deck the halls

well, I endeavoured to put some images up this morning, to no avail, but then it is the silly season and I think almost everyone was on the net, but this time success!!!
Firstly the beautiful nest, a work of art in its own rightwith a beautiful wooden egg sitting perfectly in it.
Christmas Eve Pia and I cooked up a storm.....we love this time together as it is rare, and relish the results, especially the tasting which was sensational....sweet treats, cheeses, breads, pate, ham with the most divine glaze, and much more. The day was shared with friends and family alike, and of course we ate and drank a little too much, then who didn't?


Boxing day was spent with good friend Paul and his family at Conningham, once again divine tastings and wonderful company.
After a day or so resting and recouperating we took off up to Brady's lake to visit family and of course Pia took along her trusty camera and captured images of the most beautiful lupins amass along the roadside, and of course there were the wonderful "character" shacks....it was a glorious day.
Lawrie has spent the day carving more of his chess pieces from the many Hebel blocks we still have; he is quite amazing with his vision and ability to carve as he sees in his minds eye. These will sit upon a VERY large chess board in the garden.

I will post more images in the coming days, as there are far too many not to share with you.
Happy 2011......suzi

long time no post

well, it seems like an age since I have accessed and updated anything happening in this part of the world, but stuff has been happening and I have been having some breathing space and a few reality checks.....

The winter has been a long one and the need to keep the home fires burning has been on top of the days doings; I have been having a well needed de-clutter in my play room and in my wardrobe - feels much lighter and brighter all around.

Lawrie spent some time up at Brady's Lake during that very cold week we had mid September and of course took some fabulous photos; a lovely collage of those above, as is a little play duo below, this wonderful cracked pathway on the right took my fancy quite a long time ago, and it just sat so sympathetically beside one of my play paper pieces............then there are a couple of general brooch and card pics, just to keep it all up to date......tho their lack of uniqueness and presentation may not appeal to everyone!!!!!!!!!
I like to use all things recycled and it seems such a shame that we overlook the most humble notions and discard them.

Am keen to get back to playing with paper and have a few things sketched to follow up on.

ps: have a look at:
http://www.contemporaryartsociety.org.au/exhibitions/Brooch_Subject/Brooch_Subject.html

news, winter, and other stuff

well, long time no post.....but lots of things have been happening and I needed to get a few of my ducks in a row, consequently I have taken leave from my involvement in the EastSide"Makers"Market....Robyn, Jude, Felicity and Lauren will keep on keeping on and take it from strength to strength.
It was sad to receive notification of the folding of handmadehobart due to public liability issues, but then the market, the barn market and EastSide I'm sure will take up the challenge .

Lawrie and I continue to be amazed every time we read the fantastic blog of "mphtravels" - Pia, my daughter and her husband Mark took off on a VERY belated honeymoon to the US on April 7, purchased a vehicle in Los Angeles and have driven some 26,000kms exploring the amazing countryside. I take my hat off to them as its been a real eye opener for a lot of people who never thought they would get there.......AND they are due to fly back to Australia on July 7; how exciting is it going to be to get the background to it all, even though the skype sessions have been great. All being well they're moving to Melbourne and of course I CAN'T WAIT.....somewhat easier to visit from this little island.

just a light hearted visual, I was outside exploring early one morning last week - yes in the cold, and the images I captured of the starkness and stillness were just beautiful - to me anyway, so thought I would share a beautiful image with you.

these are a few of my favourite things.......

I've had a good few days playing mostly - spent Friday upstairs in my playroom trying some new brooches using some of my own photographic images - quite good results really, just need to refine a couple of things and get the right finish.
Saturday had a fun night catching up with lots of old friends from a past life - a reunion with old workmates from WIN television (formerly TVT6), I worked there as a film editor for quite a few years; not quite a time warp, but can assure you most of us looked at the names attached to us before we could put 2 and 2 together and catching up on the last very many years.
Lots happening for the next EastSide"Makers"Market on Sunday June 6 with some lovely new makers coming to light.

a link to think upon

just to try out this exercise; I seem to have been attached to the computer all day with ever frustrating things happening, so I just want to see if this will work for me; no harm in trying I suppose

more treasures

just a few shots, some treasures and a favourite spot in the garden to sit and contemplate the state of one's navel..........

its definitely winter

really, I think we've had such a good summer and now that the sun has lost a lot of its impact and we're back to adding more layers of clothes or lighting the fire (in my case) its all a bit of a shock to the system - Lawrie and I travelled to Orford on Wednesday to collect many many quinces from a friend with a heavily laden tree - now guess what I've been doing - they looked so lovely sitting on the window ledge, but alas they had to get the chop and I must admit I think I have a failure ie I changed my usual recipe for Quince Paste and now think it is going to turn out to be quince jam - it won't set!!!!!!, There are still masses left, so think I need to stick to the recipe.......oh and there are also a few more of my treasures to add to viewing list

the sun is shining and all is well with me and thee

I'm sitting here looking out to my garden - looks very dry, but there are three lovely sunflowers standing proud.....my back is aching and I'm not sure I like sitting at the computer for long these days, but still do it anyway.

Lawrie flew off yesterday in his Zoe to Temora in NSW for the annual Easter Fly In for recreational aircraft - he sounded as happy as a pig in.....you know what. Meanwhile I'm just doing as the mood takes me and feel very relaxed for the moment.

Here are some of my treasures snapped by Leanne at the market on Sunday

I'm not quite so busy now!!!!!!!

well I mean to say.......as I have been since I published the last post (no pun intended), but really 4 of my lovely friends and yours sincerely have been organising the first EastSide"Makers"Market which was held VERY SUCCESSFULLY last sunday 28th March.......An amazing amount of work and I really take my hat off to all the organisers of other markets.
We tried to step outside the square a little and invite makers who had not shown their "faces" too publicly to this point in time. The combination of ages, styles and produce was fantastic and I really thank all of the participants for their great feedback; we will finish EARLIER next time - JUNE 6 as the last hour was V E R Y S L O W.
I'm waiting to publish some pics when they are sent to me, so will have to wait a little -

after the itching stops!!!!!

strange title I know, but I will enlighten!! Last Thursday I went away to a BUSH CAMP along with nine like minded friends; YOU camping said a couple of mates, but believe me it was a fantastic experience, apart from the March flies, who didn't seem to care that it wasn't March; naturally they took to me and my legs now have an interesting paternation of red blotches, and a week later they have only just ceased to itch, hence the title of this post.
We met up at Dunalley and explored a local op shop, then drove through a beautiful property "Bangor" until we came to our camp site, a clearing with two old fireplaces still in tact, the only remnants remaining of an old homestead. There was a good track through to the beach for us to go "dipping".
Well over the next couple of days we had many dye pots on the boil and managed to create some amazing patterning using native plants, onion skins and walnut husks, and seaweed, in fact using sea water gave an altogether different finish than my usual tank water.
A few of the girls gathered bull kelp and made some amazing vessels. I did quite a lot of stitching inbetween retrieving fabric from the dyepots as did friend Aukje, she stitching a beautiful small cap to wear with her wedding outfit next month, it was just like a box of jewels.
We ate, drank and generally had a very merry time.....something to be said for getting back to basics.
more later

musings from a bower bird

well......much procrastanating leads only to getting on with the next episode, or is it just a continuation of something that has always been part and parcel of ones persona......Thursday girls lunch conversation one day lead to a question about what really appealed to us individually as a "style"....my answer was "imperfection", to which Paul commented "that's wabi sabi. Well I had read of this and really didn't put two and two together, but really it just put it all into perspective and that's my bent........I also love things rusted, hand stitching, plant dyeing, collecting vintage buttons (in fact any buttons) and generally slow arts.

I meet regularly with a group of like minded artists and we've had a couple of exhibitions showing our art - We're varied in ages, with "the goddess" being in her young eighties - an amazing woman, then the whole group fall into that category.