valentines cards

I'm getting right into this card thing. I've now got some cards for Valentines Day in my etsy. Click to go see!

something beginning with j

"Eye Spy something beginning with J"
(This week's theme by Lauren)

I searched high and I searched low, and I've come to the conclusion we live in a J-free zone (how odd). So I've defaulted to flashing about some jewellery for this week's eye-spy. Conveniently they are all things I've been meaning to "show and tell" for a while now anyhow...



That first little rabbit brooch is something I splurged on at the Finders Keepers artist markets. He is "Made by White", and suitably Mexican in influence to make me quite gleeful.

The middle pic is the awesome multi-layered, ultra-compartmentalized, (with hooks for hanging too) jewellery box Mr You got me for Christmas! No more tangled crushed clumps of chains, beads and hooks for me. No Sir-ee!

The other week after the too-short haircut I mentioned, I cheered myself up by making a pair of earrings to compliment my new hairstyle. These are those. Tiny emerald coloured flowers. Sw-eet, I can almost hear the butterflies flapping past and the birds singing merrily.

And yesterday I picked up this little bouquet of glass leaf beads. In some form or another, they'll be next to move into the fancy palace of a jewellery box!

get outa my way, monet

I still can't quite believe that the Art Gallery of NSW will have my cards on their shelves. The cards are now there, and I've been told they'll go up on the shelves after the Monet exhibition (and accompanying mountains of merchandise) is done and dusted. So by this time next week my cards should be on display for all to see. eeeeeeeeee.

Get outa my way, Monet! (hehehe - just kidding)

There are 30 different designs all up. I'm not sure if they'll all be out at once, or be staggered. So if anyone is going to the gallery in the next couple of months, let me know if you see them. :)

I've also opted to avoid using plastic packaging, I don't want to be part of the plastic revolution where I can avoid it. The lady at the gallery seemed very keen to go along with me, so we're trialling it for a while. If they start getting a bit handled or grubby at all, then we'll revert back to plastic sleeves to protect them, but in the meantime they are packaged with a thin ribbon of recycled paper. I think it's an elegant solution, but we'll see how it plays out.

Heeeeee, I'm a little bit cited!

little old inuit

Yet another gift arrived from the ever generous Renee today. This time it was an engagement present. Inside the card she wrote:

"This little soapstone carving was given to me as a gift about 20 years ago. It is carved by an Inuit from the North West Territories (here in Canada). It is being sent from my happy home to yours."

When we unwrapped him and picked him up out of his bubble-wrap coating, he was icy cold to touch. Almost as though Renee had somehow picked him up and handed him right to me, all the way around the world. From the depths of the Canadian Winter direct to this balmy Australian Summer day.

Half an hour later I picked him up again to take this photo of him, and he was still cold. Holding on to where he's from, as if to remind us of Renee. I hope he holds onto his chill. There's something almost magic about it. I love it.

Isn't he lovely? I had an Inuit art calendar last year, which I loved too. I wonder what he's reaching up for? Maybe he's cheering for Obama too. Or maybe he's waving with delight, or pointing to all the stars, or about to launch into flight.

Thank-you Renee. We adore him! :D

(p.s. This is such a common event now, that I've allocated a tag especially for Renee, heee)

oh bah mah

Good God. If that man can wrangle a government with the same power and skill as he can give a speech, we're in for some serious sparkle!

And, as some slightly dubious audience members who were yelling out to a band I went to see recently, would say... "Shine Brother, Shine!"

tastes of summer

"Eye Spy a taste of Summer"
(This week's theme by Anastasia C)

Summer food is yummy. Lots of fresh crispy salads, ripe juicy tropical fruits, and fresh straight from the sea seafood!



My eye-spy Sunday has been slipping to Monday. But my excuse for this week is a good one... Yesterday was spent on an engagement ring retrieval mission. Happy to report the mission was a complete success. Ring is back securely on my finger. Phee-ew!

Mum and my step-dad drove north, we drove south, and we met in the middle. We moseyed around the town together, and had lunch by the river. It was a really nice way to spend a Sunday actually. And the best part, was when mum pulled a ring box out of her bag, opened it up, and I got to see my ring for the first time all over agin. I'd almost forgotten how pretty it is. Almost! :)

watch me closely

If this past fortnight is anything to go by it seems like I’ve just jumped the queue and got myself a season pass to the biggest rollercoaster in the park. The emotional roller-coaster that is. (boom boom).

A star sign fan, I am not. I used to be, when I was radiant and youthful (heh), but I made a decision long ago to stop, and get on with my own individual life. But when Mum popped a “Your Stars for 2009” book that she got out of the weekend paper in with my Christmas presents, it was hard not to take a good peek. (And anyway, the illustrations in there were nice, okay).

So as a gemini, it is claimed I’m in for an emotional rollercoaster of a year. Yippee. And whether it’s co-incidental, fated, or self-fulfilling I spent the second part of Sunday in a weeping heap due to a too short haircut (since when have I cared that much about my hair anyway), only a week after weeping over leaving my ring at my mum’s house, having fits of cranky inbetween, and spent a good chunk of my weekly budget on anti-wrinkle cream (fool), and a too-short dress. What is going on?!

Oh my god! Could I be having a mid-life crisis? …At 32?

The rest of the time I’m fine and dandy though. Yep, fine and dandy. Eating well, exercising every day, taking bits of “time out”, stretching before bed each night.

Eeek. Happy happy joy joy. I think I am…

Watch me closely. If I start wearing glossy red lipstick and bragging about driving a tacky-convertible car, slap me! Please!

renee's picture

Now that Christmas has passed I can start showing you the commissions I was working on during the last few months of last year.

The first was a commission for the lovely Renee in Canada. She wanted a picture to give to her baby granddaughter Josephine for Christmas, (although if Renee's generosity towards me is anything to go by, I doubt that's all Josephine was given for Christmas, hehehe).

This was a special commission. One that took me ages to know where to begin, one that needed to carry a great deal. But one that I knew needed to be joyous at the same time.

I won't say too much more than that... I'll just show you instead.








The words written on the pages of the books are from this post that Renee wrote about her granddaughter, that to me summed it all up.

I hope Josephine loves it! :)

something to try

"Eye Spy something I want to try in 2009"
(This week's theme by Red Chocolate)

I like New Years Resolutions. Most people don't. I guess I just don't beat myself up over them, instead I use them as a way of keeping focus throughout the year. I don't usually commit them to type either, but this year I'll be brave...

Actually before I do, at the end of last year, when I was in Sydney I went to dinner with my Uncle and Aunt. My Uncle asked if I'd achieved what I'd planed to this year, and we each went through what we'd hoped for, and how the outcomes formed (yeah, it was kind of heavy for "dinner conversation"). I had 3, and they were all focused on my art. He had categories and started listing the aims in each; professional, personal, family... etc. This, to me was a revelation, highlighting the fact that I'm so singularly focused. And while I don't think it hurts to keep it simple, I also see the value in adding in a few to help balance life overall.

So, with that said. In 2009 I'd like my focus to be:

Personal:
- Build some "self" time into my day. Each day. To focus on listening to a dialogue between all parts of myself, in an effort to find more emotional balance.
- Each year I put "yoga" on my list, and each year I do a couple of months of yoga, and then stop for some reason. So I'll do it again. Hoping this time I'll be more consistent.
- And as always, the old favourites; Don't get fatter, aim to get fitter, eat more nutritionally.
- Generosity, Understanding, Love, and Fearlessness.

Relationships:
- Try to mend some family bonds, in a way that I can remain true to myself.
- At least one day a week aim to get out of the house and go on a fun adventure with Mr You
- Stay balanced and grounded while planning a lovely wedding day for us (yikes!)
- Be open, creative and brave in trying to make new friends
- Stay in close contact with existing friends.

Professional:
- Create a more efficient weekly routine, including at least a day to create new work, and a day for "getting it out there"
- Continue to build on my art style
- Catch up on my income tax (uurrrrghhhhh)
- Learn from others, listen to the omens (hehe, a little "Alchemist" reference for the fans out there)
- Believe, aspire and be grateful

But bringing it back to Eye-Spy...
Eye Spy something I want to try in 2009"

In 2009 I'd like to try to find out how to be part of group art shows. I always find out about them just as they're opening, and I'd really like to actually be involved in some this year. So, if you know how this happens, or have any leads, I'm all ears :D

Phew, re-reading that it feels a bit huge. Breath... But I have a whole year ahead of me, right?!

two thousand and nine

Happy New Year!

Did you have fun? We had a great time. Christmas with the family at my mum's house. Then we stayed on at her house after they went away. Some of our friends came up and stayed at mum's place with us for an extra week, and we had a great time. Lots of reading, lounging around, chatting, laughing, eating and swimming at the beach. And I avoided the computer the whole time!

I actually felt like I had a real holiday. It was great.

But then on the day we were leaving we cleaned the house, and packed the car and locked the house up really well, tight and secure, and were half way out out town before I realised I left my engagement ring on Mum's kitchen counter. I'm such a doofus! I kept the ring on all day long, throughout the cleaning and everything because I didn't want to put it down, then 2 minutes before we leave I took it off to moisturise my hands, got distracted by some crumbs I needed to wipe up, and walked away! Arhh. We had locked the keys in the house (intentionally), and mum was still a night away from coming home. We had no way of getting back inside, and had to just drive away. Needless to say I leaked a little.

Now I have to arrange some time when I can drive back to get it. (4 hrs each way, ah!). Anyway, at least it's safe and sound. I just have to be patient.


In other news we went and saw The Black Keys last night! One of my favourite bands and they came to this middle-of-nowhere town. I couldn't believe it! The whole time I thought it may be cancelled due to lack of ticket sales, but it went ahead and it was great. Thankfully (and almost unbelievably) it's the first gig I've been to in this town where I haven't had to strain to hear the music over the top of cutlery noise. Amazing.

I never did mention the other gigs we've attempted (it's been too depressing). The one with all the 10 year olds running around and calling out "your so pretty" to the singer. The one where the staff made the singer do an "if melissa is in the audience, your mum is waiting for you at the door" announcement on stage inbetween songs. And the one where the audience consisted of myself and Mr You, and 1 other couple. More people on stage than in the audience, and they were a great band too.

The music scene here is not good. But (if you ignore the bogans waving lighters in the air) last night was great, so we're off to a good start for the new year.


The new year always makes me feel good. Excited. Hopeful. Motivated.
And yes, I'm a resolution maker. I'm still clarifying what they'll be this year... stay tuned.