I am a collage chicken...

(my first tentative attempts at collage backgrounds... so far)

I am so mindful of making a mistake, I am too scared to try different things, to try different colours together, different textures and using new painting mediums.  I do these things in my mind and decide that it wont work without even giving it a go.   I think part of it is that the cost of things sometimes puts me off using papers, and products etc... in case they don't work and it becomes a waste (and I'm also just a big chicken).  So I had a little go tonight (images above) and am happy with the results so far although I am a little scared, I am kind of looking forward to the following week,  where I will be trying some new collage ideas for backgrounds... I am thinking of this as a completely experimental week (when I say week I mean the few hours in between kids and work).  

I will be starting Kelly Rae's e course tomorrow, so I am really looking forward to seeing how it all goes and to 'working' with all the wonderful people who have also signed up.

no rules and no pressure...

This is the beginning of my third series of work for my exhibition... I am actually ahead of schedule.  I have planned to do one series of work (about 7-9 pieces) per month.  I have just finished May's this afternoon.  I kind of figure if I get one series finished a month I will have enough work by October to fill the gallery without too much stress.

I got some paper the other day from BasicGrey's new range, Cappella and it is so lovely, soft and pretty.  I have been thinking for a while to try some collaged backgrounds which I might do with this next series.  Although I really do like the plain simplistic backgrounds,  I actually think that is just what I am used to doing and I would like to push myself a little...so starting Monday I am going to spend the next week playing with backgrounds, no rules and no pressure... just playing.

I rang our local bookstore to see if they had the above book in stock and she said it hasn't been published yet! I said 'but I know a few friends who already have it in their hot little hands', she said 'Oh really, let me see what I can do'... well her advise was to order it from Amazon.  Sooo I have just ordered it (my first Amazon order)!!!... and I can hardly wait for it to arrive!  Thanks to Michele at Pipi La La for letting me know it existed.

I have also listed a few card sets to my etsy shop!!! if anyone is interested, but only if you don't live in New Zealand.  Kiwis have to buy from  a local stockist, email me if you are interested.

With good in my head...

(with good in my head to help me on my way)

I stumbled upon blogging by accident.   One day a tutor at work told me to look at etsy.com ... I asked why, she said (rather loudly) JUST GO LOOK!  The first thing that caught my eye on the front page was Kelly Rae Roberts... I checked out her shop, and then after thinking what kind of crazy people write a blog, I read her blog from the first post to the last... I went home and told my family that I had a new best friend, she didn't know I existed but I felt I had known her for ever.  So now I have an etsy shop of my own and I am one of those crazy people who write a blog.  I started checking out other peoples blogs and started to form my own little community, a tribe of fellow bloggers who I now call my 'friends'.  It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I discovered KMB... I am amazed and delighted to find such a group of lovely talented mummy bloggers in my own back yard!!!

giveaway winners are...

Thanks everyone for entering my giveaway, the winners are...

#9 Cadi
#16 NatashaMay

So if you both send me your postal address to katherinequinn@xtra.co.nz I will get your cards sets away to you along with a few other goodies.

(winebox front and back "I like it here can I stay")

I have been busy the past week finishing off my wine box (above) and am just over half way through finishing my second lot of works for the exhibition.  Both of which have been inspired by the piece I was going to chuck in my reject folder a few posts ago.   It is funny how looking at it with new eyes or through others eyes has made me see qualities I'd missed before, so thanks for your feedback.

I have a bar code!!!

Yay!!! my cards arrived the other day in a little brown box... so to celebrate I am going to giveaway two sets of 6 cards.  If you are interested in entering all you need to do is leave a comment by the end of Tuesday 18th May (NZT) and I will draw out two winners on Wednesday 19th.  Good luck.

I will put a few sets up for sale in my Etsy shop soon, but you can only purchase them if you don't live in New Zealand.  If you do live in New Zealand and are wanting to purchase a card send me an email and I will let you know how to go about it.

the constant creative urge...

(everything depends on how near you stand to me)

Ok... so the painting from my last post has been saved from the reject folder, I have added a few little details and I am quite happy with it now.  One of those happy accidents that happen every now and again.  It has actually given me inspiration for the next set of works for my exhibition.  So thank you for all your kind comments, they saved it from the dreaded folder.

I have nearly finished the front of my winebox so I will take pictures when it is completed, and will probably post them next week.

I think I have said this before (probably a few times) but when my creative side is being fueled and all is going well, I am a happier person then when its not.  It amazes me how strong this is and sometimes it is just scary how much my world revolves around it.  It is a hard thing to explain (the constant creative urge)... it's something I have felt for as long as I can remember.  The need to have my mind and hands busy with making things, turning blank pieces of paper into new little worlds of their own.

These girls above are actually looking a little sombre... I might need to work on their lips.

I will have some good news and a giveaway at the end of the week so stay tuned.

cutting, glueing, making...

(I am not sure about this one, it may end up in the reject folder?)

I am very excited to be a part of Kelly Rae's e-course at the end of May... so many wonderful people have signed up and it has been really interesting reading their stories.  

I have started working on my winebox this week... and I have the back, top, bottom and sides sorted just not the front yet, and I have nearly finished the first lot of works for my exhibition.  It feels really good to be back into cutting, glueing, making, thinking, creating, sticking, smiling, painting, smudging and drawing again...  yep this feels good.

I can't hardly wait...

(with good in my head to help me on my way)

I am feeling back on track again and I have managed to get a whole lot of work done this week for my exhibition.   As well as this I also have been been getting on with a few things I'm involved with during the next few months...

The Mosaic Wine Box Auction... The invited artists are asked to produce and donate artworks for auction. They all start with a ‘blank canvas’ in the form of a standard pine 2 bottle Winebox.  They then go up for auction to raise money for a community based vocational service for people with disabilities.   Last year they raised $30,000... so I am really pleased to have been invited to be a part of this.  And the really cool thing is, as a thank you each artist gets two bottles of wine with part of their wine box design as the label!  Here are last years wine box designs...  So I will post some images of my finished wine box soon.

I also have the yearly 'plunket' show coming up at the end of May as well, another auction for a good cause down in Timaru.  I have been thinking that one day I might go on a road trip and visit all the  galleries around New Zealand that show my work, there are quite a few that I have never even visited.

I have also enrolled in Kelly Rae's e-course... which starts at the end of May, so this will be something to look forward to after all the other things on my May to do list.... I can't hardly wait!

loosing myself for a while...

Here are a few girls I have been working on this last week... they are all in different stages of being completed, especially the one with the gaping hole in her stomach.  I really struggled last week, over thinking everything and especially thinking I had to so something completely different for my exhibition.  Then I suddenly realised on Saturday night that what I had been working on before was ok.  That is when it hit me, people who like my work don't want to come to my exhibition to see something completely different.  It's like when you hear a good song on the radio... you go and buy the cd, and find yourself really disappointed to hear that none of the songs are like the one you fell in love with.   

I can't really tell you the great sense of relief this simple thought has bought me.  It was amazing how angry and upset I got with myself when I was so caught up in what I thought I should be doing, I lost myself for a while.

But in loosing myself for a while, I did do this as part of a bigger painting and I really think it has potential for development.  I used a Golden medium (clear tar gel) on the bottom part under the wave line, you cant really see in this picture but it gives an encaustic effect.  So I think I am going to play with this some more...

a little spark of excitement...

I had the lovely Tara stay with me for a few nights during the holidays... I was a bit nervous as we hadn't meet before and I am a little shy with new people.  It didn't help that Hannah was worried she might be an axe murderer!  Anyway she didn't bring an axe and we had a lovely few days and time went so fast.  Although things didn't go exactly as I had planned, coming down from Te Mata Peak my car broke down.  I had to ring Mum and she was a bit angry with me that I didn't have an AA membership and had to use hers...  she said she's going to join me up for my birthday... (although I actually want an atlas for my birthday).  Anyway my wonderful mother lent me her car for the next few days so we could carry on with our site seeing plans (since then I have had to buy a new car, it is a white Dawoo something, for those that are interested).

Here are a few of my purchases from our shopping trip in Napier...

Some wonderful cards from Ooma, a French book (not sure what it is about as I can't read French but is just beautiful to look at) from Provincial Interior Designs, a lovely coffee cup from Brocante, a little Japanese pottery spoon from Raku and a new scarf also from Brocante... so much fun.

Lately I have been feeling this little spark of excitement slowly burning deep within... it is the kind of excitement which comes when a group of like minded women get together and organise something great, really great.  Our little local etsy group is growing and we are starting to develop a real network and support system for ourselves and each other... and this excites me very much.

a little change...

(flowers or snow flakes)

I have been meaning to change my blog title to Sleep and her sisters for a while to tie in with my etsy shop, so that is what I did today.  I am actually just putting off starting on some pieces for my exhibition in October...  I have not felt very inspired the last few weeks, and am getting those annoying doubts creeping in again.  I really have no idea what I am going to do for the exhibition and it really scares me.  I did have a few vague ideas but they just seem silly now.  In the past I usually have an idea of how I want it to look... but there is nothing.

What I have been doing though is pulling weeds (and no I didn't replant them into my neighbours garden) though as I was pulling them out the thought did make me smile.  We also got our winter wood delivered and I stacked it all in the shed... with the help of Hannah and Ben.  But after a while Hannah got a sore head and back and decided she would have a break and Ben just decided he didn't want to do it anymore.  But he did come out when I had finished to tell me I did a good job.

So I am glad I got these jobs done but the uninspiring mood I am in is scaring me a little.   Maybe it is just the out of routineness of holiday time?  I don't know, but I am just going to put it out there and see what happens...

please please please let me be inspired!!! 

odd thermostat...

So... I had two complete days of rest and I am better now...  nearly all better.  I spent the next few days catching up on some work for a few galleries and a few extras including this piece above.  I have been in a really weird head space lately, I've been dreaming of flying.  

Autumn is really settling in and it's getting a lot cooler, especially early morning and the evenings (although Ben still likes his bedroom window open as he falls asleep, he has an odd thermostat).

I made my lemonade scones... they were good.  I will post the recipe if anyone wants to try.

Lemonade Scones

2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup wholemeal flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salk

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup cream

1 cup lemonade

Sift flours, baking powder and salt into a bowl then mix in the sugar.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the cream and lemonade.  Mix quickly and lightly until combined.

Gather the dough together and pat out to 5cm thickness on a lightly floured board. Dip a cutter or upturned glass in flour and cut out scones.  Place scones on an oven tray and bake at 200˚c for 10-15 minutes, or until scones are golden and cooked through.  Wrap in a clean tea towel as soon as scones are removed from the oven.

bother...

OK so it seems I am starting the holidays with a sore throat, a sniffly nose, an achy head and eyes... bother.