It's Raining, It's Pouring

 Hello friends from a very soggy Brisbane today. It's poured all night and I for one enjoyed snuggling down listening to the rain on the roof. I put wild birdseed out each morning for the Pale-headed Rosellas that visit me each day. This morning a pair of hooligans aka Rainbow Lorikeets who also drop by were waiting on the railing for me.....looking like a couple of drowned, limp feather dusters.....they hopped right up the other end whilst I placed the seed out and once they were sure I was inside the door they enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Hence the poor photo. I  do love them....they are such clowns. 

Sunday was Mother's Day here in Australia. This was the first without my own Mum.

It's a very strange feeling not to have her here and enjoy a long chat.....we were both gifted in the art of long conversation x

I was very spoilt by my family.....my Daughter took me to High Tea on the Saturday at a local cafe which is situated in the old caretakers cottage of our historic Butter Factory.

It was lovely.....pretty teacups and teapots to admire and use.

The food was fresh and delicious.....

We enjoyed it and being together. 

There was lovely art and memorabilia around the walls and this piece of needlework by the owners Mum caught my eye.

We also popped into the small museum on site......my Daughter was very taken with this model T-Ford.

The lovely volunteers even popped a record on the old gramaphone and we hummed to the Glen Miller Band lol! Such good fun!

My son and Daughter in law had me over for a delicious roast lamb dinner with all the trimmings Mother's Day evening.....so lovely! My Granddaughter baked cupcakes as well so I almost rolled home.

I just love what was on my card's envelope....cleverness by Miss C. Apparently the "Ns" took some thinking about because there was two! Lol!

These are the gems of life folks xxx

Speaking of cleverness a friend has bought a small loom and I got a little gift.....a beautifully handwoven bookmark...so pretty!

I am update to date with both stitch a longs.....

Owl and Hare....

And Gossip in the Garden....

All the Dresdens are done.

Working on the skinny long block of teacups in the evening now.

Today I am all set to begin basting Where You Love Is Home for hand quilting now that the weather is cooler. 

Well I best get on. I will leave you with a collection of my Mum's lovely porcelain painting, gifted to me over the years.....depictions of a lot of favourite things!

Take care,

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Oops! P.S. thank you to all those who have left lovely comments that I have been unable to reply to because of your settings.....I appreciate them all xx

Merry Old Month of May

 Hello friends. It is a perfect Autumn day here in my little pocket of the subtropics. 

Glorious blue skies through the trees......

It's been pretty quiet around here.... flu jab.....a few visits to family and friends.....a birthday celebration for a Grandie girl.....skating party was the celebration....Nana passed lol!

We commemorated Anzac Day....Dear Daughter crocheted me these lovely poppy brooches....the lavender one for animals who served also.

Amongst this I have read and sewn a great deal. I caught up on my weekly stitching meditation piece....I find this so relaxing. Just stitching for the joy of stitching...no particular pattern....just whatever comes to mind.

I have also been diligently working away on my Owl and Hare BOM that friend Lorel and I are stitching....I scared myself thinking a new magazine was due out this month! But..phew! Next month. So I am actually progressing in a timely fashion lol!

After I complete this block tonight I should be able to show Gossip in the Garden with Fiona some love!

I am really enjoying both these projects and it's extra nice stitching it and sharing with friends.

Art wise I decided to try and keep perservering with Pastel pencils...I am a bit of a "non mucky" person....hence the graphite and coloured pencil choice. Anyway persevere I did and managed a somewhat reasonable portrait of my Granddog affectionately known as the "D-man" Being a hyperactive Staffy he is notoriously difficult to photograph but we referenced him the best we could.

His family was pleased....I knew that I was a control freak but using pastels underlined it for me lol!

Back in my pencil comfort zone, my new project is for a Kiwi friend who recently went home to NZ for an arduous mountain trek....and saw many cheeky Kea birds....they are extremely clever birds. Their cleverness gets them into strife.....dismantling bits and pieces on communication towers....opening anything they put their clever brains to!  So my friend  fancies a Graphite rendering of said bird in hiking boots to commemorate their wonderful achievement.  Progress so far.....

Their feathers are amazing and sooòoo many of them! 

That is about it from me. I really should rouse myself but it is so very nice just sitting enjoying the sunshine, I might just linger a little while longer....enjoy your day.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

All Things Arty Part Two

 This week I was very fortunate to attend a botanical eco dyeing workshop on paper with @kimherringe up in the beautiful township of Maleny.

Our family friend and fellow artist Alan came with me. He and his partner have a beautiful home overlooking the Samford Valley....and what a view! I was very spoilt with a delicious dinner as well.

And whilst not a good photo in reality it was gorgeous....as we had an early start this was the sunrise from my bed.....ahhhh so lovely!

Kim was such a lovely lady, so interesting and generous with her information. 

We did 4 different styles of printing using different dips and mediums, all cooked up in a big pot. 

Each bundle was wrapped in a different manner, to achieve a different outcome.

Here are my results.....

This last one was a mirror image using a special Japanese paper. I loved the unpredictability of the outcomes....it was so exciting unwrapping your bundles to see what would appear.....and some of the details from the botanicals was amazing.

In one of the bundles we used what are known as dye blankets. Which can be used over and over....but I discovered a wonderful side bonus to this process. An imprint on the cotton covers of what was under theblanket........and you can bet I shall be using them in stitching in some way....I fancy some accordion book covers!

And I have to say that I am completely hooked and my brain has been buzzing ever since. I had a throughly wonderful time.....thank you Kim x

THE END :)

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

All things Arty Part One

 Good morning. This post and the next are mostly art related so if it's not your thing I shall understand if you scroll on by. I thought firstly that I would share the process I went through from beginning to end with one of my drawings and then I shall share a wonderful experience I had with paper dyeing in the next post.

Well the first thing I do is work out my composition roughly to make sure its going to be pleasing to the eye.

Once I am happy and perhaps tweaked it a little I will refine my drawing.

Once done I select a piece of the paper that I have chosen for the project. I then lay down light coloured pencil as a basis for further pencil work. Slowly it begins to develop. 

I then often use a compressed pastel called Pan Pastel for the background....it gives a beautiful soft background and is repelled by Polychromos pencils so doesn't interfere with your pencil work apart from a bit of a tidy up in light areas. 

And after you've signed your work.  It's done!

This piece was gifted to a lovely friend who like myself loves our Splendid Fairy Wrens.

Recently circumstances afforded me the opportunity to spend time wandering around New Farm park and the Brisbane Powerhouse with my Daughter and Granddaughter.

They were there for a concert so I spent a little time sitting by the river and having a bit of a sketch.

I also did a bit of stitching too....

The river was looking beautiful! 

I love the street art surrounding the Powerhouse and Miss E and I had a bit of fun.

Some of the wall art.....

We had a visitor hoping for some fallout from the tables at lunch.

A lovely day with family.

Part 2 of my Arty post coming up next!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx