Love

Snausage time!

Queen of procrastination!

Procrastination leads to paper heart wall vase/ a growing obsession with the need to find a thrifted mohair jumper similar to this $350 Zimmermann one, although I'm hoping for cheaper...

Free form tapestry fin!

The automatic tapestry on velour was finished mid last week, but I'm not totally happywith how it turned out, frankly, the reverse is more interesting!

*Sigh*

As a blogger, (and a generally pretty boring person) I have to admit that I spend alot of time attempting to find other blogs that I love, and bump into other likeminded work online.. and unfortunately, apart from that of close friends, I rarely do- I can't stand fashion blogs that repost and regurgitate spreads from magazines, nothing gets up my goat more!
But today, I fell in love, truly with this 'little' baby - check it It's A Minature Life.

Play grass?

Today, at the library I bumped into the latest of issue of CRAFTS magazine (yes, a craft magazine focussed on contemporary crafts, not tea cosies and beanies and crocheted flowers HOORAHHH!!) and the front cover looked spookily similar to Kate Keara Pelens work that I just blogged about - I only quickly glanced, but I got the impression that this wasn't actually her work.
As I was in a rush, and you're unable to borrow journals, and the website has the image so small that you can't in fact read the text, I'll have to wait patiently for my copy to arrive in the post and report back!
It's that old story I guess, the chicken and the egg routine?

....meanwhile back at headquarters I'm searching Melbourne for model grass!

Kate Keara Pelen

Featured in the exhibition Beware Embroidery, Pelen's work consists of these stained and splattered, almost mouldy embroideries, and extremely diverse installations - including this FANTASTIC piece entitled Climb (2008) which presents quite an interesting approach to the employment of model grass, not to mention a reinterpretation of the notion of 'readymades' and evokes in me, the old country farmhouses of my chidlhood.

Louise Riley

Large scale embroidered portraits on mattress canvases... need I say more?

New Lacework Tapestry

I began this small scaled tapestry last night, and am fighting to have it close to half-done by tomorrow, the chosen hues look rather unslightly in focus, but if you squint, the scattered pastel pinks and beiges are actually quite beautiful.

Free form

Berry pies!! I took it upon myself to cook a proper dinner for Karl tonight, including olive crusted lamb cutlets, with feta mash, roast tomatoes and beetroot, and these free form berry pies- both recipes from the Donna Hay Seasons book that Karl got me for Christmas, yum yum yum!

Beginnings

The fact that I actually couldn't afford tapestry fabric, has proved beneficial- with my decision to begin on a tapestry- on velour, specifically the bottom of a skirt I took up, the textural juxtaposition is pretty luscious, and although I'm not really sure why I'm doing it or how it's going to turn out, it's still definately an enjoyable way to procrastinate!

One of My Very Own

Bismuth crystal that is, thank-you Camberwell market, although the morning didn't prove too fruitful, I did get this little baby and an amazing, huge, industrial shelf (sharing with Karl) from our favourite stall holder!

Arts Ball!

Karl is positively exhausted beside me from putting all of these separate bits and pieces together for me on Illustrator (must learn some sort of Photoshop/Illustrator skills!)- the heading is hand stitched onto stiff paper, and unfortunately the five or six drafts that I put together consisted of far too paler pastel shades for my scanner to pick up!

Stitching

This is a recently finished cross stitch- one that I began in hopes to use for a Forest Collective flyer, but alas, it didn't really turn out the way I'd envisioned it would - that's what you get with automated stitching!!

Chain of Hearts

Yes! I finally got a hanging indoor plant, and this one (found at Sassafras nursery) is one of those fancy chain ones, that apparently, were really popular in the 70s- if you put two of them side by side they grow together in a chain! Yay! And also, they have awesome tiny furry flowers!

Crabapple Carrot Cakes

After borrowing my mum's copy of the Crabapple Cupcake Bakery Cookbook, I embarked on baking my first ever carrot cake(s), and a recipe that was meant to make 24 - a mixture which barely fitted in any of the largest bowls that I own, actually made around 40 - and it was at this point that I gave up and threw the rest out, as I had no idea how I was going to get rid of 40 cupcakes!!!
Anyway, it's a gorgeous book and these are some pretty scrumptious cakes, but beware - I'm very, very sure that the quantities published are far from correct!

Gifting

There are so many birthdays in April, I'm struggling to keep up! Although, for the most part the innards of these gifts are of chocolate form, tweed wool as ribbon and dried flowers will always make up for it!

Knit

Best winter knit ever! It's so big I can wear it as a dress and makes me look like an overindulged pavlova or something!

Fishy business

The shell, swarovski crystal and chain neckpiece for my oh ten folio is growing!
Definately- although, I believe I will be needing far more of all of the aforementioned materials, then first thought! Oh well- a trip to my mum's on the coast this week, with Karl in tow, will provide for a week of small town opshopping, overeating and beachcombing - and hopefully a plethora of shells for my dremels consumption!

No vacancy

I finally dragged myself (and gorgeous Hugh) to a life drawing class at No Vacancy gallery in QV - something Sharon's being trying to get me to for probably a month at least - and it was great!
Although, not what I'm used to, the vibe was so relaxed and everyone was so nice, you couldn't help but whip out at least one good sketch- see above!