just like me

Wow we have been having some very hot weather in the last week. It doesn't usually get this hot till January.

Here is a new girl, she has no hat, it blew off in the bout of storms we just had and she cannot find it.

I have made a few more pendants and have sorted out the backs of them so once the supplies arrive from treasuresntins etsy shop I can get on and make some more. I have had lots of people commenting the last few days asking where I got them from, such a nice feeling of validation.

It is a funny thing this creative life, I spend so many physical and mental hours thinking and making work, beating myself up and then every now and again I ask myself why? Why do I do this to myself? Why do I need to do this? Will this compulsion ever stop?...

Then someone I don't know makes a nice comment about something I have made and I reply, "I made it" and I fill with pride in myself. I am lucky I have this in me and I am lucky to have found a whole world of people who are lucky, just like me.

Jewels

For a while now I have been trying to find a way to make some of my works into jewellery... well the other night I finally did it. I bought these glass gems a while ago and last week I found a source for some bails (the little silver thing that sits on the back of the piece and holds the chain). Then yesterday I discovered some glue (water based binder medium) that sticks the printed side of the picture to the glass. Most of the things I tried interfered with the ink on the printed image, would smudge it or make it go all see through .

So here is a pic of my new jewels... I wore them in town yesterday and got quite a few comments, one lady said to me "Oh they look like a Katherine Quinn picture" I said "they are thats me"!!!

I often see something in a shop or magazine and get these good ideas of something I can make. But more often then not I don't follow through with them and they end up as a scribbled thought in my work book. So this year that is going to be one of my new years resolutions... to follow through and try new ideas.

stamps, apple lollies and wisteria...

I got these lovely stamps the other day from the Trade Aid shop in Havelock North... they have been beautifully hand carved and I don't know if I really want to use them they are so lovely.

I have had a few people question me about my collection of apple lollies... well here are a few pictures of them. Apple has always been my favourite flavour of lolly, not only because of the taste but also the visuals of the apple packaging. One day I decided to keep the ones I had just bought and start collecting more... I never dreamed I would ever get over 70 different kinds! I think it might be the biggest apple lolly collection in the world?

the largest apple lolly collection in the world!

a close up of the apple lollies

This photo was taken so you could see my lovely wisteria, I am so proud of it... last year it was just a few stumps poking out of the ground and now look at it. We are building a fence soon around this side of the house to divide the car parking and the BBQ area so I thought I would take some before photos.

I have just taken the storm girls from my last posts to a gallery in Havelock North. I had them framed by Kathy at the Gilded leaf and she has done a great job (as she always does). I also took in my Christmas Sales offerings this weekend, I can't wait to see the gallery all set up with the Christmas stock.

I also got an email back from the woman who was running the exhibition where I got into the Next magazine... and she told me the painting sold so that is good news.

I still seem to be feeling a little odd at the moment, am not sure why, it is like a restless energy where I feel I should be doing things but nothing I do seems to be right? There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day...

Sometimes there was a storm in her brain

Spring is really and truly here... the sun is shining, people are busy and happy and it's not even remotely looking like a storm is on the way but here is the last one of my storm trio. Although I don't think it looks as stormy in this one, maybe the storm is passing.

I have just got a few more finishing touches to get done for the Christmas sales, which have to be in this weekend, and then I am all finished. I had an idea to round all the corners on the magnets, prints and postcards... it looked really good on the first one and once I did that I had to do all the rest! But I am pleased with the way they look, they are more organic and friendly... I have friendly magnets.

I had another clean out of my store cupboard last night... because I have changed the way I do things over the last few months, there are some things that I don't need anymore... like my inks (I will miss their smell), drying racks and copious amounts of folders (why I end up with so many folders I do not know). It feels good to have a clean out though, I think it is an important job to do regularly as I found a whole lot of stuff I had forgotten about. Like these little peg things I was going to use to make a game and these coloured glue sticks I was going to make these funky spiky balls of spikyness with and a whole lot of other wonderful things. I hadn't quite finished last night with my task but the night was nearly turning to morning so I had to finish for the day. Will hopefully get more done tonight... might get around to taking pics which I will post soon.

Oh my!!!

I am honoured to be tagged by the very talented Michele Maule

Here are the rules...

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules.
3. Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
4. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
5. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged.

1. Ok so the first one would be my need to collect apple lollies... I have 79 of them (when I started I never thought there would be that many). I keep them in a box and the best part is when you take off the lid and the smell that hits you is wonderful. Also the packaging of apple lollies is so visually lovely, that apple green with a touch of red.

2. One day I think I would like to learn to sail...

3. I had a heart attack about 10 years ago and found out I had WPW.

4. I have these really odd little toe nails... they are like cats claws... When Hannah was born the first thing my brother did was check her little toes... (he declared her normal).

5. I want to one day write and illustrate a children's book...

6. my favourite sandwich would be nice grainy bread, vintage cheddar, gherkins, lettuce and salami.

Ok that was hard... now I need to tag people.

Journey through my mind
Tangled sky studio
Carine B
Amanda Gryphon
Musings by Artslice
The Crafty Chook

will look forward to reading your lists...



I did these two last night... we have a pretty stormy looking sky today and it seems like last night the above pieces might have been a premonition as we were supposed to have sun today?

We are walking down to the Marine Parade this evening to watch the fire works for Guy Fawkes (will be very dramatic with the moody sky as a backdrop).

Nesting time...

This is a sheet of images that are soon to be transformed into magnets for the Christmas Sales. I really love seeing them all together in this format.

I haven't done any work for last week or so, except getting things like the magnets and prints etc... ready for Xmas sales. I can feel this nesting thing happening now, it usually comes after I have had a break from creating and it is my body telling me it wants to do something, paint something, create something.

I feel an urgent need to clean my work areas and make sure I am stocked up on supplies, source more supplies, look at my inspiration scrapbooks. In my mind ideas are running around, getting ditched, being altered and reworked... I often have a vague look on my face and people think there is something wrong (I need a sign saying "it's ok I am just nesting" around my neck). A few days of this kind of thing and then I am into a new lot of work.

Now is a good time to be nesting and getting on with new work as I got a call this morning from a gallery to say they have run out and need some more work.

I am also thinking of having another show next year? will see how things go over Christmas and the new year.