-01T22:06:00.000+08:00

I appear to be experiencing carpel tunnel again - too much knitting and crochet! So I decided to take my creativity in a different direction today - and simultaneously made my kids' dreams come true. We've been lucky enough to be gifted with a huge bag of lemons by our lovely friends, which resulted in me making a double sized lemon meringue pie! My offspring's absolute favourite dessert of all time. We actually, unbelievably have some left, so guess what's for lunch tomorrow! :)

(FYI - the recipe is from Delia Smith's 'Complete Cookery Course' book xx)

Last day of Blogtober

2011-10-31T22:57:00.000+08:00

It's my last post of Blogtoberfest 2011 - and it's been fabulous! I've found other blogs to follow, yet another project to start (featuring hexagons - yay!) and found my blogging mojo! Woo-hoo!

It's a funny old time - today is Halloween, a tradition I just don't get, and tomorrow is Melbourne Cup, which I am sorry, I really don't get. But I suppose the important thing is that everyone has fun, even an old bah humbug grouch like me :)

So in the spirit of strangeness that abounds I thought I'd close my Blogtoberfest with a quote from the ever brilliant Jasper Fforde, from his book 'The Well of Lost Plots', featuring the gorgeous Thursday Next:

"I kicked off my shoes and flopped on the sofa next to Gran, who had fallen asleep over a sock she was knitting. It was already a good twelve feet long, because, she said, 'she had yet to build up enough courage to turn the heel'."

I know how she feels! And if you don't get it, that doesn't matter, it made me chuckle and that's what counts xxx

Oooops, missed a day!

2011-10-30T21:30:00.000+08:00

Can you believe it! I missed a day of Blogtoberfest! And I have no excuse apart from I watched 'The King's Speech' late last night, then fell straight into bed and fell asleep. But it does fit in very well with my 'doing nothing much' post which I was going to blog about yesterday ...

You see, it's a long weekend over here in WA, and I thought my kiddies might like a few activities to keep them amused. But no, I have home bods for offspring and we all had so much more fun staying in at home, watching DVDs with the sofa bed set up for comfort while we watched :), walking the dog so at least he didn't get bored, eating yummy bread, strawberries and lollies, walking the dog again, then settling in for the evening. The most energetic thing I did was make a lemon drizzle cake (pictured), but I must say there's a lot to say for doing absolutely nothing at times, we've all been a lot more pleasant to each other and our days have been less stressed - it's going to be a pull to go back to normality :) I'd thoroughly recommend taking some time out occasionally to just smell the roses (or the lemon drizzle) - your family will thank you for it.

Kind heart

2011-10-28T19:32:00.000+08:00

Here's a little giftie from me to you xx I've been shown a lot of love and friendship for the past few days, by seemingly small gestures, but they mean the world and I want to pay it forward!! I have a lovely bunch of roses on my kitchen table from my friend's garden, we were just leaving her home when she grabbed some secateurs and cut a huge bunch for me. The same friend made me a cup of tea today on the rocks by a stream near our house, as our children and dogs played close by. It's the best cup of tea I've had in a long time xx And we also visited our neighbours today, as Little Man has been promising to drop in for a few days now. They stopped what they were doing, got us both a drink and we sat outside under their verandah and chatted happily for an hour. Little acts of kindness that mean a great deal.

During my browsing of the net this Blogtoberfest, I stumbled across this lovely blog, take a look if you have time, the title says it all 'Kind over Matter'. I wish you a lovely weekend, filled with special moments of pleasure. xx

My Creative Space - My doll in bits and pieces ...

2011-10-27T23:39:00.001+08:00

Face in detail

It might look somewhat macabre seeing pics of my doll in pieces, but this is how she's progressing! You can see the drawing that's my inspiration here. I'm really pleased with the face, it's the first time I've sculpted a face using a needle - can you see her tiny nose? The pattern features a really long neck, but I'm going to shorten mine - it just doesn't look right for my doll.

I've used the book I've mentioned before 'Creative Cloth Doll Collection' by Patti Medaris Culea and mixed up a couple of patterns. One tip Patti gives is to cut out the larger pieces with pinking shears - that way yo don't have to clip the curves before sewing. My doll's going to have jointed legs, using big wooden beads. Another first, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Will post more pics as she progresses - I'm trying to finish her before Christmas. As well as making several Christmas presents - it'll be interesting to see how it all goes!

See what other people are up to on the creative front ....

WARNING: take regular breaks when working at your computer!

2011-10-26T21:51:00.000+08:00

My eyes hurt :( after yesterday's marathon of email inbox uncluttering.

A day for tired eyes

2011-10-25T22:48:00.000+08:00

A cup of tea in a camper always helps

How embarrassing - I put Little Man to bed tonight at his usual time, and ended up falling asleep with him! Woke up with a dog's nose in my face, obviously wondering where I'd disappeared to :)

I think the reason for my early night could be over exposure to email! I decided today to sort out my account as it's got a bit silly - over 450 unread messages, plus twice that of read messages means I've been missing something - either emails I've not opened from people, or replies to one's I have opened which have got lost in the email mountain that was my inbox. Several hours later, I'm down from 50 pages and over 1000 emails to 1 page of 4 emails, and the ones I wanted to keep all stored away in named files. I'm either suffering from shock that I've been so organized or tiredness from not taking enough breaks from the screen. Possibly both. Whichever, I've now got square eyes, so the lovely comments I've been meaning to reply to will be answered tomorrow - will I be able to take 2 days of organization in a row, or will it simply prove to be too much for me ...

Return to the orangey planet of Yarn

2011-10-24T22:59:00.000+08:00

I've managed to turn my heel!

Wow, what's going on with the weather? It's presently raining so hard you can't hear the TV (not that it's a major loss). And it's always good to have rain, but the weather's just weird ...

Look at the socks! I am so impressed with myself! :) Mostly because I'd convinced myself that I would never be able to knit a pair, but I had a go anyway when the sock yarn was on special. It's great - it knits into stripes and patterns all by itself! Magic yarn. Is there something you think you can't do, but would love to have a go at? Well, take one step at a time, and you could well surprise yourself - it feels great!

These precious moments ...

2011-10-23T22:10:00.000+08:00

My little sparkley notebook stuck on the fridge door ...

I was going to write a post about my knitting and crochet from last night - had a bit of a catch up with my small squares and am progressing with my sock! But then I found something infinitely more beautiful and heartwarming, something I discovered whilst watching the rugby world cup and making hot chocolate for the kids (they pick their moments!)

Lurking around the door to watch telly whilst watching the milk to see it didn't boil over I took a look at all the stuff on the fridge door - certificates, photos and such stuck on haphazardly as in many family homes. My little notebook was a pressie from my hubby whilst we were in the UK - don't know what prompted me to open it, but look at the gorgeous message I uncovered:

Little Man even drew a Union Jack for me :)

How loved did I feel and how special that it was meant as a surprise for me. When I told Little Man how happy it made me feel, he informed me that it was especially for writing nice things in. Moments like these stay in the parent memory files for years and years. :) Bless xxxx

Blogging thoughts from my own little blogging space

2011-10-22T18:48:00.000+08:00

What can you do to get more people looking at your blog? I dunno, so I'm going to carry on as I am because I enjoy it! Which is quite good coming from me; I still cringe at the thought of those 'no-one likes my blog as much as other blogs' kind of posts I have been known to write. Now I've learned it's cool to write my thoughts down, it's great for keeping in touch with my family and friends back in the UK and it really helps my creativity - it's almost like oil for the engine, it keeps everything moving! Really great reasons to keep on blogging, so I will. Blogtoberfest has helped so much in getting me back into the habit and I've been visiting some other lovely blogs and won't leave until I've left a comment, even if it is something simple like 'hello', it seems polite to let the owner know you've been there and appreciated their work :)

So yes, I feel more content about my blogging and not so attached to the outcome; less of a struggle and it makes me happy. And sometimes it's nice just to write about being content.

Away with the fairies

2011-10-21T21:31:00.000+08:00

We saw these fairies in Devon ...

Hot. Busy. Errands. Shopping. Chocolate brownie - yummy. discovering. sleepover. Clone Wars. Reading. Conversation. Laughter. A good day. :)

Zentangle show and tell

2011-10-20T21:57:00.000+08:00

And the giveaway winner is ...

2011-10-19T20:51:00.000+08:00

Nothing says "hurray" quite as well as a sunflower ...

Yay - we have a winner!

Janet from Caribou Crossing (and other blogs of quilty goodness)!!!! Well done!

What a lovely way to finish a sunny spring day. :)

Puddles, strawberries and Eton Mess ... ?

2011-10-18T21:43:00.001+08:00

A diverse selection of pics today!

Who'd have thought it after a hot day of 30 degrees +, that today would be like winter again? It rained so much puddles appeared everywhere - take a look!

Tried to make it feel like summer by buying strawberries and cream and making Eton Mess for dessert. YUMMY! And simple too, chop up your strawberries, whip the cream, smash up a few meringues and mix altogether. Truly decadent and delicious.

Digitally enhanced Eton Mess

And we found a treasure amongst the strawberries - suggestions? Butterfly, love heart, angel, Isle of Man 3 legged symbol (? how?), moth ... amazing what the eye sees. Never hurts to have creativity with dessert.

PS You still have a chance to enter the giveaway - just to remind you, the coaching can be done by phone or skype. Winner announced in tomorrow's post.

LAST CALL!!!!

2011-10-17T21:28:00.001+08:00

Hi - it's my last call for my giveaway, which you can read about here and/or here - remember it's a FREE 30 min coaching session with me, using simple but effective art activities to help with your decision-making. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! xxx

You know I like quotes - well here is a great one I found as I unwrapped my last Dove chocolate!

"Happiness is an inside job". Another reason to love chocolate!

Go on - all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this or the posts referred to above, and I'll draw the winner on Wednesday. (or you can email me - contact button on profile page).

Grass Trees

2011-10-16T20:59:00.000+08:00

Wow - was it hot today! 34 degrees, seemingly out of nowhere! How best to cope? Sit in the shade with a lovely cool glass of white wine, wearing a lovely cottony summery skirt and top, bare feet and good company. I managed ...

C-Dog - he's all grown up now

This was after we'd attended a photography workshop in the city, which was very useful. Dad had taught me very well in my youth, and everything the teacher spoke about I did know already - it needed a bit of a jog to come back to me though :) So I was all enthused when we got back home, and when we took our dog for a walk I took a few pics of sunlight on grass trees. Summer's nearly here ... not totally sure how I feel about it at the moment ... but it is nice to feel warm ...

Some grass trees look like Dr Seuss characters ...

Sunlight over xanthorrea

Zentangle - WIP

2011-10-15T22:59:00.000+08:00

Thought I'd try a zentangle as I've heard about them a lot, and presume they may have the same meditative effects as mandalas, which as you may know I love. I'm not too sure what the 'rules' or conventions are, but I think you draw a random shape, break it up into several smaller random shapes, then fill each shape with doodles. Also that they are usually worked in black and white. Or at least, these are the guidelines I'm using, and so far it's looking promising. Can't wait to see how it progresses.

This why I love tea ...

2011-10-14T22:12:00.000+08:00

because sometimes you find a little gem ...

like this quote from a pack of tea we bought in the UK ...

"Wouldn't it be dreadful to live in a country where they didn't drink tea?" - Noel Coward

** apologies to all the people out there who don't like tea, you can always substitute tea with something else like coffee or your favourite beverage **

Been saving that quote for a quietly non-creative day like today. Thinking about my next creation and browsing through crafty mags is just as much fun though ... always look for inspiration!

My Creative Space: Finally finished my Central Park Hoodie

2011-10-13T21:34:00.000+08:00

Here's my Central Park Hoodie I started last winter - knitting takes a bit of time around here. Too many projects going on at the same time :) It's really comfy, and I love the yarn I used which is a recycled polyester and acrylic mix by Red Heart.

I was going to put toggles on at one point but look:

Hole-less ...

How did I miss that???? How did the shop assistant miss it? What am I going to do with it?

Remember to pop over to Our Creative Space for more creations and off to Tinniegirl for other bloggers taking part in Blogtoberfest 2011 - so much creative goodness it's enough to make you weep!

Making my muse ...

2011-10-12T19:57:00.000+08:00

Ima-jjn on paper

I'm preparing a doll pattern for my crafty day with a friend tomorrow. A while ago I drew my muse Ima-jin, and now I want to make her into a doll! So I'm matching up the colours I gave her the best I can and am hoping to make her with jointed legs and arms, and complete her little red glittery boots. Not quite sure how yet, but she needs to have them!

Ima-jin personifies the arty part of me, but she's also much more confident and risk-taking, plus she can fly! I'll post pics of her as I go ...

My Blissness Card

2011-10-11T21:33:00.000+08:00

During my ARTbundance(TM) Training we undertook our own ARTsignments, which were great fun. One week we had to design a Blissness card (reprogrammed business card!) which demonstrated who we are and how we envisage our business to be like. So, I made a small quiltie - it folds up into a normal business sized card - which incorporates all my elements.

Hope you like it, and can garner a little info about what my business is going to be about :)

Building with bricks ...

2011-10-10T21:16:00.000+08:00

You might think our family is a tad obsessed with Lego and similar building materials - well,you'd be right! Today Little Man received a present from his Aunty and we spent what seemed like hours making it. Great for hand eye co-ordination, learning to follow instructions, having patience, imaginative play, engaging child and parent - but most of all it's just plain good fun! And exceedingly creative ...

Sharing more about ARTbundance™and the giveaway ...

2011-10-09T21:28:00.002+08:00

Righto, I've had 2 people sign up for my giveaway so far, but I would love to share some more with you about ARTbundance™ and how brilliant it is and hopefully more people may be persuaded to have a go!

ARTbundance™ is heart-centred

ARTbundance™ is fantastic for coming to decisions on issues that may be bugging you. For example, you may want to work on the fact that you have lots of ideas, but can't decide which one to focus on first. Using ARTsignments™ we can look at the issue together, and use artful activities to help your intuition find its voice and let you know what your focus will be. It's an exciting process, and so empowering to discover that the answers actually are to be found within you! If I do get to work with you, the first thing I will ask is "what do you have on your mind today" and we can go from there. I promise you it is a non-threatening and safe environment, details are shared with no-one but ourselves and I love to encourage others. It's a win-win situation, you get coaching for free and I get to practise doing what I love! So if you've been wondering whether to sign up - follow that inner voice and leave a comment!

I'm happy to either phone you or skype, whichever is easiest. A comment gets you one chance to win, if you are already or become a follower you get 2 chances.

Look at my previous post here for some more details on how ARTbundance™ works. As part of our training we complete ARTsignments™ ourselves, so we live what we share with you. If you haven't already guessed, I'm a big fan!

On the orangey planet of Yarn

2011-10-08T23:54:00.000+08:00

Well, here are the Stormtroopers - in a very orange light, transported by TARDIS no less to the planet of YARN ...

A good lesson in how changing the size of a crochet hook really affects the final project - Mr Big was made using the 3.50 mm hook as per instructions, and Luke Mark II is made using the 3.00 mm hook after I realized my tension is way too loose. (Remember the line from Princess Leia on how Luke looks rather small to be a Stormtrooper when he's rescuing her in the first and very best SW movie?)

The pattern is by Lucy Ravenscar who has lots of patterns for sale at her Etsy store. Needless to say I have a few - Yoda is next, complete with cloak. Who said life is boring? :)

Where have my Stormtroopers gone?

2011-10-07T23:06:00.000+08:00

I was going to post about my Star Wars amigurumi Stormtroopers tonight, but unfortunately they were called on a special mission to accompany Little Man to bed. So there will be pictures tomorrow. They're very cute ... 'til tomorrow ...

Art Dolls in the makings

2011-10-06T21:52:00.000+08:00

Thought I'd just give you a book reference tonight as my long-lasting virus has now morphed into earache and I'm feeling like pants! Anyway, it's my plan to make a couple of art dolls before Christmas and one of the most amazing and brilliant books I've come across is 'Creative Cloth Doll Collection' by Patti Medaris Culea. As it's also Blogtoberfest, maybe you could pop over to her blog - her blog banner features one of her dolls. There is also a button for Amazon where you could get a peek at her book.

Off for a refreshing sleep, and hopefully painless ears tomorrow :)

Ship Ahoy!

2011-10-05T20:43:00.000+08:00

Still proving that creativity comes in all forms - here is the ship of cards sailing on the Sofa Sea!

Little Man asked me to help build it - he started off really well, sorting cards into piles and stacking them neatly, counting out the required cards for each stage - for about 5 minutes before he became distracted by Lego! Still, I was glad to see that the Lego people did become part of the crew. (They can't be seen here as they've stopped off in Port Cushion for supplies).

Pasta and Photoshop

2011-10-04T21:33:00.000+08:00

Creativity today included making pasta for tea - yummy!

And mucking about in Photoshop to produce a purple pencil drawing of my pasta machine.

Creativity comes in all shapes and forms!

My ARTbundance™ Training finished and a Giveaway!!

2011-10-03T21:16:00.001+08:00

Since April I've been doing my training to become a certified ARTbundance™ Coach and Practitioner, and I graduated last week after completing my practise coaching sessions and teleclass presentation to a group of people. Yay! And what does all this mean?

An ARTbundance™ Coach and Practitioner is a unique hybrid of inspiring coach, creativity teacher, workshop leader, and spiritual guide. This unique training allows me to greatly assist clients in accessing and using their creativity in powerful ways to catalyze greater awareness, joy, prosperity, and meaning in life.

At the heart of my practice is the use of ARTsignments™, which are unique creative tools that access your imagination and intuition, allowing you to make powerful life changes, quickly and joyfully! Through ARTsignments™, you'll create inspiring art and writing projects as you engage all levels of your mind, imagination and body. This allows concepts to sink in on deep, visceral levels, bringing forth new layers of understanding and transformation.

What I really, really love about this coaching method is that it isn't my job to give you advice about the issue concerning you, rather I am a guide helping you to engage your inner wisdom when it comes to making the right decision for yourself - using art - isn't that exciting!

And the really good news is that I'm going to have a giveaway for a free 30 minute coaching session - I am happy to phone anywhere in the world, so everyone can have a go! Simply leave a comment on this post to be entered into the draw. If you become a follower, or are a follower already, you get 2 chances to win. And, if there are more than 20 comments, I'll be giving away another coaching session to another lucky person. So the more people who enter, the more chances to win! (I'll need your email address too to make sure I can contact you - you can email me from my profile page). Entries close noon 18th October 2011.

So good luck everyone, honestly, if you've never thought of or tried coaching before, this is a fantastic opportunity to try ...

My Intuit Into It - stiffened felt pot

2011-10-02T20:56:00.000+08:00

I hope you've been able to pop across to Tinniegirl's blog to visit some of the others who are part of Blogtoberfest. I noticed I'm number 88 in the list - I smiled and thought of two fat ladies :) Quite like that for some reason!

Anyway, this Blogtoberfest has got me thinking about what I'm going to post on a daily basis. And I thought it would be good to share some of the art projects I did for my ARTbundance(TM) training* as they really got the creative juices flowing. So today's show and tell is about my Intuit Into It vessel. Our brief was to create something to put little notes or reminders in whenever we felt we really were in contact with our intuition. Well, I love felting and thought I could make a pot out of felt. So I did. I used a small child's bouncy ball, which was a bit squishy which really helped when I had to take the bowl off of it! When the felt had dried I sewed some tiny seed beeds onto the outside. I'd also felted some silk threads onto the outside, not sure if you can see them in the picture.

One of my own criteria for the project was that the pot wouldn't be too floppy, so I had to stiffen it somehow. In the end I used PVA glue mixed with water (about half and half), and really soaked the pot using a big brush. It didn't seem to work too well after the first coat, so I did a second which did the trick.

Not quite the same comforting feeling of handmade, soft, woolly felt, but I love that it's a pot created from unconventional materials, and it's gradually filling up with little notes of my intuitive whispers so it's all good :)

* Tomorrow I think I'll share what my ARTbundance(TM) training is all about and where it's lead to - very exciting!!

B-L-O-G-T-O-B-E-R-F-E-S-T 2011!!!!!!!!

2011-10-01T13:25:00.000+08:00

Yay! It's that time of year again! A challenge to blog for the whole of October - which I could do with doing to get back in the habit. So, I'm heading off to Tinniegirl to sign up - you can too. It's great fun and there are loads of new blogs out there to discover. Oh and grab a button ... do you want to play?

What happiness a teaspoon can bring :)

2011-09-28T20:27:00.000+08:00

Teaspoon in its new home with my favourite teapot

Whilst walking today I realized I've been feeling blue lately because I'm homesick. Don't get me wrong, I love my home in the hills and realize what a special life I lead here. But family and my homeland keep pulling me back in my thoughts! It's always a bit difficult to settle back in after a visit home, but I'll get there.

So I was thinking of 'home' when a parcel turned up for me today. Ever so tiny. But very special, from my dad. He sent me a silver teaspoon with a teeny tiny Australia decoration at the top. I was expecting that as I'd had an email warning me to look out for the delivery - but I didn't expect the lovely detail such as the kookaburra sitting on the side branches. Isn't it lovely? And really uplifting to get a parcel from home, from my dad who had sent it because he thought I would like it. It's definitely heartwarming to know that somewhere in the world there is always someone thinking of you. Thank you dad. xxxx

For the boys ...

2011-09-26T21:16:00.000+08:00

Creativity has been focussed on the Little Man this past week - a birthday cake for a recent birthday party and army pajamas finished today!

For the cake I went for simple and yummy! Little Man lent me some Lego Star Wars figures although he had no idea what I was up to until he had his party. It's a space base made from choc sponge, a tube covered in foil to make the joining tunnel, with some foil bits to look more 'spacey'. Ta dah!

I made these pajamas today from fabric I've had for over 18 months. He's complained about the cold for the past few days (we've gone soft after being away from the UK for so long!) and as we do have a few weeks left until summer is in full swing I thought I'd make the pj's at long last. Although at one point I did worry that our power cut this afternoon was due to me having both my sewing machine and overlocker set up side by side ... found out at school that the power cut extended to Midland, so knew then that even I couldn't be responsible for that :) Really enjoyed the sewing, and the smile on Little Man's face said he doesn't mind me making stuff either. xx

no blogging for a bit

2011-09-20T21:19:00.000+08:00

Hi! I know - I haven't blogged for quite a while - I mentioned in my last post that all the kids were ill, well now it's mum's turn and I've had this blessed virus for over a week now and am still feeling very grotty. When I asked my hubby if I'd appeared unwell it was obvious by his replies that I am not functioning at all properly, but his exact words are not repeatable here :) So while my brain is fuzzy I'm staying away. Think the problem could be not enough oxygen to the brain as my sinuses are not at all well. Enough detail for now methinks. Will write when I can ... in the meantime, I hope you are all busy creating xxx

My Creative Space

2011-09-08T20:58:00.000+08:00

It's been a chocolate cake sort of day ...

Children at home ill and I'm feeling a little bit homesick, so made a very chocolately choccie cake, with a very high dose of cocoa in the real butter, butter icing. Yummy! Funny, now we're all feeling better ...

And look at this - my dpn crisis could be over - I'm actually doing it - knitting on 5 needles! Yes, there are a few odd stitches here and there, but I will wear these socks proudly and everytime I see the little holes I will be reminded that I didn't give up. And the great thing is according to all the sock experts I aspire to be, the more you practice the less holes you make! AND apparently there's nothing quite like a handmade sock - I shall persevere!!

Look at some more lovely creations here.

DPN troubles

2011-09-06T20:46:00.000+08:00

Sounds like an illness doesn't it? But in the sock knittiing world it's double pointed needles.

I've taken it upon myself to make socks for Christmas presents this year, and thought I would practice on a pair for myself first. The magic loop method is not working as the circular needles aren't quite long enough so I have 2 dreaded ladders. After searching the net (I love the www!) I've found it mentioned several times that 5 dpns are better than using 4 for avoiding ladders. (Probably better to get tangled up with too). We shall see ...

Happy Father's Day 2011!

2011-09-04T21:35:00.000+08:00

Wishing all the dads in the world a Happy Father's Day - especially my dad back in the UK :)

The boys organized a yummy breakfast for their dad. Very proud of them that they like to celebrate these little family rituals. It's taken me long enough to train them :)

My Creative Space

2011-09-01T20:51:00.000+08:00

... or how to frame a cross-stitch the cheapskate way!

My creating took on a new project today - or not so new. I've had these cross-stitch pictures for over 10 years, hidden away in a box. The cost of framing has always put me off, but I am a great believer in not paying somebody to do something I could do myself, so here goes: (do not read any further if you are a cross-stitch/framing purist, the following may make you faint)

Materials used:
Ready-made frame $4.99
Mount $3.95
Board $2.50

I used boards which are used for acrylic painting, they are sold in newsagencies/stationers and are acid free, so they shouldn't discolour your stitching over time. Cut board to size with a box cutter - be very careful! And use a mat to protect the table! Position the board centrally over the reverse side of the piece of fabric and fold edges over to back of board. (Make sure your work has been pressed - use a gentle steam setting and place the piece upside down on top of a towel so that the stitches don't get squished).

Thread a needle with a long piece of strong thread (I used quilting thread) and sew back and forth in a zig zag across the board - I did this five times to give a nice even tension to the stitched fabric. If the fabric is long enough to fold over the ends, repeat the procedure. If you leave long ends on the threads, it means you can a tie a double knot for security.

You'll have to keep testing to see where the stitching lies in the frame - I had to wriggle the picture up over the board a few times, smidgen by smidgen until it was centralized in the mount.

Put the frame together - mount, picture, backboard - and you're done! I did use framer's tape on the back of one picture as the layers altogether were quite thick and the fasteners wouldn't bend over the back board! But I think you'll agree, although done on the cheap - less than $15 per picture - they look pretty good. And it sure beats being shut away in a box, never being looked at ...

... and one more thing, I also learned it's probably a good idea to store your stitching flat - trying to iron out 10+ year old folds is not easy ...

So that's my creative space for this week - click here to go and view others!

Rooftops

2011-08-31T22:27:00.000+08:00

Time to share some holiday snaps ... though not the traditional ones of family at the beach!

We were lucky enough to be taken out to lunch by some very special friends to Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Bath. We ate outside on the terrace and I couldn't resist taking pics of the fascinating rooftops. Not often you get such a bird's eye view.

I found them inspiring me in my weird little creative world to be making a quilt or a mosaic or a collage. All those different shapes, yet they fit so perfectly together in their imperfection.

Illustration Friday - 'Influence'

2011-08-26T13:35:00.000+08:00

I haven't done one of these for a while. This is something I had to produce as part of my coaching course, something that reminds me what makes me feel joy and authenticity. So I drew all the things that influence my feelings of well-being, like the grass tree that reminds me of the nature and forest surrounding my home, the rainbow as a symbol of hope, words explaining the influence of creativity in my life, my feet reminding me of the importance of being grounded ...

this all before I read the quote to go with this week's theme -

"In the beginning you must subject yourself to the influence of nature. You must be able to walk firmly on the ground before you start walking on a tightrope." ~ Henri Matisse

My Creative Space

2011-08-25T20:20:00.000+08:00

It needs blocking ...

We all tried it on for size, but it definitely looks best on HB ...

Today I finished my woolly hat - and it looks rather cool! It's so comfy and cosy, not at all tight fitting like a beanie, so no danger of 'helmet hair'. :) I knitted it from a pattern from Ravelry - if you go to their site and enter ETTA in the search box, it should come up - the pattern is by Kim Whelan.

Finally managed to find the 'Our creative spaces' blog as well this week! Yay! So I'm posting my hat pic there and have already checked out a few of the other blogs listed. What a creative lot - it's hard to pick just a few, there's a lot of creative talent out there. Go visit.

A great day for making chocolate crispies

2011-08-22T20:19:00.000+08:00

We have an extra dog for 4 weeks - our lovely friends who looked after dear old Charlie whilst we were in the UK are now having their OE holiday, so we are looking after their dog. I feel as if I have two extra children! This morning I caught them running across our backyard, playing tug of war with one of the kids school shirts. Managed to get to it when it was just rain sodden and dirty rather than in pieces!

Consequently, I felt a great need for chocolate. So I made these lovely chocolate crispies, from a recipe given to me by my lovely, lovely friend on the Isle of Wight. As well as heaps of chocolate there's butter and syrup too. Not helping me remove those extra kilos I put on whilst on holiday, but needs must ... do you like the lovely 'Cat in the Hat' fabric used for background? If you eat too many of these crispies I reckon you'd get hyper just like the Cat ... well, we do already have the Thing 1 and Thing 2 characters running around the back yard ...

Getting creative with Mr Potatohead

2011-08-21T20:43:00.000+08:00

Wandering around the house today I found this little masterpiece by Little Man. I just love it. Thinking outside the ~~square~~ potato ...

Since my last post, things have been looking up on the feeling normal scale. I've restarted my beret which I frogged the other night (ripping it out; rip it - which sounds a bit like 'ribbet', hence the term 'frogging' - witty people, knitters :)) Made my dad think jet lag had finally got to me and I was speaking gobbledegook! Anyway, I will probably finish it as spring approaches and have to put it into storage!

I'm definitely feeling more crafty, even getting out my overlocker and completely re-threading it - not a task to be taken lightly; those of you who own an overlocker will know what I mean. I can feel some sewing coming on ...

Jet Lagged

2011-08-16T21:58:00.000+08:00

This picture sums up how we all feel after our return from the UK on Friday. Dear Little Man had actually got up but obviously got tired on the walk around the bed and needed another rest ... hopefully we'll all be feeling more human by the end of the week. I'm desperate to do some crafty stuff but think I'll leave it until my head feels less like cotton wool - I had to frog a beret I was making last night as I'd miscounted stitches and made it too small - aargh - don't want that sort of thing happening again! So I'll wait a while.

The journey home was all ok until we reached Perth, when I was asked by customs if they could inspect my bag, as the dog had sniffed it out and I had traces of cocaine, explosives and cannibis in it. Duncan stood there quite calmly and said 'go for your life' as he knew there was nothing to find, whilst I stood there on the verge of tears panicking that I'd be taken away and searched more thoroughly. I think the main culprit was a pair of kids' sandals that we'd bought in the UK with fabric straps, which I suspect were made of hemp ... the rest however is a mystery. The nice gentleman (he really was very polite) said we'd probably just brushed up against other people with the offending items - makes you wonder who you're travelling with hey? I can laugh about it now ...

No more travelling for a bit.

So excited!

2011-07-14T11:22:00.000+08:00

Only one more sleep to go before we board the plane and make our way to the UK! It's going to be so great catching up with family and friends. Dog and house being baby-sat - now all I need to do is last minute bits and bobs. Like haircuts for the kids - yay! I had my hair cut yesterday, it was really long down to the middle of my back, now it seems a lot shorter at shoulder length - I think my hairdresser, whom I know quite well, decided to take some extra off because I don't go very often; it's one of my least favourite tasks. As I left she said "see you in 3 months or so for your next trim" so it got me thinking ...

What difference does a border make?

2011-07-07T22:13:00.000+08:00

It makes quite a lot of difference to add a border is the answer:

It doesn't, however, alter the colour as much as in these photos! Taking the pic on different days and at different times makes it look different though. Hmmm ......

Here you go - a detailed pic of the border and one of my favourite squares. A bit closer to the true colour as well :) The pattern is from a book called 'Crochet Now' which is fab. Lots of patterns including clothing and accessories. It's also a departure from my normal colour schemes of purple, purple and purple. This time I was thinking of grass, forests and the sea. Took me in a whole other direction. But I like it ...

Sorry, but it makes me mad!

2011-07-01T21:28:00.000+08:00

It's official - corporate giants can ride roughshod over the common people. Although our local council had rejected the plans for the Optus phone tower to be built 170m away from our local primary school, the WAPC (state planning) and John Day (idiot) have seen fit to overturn the decision, and despite the huge community outcry the plan has been approved. What a sad day, when money and mobile phone reception wins out over the health of our kids. Shame on you ... don't expect us to go quietly ...

The Gift of Time - a work in progress

2011-06-27T21:29:00.000+08:00

It shouldn't have been that difficult ...

... all I had to do was attach 2 small hinges to make two 4" square canvasses open and close to make a little 'shrine' for my time artwork. I made tiny holes to start the screws off - but found out after talking to Duncan much later that I hadn't made them deep enough - which is the reason for the screws not going into the wood properly. That coupled with the fact that I was using a really cheap and nasty screwdriver from my own toolbox (sounds impressive but it's the teeny tiny $3 special from Bunnings, filled with extremely cheap tools and a glue gun), so I had to go and pinch a decent screwdriver from my husband's toolbox. Treading on dangerous territory here, woe-betide anyone who doesn't return a tool to its proper place!

I was absolutely determined that I would do this by myself and not have to ask Duncan to rescue my hinges and canvasses. By this time I was beginning to get bored with this part of the project, so I got my hammer and smacked the last screw the rest of the way in. I figured as long as 3 out of the 4 screws were in properly it would be ok - it's a work of art darling, not a door I'm hanging ;)

Lego is the best!

2011-06-21T20:35:00.000+08:00

For the past couple of weeks Little Man has been really ill with bronchitis. He's much better and back to school this week thank goodness. Lego came to the rescue - at times he didn't just want to watch TV or sleep (or do homework!) and building filled the gap perfectly. We had such fun. I think I was mainly there to find required bricks and to make all the boring bits - good bonding time though :)

Our house ...

And what every Lego house needs ...

is a big screen TV ...

and ...

a crocodile in a pen of course!

Love Lego!!

And on that bombshell ...

2011-06-14T22:03:00.000+08:00

Feeling decidedly yuck today ... why do kids feel the need to share their germs so freely? So, short blogpost today. I'm going to follow the Top Gear format and end this post with a bombshell (a nice one) ...

YAY! I'm going back to the UK for a holiday in about 34 days! Can't wait ... time to catch up with family and friends ... and visit places like Legoland and the Gnome Reserve ...

I'm the happiest bunny with lurgy on the planet :)

Thoughts in my head ... a creative block?

2011-06-07T22:05:00.000+08:00

My word collage, helping me to unpack my creative block!

I'm trying to persuade myself out of this non-blogging fug I've been in for a few weeks now. No idea why I've got it, I love blogging, it's just at the moment I'm finding it really hard to actually write.

Not that I haven't had anything to blog about. Do you ever wonder how many thoughts we have in a day? Well, I've had plenty, particularly on my walks which are my thinking times - these past few weeks I've even been imagining blogposts as I walk, but when I get home the inspiration seems to end there. Maybe I need to take my laptop out into the woods?

What are your favourite ways to get out of that creative block? How do you keep blogging regularly when you've lost the will? Let me know, I'd really like to hear :)

For today I've decided just to write about whatever is in my head; suppose it's not too bad as a piece of gobbledegook goes ...

Gingerbread House

2011-05-30T21:11:00.000+08:00

Thought you might like to see the collaborative gingerbread house project between myself and my boys. Impressive hey? A lovely rellie sent us a gingerbread kit at Christmas and we thought it was time to make it!

This is my contribution, silver sprinkles and icey icing icicles:

And this is my boys' contribution:

Bless 'em ...

When I'm feeling blue ...

2011-05-29T22:07:00.001+08:00

Many apologies for not writing for some time, but I have not been at my best for the past week or so. It was only when a very intuitive friend said to me on Thursday that I looked as if I had a cloud over my head that I became aware of how bad I felt. You see, when I'm asked to describe how depression feels, I reply that it starts with a feeling that I have a small black cloud that follows me everywhere, and no matter how fast I run, it always manages to keep up with me. My friend had tapped into that, and all the little insiduous feelings I'd been having for a couple of weeks came together in one moment and I sat down and cried. But at least I knew what was going on as the awareness hit me, and I could treat myself kindly with rest and not over-committing myself and I'm on the road to recovery.

Depression is a funny thing, even when you think you've got it beat, it likes to tap at the door and remind you it's there! Even for the briefest of moments. But the good thing is as I've 'struggled' with depression for years I finally learned not to fight or resist it anymore, but just to accept that it is a part of who I am and it seems easier to cope with. I still have my blue moments, but I am learning to recognize them and put into play strategies that help me be present with the worst moments but not swamped by them.

It's a life-long learning curve, but the great part of my learning is that I've come to accept and love all parts of me, the good and the not so nice. It's a good lesson to learn.

Feeling better, and promising to blog more regularly xx

Choice Collage

2011-05-21T23:10:00.000+08:00

This quote came to my attention today, and I love it so much I'm going to use it in conjunction with my choice collage that I made the other day as one of a series. Hope you enjoy it too. xx

"Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you." - Richard Bach

It's all about balance

2011-05-17T21:07:00.000+08:00

Today amongst all the domestic chores I found some time to make a collage (a few small pages actually). Here is one of my favourites - it's all about finding balance which I'm having a bit of trouble with recently! I suppose overwhelment is common to us all, wearing all the different hats we have to don during the course of a day. If anyone finds the way to fit extra time in the day to squeeze in everything we have to do, could they please tell me? :)

This one's for my dad ...

2011-05-15T21:36:00.000+08:00

I love my Bumble-spud - it was a Christmas present from my kids, and I felt inspired to post a pic of him after reading a comment from my dad, which I think has been lost in the blogosphere after the Blogger crash on Friday, which I didn't find out about until today; I really have been living in a cave for the past week! But thanks for the comment dad, and you are right, I should be blogging more regularly :)

So Bumble-spud is for my dad. I don't know quite why he reminds me of my dad, maybe it's his shape :), or more likely it's the fact that under that tough guy exterior he's really a big softie. xxx

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T20:35:00.000+08:00

To all the mums around the world, I hope you had a fantastic Mother's Day. I was spoilt with a brekkie in bed consisting of a mix of fruit, toast and jam, and biscuits! Then I spent a good part of the day in the garden doing crafty activities including some dry needle felting, which I haven't done for ages. I did really enjoy it, but there isn't a photo of this as it didn't quite work out as planned.

But you can see a pic of what the family has to put up with as my creative space slowly encroaches upon the entire house ...

this is supposed to be the lamp table, but it looks more like a work table - oops.

But look at what a mum has to put up with ...

socks that are so smelly they stick to the wall - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :)

2011-05-04T22:12:00.000+08:00

Look at that - a lovely homemade loaf of bread! I do like making bread from scratch, but I have to admit that a breadmaking machine is a gift. Just set and forget! And the best thing about this machine is that it was found on a roadside collection in full working order. Remember the old adage - one man's rubbish is another man's treasure. This definitely gets classed as treasure - the Wombles would be proud.

Lessons from a Dragonfly

2011-05-03T13:55:00.001+08:00

I've not been writing in my blog as much as I've been wanting to - I always leave it until the evening, by which time I'm too tired to string a thought together (I've been warned this is what happens after hitting 40!). So, I'm going to try and make time for blogging earlier in the day, it would be a shame to stop as I enjoy it so much.

What do you think of my delicate dragonfly? I attended a teleclass this weekend with a friend I made on SARK's Dream Boogie last year - Mikell Worley. She's a very talented artist and is presently finishing up an ARTbundance coaching course at Artella, and this teleclass was part of her prac. We learned all about the characteristics of the dragonfly and what we could learn from them in our own creative life journeys. I learned that a dragonfly can't walk, it can only fly - how awesome to be able to view life from above! I often fly within my dreams so it's a part of the dragonfly that I really resonated with. Mikell also used the word 'luminous' to describe them and I just love that word! Both the sound and the meaning - I think it's going on my favourite word list right next to onomatopoeia!! To be a creative light in this world would be wonderful ...

Happy Royal Wedding Day

2011-04-29T22:00:00.000+08:00

How beautiful was that dress?

A couple of weeks ago I decided it might be nice to watch the Royal Wedding. Today I was so happy I did - the couple looked deliriously happy and Britain was united in celebrating the happy event. Being away from home it made me realize what I love about my home country, all that pomp and circumstance, how unique it is in the world. So I love my life here, but I love my British-ness too. I guess a girl can have it all :)

A Creativity Quote

2011-04-25T21:21:00.001+08:00

I've just finished reading "Knitting Through It: Inspiring Stories for Times of Trouble" compiled by Lela Nargi. It's a collection of essays and stories by people who use knitting as a way to connect with others, to get them through tough times, to evoke memories, amongst other themes; and if like me, you love to share stories and hear other perspectives on life you will love this book.

One quote stuck with me and I'd like to share it now:

"Everything we create - pies, paintings, songs - resonates with our deepest needs as human beings, as creative beings, to make things of beauty and worth. It's this act of creation that allows our souls to breathe, enables us to activate our spiritual selves and connect with nature."
(From the essay 'Knitting My Urban Escape by Barbara DeMarco Barrett).

At the moment I'm working on another afghan, crocheting for all my life is worth. When I'm feeling a bit scattered I've realized that crochet makes me feel as if I'm in control of something, I'm creating something that is real and I have a creation - if only a single square - in a very short time. It keeps me grounded, and I like the structure it gives me when my mind is wondering off chasing my own original creative ideas that I can't quite grasp for the moment. And you just thought crochet was good for keeping warm :)

Stash-busting

2011-04-22T21:24:00.001+08:00

This is a pic of me when I was mucking about trying to take a shot for my profile photo. I prefer the one I'm using at the top of my blog, but in this one I look quite happy so I like it because of that.

It's not really relevant to today's post, apart from the fact I was very pleased with myself because I fixed my gluegun! See, I can make a link from anything - creativity of a different sort :) The gluegun had been lying in a box in a sunny place through the summer (oops) and the glue had melted inside and all over the gun so that it wouldn't work properly. We try to fix things first in this family before going out to buy more; less clutter, less waste. So I had to have a try! I removed the glue with an art knife, which required patience but now I have a properly working tool.

I'm trying to be very good with my dressmaking too, going to my stash when choosing a pattern, rather than rushing out to buy more fabric. To be honest I've got enough fabric to make clothes for the entire family for another couple of years. Some of it's vintage I've had it so long!

Finally - completed another project from squares made in the Granny a Day Challenge 2010!

2011-04-20T15:17:00.000+08:00

Oops - this should have been posted yesterday - must have got sidetracked!

Yesterday passed in a blur - myself and the Little Man had a cold and even the dog was ill. I'm not sure who was the worst patient ;) So, I waited until today to post the photo of my prize winning afghan! It's petite but beautifully formed, and Little Man spent a good part of the day snuggled up underneath it, which I'll take as a vote of confidence!

Catch up time ...

2011-04-17T21:18:00.000+08:00

Oooh - I've been away for a bit. I had a small panic about finishing things off for the annual Kalamunda Show so have been rushing to complete a jumper and throw all week. Caught myself getting stressed and was very sensible and decided not to enter the jumper after all and felt enormous relief as soon as the decision was made! And I did OK - won some certificates, among them first prize for the evening dress I made for my daughter - we were both pleased with that :) I'll post a photo tomorrow, I feel sooooo tired at the moment and I still have my ironing to do, so I WILL NOT stress myself out by trying the find the camera and somewhere with good light to take a photo. I've just finished reading a book which told me to take a step back before making a final decision; resulting in less stress and more awareness of what's going on in your life. Seems like good advice to me!

I've also been decluttering today - changing round the linen and art cupboards, and seriously, I don't know why it's taken me so long! The art supplies are so much happier in the ex-linen cupboard and I can pile linen much higher in the ex-art cupboard so there is a home for everything in the same place. That feels good too! I enjoy decluttering - it's strange how much clearing a cupboard and organizing things makes one feel so much lighter in other areas of life too!

So that's me - what have you been up to?

Windmills ...

2011-04-11T22:05:00.000+08:00

Autumn. Dog walks in Jorgy Park. Getting ready for the Kalamunda Show this weekend. Having lunch lovingly made for me. I love my Monday!

Crochet-a-Rainbow update

2011-04-09T21:28:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I sent off another package of granny squares for the Crochet-a-Rainbow project - taking it quite literally this time - look at the fantastic array of colours! The project is on for the remainder of 2011 so if you feel like using up your stash of scraps, give it a go - you can make as few or as many as you like.

A Quote for Thursday

2011-04-07T21:43:00.000+08:00

Hello. I've just finished my monthly data entry job. My favourite. :) And I've got a cold which means I'm not too inspired tonight, but I did want to write something. So I've found a quote I like and hopefully you will too. Goes quite well with my last post. Enjoy.

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit." - Helen Keller

No to tower!

2011-04-05T21:43:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the erratic nature of my posts lately - I've been feeling rather discombobulated for the past couple of weeks. Some of the topics I was going to blog about were actually an excuse for a whinge and weren't particularly positive - I don't want to be a negative blogger, so took the stance that it would be better not to blog at all if all I could do was moan.

Well, I'm feeling a lot better now, and one of the reasons is due to the Council's Planning Committee meeting held last night, when they recommended against approval for planning consent for the Optus mobile phone tower. The entire council voted unanimously against the proposal! We still have a way to go, but the first hurdle is over. There were a few unthoughtful comments by some people for the tower, somebody even accusing our little activist group of being in a 'frenzy' and not seeing the 'wood for the trees'; but when I woke up with my little boy beside me who'd come in to our room for a hug, I knew we'd done the right thing. All this protesting and lobbying the council has been for the good of my child and all the children at the school. I can take a few insults for a cause like that.

Knitting Needles

2011-03-31T21:04:00.000+08:00

I love knitting - it is called the new yoga for a reason! So relaxing. I picked up a book at the library today called 'Knitting Through It' which contains stories of people who've got through darker times like war or prison by knitting their way through. Sounds interesting; I'll have to let you know.

My latest knitting love is bamboo needles. I'd heard they were kinder on your hands than metal needles, so when I saw them at the knockdown price of $1 I knew it was my time to trial them. This pair are 4mm needles, they feel very light and are lovely and smooth so your knitting won't get snagged on them. They are warmer than metal needles which is I suppose the reason why they are better for your hands. The only drawback as I see it is that they don't make the characteristic click-click associated with knitting, more of a 'shk' but I don't care - I'm in love!

Button Moon

2011-03-25T13:51:00.001+08:00

Is it my imagination, or did there used to be a kid's programme called Button Moon? It had a cute little song to go with it. The beautiful, supernaturally big moon we had this weekend, coupled with my love of buttons inspired this temporary artwork.

I just adore buttons! They are so cheerful. I love the sound they make as I empty them on the table. I love the colours and shapes. I love simply playing with them and putting them back in the pot. Love, love, love buttons.

Pretty sure I've mentioned this before in this blog - but someone different might read it this time and discover the wonderful, therapeutic quality of buttons for themselves. I hope so. :)

Revelations in a circle of women - and my wish for you ...

2011-03-21T20:06:00.000+08:00

It's been a busy, busy, past few days! I've completed my second reiki course this weekend - two days spent in the company of amazing, compassionate women. Bliss. I realized I've overcome a major hurdle too - when I was at school I had a terrible time, bullied everyday by people who couldn't and didn't want to understand why I was so quiet and shy. It was a girls' school, so I've spent most of my adult life being very wary of being involved in a group of women. This weekend I came to see that I was enjoying my time being with a group of women, accepted for who I am and celebrated for my uniqueness. It meant so much and ended many years' anxiety of being disconnected from other women. Huge.

Here's a little snippet from one of the creations for my ebook - just a peek - but it seems so relevant for a blog dedicated to creativity of all kinds, and it's a wish I have for everyone who visits here (and indeed the whole planet - let's dream big!)

Crochet-a-Rainbow spreads to Christchurch and Japan

2011-03-16T21:55:00.000+08:00

Just a quickie tonight to let you know that Crochet-a-Rainbow will now be sending granny square blankets to Christchurch and Japan, so if ever you needed a reason to use up your stash and crochet for a fantastically caring and compassionate reason this is it! Visit Sarah London's site for more details.

Bless you!