Friday Furries

It's finally Friday! This week has seemed slow to me, despite being super busy organising an event at work this weekend. I just had to share the above image of Molly and I that was printed in our local rag yesterday, promoting a doggy event. It's nice to have my girl immortalised. She was a bit of a temperamental model, to say the least!

Well, I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Many Aussies will be glued to the box tomorrow watching the football grand final. I'm not into footy at all I'm afraid (I know, I know), but will be joining in on some birthday/footy celebrations with friends. Have a good one!

xx

ps, I'm doing a Bits and bobs post on Monday - a 'red' theme :)

Lovely reads

 

It's no secret I love love love books!  All sorts of books but especially art, craft and fashion books.

I recently bought these beauties and thought some of you might like them too.

 

The New Artisans is a beautiful book that profiles over seventy international artists from all areas of craft/art making , including Angus and Celeste from Australia. There are hundreds of images of the most inspiring work. I thoroughly recommend it, though I warn you, it will make you want to jump on the computer, do some searching for these craftspeople and then do some internet shopping!

Next up is Paper Cutting by Laura Heyenga with a forward written by famous paper artist Rob Ryan (I love his work). Again, a thoroughly inspiring book full of stunning colour images of the work of highly talented artists from around the world. The work covers quite traditional paper cutting through to very contemporary, cutting edge work. It makes me want to cut some paper!

 

Lastly is this great book investigating the designs of famous fashion house Louis Vuitton and designer Marc Jacobs. 

 

There's an insert reproduction of an old catalogue. I just love the history!

 

The book is full of eye candy (not to mention arm candy!).

The image below is from one of LV's most favourite collections of mine, Spring Summer 2007. SO much prettiness!

 

 

Are you addicted to books like I am? Do you actually read them, or just tend to flick through the pages of pretty pictures like I do? I already have another bunch of titles on my wishlist.

Have a nice Wednesday my friends.

xx

Friday flowers

What a rainy, grey day it is down here in Hobart this morning.

So here's something nice and cheery for you all. I bought a bunch of anemone last weekend and have been enjoying them ever since. I love the colours and the ruffly green collars they wear too.

I thought I'd share this beautiful painting created by my niece Nicola. I love the colours and big, bold shapes.

And another of some flowers and a tree under a rainbow. Children's art is lovely!

Have a super nice Friday and a happy weekend.

xx

Bits and bobs...vintage sewing

It's the start of a new week and I hope it's a good one for all of us. That also means that today is Bits and bobs day and this photo's theme is all about vintage sewing.

To be more specific, all these little bits came from an old, brown tupperware container that belonged to my dear Great Auntie Ila. She gave it to me a year or so before she passed away.

Ila was from the era of mend and make do, so she kept little buttons and bits that could have been used later on. Clothing was fixed, not replaced. Anyway, I love these bits and bobs.

We have an old thimble, threads, buttons, measuring tape, nappy pin, fasteners, a needle threader, fine thread for fixing stockings and some unusual needles (not sure of their use?).

xx

* pop over and visit Penny from Paisley Summer who has posted a beautiful floral Bits and bobs!
x

Friday flower... rosebud

Hello all, a simple Friday Flowers today.

We have had a lot of very gusty wind recently and thanks to an outdoor chair that blew into the garden and hit my David Austin Ambridge Rose, I found this small rosebud broken off. This was rather disappointing as this bud will never become a big, ruffly rose. *sigh*

Have a happy weekend friends, yay, no work for me!

I'll be back on Monday with a Bits and bobs and I'd love it if you joined in.

xx

ps. By the way, if you missed my previous post on Wednesday about some lovely mail I received and my thoughts at starting a bit of a postal mail club, please pop here for a look. You might be interested. I'm gauging people's responses, but I think it's worth doing, even if only for a few of us to join in!

Good mail + spinning plates

I was very excited recently to receive this so very beautiful mail in the post. I had been admiring the creations by Ally from the Everyday Miracles blog when she very kindly popped a letter in the post to me!

Don't those biscuit postcards bring back memories?  And look how well she recreated the biscuit on the envelope. I really was thrilled to receive it Ally, thank you :)

So, I got busy and spent some time last weekend sketching and painting up my own decorated envelope to send back to Ally. This is it! What do you think?

Above is the reverse (obviously). I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed decorating the envelope and posting a few goodies to a new blog friend. I was then completely thrilled when Ally posted it on instagram and had a whole bunch of people like it too!

I'm thinking I'd like to do this more. Even create a little group of people where we could post to each other. What do you think? Is it something you'd be interested in? I'll think about it and get back to you.

And, because so many of you requested it, I dug out an old photo of me spinning plates. Excuse the very daggy look (think my hair was in a bun?). I don't have a video so hopefully this will suffice as proof. :)

After this photo was taken I managed to get six plates going at once. FYI, they are plates made specifically for spinning. For memory they have a lip and a slight indentation in the centre, so once you get a spin happening, they sit pretty happily on the stick. It was fun.

Hopefully I will get another post in before next Monday, but if not, I'm planning a Bits and bobs post on Monday, so hopefully a couple of you will join in.

xx

ps I'm joining in with Jane's

Blog love

 

The lovely Penny from Paisley Summer recently passed a blog award onto me. Thanks Penny :)

 

I have to answer 10 questions about myself and reveal 10 random facts, so here goes....

1. What's your favourite song?

I have many favourites but one I listened to recently was "Slide" by the GooGoo Dolls. I never get sick of that song.

2. What's your favourite dessert

I adore icecream - pretty much any flavour apart from chocolate. Which is odd, because I love chocolate.

3.What ticks me off?

Ignorant, rude, mean people. Those that hurt animals and don't care for fellow human beings. We can do without them.

4. When I'm upset what do I do? 

Cry. I don't get angry very often at all, but I am a very emotional person. I just can't help the waterworks.

5. What's your favourite pet?

I mean really???? Do I really need to tell you guys? My Molly of course!

6.Black or White?
I like both for different reasons. Clothing? I like both, white is fresh and black looks good with a splash of colour, or by itself if I am feeling uninspired (eg going to work). Interiors? White, definitely, but then a black wall can look very fetching.

 7. Biggest fear?

Losing those I love. Aren't we all a bit like that?

8. What is my attitude?

Generally pretty good. I try to be positive, but things do get me down. Sometimes I get frustrated by life, things not happening how I planned them or wished them to be. I am resistant to change and can get quite stubborn and stressed when situations change.

 9. What is perfection?

There is no such thing, or rather perhaps there is perfection in imperfection. Making no sense? A flower with a misshapen petal is still perfect to me.

10. What is my guilty pleasure?

Books and magazines. I just can't help myself and use the fact that I am an artist as an excuse to purchase books like they are going out of fashion, "but it's a tax deduction!".

 

10 Random Facts About Me (I will try to think of things I haven't told you before)

* I have an unexpected but reasonably natural talent for spinning plates like they do in the circus.

* I wanted to be an Egyptologist when I grew up. Mum and Dad said not to be silly.

* I have tried ballet, salsa and belly dancing and enjoyed them all, in fact did them for years.

* I adore receiving parcels in the mail. I almost prefer to shop online so I can receive a "pressie" for myself in the mail.

* Despite having long hair, I don't own a hairdryer. Weird I know, but I dry my hair with one of those run of the mill electric heaters or by the fire.

* I drink my tea white with one sugar.

* I wish I could give up sugar, but I just love it too much, brain shrinking or not :)

* Here, we go, this is embarrassing, I love watching "Days of Our Lives". There, I said it.

* I love water, love being near it, on it, but hate being in it.

* I have been a vegetarian for 25 years.

Now I think I'm supposed to pass this on. I have to say I find that the stressful bit! I'd love to pass it onto you all as basically I am a stickey beak and like learning more about you all. Hmmm, I'll think about it.
So, anything shock you? My love for dodgy daytime tv? I'd love to hear what you think :)
xx

Friday flowers...more tulips

Happy Friday to you all friends. I am still a bit obsessed by my tulips and cannot stop photographing them. I have been so lazy with my blogging and had planned a bigger post on this, so maybe next week.

Above is the first of my new bulbs that I planted earlier this year. I planted a bunch of purple and lemon tulips out the front and was surprised to see this one looking very magenta in colour. Still very beautiful. Of course his mates are well behind him and it will be a while before they're out.

Why is it as soon as the tulips come out the winds also come, blowing them to bits? That's Spring I suppose :)

My obsession with shadows also continues :)

I hope you all have a fab weekend. I'm working but thems the breaks - but having said that, work on Sunday involves a mini function with lots of scones and sweet treats. No bad.

xx

Bits and bobs... green

Hello friends, here's my Bits and bobs for today and the theme is "green".

So, we have an odd mixture of bits today.

Green twine and washi tape, a biro, star sequin thingamies, an old necklace, sewing thread, my handy screwdriver, super handy mini measuring tape, lip balm and a New Zealand $20 note.

For some reason it's more difficult curating an image of similarly coloured items, as opposed to similar types of items. Probably because I have to look in more random places to source them.

I wish you all a happy week. Again, if you'd like to join in I'd be really pleased.

xx
Yay for Amanda who has joined in with her amazing recent vintage goodies. Pop on over for a look :)