Starting This Saturday.

We're back again on Saturday. Time to dust of the art supplies and get drawing. Hope to see you at the hall.

Look What I Dug Up For Dinner.

 And picked some greens on the side.

The proof of the pudding was when I left the room for a minute before serving dinner. Came back to find teenage daughter shovelling mashed potatoes out of the saucepan into her mouth. 'Oh My God, Mum, these potatoes are amazing! These are the best you've ever made!'
I did manage to pry the saucepan out of her hands and salvage a small portion each for the rest of the family.

New studio!

Here is my New Studio! As of next Monday, I will be working from the River Studios, Footscray/West Melbourne. Sharing my space with Dagmara of Wildgoose Books.  We will be on the third floor, as shown in the first picture. The place is now partitioned off into work areas, and they aim to accomodate seventy-five artists. It is a very exciting new project by the City of Melbourne.

Short stories

Click below for

A quirky short story about sunflowers, by the fabulous writer Jackie Kerin.

Sunflowers are taking over my life!

Its becoming an obsession! This morning I was dreaming that somebody pulled them all out during the night and I woke in a cold sweat. I ran around the back of the house to check. Phew, they were still there.
And speaking of my sunnies, they seem to have grown again. We'll catch up to Karin's Russian/Canadian sunflowers yet.

The six-foot lad is refusing to be photographed now, as he thinks I'm just using him for blog-fodder. Now what would make him think that?
However, he did agree to one faceless photo.

So you can see how far above his head the flowers are growing.

For a great short story on Sunflowers, click on the link below.

http://jackiekerinsstories.blogspot.com/2010/07/1-sunflower-and-other-tales.html

My Other Favourite.

My other favourite present was a card from my dear friend Rob. It contained a certificate for a new flyscreen.
So he and the young feller went off to Bunnings on a mesh, nails and wood buying mission.
After a lot of bashing hammering and balancing on chairs while doing said bashing etc....

A New Flyscreen!

And look at the neat corners! Apparently our next job is to fill the nail holes and splash on another coat of paint.

If you look at the very first picture on this blog, you will see the state of the old flyscreen on my kitchen window. What a luxury it is not to be eaten alive by mosquitoes every night.

Thanks Rob, you're a gem.

Survived Another Christmas.

When it comes to the festive season, I must confess to being a bit of a grump. Bah humbug and all that! And this was one that I really wasn't looking forward to. Surprisingly not only did I get through it, but actually enjoyed it.
And I got two standout presents that I just had to share with you. Here is the first one.
My daughter gave me this fabulous diary. Based on a favourite Little Golden Book that I actually had as a kid. She was so excited about her find that she gave it to me a week early.
Thanks honey, I love it!

Pssst......... Check This Out!

Just got word that Nicole Mallalieu is offering 25% discounts for her holiday workshops. Do hurry, as places are limited. Click on the link below and read all about it.

http://nicolemdesign.blogspot.com/2011/01/super-duper-holiday-workshop-special.html

Workshops for 2011.

A Big Happy New Year to all!!!
And 2011 promises to be a beauty, with loads of fabulous things in store.
Well I'm pretty excited about a lot of up-coming events, so watch this space. There's bound to be one for you. In fact I'm really excited, because Nicole Mallalieu has moved her business to an all new studio. It has an amazing work room, which of course means, more workshops!

If you are not familiar, please click on the link and look at Nicole's website, you'll be glad you did. Aclaimed both locally and internationally as a sewing expert, she has a lot to offer. Also an experienced teacher, her workshops are fun, informative and inspiring. From the absolute beginner to the experienced seamstress, there is a class for you.
If you are a beginner, you really must have a look at this. https://www.nicolemdesign.com.au/shop/workshops-and-classes/2437-absolute-beginners-intensive-sewing-course.html
It’s a huge jump-start for anyone wanting to learn how to sew. You will learn the basics of sewing in a fun and informal setting, and have something fabulous to take home, made by you!
'I can honestly say that I’ve seen extraordinary results from people who have done this course with me before' Nicole Mallalieu.
Whatever your level of competence, you will find an exciting class to suit. I'm pretty handy with the sewing machine myself, thanks to Nicole's guidance. There is also a wonderful range of products for sale on the website. A huge range of easy to follow patterns, her own designs. They all include helpful tips and instructions. Each pattern can be altered in many ways to create your own range of products.
But Wait......... There's More................... (gasp) Nicole is about to launch a book! Can't wait! Again, I say, watch this space. I'll post more details soon.
I've already test driven one of the patterns for that one, and made myself, my daughter and most of my girlfriends snazzy wrap around skirts. I'll put some pics in of those soon.
Do yourself a favour and check out the website, you're sure to find loads of things you'll love.

Sunflower Envy

Well I thought I'd grown the biggest sunflowers in the world, but I stand defeated. Karin, a Canadian friend of mine, who now lives in Melbourne, sent me this. These were Russian sunflowers, grown from a packet of seeds that she bought at the supermarket. They were living on a farm in Canada at the time. Needless to say, they made the newspapers.
Karin is a local artist with some fabulous work. She runs workshops and exhibits regularly. Follow the links and read all about her.