Florals and Fancies

 Hello lovely friends. I would like to say firstly,  thank you to those of you who left such sweet comments on my previous post. Some I can't respond to but I appreciate them all.

Ok, I seemed to have come across some beautiful blooms of late. So I thought I woukd share. Last week I photographed my friend Kays gorgeous orchids that were all blooming in the same place.....

What is about pretty orchids?

My new drawing is also a pretty bloom...an unusual coloured hydrangea. Because I draw freehand this first sketch took me several hours of push and pull.

But it's in some ways the most enjoyable part for me. Reinforcing, not in an egotistical way but deep with in me that I am using the gift I've been given and gratitude that a special childhood dream keeps showing up at the end of my pencil.

This week I began getting into putting the colours down. I think perhaps it will not be a quick project.

There's even been some blooms in my Block 2 of Wish You Well quilt. 

My mission to use up my vintage linens is still happening. Some sweet hexie Christmas decorations.

Once again blooms involved.

Now what is the fancies bit you may ask?

My family Christmas tree has not made to the bin despite being sad and in very bad shape due solely to sentimentality. But I braced myself amd did it! Having done that I didn't want to buy a new plastic version....I FANCIED a wooden dowel version. It arrived.....

Now I really despise any item that requires assembly lol! However it wasn't rocket science and I got it together. 

But then I hated the bright cream wood...*sigh

I didn't want to paint it because I needed to be able to disassemble it. So I stained it with a green pigment ink.....took FOREVER lol!

I feel it best suits all my handmade ornaments so that's my plan. Fingers crossed.....watch this space! I am really looking forward to reacquainting myself with some of my special Christmas treasures this year. Something I have not felt in four long years! The deep well of grief doesn't go anywhere but being able to navigate around that well occassionally feels peaceful. Doesn't mean I won't fall down the well again and that's ok! It will be interesting to see what treasures I've not seen for awhile.

Well that's it for me friends. Take care of yourselves and remember each little act of kindness sends ripples further than you could imagine. 

Namaste and Blessings,

Michelle xxx 

Rainy October Days

 Hello friends from soggy old Brisbane. This sun lover can't wait to see sunshine again. The garden is however loving it even if I'm not so much.

Except for my poor old Jacaranda whose blooms are a smooshed mess on my driveway. I love seeing the lavender clouds in October but the heavy rain has knocked most of the blooms off.

The showery weather has been perfect for stitching. I have completed the first block for Wish You Well quilt....I really enjoyed playing with it. Lots of variety in it.

And the stitcheries for Block 2 are underway. 

I have also been playing around with some pieces of leftover linens...trying to not discard too much and find other ways to upcycle them.

October Sunday Stitchers happened and we celebrated BE HAPPY day.

Lovely De and Helen gifted us a little Diamond Dot project to assist in the Be Happy vibes.

It was very, very quiet whilst we all had our heads down concentrating. A rarity for us lol!

Here we all are with our completed coasters.

This is my finished piece.

Always fun with the girls.

I attended our little drummer girls musical excellence program concert recently. She played Mallets and had solo pieces in a Drum Line piece....so good! Biased much!

I managed 2 art finishes also since last I posted. 

My Scarlet Honeyeater.....

The other.....a piece that I was struggling to finish. The reference photo was one my husband took during our visit to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. We had gone on a sunrise cruise on Yellow Water Billabong. It was magical. We were entranced with the Jacana birds seemingly walking across the surface of the Billabong. A second pair of eyes on it by my mentor helped me rectify the issues I was having.....strange how we get so close to a project that we actually loose perspective. 

This evokes lovely memories for me.

October is a very hard month for me so pretty things and thoughtful family, friends and yes even sweet treats help me get through it.

As the song says...." Whatever Gets You Through the Night"

I am learning to now give myself some grace and retreat and feel how I feel. I hope perhaps being honest about these hard days might make others feel that they can too.

That's it for me friends. Happy creating. Take care.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

October Bits and Pieces

 Hello folks....this will be a bit of a jump around kind of post. Some bits are to record just for me. So indulgence on my part...but here we go.

Even though I don't participate in Halloween Dear Daughter and Granddaughter and I trotted off to see Practical Magic 2...loved the first one and I really fancied seeing the sequel on the big screen as well. I am a big fan of Sandra Bullock, Diane Weiss and Stockard Channing. I enjoyed it but as with a lot of sequels it lacks a certain something. But we had fun together.

My little Brother called in for a visit this week and brought along an instrument he made for his great niece...Miss E. It's a Peruvian box drum called a CAJON. She was over the moon. It makes different tones depending where you hit it with your hands. Simple execution but so effective.

He's very clever....he made a cigarbox guitar for my husband years ago as well. He handcrafted the neck out of beautiful timbers.....like I said clever!

Ok the "indulgence" part. My Daughter has been doing lots of ancestry stuff and because of that has with some app....don't ask me...has sharpened up some very, very old photos digitally. This one is of my Father and myself as a baby....he died when I was three years old...so love this one. And I especially love that he's in his QATB uniform.

The next one is of my Grannie...1st on the right...Great Grannie smack in the middle and the rest are all my Great Aunts....my Grandmother's sisters....she also had one Brother. I just love this photo!

I mean don't you just love the frocks * wink

This one of my Dads lovely smiling face.

Ok climbing back out of the archives and on to stitching. I have begun stitching my doiley hexies together. I just had to see what a couple looked like together.

I am so loving this already!

I have also completed stitcheries and some appliqued circles for my new project Wish You Well by Gail Pan (thanks for the enablement Fiona)

If you've followed my blog for a long time you may recall my friend Gaye and her lovely sister Bev both beautiful ladies and dear friends. Sadly we lost Gaye 7 years ago. She is greatly missed by us all.

 Gaye was a great lover and collector of little antique and vintage finds. Recently Bev gifted me one of Gayes little treasures. A beautiful petit point needlework piece in a vintage frame....I remember it vividly in her home. I was so touched and I love it!

This is Gaye and I....a pair of blossoms in the garden lol!

This is Bev hiding.....with one of her lovely framed hexie quilts I had a part in enabling! I think she is on to her 3rd....maybe?

It seems to be catching lol!

Well off to make a mango and chicken salad for dinner.....first mango for me this season.

No stitching for me tonight. I have a very sore arm thanks to two vaccinations I had yesterday. 

So dinner, some tunes and a book in bed for me.

Take care everyone, 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx