Sheep Rustling

Some embroidery

2011-12-22T13:36:00.000+11:00

Remember the bits of Mazey Patchwork I cut out and showed a couple of weeks ago. I have been slowly starting to embellish them, production line style. First of all, some hand stitching - pics below. When I have embroidered a lot of them, or got bored, I will find appropriate beads/buttons/stuff to add to them. But I;m too tired to do anything most of the time :( At least I have three weeks off work starting Christmas Eve!!

Picasa has gone all fancy and added all the fun filters that you can get on mobile phone apps now!

I would like to wish all of my dear readers a wonderful Christmas, if that's what you do, or a wonderful holiday, or a blissful unawareness of the fact that anybody is celebrating anything at all. Maybe by next week I will have something else to show. Then again, maybe not!

With Enormous Apologies to Edvard Munch

2011-12-15T13:28:00.000+11:00

This is the nearest I have got to being creative this week - unless you count a few more centimetres of bright green knitting. It's still not interesting enough to show. I never did get round to doing any embroidery last weekend though I am getting some out RIGHT NOW as it is my day off work. I spent the morning doing some Christmas shopping - now I only have to go to JB Hi Fi to finish it off, I hope.

This terrible piece of photo editing is a silly way to announcing my big news. From January I will be the Campus Librarian, a significant promotion that comes with an insignificant payrise (after three months). It sounds terribly important, but in fact our campus is the size of a postage stamp so it isn't really. But, as a great man once said, with great power comes great responsibility.

So I am panicking and screaming - so far on the inside but that could change any day now!!!!

My Creative Space

2011-12-09T12:18:00.000+11:00

I have had a bit of fun. The to picture is a piece of my Mazey Patchwork, made by sewing various scraps onto a base fabric, like crazy patchwork only deliberately left all frayed. Then I chop it up and embellish the pieces individually. I finished the big piece quite a while ago but haven't done anything with it, so as I had the day off yesterday I cut out some pieces to start fiddling with at the weekend.

It looks like I might have a few hours on Saturday at my MiL's before attending my neieces 21st, so I am packing up some of the small pieces together with a selection of threads (probably mainly blues with a couple of contrasts) and I will pootle around embroidering them. Further embellishments with buttons or beads or suffolk puffs, or maybe all three, will follow later at home.

For more creative spaces, pop over here. It's the last official Creative Spaces for the year, though I promise I will continue to post any pics of anything that I might find time to do!!

My Creative Space

2011-12-01T09:33:00.000+11:00

I am still experimenting with buttons. i am was just about to give the whole thing away because I was getting frustrated with the scale, and I don't think these will take over from my other things in the long run, but I have gained some terrific ideas along the way. They are all button brooches, so they look like buttons from the front but have a brooch back on, er, the back.

Ok, so this is, obviously, not a button, nor a brooch. It is a cake. Not even a cunningly fabricated textile cake meant to worn on something (a hat maybe). It is a Stephanie Alexander chocolate cake and you can tell by the amount left over how disgusting it tasted. This was a whole 24 hours after making it!

This is a brooch with seeds beads embroidered on silk dupion. It is not a cake.

Ceci n'est pas une gateau. It is a mass of French knots on silk dupion. You may have seen it already before it became a brooch.

Yeah, I showed this one before too, it's cross stitch in variegated thread. On silk dupion.

This is silk dupion decorated with a scrap of sari silk from The Thread Studio. Lovely Dale sent me a baggie of sari silk scraps when I won a Facebook giveaway. I promised I would use them on something.

And this is a cake.

This is one of the buttons I bought at the button fair I blogged about a while ago. I have a whole card of these, the original card, which I am going to keep if I ever use all the buttons. They are immediately post-war Parisian. The fact that I had matching embroidery thread in the pile by my chair was a complete co-incidence!

(Actually, the blue thing isn't really a cake).

For more creative spaces pop over here. There might even be cake but don't blame me if there isn't!

Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST)

2011-11-28T10:46:00.000+11:00

Anyone interested in this?

http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2011/11/26/the-big-list-of-2012-tast-challengers.html#comment16009104

Have a look at the Pintangle blog. The idea is that every Tuesday the author of the blog posts an embroidery stitch and participants learn it, experiement with it, and post a picture of it. Participation every week for a year is NOT compulsory. This is some of what she says about it:

'Cost:
The challenge is free

Skill level:
All skill levels are welcome

How does it work?
Each Tuesday I will post a challenge stitch for the week. You work an example of the stitch. Learn the stitch, experiment a bit, take it a bit further if you have time then photograph it, and load it to stitchin fingers or put it on your flickr site or write about it on your blog. Then you come back here, leave a comment on the post where I posed the challenge and tell everyone where they can see your sample.

If you are busy and want to swing in and out of the challenge as life dictates that is fine too. I cant make it more guilt free than that. Simply put all who want to stitch are welcome. However, last time people that worked all the stitches said that they learnt a lot! Even stitches that did not initially appeal to them, they learnt from, discovered a way of working and sometimes were surprised to find they enjoyed them.
When does it start?
The first Tuesday in the new year which is January 3rd. It will run from this blog every Tuesday after that.'

I thought it might be fun to at least dip in and out of. I remember seeing some of the results of the 2010 challenge and they were interesting. I thought it might encourage me to learn, build upon and force myself to document some new embroidery skills.

My Creative Space

2011-11-24T10:46:00.000+11:00

I have been knitting, slowly and not very interestingly, on the green cardigan from a few weeks ago. Nothing much to show so we'll just move along here. I will take more photos when it gets a bit more exciting.

What I have also been doing is playing with photo software on my phone. It is ridiculously amusing. And creative - sort of :)

This is a bowl of pansies picked by George and floated in a bowl to make me happy :)

This looks like I have been all clever and done a painting, but actually it is just the photo, fiddled with.

This is a Mazey Pretty Things brooch, and a prototype of a new type of brooch that will be forthcoming in due course (ie. when I get it right!) This one is actually a button, not centred very well, but the real ones will be button brooches, a bit smaller, and hopefully properly centred :)

Then I played around with different effects. It was fun :)

I hope to do some more knitting this weekend, start some embroidery, and maybe organise some craft books/magazines. Plus reading, and cooking, and watching TV (oh, and washing and ironing and going to the supermarket and maybe even having conversations with family members!)

For much more interesting creative spaces, go visit here!

My Creative Space

2011-11-18T10:43:00.000+11:00

I needed a good long rest after Blogtoberfest!! I have been slowly knitting away at the green cardigan I showed a couple of weeks ago, and reading, and watching telly. Oh, and working. Eugh.

What is this? A staple gun. A pile of vintage lace. A square artist canvas covered with quilting fabric. (Badly. The front looks OK, but you should see the mess I made of the back! Or rather, you aren't going to see!!) I bought the staple gun but the rest comes from the stash. I have been collecting bits of lace for yonks, and the fabric covered canvas dates from TAFE days when it was going to be used for something but wasn't ultimately.

After much stapling. Some of the lace isn't dead straight, but you will see in the next picture that doesn't matter too much. My dog doesn't like the sound of the staple gun, apparently :(

A new display thing for my earrings! (Err, some of my earrings. You can't see the three necklace boxes full of studs and non-hook hanging ones).

Not an original idea. I saw a similar thing on Pinterest, using an empty frame with lace across, but I didn't have a suitable frame, and I did have the canvas, and I am trying to shop from my stash when possible these days.

More lip-smacking Creative Spaces here

Blogtoberfest Giveaway

2011-11-10T09:37:00.000+11:00

Well it has taken me a while to recover from all that Blogtoberfest posting! But I did do the draw for the giveaway and am delighted to announce that the winner is Robin Norgren of http://www.mycreativepeace.blogspot.com/. I have notified her and will send her a Mazey Pretty Things brooch as soon as she lets me know her details, and I will post a pic of it here - AFTER she has received it though!

Blog posting will return in a few days. Well, maybe next week. That effort wore me out a bit1

Blogtoberfest 31

2011-10-31T08:40:00.000+11:00

I blogged about this a while ago but it still holds great resonance for me. Part of me wants to do scholarly stuff on the subject, another part of me wants to do work inspired by it instead. (While the major part just wants to sleep).

Hope you have enjoyed Blogtoberfest! It has been fun. I found it a good way to go through old photos and use Blogger's pre-scheduling thing, plus the occasional new post. And don't forget that giveaway. I will draw it (or my disinterred, and disinterested, husband will) over the weekend.

Blogtoberfest 30

2011-10-30T09:33:00.001+11:00

A final reminder about the giveaway:

Now for the giveaway details. Every comment received this month will go into a special magic giveaway hat (well, the name of the commenter will!) and after the end of Blogtober I will get a completely disinterested bystander (ie. my husband) to pull a name out of the sorting hat. Each time you comment your name will go in.

The giveaway is a Mazey Pretty Things fabric brooch - see my sidebars for my Made It and Etsy shops to give you an idea of what they are like. I will post to anywhere in the world with great delight.

The idea being that EVERY time you comment, your name goes into the hat. So you three or four people who comment on every post, be warned, there is a strong possibility that you might win something!

The whole time thing is too hard to work out, so I am going to say that all comments received by the time I get round to reading the blog on November 1 AEDT will count. I have no idea what time that will be in any other partof the world. Except Queensland. It will be an hour earlier there.

Blogtoberfest 29

2011-10-29T20:37:00.001+11:00

I am VERY SLOWLY working through Karen Ruane's online course. There's the whole working thing, which takes up all day and then I'm knackered at night, so progress is painfully slow. Plus I have been really sick this week with a virus that has robbed me of the ability to think or concentrate (so it's pretty much the same as normal, then!)

But here are three more potential button brooches. Again done on silk dupion. Can you tell I am having fun! And this is less than one-third of her course, I need to do all sorts of other fun things as well!

Blogtoberfest 28

2011-10-28T15:19:00.000+11:00

Blogtoberfest 27

2011-10-27T09:41:00.000+11:00

I haven't done Creative Spaces for a while, but here is one:

I am knitting the Kimono Jacket on the left of the photo in very green Patons Sorrento, for once using a pattern written for the yarn I am using - unusual for me! Sorrento is a nice blend of 62% viscose and 38% cotton and will be a nice summer cover-up. Of course I won't finish it for ages but it's more about the knitting (and the colour!) than the finished object. This comes in two versions, one long and one short, and of course I had knitted 15cm of the long version before I realised my mistake, and then realised that I couldn't really fix it because the stitch counts were different and that it would easier to start again. Slowly.

More Creative Spaces scrumptiously displayed here.

Blogtoberfest 26

2011-10-26T11:19:00.001+11:00

There is a Victorian Button Collectors' Club and they had an exhibition and market near my place last weekend. It was fun. Some buttons followed me home. The pictures are not that great, apologies, I should have tried to do them in natural light without a flash, and I have not fully mastered the whole close-up thing with the new camera yet, but for what it's worth, these are the ones that followed me home:

Vintage Parisian thread buttons, and Czech glass buttons - both fairly immediately post-war according to their vendors, on the original cards.

The one on the top right is an American enamelled button from the turn of the century (the enamel is a bit chipped but in a charming way which adds to the pattern). The top middle one is another enamelled one, possibly also American. Then there is a shiny little one, provenance unknown but cute. The bottom one may or may not be a Czech glass button of indeterminate vintage, I can't remember. And the moustache thing is a vintage American belt buckle!!

A motley collection of pretty things, not particularly old and not necessarily even that unusual, but they caught my eye.

I described this to the vendor as a 'delightfully demented dog'. It isn't old or expensive, but irresistable!

There were a few others as well but the pictures didn't work out well because they were shiny and the flash flashed too much off them. In all it was a nice haul which will gradually work its way into embellishments of various sorts. I had FUN.

Blogtoberfest 25

2011-10-25T11:17:00.001+11:00

I am doing an online Button course with Karen Ruane. I am a bit behindm ost of the others, because of working and time and all, but I am having the most fun!!! These are the only pictures so far, though I am busy working my way through a pile of others. Karen insisted that we not copy her slavishly but to use our own ideas, and of course she is a very wise woman. I adore her work, so my first attempt actually was a go at reproducing her work fairly exactly, and I got frustrated and cross and hated what I was doing. so I pulled it out and did what she had said, use her ideas as inspiration but do it my own way, and of course she was right. I ended up much happier with these two.

The bottom picture, the one with the two circles in it, is the work before being damp stretched. I had never tried that before and wondered if it was worth the effort, but now I can definitely say that it is. I used Perle thread on silk dupion and embellished with some precious little flower sequins and tiny seed beads. The top two pics are taken after the damp stretching, and believe me it made a difference. They look much crisper and nicer now.

So I have already learnt a lot. No matter how much you love someone else's work, it is always better to use it as a jumping-off point rather than trying to copy it. Damp stretching is both easy and miraculous. Silk dupion is wonderful to stitch on (though you do need to use a hoop, which I don't normally do, but I am finding invaluable).

I am now doing some with colour, still on the white silk. But there won't be pictures for about a week. And there are other fun things to learn, about lumps (puffs, actually) and turning them into actual buttons and/or brooches.

Blogtoberfest 24

2011-10-24T11:26:00.001+11:00

Just another reminder about the giveaway:

Now for the giveaway details. Every comment received this month will go into a special magic giveaway hat (well, the name of the commenter will!) and after the end of Blogtober I will get a completely disinterested bystander (ie. my husband) to pull a name out of the sorting hat. Each time you comment your name will go in.

The giveaway is a Mazey Pretty Things fabric brooch - see my sidebars for my Made It and Etsy shops to give you an idea of what they are like. I will post to anywhere in the world with great delight.

The idea being that EVERY time you comment, your name goes into the hat. So you three or four people who comment on every post, be warned, there is a strong possibility that you might win something!

Blogtoberfest 23

2011-10-23T19:07:00.002+11:00

My happy Sirius running along a beach. Somewhere in Victoria. Either Apollo Bay or Lakes Entrance. Either way, a few years ago.

Blogtoberfest 22

2011-10-22T10:46:00.000+11:00

I cannot remember what Wombat was dressed up for. Needless to say he looks far more debauched that any young teenager should! He was probably aiming for James Bond. I am pretty certain this was before he started dressing as The Doctor for formal events :)

Blogtoberfest 21

2011-10-21T10:44:00.000+11:00

Sirius several years ago. We threw that couch out about four years ago. She is NOT SPOILT. She would like to point that out!

Blogtoberfest 20

2011-10-20T10:50:00.000+11:00

Here's the little koala from Phillip Island again. Show off!!

Blogtoberfest 19

2011-10-19T07:02:00.000+11:00

http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/90840/

Blogtoberfest 18 1/2

2011-10-18T18:11:00.002+11:00

Join the Universal Craft Directory

Go on, just do it!

Blogtoberfest 18

2011-10-18T10:48:00.000+11:00

In the little Victorian town of Dunolly lies one of those great local museums that is crammed full of odds and ends of stuff that make you stop and read all sorts of things and, occasionally, think 'my mother-in-law has only just got of one of those'. It is one of the gold mining towns of Victorian history, once thriving and now dusty and reliant on tourism.

As part of the 'Golden Triangle' of the area, it attracted many prospectors from all over the world, including some of my husband's ancestors. On the whole they quickly gave up on prospecting, which was dirty and back-breaking and rarely successful (though the Welcome Stranger, the largest gold nugget ever found in the world, comes from there - there is a model of it in the museum), and went in for things like commerce. Prospectors need food and drink and ... soap. This soap label comes from what was once a thriving soap factory run by my husband's ancestors. The slogan was 'Butterfly Soap, Flutter by dirt'. This beautifully preserved label can also be seen in the Dunolly museum.

Blogtoberfest 17

2011-10-17T10:47:00.000+11:00

We saw this on the notice board of the local Catholic primary school a few years ago and thought it was very funny. We hope he has his uniform all organised and his books covered!

Blogtoberfest 16

2011-10-16T10:47:00.000+11:00

And now for something completely different. This little cutie lives at the Koala Sanctuary on Phillip Island and we saw her in January. She was VERY curious and calm, and I didn't use a zoom on the camera - she really was this close to me. In fact she was a thorough poser1 Probably has her own agent by now :)

Blogtoberfest 15

2011-10-15T14:39:00.001+11:00

I might as well remind people of the giveaway this month. Here is what I wrote a week ago:

Now for the giveaway details. Every comment received this month will go into a special magic giveaway hat (well, the name of the commenter will!) and after the end of Blogtober I will get a completely disintered bystander (ie. my husband) to pull a name out of the sorting hat. Each time you comment your name will go in.

The giveaway is a Mazey Pretty Things fabric brooch - see my sidebars for my Made It and Etsy shops to give you an idea of what they are like. I will post to anywhere in the world with great delight.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Surprisingly no-one has noticed the typo, or at least been too polite to point it out. My husband would like the world to know that he is completely disinterested (i.e. unbiased), not disintered. He is NOT a zombie and I do NOT dig him up from the garden to draw blog giveaway winners!

Blogtoberfest 14

2011-10-14T10:46:00.000+11:00

This was a group exercise we did at college in third year called I Can See Through You. We all had to produce something simple using sheer fabrics - an applique or something - and then we all collaborated with [inning them on to a very compliant dress model. It was good fun. I think the pink bit at the top was my piece but I can't really remember after all this time, though I am pretty sure I did something pink. It took about an hour to pin everything onto the model in a pleasing way. There was never any intention of sewing it together or doing anything permanent but it was a fun exercise in collaboration and doing something a bit different.

Blogtoberfest 13

2011-10-13T10:45:00.000+11:00

This is a piece I did in the second year of my Diploma when we studied 3D objects. We had to end up with a container. I can't remember if it had to have something in it or not, but mine did. I chose to do a reliquary because they have always fascinated me and I love the application of textile arts to religious symbolism.

After a bit of researching I quickly came up with the idea of Santiago de Compostela and the pilgramages undertaken to the Cathedral there, known in English as the Way of St James. I had lots of fun playing with various surface and design finishes until I came up with the one I finally chose, which was fine white silk randomly splashed with silk paint in warm colours of red, pink, yellow and orange. It was lined with red silky stuff. I also embroidered it in random patches of running stitch using similar colours, but not on painted patches of the same colour. I became very fond of that technique of patches of running stitch and it became one of the main embellishments I use in my Mazey Patchwork. Gold paint and gold thread was also used, because I wanted an opulent feel in keeping with the idea of a medieival reliquary.

I had intended using stiffish interfacing in it but my teacher at the time got all huffy about using a synthetic interfacing and told me to use calico. I did trial calico and it seemed to work but I regret not using the original idea as it never did stand as stiff and straight as I wanted. She and I were a bit mixture, big personality clash and completely different interests and values. She taught me for two subjects that year and told me that she was only passing me in one of them (not the one we did this project in, she couldn't very well fail me in that because my final project was as good as anyone else's!) because she didn't want to do the paperwork involved in failing me. Miserable woman. She didn't work there again after that year.

A reliquary obviously has to hold a relic. I used gold Delicas to bead a tiny vial using peyote stitch, including a tiny beaded lid which was attached by a couple of beads and fastened with a beaded loop, and it contained the arm of Saint ... I can't actually remember the name I made up but I created a wholly fictional saint, with a back story and everything! The arm came from a nasty little plastic doll from the $2 shop that I hacked off and stained with paint the colour of dried blood. I think I may have included a hand as well.

The 'lid' comes from the tops of the panels, six I think there were, triangular in shape, with threads tieing them together and a shell shaped gold button to hold it altogether (the shell being the symbol of St James of Compostela).

I chose this particular picture for this post because I like to think of it as a rather arty-farty photo, but I do have more process-oriented photos that I can post if anyone is interested in the more practical side of it. It was a fun thing to make and I am still proud of it!

Blogtoberfest 12

2011-10-12T10:43:00.000+11:00

The last pear, I promise!

This involved experimentation, and was fun. It was the first time I had ever used Tyvek, or painted Wonder-Under or whatever you want to call that applique stuff you iron onto one surface and then use it to adhere to another. (The iron and the ironing board, frequently!) The Tyvek is painted then ironed and cut into a pear shape and sewn down to the background, which is half painted Wonder Under and half painted calico (well, the whole thing is calico, but some of it has the other stuff on top of it, if you get what I mean!). Then the bottom bit has machine stitching on it to simulate the look of a striped table cloth.

Blogtoberfest 11

2011-10-11T10:44:00.000+11:00

Um, it's a pear. Again.

A rather bad example of attempting to create modern blackwork in a hurry when you haven't done blackwork for 30 years. Green embroidery thread on even-count linen. My least favorite pear. But I love blackwork and really want to have a go at designing some PROPERLY at some stage.

Blogtoberfest 10

2011-10-10T10:43:00.001+11:00

Another pear. This one is made from air-drying clay (which stinks, btw), deliberately left roughly moulded with finger prints in it. Then painted and rubbed with a wad of kitchen towel and left to dry again, and then some gold paint rubbed lightly on bits of it. Then stuck down lightly to a piece of patchwork fabric and peyote stitched around with seed beads to form a huge bezel, if you think of the pear as a large cabachon. Then shadow stitched with black embroidery thread (perl or stranded, I can't remember). I also can't remember if I used felt or thin cotton wadding for the wadding.

Blogtoberfest 9

2011-10-09T10:42:00.000+11:00

When I was studying for my Diploma of Studio Stitch (Textiles) - textile art - we had a fantastic teacher who was obsesssed with pears. They are rather attractive, I suppose! One assignment we were given was to choose from a small list of things (I forget the rest, but pears was definitely one of them!) and do three small items, each one using a different technique. I started this as one of them but realised that it was so time-consuming that it was better to use it for my end-of-semester piece, a folder cover, and did three other pears instead. (They will be appearing during Blogtoberfest!)

This was probably only my second major piece of bead embroidery and I am very pleased with it. It mostly uses czech seed beads with some other beads from my stash, and some small buttons, sewn straight onto cream felt. I still feel rather proud of this piece!

Blogtoberfest 8

2011-10-08T11:11:00.000+11:00

Now for the giveaway details. Every comment received this month will go into a special magic giveaway hat (well, the name of the commenter will!) and after the end of Blogtober I will get a completely disintered bystander (ie. my husband) to pull a name out of the sorting hat. Each time you comment your name will go in.

The giveaway is a Mazey Pretty Things fabric brooch - see my sidebars for my Made It and Etsy shops to give you an idea of what they are like. I will post to anywhere in the world with great delight.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Blogtoberfest 7

2011-10-07T14:28:00.000+11:00

This leaf is also knitted with my handspun, but dyed with Landscape dyes. Again it is yarn I made a long time ago, and the leaf was knitted quite a while ago, but the whole thing only went together very recently.

Blogtoberfest 6

2011-10-06T11:06:00.000+11:00

The last of this run of hats. I got really sick of knitting them after five1 But I am happy with the way they knitted up. This leaf is knitted from handspun dyed with Landscape dyes. I had a little collection of leaves that were variously used up in a whole host of things and these hats finished off the last of them. As leaves are so useful for adding to all sorts of things I think I will have to knit some more now and get a new collection going!

Blogtoberfest 5

2011-10-05T11:01:00.000+11:00

This leaf was knitted from gorgeous variegated yarn bought in Bairnsdale at the Jolly Jumbuck, a place which sells lots of sheepy products. They used to have an amazing selection of yarn dyed for them by Marta of Marta's Yarns, who sadly died a few years ago (no pun intended); now their yarns tend to be different though still qutie nice. I bought this, and a lovely green one, in the great days of yore.

Blogtoberfest 4

2011-10-04T10:41:00.001+11:00

LUMPS

for my friend Karen at http://karenruane.blogspot.com/ who does the most amazing embroidery and who you must all check out. (Please).

Blogtoberfest 3

2011-10-03T10:55:00.000+11:00

This yarn is too pastelly for me but would look great on someone else. The leaf is another handspun, ecodyed one, needlefelted onto polar fleece, with a few wisps of Angelina fibre needlefelted on top to give it an unexpected sparkle.

That was the one and only time I ever did any 'ecodying', which is such a buzzword now. I must try it again some time!

Blogtoberfest 2

2011-10-02T10:51:00.001+11:00

I've mentioned doing hats. This is the first of the finished ones. The embellished leaf is from various playings around in the past, while the hat is new. The leaf was knitted from wool I spun and dyed with eucalyptus leaves a long time ago, needlefelted onto polar fleece and with some coloured flecks needlefelted on top of it.

Blogtoberfest!!

2011-10-01T10:51:00.000+10:00

Whoops, I seem to have signed up for something which wants me to post EVERY DAY FOR A MONTH. There might be a lot of single photos this month with few words!

For more on Blogtoberfest see the linkity thing on the sidebar. It is dead cute but most definitely not designed by me, that's way beyond my techy skills!!!

I'm even doing my first ever giveaway. (well, let's face it, I can't seem to sell them, so I would rather they went to a good home anyway!)

there will be details soon. It will involve a fabric brooch from MazeyPrettyThings (see sidebars for Made It shop and Etsy shop to give you an idea of what I mean.

See you tomorrow!

It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding

2011-09-27T18:35:00.000+10:00

On Sunday we went up to Bendigo to see the Wedding Dress exhibitions (one from the V&A, one Australian one). It was fantabulous, but I can't show you any pictures. Suffice it to say that it was full of frills and furbelows and white and cream and sparkly bits! (And for anyone wondering, a furbelow is a ruffle !) Even with corsets I wondered at how tiny many of the waists were. And the shoes! Women had very small feet in the past apparently, both in length and width. But I suppose most people were, generally, smaller in the past than they are now.

I can show you gratuitous pictures of Bendigo as I continued to experiment with my new camera. (Which is a Lumix of some point and shoot variety, for those interested in the details - anything else would be too technical for me!)

The Bendigo Rotary Club Gardens were full of spring blooms in the spring sunshine:

And the - maybe the Town Hall? Or some other grand Victorian gold era building - was adorned with dragons and lions very handsomely.

That may have been the same building that housed the tourist information office and a little exhibition space where I enjoyed 'Raw ‘n’ Funky, Fine Art Fashions in Felt' and this charming tiled motif on the doorstep.

It was a nice day to top off a week off work. A sort of relaxing week in which I finished hats (coming soon to a blog near you!), set up an Etsy shop (see side bar of a blog VERY NEAR YOU RIGHT NOW), watched several episodes of Quincy ME, and carted my children around to medical appointments. Including Wombat, in an ambulance, to a casualty department. He came off his bike rather hard. In the end he was better off than the bike, which is having surgery at the moment, while he escaped with (nasty) scrapes and bruises. Fortunately we have always insisted on them wearing helmets and I am very grateful that the depressed fracture in the helmet was not magnified into his skull.

My Creative Space

2011-09-23T12:55:00.002+10:00

I am trying to turn my 'Mazey Patchwork' into my signature style, and this week has been about working on this piece and taking close ups of it. Basically it is a stitched form of complex cloth, which once it comes off the machine is cut up into random shapes and then further embellished with hand stitching, beads, buttons, etc, lined with satin or something similar and turned into brooches and other fabric jewellery forms.

Enjoy! And enjoy other creative spaces here!

Stacks

2011-09-21T08:11:00.000+10:00

A project of Stacks! This is piles of Books to be Read. There are other Books to be Read but they are scattered around the house. I read A LOT.

Paper Stacks

2011-09-20T15:02:00.001+10:00

“...Wednesday September 21st, The Altered Page will host Paper Stacks, an online collaboration. Please leave a comment on this post if you would like to participate. All you need to do is post an image on 9/21 on your own blog of your stacks – be they papers, books, journals, or anything else of your liking. On the 21st I will post a list of all participating artists on my blog so that you can be sure to find all the links to the stacks. Feel free to let your own readers know about this project by spotlighting it on a post on or prior to reveal day. Please (and this is important) email me with a link when your post goes up so I know to add you to the posted list on my blog.

This is one time when the higher your stacks of stuff, the better. “
Here is the link .

Playing With the New Camera - my spring garden

2011-09-19T08:28:00.000+10:00

My Creative Space

2011-09-08T15:53:00.001+10:00

I am enjoying a day off today! OK, so I took Wombat to the doctor this morning, but he was enjoyable company and we had morning tea so it was fun. Then we came home and I have been managing to relax creatively ever since!

The latest non-haiku. I;m not sure why the photo is so bad, other than my dubious photography skills. Oh, and the fact that the camera is dying and is going to be replace sometime soon. (Not that that will improve my photography skills, but maybe the pictures will bebetter by default anyway!)

The latest completed hat.

The latest hat-in-progress. I am actually get sick of hats but I want to finish off the yarn I bought to knit hats, which means one more after this one, and then embellish them and get them up for sale at Mazey Pretty Things.

And I have spent some time on my luvverly new sewing machine. I am making a Mazey patchwork cloth to cut up and embellish and turn into brooches, etc. I think of it as my version of a 'complex cloth' and each layer adds extra to it.

This week at work hasn't been too bad - I have been able to concentrate on my actual job, which I quite like, rather than running around doing other people's work as well as my own. And then having today off helps! Performance review tomorrow - a little nervous.

For more creative spaces, see here!

My Creative Space

2011-09-01T14:29:00.000+10:00

At the Surrealist Exhibition in Brisbane I bought some of those magnetic poetry word things. I decided to set myself a project of doing a new poem on the fridge a couple of times a week. I was going to do haikus but got confused about the syllables - hence the 7,5,7 effect. And I decided that I like it so that is what I am going to stick to. I will photograph each one and post them on my blog. I am doing a mixture of random and planned - obviously because I want the syllables to work out, there has to be some choosing, but I also want the poems to be fairly Surreal in themselves.

Another hat. It will be adorned with either a fabric brooch or a scrumble in due course. I might try to sell these when I have the collection done - still about three hats to go. I haven't had much time or energy lately to do anything. In fact I am currently off work for two day with galloping stress and exhaustion so hopefully will find some time to do some gentle crafting.

The next hat in production. The baby picture has nothing to do with anything - I was reading New Idea or something while eating my lunch (idiotic, but sort of stress relief) and the knitting just fell like this. Note new phone! Have replaced Stupid Phone (TM) with Smart Phone, still working out how to drive the blasted thing.

I am sure that other people will have more exciting Creative Spaces than me!

Brisbane 3

2011-08-29T15:33:00.000+10:00

While we were away, we sent Sirius off to have a happy long weekend with two labrador friends of hers. She romped so much that she needed a serious bath when she came home. She does not approve of baths! She always looks a poster child for the RSPCA afterwards.

This was my breakfast on our last morning. It tasted even more divine than it looked. Potato, spinach and fetta cakes, a poached egg, parmesan crisps and tomato salsa. I am salivating even now ...

I had a gorgeous time at a Surrealism exhibition in the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) but couldn't take any photos there. This is a Bridget Riley in the permanent exhibition - though come to think of it that might have been in the other art gallery there. Can't remember!

Having a drink outside the restaurant at the other art gallery. Interesting sculpture.

The ibii think they are sparrows.

And I leave you with the alien invasion of Brisbane. It is stealthy. It is disguised as art. It IS coming to get you!

Brisbane 2

2011-08-26T11:32:00.000+10:00

I think I mentioned in the last post that there was some great street architecture in Brisbane. I can't quite remember where this was, though possibly on Southbank, where there are some excellent museums/galleries/theatres etc.

I stood on the exact spot on the quarterdeck of HMAS Diamantina where Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces on the two dates mentioned above. That was actually rather an eerie feeling.

Read this notice carefully. Notice the flaw?

That's right, ibises (ibii?) can't read!

More street architecture, this time of the suspended kind. Not far away from this, at street level, seems to be a popular spot for street performers. I can't remember if the young man there when I was taking this photo was juggling fire or swords, or maybe flaming swords, but you get the general idea.

These are not great pictures of a stunningly beautiful thing. A bougainvillea walk. The sweeping curves of the steel and the wire were amazing. The bougainvillea itself was only just coming into bloom, though I imagine it would look spectacular in full flower, but on the other hand this enabled one to see the underlying structure better. Just believe me that it was absolutely gorgeous.

Um, that is a tree. Obviously. Of some sort. That we don't get in Melbourne.

Brisbane 1

2011-08-23T17:55:00.000+10:00

Great excitement. George and I actually went away for a weekend - three days, eve, - ALONE. The only other time we have done this in eighteen years was when my father died last year, which was hardly fun. (Not because I mourned my father - he was a horrible man - but because it involved a lot of untangling of things and was very emotional anyway).

We went up for a 50th birthday party and, although George has been there on business lots of times, he has never taken the time to sightsee, so we were tourists!!

(There, by the way, is Brisbane, capital of Queensland for non-Australians)

These photos are in no particular order, but I don't have the energy to rearrange them!

Ella's Pink Lady, as sailed around the world by Jessica Watson. I wasn't a big fan of hers, to tell the truth, though I promised to revise my views if she made it all the way without having to be rescued. She did, so I grudgingly agreed that maybe she had achieved something worthwhile after all! This was at the Maritime Museum. It was quite interesting to look at, actually, after seeing it on the TV so much at the time. And, although clean and tidy, it wasn't over-spruced - you could see that it had genuinely sailed around the world.

A pretty Brisbane building. This is probably typical of older Brisbane architecture. A lot of Brisbane is rather new and shiny and modern but I really liked this style.

These are examples of some amazing street architecture. There is a big square in the CBD near the river and it is full of these spheres. They are metal balls in these two sizes (I didn't count how many but there must be at least 20 or so) scattered around, and the sticking-out bits are vegetable strainers. Some people my age might remember that you could get them in threes and they fitted in a saucepan - maybe just in Australia, who knows? G's mum had some. So they have small holes in them, and they look all mysterious and alien. And at night, the lights come on. Every sphere has lights in it, either plain or coloured, and they REALLY look like aliens then. I tried to get a good picture of that but failed :(

This is an attractive flame red tree. Possibly it is even called a flame tree. Lots of pretty trees in Brisbane, which is semi-tropical, or sub-tropical, or something.

More interesting street architecture. And trees.

OK, several views of Brisbane from a ferry.

And this is a model of either a crocodile or an alligator at the Maritime Museum. It amused me.

The birthday party was amazingly good fun. On a boat. With much bubbly. And not quite enough food. And a core group of middle aged people drinking and dancing to the songs of their youth, much like they had done 30 years previously, only with more expensive drinks and a slightly earlier bedtime.

There are more photos, so there will be further installments.

My Taste in Art

2011-08-12T10:23:00.000+10:00

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test ...

Extroverted, Progressive, and Intelligent

5 Cubist, -11 Islamic, -10 Ukiyo-e, -18 Impressionist, 5 Abstract and -13 Renaissance!

Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It revolutionized European art and inspired changes in music and literature. The first branch of cubism, known as Analytic Cubism. It was both radical and influential as a short but highly significant art movement between 1908 and 1911 mainly in France. In its second phase, Synthetic Cubism, (using synthetic materials in the art) the movement spread and remained vital until around 1919.
People that chose Cubist paintings as their favorite art form tend to be very individualized people. They are more extroverted and less afraid of speaking their opinions then other people. They tend to be progressive and are very forward thinking. As the cubist painting is like looking into a shattered mirror where you can see different angles of the images, the people that prefer these paintings like looking at all angles of a problem. These people are intelligent and they are the transformers of our generation. They look beyond what is seen into what things could become. They are ready to leave the ideas of the past behind and look at what the future has to offer.

Your Analysis (Vertical line = Average)

You scored -18% on Impressionist, higher than 5% of your peers.
You scored -11% on Islamic, higher than 9% of your peers.
You scored -10% on Ukiyo-e, higher than 8% of your peers.
You scored 5% on Cubist, higher than 81% of your peers.
You scored 5% on Abstract, higher than 80% of your peers.
You scored -13% on Renaissance, higher than 28% of your peers.
Interesting test! And, for what it's worth, I think I agree with the results.

My Creative Space

2011-08-11T14:09:00.001+10:00

Another week fraught with tedious personal and work stuff. But at least I got to play with the new sewing machine at the weekend, and a love affair is definitely in progress! I tried out lots and lots of stitches and stuff :)

Then I did some more playing in black thread (rather than the white which I had been using for the samplers), realising that, on the random fabric I had pulled out of the stash to practice on, it would look good for something specific I was vaguely thinking about. (Can you think vaguely about something specific? What I mean is that I was thinking I could use some of these stitches on fabric and then cut them up and make brooch/hat adornments from them, and then realising that the black and red would work well with the yarn I was using to make hats).

And the hat with the attached glasses and antlers? From the other day? Well, I canvassed opinions from people on here and on various Facebook groups and decided that it might be better to make it a little more mainstream.

So it now has a gum nut type scrumble on it.

And these are all going to be adornments for other hats in a similar style.

This was meant to be a brooch in the red/orange MazeyPrettyThings collection, but somehow got left out when I was sewing backing fabric on them. So it is going to be sewn down to a slightly larger piece of the red and black, machine embroidered fabric.

This a dreadful photo, don't know what happened there! But there is a glittering green button in the middle of this.

And another green button on this one.

These three will probably have brooch backs sewn onto them and pinned to hats and sold together, so that they can be worn together or separately.

Please go and enjoy some other people's spaces :)

My Creative Space

2011-08-04T09:39:00.001+10:00

Well my work week has been distinctly uncreative, being fraught with tedious but stressful issues that i just want to forget about. So I am surrounding myself with wonderful, creative purchases - and yes, most of them have been bought this week, except for two of the books that I bought a month ago and then forgot about!

After six months of working for a living I had saved up enough to buy myself a new sewing machine in a sale. The last day of the sale! It is a Janome Memory Craft 6500 and it does whizzy things. I believe. It will probably be Saturday before I have the concentration and energy to actually try it out. But the instruction manual is interesting!

Graham certainly thinks so, anyway. Now he will be able to tell me when I am doing something wrong! And to give him his due, he actually does know quite a lot about the subject in general and I expect he will soon be up to speed on this particular beast. Maybe I will follow Baby Bear's lead and give it a name (she names all her musical instruments).

And then I bought some books, mostly at the Craft Fair at Jeff's Shed the other weekend, all which I am hoping will provide creative inspiration of one sort or another. And I actually bought another three today but they can wait for another photo session!

For more creative spaces, pop over here. Maybe some of them have actually made something rather than just buying inspiration!

My Creative Space

2011-07-28T12:27:00.001+10:00

I spent this week finishing off a prototype hat design. While I still think it was an amusing idea, various feedback from people has made me think that, though I might make a vague attempt to sell something like this, it might not work.

We start off with a simple, comfortable cloche-cum-beanie. This one is knitted out of a nice, smooth acrylic/microfibre mixture that feels really nice to the touch (though obviously it is less warm than wool).

We gather together some embellishing supplies. Pipecleaners, a bag of - well, what do YOU think they might be? - and a bag of assorted yarns.

Silliness ensues. A pair of retro, vintage specs are sewn in place just where you would put them if you were to push your retro, vintage specs up on top of your head.

And then a pipecleaner is wrapped in novelty yarn, bent into shape (sort of) and wrapped around the nose-piece of the glasses, thus making removable antennae/antlers.

Well, I thought it was funny. A couple of people have told me that it would not raise an eyebrowin their local neighbourhood. I might wear it myself. But would you? Would you BUY something like this? Is there any point in me putting in my new born MadeIt shop which so far has not even sold anything at all?

OK, at least I was creative. And to see how other people have been creative this week, here is the linkety link :)

My Creative Space

2011-07-21T14:40:00.001+10:00

What with the (currently stalled) Knit Along, and this lot 'ere, I am behind in the Bead Journal Project. But I feel an urge to bead returning and will catach up sometime soon!

I finally had some time, and some courage, to pop into Open Drawer (see last post) and hopefully they might be able to sell some of my things. And I was asked to make some more things, which I took in at the start of the week. These are they - my creative space for the last couple of weeks:

Patchwork scarf - a variety of yarns of completely different textures and weights, with some of (now specially named) Mazey Patchwork on the bottom. Because I was running out of time (this was the last one I finished) most of the embroidery on that was done on the tram, the train and in the Melbourne Central food court at lunchtime. It got a few weird looks, but who cares!

The first of two feral hats. This one has some of the ends pulled out through the top and tied with big beads. It is a floppy tam-o-shanter type of hat.

The other feral hat. Again floppy. This time the ends are like a fringe down the back seam.

This blue hat is what you do when you find half a scrumbled hat and don't have the time to finish making it properly. You knit a tube, using a hat block and pins to judge how long it needs to be, then you carefully sew down the scrumbling to the tube. Add an extra row of stitching underneath the scrumbling (repetition, and tying the design together) and hey presto!

Simple scarf knitted lengthways in a variegated yarn, and some crocheted bits sewn down in a viney pattern (plus I needlefelted the long ends of theyarn in a similar pattern). Finished off with Suffolk Puffs and cute buttons.

The final, blue, scarf, knitted lengthways and the ends turned into a feral fringe. They were lightly needlefelted crossways for the first third or so of their length, so hold them together but still keep them defined as separate yarns, and then I sewed buttons and beads all over the ends of the actual knitting and the start of the fringe.

These were fun to make, and all my own designs. Currently working on a prototype new design which I might try to sell through my new Made It Shop.

For more yummy, inspirational Creative Spaces, pop over here.

Me-Made-June Whenever It Was...

2011-07-18T11:59:00.001+10:00

I have been a bad blogger. I did finish Me-Made-June without any duplications, though I only made one item instead of two. But I haven't felt like blogging recently. Now ... I'M BAAACCKKKK...

Because it was a while ago, I can't remember which day I wore these things, but I did have them marked down as the last week of MMJ so here goes.

Good old Entre Chien et Loup!

This brooch was part of my Graduate Exhibition for my Diploma. This is a shocking picture! I take terrible pictures of my work :( It was part of a set called Full Fathom Five and is meant to look like coral and seaweed and pearls (those are seed pearls that were his eyes!)

This cowl is the one I blogged about earlier and, because it took me an unneccessarily long time to finish it, counts as the one thing I made in June, to wear in June. It is the Tilting Tardis cowl from Revelry (too lazy to look up) made from a Wendy sock yarn that is mostly bamboo and is silky and soft. It is meant to be buttoned up. When I was sewing in the ends I used them to sew up the seam without thinking, and then, as I could get it on over my head, just left it be!

A ubiquitous Clapotis of much Knitty and bloggy fame. I made mine longer and narrower to wear it as a scarf. It is one of the few things I have ever knitted in the recommended yarn, splashing out of Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb, if that;s what it's called? Anyway it is utterly luscious and I wear it a lot.

A pair of Jaywalker socks knitted in , I think, a Regia wool-cotton blend. Again too lazy to find a link. Hey, it's taken me over two weeks to write this post at all!

And that, I think, finished Me-Made-June. It was fun but towards the end I got a bit distracted, at least in terms of recording it, as must be pretty obvious. Sometimes life you actually have just gets in the way of the life you want to have. That's happening a lot at the moment.

On a lighter note - I have just formed a hopefully fruitful relationship with the gorgeous textile art shop Open Drawer (to which I obviously can be bothered linking!). Whether they actually sell any of my work remains to be seen but at least they were willing to give it a go. And that has given me a bit of a kick in the pants to do some other stuff. I have had a couple of Etsy shops at various times, and set up the framework of a MadeIt shop earlier in the year, but have never really achieved anything with them. I am inspired to start all over again with a new name, new goods, and, well, watch this space!!!

My Creative Space

2011-06-22T19:06:00.002+10:00

I haven't done a Knit Along (KAL) for yonks, and in fact I don't think I have ever finished one really! This one attracted me because of its freeform, oddball nature. See Jane Thornley's site here to see what it is about, and while you are there, have a browse - even if you don't knit, or don't like stuff like hers, the site is a riot of colour and texture and FUN!!!

From top to bottom - the collection of yarns that I grabbed to make the freeform vest - mostly purples with touches of greens and other colours. And a variety of textures, too. I may not use them all, but I like to pick a palette and work from it, picking them out from the pile as I go.

The first couple of inches - a chenille yarn (from Lincraft I think - most of these yarns have been maturing in the stash for quite a while, and not many are complete balls) and moss stitch. Jane recommends moss stitch (only she calls in seed stitch) as good foundation stitch because it adds strength to the overall construction, and I have to say that I like that idea.

And then more progress. As you can see I moved on from the chenille yarn to a bit of leftover Lincraft Prism, to some stuff I picked up in the Bendigo Woollen Mills backroom years ago with a boucle thread in black and brightly coloured slubby stuff wound in with it. And in that picture you can barely see it, as I had only knitted about two rows, but now I am using remnants of a yarn I spun and dyed myself several years ago, which will make up the rest of the back. I am almost up to the neckline now and will post more progress pictures next week.

To see more creative spaces, please pop over here for a riot of colour and amusement.

Me-Made-June Week 3

2011-06-21T17:51:00.000+10:00

Another chilly week. But not quite as bad as last week! It did however start with a scarf.

This is knitted from Lincraft Prism and is 70% wool and 30% soysilk. The pattern is from Knitted Shawls, Stoles and Scarves by Nancie Wiseman and it can be knitted either as a shawl (my MIL has a lovely pink and purple one) or a scarf.

I had to get my favorite glass brooch in somewhere this month!

Then it was a wet day and I had to catch the tram to work, which means walking through a park (which is pretty at sunrise, but gives you wet feet), and so I wore waterproof shoes and carried office shoes in the felted bag I made for Me-Made-May.

This brooch, made some years ago, sits on the lapel of a designer denim blazer that I bought in an op shop about the same time that I made the brooch.

A cold Sunday meant hand knitted socks. These are Jaywalkers knitted in a mixture of wool and cotton.

I've worn very little of my own jewellery this month, mostly because I have had the perfect opportunity to wear the handknits!! But I did wear these green and blue coralled earrings.

And finally, as Arctic blasts assailed Melbourne, I wore my Fetchings, knitted from the same Prism yarn as the scarf at the start of this post.

I haven't been doing My Creative Spaces for the last couple of weeks, because of the planning and photographing, etc, of Me-Made-June. but I am going to this week, because I am participating in a KAL (Knit-along, for those who are wondering) and I want to show some progress pictures, and it's pretty much what I have been working on all week.

Me-Made-June Week 2

2011-06-16T21:29:00.000+10:00

It has been a cold and mostly wet week in Melbourne, so it's been all about the handknits. First off the rank, beautiful underwater colours in Noro Kureyon in a vest. This was knitted to a Patons pattern for Zhivago but is obviously a bit different - less drapey but much more beautiful. I use a fake kilt pin to pin it together - fake because it came with a cheapy cardigan years ago and has fake diamantes on it, I think any self-respecting kilt would give it a Glasgow Kiss!

I got over the whole noveltry yarn phase a LONG time ago but I do seem to have hung onto this bluish fluffy thing, and it was quite nice on a bitterly cold morning.

I made this scarf as a project when I was studying for my Diploma of Textile Art. The brief was to do something with grapes. I made this scarf! The grapes are large, faceted acrylic beads, and there are knitted leaves needlefelted onto the crocheted scarf with twining vines, and dangly bits.

Then it was Casual Friday, and a long weekend, and it wasn't a warm one at that. So socks and an old jumper were very comfortable. These are an Opal with a silver thread running through them, giving them a subtle glitz.

These two pairs are scrappy socks, made from leftovers from all the other socks I make. I like scrappy socks!

And last but not least, an old favorite. This is an old Rowan kit inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, and I love it. It is thick and heavy and warm and, by now, going slightly felted. I started it a year before Baby Bear came along, and she is about to be 18. (I finished it about six months after she arrived - there were periods in the middle when the brain couldn't cope!)

Bead Journal Project May

2011-06-12T14:42:00.001+10:00

I actually finished this just after the end of May but it was inevitable that I would fall at least slightly behind at some stage!

This was a lot more planned than April's and I actually think I prefer the more spontaneous look. Though I am pleased with this, certainly.

The face is such a pretty, delicate one (from my collection bought from various vendors, sorry I can't acknowledge your beautiful work) that I wanted to use a similarly delicate found object with it. And not to biuld up beads around the face like I usually do, but just to do one round. the found object is a piece of fine wire that I found lying around that I twisted randomly. When I had finished I decided that it looked vaguely like dragonfly wings and I thought of the creature from Pan's Labyrinth and that sort of informed what I was making.

It is finished with the usual encrusted edge.

Me-Made-June Week 1

2011-06-07T18:01:00.000+10:00

So starteth Me-Made-June. I upped the ante a little from Me-Made-March by vowing to try not to repeat any hand-made-by-me accessories or clothes during the month, and by making two new things to wear. No repeats so far in the first week! There may be some in the next few days as it is really cold now and the vest I am wearing today is very cosy, but I will only count it once and wear another things with it on the days I repeat it.

This scarf was made during MMM, I think, as was the one I wore later on in the week. They are just lengths of chiffon zig-zagged around the edges to provide a quick and easy wardrobe boost. I wore this with a green top slightly lighter than the olivey green leaves, and black trousers.

Day 2 saw these earrings, made from seed beads with a chip of Venetian glass at the top of each one. The colours aren't great in this photo but they are all autumnal reds and greens and browns and oranges. I can't remember what colour top I wore them with but I know I wore black trousers (well, I often do!)

Friday is Casual Day at work and I wore this Samurai Shirt that I made years ago. So long ago that it was a lot of kilos ago, too. Consequently it is rather too big. I don't often get to say that! I am going to try and insert a few discreet darts to make it slightly more shapely. If I do manage to do that appropriately and soon, I will count it again for wearing this month because it will be, sort of, new/refashioned. It's made in a blinding batik print that I picked up in Spotlight years ago. It got me lots of compliments, which was nice! Worn with black jeans for contrast.

The weekend was quite cold, so I wore handknitted socks both days. These ones are a pretty stripy Opal I bought in Wangaratta one year, in a pattern of my own design - a very easy one admittedly, toe-up socks with the leg bit in feather-and-fan. Because they are knitted from the toe-up, the feather-and-fan is upside down, which makes it a bit different. (To say nothing of noice, and unusual...)

Sunday's socks were made from a wool and cotton mix, maybe Opal, maybe something else, I can't remember, but in pretty pastels. Actually, you'd never guess they were clean, looking at them, I must have worn them in wet boots at some point and because they are so pale the bottoms stained!

And yesterday the idea was to wear this scarf with a white top, charcoal grey skirt and a new cardigan. But it clashed with the cardigan (which looked great with the skirt - a printed lace-like pattern in dark beige on a cream background, and trimmed with lace and diamante buttons, which sounds awful but looked very pretty - this is the cardigan, not the skirt, which is also very pretty in a flirty French sort of way) so I ended up tying it onto my bag instead. I used to wear silks scarves tied to my bag in London in the mid 1980s. Maybe I could reintroduce the fashion!!

As for the making two things to wear this month - well, the cowl I showed in my Creative Space a couple of weeks ago did not get finished until this month, so that is going to count as one. (I started it in late March - can you tell I moved house during the making of it!) And I am trying to repurpose two tops into one, but whether I wear it or not depends on if it looks better than it does at the moment! It is only at an early stage but I frankly have my doubts. Maybe darting the Samurai Shirt will do instead. We shall see!

Me-Made-June

2011-05-30T10:31:00.000+10:00

After the fun of Me-Made-March I have signed up again!

'I, (Judy, also known as Sheeprustler, of http://www.sheeprustling.blogspot.com)), sign up as a participant of Me-Made-June '11. I endeavour to wear one hand-made-by-me item each day for the duration of June 2011, and attempt to make at least two new things during that month, and wear them. 'Item' includes clothing, accessories and/or jewellery and repeating items during the month is allowed but I will try to avoid it!'

Want to know what I am talking about? Go over here and find out!!

2011-05-26T19:04:00.000+10:00

Not a very exciting picture!

But that's because this is my May Bead Journal Project piece, and it is almost finished, and I don't want to show it off properly until it IS finished!!

So this is what I am working on tonight :)

For more creative spaces, pop over here.

My Creative Space

2011-05-19T19:14:00.000+10:00

I have been wanting to do My Creative Space for ages but the whole going back to work thing stymied that. By Thursday night when I get home I tend to be so tired that I might do a few minutes of something crafty after dinner and then resort to playing Tetris on my phone because my brain hurts so much.

But I decided that it would be better to make an effort sometimes at least. So here is my first My Creative Space. I have been working on this cowl for some time now. It is is Tilting Tardis from Ravelry (sorry, no link to hand, and typing this while pasta is cooking so not much time to look it up!) I am knitting it in a Wendy sock yarn. It is mostly bamboo with some nylon and is soooo soft, just right for my poor neck which finds almost anything scratchy. I bought it to knit socks but didn't really like it for sock knitting, it was slippery and splitty. So of course I choose a lace project instead ... actually, on larger, wooden needles it was less slippery and splitty.

It's almost finished, I just have to knit a few more rows of garter stitch, cast off, sew the ends in and find some appropriate buttons. That should be fun.

For more creative spaces, here you go

Bead Journal Project - April

2011-05-10T08:43:00.001+10:00

I didn't quite ex[ect to finish my April piece by the end of the month, because of the house move, but I did manage to do so with a couple of days to spare.

I deliberately kept it very simple this month with no bead patterns or anything, just a bead soup embroidered around a striking image. This time, while sticking to the Faces and Found Objects theme I had set myself, I mixed things around a bit. The Found Object is the Face! It is a button that I have had in the stash for a couple of years. The 'body' is a piece of polymer clay left over from an experiment, so it is also a found object of sorts.

It is finished with the usual encrusted edge.

Seasons of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

2011-05-07T11:10:00.000+10:00

When we bought this new house we inherited a productive vegetable garden. Over time it will probably be expanded, at the moment we are working out what to do with what is in there.

There was a lot of basil on the verge of going to seed, so of course I turned it into pesto. That was fun. The jar (please ignore the label, it did once have commercial pesto in it, but be assured that that green stuff is all mine!) is approximately one-fifth of what I made up last weekend. The rest is in the freezer. This jar is now almost empty, having gone into soup all week. (A favorite Italian-inspired cafe I visit frequently put me onto the idea of a decent dollop of pesto in many soups being a wondrous thing).

I had planned to cook a pressure-cooker lamb thing with roasted rhubard last weekend. And George was delighted because he (a) likes rhubarb and (b) wanted me to use up what was growing in the garden. So I went down and cut the rhubarb. While cutting it I politely asked him if he was 100% sure that it was rhubarb and not ruby chard grown bigger than it should have been allowed it. He was adamant (and he is the gardener among us, I am the cook). So I dutifully threw away all the leaves, rhubarb leaves being poisonous of course, and roasted the stalks with butter and sugar.

Roasted ruby chard stems with butter and sugar does not taste bad, as such, it just doesn't taste of anything except, well, butter ... and sugar.

And a large bunch of squeaky fresh ruby chard languishes in the bottom of our green waste bin :(

The house is coming together, slowly. There is still all the stuff in storage. When that comes out, I will be able to organise my craft stuff to some extent, and we will have thousands of books to reshelve. I think we may need some new bookcases, too, but I'm not sure about that. We have decided that the books of my dead father are going to the nearest book sale - I feel that I have been cursed ever since they entered my life and that it is no longer worth trying to value and sell them. Some we are deliberately keeping, happily, but the bulk of them will not even be entering the new house. We all need to move on.

It needs a lot more tidying and organising and finding places for things but it feels like home and we love it. Yes, it was worth all the angst!

And work is even feeling a bit better. I had a three-month review yesterday - I am on a 12 month contract (we all are, it gets renewed so long as both sides still want it at the end of every 12 months) but with a 3 month probationary period). I wanted to discuss some things I was not happy with, and obviously my boss needed the opportunity to say anything he needed to say. Everyone who matters is happy with me, so I do still have a job! And I was able to air a couple of grievances and establish myself on a bit more of a professional footing. And I am possibly the only person in living memory to ask for more work to do! What I actually said was that my allotted duties did not fill in the time I worked, and I was unhappy with the perception that I should spend the extra time doing the work of people below me in the organisational structure. This was agreed upon, I have more interesting things to do now, and I am going to embark on a training course in designing and delivering information literacy programes, paid for by the college, which will help bump up my CV no end. So I am still tired all the time, and I would still rather be at home crafting, but at least I feel a little more appreciated now.

Resolutions - May Update

2011-05-03T17:49:00.000+10:00

So here we go again. And again, and again, and again...

1. Accomplish all the necessary stuff involved in selling this house and moving into the one we are buying. This is the sort of resolution that, although not easy in itself, HAS to be followed through on.

Report - House sale was finalised on April 15, as was house buying. For a scarey 45 minutes we had no place to live in but were comparatively wealthy. Now we have gone back to having no money but owning 3/5 of a rather nice house. The bank owns the other 2/5, of course.

The move went as well as expected. Tempers got frayed, things got lost, one or two things got broken (mostly by us!). The bloomin' removalists packed THE KETTLE. They obviously had not studied Removalism 101. So I ducked out and bought a cheap and nasty kettle that was on special in Target. THEY PACKED THAT TOO. We have not fully unpacked, of course, it will take months before everything is sorted out completely, but the house feels like home and we are very happy with the move. Some furniture still needs to be acquired to make sense of it being larger and with more rooms/functions for the rooms, but that will be done gradually (a mixture of IKEA and Ebay, probably), together with the other things we want to get done.
2. This was 'get a job'. I've decided that after nearly three months whingeing about it I will be deleting this one from the monthly report. Periodic whingeing may still occur but it will be same old, same old.
3. Complete a project a month. Even if it is just a plain sock (pair of socks!) Preferably try out some new techniques or whatever, but at least one project a month.

Report - I had low expectations for April, what with the house move, but I am glad to announce that I finished the April Bead Journal Piece a few days before the end of the month. When we can find the cable that connects my camera to the computer, I will blog about it! It's the one important cable that is still missing, of course.
4. Stop spending money like water. With this in mind, this resolution is split into sections :

4.1 I will not buy any clothes or shoes unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
Report - I bought another couple of work things, but I have pretty much reached the stage now where I have plenty of work things and really don't have any space for any more clothes. Though I want to get back into dressmaking again. And there are some killer boots I am waiting on to come into a shop in the city!.
4.2 I buy far too many DVDs. I will restrict myself to the equivalent of one full-price film (i.e. one new release or something like those 3 for $30 specials you see around) and one TV series. I need to be VERY STRICT about this.

Report - I'm really quite a good girl. I slightly exceeded the above, but now I am spending my own money on them I feel less guilty. For my film, I bought Harry Potter 7 Part 1 (still haven't watched it yet). And for the series I bought the complete (2 series) box set of Campion, because I have read a couple of the books in recent months and fancy it. And also, the slightly naughty bit, an extra series - Children of the Stones which is a 1977 kids program that looks wonderful!
4.3 Likewise with books. One full-price book or the equivalent per month.

Report - to my complete surprise I stuck to this, buying a new AWW Pressure Cooker cookbook. I've cooked a couple of things out of it, too!
4.4 Craft materials - only to be purchased if necessary to make a specific project immediately after purchase. Otherwise all craft material shopping is to be done from the stash.

Report - One roll of strong double-sided tape bought to replace the one I lost in the move. Used for sticking face cabs to beading foundations, and that sort of thing. And then another roll to replace the one I managed to lose between the shop and the car.
4.5 Exceptions to the rules will include craft shows, where I will take a fixed amount of cash and leave my credit cards at home. Nothing purchased under these circumstances will count towards the total!

Report - I passed this one - I went to AQC with a fixed sum of money and bought Nicole Maillieu's new book, which I had planned to buy, and as I was exhausted from moving and at the end of the show when everyone's defences were down, was conned into buying a showbag of Japanese goodies that had originally been $60 but were being sold off at $30. It supposedly contained over $100 worth of stuff. Well, it contained some things I didn't like, but the fabric selections alone were worth well over $30 and I love Japanese fabric, so though an unplanned purchase I was happy with it!
4.6 Items for any room in the new house, but especially the kitchen, will only be purchased if necessary, not just because they catch my eye. There will be some purchases, planned in advance.

Report - No impulse buys have been made, but some very expensive planned ones for the new house. We have bought a new fridge, dishwasher and microwave, all to replace the old and decrepit ones that were wearing out. Also two new beds, ditto. And new carpet. And there will be other things to follow. In particular a new digital TV and recording device for me, to replace my tiny and old CRT telly and decrepti VCR.

So I am happy with how things are tracking. We are exhausted and broke but we love our new house. I might even take some pictures of it, if we ever find (or replace) that cable thingy that connects my camera to the computer!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T13:12:00.000+10:00

Floofy Scarf Redux

2011-04-20T20:38:00.000+10:00

I don't know why the last pic didn't load. Probably something to do with the computer being out of action for several days. But anyway, here it is.

The move happened. There are still things we can't find or do, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. By the end of Easter it should be a lot better. We still loved the house the moment we walked in, despite the chaos. And the chaos, though diminished, still exists. All will be well and all will be well and all manner of thing shall be well!!

I got a new bed :) It is superbly comfortable. And there will be other new things soon too. All replacing ancient things.

By May we should feel like we actually live here! The neighbours are generally delightful, the street is gorgeous and leafy and so quiet. The previous owner said there was no native wildlife around, which was disappointing because we had got used to living with parrots and possums and bats and things. Well, in a week, we have heard more native wildlife than he ever mentioned, and he lived here for 30 years!

There was much weird plumbing and electrics and we have spent a lot of money getting them fixed, but those fixes should last a long time. It helps that we know a plumber, and a carpet person (we got new carpet downstairs), so service was prompt and excellent and reasonably priced, and the electrician loves us now because we paid him well up front!!

I have not got the kitchen quite sorted out yet, but with a bit of resorting, it will be fantastic and I can go for true gormet!!! And the owner left a little vegie garden with some very usable chillies, tomatoes, a few other things and enough basil at the right stage to be turned into yummy pesto over Easter,

Flooffy Scarf

2011-04-17T20:23:00.002+10:00

I have lost the yarn label for this. I bought it in Lincraft. There is a vague possibility that it may be called CanCan, or maybe it is a cheapo imitation of a yarn called CanCan. Anyway, it is infuriating to knit (though it is possible to do it while under the influence, which is a plus in my case) and there is no way on earth that youy can finish off the ends in any way normally done with yarn of any sort. It does, however, knit up into a riot of flooffy(TM) colour and feels OK against my neck, which complains about proper yarns made from actual fibres. So it is a GOOD THING (TM by many people - so sue me). Yes, by the time you read this I may have moved. I may still belong to a family of four people and one dog. On the other hand, people may be buried in the dungeons. I kid you not, this new house comes with dungeons. I am in negotiations with a friend about obtaining adjustable shackles - his children have thinner wrists than Wombat. I wrote this a few days ago but have organised for it to be published in advance. And if I was sober enough to mangle any more tenses, I would :)

SF Mistressworks - a reading meme

2011-04-12T16:31:00.003+10:00

Yes, I am indeed in the middle of moving house. This post was one I prepared earlier. Normal blogging may resume at some stage in the near future!

I got this meme from here where there are links to the posts by Ian Sales and Tansy Rayner Roberts mentioned:

SF Mistressworks - a reading meme

This list was created by reviewer and author Ian Sales, in response to the Gollancz SF Masterworks series.

Ian explains:

"[These are all by women,] science fiction only, no fantasy; and no YA or children’s works. One work per author... Arbitrary end date of 2000.

For trilogies or series, I’ve listed the first book but put the trilogy/series name in square brackets afterwards. Asterisked titles are in Gollancz’s SF Masterworks series. And if the Masterworks series is allowed an anthology, so am I: hence the inclusion of Despatches from the Frontiers of the Female Mind. I’ve also sneakily included one or two collections, for those writers best known for their short fiction.

The list is in order of year of publication.

You know how it works: bold those you’ve read, italicise those you own but have not read. (If you’ve read the entire named series, you can even emboldenize that as well.)"

The titles bolded below are ones that I (Judy) have read - some many times, some only once. This is Deborah's list so I am not sure if it is identical to the original one.
1 * Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (1818)

2 * Herland, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915)

3 Orlando, Virginia Woolf (1928)

4 Lest Ye Die, Cicely Hamilton (1928)

5 Swastika Night, Katherine Burdekin (1937)

6 was deleted cos Francis Leslie Ashton is male (1951)

7 The Sword of Rhiannon, Leigh Brackett (1953)

8 Pilgrimage: The Book of the People, Zenna Henderson (1961)

9 Memoirs of a Spacewoman, Naomi Mitchison (1962)

10 Witch World, Andre Norton (1963)

11 Sunburst, Phyllis Gotlieb (1964)

12 Jirel of Joiry, CL Moore (1969)

13 Heroes and Villains, Angela Carter (1969)

14 Ten Thousand Light Years From Home, James Tiptree Jr (1973)

15 * The Dispossessed, Ursula K Le Guin (1974)

16 Walk to the End of the World, Suzy McKee Charnas (1974)

17 * The Female Man, Joana Russ (1975)

18 Missing Man, Katherine MacLean (1975)

19 * Arslan, MJ Engh (1976)

20 * Floating Worlds, Cecelia Holland (1976)

21 * Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm (1976)

22 Islands, Marta Randall (1976)

23 Dreamsnake, Vonda N McIntyre (1978)

24 False Dawn, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (1978)

25 Shikasta [Canopus in Argos: Archives], Doris Lessing (1979)

26 Kindred, Octavia Butler (1979)

27 Benefits, Zoe Fairbairns (1979)

28 The Snow Queen, Joan D Vinge (1980)

29 The Silent City, Élisabeth Vonarburg (1981)

30 The Silver Metal Lover, Tanith Lee (1981)

31 The Many-Coloured Land [Saga of the Exiles], Julian May (1981)

32 Darkchild [Daughters of the Sunstone], Sydney J van Scyoc (1982)

33 The Crystal Singer, Anne McCaffrey (1982)

34 Native Tongue, Suzette Haden Elgin (1984)

35 The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood (1985)

36 Jerusalem Fire, RM Meluch (1985)

37 Children of Anthi, Jay D Blakeney (1985)

38 The Dream Years, Lisa Goldstein (1985)

39 Despatches from the Frontiers of the Female Mind, Sarah Lefanu & Jen Green (1985)

40 Queen of the States, Josephine Saxton (1986)

41 The Wave and the Flame [Lear's Daughters], Marjorie Bradley Kellogg (1986)

42 The Journal of Nicholas the American, Leigh Kennedy (1986)

43 A Door into Ocean, Joan Slonczewski (1986)

44 Angel at Apogee, SN Lewitt (1987)

45 In Conquest Born, CS Friedman (1987)

46 Pennterra, Judith Moffett (1987)

47 Kairos, Gwyneth Jones (1988)

48 Cyteen , CJ Cherryh (1988)

49 Unquenchable Fire, Rachel Pollack (1988)

50 The City, Not Long After, Pat Murphy (1988)

51 The Steerswoman [Steerswoman series], Rosemary Kirstein (1989)

52 The Third Eagle, RA MacAvoy (1989)

53 * Grass, Sheri S Tepper (1989)

54 Heritage of Flight, Susan Shwartz (1989)

55 Falcon, Emma Bull (1989)

56 The Archivist, Gill Alderman (1989)

57 Winterlong [Winterlong trilogy], Elizabeth Hand (1990)

58 A Gift Upon the Shore, MK Wren (1990)

59 Red Spider, White Web, Misha (1990)

60 Polar City Blues, Katharine Kerr (1990)

61 Body of Glass (AKA He, She and It), Marge Piercy (1991)

62 Sarah Canary, Karen Joy Fowler (1991)

63 Beggars in Spain [Sleepless trilogy], Nancy Kress (1991)

64 A Woman of the Iron People, Eleanor Arnason (1991)

65 Hermetech, Storm Constantine (1991)

66 China Mountain Zhang, Maureen F McHugh (1992)

67 Fools, Pat Cadigan (1992)

68 Correspondence, Sue Thomas (1992)

69 Lost Futures, Lisa Tuttle (1992)

70 Doomsday Book, Connie Willis (1992)

71 Ammonite, Nicola Griffith (1993)

72 The Holder of the World, Bharati Mukherjee (1993)

73 Queen City Jazz, Kathleen Ann Goonan (1994)

74 Happy Policeman, Patricia Anthony (1994)

75 Shadow Man, Melissa Scott (1995)

76 Legacies, Alison Sinclair (1995)

77 Primary Inversion [Skolian Saga], Catherine Asaro (1995)

78 Alien Influences, Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1995)

79 The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell (1996)

80 Memory [Vorkosigan series], Lois McMaster Bujold (1996)

81 Remnant Population, Elizabeth Moon (1996)

82 Looking for the Mahdi, N Lee Wood (1996)

83 An Exchange of Hostages [Jurisdiction series], Susan R Matthews (1997)

84 Fool’s War, Sarah Zettel (1997)

85 Black Wine, Candas Jane Dorsey (1997)

86 Halfway Human, Carolyn Ives Gilman (1998)

87 Vast, Linda Nagata (1998)

88 Hand of Prophecy, Severna Park (1998)

89 Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson (1998)

90 Dreaming in Smoke, Tricia Sullivan (1999)

91 Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle (2000)

you can read more about this list on Ian Sales' blog

Deborah read about it first on Tansy Rayner Roberts' blog, I read about it on hers.

Embarassingly, and most unusually for me, I have read almost none of these books! It looks like a good reading list to follow up on.

Resolutions - April Update

2011-04-08T10:28:00.015+10:00

So here we go again.

1. Accomplish all the necessary stuff involved in selling this house and moving into the one we are buying. This is the sort of resolution that, although not easy in itself, HAS to be followed through on.

Report - Well, we move on April 15th. I just want it to be over and done with. It will be four months since buying the house and moving in (a ridiculous length of time but stipulated by us because we needed time to sell the old one and get the money for it!) There will be upheaval and what-not. Tempers are very frayed all round. I am grimly trying to hang on to the shred of sanity that comes with remembering why I fell in love with the house in the first place. Plus the people buying our place have been a bit irritating. But all will be well and all will be well and all manner of things will be well.
2. Get a job. It really is time after 18 years to go back to earning some sort of income. This is a scary one. I have no idea how I and the rest of the family will cope - they have all got used to me being available whenever required. I did not have children or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome last time I worked. A very large part of me does not want to go back to work. But a small part of me craves the idea of doing something else.
Report - well, I've been working for five or six weeks now, I have learned a lot of what I need to know ... and I don't much like it. Not the job itself, which is fine, and the people are lovely, and it is even nice to earn a bit of money. But I hate not being around for the children, even if they are teenagers, and all my health problems are rearing their ugly heads again. I am permanently tired and miserable and hurt all over. Again I am gritting my teeth and trying to hold on to that notion that I need to earn this money to pay for the new house, and I really want the new house. And I am trying to pull myself out of the Slough of Despond and make some small changes to my lifestyle which might help my health a little - like starting to take a proper multivitamin again, for instance. And knowing that the damp and mould in the old house is probably a cause of many of my (and the other family members') health issues in the first place, and that the new house will not have them.

The small bit of me that craved doing something else - it is now begging to return to its cave and be left alone!
3. Complete a project a month. Even if it is just a plain sock (pair of socks!) Preferably try out some new techniques or whatever, but at least one project a month.

Report - easy! I have finished the March Bead Journal Project piece, run up three quick scarves for Me-Made-March 2011, and repurposed an old cardigan and a pair of shorts into another scarf. All blogged about previously.
4. Stop spending money like water. With this in mind, this resolution is split into sections :

4.1 I will not buy any clothes or shoes unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. 'Necessary' means underwear if my current collection falls apart; if I end up in a job where I can't wear jeans, some other covering for my bottom half may be necessary beyond the one pair of black trousers and one black skirt I own; and I am going to a family wedding in March that MAY necessitate a new outfit. I can make myself anything I like out of my vast stash of fabrics and patterns, however, and if this is the case, purchase of required notions will be permitted. I would make an outfit for the wedding but that is likely to be around the time we move, and I am packing up my stash as we speak.

Report - Ha Ha! Quite a few work clothes purchased, the new job requiring reasonably corporate clothing. But nothing frivolous or not usable for work. (Oh, and there were some shoes too, but ditto). I bought a dress for the wedding, despite really wanting to make something, but realising that I just wouldn't get round to it, and the dress is suitable for work as well. All in all, more money spent than I really should have done, but for a good reason.

That paragraph is what I wrote last month, and it can stand again for this month. I bought three 'pashminas' in a 3 for the price of 2 deal, and wore one of them to the wedding. All three will get used. The wedding one was black and grey (as was my dress - how Melbourne am I, I wore a black dress and a pashmina to a wedding!), the others are bright pink/black and turquoise/gold. They are all lovely against my sad old neck and between them will go with lots of things. Yes, there were a couple more items of clothes for work, and maybe some more shoes.

4.2 I buy far too many DVDs. I will restrict myself to the equivalent of one full-price film (i.e. one new release or something like those 3 for $30 specials you see around) and one TV series. I need to be VERY STRICT about this.

Report - pretty successful. I bought the old BBC series of Survivors as my TV series, and a reissuing of Neil Jordan's The Company of Wolves as my film (it's a huge favorite of mine). I only cheated a tiny, tiny bit - at the same time I found a copy of the old TV series of My Brother Jack (not the one made a few years ago) which I have never seen, on special for $10, and I bought that because it is a favorite book.

4.3 Likewise with books. One full-price book or the equivalent per month.

Report - please all fall about with derisive laughter now. Even with rolling over February's book into March, I overdid it by a factor of ... something or other. I think I bought about six books in March. My bad. All with my OWN MONEY though, so boo sucks.

4.4 Craft materials - only to be purchased if necessary to make a specific project immediately after purchase. Otherwise all craft material shopping is to be done from the stash.

Report - One ball of novelty yarn from Lincraft with which to make an annoying ruffled scarf. I mean the knitting of it is annoying, the scarf is kind of cute. In shades of bright red. And hugely ruffly. I started knitting it the day I bought it. And it didn't cost much, though I cannot actually remember how much.

4.5 Exceptions to the rules will include craft shows, where I will take a fixed amount of cash and leave my credit cards at home. Nothing purchased under these circumstances will count towards the total!

Report - no craft shows, so I passed this one!

4.6 Items for any room in the new house, but especially the kitchen, will only be purchased if necessary, not just because they catch my eye. There will be some purchases, planned in advance.

Report - Nada. But April will be a biggie on this one, as we need a new fridge and dishwasher (and when I say 'need' I mean 'replace the 25 year old fridge that keeps freezing vegetables and the 15 year old dishwasher that leaks and isn't going anywhere near the lovely floorboards in my new kitchen'!) And I may buy a couple of new pans given that I wil have more than two burners on my cooktook for the first time since January 2000!!!

And apropos of nothing, today is our 22nd wedding anniversary. We'd better get this move over and done with or there won't be a 23rd, we will have killed each other before then!!! On the other hand, the fact that I will be spending the evening alone with a bowl of soup sounds sad and pathetic but isn't really. George is working very late so that he can take the next 2 1/2 weeks off to oversee 90% of the moving without me having to do more than the other 10%, and he will be taking me out to dinner over the weekend or something when I have the energy to get up and go out. I have promised to take Wombat to Supernova tomorrow, which means my energy levels will be in heavy minus figures. There will be a 23rd anniversary!

Edited to add that the anniversary dinner happened anyway, unexpectedly, and the chances of a 23rd one are increasing! However if he keeps reading over my shoulder and asking if I am editing this to change the rules of the resolutions, I;m not so sure!!!!!

Bead Journal Project - March

2011-04-04T07:57:00.001+10:00

For a start, this is a close-up of the face cab I used in my February post. I 've only just got round to taking a halfway decent picture of it. I'm not very good at close-ups.

Now for the March piece. It really is this blue. The polymer clay face cab came from a lot I bought on Ebay, I think, but as with all of them, too long ago to be able to acknowledge the artist properly. The found object this month is, quite literally, something I found on the floor. I have no idea how it came to be in my house, I'd never seen it before! It is a millefiore-style glass button, cut on an angle, and it matched the face so beautifully that I just had to use it. I love blue so I had lots of blue beads in the stash, in fact many more than I could sensibly use in an ATC sized piece.

It is finished with my usual encrusted edge.

Next month is going to be slightly different - still a face and a found object, but slightly different!

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 5

2011-04-01T07:55:00.002+11:00

I truly did try to be original for the last four days of Me-Made-March 2011, but as you can see, two of the four things I wore have featured before.

This brooch went so perfectly with the outfit I was wearing - a white top, black leggings and a wrap skirt in bright red with a white floral pattern like a stencil - that I wore it anyway. In this photo it is still on the grey top I wore it with a couple of weeks ago.

On Tuesday I wore this braclet that I made some years ago and had forgotten about. I made it when I was perfecting peyote stitch and it is a series of patches of peyote stitch sewn together in a sort of crazy patchwork way and embellished. I love the effect but it is a lot slower to do than freeform peyote, so I haven't done it since. But I must ressurect the technique, it really is effective. I wore it with a floral chiffon wrap dress with a black background and big old-fashioned roses in pinks and blues and yellows, and a green cardigan, over a black crushed silky 'slip as outwear' dress.

I was having withdrawal symptoms from my favorite glass brooch so it came out again, teamed with a white top with some silver cutwork embroidery (not made by me), black trousers and a purple/grey/cream cardigan with diamante buttons.

And for the final day of the month - I made this shawlette thing years ago out of a hank of expensive ribbon yarn. The dangles on the end are from the furnishing department! It jazzed up a cream top and grey trousers no end.

Having started this challenge thinking it would be incredibly hard, I think I now realise just how many made-by-me accessories I actually have already. It has certainly encouraged me to start sewing again. Though that will have to be after we move and have unpacked. And I fear that it could take a very long time indeed before I am allowed to have any free time to do anything like that - I can see months of doing nothing but going to work and coming home again to be yelled at if I sit down to do anything for myself. The whole work and moving thing is really getting me down right now. Although the job itself is OK I hate the way it makes me feel utterly exhausted and cranky all the time, so that even when I am home I don't have the energy to be the mum I want to be. And I suspect that there will be ongoing problems when we move. But I will stop complaining now and think instead about the fact that the new house will be worth the expense and the upheaval, and that I am going to consider paying for a cleaning lady so that it stays clean and so that I am compelled to keep it TIDY. That might remove a couple of the reasons for being yelled at.

I have got so addicted to describing my outfits every day, because it makes me sound so much more interesting than I actually am, that it may be a hard habit to break!!!

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 4

2011-03-28T08:15:00.001+11:00

I've tried to be more original this week and not repeat anything.

On Tuesday I wore these earrings (my own design, a similar pair has appeared at least once this month) in pinks and greens, with a pink floral skirt, a white Tshirt and black leggings.

On Wednesday I was on a roll with earrings. These are also my own design, a slightly truncated version of the long ones because of the bigger beads. I doubt if the 'turquoise' chips were real turquoise but I liked them anyway. I wore them with grey pants and an embellished, asymmetrical top in shades of teal and turquoise and mauve and black, the sort of thing I would like to have made myself but actually bought.

On Thursday I wore the third of the quick, simple scarves, with a favorite plain cream rayon shirt and black pants. The purple and the satin-cum-burnout velvet effect looked pretty damn good, though I say so myself! It is the same width all the way down, honest, I just folded it badly when I took the photo.

Friday was the wedding!!! I missed Casual Friday at work, but on the other hand, I HAD THE DAY OFF WORK. I had had once had grand plans to make a dress to wear to the wedding, when it was announced six months ago, but that was before the whole Move House and Get A Job thing happened. So I bought something in a sale, and then a 'pashmina' in another sale. And wore nothing homemade. Unlike the bride, who carried ...

Actually the Matron of Honour carried the mostly white one. In the mostly blue one, the ruffly rosette on the middle right hand of the picture is the one I made at the bridal shower, previously blogged about.

It was the most gorgeous wedding and I cried buckets. They were so happy and radiant with joy. And nothing beats the Astor Theatre as a wedding venue!

And as it was cold, when we got home I changed into jeans and socks made by me. Knitted from one of those soy/chiton/cotton/etc blends.

On Saturday I could have worn something made by me but I wanted to show off another of my favorite hand towels. Made from leftovers of Rowan Dk cotton from long ago.

On Sunday I wore jeans and a grey top with spooky silver and grey and black printing all over it, and this cuff. It's another of those crazy patchworky things for which I need a better name. I think it looks pretty wicked, and it's surprisingly comfortable.

As the last week of Me-Made-March 2011 only has another four days to go, I am finishing off this post here and will do the last four days at the end of the week. I will be quite sorry when this is over! There may be a repeat or two next week though I will try to remain original, but I suspect that Monday, at least, will be a repeated brooch because it goes exactly with the clothes I want to wear.

A Recycled Scarf

2011-03-24T21:59:00.002+11:00

Some time ago I was inspired by a series of posts on Annekata's blog, and stored the idea of this scarf away in my mind for future reference. I did not print out the blog post as, if I ever got around to making one, I didn't want it to be a slavish copy, but an 'inspired by'.

I did, admittedly, reread the post last weekend in a quiet moment when I was rummaging around a series of blogs.

One of the things I was going to do for Me Made March 2011 was upcycle/repurpose/whatever it's called an old cardigan. It had been mine a long time ago, when I wore long, straight cardigans and pretended to be Virginia Woolf. (Except in the brilliant writing and the madness departments!) Then I was going to send it to charity when Baby Bear caught sight of it and decided she liked it. Then she got sick of it and it was about to go to charity again when I realised that it was 96% wool, a lovely bright green, and would probably felt nicely. Then I decided not to felt it, but to cut off some of its length and trim it with mauve braid, give it new buttons and wear it as a cardigan again. THEN I washed it in preparation for its rebirth and discovered that the silly thing was full of moth holes.

Back to the felting idea. Also, I had been reorganising the wardrobe so as to find what 'corporate' clothes I had to be able to wear to my new job, and I found a pair of execrable pin-striped shorts. What possessed me to buy them? They had never been worn and I wasn't going to start now. I do wear shorts in hot weather, comfy denim shorts, but never to work!!!

Hence this scarf. The shorts were poly/cotton but I washed them in with the three washes that the cardigan went through, so that any shrinking that was going to happen, would. Then cut them both into circles, and sewed them up as you can see.

I was hoping that I would have added an original creative touch to Annakata's scarf but actually she must like to sew in a meandering way like me, so they look very similar.

The horrible shorts had five self-covered buttons on them which were reused as embellishment, as you can see, on the ends of the scarf.

The leftovers were chucked out as there wasn't enough left to do anything much with.

It is the sort of scarf that will be worn for decoration, not warmth, because apart from anything else, I can't put the felted wool against my increasingly tetchy neck!!!

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 3

2011-03-21T20:18:00.004+11:00

This is definitely a lot easier than I thought it would be! The danger is now that I will get addicted to telling the world what I wear every day, which, believe me, is not actually that interesting in the long term :)

On Tuesday, you guessed it, I wore the glass brooch again. Baby Bear paid me the compliment of saying that 'it doesn't look like something you made in a workshop, it looks like something someone else made and you paid lots of money for'. At least I think that is a compliment! When I get moved and settled in and unpacked - like in the next decade - I will dig out the microwave kiln and glass supplies that I bought in a flush of enthusiasm after that workshop, and make more of them. Maybe even sell them!! Oh yes, this week I wore it with the same purple top as last week, with a smashing skirt in a Japanesy style in assymetrical panels of black fabric interspersed with the same black fabric printed with a purple stylised floral pattern, and embellished with some random lengths of black grosgrain ribbon. I am rediscovering clothes that I have only worn once or twice because they were too good for everyday, and wearing them to work! I love this skirt and the pattern would be easy to copy, and I will. When I have moved and unpacked, etc, etc.

On Wednesday I wore one of the scarves from Sunday's quick sewing session. This looked really nice with a white shirt and black trousers. I often wear that combo now, it being pretty damn corporate and also just begging for a nice embellishment of some sort.

Thursday was St Patrick's Day. Being of very Irish origin on my mum's side, I wear green, though I draw the line at green beer. (I only tried Guiness once, and yes it was the real stuff on tap in a Dublin pub, and thought it was GROSS). This scarf looked nice with a muted green top, bright green earrings and a green watch. The only green shoes I have are Crocs, NOT suitable for work, so they stayed at home.

Casual Friday, I do love thee. I still get to wear jeans! I wore this brooch with jeans and a red top. Im ust think of a better, or at least more consistent, name for my raggedy frayed crazy patchwork textile jewellery. Then maybe I could try to sell it. Maybe I will run a competition when MMM is over.

I worked Saturday morning. Again, I consider Saturdays to be more casual than the normal weekday, so I wore jeans again. This time with a grey top. And this brooch. I thought it looked wicked. It also worked well with the grocery shopping and the dinner with the old friend from England who we have not seen for AGES, and who is out here for work for a few weeks. Oh, and I wore little diamante skull earrings :)

I have finished the crocheted felted bag. Inevitably, I don't like it much. I really should know better than to be seduced by variagated wool when I am felting. It always looks like dog's vomit when it's been felted. But for better or worse, I made it, and I used it on Sunday. At least I like the embellishment.

For Monday, I present a bookmark. The round bit is a crocheted - well, round bit - which I bashed about with the embellishing machine and then attached it to a couple of pieces of novelty yarn, all with the machine. (So it is all thoroughly needlefelted together). You probably can't see the subtle sparkle in the long bit (because it is subtle!) but it pleases me to use it. The round bit probably makes it a bit thick to use in a good book, but it works for the tattier things I carry around in my handbag.

What will I wear tomorrow?

Me-Made-March 2011 Week 2

2011-03-15T19:02:00.001+11:00

This continues to be fun and easier than expected!!

I wore this on Monday with a white shirt and black trousers. It's a string of coral beads that I just restrung on tiger tail the way they came from the shop. I did it once when I needed something glam in a hurry and I think I might actually redo them sometime, if nothing else the wire work and fastening at the back are uncomfortable and look amateurish!!

I will probably wear this at least once a week! It's one of my favorites. It's the fused glass brooch from last week, this time worn with a purple top and black cropped pants with a burnt velvet mesh overlay in black and purple.

The colours haven't shown up too well on this photo but these earrings are based around navy blue and orange. I wore them with a flowy cream viscose blouse and, you guessed it, black trousers! Plus a cropped cardy in an ombre colourway shading from orangy brown to browny orange.

I bought this Max Mara top from an op shop for next to nothing. It is the sort of brilliant white that only looks good on olive skins or sun tans, neither of which I have, so I dropped it in the same dye bath as the top I wore last week that started off white and got dyed to cover up the orange juice stain. I wore it with white jeans and silver earrings from Florence. I tried to pretend I was on the Lido instead of at work, with conspicuous lack of success!

Ah, the weekend, and not my weekend where I work on Saturday morning. So this looked great with a black singlet and jeans and bejewelled black thongs (flip-flops). It;s another of my tatty crazy patchwork creations.

Ok, this is a bit lazy, but I did say I would wear or USE something every day. I use a hand-knitted kitchen towel every single day, but I wanted to post at least some of them, and this is Sunday's offering.

Monday was a public holiday here, but the library was open, and I offered to work and get a day off in lieu (some time!). It was bit more casual than usual so this looked nice over the same white jeans and a hot pink singlet. It's a plain denim shirt I bought in an op shop and embellished with suffolk puffs and buttons last year.

Sometimes Something Really Simple...

2011-03-13T16:51:00.000+11:00

... is all it takes to feel as though you have accomplished something. I fancied some quick scarves. These are practically cheating. 3 x 20cm of attractive fabrics, an hour zig-zagging and trimming, and I have three new scarves. They aren't especially polished in their execution or anything, but I feel as though I have finished something!

I was too lazy to get out the overlocker or play with the rolled hem edger that I have. And being across the width of the material they are a little too short to wrap extravagently and do an Isadora Duncan with, but they are perfectly nice and wearable scarves.

They are all polyester chiffon. The bottom one also has satin and burnout velvet on it.

I personally like the shadow effect in the photos of the two straight chiffon ones.

Bobby the Ram Has a New Hobby

2011-03-10T17:01:00.000+11:00

Bobby has found knitting needles. Though he is still having problems with the whole issue of hooves/feet/paws. But he means well.

See, he crocheted this whole flower all by himself!!!

And he hasn't lost his touch for photobombing. In this case, a bridal shower with a difference. We were knitting and crocheting flowers for bridal bouquets!! Bobby was a big hit. I think he might be getting an invite to the wedding :)

Me-Made-March 2011

2011-03-08T13:41:00.005+11:00

The first week of Me-Made-March 2011 proved easier than I had expected. In order:

Cotton/acrylic cardigan knitted from a Vogue Knitting pattern by Norah Gaughan a few years ago - looked perfectly corporate over black trousers and a white shirt.

Glass brooch made by me a couple of years ago at a workshop where we learned how to slump glass in a microwave! Worn with a dark grey pinstriped pinafore, white shirt and black leggings.

My wonderful denim jacket with the Entre Chien et Loup bead embroidery that I designed for my Graduate Exhibition three years ago. It looked quite respectable over a cream top and black trousers.

A beaded brooch on a Carla Zampatti denim blazer I picked up in an op shop a few years ago (the jacket, that is - I made the brooch). Bad photo, no time to take a better one! Worn on Casual Friday so with black jeans and a floral top, and orange shoes!

Originally white top that I embellished with blue buttons all around the neckline. The first time I wore it, I stained it indelibly with orange juice and dyed it this lovely Pacific blue. The mottled effect is intentional. Worn with black jeans.

One of my textile ragged crazy patchwork brooches, worn with a T shirt and shorts (at home!)

A long cotton skirt I made years ago, worn with a neat white blouse and ballet flats to look vaguely corporate for work.

I'm looking forward to the next week!!

Resolutions - March Update

2011-03-05T13:44:00.002+11:00

March was pretty good in terms of following through on my resolutions, or goals. Report card time:

1. Accomplish all the necessary stuff involved in selling this house and moving into the one we are buying. This is the sort of resolution that, although not easy in itself, HAS to be followed through on.

Report - We sold the house! All systems are go to exchange contracts on both properties on April 15. We haven't really done any more packing, but the storage unit is full and we are stuffed!! I think this counts as definitely accomplished for the month :)

2. Get a job. It really is time after 18 years to go back to earning some sort of income. This is a scary one. I have no idea how I and the rest of the family will cope - they have all got used to me being available whenever required. I did not have children or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome last time I worked. A very large part of me does not want to go back to work. But a small part of me craves the idea of doing something else.

Report - The interview I mentioned last month was a success and I got the job. The pay is poor. It is a total shock to the system returning to work after 18 years. The first two weeks were pretty awful, readjusting and learning new things, but this week I am starting to feel that I am settling in, learning the new routines, and actually starting to enjoy myself. But gosh it is a time waster!!!

3. Complete a project a month. Even if it is just a plain sock (pair of socks!) Preferably try out some new techniques or whatever, but at least one project a month.

Report - I have finished my February Beading Journal Project piece. It was photographed and blogged about separately. Very pleased with both it, and with finishing something!! And I finished a pair of socks for George which I think I have also written about. Plus I helped make knitted/crocheted flowers for the wedding bouquet for the wedding later in March!!

4. Stop spending money like water. With this in mind, this resolution is split into sections :

4.1 I will not buy any clothes or shoes unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. 'Necessary' means underwear if my current collection falls apart; if I end up in a job where I can't wear jeans, some other covering for my bottom half may be necessary beyond the one pair of black trousers and one black skirt I own; and I am going to a family wedding in March that MAY necessitate a new outfit. I can make myself anything I like out of my vast stash of fabrics and patterns, however, and if this is the case, purchase of required notions will be permitted. I would make an outfit for the wedding but that is likely to be around the time we move, and I am packing up my stash as we speak.

Report - Ha Ha! Quite a few work clothes purchased, the new job requiring reasonably corporate clothing. But nothing frivolous or not usable for work. (Oh, and there were some shoes too, but ditto). I bought a dress for the wedding, despite really wanting to make something, but realising that I just wouldn't get round to it, and the dress is suitable for work as well. All in all, more money spent than I really should have done, but for a good reason.

4.2 I buy far too many DVDs. I will restrict myself to the equivalent of one full-price film (i.e. one new release or something like those 3 for $30 specials you see around) and one TV series. I need to be VERY STRICT about this.

Report - surprisingly successful. I bought the latest series that is out of Waking the Dead, and for the film, The Girl Who Played with Fire. Absolutely nothing else. Pleased with myself.

4.3 Likewise with books. One full-price book or the equivalent per month.

Report - hey, guess what, did not buy ONE BOOK AT ALL. Again. But this time I am going to roll it over as I did not overspend on the DVD's nor did I buy privolous clothes.

4.4 Craft materials - only to be purchased if necessary to make a specific project immediately after purchase. Otherwise all craft material shopping is to be done from the stash.

Report - two dress patterns when I thought I would still have time to make a dress for the wedding. They will get used, just not now. Quite a few small sundries because I have a collection of small projects on the go and they are all either being used or in a queue for immediate use.

4.5 Exceptions to the rules will include craft shows, where I will take a fixed amount of cash and leave my credit cards at home. Nothing purchased under these circumstances will count towards the total!

Report - no craft shows, so I passed this one!

4.6 Items for any room in the new house, but especially the kitchen, will only be purchased if necessary, not just because they catch my eye. There will be some purchases, planned in advance.

Report - I am pretty certain that I followed this one to the letter.

Bead Journal Project February

2011-03-03T13:49:00.000+11:00

I finished my BJP for February about halfway through the month, but haven't got round to blogging about it yet.

The face is yet another from a job lot I bought off Ebay, quite an attractive one I thought. The found object has a history, this time - this piece of twisted wire, along with another one, were among my late father's effects. I have no idea if he had intended to do anything with them but they have obviously been manipulated quite deliberately and I love the organic quality of the shape. It went well with the face.

I chose a mostly green palette, including one mixture that included cream, purple, pink and mauve as well. They went with the browns of the face and the copper wire. This 'design' is a lot more organic than January's, because of the way the face and the wire spoke to me.

Again it is ATC size, 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inches, done on Lacy's Stiff Stuff and backed with ultrasuede. I used my 'signature' encrusted beading edge again.

I haven't started March's yet, because I am about 2/3 of the way through crocheting what will become a felted bag and I want to get that out of the way, but I have chosen the face cab and the found object and the colours and I'm raring to go. Next week, hopefully!

Me-Made-March 2011 - the preparation

2011-02-26T15:22:00.001+11:00

I survived another week at work. The first time I have worked a five day week. It's killing me! But it is also getting easier. Easier to do the tasks required, that is, not easier on the energy. There's something I really, really want to do tomorrow (Sunday) but I am afraid that if I do it, I won't be able to get out of bed on Monday, and I HAVE to be able to get out of bed on Monday - and Tuesday, etc.

Me-Made-March is a-coming. What with the job and the having packed everything, it is going to be restricted to: two necklaces, two bracelets, several brooches and maybe three bookmarks; plus I have bought a few pieces of material which I am going to turn into very simple scarves; plus I am busy crocheting a felted bag which I hope to be using before the end of the month; and I have plans to repurpose a cardigan and a top to be worn at some point. If all else fails I may have to semi-cheat and claim a hand-knitted kitchen towel for the day's item, as I always have one in the kitchen and they are all made by me! It is complicated by the fact that for four days a week I have to wear what I refer to as 'corporate lite' and most of my textile jewellery and other handmade stuff is not so suitable for that (we have Casual Fridays, thank goodness!). If the weather is coolish, which it may or may not be in March in Melbourne, I can also wear a handknitted cardigan which is suitable for work or otherwise in a cotton-acrylic blend, my beautiful beaded denim jacket and, not for the corporate lite days, handknitted socks.

Back to crocheting. And I have to sew some brooch backs onto things too.

I will photograph everything and post once a week, I think. I might even get round to joining the Flickr group, if I have the energy.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T08:25:00.000+11:00

The Next Stage of My Life...

2011-02-20T11:22:00.001+11:00

So I have survived a week back in the workplace and I feel weird but pleased with myself. I have made awful and silly mistakes, frozen computer screens (though it turns out that is to do with the antiquated computer system, not me specifically!), got to know people and procedures, and remembered why peak hour transport sucks.

When I accepted the job it was on the basis of 4 days a week (or in every alternate week, 3 full days and 2 half days, to cover a Saturday morning shift). When I arrived at work for the first day I was asked to work full time during Semester and take the extra time in lieu out of semester. It will actually work well in the long run - I will get lots more time off when I do get to take time off, but in the meantime I will be working full-time for a 0.8 wage, which is going to feel annoying when I am exhausted and cross! I also only discovered then that I have to work through three State public holidays, which is a bummer because they are all ones that we spend together doing family things every year. It;s all going to take quite a lot of getting used to.

Semester One starts tomorrow and I know, from previous experience, that the first couple of weeks of the academic year are hell on wheels, even when you know what you are doing. So I am planning my first nervous breakdown for, oh, mid-morning tomorrow ...

Time to put the casserole on for tonight.

I should have added that when I get home at night the children have washed and set the table and made a salad so all I have to do cooking wise is pan fry the defrosted meat in a non-stick pan. And if I need the oven turned on I ask them to do that while I am on my way. On Tuesday nights in term time I will be working late so they will be cooking for themselves and their dad. And although I did not specifically ask them to feed the dog, Wombat has taken it upon himself to feed her quite often. They are good kids!

Friday Update

2011-02-18T14:19:00.002+11:00

I finished a pair of socks for George. Cheapy sock yarn from Sullivans, 75% wool and 25% nylon - but nice bright colours and he loves them. The usual toe-up easy pattern.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T13:04:00.000+11:00

Me-Made-March

2011-02-10T13:30:00.000+11:00

I am clearly insane. I start work tomorrow. I will not have the time or energy to blink for some time to come. But I have signed up for Me-Made-March despite knowing that I won't have the time to make anything at all in March.

With this pledge :I, Judy from http://www.sheeprustling.blogspot.com) sign up as a participant of Me-Made-March '11. I endeavour to wear (or use)one hand-made-by-me accessory or other item each day for the duration of March 2011'. I will probably recycle the same few things though. But I will photograph and date each one!!!

I have quite a few brooches, earrings and other accessories that I have made myself, and by including the word 'use' I aim to include things like bookmarks and other thingummybobs.

Wish me luck!

Yes We Have Sold It!!!!!!!

2011-02-09T11:52:00.000+11:00

And the next day I got a job. My head is spinning. I start on Friday. I will be Assistant Librarian at the Endeavour College of Natural Health in Melbourne working O.8 time (at a rather low salary, which is a bit of an issue - it's a rather crappy Award) and I am really looking forward to it. Actually, I'm not sure what I am feeling - excitement or terror! Probably both. I will attempt not to hyperventilate.

So goodbye 'free' time, hello workforce. Almost the first time in 18 years. (I did spend six months working part-time for a friend several years ago).

And the house settlements both take place on 15 April.

Bead Journal Project - January

2011-02-08T09:41:00.005+11:00

I am rather pleased with myself. I;ve tried to do the BJP twice before - the first time I lasted four or five months, the second time I gave up almost immediately. But this time I am no longer studying so I think this will be the perfect year for it!

I am however hoping to return to full-time work soon (job-hunting is busily underway) so I decided to work on a small scale to ensure that I didn't get bogged down. I've chosen to do densely beaded ACT size pieces. After some idle thinking I decided I wanted to base them all around faces, as I have a box full of assorted face cabachons that I have collected from various online sellers that were just crying out to get out of that box! And once I had started, the thought came to me of Face and Found Objects.

January uses a face from a collection of grotesques that I bought when I was doing my final exhibition pieces for my Diploma of Studio Stitch Textiles. I used some to create a piece inspired by The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, in which the design was based to some extent on the sets for the movie, which were rather distinctively Art Deco. I decided to use one of these grotesque faces for my January piece, and beaded around it in similar colours and shapes to those I used for that exhibition piece.

The Found Object part of it came to me while I had already started, and I must admit that the button I used was, quite literally, the first 'found object' that I 'found' after making the decision - it was lying around on the table I keep the television on. I decided that I would not make a big thing out of the found objects for my pieces - I will choose the face carefully but the found object has to come serendipitously. The button in this one looks like it has come off a man's shirt but has no specific meaning to me. It could have fallen off one of George's shirts, or just been one of the many and varied stash buttons that I organised recently.

I have included the not very interesting picture of the back to show off my crusted beading edge. I have tried quite a lot of beaded edges but I always come back to this one, which is both the easiest and, in my opinion, the most opulent. Plus it has the great virtue of being so flexible that you can cover up unevenness in the original embroidery and no-one is any the wiser!

I did the front on a piece of Lacy's Stiff Stuff slightly coloured with watercolour pencils in shades to match the beads, just in case anything showed through, and backed it with a piece of complementary Ultrasuede.

Bobby the Ram Does Central Victoria

2011-02-07T09:04:00.000+11:00

Despite this happening just before the end of last year, I have not got round to finishing off Bobby's adventures for the time we went to the Geelong Wool Museum and then on to stay the night with friends in Beaufort, followed the next day by a leisurely trip through some parts of Central Victoria on the way home.

It all looks very dry and was locusty at the time. Subsequently most of it is or has been under water.

We all climbed up a viewing tower at Maryborough. There were locusts.

Bobby was restrained from entering these licenced premises!

Culture vulture.

I need a drink!

More flippin' historical buildings!

Rams don't read books.

So we took him home, firmly placed in my handbag.

Resolutions - February Update

2011-02-05T14:35:00.001+11:00

January wasn't too bad in terms of following through on my resolutions, or goals. Report card time:

1. Accomplish all the necessary stuff involved in selling this house and moving into the one we are buying. This is the sort of resolution that, although not easy in itself, HAS to be followed through on.

Report - masses of decluttering happened. A storage unit is almost entirely full of books, bookcases, craft materials and other stuff that we can live without for a while. The house has been on the market since before Christmas and quite a few people have been through it. We are settling on the new one, and moving in, on 15 April. All neighbourhood op shops have had their stock massively swelled by our offerings. A small amount of stuff has been thrown out if too disgusting/broken/etc to reuse or recycle. The house is cleaner than it has been for a long time. I think we have accomplished everything possible for one month.

2. Get a job. It really is time after 18 years to go back to earning some sort of income. This is a scary one. I have no idea how I and the rest of the family will cope - they have all got used to me being available whenever required. I did not have children or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome last time I worked. A very large part of me does not want to go back to work. But a small part of me craves the idea of doing something else.

Report - I have applied for seven jobs, having spent a long time rewriting my CV. The first two jobs, no interview or job. Job 3, no response. Job 4, have an interview on Tuesday - it is unfortunately the lowest paying of the lot but might provide useful experience. Jobs 5 and 6, no response yet and it was long enough ago to assume that I didn't get interviews. Job 7, hoping for an interview but if I don't hear in the next couple of days will have to assume nothing there either. One more possibility, waiting on a job description. I fear that the 18 years out of the workforce is proving to be a stumbling block and a half.

3. Complete a project a month. Even if it is just a plain sock (pair of socks!) Preferably try out some new techniques or whatever, but at least one project a month.

Report - I have finished my January Beading Journal Project piece. It will be photographed and blogged about separately. Very pleased with both it, and with finishing something!!

4. Stop spending money like water. With this in mind, this resolution is split into sections :

4.1 I will not buy any clothes or shoes unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. 'Necessary' means underwear if my current collection falls apart; if I end up in a job where I can't wear jeans, some other covering for my bottom half may be necessary beyond the one pair of black trousers and one black skirt I own; and I am going to a family wedding in March that MAY necessitate a new outfit. I can make myself anything I like out of my vast stash of fabrics and patterns, however, and if this is the case, purchase of required notions will be permitted. I would make an outfit for the wedding but that is likely to be around the time we move, and I am packing up my stash as we speak.

Report - mostly successful. No clothes purchased. Two pairs of cheap, gaudy summer sandals proved irresistible, however, so not total success. Two pairs of inexpensive, practical black shoes for work purposes were also purchased, legitimately.

4.2 I buy far too many DVDs. I will restrict myself to the equivalent of one full-price film (i.e. one new release or something like those 3 for $30 specials you see around) and one TV series. I need to be VERY STRICT about this.

Report - surprisingly successful within the strict wording of the agreement. I bought one TV Series - admittedly it was the entire PD James collection (not including the Martin Shaw adaptations) which was astronomically expensive, but it WAS only one boxed set. I tossed up between feature films but in the end spent the same amount of money as a brand new one on the TV series Testament of Youth which has just been released. It is one of my all-time favorites, to the point of obessession with Vera Brittain. So I consider that I did well, if not cheaply!

4.3 Likewise with books. One full-price book or the equivalent per month.

Report - hey, guess what, did not buy ONE BOOK AT ALL. I might consider rolling it over, but I think that I ought to consider the two naughty pairs of summer sandals and call it quits.

4.4 Craft materials - only to be purchased if necessary to make a specific project immediately after purchase. Otherwise all craft material shopping is to be done from the stash.

Report - ahem, one new Issy Miyake Vogue pattern slipped under the radar.

4.5 Exceptions to the rules will include craft shows, where I will take a fixed amount of cash and leave my credit cards at home. Nothing purchased under these circumstances will count towards the total!

Report - no craft shows, so I passed this one!

4.6 Items for any room in the new house, but especially the kitchen, will only be purchased if necessary, not just because they catch my eye. There will be some purchases, planned in advance.

Report - I am pretty certain that I followed this one to the letter. Oh, I did buy two coloured glass bottles to store water in the fridge, but they were $5 each and we didn't have any fridge water bottles. I do have a water jug but it takes up half the fridge, whereas these fit in the door. So I count these as reasonable purchases.

All in all I think I did OK! This month - well, I;m afraid that so far one more pair of cheap gaudy summer sandals came home with me. Clothes - it depends on whether I get a job this month and, if so, what the dress code is, but the only clothes purchased will be under those circumstances. I am on the lookout for a pair of winter boots as they start coming into the shops - in the winter I like to wear skirts with boots. I have two pairs that suit, but one is about to fall apart and is not fit for work wear, and the other pair are two winters old and may not last out another winter, so I want a back up pair. And because they have to fit my massive calves and still look attractive, I have to shop around. Otherwise, my winter shoes are more appropriate for work than my summer ones, so there shouldn't be any need for more.

I already know what TV series and feature film I will be buying this month, but I will draw out the anticipation.

Everything else, like house stuff, will be taken as it comes!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T20:04:00.000+11:00

No, We Haven't Sold It Yet.

2011-01-25T10:46:00.001+11:00

http://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/VIC/Glen-Waverley/?adid=2008782159

Snarl...

Socks

2011-01-22T15:39:00.001+11:00

Finished in December and worn several times by now (by Graham) - Hundertwasser Opal socks knitted using the pattern Let's Twist Again from Let's Knit May 2010.

This does not count as my project for the month, for this month. That will either be my Bead Journal Project piece, which is almost finished, or another pair of socks.

Bobby the Ram at the Wool Museum

2011-01-20T13:33:00.001+11:00

We took my mum out for lunch at the Wool Museum in Geelong, which has a nice restaurant. Bobby got a bit bored and wandered off - you know how he is!

God only knows what is trying to schmooze up to Bobby in this photo!

Oh no, he's found where the restaurant LOCK THEIR WINE AWAY. They must have guessed he was coming!

Whoopsie! I think that was an empty one being used decoratively - it certainly wasn't the one we had, which was much cheaper!

Friends, fans, anyone...

It's Shaun the Sheep, it's Shaun the sheep...

And at this stage he decided to have a nap - with a distant relative...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T12:34:00.001+11:00

Psst .. Wanna Buy A House

2011-01-05T12:50:00.002+11:00

For Sale - one heavily used house.

http://www.firstnational.com.au/property.cfm?propertyID=1518839

Resolutions

2011-01-04T14:55:00.001+11:00

Well, so far so good. The packing continues at a snail's pace, but a bit more is done every day. The necessary legal documents have been obtained, so the estate agent can start to market our house properly.

And I have applied for two jobs. This has me terrified but also a little excited. It took me a good three hours to rewrite my CV and write two application letters. My last CV dated from 1990. There were two/three jobs to add to that (two library jobs and one editing job). I could barely remember the person I was when I wrote that CV in 1990. I sounded like a busy professional with impressive skills. Hopefully I still sound that way!

I am being choosy, though. I am only applying for library jobs that actually sound as though they will be interesting and where I genuinely think I can contribute to the workplace.

And it is January 4th and so far I have not spent any money on the things I said I was restricting myself on. OK, only four days, but I believe one has to beat addictions one day at a time!