pyglet whispers

two more...

2010-04-11T17:02:00.001+10:00

Two more journal pages...still working on eyes and faces

new designs

2010-04-10T16:08:00.003+10:00

New designs on new base fabric from spoonflower.
(older designs are already over here)

Meanwhile...on the crafting front.

2010-03-22T11:25:00.006+11:00

Having fun doing this online course.

I am doing it pretty slow and a bit slap dash really but have enjoyed trying out new supplies and techniques.

The journal I have been using is just an old novel from an op-shop. I think it was 10 cents. Much less pressure for me than what I feel from "the white page"

This is the most recent. Nothing overly original but I think the face is getting a bit better as I go.

More journal page experiments over here

blame it on baby!

2010-03-22T11:00:00.002+11:00

Oh dear! I think I returned from my holidays only to take another holiday!

I have been up to things in real life and the start of the school year for the girl and lil'z starting kindy aswell has kept me busier than usual...but I have decided that the only real change that is throwing a spanner in the blogworks is...

...THE BABY

Not that I want to burden this new bundle with blame before it is even born, but really... I had forgotten about the breathlessness, tiredness, brain fag, bending problems, embarrassing clothing malfunctions and the ligament strains in all kinds of places I didn't even know I have ligaments!

Coping relatively well though and pretty exciting really. This will definitely be our last - I think hubby-j thought that about lil'z, he is taking a bit to catch up with the idea he agreed to a while back.

So...baby number three is headed to arrive in our arms at the end of June (Do you think I can order labour up to coincide with the school holidays?)

I am sure that with a 7 year old, a 3.5 year old and a newborn, that at least two of the things in my blog byline (kids, craft and the usual chaos) will be getting the full workout!

Sweet owl

2010-01-14T14:09:00.003+11:00

Finally home from the holidays!

This cake wasn't a bad effort given the supplies that I could find in rural NSW. Next time I might just transport everything with me.

Lil'z loved it, and really....that's all that matters!

OINK mini #2

2009-12-29T08:53:00.004+11:00

Finally finished another mini zine - OiNK mini issue no.2

Now if I can just get the second issue of the original OiNK zine out. I am about half way done so far so hopefully it shouldn't be too long!
(for me...infamous last words!)

Available here

cupcake swap

2009-12-23T13:03:00.003+11:00

2.5" x 3.5"

lollipop angels

2009-12-14T08:34:00.005+11:00

As yet another week leaks away I find Christmas looming up on me too quickly. I really have no idea where the time goes to. Perhaps I am having mini mummy blackouts? Do you think there is such a thing? I seem to wake up on Monday morning and the next thing it is Friday night and I wonder what I did to the week!

Major highlights...

Monday: refereed an argument between my mother and brother - (oh what joy!...NOT)

Tuesday: Didn't cope too well with an almost 3 year olds major meltdown at school presentation day - (very tough day)

Wednesday: I am not even going to get started ...should have stayed in bed!

Thursday: Went to do Christmas shopping only to realise the 2 year old is a lot more cluey about hidden presents than I could've imagined - (waste of time!)

Friday: Decided to use whatever designs I had and finally buy myself some fabric from Spoonflower. Very excited! - (now I am trying to not be too impatient waiting for it to arrive.)

Saturday: Finally started the Christmas shopping - (Yay!)

Sunday: Class mates Christmas presents for the girl. "Make sure there is one for everyone Mum!" - (whew!)

Well....on balance I would say a productive week...So here is what I made for the class in the end.

Lollipop angels

I think they turned out pretty well considering I used only what I had on hand!

Perhaps I will even attempt my very first tutorial, safe in the confidence that hardly anyone is visiting and even if my instructions are impossible to understand no one will let me know and I will be blissfully oblivious to my own crafty shortcomings...

...this idea is sounding better all the time!

a new species?

2009-11-29T09:01:00.005+11:00

We just had a school show that the Kindy kids were told they need to find costumes for. Originally I was under the impression that it just needed to be any animal so I asked the girl what she might like to go as. Her choice of animal was a little unusual but I though I could work it out...so we went with the idea.

After some weeks we were briefed again that it would be a JUNGLE animal. This didn't quite fit for us but I had already started and the girl was absolutely adamant that she wanted to keep her animal choice

So here is my version of a...

JUNGLE SKUNK!

[black t-shirt with added fur stipe, black trousers, black beret with fur ears and fur stripe and a fur belt that had a fur tail attached]

big art pendants

2009-11-26T19:01:00.005+11:00

I have shown these before and I wear the red one I made myself quite a bit. So I thought it time to make a few more.

Whew!

2009-11-22T22:51:00.008+11:00

Whew is right!

The market day was not too bad. I was quite anxious with the lead up. I have not done a market in almost 15 years!

I wasn't sure that I would have enough stuff to make my table look nice. I was not sure how my things may be received either. I am quite an aimless crafter really and seriously wish I was a little bit more driven to do something about it. I love creating and I like what I do but strangely, worry excessively about whether or not those thoughts are based in fact or just some kind of minor delusion that I may be having....it probably explains alot.

It was super hot out in Arcadia and we were lucky to be indoors but I think a lot of people probably missed the hall I was in altogether.....Hubby-j thought he was at the wrong event as he walked around for a bit and couldn't find me (not such a good sign!)

...but given all that I did OK!

The table was quite simple really and a lot of what I displayed were things I had completed over the last couple of years. The owls were new and I sold a few. My artwork that I had printed and placed on cards was also quite well received.

I now have so many ideas about how I could improve the whole process and things I could add to the table that...

...all in all I think I would do it again!

away with other things

2009-11-17T06:53:00.003+11:00

It has been a while...perhaps... a little longer than a while. Yet, I visit every day and try to think of something interesting to say. Poor little blog, you have not been abandoned...just neglected for other things.

- School is quite busy for a 6 year old and seems to fix the routine for my day too. The day is so much shorter than expected...

- Lil'z is an...umm...exuberant(?) almost 3 year old. Actually I think she may be just loud and stubborn. That's a little exhausting!

- thriftypyg has been quite steady and picking and packing (the part I hate!) takes over at times

- Creating, in the little time I feel I have left has taken priority. Thankfully!

So I am dusting off the cobwebs and evicting all the spiders so I can show you a few things I have been up to...

swapped a frog...she ended up in Denmark!

3 mini zines - filling in over here whilst I get ready for a little Christmas market

swapped quite a few ATCs but this is about the only one I took photos of.

butterfly post

2009-04-25T18:41:00.003+10:00

Another small piece - 2.5" x 3.5"

home

2009-04-08T08:21:00.004+10:00

"habitat" & "home" - House shaped ATC swapbot swap.

I am hoping to get at least one up in the shop but I am off to an Easter hat parade today with the tallest Easter hat I have ever seen.

Lets just hope the girl can hold it on her head and not topple over!

slide frame collages

2009-03-17T17:20:00.009+11:00

These were for a swap-bot swap

I had so much fun I did a few extras!

A sides

B sides - 16 sides all up!

...who knew 2"x2" could be so much fun!

OINK ! ... a zine

2009-03-09T17:31:00.014+11:00

Something I have really been wanting to try...

the minus
aligning pages to be situated next to each other on a photocopier
(wicked under breath swearing could be heard at Officeworks)
...let alone then trying to align the other side so that everything matched up when I got to folding (*#@!!)

the plus
I think it turned out well - feedback so far has been positive - very exciting!

Probably the most rewarding crafty adventure I have had in a long time!

[copies are here if you want to see how it went first hand]

servomechanics??

2009-02-12T14:04:00.005+11:00

Look at what happens when I get my hands on a servomechanics textbook...

flower dolls or school shoes?

2009-01-22T09:35:00.005+11:00

So far I have nine!
Some have been swapped and others are for sale.
They are good little friends and have been helping me procrastinate a job that needs doing. Today I was hoping to get to creating a gal of larger dimensions but...

...it looks like the first of many school shoe buying trips is going to have to finally happen today.

(hope the queues are not too long, her foot is not to skinny to fit and that I don't have to take out a second mortgage to buy them - other than that...very exciting!)

art cards and inchies

2009-01-15T21:08:00.006+11:00

black and white butterfly action (2.5" x 3.5") - available

blackandwhite

butterfly 19750

Inchies...

with bails on the back to make them a bit more useful.

still creating...

2009-01-05T17:49:00.008+11:00

City Hill - line design utilising cues from vintage map, overlayed with watercolors

Flower doll series - #1, #2, #3 (available)

nameless... still some shaping to do here (but promising)

...just not doing a whole lot of writing about it.

btw... Happy 2009!

double up::double up

2008-11-14T12:02:00.004+11:00

Double-up sale over at thriftypyg

today...

2008-10-24T22:53:00.005+11:00

recently drawn

2008-10-23T10:46:00.006+11:00

party planning

2008-09-22T08:05:00.004+10:00

We have been home for about a week now (excluding jet-lag and illness - hard to convince a 2 and 5 year old that 2am is NOT a good time to have breakfast!)

No blog posts have materialised because of that pretty thing in the photo up there.

I tell you...

...what 5 year old girl doesn't need a giant pink chocolate crackle tower for a birthday cake?

....step away from the sculpey!

2008-08-07T08:32:00.005+10:00

Over the last few weeks the pyglet whispers household has been madly getting ready for our trip to Canada. There is a wedding and both pyglets and hubby-j are in the wedding party. So we have had to buy suits, dresses, shoes, shirts, ribbons, tulle, ties....actually you name it and we have probably bought it. It has been expensive but fun!

I have also had to kit myself out. Being a SAHM on a tight budget has meant my wardrobe is full of mummy jeans and baggy t-shirts. I have not had a proper hair cut for almost 8 years (it is ridiculously long!) and facials and waxing are long overdue (I sound like hairy yeti with this descrpition!).

One of the things outstanding on my slowly receeding list is a piece of jewelry for myself that will "lift" my outfit for the wedding. I have been wanting a conversation starter (a pleasant conversation would be preferable), something large-ish and colourful. I have not been very successful in my search so far.

And so...

...a few days ago I decided I would see if I could do something myself.

I am pretty happy with these (I did two but still have to choose which one I prefer) but I have quite an insular perception and hubby-j has been non-committal with his response (I should be happy as he hasn't said... "put the tools down...and step away from the sculpey!!...crazy desperate woman!!")

...so tell me what you think as I am really hoping I don't get to the wedding and have someone say...

"Hmmmm! That is an...interesting piece that you have around your neck....did you make it??? (insert quizzical yet dangerously concerned look upon their face)

really?...I've got a blog?

2008-08-03T22:07:00.002+10:00

...perhaps not anymore!
How long has it been?
3 MONTHS!!!!
Whoops!!
When I put a ban on reading my bloglines I really had no idea that blog writing would fall by the wayside aswell.

Now I am sitting here typing and deleting at equal pace (I keep telling myself a paper journal may be simpler)...but I would like to give this blog thing another go...so...what should I tell you? (If anyone is listening anyway)

I have been having fun and getting back to myself in a way. In honesty, I really had no idea how much I had lost my own train of thought. One problem is that my bloglines is chock full of BIG talent. I originally thought that should be inspirational but in reality it has only tended toward feeding an increasingly critical inner voice which I found severly limiting and sensoring to a fairly fragile sense of creative accomplishment.

Needless to say, I have decided that Bloglines has to remain banned indefinitely. I had become a blog reader, an art viewer and a success voyeur. These are not bad things to be, and I loved doing them but I felt days and months drift by without ever being a blog writer, an art maker or feeling much of a success....

I actually don't feel a lot in actuality has changed...but I do know my inner critic is a lot quieter without the unneccessary comparisons and pushy self-expectations. I have actually been making some art, selling some fabric and I even got back into swapping - I have been keeping it simple.

So, right now, I have no idea what anyone is up to or has been up to for a while...don't kid yourself that I am not dieing to get into that huge long bloglines list and read every blog post, from my 300 or so blogs, that I have missed over the last 3 months...I am a recovering Bloglines addict... (btw - I wonder how long that would take?)

So apologies if I have not commented, congratulated or complimented lately. My sentiment toward all my blog friends is still very warmly appreciative and sincere. I hope I have not lost too many of you and that you still might enjoy watching and reading as I travel about my tiny corner of the world.

thriftypyg

2008-05-04T20:32:00.010+10:00

No fanfare...no anticipation...its not actually completely ready...let's say it will be an "ongoing" project...there is not much up there yet...and listing has been slow...it will be continuing (....and continuing)...there is a LOT to list...but...

...if I don't say it out loud now, I may just change my mind...

morphine

2008-05-01T09:20:00.003+10:00

"morphine" - page just over 5"x8" (13cm x 21cm)

subconciously channelling some assistance? ;)

chinese warriors

2008-04-25T11:29:00.003+10:00

Jinjing::goldmirror (yellow)
Shanyuan::mountain source (pink)
Weizhe::great sage (blue)
Huojin::fire metal (orange)

It's funny how work of my own that I don't really like often gets more attention from others than work I am enjoying. What is that?

For example...these guys aren't getting much attention anywhere else but...

I really like them!!

turnaround

2008-04-20T22:12:00.002+10:00

turnaround - colour series
4 - 2 - 1 - 6

more tags?

2008-04-14T13:09:00.007+10:00

What's with the tags?

heart charms - collage art tag set

(those tags that don't have their heart charm at the front have them on the back as shown for the blue tag above. )

vintage bingo - collage art tag set (8)

Still, I think there will be more to come...I have gone a little tag crazy!!

...they gave me a good deal!!

That's my excuse anyway.

ribbit...

2008-04-11T22:48:00.006+10:00

This little Franny froglet was adopted by a brand new little girl this Monday. I haven't made one of these froggies for sometime now and have tended to remember them as being tedious and time consuming. Franny, however, ended up being neither of those things even though I ran into a couple of challenges along the way. I simplified her for her new baby companion so she was safer and softer (I am not an expert on a sewing machine....but microfleece...was a bit of a b*tch to be honest!).

From reports I believe she was well received

cute lovey, lovey butt!

Recently I have also been excited by the momentous return and reunion of two other lovely froggy ladies Fern and Fi-fi, whom have been holidaying with Kristen over in Seattle. I was glad to have them home and they looked like they were cared for brilliantly whilst away.

If you haven't met them before, please meet...

...tedious (aka Fern)-

and time consuming (aka Fi-fi)...

At the moment they are still available for adoption. If anyone is interested let me know. Otherwise they will become my permanent craft room or craft market mascots.

I could keep worse company, I'd expect!

art::card::art::tag

2008-04-11T20:24:00.000+10:00

"swing" - ACEO collage

"one woman's heart" - ACEO mixed media collage

"circus play" - mixed media collage art tag set - SOLD

"love travels" - mixed media collage art tag set

mixed media

2008-04-04T11:50:00.009+11:00

"friends" & "soar" - ACEO mixed media collage

I really like how these turned out!

I am having fun findng my way with these collage and mixed media minis. I am really enjoying them and have found it quite refreshing as an alternative to my drawing. One of the best things is that I get to search through vintage ephemera I have been collecting for ages. It really is fun to finally be using some of the stuff I constantly hoard away.

Also - recent news from the Sunshine kids...

Pinky curls has been chosen in an etsy treasury. Thanks tarynhipp!

Please go over and check it out, clickety-click, or whatever you do to bump her up in the cue.

parabolic flowers

2008-04-04T10:46:00.006+11:00

original math drawing close up

"parabolic flower"

still drawing

2008-03-29T13:44:00.005+11:00

having fun drawing away...

242-geometry

a close up of the original geometrical drawing

...this...I like...

ACEO drawing/collage

...this... I am not so sure about (?)

ACEO

2008-03-28T13:05:00.008+11:00

Art Cards, Editions and Originals (always 2.5" x 3.5")

I am getting a little carried away with these! I just really like the size. It's compact, finite and somewhat quicker to complete than my other pieces.

1. seen, 2. the pulse, 3. bhutan, 4. worlds away

btw: for those that have been keen... "busy in the garden" is slated for the gocco, at full size, sometime in the next week. I am going to try something with colour this time

Crossing fingers it works out...

foolin' around

2008-03-24T21:26:00.008+11:00

"left lateral skull"
utilising cues from a 1940's anatomy text

Spent my weekend messing about with paper and glue...

2 mini ACEO collages - 2.5" x 3.5" each

....always fun!
Hope everyone had a happy, hoppy Easter!

book pages...etsy update!

2008-03-20T07:13:00.008+11:00

1. buzz 186, 2. river garden - close up, 3. pod 98 - close-up, 4. book drawing, 5. recreation 129 (full view), 6. sunrise close-up, 7. paper 3 (full view), 8. theorem 32 - close up, 9. and with his stripes..., 10. launceston, 11. lake directory - close up, 12. boy, 13. grid - close up, 14. 78, 15. floral messiah, 16. adam - 1, 17. tangency - close up, 18. tangency-close up 2, 19. dots, 20. grid

All originals, mostly not listed before.
All (except 4) over at etsy

(ran out of time::buzz 186::...stripes::recreation 129::paper 3::will be listed after Easter break)

-----------------------------------

Apologies for my little blog sounding like an etsy advert but as of late a combination of things are conspiring to the effect...

I am not sure I have really that much to say and everything I think to say, I second guess how it sounds (and then I delete it) - which is a bit strange as usually, I could talk the leg off a chair about practically nothing and I wouldn't even notice if anyone was listening.
I have checked out my earliest posts and they certainly don't seem so fraught with self-conciousness (this is also the reason for the lack of reciprocal comments on all your blogs. I write them but I deleted them just as quickly)

I really would rather say nothing than sound like a whine. Seriously, I am sick of hearing about what I think and how crap I feel.
"If one can't say anything nice..." - (beginning to contemplate deleting this post)

I am trying to finish off all my unfinished craft projects and also trying to complete some projects that I have had in mind for years (fabric printing? - it may never happen!) and other than organising to drag my junk to a craft fair (probably inevitable), or leaving it to collect dust here (I have plenty of stuff doing that already!) I feel I have to flog it somewhere to subsidise my habits.

We have booked flights to Canada (for my BIL wedding) Very exciting, even though we really can't afford it. We borrowed hundreds of thousands of frequent flyer points to halve the price of flights but I still need to liquidate a heap of my stuff, craft and vintage alike - (I am finding the vintage relinquishment quite difficult!)

Watch this space (or not, as the case may be)... I keep hoping I will be 'back to normal' (whatever that means?) soon.

sunshine kids!

2008-03-12T16:22:00.008+11:00

pinky curls, happy red boy and beautiful blue
(little dot has been left behind again! - she's a bit smaller than the others)

::pinky curls:: little dot::beautiful blue::happy red boy::

Available here

gocco...

2008-03-07T10:53:00.003+11:00

...perhaps I went a little overboard?

book pages...

2008-03-05T07:28:00.003+11:00

"paper 3"
drawn utilising cues from a vintage math exam page.

"recreation 129"
drawn utilising cues from a 1947 fitness manual

"and with his stripes..."
drawn utilising cues from a page of music (Handel's Messiah).

toilet tube trio

2008-03-04T13:44:00.008+11:00

My turn has come round to supply craft for our Wednesday playgroup. I really don't want to re-invent the wheel so...

Using just a fraction of the million and one toilet tubes we have been collecting and utilising some of the girls' craft stash.

This...

turned into these...

Just a bit of fun!

There is a large range of ages so I figure, as long as I supply loads of glue and interesting things to shove onto the glue, aswell as a large selection of stuff to stuff into the top of the tube we should end up with quite a variety of lovely dollies.

Here's hoping the playgroup kids have as much fun as I did!

print...

2008-02-29T21:53:00.010+11:00

new colour "platinum-78" - single print

more periodic table prints - printed and listed

new mini print - "gum blossom" - listed

old mini print this time without colour

...and this in black (again but better) and also one in pink (?)

btw: thanks so much for the warm welcome back - so so nice!! :)

draw...

2008-02-26T14:10:00.005+11:00

"busy in the garden"
6.5" x 10" (approx 16.5cm x25.5cm)

pre-2008 period

2007-12-14T07:43:00.000+11:00

I am officially writing off 2007! Do you think it is still too early?

I probably already did it in my mind back in June. It is just "a baby year"...they really are a blur!

So I think that means:

that in the folds of time December 2006 backs onto January 2008.
my 2007 happened, but in a twilight zone of its own where nobody else noticed. (which means that all guilt,embarrassment - insert negative feelings here - over falls with babies, promises forgotten, birthday slackness, extreme lateness, crazy behaviour - insert all other strange and weird happenings from this year here - can be conveniently ignored. :: [mini mummy confession] :: Even the one where I left the baby behind at the shops in a trolley by accident - who does that?!)
Christmas will be glossed over and done with the barest of fusses.
Birthdays of the season - we have a few - will also be very simple
All ideas and resolutions for 2007 now revert to 2008 if applicable.

I will foster a fresh start.

You see, I have also decided that next year is my year and that the rest of this year can be better spent preparing for it. So I am, as of today, in my pre-2008 period. Much more exciting!

Also...Thanks you so much for all your comments on my last post. My intention was not to rap anyone over the knuckles or to solicit comments for the sake of it. Apologies!! I am the worst lurker and have gone through long periods where I don't comment anywhere this year - which is probably a more significant reason why I get only a few myself. I was just trying to work out how this blogger change might be affecting pyglet whispers.
I think most people find it ok to comment but it is a little harder (just a few more hoops to jump through) but the networking/click through thing, which is a bit of an issue for me anyway, has been disabled. I can get email notifications but I cannot contact those people personally or any easier. I have looked at Wordpress and I quite like it but not being able to tweak colours and add html is a bit frustrating (even though I am no expert). I am going to look a bit more closely at Typepad over this pre-2008 period and see what I think. I think a change is in store in some way.

I am determined for blog news to be crafty over the pre-2008 period and I will be trying to finish off some unfinished ideas, organising and listing long awaited listings on etsy.

Two of such:

I would very much like your feedback...

2007-12-08T18:49:00.000+11:00

I have noticed of late (from late November) that I have not been getting as much comment love...?

I thought people must be finding me extra boring (kidding!...not that this has ever bothered me before, anyway - I just keep blathering on!)...but then I read here (that link was an edit as my memory of my internet travels leaves a lot to be desired!) and clicked on this...

Apparently blogger has changed something with the way you sign in to comment. I noticed it when I recently made a comment on a Blogspot blog myself. I don't exactly understand what they have done...
(something to do with less overall sign-ins and it is supposed to be a fantastic - EDIT: there is a good explanation video via million stitches)

Anyway....I would like to know if it is affecting you wanting to...or being able to comment.
EDIT: aside from the million other reason you could have this time of year.

Please could you make the effort to comment today to let me know. From any other platforms (wordpress, typepad, etc) even if you haven't tried to comment before - especially if there is a problem - or email me if it is too annoying

pyglet @ gmail . com

Perhaps this will be the final straw that has me move to Typepad
(like that will suddenly make me SO interesting and the comment love will rain down upon me - yeah right!)

This is not a Christmas update...

2007-12-07T09:17:00.000+11:00

...but I had to go with the flow whilst the urge took me.

Some gocco printing was done yesterday and this

has been uploaded to etsy...Amazing!!

Not so much the actual print (although I am quite impressed - particularly with the detail the gocco can pick up!) but the fact that I got it up on etsy at all.

Others that went up today

gift tags

card sets

art prints for framing

Check it out if you like!

I am just hoping that this change is here to stay or at least, comes to visit a little more often in future. I think I have missed it!

last day

2007-11-30T23:50:00.000+11:00

Tagged by the lovely Ellia

the rules::
::Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog
::Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
::Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.-::Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

When I was young I used to enjoy dress-ups. I was still dressing up in 3rd grade and can remember one of my class mates (I even remember his name) outing me at "show and tell" the following morning after catching me in full crazy garb on my verandah...I also remember being mortified! (the teacher was a drama nut and was quite supportive, thankfully)...I cannot remember dressing-up much after that (except as a fashion victim in the 80's and early 90's) ...
My hair used to be important to me. The most I have ever spent on a hair-do was $400 (I got ripped off!). The longest I have spent getting my hair done was about 16 hours. It was in 2 sittings - a full head of monofibre hair extension dreadlocks in many colours (one night to attach and one night to dreadlock)...it only cost me 50 quid (in Edinburgh) and a bottle of vodka. (It was worth every minute) I have been most colours (pink, red and white most prevelant) but now my hair has been the same colour and not been cut for years. I think it is more convenient and less expensive but I also think it is a bit sad.
I always knew I would meet my husband somewhere overseas and even wrote in my journal about knowing he was close in the weeks just prior to meeting him... (weird?)
I used to play the piano and the French horn. In hindsight I was probably quite good. I can't remember being that fussed about either and stopped playing both after school. I now cannot play the French horn because of my bell's palsy but sometimes tinkle on the piano (it's amazing how much you can remember) I often think about having lessons again...
I am struggling a bit with myself at the moment and am thinking about making an appointment with a cousellor, travel agent, life coach, hairdresser, personal trainer, personal stylist or nutritionist (the list is actually longer but you get the picture - something's gotta change!)... I would see all of them at once if I were independently wealthy but alas that is not the case.
ummm...weird or random...I'm thinking, I'm thinking...? every day of NaBlo and quite a few before I have thought about abandoning my blog...perhaps it's just a phase that goes with No.5...or just blogger's block.
I can remember as a kid my mum and her friends would go to "the factories" (mainly fabric wholesalers - I can remember she used to even sew my undies!) this was long before bargain bus trips or outlet/direct to the public type stores. I can recall spending hours playing amongst bolts of fabric and in huge bins of things like sheeting, fake fur and offcuts. It was great fun...and could explain alot.

Whew! That last one was a good memory!
Now I am supposed to tag 7 butI know this meme has been around (5 or 7 fact variations) so if I link to you and your not interested...never mind you're off the hook!

glorydaze::twolimeleaves::nolifewithoutwife::ismoyo::sewmad::lottielulu:: missmeshell

Now I am taking tomorrow off...I will see you Sunday morning!

finish to start...the good bits

2007-11-29T21:40:00.000+11:00

Finished...

Flicked through this (at my sisters)...

::lovely::

View from my balcony...

::also lovely::

A start...

memory

2007-11-28T23:54:00.000+11:00

I remember now that at around 4 this afternoon I thought that I should take a quick photo so I might have something to post about tonight..
Did I remember to do it then?...no...

So this is what you've got tonight

(my photos are so terrible at the moment - apologies!)

I am thankful to be on the tail end of NaBlo this year. I have found it very challenging as I don't really have that much to say and I can't seem to get anything done so I can show you. Perhaps I even should have pulled out earlier...I would be getting more sleep at least! (maybe my memory would've improved aswell - I can live in hope!)

new shoes

2007-11-27T23:12:00.001+11:00

cute shoes...

pretty green and pink shoes.

in process

2007-11-26T21:08:00.000+11:00

a sneak peak...

...almost finished!

where's the rest room?

2007-11-25T23:26:00.000+11:00

F...U...N...!!

....out of these.
(Golden Book fabric behind - Tootle, Saggy Baggy Elephant etc - needs some TLC)

some of today's deceased estate finds.

and a little confusion from an interesting piece of ephemera...

Huh? - (you wouldn't want to be in a hurry!)

on switch

2007-11-24T23:12:00.000+11:00

Can anyone tell me where the on switch to my brain is located?

After voting, swimming lessons for a 4 year old apparently with ears that don't work (even though they were "switched on"- the girls response to my prompts for her to listen!), shopping for just one top that might fit me (surely not a huge ask), three and a half hours work and some laundry (I thought I just finished that?)

It seems my brain has decided not to switch back on after yesterday...
No wonder why?

NaBlo widower

2007-11-23T23:59:00.000+11:00

Hubby-j says he officially hates NaBlo and my ever-hungry blog!... (harsh!) ...I am always on here at this hour of night trying to come up with something to say or busy taking terribly lit photos that are un-postable ...

...he is usually snoring!

Poor guy is a NaBlo widower.... (there must be a few out there!)

It is day 23...and I could probably sit here a bit longer and wait for something witty and vaguely interesting to randomly float through my mind...but I have just come to the realisation that even though my eyes are open and I am physically functioning, the truth would be...my brain shut up shop a couple of hours ago!

storage salvage

2007-11-22T08:05:00.000+11:00

Another drawing completed last night...
If I had the technology I would now put this up as a print in my etsy shop... (buy the printer already!)

I am off to my mum's holiday house today. She has been in a manic throw-out frenzy of late (and I mean in a big way!!) and is clearing out her mountain storage. My sister and I have noticed she is discarding some great items and re-gifting them back to thrift shops or actually hoisting it on anyone who is nearby and can take it with them right that minute, without checking whether we would like them or not!

Some recent examples - My grandmother's dressing table (we got to that at the last minute), a wooden rocking horse, vintage linen (doilies, pillow shams and the like) - see! Who knows what we didn't get to in time!

So today I am the family representative or voice of reason to try to salvage what we can from her "collections". I did notice that one of her gardner/workhand/surrogate sons has voluteered to assist aswell (he's not silly!) His latest "gift" was a very old wooden butcher's block . It was my Uncle's and was supposed to be mine when mum decided she didn't want it anymore. When it came to the moment. she decided for me that I wouldn't be interested in the restoration work that it may have taken and thought it was best to give it to her gardener instead!

Perhaps she was right...but I would've liked the choice anyway

Wish me luck in my negotiations. I could be coming back with a car-load!

Note to me...

2007-11-21T23:56:00.000+11:00

Looking at that photo technique...I really have to get around to buying a scanner (and a printer for that matter) I really have been saying that for years but......but......but WHAT???

What is wrong with ya girl, buy ya'self a printer and scanner already!!!

Spot the difference

2007-11-20T22:56:00.000+11:00

A very cute vintage print. (cowboy, jackaroo, dogs, red apple, MG symbols) Reclaimed from being a curtain in a former life.

Pretty sure it is this fabric (however no selvedge present)

Also a very cute print. (2 seperate Asian inspired figures, no uk flag, green apple - just a few differences) This was sheeting and a little lighter weight. Interesting that it is so similar.

What do you think? Is the second a cheap knock-off?...of the same era or a retro print?...same designer? (maybe not somehow)

What is the story?

absolutely no self control...

2007-11-19T23:17:00.000+11:00

...more thrifty joy!

I am going to have to start listing some of my piles (the word "stash" just doesn't cut it anymore)...it is now getting beyond ridiculous!

fabric joy

2007-11-18T22:54:00.000+11:00

a few favourites.

home again, home again...

2007-11-17T23:20:00.000+11:00

A road trip, some op-shops, a glad mumma pyg...
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

...I am so sleeping in tomorrow!

unexpected road trip

2007-11-16T21:54:00.000+11:00

I left home yesterday in a fluster heading for Tamworth. I wanted to get an early start...how's 12 noon (??) By the time I got myself and the girls organised that was about as early as it was getting. I had visions of many a thrift store along the way...

FIRST DAY
First stop::
Went well, quite a bit of fabric and a cute bowl. Two stores down. Lunch was done quickly as well.

Second stop::
Well...actually we didn't stop. We went from one massive roundabout through a town to another massive roundabout. Each time through the town I got lost. Each time I didn't find anything I was looking for. That sounds reasonable enough...only...

...we did it 5 times!!!

The girl kept checking if I knew where I was going for the rest of the day...I am not sure she trusted me at the wheel after that fiasco.

SECOND DAY (today)
First stop::
We hit the ground running (that's about 9:30 in crazy-mother-of-two-land) 5 stores with average booty...not bad!

Decided NOT to re-do yesterdays spot. The thrifty gods were not happy with me over there.

Second stop::
The gods were smiling!!
I was told 2 stores....there were 4!! The last one was the best...we found one of these softies, that I (actually almost everyone I know) have been on the lookout for (new or used) for about three years. It was in fantastic condition and just $2. The girl and I were daft with excitement.

Third stop::
Happened to catch a glance on the main road and stopped with only 15 minutes until closing. Also great fabric here as well!

It has been a fun day. We have arrived at my friends house for my god daughter's 3rd birthday. Hopefully home tomorrow night late. I am itching to go through all that loot.

Photos highlights will definitely be forthcoming

lino love

2007-11-15T08:38:00.000+11:00

Holiday over!
Hubby-j worked yesterday afternoon to reset and lockdown the router (???)
Anyway...router has arrived home, refreshed and relaxed after its holiday bringing internet access with it...Yay!

So what have I been up to?

I ironed and trimmed my scraps - for fun (and they look so lovely!)
I kept all the trimmings because I thought they looked colourful and craft-worthy somehow. They are in the girls collage box.

I made some linocuts of some drawings I had done.
(Inspired by a lion softie from the background of a kids bedroom photo. It was in a 1960 homemakers magazine that I couldn't afford last time I was thrifting - I have no idea what it was called but $30 is waaaay too much for a magazine - no matter how old or cool!)

sweet lino love.

and then (because I can't wait until I actually construct something properly!) I got carried away and had to translate the lino into junker fabric I had so I could see what it might look like as a softie.

This is only a very, rough prototype but with a bit of tweaking I can see more of these guys in my future.
(excuse the eyes...they are only held on with a couple of stitches!...Oh! and those arms - Are they looking too boob-like?... probably more of a worry that I think that is what boobs could look like!...
Anyway...they need to be shorter, or the body bigger, or something like that)

Glad to still be in NaBlo - see you tomorrow!

A.W.O.L

2007-11-14T15:20:00.000+11:00

It seems that our router has decided to take holidays...
...INDEFINATELY!

Not so good for posting every day of November I am afraid...but never say die. Hubby-j seems to think we will be back online Monday. I will be pulling in all kinds of favours and annoying friends and family (like I am at the moment) to try to post...we will see how I go.

Actually, if I can't post....maybe the router has a good idea.

Holiday...here I come!!

laundry, screaming and cleaning

2007-11-13T23:42:00.000+11:00

I have had a tough day...

Laundry, laundry and more laundry.
I cannot believe four people can produce so much bloody laundry! I was thinking as I folded three over full baskets of clean, dry laundry (while 3 other loads were still drying!) that I wouldn't need to do laundry at all if we were all went naked.

So I made the executive decision that the pyglet whispers household will become nudists.

I somehow think I will struggle getting hubby-j to agree to that development however, and given my Fabulous (yes it deserves a capital F!) post, post-baby figure I am sure It could only work for me if I was agoraphobic ...which in my case, sadly, I am not...

Screaming, screaming and more screaming.
The current standard arrangement that the girls have is that lil'z (10 months now) heads toward whatever she would like to eat or play with that belongs to the girl (4 going on 14!), it seems even more desirable if the girl is actively playing with the said item.

She does not stop.
She does not pass go.
No, she just keeps on coming until she is well into it...
(sometimes even sitting on it!).

The girl in turn, just gets on this extremely high pitched, squealing scream (aaarrrgh! I cannot stand it!) - as if a massive, hairy spider is heading her way.

She lies down in front of the toy...z just climbs over.
She barricades it off...z just finds a way through.

In the end invariably, there is a push or a shove, most often explained as " I am just giving her a hug mum!" (yeah right!). Today the girl's tactic was to keep asking me to put z down for a sleep
(I am sure she would be happier if I left z in there all day!)

Needless to say I am enjoying the night-time quiet as I type.

Cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning.
...and not the productive kind either.

Unless you count milk spilt all over the floor, productive...
or a vita-brit trail all the way through the lounge room and hall carpet?
Perhaps the half made peanut butter sandwich abandoned on the counter?
(How she gets PB that far through the kitchen I have no idea)
Maybe it's the trail of toothpaste squirts down her shirt when she needs to brush her teeth yet again?
(She will brush those teeth right out of her head - I tell ya!)...
or the colourful little finger and hand prints that have mysteriously appeared on every doorway corner today?
(remind me to never buy cheap markers again!)
or indeed the impossible to clean, rice from hell that sticks to every nook and cranny known to man when self-fed by a 1o month old?

and that is just a quick snapshot.

Whew! Wish me luck on the front lines tomorrow.

huggie kits?

2007-11-12T22:48:00.000+11:00

Thanks so much for all your assistance with the labels. Almost everyone said sticking out...there you go!
So now it's onto my next issue...

POSTAGE!!

Can you believe that one of these huggies costs almost $9 to send overseas! It only weighs 17 grams!!...$8.50!!?? All because it is just over 2cm in thickness
(not if you squish it down mind you - but they won't stay squished down)

So I have been thinking about alternatives to this Australia Post highway robbery...I could vac-pac them but ...really, that's just not going to happen! I thought, perhaps kits that contain my linocut printed fabric swatches, matched vintage fabrics, thread and trim?

Something along these lines (only packaged properly)... (other linocut designs might follow?)

(Again...sorry for the photography. I keep forgetting to take shots during the day and have to make do last minute.)

...with polyfil, embroidery needles, and sewing machine (if desired) needing to be provided.

All a bit new for me...is there any point?
What do you think?

scrambling for art...

2007-11-11T23:13:00.000+11:00

It has been a busy weekend of kids parties and outings...whew!

This Saturday last I ventured out to an artists' collective garage sale, on a tip from my mum. There was so much beautiful art that was for sale - and so cheaply - that it seemed to bring out the killer instinct in most of the crowd. I overheard another mum, pram and baby in tow, telling her tale of horror at getting through the crowds.

(It happens almost every weekend I go to any rummage sale, church sale etc...the comments are unbelievable and I really am amazed that they are so common. I blame them for my own fast developing pram-nazi attitude)

Scrambling for art with lil'z in one arm is not quite my idea of fun. I did manage to snatch up (literally) a few prints I liked, while mum held 'z' but was glad to get out of there before I had a serious pram-rage incident of my own.

(all art unsigned artist prints - excuse photography skills)

scrap happy

2007-11-10T20:09:00.001+11:00

Shopping bag full of scraps I got from a closing down sale at a quilting store. Yay!
Fantastic prints...only problem was the overpowering smell of perfume on all the fabric (geez! you'd think they sprayed it directly into the bag!) I managed to go through them, get a photo and get them to the wash before I was overcome with the most spectacular sneezing and coughing fit I have ever experienced.

The hazards of fabric love!

just in time.....

2007-11-09T23:57:00.000+11:00

Hubby-j has reconfigured something to do with our internet access. Nice that he fixed his computer....and now has fallen asleep!
(after last night he is not doing himself any favours!)
Made this post just in time!
Apologies...back to regular programming tomorrow

the lights are on...

2007-11-08T22:09:00.000+11:00

...but nobody's home.

I have been visiting my grandmother with the girls and have only just got them both to sleep after a very long and full day.
(hubby-j is nowhere to be seen...where he is...I have no idea...last I heard he was bowling?).
I was having fun piecing together a coherent post in the car on the long drive home but...now?...I am just brain-mushed, so this is all your getting.

Tomorrow morning I will wake refreshed and check my email...having just realised that blogger actually can send email notifications for all my posts, I can now reply to you all with much more ease....I am hoping this will appear to make me a much more polite and friendly blogger that loves you all that much more. (in reality I have always been - polite friendly and maximumly loving you all - but the running around finding email addresses was killing me)

See you tomorrow!

duck love...

2007-11-07T22:45:00.000+11:00

These two buddies from next door come over to our house almost every day. I think they snack on the bugs in our yard or maybe the snails? (Do ducks eat snails?) They are a cute couple always waddling together the white duck slightly in front of the brown. He always checks over his shoulder on her progress and always warns her when we are coming. It is very sweet as he tries to stand his ground whilst he quacks away to get her moving but she will never go too far to leave him in trouble. It is heart warming...
(I can hear the ooh's and aah's now)

...however, the other morning there were strange noises, so we ventured outside only to find them...*ahem*

... "tackling" ?huh?
(I know, I know...that is all I could come up with at that hour of the morning without a coffee!!)

Regardless, I think the girl got the idea that something special was happening as it seems now that checking out the two sweet ducks that come to visit is no longer high on her agenda.

The response to...
"The ducks are in the yard. Do you want to go see?" is now immediately answered eagerly with another question.

"Yeah!...Are they tackling again!!"

(know that there were a few other post titles that I came up with before this one but decided it was best to keep it clean to try and stay out of those type of google searches!)

this way or that?

2007-11-06T23:36:00.000+11:00

...excuse me for asking for help on such a basic thing but it is bothering me...and I am desperate for something post worthy
(actually, on reflection this probably doesn't cut it either)

Anyway...never stopped me before :)

Regarding label placement...
(ignore the actual label that I would prefer in a different fabric/typeface/size)...

This way (across the back)

...or that? (sticking out to the side)

Any advice?

home moan

2007-11-05T22:50:00.000+11:00

Remember this post about finding a new home.

Well we still have not settled and the contract expires on Wednesday. We have had little information about the vendor's progress but found out today that they have requested an extension. That will make it 9 months!

A very disappointing day.

I cannot begin to explain how frustrating, unsettling and difficult it is. We are living in the house, but we do not own it and cannot do anything with it. Worse still, if things do go pear shaped we may have to move with only 7 days notice.

Hopefully the extension is enough time to finalise everything once and for all.

(I might even begin to feel confident enough to finish unpacking and organising my craft room properly - perhaps then my crafty mojo would also return 100%!!)

Na-ET-LI-Mo?

2007-11-04T23:53:00.000+11:00

I am pretty sure these have now arrived at their destination and are now up at this website

(...project is looking great all together!)

So I have some prints listed on etsy...

Amazing!...that's twice I've listed in one week!

Maybe for me, this November may not just be NaBloPoMo, but also

Na-Et-Li-Mo?

slim pickin's

2007-11-03T20:13:00.000+11:00

...but a few fun fabrics!
(pillowcase, sheet, modern fabric-15m bolt, tablecloth)

Church rummage sale-ing this morning

(I am loving that street directory print!)

cuppa colours

2007-11-02T21:56:00.000+11:00

more a brewin'...

(other teacup huggies...here)

plush me!

2007-11-01T23:45:00.000+11:00

I am in here - ISBN:978-1-58180-996-1

...page 39

...and page 3

...very exciting!

(if someone reading would like to buy either of the two big frogs - Fifi or Fern...Kristen still has them for sale. Otherwise they will soon be coming home to stay with me.)

T - (terribly tardy...)

2007-10-30T21:15:00.000+11:00

TERRIBLY TARDY... for this...

..but done...finally!

...better late than never?

(apologies to the ever-patient Jenn)

S - (still stitching)

2007-10-26T08:47:00.000+10:00

STILL STITCHING
Desperate to keep doing something crafty...anything actually...as I am worried the "me" bits of my life will dissappear all together otherwise.

Not much else to say as I am sick of using my blog like an agony aunt and otherwise there is not much of note happening
(that isn't 'blah blah' anyway).

Found the repetition of the spool knitting quite therapeutic but I cannot finish the hat I was going to make as lil'z is crazy scared of my mannequin head...

Keyring I am now using, made from my stitchy efforts. Next one will have all the mistakes ironed out (hopefully!)

* * * * * * *

While I am here - has anyone got any suggestions for getting my blog mojo back? I am in need of fresh perspective. I am very sad it is sufferring so badly and would love to be excited about posting again. I have signed up for NaBloPoMo again this year (thanks Ellia for the reminder) ...hopefully that helps.

Anyone else have any good ideas?

R - (running stitch & refining)

2007-10-08T16:34:00.000+10:00

RUNNING STITCH...

embroidered letter R on vintage scrap (thanks leslie!)

embellished, block printed coffee cup on calico (see last post)

...still REFINING.

Q - (questionable post)

2007-10-06T15:16:00.000+10:00

Q?...what can I write about Q?

Tricky letter...quite the quiz!... (that's 1...and 2)

One of my favourite looking letters. I love the little tail swish this one has...quirky!...
(are you counting?...that's 3).

Searching around for words for this queer post however, did bring some quick crafting into my practically craft-less life...
(that's 4...and 5...on a roll!)

If it's not quick these days, it's just not happening ;)

So a the above lino Q lead me back to these...

...and with an hour or so of quiet time and a quantity of quality (maybe?) block prints later... (6, 7, & 8...they are adding up...)

a QUAFF of QUOFFEE!!!...
(oh, what a quip!)
(**groan**)

...or perhaps they are cups of tea?
(I wouldn't want to quibble over that query)...
(just one left...)

Now I just have to figure out what to do with it next...
What a quandary!

Have a great weekend!

P - (postage, purchases, piles)

2007-10-01T20:38:00.000+10:00

POSTAGE:
...from the generous and talented onegirl

(I got cards and gifts as well as those yummy vintage fabric scraps)

PURCHASES:
Had to have it!

We have all gone a little mushroom crazy down under!
btw...I have no idea why I insist on showng you all my shopping?

PILES:
More shopping of the thrifty variety
...80's chintz does not photograph so well...where did that sheen go to?

O - (overdue)

2007-09-19T07:43:00.000+10:00

OVERDUE:

No, I won't write out my list here.

I was referring to some tags that need returning before they are awfully...

OUT-OF-DATE.

a "rockin' girl blogger" award from Est over at my cuppa charms (thanks so much!)
a name meme from melanie at jelly bean angel
I think I'd like to pick up this one too
...but there is no time this morning as I have to ice up another of these before we head off to playgroup.

cake vowels

The first one was a huge success. The girls name carved out of butter cake. Completely devoured in a flash (a first me - usually my decorated cakes look festive but are not so nice to eat)

So I am off to spread my kitchen with icing!!

N - (nightmares, new, names, nice...not!)

2007-09-13T02:58:00.000+10:00

It is almost 3am!

NIGHTMARE:
I am exhausted...literally can not keep my eyes open...but I am really trying to. I have just woken up from a nightmare. They have been happening on and off for about two months now. Mostly it is things about the girls. A range of different scary scenarios but tonight I have resumed a recurring nightmare where I just cannot wake myself up and that in itself is the actual nightmare.

In the dream I am aware that I am in my bed and that I am asleep. Imagine the moment where your brain realises it is time to wake up but that you are actually still asleep and only just about to wake up (does that make sense?)

It is the moment where my brain realises that it is time to wake up...but I am still totally paralysed, can not talk, move...nothing. I am fully aware by this stage that I am no longer, in fact, asleep but that my brain is awake but my body is asleep.

This is where I start to panic, because I can't wake myself. Like the switch that you wake up with every morning just before you open your eyes somehow isn't functioning. My brain tells me to move, but I can't and don't. I wave my arms around in bed (it feels as if I am actually doing it) I scream as loud as I can (it feels as if I am actually screaming) I thrash and scream for about 5 minutes (sometimes it feels like 10) continually screamming hoping that I will be able to rouse myself or somehow get hubby-j to hear me and wake me up.

I will eventually wake up but my eyes are extremely heavy and I have on many occasions fallen straight back to sleep without wanting to and repeated the whole process over again.
I really hate it.

When I wake I have asked hubby-j why he didn't wake me with all the thrashing and yelling and he always says that there was absolutely no thrashing and that the only reason that (on the occassion) he has woken me was that I was mumbling something about waking up.

Tonight I was quite panicked and breathless by the time I actually woke and very scared to go back to sleep in case it happens again.

So here I am with you

* * * * * * * * *

The nightmare part of this post is a last minute addition.

The three N's were supposed to be...

NEW...to me anyway (like I need anymore!)

...and these too...all cotton.

NAMES:
Thank you for all your comments and sorry for the delay in the ladybug cards. The pyglet whispers household went on a spur of the moment holiday last week to the Blue Mountains. Three days turned into five so I went with it.

There were six of you who left a comment...meshell, dorie, est (thanks so much for the rockin' blogger award too btw), melanie, angelique and li li. I have 6 cards, so if you let me know your addresses (li li...I have yours...as long as you haven't moved?) I will send one to each of you.

EDIT: You might need this...pyglet(AT)gmail(DOT)com

NOT so NICE:
I was also going to write about the big black spider that strolled across my living room floor the other night and how I am one arachnophobe he really shouldn't have messed with. By the time I had coated him in bug spray I really couldn't tell you whether he was just a very large but not as dangerous house spider or, in fact a local funnel web that had decided to bunk with us because of the rain.

(I have a photo but I have decided that I just cannot look at it anymore!)

M - (music, material/money and mumma-smile)

2007-09-03T22:06:00.000+10:00

MUSIC:
No:1
Snapped up locally :: it's been popular :: now framed (quite nice)...

:: seen by someone else :: wanted something similar :: first commision!

No:2

Hopefully she likes it!

MATERIAL=MONEY=MATERIAL
(they are definitely connected. Perhaps even one and the same for me!)

I often consider onselling finds and buy accordingly. However, the purchasing part of the buying and selling continuum seems to be my main forte...

I am going to need to do some major de-stashing soon. Inventory is not the problem. I'm considering my options (sewing, selling, website...?)

I also have dresses and supplies aswell...(really, the list goes on and on and on...At best I am a hoarder at worst I am obsessive! You get the picture?)

MUMMA-smile

That's one of these!

L - (lino, lurgy and ladybugs)

2007-09-02T19:26:00.000+10:00

Whilst the going is good I am posting again. Apologies about this blog's erratic pace.

LINO:

Working on colours. They just need a little more tweaking and I'm done

LURGY:
Well that hit town last night. Two down so far. I'm not feeling crash-hot but I'm dosing up hoping for the best.

LADYBUGS:

Ordered these from here (got to update my sidebar soon). I know I seem to be doing the stealth giveaways at the moment. Expect them when you least expect them kinda deal.

Anyhoo...

I got a few...

to give to you...

Comments are good!
I'll pull names by Friday (If I get some - hopefully I am not as impatient as last time) and I will send them blank, so you might be able to use them if you'd like.

btw:
Thank you so much for your comment Melanie. It was helpful to read your post and find such similarities....I also blame the lack of sleep. Happy molasses/treacle wading!

K - (knee, keeping-up, kind)

2007-09-02T09:00:00.000+10:00

Oh my!!!
Finally a post...

KNEE:
I have been trying to get this massively overdue project of a knee joint finished. I would actually be enjoying the work if I wasn't so worried about being so late. It should be finished in one more day...fingers crossed.

Now I just have to find one!

KEEPING-UP:
Well?....I'm just not!

Last week was a good week as I concentrated on keeping life very simple (and being OK with that - probably the hard bit)...just the basics. I did OK and that is probably the only reason I am posting today.

I am finding things a little confusing right now. I am not myself. I think if I could just put my finger on what is wrong, that I should be able to fix it. I feel fine enough (not sad or down really...) but I just cannot seem to get anything done...and I don't mean extra things like art, craft and sewing. I mean very basic things like washing, showers, dinner, being on time and just gettng out of the house.
My life at the moment feels so heavy. The inertia is terrible. It feels as if I am wading through molasses every minute of every day. I am finding it very strange. I just don't understand why I cannot get things in order when I have been able to in the past with a lot more on my plate.

I feel as if I am always late...everywhere. No matter how early I start to get ready. I feel I am always in a fluster, dishevelled and present as a mess. I feel as if others view me as out-of-control, rude, forgetful and vacuous. I hesitate, double-guess and re-think everything I am going to do or have done, every conversation and action. It's exhausting! I feel as if I am unravelling and if I pull any one of the loose threads I will just become completely undone.

I often speak in images when I am trying to explain how I feel. You may understand the feeling of taking a corner in your car just a wee bit too fast and feeling as if you are just, just maintaining control. It feels as if any second the car will slip off the road. You just hold on hoping you will get around the corner. That's how my days feel at the moment. Not all of them but many of them...enough that I feel a bit unsafe in some way.

There is no need for alarm and this post is not intended to seek that kind of concern...I do apologise. I am just trying to work out some method to get my life under control and confident again. That is the reason for the lack of posts on this blog.

KIND:
To myself.
It is one of the things that have helped this week. I realised my self-talk has been terrible. My nutrition even worse. I have not walked anywhere in a long time. All these things I tried to change this week. I also decided to stop comparing myself to others who always seem to be organised, productive and accomplishing many things. To be kinder to myself, it really does not matter why I can't do all the things I feel I should be able to, or how behind I feel because of it. If I can't right now...then I just can't and should be OK with me. It is my own pressure so I decided to try to remove some of it.

I walked in the sunshine, went to the park, ate better, I thought about doing less and believe I actually did more...I had a good week!

J - (just)

2007-08-15T09:15:00.000+10:00

Just the photo.

Just because.

I - (intention)

2007-08-14T13:04:00.000+10:00

What is the intention of this blog?

...an interesting inquiry.

H - (hippo, hanglider & hmppff)

2007-08-12T00:19:00.000+10:00

Recent fabric finds

happy for hippos!

hurray for hangliders!

except for heaps of tiny holes I discovered once home...

...hmppff!!!

G - (girls, giraffes,grateful)

2007-08-10T22:16:00.000+10:00

I took these outside a local grocery store - can you believe I have had trouble finding a G?
(of course I am sure I will be able to find one tomorrow)

GIRL 1:

GIRL 2:

...and the GIRAFFES that help them sleep...

GRATEFUL!

F- (feeding - and five others)

2007-08-09T01:05:00.000+10:00

I am up feeding...again!

A quick overview....

temperature ?....freezing
nerves ?....frazzled
mood ?....fed-up
overall ?....f**ked

Oh yes!...and excuse my french!

E - (embarrassment x 3)

2007-08-08T23:35:00.000+10:00

This post was going to be about my new interest in embroidery, perhaps also a little about ebay?... and etsy...

...BUT...

EMABARRASSMENT 1 -
Have you ever had moment when you are out, when you are sure that you are 100% annonymous, that you are happily alone and blissfully oblivious to anyone else around you? Imagine if, at a later date, you found out that somebody recognised you and realised it was you.

Not so bad - right?

That being said, imagine that the un-remembered (by you) but remembered (by them) moment was actually a frenzied moment of thrifting. One of those moments when you find an amazing item at an amazing cost and there are lots of them and your thrifting addict just has to have them all and won't let anything or anyone stand in your way. Imagine.

Thanks to this here blog and my want to tell you about my thrifting adventures of last weekend. As well as other people's love of the same type of thrifting locations, I am living this exact scenario right now
(see comment 4 from my "C" post)

You have no idea how many things are rushing through my head... For all I know I could've been sitting on the dirty, concrete floor, my head well into a box, elbow deep in vintage rummaging, snorting in delight...happy as a pyglet in...well you know what... (and that is the more friendly version!)

Oh....dear!....
(that's about all that can be said!)

EMBARRASSMENT 2 -
Have you ever commented on someones blog only to have the page time out on you or something go haywire? You think the comment hasn't been received so you go ahead and comment again...but you can't remember what exactly you said so you write something similar, but not the same and post again?

Of course, then you find out that you did in fact post the first time and now you have two posts up that are essentially the same one after the other. However, it is clear there is no computer glitch as the words are all slightly different and it just looks like you have a case of the comment stutters.

What do you do?

Well me?...I comment yet again! (good one dan!) ...with a comment refering to both the previous comments only to realise that the said blog has comments posted in reverse so the sad-trying-to-be-clever "deja-vu?" comment really makes no sense at all, as it comes before the other offending repeaters.

What do you do then?

...I just cut my losses and left it.
(I have done embarrassment #2 a couple of times. I have also ot very confused and almost commented entirely on the wrong blog about the wrong post too.... eep!)

EMBARRASSMENT 3 -
This is the latest. Where you offer up a freebie postcard (granted it wasn't spectacular, but really...I didn't think that bad?) Only to have not a single comment.

I am not even sure that was the most embarrassing part. You will need to check out the desperado's comment first in line on my letter "D" post to get the full effect.

I must say thanks to Dy for coming to my rescue.

D - (do, doing, done)

2007-08-06T20:41:00.000+10:00

A snapshot of the moment...

to DO:
I won't start with "the list" and I have already inflicted you with one laundry shot on this blog...you get the picture?

crafty DOING:

...that would be a bit of everything and a lot of nothing.

DONE:

well almost...
(it is so ridiculous how little I have been able to get done lately)...I think I might mount these little pages together...someday.

...and this experiment (not my best, but anyhoo!) from the bundle of freebie postcards that my dad gave me...

would anyone like some snail mail? We can see if they go through the post - leave me a comment...if there is more than one I will pick out of a hat.

C - (child-less, church, cheer)

2007-08-05T13:01:00.000+10:00

Spent a child-less Saturday morning (thanks hubby-j!) going to a church rummage sale.

Returned rejuvenated by all this vintage cheer!
(all the other photos on flickr)

B - (Bobby the Butcher)

2007-08-03T22:13:00.000+10:00

B for BOBBY the BUTCHER

Today whilst paying for my groceries, the girl was wandering around nearby waiting for me. I had my eye on her as I always do, watching out for her behaviour and anything dodgy that could be going on (what can I say , the nightly news can make a momma paranoid!)

There really wasn't anyone around and I noticed the new, local butcher leave his shop to take a break. As he did he caught the girl's attention from a distance and winked...nothing so strange there but...

...what did get me was when my ultra shy (NOT!) 3 year old, cocked her head in a John Wayne-ish kind of way and...winked back!! (she even popped in a shoulder shrug thingy. I am sure if I had been closer I would've heard the click from the side of her mouth!)

I couldn't help but laugh. It was hilarious! I can't tell you the shocked look on the butchers' face. I am not sure which was funnier.

...as it happened all the unusual responses upset the girl and she was very angry at me and the butcher... (this was also very funny but I managed to restrain myself)

The butcher ended coming up to see what was going on - a box of lollies in tow (that's when the mummy vibes kicked in - old man/box of lollies you know?)...

This was the dodgy morsel that ended up coming home with us

(perhaps dodgiest of all that I then squooshed it into a letter of the alphabet)

A - (alive, anxious, atelier)

2007-08-02T12:48:00.000+10:00

Let me thank Cassi of Bella Dia!

Hopefully this "Encyclopedia of me meme" will get me motivated.

A for ALIVE
Yes... I am alive!
So sorry to go missing like that. I have had an average couple of months and have just felt considerably less than chipper. I have not been able to get anything done.

Maybe it is having two kids or perhaps just the little sleepless-I'll-only-sleep-on-mummy one, or even the vomit/sour milk fragrance I seem to constantly be sporting. Perhaps it's the new house and the multitude of unpacked boxes or maybe the fall I had with zuz that hurt her leg (the "what-if's" have been very scary for me!). The list could keep going and really I don't want to go there. It is just unhelpful.

so....right there is the...

A for ANXIETY
....it will go away and let's hope soon, as it is doing my head in.

Something to look forward to is this room...

A for ATELIER ?
(apparently an artist's studio? - sounds a bit high falooting for me...but it did start with an A)

It's not much now with all those bloody boxes but I believe it's got a lot of potential (lovely light too) if I can just get my own unmotivated...

...A into G!

btw: thanks for sticking around during my absence.

relocation ramblings

2007-05-30T09:14:00.000+10:00

This is a post I have been putting off writing....but it has to happen sometime and today is the day.

I will be going offline for about a month (I will be checking comments/emails/etsy at my mum's during that time)- we are moving. I have not mentioned it here as I am finding it frustratingly stressful and really I have been trying not to think about it (this is probably why I have three days left and am in a mad packing frenzy!)

It all happened over one weekend some 4 weeks ago. We got notice that we would need to move as our landlord had sold our rental (28 days notice). We also got news that we had a signed buyer for our unit (YAY!...right?) Well, at that time we did not have a house to move into. We had put the buying of a home on hold because we needed to sell our unit first. We had seen a nice house but had really just been looking. When we got notice of all the above we went ahead and made an offer on the house...eventually we got it (YAY again! - right?).

Not necessarily...5 days after that we got word that our unit buyer had pulled out leaving his cooling off deposit behind (crap!) and that the house we wanted was actually not technically subdivided and could take ages to settle (crap again!)

Since then we have had one other buyer offer, accept then pull out from our unit and yet another sign (whew!....we hope...cooling off finishes Friday). We (or should I say the solicitors?) have arranged an unusual deal with the owners of the house we will move into and eventually we will own. It is all a bit nerve wracking and our situation is a bit weird.

Anyhow...we move in on the weekend. We will be 'licensing' in view to settling once the council finalises the subdivision in all its technicalities. I will not feel relaxed or excited about it until we have actually settled and have our mortgage and repayments ticking over. Then I will know it is ours and then I might actually be OK with people congratulating us (currently it just makes me feel kind of nauseous)

So no house talk...yet.

I was going to show you the lovely handbag goodness that Samantha of whizzme generously sent me but as of this morning it looks like I must have packed it (?) - I also cannot find the book that the above artwork is contained in. I was trying to keep it out so I could draw away my stress. I know I had it yesterday as I was scribbling something down in it. I think I must have inadvertently packed that aswell. My new cram cream tape is also worrying me. I haven't been able to find one of them and can't remember packing it with the others.

Really I have other things that are much more important to think about and I am sure they will all turn up eventually. Weird how the little things bother me the most.

See you soon...hopefully you will all still be here in a few weeks?

seven things

2007-05-30T08:37:00.000+10:00

So here are my seven things that sunshine tagged me for

I currently survive without a scanner or a colour inkjet printer - I think I need them.
I have one million and one ideas that I want to try/do. Of course most of them involve the above scanner and printer. I find the resultant idea-filled brain cram frustratingly paralysing - I write copious lists...I am not sure that helps.
I think I might have craft ADD (you would probably agree if you check out this blog) as I really cannot stick to one thing and flit around from drawing, to ceramics, to softies, to fabric, to printmaking, to collage...and the list continues
I seriously admire people that produce many of the one type of item and have the discipline and tenacity to create a business and name for themselves doing so.
I really lack confidence in the external appreciation of my artwork and I find that when compliments are given it is as if I do not hear them or I justify them away anyway. I would really like my artwork to be more than it is but I am unsure what I mean by that (?)
I wish I knew more people who blog and that I was a better networker (that is not supposed to sound so sales-y) I just would like to be better at making connections with people through my blog.
On the above note, I regularly consider trying to organise a Sydney blogmeet (definately NOT one of my strengths) like the Melbourne gals (just so I could meet y'all)...perhaps it is already happening and I am just not in the loop? (Oh dear! What a sad thought!)

No tags from me.