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I am spending my day illustrating some commissioned editorial and promo work. Here is something I completed recently for a magazine. The article talks about the importance of educating our children about where our food comes from and teaching them how to grow fruits and vegetables at home.
Firstly...don't you just hate it when the server/computer decides not to work whilst you are in the middle of a post and you lose everything you just wrote!
Anway, I have finished my Advent Pockets. DA NA! All I have to do is place 'things' in them. Plenty of suggestions found here.
And here some other ideas and inspiration if you feel like burning the midnight oil and making some over the next day or two.
Made from matchboxes...from art chix studio
also try here also here also here and also here love these. OK..no more!
so far this week::
I started making very quick and easy Christmas cards for friends out of bits and pieces. Influenced by Zoe and Denyse Schmidt.
I have decided not to buy a bike with training wheels for my 4 year old son. What he won't know he won't miss. And after talking to a physiotherapist at a friend's house the other night, it seems like the most logical thing to do.
One of my children drew on the carpet.
My son made a christmas decoration for me that is bigger than my tree. I think it will have to be an installation piece.
I realised that I am stuck in the middle of my sister and mother's not to be discussed, 'she never rings me' argument. So not enjoying this one.
I am complaining about the heat already!
My little girl is ready for no nappy at night time. I just have to be prepared for night accidents.
All I am listening to is 'Six White Boomers'...an Australian Christmas Carol. Over and over and over again. My kids love it! It makes them happy so they can listen to it all day long so long as it has this effect.
Our little dog, has fleas. We suspect a cat has been coming in the backyard at night! Sorry all cat lovers, but I'm a dog person. If you have a cat, please keep them in at night.
My enthusiasm for cooking delicious, interesting meals seems to be disappearing as fast as the water is from our dams.
And I really must start illustrating for an editorial piece before I become a stressed out psycho woman.
The mail 'persons' that is!
I have completed all of my swaps. Yippee. Had so much fun creating everything, but glad that it is over because today I just realised that next weekend it DECEMBER!!!!! I haven't even written a present list...I only have a few ideas in my head.
Here are the ornaments that I created. Mailed last week. I'm keeping the 'posty' very busy this year. If you are looking for some Christmas inspiration then have a look at all the other marvelous creations on here.
I'm only half way through the weekend and it has been jam packed with so many wonderful things.
Firstly a purchase...from Jo. These pencil rolls are so brilliant. I bought one each for my nieces and nephew for Christmas. They are perfect.
I went out last night with my mother group friends. We ate Thai and had a few glasses of wine, very nice.
This morning I went to the Umbrella Collective and met some very nice ladies. Including Kylie and Sarah. Hope to catch up with Sarah soon so our girls can have a play date.
Bought some goodies for Christmas presents too. Some great work was on display.
My friend and I then popped up to Paddington Antique/thrift store and I ended up buying this gorgeous chair, pillow included.
This afternoon I made a cheese cake to take to to another friend's house tonight, before flopping in the chair to do some thread snipping.
Tomorrow....probably doing the laundry!
I have been reading this book on and off for some time. Months ago I posted a WIP of a quilt that I wanted to start for my mother in law's 60th birthday. Her birthday is the day after Christmas so I really need to get cracking if I want to give it to her. I love several of the quilts from this book, but I decided to stick to Sally B Davis' Co-ordinated Chaos quilt.
The bottom image shows how it is coming along. I have chosen fabric to suit her decor..not really my cup of tea....but I think it will pull together quite well.
I know that my blogs are very visual, I don't recall posting without an image. I'm visual. I can't sit at a screen and read something that has no imagery attached...it literally hurts my eyes. Anyway, I'm particularly visual in this post because my new camera arrived this afternoon. So I have been very snap happy. I haven't had a real look at the camera's capabilities because the kids have been quite demanding this afternoon. Fun demanding. I vacumed whilst wearing an array of clothes, including swimming goggles, a traditional Chinese hat and played 'What's the time Mr Wolf' in between some illustration work I have asked to produce for a magazine. Are you exhausted just reading that?
So I thought I'd show you some snaps of my abode:
top L: Decorations that are meant to be for Christmas, but I didn't put them away this year. My grandfather's and grandmother's clock they received as a wedding present.(1930 something) The clock has read the same time since I inherited it. Coincidently it is minutes within the time that my Pa died. I'll leave it like this..plus the ticking give me the shits!
top R: Ari's room. Postcard prints of some Commedia del'arte characters I bought in Florence, tastefully framed in Swedish frames....AKA Ikea!
M L: A Noddy doll..I think maybe once my Uncles or mum's...now it is mine. And a doll made by a local Brisbane designer..sorry can't remember who. You'll find them at West End if you are looking.
M R: Some child lounging about. Really!
B L: Photos and frames, some of which still need pictures in them.
B R: A collection of photos, bottles, artwork. That's Nic popping his head over the frame of my mum when she was a young Army officer. In front is a pic taken of my sister walking down a laneway in Caulfield. We were on the way to our Pa's funeral. As children we would play in that laneway often whilst going to the horse stables with my Uncle and Pa. I guess I have many things about him in my house now that I think about it. He was a funny little man, with lots of Irish humour!
So right now N is on his way home form South Australia. I'm going to spend 1/2 hour rushing around and cleaning up the grot...although I already did that earlier today! This includes taking the spare TV back downstairs from our room. I have never had a TV in the bedroom,but for the last few days since he has been interstate I thought I would watch a little bit. What a bad decision. I ended up watching a good movie on SBS the other night and it must have finished around 1am. I was then awoken at 6am to Ari wanting to hop into bed with me and watch ABCKids! Bad TV! Bad TV!
Tomorrow is work day! Can't wait.
I received my first postcard today from......??????????? I don't know. Someone in the US. No name, nothing, just the card. I think it was franked in 'OK' is that Oklahoma? I just now went to confirm this, but my youngest child decided to use part of the envelope as craft! This state doesn't correspond to anything or anyone on my list. So thank you who ever you are.
Mine are done, ready to go...and here they are. Thanks Nikki for organising this
I haven't taken photos of the backs because I don't have a camera at the moment. Hubby is working interstate and has taken it. The upside to this problem is that he has decided that he needs a camera for the office so has kindly bought me a new one....I think it is an early Christmas present. It should be arriving this week, I hope, because I feel rather lost without a camera.
I have finally finished my Christmas Ornament for the swap. Why is it that I finished the last swap I joined first and I'll probably finish the first swap last?
What is it with my method of working? Anyway,as mentioned in a previous post I didn't know what to make of this one and went backwards and forwards from one medium to another never really satisfied with my creations.
I really tried not to be too traditional, but I needed to go through that process of making 'traditional icons' then trying something more suited to an Australian Christmas. Here in Australia, we are heavily influenced by the northern hemisphere's Christmas imagery in everything commercial. Snow; Father Christmas in his big, hot, heavy, red suit and big black boots; icicles; big fur trees; images of people drinking hot chocolate around a fire place; knitted stockings and scarves. It all looks cozy and lovely, but the reality is most Australians spend Christmas day eating fresh seafoods, cold meats and salads in the coolest place in the house and if we have access to a beach or pool we will definitely go for a swim. (Except for one Christmas a couple of years ago in Melbourne when we did light a fire and put the heating on).
We drink icy cold beer or champagne and suck on mangoes and watermelons. But somehow all of this never looks right on a card or wrapping paper. Kangaroos and Koala bears sitting on a beach in silly Santa hats never works either! I guess my question is, what is unique about Australian Christmas imagery and how do we translate this into a commercial product that looks good? What imagery do Argentinians or South Africans have around Christmas? Anyway, I could ramble on and on, but I won't.
So here are my trials and tribulations. I'll let the pictures do the talking. The last two hanging from my lime tree are the actual ones I will be sending. I'll show and tell that when they have been sent.
Here are a few links that I'm looking and listening too right now for one reason or another:
For every parent with a young child. Playschool Radio. Playschool has been airing on Australian TV for 40 years and is still going strong. If you haven't familiarised yourself with the programme, now is your chance.
I just ordered one of these because..... I have a credit card and internet access and I like her stuff...and what other reason do I need?
And I love this and want one on my desk. Could have anything from here delivered once a month.
Right now, the kids are in bed and there is work to be done....and maybe a spot of quilting!
there are lots of little birthday parties on the horizon this week....just what I need to be thinking about before Christmas!
Two little friends are having a pirate party so I made these mini quilts for them. And another little friend had a mermaid party (we couldn't make it) so I made this for her and Master A also wants to give her one of the mini-moopies I made.
so enough now with new projects! My head is starting to explode. I have spent this weekend doing wonderful crafty things...but not finishing the projects I really need to. So it is roll out list time:
I must complete the following before Christmas or by their due dates.
1. Postcard Swap
2. Calendar Swap
3. Holiday Ornament Swap
3b. (because I forgot) advent pockets.
4. My mother in laws quilt.....this is a big one.
5. Log cabin cushion covers
6. finish sewing up minimoopies.
By the way, next week some local (Brisbane, Qld, Australia) artists are having a fair. here are the details if you are intersted. Some very talented people to keep an eye on.
