Monday, January 30, 2012

could a sausage dog wrench me from my sunshine-y slump?

i saw a sausage dog today
later i saw an image ...
put the two together &
i have the beginnings of an idea ...
... lets see if i can turn the idea into something
don't hold your breathe just yet 
as sometimes (no most of the time!)
i need the fledgling idea to simmer for a while

been in such a creative summer slump
this usually seems to happen
over january as we spend so much of the 
summer sunshine-y days
at the 'riBer' ...
its all wonderful
full of the 
glorious aussie summer sun 
& blue skies
& friends 
& ski ropes
& the Emmylou
& grass fires
& fun 
& late night tennis viewing
& card games
& lake-side happy hours
& great food 
& water play 
& GandT's
& shimmering heat
& the murray river mud
& sun-kissed skin
... all new memories

for me, for years australia day
has marked the setting of these endless lazy days
(from now there are
only stolen weekend visits 
to see out our summer on the river!)
& now its time ...
time to be clicked or kicked
back into the routine of my wonderful
full, busy, blessed life
... time for my creative vision to take me on another journey
we have some new journeys planned for this year
be sure to always enJOY your journey
as you just never know how long or short it may be

Saturday, January 21, 2012

one year

one year ago 
we moved in to this wonderful house 
that is now our home
we love it
we love where we are
we love the spaces
we love the light
we love the way we can see us 'growing up' within its walls
we love the possibilities
we love the trees & the birds
we love the quirky-ness & character
we love the way already our lives are the better for being here
we are so blessed ...
blessed to have that feeling of being settled & belonging
that is what its all been about
it just feels right ...

Saturday, January 14, 2012

things of clay ...

 you wouldn't pick it from what i make currently
but i have a huge passion for all things of clay
yep - majored in ceramics actually
the hard thing is to get the clay from raw material to a fired finished piece 
well ... i don't have the facilities ... 
but i still adore items i have made
(most of these are still packed away in boxes... i'm sure i'm up to showing them about my home ... not what i'd make now!)
and i adore ceramics made by others
be it in the form of great design or the actual handmade!
here are two new treasures that have come into my life this week!
above is the gorgeous sweet leafy mug with surface designs by
yep you probably picked this - Orla Kiely
which is a be-lated birthday gift 
(completely unnecessary but i LOVE it all the same! Thankyou Thankyou Sam xx)
and below is a very nicely hand thrown jug
that i picked up as a thrifty find this week
it has an ash glaze and has been fired in a wood kiln
yep ... all in the trained eye huh!
just wish i could decipher the stamped initial?
it has a really well balance weight in the hand
no heavy bottoms here & has that rough cut
chunky hand thrown style with a rolled foot
that i do really like ....
see as far as styling goes i am a torn woman
between the slick retro lines of the baby boomers era
& the hippy earthy approach of staying true to materials!!
but i marry the two ... it works for me

Monday, January 9, 2012

thrifty toadstools & more treasure

 been at 'our' riBer ... (translation from Oscar speak = river)
whilst north managed a now traditional shopping expedition ... 
to 2 op shops ... my favorite ones ...
these little handmade toadstools just had to come home with me!
i have plans to polish them up a bit but they have already been well played with
this is the treasure hoard! i seriously only spent about $40
tupperware colander for sandpit play
& a slice n'store & a sweet keeper
& hamburger press molds that look like they have never been used
& a cool rusty brown butter container ... i have been searching for one of these for years
... my aussie farmers butter will live happily in this i am sure
and a single bed boys cars & trucks doona cover set
that is 100% cotton & is handmade as one large piece of fabric & way well become the backing to some wonderful quilt for my little boy
& a really groovy paisley printed patchwork design
double doona cover that actually matches some pillow cases i bought a while back
... perfect for a cabin!
a denim jacket & a pink top for me
t shirt & shorts & japara & a CR woolen jacket for Oscar
balls of wool ... that have already been attacked! (see next post!)
x2 awesome crochet hooks
a wiggly giggly game (not pictured) already been well played with!
dominoes
wooden bowl ... which will head straight to a studio ... one day!
a great bag full of little animals ... & an excellent pyrex mixing bowl ...
a new or almost new barbie-mate ...
yep i think that was all
whoo hoo!
thankyou to all the people who love cleaning out their unwanted items at new years ... they become someone else's treasures!!

buried treasure:

my draft that has been patiently waiting to be un-leashed since the night before Christmas ...  
it was supposed to be my 100th post for 2011 ... i wrote 99!
not a bad batting average i'd say!
(think i just never came upon the 'right' image & the day rolled on & we rolled into summer days!)
but hello .... i'm back:
day 12 of 12: gold, frankincense & myrrh
3 wise men spotted a star in the east ...
... they traveled afar
to meet the new born king
i love a bit of boney m ... 
a ray of hope flitters in the sky
a shiny star lights up way up high
all across the land dawns a brand new morn
this comes to pass when a child is born
a silent wish sails the seven seas
the winds that changed have whispered in the trees
and the walls of doubt crumble tossed & torn
this comes to pass when a child is born
and all of this happened
because the world is waiting
waiting for one child
its all a dream, an illusion now
it must come true, sometime soon somehow
all this & i just want to say that =
my cup runneth over
& how thankful i am to be so blessed
Happy Happy Christmas peoples!!
 this pic of the 3 of us was taken yesterday
at am extended family bbq ....
so after 2 weeks of being in the hot summer echuca sunshine
my pink hair looks rather sunbleached!
& there was no blowdrying it straightish either!!
it's happy ...