the end

I had to share this photo with you as it's priceless!!!

The last day of Blogtoberfest already.  I think it has been the fastest one yet!  This is my third year of joining in and it has just flown by.    I didn't do any of the things I had planned to do like visit lots of festival goers and meet new bloggers and also have a giveaway. But that's OK.

My archives tell me I have done 23 posts in October and this one makes 24, so I fall a lttle short of 31...but that's OK too. I won a giveaway though yay me.

Thank you  to Cathy (who has just landed her FIRST commission yay Cathy) for being our host for another year of Blogtoberfesting!!!!  Also thanks to Cam (with the gorgeous new 'do')  for being the queen of giveaway organising.

I feel like we should all have a day together with beer steins clanking!  Wouldn't that be cool.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

OMG I am soooo excited - are you???? Isobel and I cannot wait....not long to go now...there is a countdown to the day

I

I will be doing whatever I can to get there and sit through the film.  I don't go to the movies often anymore as it causes me a lot of pain (although our cinema is gradually getting new seats) but some anti inflammatories for a few days before and I should be OK.  Harry Potter is one movie I don't want to wait for the DVD.  I have had to do that with Sex and the City and it's killing me.  That's out very soon though yippeeeeee

woodfire tasmania 2011

 

Neil Hoffmann - Common Matter 1 Moving Ground Series IV

There is a wonderful and exciting event taking place in Tassie next year called Woodfire Tasmania 2011.   A must do for anyone interested in Clay.  Not just for woodfirers but for anyone with an interest in ceramics from professionals to students.

Organising the event is a friend and my one time ceramics teacher, Neil Hoffmann.  Neil is a bit of a rock star in Woodfired Ceramics and there are other rock stars attending too.

Two of my fave are Sandy Lockwood and Owen Rye.

Sandy Lockwood - salt glazed woodfired

The event starts in April.  If you want to know more about it check out the website for all the details.

Tons of info on workshops and camping options etc and email Neil with any questions you might have.

Looks like the workshop actually held at Neil's house is full up which is a shame, but all the others look well worth it too.......

creative

I have been doing some of this over the last few days........

practising faces in my journal before I commit to canvas board.......I am feeling pumped....ready to dive in......I think......well I'm pretty sure I am......

what's in your creative space this week???

therapy

Some vintage linens found at the op shop recently.  I really have shown incredible restraint this year with op shopping.  I have hardly been and when I do go I am only buying things I can really use.

BUT I am not really one for restraint, so I am feeling a big op shop spree coming on.  Let's face it, apart from Etsy, maybe Ebay too and for me, buying art supplies, not to mention fabric and wool as well....op shopping is THE BEST therapy.......

happy Wednesday xx

clay 2

I thought I would share some more of my clay work.  Photos of my drawings and ceramics are over there in the Flickr set, but I am enjoying putting them up in posts.

Here are mostly sculptural works but I did make pots on the wheel as well so I have included a mug I made on the potter's wheel.

I am a bit of a VW nut and have owned 2 Beetles at different times but always wanted a Kombi too and wanted it to look like this.  Inside this are 2 hippies asleep.  A little bong with them and all!!!

mug fired to stoneware with a Shino glaze

a beetle with a dry glaze on it

Before we were married and lived in Perth we bought a 1963 Morris Minor panel van.  When we left WA we drove the van across Mainland Australia and then put it on the ship to Tassie.  This is my version of our old van.  It was bright red.  It was the best time ever.

more Vee Dubs in the garden......

clay

A sculpture and two pots I made in a previous life when I had my hands in clay nearly every day and couldn't imagine a life without it.

hope

Mum has come through surgery quite well.  I hope things will be looking up from now on.  I desperately need to be doing some creative stuff to nourish my soul.  I have fallen in a bit of a heap.  Today I have a little more strength than the last few days so I am hoping at least to get some art journaling done...

happy weekend xxx

green

I may of mentioned before that mum collects green Depression Glass.  I think by now her collection would be close to a couple of hundred pieces.  I am not exactly sure.

My main collection is of China Trios.  Cup, saucer and plate.   I have quite a few.  Enough to fill two dressers so I stopped as I had run out of room.   Some are reasonably valuable and others are eclectic mixes of the 3 pieces I put together at the op shop.

A little while ago mum gave me something she couldn't resist buying.  It was a mix of the two collections really...

I think this is just gorgeous.  Green Depression Glass has Uranium in it which makes it glow in the dark.   This cup and saucer glow so much they actually glow in the daylight.  

I thought it timely to post about this present today as tomorrow after 4 weeks in hospital mum is sort of strong enough to have a hip replacement done.   They can't wait any longer as the hip has disintegrated completely while she has been in hospital.  It has to be done, but I am feeling quite anxious as mum is still so unwell and weak.

I am thinking online retail therapy is definitely needed to keep my mind off the whole thing...

chirp

Look at this little cutie.  A rubber stamp I bought from Chantal.  If you haven't checked out Chantal's blog and her work you should pop over and say hi.  Her work is super fun.  I love it.  There were a couple of those cute little tags with the stamp as well...

sooooooo funny - how to upload to YouTube

Fabulous kitchen she has!!!!!

cards

I wanted to share with you a few more little birthday projects Isobel and I made and they were so much fun.   We made birthday cards for Zoe.  I kept mine quite simple as I had made the mini book for her.  But my point of sharing is that we basically made these with just what was on hand which made it all the more fun.

The main picture in this one is an ad out of Frankie magazine.  Then I just added other stuff from the stash.  All my bits and pieces I have gathered up from packaging and other ephemera or they are from the $2 shop.

Isobel made this gorgeous one.  She printed some Pokemon pictures and glued them down then had loads of fun with the stash.  Isn't this so pretty and so much fun.

I plan to make one every time I want to create something little that can be finished in one quick sitting.  A card is perfect AND I will  have a good supply of handmade cards.  

 Here is an ad I ripped out of Notebook magazine.  Some ads in mags have the best pictures.

I made this card with the ripped out page and stuff  from the stash box.  It hardly took any time at all.  So save everything, wrapping paper, ribbon etc. don't throw anything away and make cards galore!!!!!

The girls and I used to do this together all the time, but it's been a while since I have made any so it's great to be making them again, the possibilities are endless...

black and white

Just sharing a couple more of my drawings I did some time ago.  These are both A1 size (I can't work small) and are done with pastel.

Things have been a bit crappy around here lately.  Mum has been in hospital for 3 weeks.   She has been up and down and after an extra bad day on Sunday they rang me to say my sister and I should go and visit as she had been so ill that day. Panic set in.

 Some kind of infection or allergic reaction to something, they still don't know, which is not very comforting. Well, she has really improved now.  They are trying to get her to a level where her Lupus is under control and she is strong enough to have her hip replaced which has collapsed and fractured due to all the Lupus drugs over the last 5 years or so.

So she should be home at the end of the week, or staying with us for a while anyway  She will need home help etc and then will be back in asap to have her hip done.

My mind is buzzing with projects since finishing the mini book.  I have just this morning started my first major piece for my online course, so I should be back with something new soon.

Also I am squeezing in a little sewing finishing off another long overdue project that I showed you ages ago and it was overdue then!!!!

bath time

hello my name is Sushi and if they think I am getting in that bath they are sadly mistaken...

I am outta here...

mini part 2

here are the last few pages of the mini book I made

the recipe cards are just clipped on and a photo or ephemera can go on the page and the recipe card used as well

and the queen waving her finger on the back cover is me of course!!!!

mini book

I wanted to make Zoe a mini book for her birthday.  Not necessarily for just photos but for journaling and any ephemera from her birthday.  I have put lots of tags, pockets and hidden places in it.   She has written on some of the tags already about our family dinner out and her cake etc.

But I am sure after tonight which is her dinner out with friends she will have photos and stuff to put in it and then always have it to remember her birthday by.

I had soooo much fun making this.   I bought the cupcake chipboard and some other bits for this one but when I make more I will just use cardboard for covers and use supplies I have and cut up magazines etc.  I love the idea of making lots of them with materials I already have, I have boxes full, but this one I wanted to be extra special.

tags in pockets......

on the left are recipe cards, 2 I have stuck together for either fave cupcake recipes or for photos or journaling as well.

That is probably enough photos for one post so I will show you the rest tomorrow....

totoro

I have actually made/completed two projects this week which feels good. yay

Here is Zoe's birthday cake I made for her.  He is Totoro, one of Zoe's fave anime characters.  He is such a cutie and is from My Neighbour Totoro from Studio Ghibli.  If you haven't seen it you should try and get it.  It's a lovely film for kids and big kids too.  I love it and watch it often.

Just a couple of others are Kiki's Delivery Service and Ponyo that are adorable films from Ghibli.

I bought a Studio Ghibli DVD box set some years ago and it was well worth it.  We watch all the movies in it many times.

Pop over to Kirsty's to see what others have been creating this week.

I will be back tomorrow with my other finished project.  It's been a while since I have said that!!!!

oops

oops no Blogtoberfest post today

happy birthday

Today is my first born baby's birthday.   For her first year Zoe thought sleep was something other babies did.  Then she grew into a toddler who thought eating real food and having an afternoon nap was something other toddlers did.  Despite that she still had endless energy to run around all day non stop, climb out of her cot a few times a night and be up for a new day at around 6am.

She also had the energy to be stubborn, defiant and independent.

birthday cake in the making

My defiant little girl turns 18 today!!!!!  Who knew the years would whizz by so fast.

Happy birthday baby girl xxxxxxx

stampin' day 4

This gorgeous little set I couldn't resist.  I think they are the cutest Alice, Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter I have seen!

But these would be my absolute favourites.  I have been looking for a while for the right retro style women and here they are! yippee  The one on the right came on it's own and the others are a set.   Fabulous don't you think?

Blogtoberfest

day 3

Here are the other two Suzi Blu stamps I have been waiting for from the U.S.  Aren't they cute?  So I am happy I managed to get 4 in the end.   The plan for my stamps is to use them in a more 3 dimensional way by stamping onto card stock and then cutting them out and adding them to a piece of work so they are not completely flat.  Of course completely flat is fine too and I am sure I will use them that way as well.

I also received a few other stamps that just COULD NOT be left on the shelf.  In the interests of  posting everyday for Blogtoberfest I will post them tomorrow!!

I nearly forgot again tonight because I felt crappy again today.  But I will get my act together and start visiting other Festival goers and posting earlier in the day might help too...

goin' well...

Well yeah I am off to a terrific start with Blogtoberfest.  Only day 2 and I have almost forgotten to post!!!

I had big plans for today, so much to do.  As it turned out I needed to just rest and even fell asleep for about three hours this afternoon.

So hopefully tomorrow will be a more productive day....

drawing is done with pastels and is on A1 paper

This is a drawing I did some years ago but it's here purely because I don't like a post without a photo xx

blogtoberfest

It's BLOGTOBERFEST time again! Can you believe a whole year has gone by already?   If you are joining in and haven't signed up yet, pop over to Tinniegirl and sign up and get this button from her Flickr set for your blog, designed by 74 Lime Lane.   If you haven't joined in before go and check it out. Cathy has a page telling you all about it.

Just about everyone who joins in has a giveaway at least once throughout October.  I will be having one just not sure yet when and what it will be. 

Thanks so much Cathy for hosting and thanks to Cam for co-ordinating all the giveaways for us all. 

let the games begin.....

thank you

I must thank Bec for this lovely award she awarded me a little while ago.  It's been very remiss of me not mentioning it sooner.  Sorry Bec.  I do really appreciate it.

I put a YouTube video up a few posts back of a baby rabbit for Bec as they had a new addition to the family Honey Bun.  Very sadly, a cat got into Honey Bun's hutch and killed him.  I am so sorry Bec and I really hope you decide to get another bunny very soon xx