A is for....

Alex!  More details on this beautiful book tomorrow....

Blogging blankets....

I have some exciting news for you all - I am now a contributor over at the Blanket Magazine blog! After being interviewed and published in the last issue of Blanket Magazine, I got chatting (online-style) with the editor, Bec, and she asked me if I would like to contribute to the magazine's blog.  How could I resist? - it sounds like the perfect justification for cruising the internet to find exciting things to share with you all.  

My first post will be up in the next 24 hours.  Please come on over and check it out!  There's always interesting stuff going on at Blanket, so be sure to bookmark it too! While I'm plugging, the closing date for contributions to the next issue is a couple of weeks away. More information here.

These images are by the first artist I'm posting about on Blanket (click to enlarge).  Does anyone recognise who they're by?....

I love a sunburnt country....

With a public holiday here yesterday, I was able to have a couple of days away at my mum's property in the country for some much needed downtime - no work, computers or phones. With summer only just coming to an end, the landscape was still very brown and dry, camouflaging the sheep and kangaroos. Within a month or 2 these rolling plains will be lush green - my favourite time to visit.

We made friends with a lizard while we were there. He hung out on the couch and was so tolerant of us. He even ate a mosquito I caught for him. I look forward to visiting him again.
Creatively speaking, I managed to do some drawing (not good enough to share with you!) and came up with what I think are some great ideas which I look forward to working on soon. Hooray for holidays!

Love....

What a creative week - not on my behalf, but for all the people who played their part in making my best friend's wedding so beautiful.  All the food by the bride's hungarian family (SO delicious!), flowers by a bridesmaid's mum, decorations helped by me (remember these paper flowers?), dress designed by the bride and made by her cousin, invitations and menu's by the bride's friend Kylie Thevenau (you can follow her new blog here!), venue courtesy of a family friend, wedding arch grown (yes!) by the groom, music by the bride's brother and friends, and the list goes on.... (Including some very creative dancing from everyone).

I had planned to take some photos of all these beautiful things to share with you, but in the excitement of being a bridesmaid, I didn't do as good a job as I'd hoped.  Besides, I know the photos would never reflect the day (and late night!) anyway.

Congratulations Elly and Frankie!!....  xx

Preparing a lot of cucumber.

dRaw....

Sorry for the late notice, but tonight is the opening of "dRaw", an exhibition of Perth artists put together by arterial collective, a couple of go-getters whose aim is to "get new artwork out there".  Sounds good to me!

The exhibition is taking place in my favourite building on William St so I'm looking forward to seeing the interior as much as the artwork....

I am no carpenter....

This photo is what my chair frame should look like.  Alas, my attempts over Easter to turn it from pieces of wood back into a beautiful chair frame were unsuccessful.  How ironic that I should find my carpentry skills to be so inadequate over Easter.  Not to worry, I won't let it beat me.  I'll try again - this time with the right size dowel, something more suited to cutting wood than a small craft knife, and a hammer rather than a shoe.

Look what the kids are doing....

Ok, that's horribly condescending. But honestly, those of you in Perth should head to the Art Gallery of Western Australia to check out the Year 12 Perspectives exhibition. There's some really impressive work on display from students in their final year of high school. (The above digital work, entitled 'Maturity' is by Samatha Godenzi, and is one of my faves). For those of you OS, you can check the works in the exhibition here.  If anyone from Perth makes it along, I'd love to know which pieces stood out for you.

I hope you've all had a great break. I can't say mine has been filled with creativity, but it's been relaxing. And happy birthday, Mr. Stink. :)

New brooches....

....on sale in my shop now.

Backgammon anyone?....

Meet me at Mike's have released a craft book! The book contains heaps of crafty projects by Australian crafters, including a great quilted backgammon board by Hyena in Petticoats. It reminded me of the backgammon board I made for Mr. Stink about 5 years ago. It's made of felt and buttons and took ages to get right! It's traveled well, and particularly enjoyed heavy use on lazy Thai beaches. Easter seems like the perfect time to get it out once again....

7 things....

I've been awarded a creative blogger award (I can't bring myself to misspell "creative" again) by Jesse!  The deal is that I have to list 7 things I love and nominate 7 other bloggers.  No offence to the instigator of this award, but I wasn't a big fan of the original icon, so I whipped up the new one above (with poor spelling even).

Here's my 7.

1. Weather - hot days and rainy days.  I love the extremes (but not too extreme!).

2. Early mornings and late nights, but probably not together.

3. Food - amazing food at beautiful restaurants.

4. Dogs - love, love, love.

5. Ginger cats - I don't have one but they seem to move in of their own accord. (Alas, not since arriving back in Perth, but in NZ we had 3 ginger cats adopt us at various times).

6. Newspapers in the park - especially after riding my bike there with Mr. Stink.

7. Coming up with a great design idea - usually no understanding of where it came from but grateful and amazed that it did (balanced by the annoyance of not being able to achieve it NOW).

Obviously they're not my top 7 loves (I love my mum more than rainy days, for example) but they're today's 7.  Ask me tomorrow and I'll come up with a different list.  I'm complex like that.  :)

I'm not going to nominate other bloggers, but if any bloggers out there want to take part, leave a comment to let us know!  Have a wonderful Easter break everyone.  I look forward to showing off some completed projects next week.  

SALE!....

A quick post to let you know that I'm clearing out my etsy shop, ready for a fresh start!  That means everything is on sale with more discounted listings arriving over Easter.  Hoorah!

The meat obsession continues....

I'm not sure when this will end....  Further to my plate designs and this post about bacon, I bring you the Pork Chop Piggy Bank from Thwart Design (as seen at SwissMiss recently).

In Sneak Peek news, I should have this chair finished in the next couple of days!  Stay tuned....

Sneak peek week! Day six....

It's a sneak peek of my home! But it is also an ongoing project. I'm a huge fan of the sneak peek posts over at Design*Sponge and would love to have a home worthy of being sneakily peeked into. I have pockets of beauty in my home, but it's a work in progress. I hope one day it gets to a point worth sharing with you....

**Postnote:  That amazing etching is by a Perth artist called Rachel Salmon-Lomas, and was a gift from Eveline Kotai and her family.  It's so brillliant up close (and far away!).  Locals may know Rachel as DJ Rok Riley.

Sneak peek week! Day five....

I seem to be back to writing about funiture that needs repairing.  I picked up these chairs from the front verge a couple of weeks ago when there was a bulk waste collection. They're a bit rickety, but I probably won't bother going to too much trouble to repair them, just give them some paint and new covers.  We have NO CHAIRS apart from our lounge, so I figure these will do until I find my dream dining chairs.  Fingers crossed I get these underway this weekend. Perhaps I'm destined for a weekend of chair repair?

Have a great weekend everyone.  And don't for a moment think this is the end of sneak peek week!  I'll be posting tomorrow so be sure to drop by!....

Sneak peek week! Day four....

Hmmm, well this sneak peek is a little obscure. If you're not familiar with Elizabeth Barrett Browning (author if these famous lines), you should read about her here. Quite an intersting life!

Anyway, her most famous sonnet is the inspiration behind the range of teacups I'm currently designing (using the same technique as my plates), but don't be fooled.... This won't be a love story.... I'd reveal more, but I'd have to kill you....

We interupt SPW to bring you an important message!...

Hooray! Finally the new issue of Blanket Magazine is out! Why am I so excited? My artwork above is featured in the re_action section (on page 43)!

But that's not all....  This issue's theme was communication, and Bec, the editor of Blanket Magazine had spotted my anonymous postcard drop on this blog and has interviewed me about it.  You can find the interview on page 55.  I hope I don't come across as too much of a dork.    

Be sure to download your copy.  There's some fantastic art in the "Here's my work..." section, plus a great interview with the marvelous Will Bryant.  Oh and HEAPS more, but I'll let you find it all for yourselves.  Enjoy!

Sneak peek week! Day three....

I love making cushions but I really don't need any more for my home. As I'm unable to help myself, I've been designing more cushions lately and would like to incorporate some patchwork techniques, in combination with my large collection of woollen blankets (they make great cushions - like these ones!).

Above are some sketches of recent pattern designs, along with some fabric I just couldn't pass up.  Now as soon as I get a sewing chair, I'll be on my way!  Keep an eye out for these - I think they're going to be very special....