a little lost...

This is the beginning of a new piece of work... I am not sure what it will look like when it is finished or where it will lead but this is where it's at right now.

While I was nearing the end of getting work ready for the exhibition I had a lot of new ideas forming in my head, but I couldn't really do anything about them as I didn't have time to start new works. And now these ideas have gone... well maybe not gone, they have just gotten a little lost.  Which is the way I am feeling at the moment.  Like this piece above I am not sure where I am heading, where I want to go, want to be... I feel like I am just a tiny step ahead of everything, with not much room for breathing. Although I guess it is better than being a step behind and it is probably just the way it is at this time of the year.

I am finding it is so easy these days to give myself a hard time for not living up to my own dreams...  I wonder whether there is anyone out there who is completely living the life they dreamed?

Out of the blue the other day Ben asked me this...

Ben..."Is Michael Jackson dead"?
Me... "yes he is"
Ben..."was he alive before he died"?

I am the winner of aroha...

button magnets

I have had a few days of doing nothing much after my exhibition opened and now I am starting to think about making things for the three art markets I will be involved in, which start 21 November...

So here is a list of things I will be making in the next month...

magnets
cards
prints
bookmarks
diaries
button magnets
pendants

I have started on the button magnets... these are very cute and the magnet is very strong.  Both Hannah and Ben had fun with the magnets before I glued them onto the glass button.  After finishing these I proudly showed Ben what I had done with them he got very upset and wanted me to take the magnets off my new creations as I had ruined his fun.

Some exciting news... I just found out yesterday that I was the winner of Pam's giveaway!!!  and this is the print that will soon be on it's way to me... I can't wait!

Aroha (which means love in Maori)

exhibition opening...

It can be so hard putting your heart and soul up on the wall for all to see and comment on, in fact... really quite scary.  As I was hanging my work yesterday afternoon I asked myself several times why am I doing this?  It wasn't until I woke this morning that I remembered why...  I do it because it makes me happy and after all the nerves and self doubt, last night... I went to bed happy.

just finished the hanging

my Dad next to the food table down the back 

people looking just after we opened the doors

and more people looking

Latecia showing me her favourite...

Thank you everyone who came and supported me it was a great opening and to all those who would have liked to have been there but couldn't make it or were just too far away (as in the other side of the world) I really appreciate your kind words and thoughts. xxx

Christmas ornament swap...

I am taking part in this 'Christmas ornament swap'... if you would like to take part in this fun global event as well or want to read more about it click here. 

I am not completely sure what I will make for it yet... but am thinking along the lines of a magnet of some sort???  Maybe a multi purpose magnet that can be hung on your Christmas tree or for your fridge... hmmmm?

no pink cheeks...

(after this piece was finished I realised I forgot to give her pink cheeks)

On the way home from a little road trip during the week Hannah and I had this conversation...

Me...'that is the All day breakfast place where people go in and never come out'
Hannah... 'really'
I nodded and after a few kilometers of silence...
Hannah...'didn't we stop there once'?
Me...'yeah we got ice blocks'
Then we both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

For some reason when I think back to this conversation it still really cracks me up, just one of those silly moments where I guess you had to be there.

Some things I am looking forward to...

• 8:30pm 17 October as I shut the doors on the opening of the exhibition
• having a play around with a few new ideas
• getting things ready for the next design market
• 'How to train your dragon' coming to DVD
• playing dinosaurs tomorrow morning

What are you looking forward to...

miscellaneous components...

Ben and I had fun the other day making these magnet characters...   I started collecting a whole lot of magnets and little bits of metal years ago, and to be honest, I was actually quite obsessed for a while.   I remember going into Mitre 10 Mega to have a look around and found a treasure trove of little metal bits.  One of the assistants came over to see if I needed help and asked what I was going to use the bits for.   I said "Oh nothing in particular... I've just gotta have them"  He said ok... and backed away.  So Mitre 10 Mega man I hope you read my blog and see that I am not a complete nutter.

It is amazing how a few little miscellaneous components when put together can become something quite wonderful.  It is the art of giving life to and therefore having feelings for inanimate objects.  Hannah was always a big one for doing this when she was younger, and even now at 17, as we looked at an old suitcase for $10... I said 'is that cool or a little too ratty', she decided it was the latter.  I said 'oh well' and started walking away, she stayed there looking at it and said 'oh now I feel sorry for it' and tried to talk me into buying it.... I didn't buy it, with her teenage brain she had forgotten all about it by the time we had gotten back into the car.

We're all going south...

Please consider this your official invitation to my exhibition... will be good to see you if you are able to come along.

sorry it is a little blurry, here are the details...


It opens on Sunday 17th October at 5:30pm
Community Art Centre - Hastings

Exhibition runs 18th - 30th October

I have just received a package from Colorado (man I love etsy) containing components to make some button magnets.  They are so much fun and I am addicted... I am making them for the Hawkes Bay Design Market on 21st November at Ormlie Lodge.  I will post some pictures early next week.

Yesterday I got accepted into the Fruit bowl craft Jam in December... yay! so I will start working on things for that as well...