Kayi Dreaming

LFT

2009-12-17T19:00:00.000+11:00

I've got the sh*ts today. For no particular reason. The day started off wonderfully with yoga in the morning but then for no apparent reason, everything started frustrating me. People at work, the random guy on the street who wouldn't let me pass, everything. So I took a step back, took a deep breath and looked for some stuff on the internet to make me smile.

Citron Rouge

I am self diagnosed with LFT (low frustration tolerance) so I have to just keep things in check from time to time.

Now? All better.

Bye for now.
xx

Sunlight

2009-12-16T19:00:00.001+11:00

At yoga this morning the sun was making its way up and the warm golden light was pouring through the studio windows.

So I was inspired to find a few golden yellow things:

Simply Gold Stitch Markers from Etsy seller dragonladydesigns

Birds Eco Wallpaper by Bunny Maxwell via Design is Mine blog

"Didn't need to settle" card from Etsy seller pinwheeldesigns

Banner

2009-12-14T20:53:00.005+11:00

I was considering changing my banner but I'm not so sure about this one...

Possible new banner

Clutch 2

2009-12-09T17:45:00.001+11:00

Second leather clutch attempt

Errr I'm a little late (ok about 4 months late) posting about this. Better late than never I guess so above is a pic of the second leather clutch I made!

I love it for many reasons but especially because of the cute decorative button from Buttons by Lou Lou. I'm annoyed because on a recent outing when I got a tad drunk, I rested it very close to a candle and it burnt a little. The burn mark is on the front no less so I can only hide it by holding my hand over the little burnt patch. *sob* ...

Are there any more clutches to come? Well, maybe. I'm negotiating with my domestic machine to handle the thickness of the leather and the glue. He protests a lot and comes to a grinding halt and stamps his feet (well needle) over and over the one spot and leaves behind a bunch of knotted thread. Nice. I can't unpick the thread and start again either because of the holes it leaves behind in the leather.

The above clutch was made using an industrial long arm machine with heaps of guidance from my teacher.

A good husband will eat whatever you make

2009-12-07T17:26:00.004+11:00

This story is an example of how much I love my husband.

On most days I like to make my husband a sandwich to take to work (awwww ! well whatever helps him leave the house faster in the mornings!) Most of time these sandwiches consist of ham, tomato and lettuce. Today however, we had n o ham so I made him a plain tomato and lettuce sandwich with the intention that he take a can of tuna with him to add into the sandwich later so it won't get soggy. In our usual morning rush, we ran out of the house and I didn't notice that he stuffed the sandwich in his bag sans tuna can.

He later rings me at work and says "thanks for the lettuce sandwich babe"

Me: "What lettuce sandwich? you were supposed to add tuna"

Hubs: "Oh, I didn't bring any tuna with me"

Me: "It was on top of the sandwich!"

Hubs: "Oh, I thought that was for you"

Me: "So what did you have for lunch?"

Hubs: "The lettuce sandwich"

Movember

2009-11-15T15:36:00.005+11:00

Heard of Movember? The month long moustache celebration to raise funds for research and support towards prostate cancer and mental health?

The Faux Mo Badge by Marika

Well, Maz has been busy making cute badges for those of us who can't grow a mo but would also like to help out. Cool huh? I think she'll have more info on her blog soon...

Spoilt

2009-08-17T19:37:00.009+10:00

Swappy goodness package from Edan Rose

How lucky am I to get two items from a swap? Trinkets from Georgie Love

What better way to celebrate my return from the Twilight saga coma (obsessed I tell you, I ~~was~~ am) than to share with everyone some items I was lucky enough to receive as part of the latest Georgie Love Swapabalooza.

I received two gifts for the price of one because my parcel was a little delayed coming to me so Sally of Georgie Love made sure I didn't miss out by sending me more stuff.

Megan of Edan Rose just opened a new shop and even though it was a little delayed, I received lots of trinkets from her - bird softies, bracelet and a ring.

From Sally, loads of interesting items including a craft music CD, fabric swatches, buttons, antique keys and tags recycled from old cereal boxes. Very environmental. :)

I love stuff but it's slowly dawning on me that I'm a bit of a hoarder.

The secret is out

2009-07-11T16:38:00.004+10:00

Foray into printed media

So according to my family, I'm famous. A few weeks ago I was interviewed for a story on blogging and whether social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter have killed blogging. I didn't say so but apparently they have . The article was featured in the Green Guide section in The Age. If you're really keen, go check out the full article.

I am a little tickled when my friends say after reading the article and with a hint of sympathy in their tone, "Oh at least it's a good picture". Come on guys, my quote wasn't that bad! Independent designers have used blogging as a successful marketing tool. Look at Lara, Aunty Cookie, Cheeky Beaks...!

In other "news", stay tuned for pics of my new clutch which features one of Louise's pretty buttons.

Clutch

2009-06-17T10:23:00.004+10:00

Navy Leather Clutch painstakingly handmade by me

I've disappeared for a while due to work commitments, a bit of interstate travel and catching a cold! Boo for me for catching a cold and having work commitments. But it was lovely to see my cousins in Sydney. I also gave them the nappy cake I talked about previously and they loved it!

I have managed to do some crafting while I've been away from the blog however. I completed my first leather clutch as seen in the photo above. I am really loving working with leather. It's not the easiest medium to work with but I'm really getting there. Slowly.

My friend asked me what I would sell it for, and I didn't really know how to respond. I mean, it took me aaages so how do I factor in the 10 hours I spent on it? I really need to speed things up before I can make a sustainable business out of my crafts.

Excuse me, do you have any talent to spare?

2009-05-28T11:57:00.004+10:00

Berlin Bar - Interior Design by Yelena Beylin Perry

Every day I am blown away by so many amazing creative people out there, following their dreams and making it a reality. I am so inspired by their passion and dedication to their chosen field. Yelena, a friend I met while we were both working as slaves at the not so local cinema, is one of these super creative people.

She has been an Interior Designer for the last 5 years and has produced some amazing work - like her design for Berlin Bar, pictured above. She has recently launched her website too which I am so pleased to be sharing with you - Arium Design.

Check out some of her stuff - you may have been to a bar she's designed!

There's a chair in there

2009-05-24T15:21:00.007+10:00

Finally something crafty to show!

The chair before

The chair after the restoration project

A few weeks ago, we found an abandoned chair pretty much on our front doorstep. I was initially quite annoyed that an idiot left their rubbish in our common property to be someone else's problem but after some further inspection, we realised the chair was in quite good shape despite the insides falling apart and not wanting to sit on it for fear of falling through.

So aside from the fact that neither Nathan or I had ever restored a chair before, we thought we would give it a go. After working on it on and off for a few weeks and after a fair share of expletives expended from our mouths, we turned this piece of trash into treasure. Nathan stripped back the wood and gave a few coats of satin varnish while I worked on finding new foam inserts and making new covers.

For more pics, check out my new flickr page.

And, does Lara really need any more publicity for her fabric? ;)

If you want to see even better restoration projects, check out Heather's blog.

Yes but, can it take calls?

2009-05-19T13:44:00.008+10:00

Feeling a little attached

I used to be proud of my phone with no features other than to make and receive calls. No camera, no applications, no blue tooth connectivity, no music player and no 3G connectivity. I never stressed when I left it at home or in the car. Nor did I feel any pain when I dropped it on the floor (several times).

This was until recently I was laughed at by someone I least expected while saying my phone was "sooo old". In that moment I went from feeling no emotion toward my phone to feeling ashamed and wanted to bury my little dinosaur to the bottom of my handbag and ignore it when it rang.

So I have sold out. I am now expecting my new iphone to arrive in the mail. This should be a proud moment but it's not. I feel confused! Do I really need a phone which can play air hockey with me?

P.s. This little pic is a Karin Q original. Knocked up using my very basic Adobe Illustrator skills. :)

I love printing

2009-05-17T17:49:00.006+10:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm going backwards

I have lived in my area for 18 months and never knew the Melbourne Museum of Printing was just around the corner from my place. Lucky for me I found out just in time for the open day through this post.

So I had a look at their prints (a cool $200 each) and then used what would have been $6 for the entry fee to have a coffee at the Happy River Cafe which is part of the Footscray Community Arts Centr e. Then road my bike home along the river. Ok, that's a lie but I would have ridden if I wasn't coming from my friend's place!

It was a nice end to a nice weekend. I have been crafting this weekend too...but my latest project is not finished yet. I hope to have something to show soon! Everything takes longer than planned. This crafty stuff is hard work!

Oh I forgot to mention - this photo was taken by Marika on her iphone. Thanks Maz!

Oh my, I'm honoured...

2009-05-15T15:41:00.007+10:00

The lovely Sandra of Pepperberry & co. fame has given me an award called "The Awe-summm blog award". This is ace, my first blog award!

I have to list 7 things that make me awe-summm and pass it along to another 7 "awe-summm" blogging people...

Ok here goes my list:

1. I'll give anything a go at least once

I have jumped from the top of a rickety old boat into the water somewhere off the coast of Thailand once before even though I have a morbid fear of deep water.

2. I'm a bit of a crazy scientist/craftist

I guess the "crazy" part is because most of the time my craft experiments fail. However, I know that one day I'll get on top of it all and hit on a winner!

3. I like making up games

I get bored easily and I try to make up silly games to play all the time. Like who can do the best Alison Duboir "waking up" impression (you know the show, Medium?). It helps when you have an obliging husband.

4. I'll buy whatever you're selling

I was talked into trying out for the Australian Army reserves when I was 18 by a friend. Lucky for me I didn't get in. Well, lucky for Australia too really.

I also signed up to a couple of things from door to door salespeople. Lucky I'm rarely at home during the day.

5. I can cook

At least I think I can.

6. I'm hard on the outside, soft on the inside

My sister often tells me I have a scathing wit but I also cry during Oprah too. I've also closed the door on some door to door salespeople when they wouldn't shut up...

7. I'm persistent

See point 2.

I have decided to tag these 7 awesome people:

1. Munaluna cos I love her work
2. Leah cos she makes nice skirts and knits cool stuff
3. Cath cos she makes nice softies
4. Sally cos she organised the first swap I ever participated in and it was so much fun
5. Lara Brehm cos I love the colours she uses in her textiles. Not to be confused with Lara Cameron whom you are all familiar with, I have no doubt.
6. Abigail cos she makes beautiful jewellery
7. Sarasophia cos her blog makes me smile

Remember

2009-05-14T11:54:00.002+10:00

Narrie and Me somewhere in Hong Kong - 1980

In response to Meet Me at Mike's latest words and pictures theme this week - "Remember"...

My sister would probably remember the day this photo was taken; Mum and Dad would definitely recall it. However, I don't remember a thing. Perhaps the stress of moving to Autralia blanked out my memory? Or it could be because I was less than 1 at the time...

Unpolished Gem

2009-05-12T07:50:00.003+10:00

Little bronze bird

This little guy in the picture has taken me hours to make and it is still unfinished! I took a jewellery casting course recently and I now have a new found appreciation for jewellery designers who use the lost wax casting method. Any jewellery that looks sculpted and not beaded or laser cut, would have undertaken a lengthy process involving:

- creating wax models
- plastering
- burning and firing in a kiln
- Pouring and releasing metal involving even higher temperatures
- cut, clean, file and polish

My little bird took me about 5 hours all up and I still need to file it down more and polish it off. Phew. The tutor did compliment me on my filing techniques though. I guess all the effort in maintaining nice nails didn't go to waste after all.

If you think my little birdy is an eyesore (poor unpolished gem), then check out some real examples from my tutor, David Parker.

Keeping warm

2009-05-03T15:53:00.004+10:00

A surprise gift from my mother in law over the weekend - a scarf knitted with love from 100% baby Alpaca wool. She's quite the talented knitter, she is. She helped me get started with this other scarf last year (err, still not yet complete though! Actually it could have even been the year before last when I started that scarf).

Oh and if you're on the hunt for some scarves, check out these screen printed beauties.

Wordle me

2009-04-30T11:27:00.004+10:00

I love little bits of useless but pretty things.

Marika who has just started to blog about her crafty adventures sent me a link to "Wordle" where it generates a scramble of frequently used words on your blog and mine came out with this: It's nice to know that there aren't too many negative words generated. :D I think it must only look at the first page of your blog though. I guess I have been talking about leather a fair bit!

Try it out!

A cool quote

2009-04-27T13:22:00.006+10:00

I heard a great quote on the radio this morning which I will try not to bastardise too much as I didn't have time while driving to write it down:

'Nothing is earned without hard work
You cannot work hard without passion
Do what you love'

...or words to that effect by Nathan Buckley - former Australian football player.

Because Nathan Buckley told me to, today I am:

1) working hard to enjoy every moment of this day off I am lucky to have

Treats from one of my many favourite local cafes

...with a tomato, feta and basil bruschetta and a soy chai latte with a little trickle of honey at Le Chien.

2) passionate about these gorgeous scrap fabrics I purchased today

for the love of fabric!

I am still thinking about what I will do with all the material but for now, I will just run my hands over them and purr.

3) loving this craft experimental phase I am in and working on more leather sewing

Belt attempt # 2 with Cheeky Beeks fabric

I have one order to fulfill - a belt for my (sometimes) lovely sister. In return, she shall knit me a scarf for winter (because we are sisters and we don't ask, we just expect ;) )

Sandra, Danielle and Michvanetta are all looking like they have been very busy living the Nathan Buckley way recently too!

P.s. please do not think I am a football fan because I quote a footballer. Not that there is anything wrong with being one, I am definitely not a fan. My husband has enough passion for the both of us and then some. :)

The process to pick the winner

2009-04-25T08:32:00.005+10:00

The Contenders

The Witnesses

The Hat

Grumpy little helper

The winner!

Congratulations sarasophia! What a lovely comment you left and an enchanting blog you have!

Thanks to everyone who visited and said hello and I hope you stay in touch. A little precious birdie keeps telling me I must open a shop, so I guess for those who missed out, watch this space!

My Goodness Me

2009-04-24T07:33:00.005+10:00

"Welcoming cats" by convexstyle.

I wake up and find so many wonderful comments from people about the pouch! THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Of course thank you to Lara who pointed many of her wonderful readers here too. Welcome! If you popped by another way, Welcome!

I mentioned in the previous post I am drawing the winner "over the weekend" but I think I need to be a bit more specific. Errrmmm...let's say I'll draw it tomorrow morning Western suburbs of Melbourne time at 10am?

See you then! Have a great Friday or Thursday as the case may be...

A gift for you!

2009-04-23T07:06:00.006+10:00

My first attempt at working with leather was in my early high school years. I loved it and was amazed that, unlike my attempts at pottery and sculpting, what I envisaged in my head actually translated into my work! Alas, science and maths got in the way so I had to give up art and craft pretty early in school.

So anyway, now to celebrate the rebirth of my leather work (and crafting in general really), I am giving away a leather business card pouch to one of my readers. I know there aren't many of you so you'll have a pretty fair chance of winning!

Just leave me a comment and I'll draw a name from a hat over the weekend. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Leather pouch with Japanese fabric cover

Leather pouch with Japanese fabric lining

P.s. the vase and the box you see in the pictures with the pouch are not included with the giveaway. Nor are the business cards I picked up from the Stitches and Craft show. :D

Street Art

2009-04-19T19:06:00.006+10:00

The best art is free, unexpected and anonymous.

Street art on Johnston street

Edit: I guess not so anonymous after all - http://www.flickr.com/photos/stensoul/. Thanks for letting me know LoungeKat!

Mmmm looks delicious

2009-04-19T18:28:00.007+10:00

The cake for my wedding (way back in 2007) was made by my very talented and beautiful cousin, Natanya. It looked amazing and was really delicious too!

Our wedding cake

Nat recently had a baby boy and I thought it would be quite fitting to give them a "nappy cake". If you have not heard of a nappy cake, it's basically a whole bunch of nappies bundled together to form a shape resembling a cake - such a clever idea.

Alas, since she lives in Sydney, I couldn't use my usual supplier who only delivers to areas within Melbourne. So, I tried to make one myself instead. I don't think Nat reads my blog so I think it's safe to post about it!

"Nappy cake"

A new find

2009-04-17T17:17:00.006+10:00

I discovered a new online mag today via Abigail's blog called "Antler". It is a free mag featuring fashion, art and design . This month's issue has an interview with Abigail, a jewellery designer based in Glasgow who makes some of the most exquisite pieces I have seen but alas, cannot afford just yet [Edit: Previously I wrote that the magazine featured an interview with Abigail's beautiful jewellery which would be interesting if her jewellery could speak...so note to self: do not write a post in a rush!] . Check it out!

Tonight my family and I are going to watch Cirque Du Soleil. I am very excited - I have seen them twice before and loved every minute. I hope everyone has a fun filled weekend!

Is that a lotus root you're wearing?

2009-04-16T07:39:00.008+10:00

There are many things I find challenging at my work but one saving grace is the building's foyer which is used as an art gallery. The most recent exhibition was of art and craft created by friends and family of the company.

The work by Misako Sakai was my favourite:

Collection of jewellery by Misako Sakai

Lotus Necklace by Misako Sakai

Lotus Root earrings and ring by Misako Sakai

In her words:

"Renkon, or Lotus Roots are delicious to eat and so attractive on a plate. When slices of root dry, they shrivel up into interesting shapes, which I used as inspiration for this jewellery".

I think it is amazing what people use as inspiration!

My To Do List

2009-04-11T17:04:00.007+10:00

I finished one thing on my To Do list for this weekend, a pencil case which showcases my newly acquired zipper skills. I bought the cute fabric used for the project from the Stitches and Craft show but I'm sure it would have preferred a better home, if the fabric could think and feel that is. Alas, it would have to make do with me and my basic sewing skills.

Showing off my new zipper skills

On a different note, you might be able to make out from the scrawling on my To Do list that there is an item to remind myself to shop on Etsy. You know, in case I forgot.

I cannot decide on anything from this gorgeous Mu-Yin jewellery store as a going away present for my sister:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5200824

I am thinking perhaps the two peas in a pod necklace. Just gorgeous.

Experimenting

2009-04-10T13:06:00.007+10:00

I love holidays where I have the mental space to just work on some craft projects. Stay tuned for more installments during the Easter break!

Experiment 1: Iron on transfers

Bird Tank prototype

The good - it's super easy and cheap and great for prototyping.
The bad - the transfer material is actually quite thick and opaque. So not so good on white.
The ugly - none. Well maybe one - it does look kinda cheap.

Experiment 2: Leather obi belt

Leather Obi belt - Sheep's leather with Japanese patterned fabric

The good - I'm getting there with sewing leather, it's definitely wearable and I've got plenty of ideas of how to improve for my next attempt.
The bad - The sewing isn't really consistent and the leather didn't really glide over the machine
The ugly - Luckily the inside of it can't be seen when wearing it. ;)

Leather belt close up, but not too close ;)

If you want to have a go at sewing leather, it can be done with your normal machine if the leather is soft enough. I also found this guide helpful. If you have any tips on sewing leather, I would love to hear it!

Just what I wanted...

2009-04-08T07:34:00.005+10:00

Buttons and knick knacks

Fabric buttons close up

I received an awesome package in the mail from Louise yesterday morning and I was completely stoked. It was more than what I expected (I actually wasn't quite sure what to expect from my first swap and all). I received gorgeous fabric buttons, material and other bits and bobs for craft projects. Thanks Louise!

My First Swap

2009-04-06T09:21:00.004+10:00

It's my first craft swap so I'm nervous and excited. What if my recipient doesn't like what I have made them and feels ripped off?? Or WORSE, what if I don't like what I receive? (note sarcasm in preceding sentence).

I'm sending my items today in time for Easter, as instructed.

No Junk Mail

2009-03-21T10:15:00.008+11:00

We just finished hosting an international student for 3 weeks from Kobe, Japan. A sweet girl, a little quiet, but gave us lots of stuff. I love stuff.

I also love receiving mail too. Maybe it's the small pleasure of busting open an envelope and seeing what's inside - e.g. finding out after 3 months I am totally on track with my target daily water usage. Yes, these are small pleasures.

I don't generally like junk mail though but I deal with it. I am definitely not so good at tolerating other people's junk. The Japanese kid stays for 3 weeks, becomes a member at Crown Casino and although she knew she would leave the country shortly after, uses our address to receive mail. What the...?

Drawing

2009-03-17T20:54:00.006+11:00

Wow two whole posts back to back!

I realised I hadn't talked much about my drawings recently. I have been doing a lot of mad sketching to improve on my skills. I still love it and I love seeing the progress I make, albeit slowly but surely.

What do you think of my octopus girl?

Did you go to THE show?

2009-03-17T20:23:00.006+11:00

The Stitches and Craft show - Melbourne. It was my first visit ever and it was great. I bought some fabric, had a wander around and saw some installations. Doilies and potpourri aren't really my thing but there were a lot of other cool things to see, and touch and perve at. I wish I took more pics though.

Oh and of course visited Lara and co and hung around like a groupie to watch her interview.

Frills

2009-03-07T10:31:00.004+11:00

$5 tank top + $2 of japanese fabric off cuts = a cool new top.

Took me longer than I expected to figure out how to fold the fabric to give a cute look but I got there in the end...

One for mum, one for dad and one for the country

2009-02-19T08:00:00.006+11:00

I came across an amazing picture book for the bargain price of $7.95 from a large bookstore chain which I do not visit often. It reminded me of Animalia as I flipped through each enchanting page which included a short poem and a colourful illustration of an animal or insect beginning with the next letter in the alphabet. Beautiful. And, akin to Animalia, at the end you are given reasons to go back and read it again to find things you may have missed the first time. If I had to compare though, I still hold Animalia closer to my heart.

I liked it so much I bought 3. Well, the government is telling us to spend to keep people in jobs after all.

"Tickets to Ride" - Mark Rogalski - 2 jacket pockets to choose from.K for Kangaroo

Strathewen

2009-02-10T21:16:00.010+11:00

Photo of Strathewen taken by Tim Young for "The Age"

I had never heard of the town, Strathewen, before today. Tim, a friend of mine, is a journalist for The Age who had the opportunity to visit the north Victorian town where of its 210 residents, 30 people died in the worst bushfire Victoria has ever seen. This is what he reported:

http://media.smh.com.au/?rid=45977&sy=smh&source=undefined

Strathewen is only one of many townships affected by the blaze in Victoria.

Antique Vases

2009-02-07T09:33:00.006+11:00

Antique Japanese vases from my late grandmother-in-law.

Pinned

2009-01-31T15:19:00.006+11:00

It's nice and hot outside so I am staying indoors to escape it all. I spent this morning rummaging through big fabric bins at a vintage Japanese fabric warehouse so that's my work for the day. I've got my music cranked up (MGMT), icey cold water by my side, and my trusty little Canon Ixus40 at hand.

So I thought I would share with you my pin board for January. My pin board includes, among other trinkets:

1. An apology note from our first fight (gees I'm glad I kept that one! one)
2. Chinese New Year red packet - with money included and everything so I'm not too old nor too married to stop receiving yet, however I think that is against tradition but I'm not complaining. Thanks mum.
3. A necklace and earring set I made for my step-mother-in-law's 60th coming up,
4. Post card from my regular Aussie friend turned Buddhist monk. Since the post card he sent from a remote village in Thailand 5 years ago, I have not heard a word from him. I really do wonder...
5. A metcard which might not do anyone any good when the trains hardly work in the heat here. Although Melbourne is still one of the most liveable cities in the world, promise!
6. A watercolour pic of some flies. Not sure what was buzzing in my mind when I drew them. I just wanted to practise watercolouring within the lines I suppose.

It's already one month into the year. Happy January!

Screen printing fun

2008-12-16T22:03:00.004+11:00

My first screen printing exercise outside of a classroom was a great experience. I designed and printed tea towels as Christmas presents. It was hard work but well worth the effort! The initial attempt at home was a bit of a disaster - not much room and plenty of mess! Lucky for me Lara let me play in her studio some great results:

First colour run in plum

Cleaning was relatively easy in a purpose built trough

All heat set, folded and ready to go in plum and olive!

I hope the intended recipients appreciate the effort!

Sew busy

2008-12-08T20:33:00.007+11:00

I have been putting my new Janome sewing machine into overdrive by making these:

Cushion covers for a Christmas present and a bolster cover (bottom left) for my husband who was jealous I wasn't making anything for him!

and these:

Placemats ready for screen printing (by the way, the tea towel calendar is still work in progress while I have been running around looking for supplies for that project).

AND this:

A cute summer dress I have decided instead to wear as a long top over jeans accompanied with a nice cardy, jewellery and thongs. Perfect for those can't-decide-whether-it's-hot-or-cold Melbourne summer days.

Work In Progress

2008-11-23T13:45:00.009+11:00

I mentioned yesterday I'm working on a little project to give as Christmas presents. Well, I couldn't wait to reveal stage 1 of it...it's a 2009 calendar I plan to screen print onto teatowels. I was inspired by Cicada Studio and the calendar she created a few months ago which I found from the elle deco SA blog.

I actually have no idea who reads my blog but I'm pretty sure the 'lucky' recipients of this tea towel have no idea what I'm up to for presents this year. So, the secret is actually quite safe on this blog which is a bit of an oxymoron really.

The pic is a little blurry as it is still a work in progress and I'm a bit embarrassed to show a high res version because you'll see all my mistakes and jagged lines I'm yet to smooth over. ;) It's based on the sketch of some gumnuts I did a little while ago.

Loot

2008-11-22T14:21:00.007+11:00

I love finding great bargains but I've never been a keen "rummager" but this has changed since I went to the Lady Garage Sale a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't even intending to go but tagged along with Lara.

I picked up a scarf, belt, necklace and a wrap skirt made from saree material. The best part? I paid less than $10 for the lot! $9 to be exact. Bargain!

On a different note - I have been pretty quiet on the blogging front for the past few weeks because I've been on holidays with Nath to Europe. Had a great time, thanks! My mind is now full of "crafty" ideas and illustrations. I have one particular idea in the making which I hope will be complete before Christmas as I would like to offload them as gifts to my friends and say "I made that!"

At least I have you

2008-09-19T07:38:00.018+10:00

"Clear Hearts Grey Flowers" - Mark Ryden

For 18 months I was the custodian of a beautiful Mark Ryden painting while Maz was travelling the world. The painting last we checked fetched close to $7000AUD. Now she's back and she was stoked to have her girls back. *Sigh*...

But at least I have you...

"Anima Mundi" book - Mark Ryden

Inside the book

Native home

2008-09-16T07:29:00.006+10:00

We are very fortunate to live right near the Maribrynong River and in the short walk between the gym and my home, through Footscray park there is a great range of natives blooming at this time of year. I had never seen a yellow Grevillea before! Such a chaotic little flower.

I did a very unsustainable thing and plucked some for further analysis and well, for inspiration for my drawing really:

Inspiration - a moment with Frederico Cascinalli

2008-09-16T07:11:00.009+10:00

I was lucky enough to stumble across this article yesterday. It is a brief interview with character animator Federico Cascinalli. Above, is an example of his still life work.

The amazing thing about this guy is that he gave up a brilliant career for a career in the arts. BRILLIANT - he was a top surgeon in Italy before throwing in the towel and severing many relationships in the process.

A career in what he loved and not what was expected of him?? What a novel idea!

I love his anology the ups and downs in life are like waves - being depressed is like being underwater for a little while, you just need to hold your breath and wait 'til you come up again.

Shove it under the bed

2008-04-23T18:41:00.004+10:00

I think the area under your bed is awesome. It's the best place to store stuff you need/don't need or just want to hoard until the time comes when you need it.

I found this awesome idea in a storage book to build a storage unit for the bed. It didn't have any instructions but I decided to give it a go anyway. All I needed was some caster wheels, two wooden boards, screws, handles, lacquer and wall paper and there you go! Under bed storage unit thingies:

The west side, on the fringe, and some shades...

2008-03-29T17:35:00.010+11:00

I initially set out to just upload a pic on our new blinds but I realised when downloading the pic to my comp, I hadn't transferred a whole heap of other pics I took over the past few months so I thought it worthwhile expanding this entry into mentioning my trip to Perth and my new bangs.

Being from the East coast of Oz, I don't really have much of a chance to explore Western Australia because Perth is at least 3 hours away by flight. That's as far as Melbourne to New Zealand! So it never really crossed my mind to visit the other end of Australia until recently when the husband was invited over there to speak at a conference. I decided to tag along and boy was it worth my while. Perth has amazing surf beaches that stretch for thousands of kilometres and the whole city is just rich with culture. Our visit coincided with a sculpture exhibition right on the famous Cottesloe beach which was quite inspiring and unexpected.

We also chanced upon a great cafe/art gallery which had awesome quirky items dotted around their courtyard like this random sculpture of a car and a not so shiny bicycle behind it...

Our new house is coming along quite nicely and it has been really fun doing it up with our own cosmetic touches - we installed Roman blinds recently after ordering them custom made from the internet. It cost us 60% of the commercial store prices and it was quite simple to install too (well the husband did most of it but I still helped!) Hmmm I actually do have more colour plans for the house other than beige...

... and, I got myself a heavy fringe right after the wedding as promised (to myself):

I am a picture frame

2007-11-02T16:28:00.004+11:00

Just married!

My new surname is "Quadros". Pretty exotic huh? It's Portugese. Well, the meaning isn't quite so exotic (it means picture frame)

There are too many highlights to mention in one blog entry but I'm sure they will all filter through to this spot as time goes on.

Here are two highlights to start with:

1) The ceremony. It was held in the Williamstown Botanic gardens on a beautiful Saturday afternoon

2) A poem my sister wrote for us

Ode to Karin and Nate
by Narrie Full

Karin, we’ve grown up together and throughout the years
We’ve seen good times and bad, laughter and tears
We share a bond that no-one could sever
My sister, my mentor, my best friend forever
You’ve been my rock when the world was unkind
You’ve helped open my eyes when I was blind
And over the years, I’ve seen you kiss frog after frog
And now you’ve found your prince – the one and only Nate-dog!
A guy who’s so genuine, smart and sweet
And how I wish he had an older brother for me!
Nate, from the very first moment you met my sister
You were smitten – who can blame you? – few can resist her!
Big brown eyes, ruby lips, the most perfect skin you’d ever find
But of course, you Nate were only captured by her mind!?
And Nate - as for some advice – always remember
Behind that sweet face lies a fiery temper
So if you ever sense the approach of a fight
Keep in the back of your mind – “she’s always right”!
The phrase “soul-mates” is often brandished about
But when I look at you two, I have no doubt
That you epitomize this enduring term
And through thick and thin, your love stands firm
As individuals you are both amazing in your own right
But as a couple you shine together with an enviable light
So I invite you all to raise you glasses in a salute to fate:

Congratulations on this special day – here’s to Karin and Nate

I'd sooner run out of wonton wrappers...

2007-10-13T18:19:00.001+10:00

There's a scene in "Father of the Bride" where Steve Martin's character is on the verge of a nervous breakdown in a supermarket. He is approached by a security guard while he is busy removing buns from a packet:

"I'll tell you what I'm doing. I want to buy eight hot dogs and eight
hot dog buns to go with them. But no one sells eight hot dog buns.
They only sell twelve hot dog buns. So I end up paying for four buns I
don't need. So I am removing the superfluous buns."

Not quite the same thing but I was reminded of that scene when I ran out of wrappers while making wontons and was left with half a bowl full of pork mince. Well, I don't have anyone to blame but myself for the lack of planning but I never measure anything when I cook anyway (unless it's a tricky new recipe I'm trying out). So, I will probably just freeze the mince and cook a stir fry on another occasion.

I'm also trying out a new chicken curry recipe my friend Belinda gave me. I decided however, to use big drumstick pieces even though the recipe specifically says "no big pieces should be used"...

The question is, do I have wontons or chicken curry for dinner?

On another note, Nath is out with his mates on his bucks weekend. So, while he's away I thought, why not check out my old Cam Girl Zoe's gig in Brunswick tonight? Why not indeed.

When I'm married...

2007-10-08T16:27:00.000+10:00

Things I'll do after October 27 (yes when I am given away and become a quadros and my gmail address will no longer make sense...)

Go paint shopping to find the right colour scheme for our newly bought house while trying to convince my gorgeous-hubby-to-be not to paint the skirting boards green as they just *might* clash with the pink tiled floors...(p.s. we're planning to get rid of the tiled flooring and replace them with floorboards eventually)
Do something different with my hair. Maybe get a bold fringe and get some cool highlights... then get bored with it and wish I hadn't done something so drastic
Organise another craft night which will most likely end up just being all about chatting and eating twisties...
Cook more. Even though it's not really my "domain" but I will try out some Indian recipes Milsy (Mother in law-sy) gave us. On that note, my husband to be is supposed to take care of the Indian cooking as he is part Indian. But there's not much else Indian about him apart from his few choice Hindi swear words he throws into a conversation every now and then. Chuddies!
build up the courage to let one of my closest friends know I don't think her man is doing her any good
...and maybe draw some more, learn to sew, take up dancing, quit my job...

Earrings

2007-03-23T11:14:00.002+11:00

I made my first pair of earrings yesterday from some cute green beads I bought...it took me longer than I expected!

The statue you see was given to us by my (soon to be) sister in law, tara and it was bought from Cambodia on her recent trip. It came in a pair - a male (pictured) and a female. They are of Khmer dancers in traditional clothing and is made of pure silver (apparently).

Napkin Holders

2007-03-21T11:45:00.001+11:00

I created some napkin holders recently for my friend Clea's birthday/housewarming. I copied the idea from a home decorator magazine and it turned out better than I expected. The design in the mag used really flimsy wire... I'm getting together with the girls tomorrow night for our regular "craft night" and I'll be showing them how to make these. I'm not sure how great I'll be as a teacher though but it shall be fun!