Knitted Cowl

On the last visit to Strathablyn, whilst op shopping, I picked up some hand spun yarn in chocolate brown and white. I bought eight balls for $7. Love a bargain!

Jordana asked for a knitted "scarf in a loop" in the chocolate brown, so three days ago I commenced knitting. The weekend when I started knitting was extremely wet and so I had plenty of time to sit uninterrupted. I feared that I wasn't going to have enough brown wool to complete the project so I utilized the left over wool from my knitted shoulder shrug- dark grey with flecks of brown. She Hates the combination of the two and no longer wants the cowl.  I quite like it and decided to finish it any way.
With each colour change I changed the patterning and tested my recall of patterns I had done years ago.
Any way here it is.. all knit and purl in different sequences.

 I look a bit weary after a really really hectic day at work. Boo Hoo! Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Haven't even done my hair, shocking!

Jordy really wants to be photographed. Not! I told her she is far more appealing to look at and I can also take a better picture than taking one of myself (as above)

 I think I will make a beanie to go with it.

A Bird On The Handle Worth Two In The Bush

Two on the handle must be worth something more..

.
Just a quick paint before I head off to work this afternoon. 
I have a few extra shifts this week and won't be spending much time crafting or painting. 
I'm going to miss the play time but it's all worth it so that Jordy and I can have a week away in Canberra with my sister and family. SOOooo looking forward to it. I'll also be spending my birthday away, I know my sister Yolanda is a great planner so I'm looking forward to it.

Have a great few weeks and I'll chat when I can.
I've been looking at Genine's art blog and I think her style has influenced these handles

WET WET WET

It's raining its pouring and everything is wet. I've got some more naturally dyed scarf's and they are being rinsed as we speak by the rain. I love the gelato of colours that is makes up when the scarves are all bunched up together - reminder of summer instead of this miserable wet. But at  least the garden is really lush green

I'm selling these super cheap to the ladies at craft because I love them, not really making any money on them at all.
Spent some time carving number two bird for the ward Christmas decorations and have bought a large supply of paper to start making posters.

MOre work to be done there..

lino printing - birds

This is a trial run of printing birds for the ward Christmas decorations. My thought is to print the birds and get the other staff members to colour them  and then place them in trees full of greenery and berries. Ill print the trees and berries also from a stamp/ lino print so as to speed up the process. We have a lot of wall space in the hospital ward and it would be nice to fill it with colour. Of course there will be the usual baubles and tinsel hanging from the ceilings but it would be great to follow a theme.
I'll colour these when they are dry.'
You think it's a bit too early for Christmas? I just don't want to end up exhausted at the end of the year, this way I can work at my own pace and not have to hurry.

A little Heart to Heart

Just mucking around with my heart!
Still playing with my paint...

Really must get ready for work... Don't want to go...

Floral Vine

I decided to continue painting last night after the sea urchin although it was getting late, just so that I could try out the acrylic inks. I made a conscious decision that I would apply the inks no matter what. I'm always a little chicken when venturing into the unknown. Not knowing whether you are going to destroy the basis of your work in one quick brush stroke.

Pre acyrilic ink - watercolour

 A dash of ink, with flash on the camera

 No flash

In daylight the colours probably match half way between.

I have to work this afternoon so no painting this evening. I am going to go and iron my naturally dyed calico- it was dyed in the berry bath and is a mushroom pink/ brown. Thought I'd do a spot of printing in the next few days. I bought some white printing ink and have black and red already. I also have a  lino cut that  I mad at least a year ago and have never printed with it. See what happens.
Well I'm off to iron, at least its the kind of ironing that you don't mind - all for creative purposes.
Have a fun filled day!

Floral Foray and Sea Urchins

Last night I left off somewhere around here

And have progressed to this. I am unsure as whether to leave it at this or venture into colouring the background to fill the open spaces of white. Sometimes it is best to leave things alone but then again nothing ventured nothing gained. Maybe I should crack opened those acrylic inks that I have bought. I really am enjoying the colour play. Leave it for now and think about it.

Not too bad for a rusty old boiler , if I do say so myself.  Room for improvement but I'm not totally displeased.
On to the next adventure. I was looking at some ocean animals and the sea urchin caught my eye.
My interpretation is leaning to a more floral display, but often the ocean bed is really just a beautiful watery garden.
I asked my daughter Jordana to do a quick cut and paste with the painting and image repeat three times, a little like tiling

Don't you just love cropping out the rubbish but sometimes the whole picture is worth a view too.

Colour At Random Play - CARP

A night at work and I was still excited to get in and muck around with my watercolours when I arrived home. I popped myself on my bed and decided to give a whirl at colouring a carp in the Japanese style. I suppose giant goldfishes could be considered to be a member of the carp family.

I used Kaffe Fassett's Needlepoint Source Book: Glorious Inspiration  for just that, inspiration!

This is actually tattoo art on a mans' chest - Carp from The Japanese Tattoo by Sandi Fellman 1986.

I am now starting on a floral splash of colour inspired by one of Kaffes tapestry chairs.

Red Chair , needlepoint Kaffe Fassett 1989

Here's a progressive photo shoot with my  phone camera so some of the photography is a bit blue but beggars can't be choosers. I just have to wait until my birthday for a new camera.

Back to play time and colour fun. Show you the finished product tomorrow

Water colour- Leafy Sea Dragon

Rainbow coloured tablets of  colour are now in my procession. I've purchased some tablets of watercolours in a very portable container.

I thought that they could travel with me when I visit my sister in Canberra, they take up virtually no space.

I've also bought some acyclic  inks after reading Genies art blog http://blogdelanine.blogspot.com/ and am inspired to give these a whirl at some stage, bought from here http://www.dickblick.com/products/daler-rowney-fw-acrylic-water-resistant-artists-ink/.

Any way its my first play with water colour in a very very long time. I chose as a subject the leafy sea dragon which is native to South Australian waters and is frequently found in the area of Normanville and the Fleurieu Peninsula. As kids we spent a lot of time holidaying in this region , particularly Second Valley and snorkelled in the seaweed beds and occasionallly found such creatures as the leafy sea dragon and seahorses. It was always a special day when you saw one of these wondrous creatures.

The leafy sea dragon is approximately 28cm in size. It is considered to be an endangered species and is native to south Australian waters.
Marine life sanctuaries are being expanded in Australian waters to protect these and other species. The marine parks will cause some disruption to the habits of recreational fishermen and has become a contentious issue. I am a person whom enjoys fishing but can see the value and worth of preserving the natural habitats of marine life in parks and fishing hatchery areas -  you always hope that you children's children will be able to marvel and wonder at the beauty that is at their doorstep.

 If you are ever in South Australia and are visiting in the Fluerieu Pennisula area there is a large corrugated iron sculpture of the leafy sea dragon, 5m high, between Yankalilla and Normanville (As well as great cheeses, olive oils and wines)  Second Valley (a little further on) has a very safe and pristine beach for young families although small. It has rock to find crabs under and opportunities for snorkelling adventures for the older sibling. I really do love this area.

Bounty of the sea caught from Second Valley jetty. Squid and Tommy Ruff. (Now known as Australian Herring)

 Pristine waters...

For more information on the leafy sea dragon or marine parks the Adelaide Review March 2012 put out an interesting article.

Back to playing with colour before I head off to work. See ya!

Hanging Hearts

Finally connected up the air dry clay shapes into hanging pendants and  made another circular wired creation with hearts, beads and wire.

I took some more photos of the footstool as the ones I took last night were very dark.
I broke a few needles whilst sewing the leather and didn't get quite a tight fit but it is still an improvement from the  original stool

 See you soon! Can't wait to get a new camera.