Skip to main content

Where did January go?

Only four days this week ... mmm.... what did I do? I finished off making some felt pins - to go with my scarves and my model Sodabeh, wore them as belts. Sodabeh is an exchange student from Norway, and is Riikka's friend. These photos are to advertise my felt accessories classes later in the year at The Eclectic Studio in Sydney and at LamboArt Studio in Thornton .



Not sure how the month disappeared - still have a list of "things to do".... so this weekend is devoted to doll making. I am still making Mrs Chalumeau - a Pearly Queen for the Hello Dollies Challenge to be unveiled at the Craft and Quilt Fair in Newcastle 20-22 February. Our exhibition is called "Hello Dollies Goes Crazy" - a display of embellished dolls against a backdrop of embellished crazy quilts. It will look spectacular!
I have also joined a group called ATC (Artist Trading Card) Art Dolls. I participated in a swap this month with the theme "Retro". The rules are that a "doll" is to be made on a card base ( 2.5 in x 3.5 in), any media, and bits like legs and arms can fold up to the size. It isn't as easy as it sounds, especially working on a card base and so small. I started off with two images which really suited the 'retro" theme. I wanted to interpret the 1960 song " She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini" so I used the image of the girl hanging out the washing and made a cloth yellow polka dot bikini . Her legs were much longer than 3.5 in so they were attached with a brad to fold back to fit in the little envelope. The other one was much more straightforward, but I changed the original image from holding a chocolate cake to a "surprise' package and a bottle of champagne . Now she really does know her way around the kitchen. The rest of the saying is " A smart woman knows her way around the kitchen... right out the door and into a good restaurant!'. These two cards are now off to USA to another person in the group.
On the family front ... Brandon celebrated his fifth birthday on Tuesday and started school this week very happily. We didn't look after Dylan this week as he had his first sleep over at Kellie's and Adrian's place - very excited to sleep in the same bedroom as his cousin, Brandon. Unfortunately, he missed home and Kellie had to sleep with him! It was good for us to have a day off babysitting as Jim sprained his ankle on Monday and was in pain and hobbling around for a few days, and I am still plagued with tooth aches. To make things worse this week, we paid a visit to our financial adviser and that wasn't good news ... Oh well, we are still very fortunate and we still have many many more great days than bad. Be happy! It's a wonderful world!


photo above - Adrian cutting the cake, Brandon, Dylan, William, held by Riikka.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks ....  The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and  message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or  my husband or from off cuts gifted to us  from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks.   Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt  or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

Giveaway - Gifts for You on My Birthday

Giveaway Gifts T his week is blog giveaway time! Last week I celebrated my birthday.  I’ve had far too many to count the candles, but I had a wonderful party on the weekend with my family - with an indulgent birthday cake, favourite foods cooked by my husband and great company. ( In case you were wondering about the writing on the cake , Por Por = Chinese grandmother)     I also got great gifts from  my family and friends. There seemed to be a bit of a theme this year – with many of my gifts and cards depicting matryshoka ( babushka) dolls and tea drinking.   As it is also winter here in Australia ,   it was easy for me to  decide what I could offer as gifts  in this birthday giveaway. All the gifts are handmade by me. Gift 1 - two little fabric matryshoka dolls  Gift 2- a little bag made from colourful teapot and teacup fabric . The design is called a jester bag, but it is suitable for carrying s...

Designing with Grids

  Wilma Simmons: Magpie Grid, 2026  Straight lines - no not my style! However, here I am stitching grids to create net like structures.  In a recent Stitch Club   workshop by Eszter Bornemisza,  the brief was to create small, transparent textile samples consisting of airy, net-like structures made from a variety of leftover and recycled materials. Using machine straight stitch, small scraps of material including transparent fabrics, lace, cotton and paper were secured  onto water-soluble stabiliser or a layer of paper napkin tissue, or mulberry paper. In the sample pictured above, I used cotton fabric scraps and some roughly cut out motifs secured to a paper napkin with stitching. I washed away the paper napkin , leaving a net like composition, inspired by magpies strutting about in the garden.   Eszter Bornemisza's s innovative technique has been developed over many years, and her gird designed map like installations are world renowned.  Esz...