2 New Atc's

Hi All - Here are a couple of pics of 2 ATC's that I received recently - the beautifully painted landscape - is by Margaret - just gorgeous ... painted on material and then the tree is lots of tiny French knots - exquisite! I am going to put it in a frame to go on the wall! The other is by my mate April - it's fantasic too ... April is a great machine embroiderer and I love the metallic "Sticker" fishies ... I luv shiny things haha! I must of been a magpie in a previous life hahaha! Thank you soooooo much ladies :-)

Birthday Wild Women

Hi All - I had a great trip over to Adelaide last week. I flew over on the Tuesday (14th) and was met by my friend Coral ... we went for a cuppa at a local shop centre then did a bit of grocery shopping at Woollies. On the Wednesday we went to the suburb of Norwood .... more shop snoofying! Including a trip to Country Bumpkin Craft shop though I didn't buy anything! We found a shop that sold Mexican Chilli Sauces with some very creative and hilarious names we were in hysterics in there!... the best chilli sauce names are a bit naughty to put on here! haha! I was taken to a cafe for lunch where we met up with some other lacemaking friends ... most I already knew but there were a couple of new ones. In the afternoon we went to a shop where I got a lovely silk scarf ... which will go in the suitcase in July for the UK trip. On Thursday Coral took me into central Adelaide to the Art Gallery and after a quick cuppa with 2 lace friends who are catalogueing the collection of lace there we went to see the Japanese Art Exhibition which is on from March to May - some stunning Okimono's and beautiful Netski's. We also popped into the Museum to ther "Egyptian room". There was of course a side trip to Haig's chocolate shop (You can't go to Adelaide without a visit there!)
On the Friday we went down to Strathalbyn to join the lace group there for the day ... opposite is a beaut Quilting shop where I bought a swatch of fabric strips and some lovely fancy buttons ... pics to come....
On the Saturday and Sunday I taught the Wire Bobbin Lace Jewellery Workshop with 12 students attending which seemed very successful and lots of lace and chatter and yep! chocolate involved haha!
I flew back home to Perth on Monday and back to reality in having to do the cooking and other household chores - Coral spoit me rotten including cups of tea in bed in the mornings ...I can't remember the last time I had that probably at my sister's in the UK nearly 3 years ago!
I am back to madly painting bobbin orders though I did have time out yesterday to go to the monthly WA LAce Guild day down at the Shelley group which was great - got to see some friends I haven't caught up with yet this year.
Today - I was bobbin painting in the studio this morning (though it is a holiday (Anzac Day)) but this afternoon I continued working on a competition piece ... not sure if it will be done in time for teh competition.... we'll see!
The photo's here show the Wild Woman brooch which my friend Ros made for me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago - I love her crazy hat haha! and the other 2 pics are ones made by made - the green one for my friend April (who has just returned to UK for the 6 months of the B&B season - her B'day is early May) and the other one is the one I made for Ros - her birthday is 3 days before mine. The last pic - the wild red woman which I gave to Coral in Adelaide as part of the goodies for "putting up with me" hehe! Yes it does have some of my wire bobbin lace on it! Oh and I haven't forgotten my promise to celebrate 3 years of blogging by "raffling" off a Wild Woman Brooch .... just have to finish it off and take a photo..... stay tuned....

My Kanthas Quilt

Hi All
I finally got around to taking photo's of "My Kanthas Quilt" which I finished in February ...
Those of you familiar with Kanthas symbolism will recognise traditional motifs such as the "Trees of Life" in each corner, Fish and Peacock for fertility as well as the "Conch" (Paisley) symbols and "Whorls" for prosperity etc.... Traditional Kanthas have symbols indicative to the person they are made for (ie me! hehe) so there is a Dragon - I was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon, A Falcon - My Native American Indian totem is the falcon (we have Native American Indian in our family tree), A Ram's head - I am an Aries and there is also the Aries symbol on the quilt along with the Leo symbol (for my Hubby) Libra symbol (for my Daughter) and Scorpio Symbol (for my Son) also a swan which is the State bird emblem for Western Australia, a pink diamond - my birth stone, a paint brush - I trained as a Fine artist and Graphic Designer- an eye to ward off evil, a caterpillar - for my Stitchety Grub Embroidery Group, a snail for my Lacecargot Lacemaking Group, an elephant with trunk up - for luck, a needle for my embroidery/needle lace, a Lace bobbin and a Tatting shuttle for my other lacemaking techniques and a Tudor rose as I was born in England and there is of course the traditional "Ashtadel" (Lotus flower) in the centre.
I am off to Adelaide tomorrow to Teach the Wire Lace workshop this coming weekend ...I have 3 days snoofying around before it with my friend so I will post all the gossip when I get back ... be good out there in Blog land - Cheers B.

New Wild Women brooches for Birthday

Hi All
I have been really busy the last 2 weeks.... getting ready for my Adelaide trip next week..... organising the things I need for the workshop itself and organising food for the family etc etc.... and also getting ready for this Easter Weekend .... have a fabulous Easter everyone.
It was my Birthday last Sunday (Yep! 21 again hahaha) my daughter and I went to Hillary's Boat Harbour and snoofied around the shops and had pancakes at one of the many cafe's ...mmmm mmm! The Hubby and Son were off at Aussie Rules Football as "son's" team were playing at the main Subiaco Oval down in Perth!
The 2 pics here are of 2 of a couple of my B'day Pressies... the first is from my friend Maureen - we are all (at my embroidery group) making each other Wild Women Brooches for each other's birthdays this year ... this is my Charleston Gal! - cool idea hehe! and the 2nd Wild Woman is from my friend April ... she looks like she has popped her finger in an electric socket doesn't she ? haha! ZAP! LOL! I love them both :-D
Last Friday evening was my son's year 12 School Ball and I will pop a pic or 2 of that on here soon ... Also during the day last Friday I had the 2nd day of the free Machine Embroidery workshop and spent the morning doing dispersal dyeing and the afternoon "playing" with free machining ... also more pics to come on that....
Today I got a brand new Vaccuum cleaner ... the other "died" 3 weesk ago and I had only had iot 9 months ... dunno what was actually wrong with it but we've been given a brand new one! so no excuses not to clean over the weekend!
Also today my 3 Moleskine Sketchbooks finally arrived ... I ordered them from a local art shop 9 weeks and 1 day ago! I want one of them for a journal for my travels to the UK in July... so I am glad they are finally here... Yay happy dance ... on the sad dance front though I subscribed to Quilting Arts Magazine at the end of last year and the first issue of my subscription arrived on Jan 27th so I stupidly thought that the next (bi-monthly) issue would arrive around March 27th!!! NO! I am still waiting for it ...13 days later and there is now no post until Tuesday afternoon because of the Easter break and I fly off to Adelaide in the morning at 9.45am on Tuesday so if it arrives whilst I am away the earliest I will see it will be Monday 20th when I get back! sad sad face :-( especially when I have seen it available at some places here in Perth since April 1st grrrr! ... only cosulation is my friend April subscribes too and hers hasn't arrived yet either! bah humbug!
Happy Easter and eat lots of choc mmm mmm!