Leafygal

6 impossible things before breakfast

Just had a very busy but enjoyable day.
Shopped this a.m. for family dinner party this evening.  Nice Safeway butcher butterflied 2 legs of lamb for me very cheerfully and the produce man recommended  some pontiac potatoes for roasting.  Almost good old fashioned service!
Collected my father from Ocean Grove and took him to the "Saturday afternoon at the Pictures" which I had organised for the Morongo Old Collegians' group.
We saw the movie "Dalkieth" abouta  retirement home where the residents were given a new lease of life when they were given a racing greyhound. A bit slow to get going but an enjoyable movie overall. The "girls" came up trumps with delicious afternoon tea sandwiches, slices and mini pikelets. We do food well in this group!!

Rushed home to put the lamb and potatoes in the oven, then took father back to the Wintergarden for the Dabble 'n' Daub gallery launch of a Vermeer copy show. An artist spent much of his career doing Vermeer copies and they really were delightful. Had one glass of Gluhwein and sprinted home again to rescue the roast and put the rest of the vegies on.

The whole family - all ten of us,  had a fun dinner in honour of my father's 87th Birthday, actually last Monday.  (Tony, Michael and I took him to "@ the Heads" for lunch that day). As usual we all ate much too much with desserts of pavlova (bought!) and sister Lou's famous Orange syrup cake Yum!!!

The only downer today was finding out that one of our long standing friends has just had surgery for Breast Cancer.  I know she is a strong lady and will come through this ordeal as Pru and I have,  not to mention all our other BC friends but I do wish her luck and more strength.

Red Hat Fabric serendipity

No time for mucking about today.
Here are the Red Hat and  Fabric ATC's and the Serendipity squares (it sounds like a game show on TV!!)
The red hats have cute little gold price tags with "10 guineas" on the back.
The gold unfortunately scans as black!

The fabric ATC's were fun. I found a Batik type fabric with little fish. I cut these to fit the cards , ironed them on with vliesofix (I think that's how it is spelled), stuck sequins on and outlined in dimensional fabric paint. I rather like the result!

The serendipity squares were  insides of security envelopes - lovely blue patterns torn and stuck down and stamped over. They are meant to be used as backgrounds. I hope they aren't too busy. The second lot were torn out of magazine pages and are just brown shades of textures, also stamped over.
I have some of these left so will be using them as backgrounds for something

All about Labyrinths

Last Sunday I took part in the Geelong Mini Field of Women for Breast Cancer Awareness Week.

I wasn't on the committee this year, I finally learned how to say No, but I did miss that great bunch of Women.
I was asked to design a shape for the Pink Ladies to be posted and immediately thought of a Labyrinth
These symbolise Life's Journey which seemed to me to be very appropriate. I also found a great poem which I used at the start of the labyrinth and words from it at the Centre  "One Step at a Time"
I started at 9 a.m.with one helper, and others gathered to be involved as well.  I had them measuring, banging in bamboo stakes, tying twine and tying pink ribbons. It was a great experience and I think that the act of the making of the Labyrinth is actually as important as the walking of it at the end of the process.
When you walk the path you get taken in unexpected directions, very much as in Life.

The BREAST group (pictured in the Labyrinth) were also there in full force with our new flyer at the Info Booths. We met a lot of ladies and hopefully gave them some food for thought, especially about the knitted Titties!! and the Titbits site.

Here is the poem

Labyrinth Poem
Rows of ragged rocks outline a path for healing?
Brown, decaying leaves hug the winter ground – a blanket to transform?
The labyrinth awaits the sojourner-- almost calls her name--
Will you enter my simple boundaries and journey my paths
One Step at a Time?

Straight ahead, yet winding and crooked The curled road beckons to be trod
reinforcing the uplifted, blessing the downtrodden
Maybe tears, maybe joy, maybe peace
One Step at a Time.

All who are heavy laden, come stand at the gate
All who are fragmented, place one foot down and the other in front
All who find wonder in the commonplace, Come travel the narrow rows
One Step at a Time.

Give up your burdens, your middle of the night worries
Lay a care on a silver, craggly rock as you pass and move on to the next, the monotony will soothe you
One Step at a Time.

Moving inward, The trail winds in and out Muscles untensing,
The walker’s job seems easy, The cares tumble down and hit the ground with imagined force lightening the load on contact
One Step at a Time.

Step 48, step 49, many more follow while curling toward center like a snail into its shell Motionless at last, a wooden cross is sighted,
God’s presence overwhelms and envelopes the inner sanctum-- His peace now a cloister on the journey half over
One Step at a Time.

The pause to discover new perspectives to ponder fresh eyes, lightened heart the world is a wonder with steps unencumbered the pilgrimage rewinds
One Step at a Time.

The breathing is slower the feet touch down lower, and easier on the road well-worn
The unknown, now familiar the end is the beginning the sad is now glory All happening unexpectedly
One Step at a Time.

A twist inward A transformation outward A fresh view from fatigued eyes
All part of a simple design of much complexity with the whole greater than the sum of the steps All the while traveling
One Step at a Time.

Suzanne Moody March 1999 Macon, Georgia Copyright  All rights reserved.

Cardi!!

I have been knitting a garment for me lately. A Cardigan/jacket thingy which is knitted from the back up and over the shoulders and down the fronts. Sounds wierd but it works nicely.
Using Collinette Tagliatelli pure merino wool tape to knit it. The colour is gorgeous and I have never knitted with tape before.
I've just started the sleeves!
It should be ready just in time for the hot weather!!!

Metallica

Here are the latest ATC's ready to go out.
3 are for the Aussie swap I'm hosting called "Metallica" and the rest are for a "metals" swap going to the States.
It's been such fun opening the envelopes for the swap and finding great cards inside.
I liked it so much that I posted another local swap called "Gardenesque"
Now I have to get on with the fabric card swaps and the Serendipity Squares

A bit of Fun

I've been a bit quiet lately, too much stuff happening!
I'm still arting as fast as I can go, but haven't posted much lately.
A quirky idea sent to me by Lisa Vollrath

Google "[your name inserted here] needs" and post what comes up.
These are some of mine!!!

Gillian needs her rest
Gillian needs to step back.
Tess needs seven more box tops and Gillian needs one more.
Gillian needs a change of pace
Gillian needs to clean her ear holes out
Gillian needs to get used to the physical demands of her job as a prostitute (!!!!!)
Gillian needs some work
Gillian needs to be moved ...
Gillian needs to go to sleep.
Gillian needs her help
Gillian needs to make several emotional changes over the course of the play.
Gillian needs time to recover.
Gillian needs to be helped
Gillian needs no introduction to most residents
Gillian needs cheering up
Gillian needs secrecy
Gillian needs Ryan with her
Gillian needs more improvement
Gillian needs to understand it
Gillian needs beer too

I can feel a mini gluebook coming on!!

Busy Busy Busy

How the days fly by!
I've been busy, but not sure what I've achieved lately.
Have done some more artwork, so here are some samples.  Don't forget my Picturetrail album where I try to post most stuff.
I just joined yet another group on Yahoo - Art squared.  All the pieces are in the 4x4 (or100x100mm) format, which interests me a lot. I'm hoping to do some real paintings for this one, not just gluing or collages
Swaps sent off at the end of the month included the next fat book for which I did 78  original pages using the nature print technique.  Watercolour wet in wet backgrounds and real leaf painted with a mixture of colours and printed on the page. Embellished with WC pencils and gel pen.
I was very pleased with the way they turned out.

The other swaps were ATC's - Dancing Delights and Truly Turquoise - my very favourite colour ( I think I inherited this colour preference from my mother!!)