Art show in Canberra May 1st and May 2nd

For all of you Lucky ducks near Canberra there is an Art and Craft show on Friday and Saturday and

MY FRIEND AISHA HAS HER ART IN IT....

Oh did I yell that?

I'm a bit excited.

You can buy the art and craft there too!!

I cant get there but she is going to take pictures....aren't you matey?

I wish I could be there.

Arawang Primary School Parents and Citizens Association
Nemarang Crescent
Waramanga ACT

Arawang Art and Craft Show 2009
Friday 1 May – 6pm to 9pm
Saturday 2 May 10am to 4pm

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Sleepy Sunday and scarves

It is too wet to play outside so I was at a loss.
Sunday is my gardening day and I look forward to it all week. So I stayed in my very pink tracksuit set all day with my unbrushed hair and panda eyes while I sat and ate alot, read magazines, blogged and knitted. It is a good thing I have already trapped a man because after that advertisement of how glamorous I am I don't think anyone will be knocking my door down should I become single( may that never happen)

I have half finished a scarf which I was inspired to knit when I saw GreenOlive's gorgeous creations. Now I'm no knitter but she is so if you want to buy stylish and unique scarves for winter I highly recommend visiting her shop.

This is my:

Wearable Work In Progress

A stranded scarf

I hadn't finished it but I really needed a nice scarf to wear into the city on Friday to see Dralion. It still had the dags hanging off the ends so I took my crochet hook with me and finished it on the train. I loved it. So soft and felt luxurious.

Almost finished strand

Followed by

an attempt to crochet the next strand but as you can see it looks like a dogs breakfast and I need more crochet lessons. I might have to invite myself into Joyce's, my 85 yr old friend up the road and just happen to have my wool and crochet hook handy.

The combinations are endless and I am working on a clip or something made out of wood to fasten them all at the neck. The idea is in my head but I have no idea what I really mean.

It looks like my briefcase is going to a good home and my collection of knitting needles. I am glad about that and might have to treat myself to a new scarf.... :)

Keep warm or cool depending on what side of the planet you are on. Be well!

Melanie

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First week of School Term 2

I walked and rode my bike along this path everyday after a 2 week break. Some one call a medic please. It was all made worth while by the sprinkling of dappled light on the new green grass that lay out infront of me for the 4.4 kilometer walk.

One thing that I pondered on the way is a question Mr nunde and I always ask regarding Freeway fencing. Do you ever look at it? Do you ever wonder if there is like a clicky group of freeway wall people who get together at conventions and hand out awards for the best freeway wall? Mr nunde and I have started judging them in our travels. Most rate very low but some are exquisite. I bet they were done by the Elite Freeway Wall Arteest and all of the other wall builders secretly hate him.... As you can tell, I'm unfit, and this exercise is causing me to think more strangely than usual.

On Friday Mr nunde and took off to see Cirque De Soleil Dralion and we had been excited about this since November when we forked out $200 for the tickets.
Mum if you are reading this today READ NO FURTHER( mum and miss nunde are seeing Dralion on Sunday)

We went to the matinee version so that may have some bearing on the averageness that we experienced. The first half was OK and slightly entertaining but ruined by Mr stupid head who clapped so loudly behind me that my ears bled. Seriously folks. Loud clappers ruin it for us people that arn't hearing impaired so cut it out. His kid, Miss stupidhead kicked me in my backside bone 3 times for which she was glared at and last but not least little miss gorgeous and 2 yrs old next to me picked her nose constantly and ate it until I went EWWWW YUCK to her and we had a staring match then, me not looking away incase she wiped it on me, and her not looking away to pick a quick winner to wipe on me because I was clearly being OLD and ruining her fun. Thankfully her mother was having as miserable time as me when Miss 2 started banging on her fairy floss bucket and I laughed maniacally with my inside voice at the thought of how hyped up her kids will be late that night.
Mr nunde and I were already niggly because the trams directions were unclear and by half time we were ready to go home. We decided to stay because we waited for our kid free day out and we were going to bloody well have it no matter what....
Anyway. The next half was spectacular and more along the lines of what we expected to see.
The moral to this story. If you want to get away from your kids, don't go to a matinee of anything because other people who like their kids take them with them.

The best bit of the day was being stopped on the bridge to let them film a few takes of the series Rush on channel 10. We snuck a pic of the young girl cop and she is just as pretty in real life as she is in the show.

The male copper/actors were there too but I didn't get my camera out quick enough and Mr nunde and I got a bit giggly because we got to see actors even though normally we would deny that we even cared or were effected by famous people.

To end the week off it was the Farmers Market today at The Old Cheese Factory and I was run off my feet making coffee. Thank you Elsie and Rick for the lovely compliment about my coffee making skills (phew, I didn't know they ordered a coffee so I am glad I passed the test)

No craft or business news to report and I am very behind on my blog reading and comments. I shall remedy that after a nice sit down and a cuppa. Oh and I am also on a mission so if any of my lovely U.S visitors know the answer please help! My husband (the dude from Ohio) was reminiscing about a Texas Sheet Cake he used to have made for him. Any ideas on what this is girls? I'll google it but I would love any advice.(Ignorant Aussie chick here who needs epicurean assistance)
OK that's all for now.
Hope this post finds you all well
Cheers!
Melanie

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Trash Talk

This week my trash talk topic was made easy when my awesome friend Aisha who is a real artist sent me some links that she knew I would love.

Bonnie Meltzer is from Portland, Oregon and she is an artist who makes very mixed-media constructions from a variety of unusual materials: crocheted wire, recycled computer parts, painted surfaces and digital photography. I really enjoyed browsing through her artwork and became very inspired.

Bonnie MeltzerVery Mixed Media Constructions

This link especially sparked my interest Art of Recycling Competition

Entry forms and details are available on the site.
I cannot believe I missed this little gem of a site and it has a blog too ATASDA Australian Textile Arts & Surface Design Association Inc

Thank you Aisha for your contribution.
That's it for talking trash.
Don't forget, It's your trash, think about what you are going to do with your trash and most importantly reduce/recycle/refashion/re-use your trash.

Cheers All
Melanie

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Sunday satisfaction

It was my gardening day today and due to my sluggish self inflicted sugar coma from my Easter binge, I didn't last long. Long enough, however, to check my pellies for injuries from the
Anti- Gardeners (dogs)
Temporary gate nailed in place to keep them out of Pellie patch.

Wu believes Pig is a chair. I believe they re in my Pellie section AGAIN and this was taken moments before I chased them out and nailed up and old bed based....yeah ya wreckers, see how you like that.......

OK so now onto a work in progress. This is my Eco-bling tag that I worked on last night. I gave up at one point. Too hard. The idea was in my head but I couldn't make it work and it seemed so simple. This is the closest version I can get to my logo. They will be made from 100% collected dead wood and I am burning the logo in. I am trying to remain as low impact as possible and you cant get more natural. I am aiming for everything on my eco range of wares to be 100% compostable/biodegradable etc.

When I start doing OK I will get a brand made up but the logo below is what I am trying to achieve. Close enough for now.

Lastly I am getting rid of this old leather briefcase circa 70's? I have it on eBay for .99 cents and I would love it to be refashioned as I intended to do with it. I just have so many projects on and work and it was becoming another thing to add to the declining space and ever expanding pile of WIP's. My boss gave it to me and I feel awful. If anyone wants to retro fit/refashion it let me know and if there are no bids I will take it off eBay and you can just pay for postage(11.00 to Australia only sorry) or pick it up. I seriously wanted to dye/paint the leather pink LOL bright shiny pink hmmmm nope, Im letting it go......must be strong.... Just email me personally if you think you can do something with it.

Off to cook dinner. Easter break is over. My nunde adventures are about to begin again! As Big Kev would say "Im Excited"
Cheers all

Melanie

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Panic, bad food and chaos

This image of my unfinished knitting projects represents the state of my brain

I broke my "get healthy diet" on Easter Sunday and binged every day. Chocolate, chips, pizza, fried foods, everything I hadn't touched for 3 full weeks. Don't do it girls, ever! My brain is fuzzy, I ache more and I am sluggish. Now I have to start again.
The farmers Market is on this Saturday and I recall saying "She'll be right mate, I got a tonnes of time" PANIC. Bags havent got handles, logo image isn't ready for screen print and tags not even designed. Market is next weekend.
Gate to keep dogs out of my precious pelargoniums not finished by due date (NOW)
It isn't the end of the world but it is a sharp reminder of how food can impact on us and the effects resonate into everyday things. I am a Kenworth Truck running on an engine that can barely fire up a Mini Cooper.
God that chocolate tasted divine though!......

Hey! for everyone that stopped by this week to day hello, twitter me, email me and what not THANKS! You are all ace and ya make me feel pretty spesh.

Cheers
Melanie

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My Creative Space

Project "girl up workbench" COMPLETE

and just in time for My Creative Space

Tools are out to be charged and cleaned. If only I had that kind of passion for cleaning my house. Green Balls on bench are an experiment using left over napkins and Christmas balls. Please don't ask me what they are, I have no idea. It was one of those "oh that would be cool to try" moments plus I have a thing for pretty napkins. I love em almost as much as I love patty pans.
So my woodwork bench is done and my husband found the Bunting to be an affront to his masculinity( yes score!) but only after he made off with some pliers. Argh, my tools mister......

I have been commissioned by my husband to make miniature bases and today I ordered some micro router bits from the US. So my workbench is ready for me to plonk my cutesy micro tool router table on and a routing I will go! I know its not a very girly space but I am all a gush over how many things I will make this winter there. Buttons, bag handles, embroidery reels, the list goes on and on:) Bring on the wasted wood I can reshape and refashion.
I had fun doing it but I am glad it is over.

If you are into crafty things and spying on them Go check out every one elses creative space at Kootoyoo's

Im going to kick back now and read a few days worth of blogs, and take a gander as everyone elses spaces.

Cheers!

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Trash Talk

It is still plastic but at least they are doing something.

Short and sweet on the environmental topic this week because I have trash to deal with at home. I have been working so hard on my business in the last fortnight and even though everyone else including MR nunde is on break....no one kept up the housework in my absence. This is a working from home mums dilemma as many of you know. I worked until 11pm some nights after working all day and then making sure they had dinner by 6.30..... oh how this is declining into a pity party rant, if I proceed and get too worked up I may well put that recycled environmentally friendly bag over someones head if they don't start figuring out where the vacuum cleaner is!!!!
I wish you all joy and a clean house:)

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Gratuitous Dog Shots, Dog haters come back tomorrow:)

Today dog train began for my newest addition Wu now 4 months old

From home to the reserve I said heel 100 hundred times to no avail and had to show her my assertive "I'm the boss, don't mess with me voice" It always shocks dog when they see you in training mode but I tell them the truth, learning to come and sit may save your life one day. (I had to delete a rant here about people who don't bother training their dogs or putting them on leads but I thought that's better suited to a ranting blog, not a PG family friendly blog:)

So we trained unsuccessfully, arm sore from pulling, neck sore from choking and once we got to the park, lead came off and I whipped my camera out.

With training over Wu became a fantastic photography assistant and never strayed too far.

She lay in the beautiful cool green grass with me as I stalked these birds whose names I don't know yet and together we had our bellies tickled by insects underneath us. No amount of tickling was going to make me lose my target.

So I amassed about 136 pictures in the reserve. Many were rubbish. Note to self - remember to check settings, macro is not good for range flight shots.

And with the clicking over Wu and I sat and pondered life and we both agreed life was good.

We had a cuddle and I packed up my camera and headed home where not a child is in sight because they are all on holiday somewhere.

Then to finish it all off, Wu grasped the idea of heel half way home and never looked back.

I just love me' dogs.

Apart from the hour I spent with just Mr nunde at the Pancake parlour, child free, this was the other best hour I had today. I just love best hours too.

Amateur nature pics are on my click that blog

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Sunday Fun day

Last night I got stuck right into the first suggestion for materials I can use for my WIP

I don't have any idea about real clay stuff like Ooty uses so I used good old air drying clay. This is my first attempt and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.

Keep the ideas coming because I am going to try them all. Its like a little crafting adventure isn't it?:)

Bright and Early the Easter bunny arrived and clearly he is a well educated Bunny because last year he left the eggs where ants could get them and this year he is showing his ever increasing intellect and placing them only where Spiders can get them.

Tomorrow I am collecting gum leaves for an idea in my garland and I get to use the flower press I made ages ago.

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My chaotic creative space

Spotlight is having a clearance sale to make way for new stock so I grabbed some things I needed and my husband went mad on paints for his miniatures. He is becoming quite the artistic one in the family.
There were 2 kids kits left which were perfect for bored children and I cant wait to have a go at making slime.
The ball of yarn was not on sale but part of a cool scarf I am knitting. I so excited about it almost being scarf wearing weather again.
Check out what other crafty chicks are up to at Kootoyoo's place. These girls inspire me no end.

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W I P Garland

One of my passions is Garland and Bunting. This is my 1 year long work in progress for my Christmas tree(which we now officially call our Boxing day tree because we don't celebrate Christmas and felt a bit fake) It is now 4 meters long but I am aiming for 10 and I seem to have trouble matching the chain. Also I have misplaced my washi paper which is going to embellish those little wooden hearts.

....Hope you are all having a fab Easter break where ever you are and how ever you celebrate or don't celebrate it. Me, well I'm working like a dog to lay pavers before winter sets in and list my products on the website I am building. I did the whole spending time with family and I'm over it:) Gosh I'm awful aren't I? It was a whole week though guys, come on, that's a good effort for a solitary person.
Cheers all
Melanie

P.S if any of you crafty chicks out there have an idea of materials that I can use for heart shape objects for my garland please let me know.

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A gift from an Autumn Wind

To most this is debris on a doorstep. To me its a potpourri of autumn colors left on my patio to inspire me to create . I hate to sweep it up.

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Pear and Cranberry Loaf

I highly recommend this loaf from Better Homes and Gardens recipes May 2009. Pictured above is the delicious result. Here's my lazier version for people with low concentration spans.

Ingredients
2 Pears
1 cup of craisins
125g of soft butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2/3 cup of caster sugar( I use a quarter of a cup but I am dieting)
1 and a half cups of Self Raising flour
1/2 cup of buttermilk


Preheat oven to 180ºC (Does anyone ever really do that>?)

Peel, core, cut up pears.

Throw into your mixing bowl butter eggs and vanilla and mix for 3 minutes( I lasted about 40 seconds, come on Better homes and Gardens 3 minutes takes ages...boring.....)

Chuck in flour and buttermilk, stir until thoroughly combined.

Throw in the pears and cranberries, combine then tip entire contents into a lightly greased loaf tin.

Cook for 30- 35 minutes

Poke it with a skewer to see if it is cooked through, now I know you all know how to do that. Then devour! (thats the bit I am really super good at)

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Frazzled

At last a blog layout I like but come hail or snails I cannot get the 4th column to show up! Must be time for sleep:)
night night

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Under construction

or is that destruction? I am fiddling with the blog layout to make it match my website but so far all I seem to be doing is breaking stuff. Working hard in the background. If you could sweat whilst building a website, I would be sweating buckets. Its hard brain work. My brain aches. I really enjoying the challenge though. Tomorrow I am taking master nunde to The Homestead for a lime spider which will be a nice break:)
take care everyone

cheers

Melanie

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Be Right Back

Today begins the school holidays so I will be away from keyboard for at least 1 week whilst I resume my role as mum, referee, taxi, life coach, evil nagging witch and other various roles, 24 hours a day for the next 2 weeks. My eldest has returned home so my house is full again. I learned my lesson when he left home so abruptly, make more time for them because one day you blink and they're gone.


Have a great week and I look forward to catching up on everyone's blogs when I log back on.

Cheers!

Melanie

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