Clay Lady

A little play in clay to make a clay lady. She needs a bit of work.  a knife and satay stick do not quite cut the grade as sculpting tools. It was a fun quick play before I started rolling out clay discs and snowflakes to make some clay Christmas  "swags".

When she dries I'll paint some details in and give her a colour lift.

Still working full time and managed to complete my tax return yeh! That has to be my all time worst job of the year, I'm so relieved to have it all done.Now I can have some guilt free crafting time...

Take care..catch you whenever ??? Soon I hope.

Christmas ornament swap and op shopping

I've finally decided on a choice of decoration for the Christmas Ornament Swap and have purchase some souvenir spoons for the project. Of course I bought way more than I need but you never know when you need a nice tea spoon.

Any body know what the flat "spoon"is third from the right in the picture above?

I also found some lovely cross stitch to utilise for bags. I thought they would make a great side panel pockets for bags. I'm undecided whether to go vintage or jazz it up with some lovely brights. I 'm actually teanding towards the brights
i love the fact that someone else has done all the hard work for me and that I can put to good use all their handy work, I'll just have to find a few spare hours in between  the full time work.

also found a bag of pearls for $2, more hanging decorations on the way I feel. well better finnish cooking dinner for the hungry hoards and then on to the decorations for the swap. 

I can't really tell you what I'm making otherwise it wont be a surprise for the recipient, and generally there are few too surprises I feel in my life at least. 

Humorous Behind

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I was just looking through photos on my phone and forgot I took this of someone's number plate. It made me laugh at the time.

It reads "if you must ride my ass .. at least pull my hair" Its amazing what you can get away with now days!

Christmas Star Hanging Ornament

I've finally found a spare moment to sit and thread the stars that I made weeks ago. half are now threaded and the rest will hopefully be done sometime this weekend. I  find my time for crafting is very scarce at the moment with full time work and the usual run around for the family and the funeral arrangements added into the mix.

It is really  nice to sit and play with crafty type things and take time out.

The clay flower has also been threaded on a hanger. I think I'll make some more flowers and bells as well.

 Follow the link to make your own decoration and for more inspiration here

Also between jobs and resting up I've commenced making some crochet cushions for the back room in reds, greys and white (and maybe orange). I'll decide as I go. This is the start of my first cushion

I'm also currently trying to do some natural dyeing utilizing eucalyptus leaves infused with iron. I've discovered that you  don't add the iron and leaves into the dye bath all together as everything turns grey. Its not a bad colour but I was hoping to retain the mushroom  pink colour of my material and have a leaf pattern impregnated into it (maybe next time) I'll show my results when I unroll it.

Life goes on.. and so the garden is blooming with natures bounty. The good soaking rains have ensured a lush green garden and a fiesta of poppies springing up throughout the garden. It reminds me to find joy in the day and appreciate the simple pleasures of life. Take the time to drink in the wonder.

I'm still feel the raw grief of my brother in laws death and mourn for his family their loss. I will look at the poppies each year and remember him and pray that he is at rest and peace.
God bless and thanks for all the help and best wishes from family and friends

Each day we pray to find the strength to be blessed in life
May we not be burdened by grief or loss
and find courage to continue along lifes path no matter how hard
Let us be supported by those we love and find comfort  in their arms.

Handmade Ornament Swap

                                                                    

Christmas is coming and at least someone else is thinking about it. Christmas is usually my most favourite time of the year and I go all out decorating. I think this year is going to be another trying Christmas and to drag myself out of despair I've joined this swap. I look forward to making and creating for another and hope you might join us. Follow this link to Christinas site to get into the spirit of giving
Regards Monique

Still with you

I'm still about just really dont want to talk much, but thought I would pass this on..
Visit Going Buggy here to win a complete set of letraset markers - great prize and worthwhile entering.
Good luck. Talk soon

Silence

I'll be away for a time to deal with a family tragedy. I'm  heart broken by the unexpected passing of my dear brother in law.
much love stay safe xx

More Pages

 Once I get into the swing of something I can become a little consumed by it. Alternatively I can just as quickly be persuaded to pursue other directions at the drop of a hat. So as the gods would have it I still playing with colour and decorating pages of my scrap book. I must admit I do enjoy the play with colour and continued to utilize photos that I have taken to cut and paste on pages

This first page utilizes a painting that I made for above my bed, seen  here in  Roses For My Bed

Jordana had given me some vouchers for mothers day and they were stashed in my photo album, so I have decide to immortalize them ( I still have plenty that I can cash in for  a free massage or breakfast )

The dragon fly and poppies is photo of a lino print that I have done some time ago It was nice just adding a splash of yellow. Yellow is such a vibrant and uplifting colour, always invokes a feeling of summer and warmth.

In the back of my scrap book I have been writing down naturally occurring items that can be used for dyeing and at some stage I started rhyming word and was scribing Figs Fennel and Fetta - hence the page.  I have used for dyeing Fig leaves and  Fennel, but am pretty certain that nothing would come from fetta (other than a desirable plate of food) This is another of my lino prints, I think that I will try printing this in repeat.

The blazing Sun is  photo of an abstract that I love. I no longer know who the artist is and only wish that the work was mine

And this is a birthday card my son was designing last night for one of his mates. I'm so pleased that my grown children are still  creative (18) and obviously they have a sense of humour

Playing With Pages

 Some time ago I had photographed my oil colours that I had painted for the purpose of cataloguing and easy display. Anyway I decided to utilize these to collage some pages so that I could play with a big tin of water colours that one of the ladies at craft was giving away.

 I thought I might try to produce a turtle stamp. Heres the start .

 This page started with the red and pink postcard as inspiration with a copy of my lino print of mother and child and then adding bits and pieces as I found them. Its really hard to capture colour at night without moving the camera.

Ha Ha

Before working a late shift yesterday I rolled out some air dry clay to make some star pendants for Christmas. Click on the link below to see how to make air dry clay decorations.

http://moniquesmess.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/fete-produce-3-hanging-christmas.html

 I'm waiting for these to dry before I string them together. I have some lovely pearl beads to thread between them.

On the note of Ha Ha....

The other day when I received the cupboard from my friend Richmal and had just installed it in its new home my husband suggested ( sarcastically) that all I needed was a TV on top of the cupboard and there would be no reason for me to move from my bed.
Well last night I arrived home from work and Mr Guilty is sitting there saying I have some news and that I might not be very happy with him. I just said well it sounds like its already done so you might just as well tell me.
Mr Guilty had been out spending money for a new air conditioner for the back room (which does get very hot on 40 degree days in summer) and our split system up the front of the house just doesn't cope with cooling the whole house. So I really didn't have any problem with him spending the money on that.
The guilt comes form the fact that he wanted to take advantage of 48 months interest free period and  and was short $450 from the amount required to get the interest free terms -so he bought a TV! I Dont understand why he didn't negotiate a different interest free term or just walk out and let them chase him out the door.
It is a guilty pleasure to watch a big screen in bed whilst crocheting (But I would have been just as happy with my little portable DVD player). Now I have to find new homes for the things that were on top of the cupboard

 I think it is hilarious that he pokes fun of me one day and encourages this type of slothful activity the next!

Op shop finds on the way home from work tonight include a quilt frame  for $5 ( I paid $40 for my last one exactly the same) and a roll of strippy material for $10 I haven't checked how much material there is but I thought it would make a great lining for bags or a quilt backing.

 The book Food Safari I bought through the book marketing club at work-some healthy and interesting recipes from varying nations. Can't wait to have a read

Crocheted this to make a pot holder something like this https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyy0zicYFTFoQ4za9ijCHCjvRsAnbfqbUyZ2sECggYtDIFrhnwrZUHG2jDsJapqiJQO3JTHJkn-m9AzJv3Gep97Doa6zA5_k0Z8I3BtuEPLPzx47BeAAswTI27t3x00QHQvKJpKD8baG8/s1600/005.JPG

Thats all for now. See you soon..

Mushroom Bags

I decided I needed a little Craft Me Time (despite having indulged in alot of "me" activities this week- facial , lunch out and the movies) I have decided to utilized my mushroom stamp to make mushroom bags. I had previously made up a berry dye bath and had recently purchased some calico cheaply at an op shop, so I had the makings of some lovely mushroom pink coloured material. A quick boil up and some lovely sunny weather and I was ready to roll out the fabric ink and stamp away.
Heres waht we got..

Little butterfly bag (not quite complete)

Thought that I might use these to gift the hand dyed scarfs

And now for a real visual treat that I know will make you all feel great and not the least bit inadequate..its a shot of all the rubbish (actually no its probably half of the rubbish, cause I'd already cleared away some) that had been accumulating on my bedroom floor.

My craft junk was gradually exceeding my limited storage space and began taking up a lot of my floor space in my bedroom. Mmmm. To the rescue my good friend Richmal whom gifted me a wonderful cupboard that fits perfectly in the only spare space in the corner of my room

I'm in the process of filling her up. I considered paint it with milk paint but I love the patterning of the wood and a bit of TLC in my holidays will bring it up to scratch.
Teddy needs a bit of TLC on his feet!!
Keep well and rest those wearys every now and again. Thanks for stopping by.