Tranquil Drifting, on Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Hidden Camera......

If you’re a regular over here, you will know just how exciting this package is………Prepare to be very jealous.

I desperately needed a new camera bag, the ugly old one had broken zips, was way too bulky and was seriously lacking in style, the plastic buckles also squeaked – especially annoying if out on a peaceful bushwalk!

So I put out a call and Super Pops came to the rescue. I am now the very proud owner of a custom made, super funky Curly Pops camera bag.I was a bit worried about commissioning a camera bag; especially from opposite sides of the country, but this process has been a dream.

So if you are feeling jealous and you think a camera bag like this could make you life easier (and more stylish) don’t just sit there being green, contact Ms Curly Pops and put in your order today.

This is a pic of me and my new “friend” on our first outing together, there will be so many more. It’s fun to try to imagine all of the adventures this stunning new bag will be part of!

Burnt Organza Flower Tutorial

You asked for it….. so here we go, my first ever tutorial! I’m a bit nervous; I hope it is clear and inspiring.

Draw some different sized circles on your fabric (I am using glass organza in these photos). I cheated and traced Little Guy’s stacking cups, but you don’t have to be precise.  I used a chinograph pencil, it works well on the organza and I had it on hand. I am sure you will find something in your supplies that will work (perhaps even a fabric marking pencil!!!!).

Cut out your circles; don’t worry about being too neat.

We are nearly ready for the fun bit now….. But first a couple of safety tips. Every now and then the fabric catches on fire instead of just melting, so have a bowl of water on hand. I have been able to blow out any wayward flames so far – but “be prepared”.

This is really stinky business, the glass organza isn’t too bad, but some of the fabrics I have used are incredibly smelly (and probably toxic) – so make sure you open all the windows.

Hold the edge of your fabric about half a centimetre away from the side of the flame (you can use a candle for this bit too; the soldering torch is just a bit faster and more precise). The edges should start melting before your eyes; just keep turning the fabric circle around until you have melted all of the edge. Try not to touch the freshly melted bit – IT’S HOT! Repeat on all of your circles.

This next step gives the flowers a natural, organic shape and a nice fullness, but you can skip it if you want flatter, more abstract flowers. I haven’t had any luck using the soldering iron for this step – the cooler candle flame seems to be the way to go. Hold the circle about 5 centimetres above the flame and as soon as it starts to crinkle move it away from the heat. This bit takes a bit of practice; I have burnt holes at this stage quite a bit!

Then just arrange your circles in a stack; biggest to smallest and stitch the layers together.

Then decorate the middle.  I’ve used beads or pearls or little loops of thread; the options are endless.


Please let me know if you have any questions or if any of this is confusing. I would love to see your flowers if you give this a go.
Have fun…..

Shadowy Cairn on Shadow Shot Sunday

We added our cairn to a collection in an idyllic secluded retreat, on a romantic getaway. It was four years ago now. I wonder if it’s still standing casting its shadow?
Happy Shadow Shot Sunday.

A new me......

I’ve put up a new profile pic. This is me.... sort of ..... I’m not really purple!

I have been shy about sharing my “image” on line, but I had a few positive responses from bloggy friends about sharing an image of myself here and it made me  realise that I like to have a “face” to put to a name. So I am being brave!
I also going to bite the bullet and share my first ever tutorial.  I should have paused before I put the offer out there on Thursday.  I really didn’t think so many of you would be interested! I shall have a photo shoot this weekend and let you all in on the big secret as soon as possible.

Fire Alert in My Creative Space…..

I’ve been playing with fire again!!!!

With a bit of inspiration from here I was off on a mission to find silky remnants and op shopped scarves.

Then with a few bits and pieces from around the studio a new crafty obsession was born.

Making these little flowers is unbelievably easy and incredibly stinky! I am sure I have just picked up another deadly pass time.

They shall become little hair pieces and brooches. Are you itching to make flowers with fire? Do you want to see a tutorial?

Hopefully the other Creative Spaces this Thursday aren’t as stinky and toxic, but to find out pop on over here.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Aura

Can you see me there? Standing awkwardly by my painting?? I hate being in photos, I’m so much more comfortable on the other side of the lens! I’m glad I’m in this photo through, it shows how BIG this work is and it’s nice to look back on such exciting times. I was working for Rental Art Australia when I painted “Aura” for one of their clients. It was a commissioned piece for a very flashy riverfront office in Brisbane. I’d love to say who it was for, but I probably shouldn’t drop names!

“Aura”

Acrylic on canvas

2 panels 90 x 90 cm & 4 panels 90 x 45cm

2006

“Spotlight” the painting I shared last week also ended up in a fancy office, purchased by Rental Art Australia on behalf of one of their clients. While this style of painting doesn’t come directly from my soul, I do enjoy it. Getting paid to spend your days creating and playing with paints has got to be up there with the best “day jobs” in my opinion. It could only get better if I could find a way to make a living from paintings that did come directly from my heart and soul!

Sharing the purple button love……

The fabulous Miriam from Bubba Chenille was lucky enough to win a big bag of these lovely purple buttons late last year. As she knows just how much I love purple and buttons she was generous enough to pass a bag of them onto me!!!! Don’t you just love blog land? It’s so full of generous, helpful, interesting people and I love hanging out with you all.

Copper and Canvas in My Creative Space

“Scarred”

acrylic, pastel, copper and thread on canvas

20 x 20 cm

2010

I have been feeling so much more creative now that I have a little bit more time to focus on my artistic pursuits. I took a little of my own advice, I have been pushing myself outside my comfort zone and experimenting with collage. This is so different to anything I have crated before and I really like it. What do you think? Should I add it to my Etsy shop?

Be sure to pop over to Kirsty’s to check out what’s going on in other creative spaces all over the world.

ps I think the dryer balls from my creative space last week have really cut down on my drying time!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

A collage experiment……

I took some of my own advice and tried something outside my comfort zone. What do you think? Hit or miss?

It’s Monday, time to share another of my paintings……

This weeks painting is very different to the soft beach scene I shared last week.   Which do you prefer?

“Spotlight”

Acrylic and resin on canvas

90 x 90 cm

2007

It’s a decorative abstract piece in a colour range I hadn’t worked in before. It is no longer mine; it sold almost as soon as it was completed. After this piece was so successful I created a range in these colours, it was a soothing contrast to the strong bold colours I was immersed in at the time.

Do you push yourself out of your comfort zone, in colouring, texture, size or style often? Have you found success when trying something completely different? If not give it a go, it’s fun to explore new styles and as often as not you will hit on a winner.

Chili Beach, Shadow Shot Sunday

It’s Shadow Shot Sunday again, so photographers and happy snappers from across the globe will be flocking over to Hey Harriet to share their shadowy pics.

My shadowy shot this week was taken at Chili Beach on our Cape York adventure. I love that the pandanus tree is so prominent in the foreground, but the shadow is of one of the coconut trees towering out of frame above.

The dilemma you are faced with in this picture perfect paradise is to swim or not to swim. There are salt water crocs, stingers and sharks. We took the plunge, would you have been brave (or stupid!) enough to join us?

Thanks so much to all of you who popped by from Shadow Shot Sunday last week, especially those of you who left lovely comments about my photo. My favourite comment was from Cassie....

“Okey dokey, I'm going in a different direction from Ralph & SylviaK. Looks like the pantomime for "I'm A Little Teapot"...Here is my handle. Here is my spout! Nice Shadow Shot. Welcome to this eclectic group of shadow hunters!”

I hadn’t seen the little tea pot before, but I do now and I love that it has added another layer to a shot of my two favourite guys.

This Mornings Masterpiece by Little Guy

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

Pablo Picasso

Wool Felted Balls in My Creative Space

I’ve been turning

this

into this

with this

Have you heard about dryer balls? I hadn’t, I must admit I didn’t embark on this as a “green” project. I just enjoyed felting so much that I wanted to give needle felting a go too. When I started searching for tutorials on felt balls, I found a wealth of information about how popping a few wool balls in your dryer can drastically reduce drying time.
I must confess even though I consider myself fairly green I am addicted to my clothes dryer. I am trying to soothe my conscience with the knowledge that the new house will have enough solar power to cover my addiction! For now making a little collection of these fuzzy little beauties might help and they are fun to make, so I’m giving it a go.

To check out what all the other clever creative people are up to today pop over to Kirsty’s, she is the fabulous host of My Creative Space.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

A little time….

I dropped Little Guy off this morning for his first day at Family Day Care, I was pretty stressed about it, but he was fine. Isn’t that just kids all over? There have been no tears or problems reported in the numerous comforting text messages I have received from his day care mum this morning. He will be going one day a week to give me a little time to focus on creating and on getting my Etsy shop up and running.

I have been photographing and listing like crazy this morning, so please pop by my shop and tell me what you think.

I still haven’t listed any copper jewellery as I am having issues with the copper chain. It oxidises so quickly and is leaving a blackish mark on my skin, it is easily cleaned off both the jewellery and my skin, but I am not happy to sell them if that is going to happen to people. I don’t know which way to go, I might go back to the black cord that I used in the beginning, but first I will look into some coloured silk cords I have seen on Etsy.

I’d better get back to the grind stone, I have about two million jobs on my “to do” list today!

A new regular feature?

I realised when I posted my Autumn Leaf painting on Saturday that I hadn’t shared any of my paintings in this space. So I made a plan to share a painting every Monday.

It might be an old one; it could be fresh off the easel. It could be sold, still in my collection, just listed on Etsy or I might have painted over it. It could be an abstract, a landscape, something trendy and decorative, a flower or a portrait of the moon. I might have used oils, acrylics, pastel, who knows. This is me we are talking about and if you have spent any time here you will know that I don’t focus on just one thing! The one thing they will have in common is me, I put a little of my heart and soul into everything I create.

I haven’t been able to come up with a cool sounding name for this series of paintings on Monday, so if you have any clever ideas, please share. With such an eclectic mix in my collection, hopefully you will find something you enjoy.

“Hazy Beach”

Pastel on paper, 450 x 300mm, 2001

So to begin I share with you a piece that is still in my collection. It is beautifully framed and it hangs in Little Guys bedroom. I am not sure if I will list it on Etsy, I had it hanging in a gallery years ago and I had to go and collect it because I just couldn’t bear to part with it! I think I might be ready to let it go now, but I would still miss it a little if it were gone.

Shadow Shots Sunday 1

I’m playing along with Hey Harriet’s Shadow Shot Sunday for the first time today. I love shadows in photos and now I found a little community where I can share and check out lots of clever shadow shots.

Autumn Leaf oil painting

“Leaf” oil on canvas 300 x 225mm 1998

It’s feeling a bit like autumn here, we are only 6 days in, but the rain that has been hanging around has taken the heat out of the days. I had better get busy and complete my new felt slippers so I am ready!

A needle felted wool ball…..

I’ve started a new project.

Because it is quite obvious the million things on my “to do” list need to be pushed a little bit closer to the back burner!

Help needed…….

Has anyone got the number of a good cleaning fairy?

My creative space is desperately in need of one.

I think the best solution would be for her to take up residence.

No point wasting time commuting when there is always so much work to be done here!

Can you even see me in all that mess?

Now after perusing this chaos I am sure you eyes are in need of something beautiful to rest upon. You will find lots of creative loveliness over at Kirsty’s splendid blog Kootoyoo.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Wordless Wednesday

Artisan Wonderland

I have been on a bit of a learning frenzy lately and I am loving it. My latest trip “into the classroom” was the felt slipper making workshop on the weekend. It is liberating to find out how things are made and it is giving me a new appreciation for the skills, work and passion that goes into all things handmade. Luckily for me there is no shortage of learning opportunities available to me this coming year; right on my doorstep.

The Artisan Wonderland program is running all sorts of creative workshops throughout the year at unbelievably low prices. The felting workshop was part of the Artisan Wonderland series and my silver smithing teacher Rod is also hosting workshops within the program later in the year. All of the workshops are run by local artists; just check out array the classes that are available to appreciate what an abundance of talent and knowledge is living in my area!

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions.

- Anonymous