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garland for a deer....

I finished the garland for my friend's deer head ...tried it out on mine just to check that it was OK. Now I think I'm going to have to make one for myself....

made of plastic...

Somehow, with a great deal of juggling and the generous help of grandmothers, anuties and friends, I managed to take part in a week long work shop as part of Objectlab at the Sydney College of the Arts at the beginning of July.

The workshop, 'Unnatural jewellery" was run by Australian contemporary jeweller Melinda Young, and explored and challenged approaches to making, materials and deconstructing the found object.

We were fortunate to have small group of four students so it was almost like having one on one with the tutor. It was an intense, challenging and very inspiring week, where I was encouraged to work outside of my natural comfort zone in choice of material, colour palatte and time contraints.

The week started with two days of quick making exercises ( some, the quick schmuckies, only 5 minutes long!) leading into the last three days where we started to focus on making a small body of work for an end of week exhibition.

Everyone, including Melinda contributed to a communal table of found or odd materials which we used for the weeks work. I was also reminded of just how useful and fun a hot glue gun can be ( usually a big no no in jewellery workshops but as we were working with plastic and 'junk" it was more than acceptable.)

Above is the material I chose to work with for my 'collection', the main material being artificial grass I bought in Al Ain,UAE. My theme was 'a crack in everything'

Pin #1, #2, #3 and #4 , silver, wooden blocks, plastic grass and foliage, Hama beads

 

plastic grass, ping pong ball, hot glue, metal chain, nail enamel

silver, nail enamel, plastic grass, hot glue, waxed linen thread

 pin #4 silver, wooden blocks, plastic grass and foliage

simple....

knit.....using the 'just in time neck cozy' pattern found here. I used two strands knitted together of the gorgeous Manos del Uraguay silk blend (silk and merino extra fine wool) colour 6461- soft, drapey and with just enough shine. You can knit it up in about two hours and it makes a perfect gift. I think the next one will be for myself in a charcoal grey.

soup.....ugly but really delicious. Not only is it quick to cook but it's also good for you, so it ticks all of the boxes. The recipe is one I found attached to a bag of Puy lentils I bought a few years back, which I have tweaked a little.

I don't add the cream( why would you?)  and I use powdered organic vegetable stock and water. Once the soup has finished cooking, I puree half and mix it back in so that you still have bits of carrots and lentils for texture. My final secret trick is to add the finely zested peel of a lemon which just gives it that subtle kick. Add some good sourdough bread and it's perfect.

 fun....a friend took this very cute photo of my three girls...Grace playing the clown as usual.

As for the hair, well remember this?

 All I need is the kooky hat and a few oompah loompahs running around.

(Actually I've always thought a few oompah loompahs would be quite helpful around the house...)

 

outgoing trees...

Something that should have been in the mail two weeks ago....but finally all wrapped and ready to be posted. I hope once Tara opens her envelope that she will forgive my tardiness.

I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last I saw of these trees....

mail me art...

This rabbit's off to New York to the Art House Co-op as part of their Mail me something project.

He seems quite happy about it...

chasing my tail...

it feels as though this is what I have been doing for the past six months. And not very successfully, I might add. There are still boxes to be sorted through and two rooms to be organised.

If I focus too much on the things I haven't managed to get done, I get quite frustrated and annoyed. So, possibly more useful to look at what I have achieved so far.

I started this last year, just before I began packing to move to the UK. All it needs now is to weave in the end( artfully hidden in the photo) and lightly block it.

 

A simple charcoal cowl....
I decided halfway through knitting it, that it would be perfect for a friend,so the fact that it is summer here and rather hot isn't really important.
It is my own pattern ( if you can call it that) using a Jo Sharp silk,alpaca and merino mix. I find that this type of knitting suits me perfectly - in the round, so no seams to sew and a few cables to make me feel a little bit clever without trying to hard.

This little girl is now sleeping from around 7.30 pm until 4.30 ( or 5.30 on a really good day) - which is quite something,considering she was waking every two hours and needing attention( mine!) back in January.
It certainly hasn't been quick or particularly easy but I held firm to my resolve to avoid the controlled crying regime and I think we are both the happier for it.
Now I have to work on going to bed a little earlier so that I can catch up on a little missed sleep.

My big girls are trundling along quite nicely as well - all good here.

If I can work out what is happening with my broadband connection ( painfully slow to the point that I can feel myself aging as I wait for pages to load), I aim to start posting a little more regularly. Once every month or so does not a good blog make. 

See, glass half full kind of stuff.

What I have done, rather than what I haven't. That would be me, Pollyanna all the way.

Tail is in sight. At least I think that's my tail.

small bear for Grace...

finished just in time for Grace's first birthday...
The alpaca felted most happily (to my great relief) and both Rose and Charlotte decided that I was one extremely clever mama.

Grace,on the other hand, took one look,chewed thoughtfully on his nose for a minute and then dropped him on the floor.
She was far more interested in the silver paper that the bear had been wrapped in.
You would think I might have worked that one out by baby number three.
Instead of sitting up knitting and stuffing bears until the early hours of the morning, I could have just given her the bright shiny paper.
Oh,well....

not tab curtains....

Tab curtains are very tedious to make and not very inspiring or exciting to photograph. Longer days have highlighted the pressing need for curtains to block out the light in the front bedrooms.The past week has been spent cutting, sewing and hanging. My pincushion and most of my pins went missing in the move and as I found that eight pins were just not quite enough when making curtains, new pins and a new pincushion were called for.

Which is why you see a photo of a pincushion rather than boring old tab curtains.

Much quicker and more fun to make, as well as a good excuse for a bit of therapeutic embroidery after stitching all those tabs.

A big thank you to everyone who has sent mail to Charlotte - such a big smile to greet the postman each day! Your postcards have been sent (or about to be posted - I am a little behind on the mail) so be sure to let me know if you didn't get yours and should have!

a bit behind...

by now most of you would have read about, heard about ,looked at or perhaps even bought The Book. It seems so long ago that I put together my project for  Meet Me At Mike's: 25 Fun And Crafty Projects.
(I guess it was quite a while as I was pregnant with Grace and she is about to turn one in a week or so....)

 

If anyone decides to make their own, I would love to see how it turns out.

and the bride wore pink...

Ali looked beautiful and despite the rain and heavy skies, it was a truly memorable day.

My friend Michele did a magnificent job with all of the flowers.The bridal bouquet of roses and peonies was a perfect match with the dress - soft and frilly.
The girls wore crowns of camelia leaves and Geraldton wax flowers(Chamelaucium).

 
This photo was taken after we had all been rained on so no perfect hairdo's here!
(If only someone had moved that stray leaf....).

The bride and groom...( and the Bridge and the Opera House!)

Now it's onto to the job of packing- removalists are arriving first thing Monday morning...but first some sleep.