Earrings, stitching and journal pages

I've had a variety of work this week, making new earrings for my Etsy, taking an online workshop with Carol Ann Waugh called Stitch and Slash, stitching in layers then cutting back. The class was very easy and cheap but the technique is fabulous. I've also been working in my latest Altered book as I'm hoping to hold a workshop at home on Saturday 28th of July teaching this. If you'd like to attend please email me for details.

These earrings are made from a very old embossed brass bowl that I've cut and filed smooth. The round discs are cut from an old much loved tea caddy. I've oxidized the hand made sterling silver hooks.

These are very old world, with vintage pearl buttons, discs cut from another vintage tea caddy. The spear shapes are cut and filed from more of the embossed brass bowl.

This is a section of the fabric piece I made in the online class. It will be a cushion cover when it's finished.

Above and below, close up details showing the free motion stitching and cutting back of the layers.

I've gone off on a tangent from the workshop but that's the beauty of the technique.

Above are pages in progress from one of my class samples.

Two more pages from the long, narrow sample book.

Thanks again for taking the time to visit and for the comments too.

Earthquake, puppy love and etsy

Last night we were watching the 20th anniversary of Foreign Correspondent (a documentary on the ABC), seeing reports of major dramas, natural and man made, around the world when we thought we were going to be having a drama of our own. There was a huge rumbling noise, the house and windows shook, the dog went crazy. It was an earthquake, magnitude 5.3, which isn't high by some standards, but high enough when one's not accustomed to earthquakes. Bush fires are our horror, but we're used to them, this was another matter.

Today I've been adding some more hand carved stamps, lace, fabric and button kits to my Etsy.

cup and saucer stamp

abstract flower stamp

honesty seed head stamp

trees stamp

leaf stamp

rosebud stamp

multi coloured hand dyed lace pack

fabric and button kits for journal making, there are enough strips of fabric, fibres, beads and buttons to decorate the spines of at least two journals. They can also be used in collage etc.

little Charlie

puppy love.

Thanks again for visiting and for the comments on my last post, catch up soon.

This and That

It's been cold and wet this past week, not the ideal conditions for toilet training Charlie, but we're slowly getting there. He's really made himself at home now. I'd forgotten what it's like to have a puppy in the house. Everything chewable has to be put out of his reach.

I've managed to make another couple of necklaces, this is one of them. It has a resin bezel with vintage Japanese paper embedded in it, soldered china, hand made fabric beads and an old belt buckle as the clasp.

This is an altered book I've been working in. The book's long and narrow. The photo of the birds was in the book in black and white so I've added colour

This is a larger book that I'm altereing. They are both class samples for a workshop I'll be teaching shortly, at home.

More pages in the narrow book.

More pages in the larger book.

Thanks again for visiting and a big thank you to those who have left comments, they'r much appreciated.

The newest member of our family

We haven't had a dog for over ten years, always having had at least two at a time, now things have changed. Meet Charlie, our little scruff bucket of  dog, he's a right Charlie. He's 17 weeks old and is full of bounce and fun and best of all he loves the grand children. Life will be even more hectic, but fun all the same.

The Exhibition's Open

What a fabulous day we had yesterday despite the wet and gloomy weather. The opening to our exhibition was fabulous. Lots of people, great food and a perfect setting. Cathy, the gallery owner, did us proud. After we set up and left on Friday night, a big thank you to Paul, Jacky's husband, who very patiently hung all of the paintings for us, Cathy did her magic, adding touches here and there to make the whole display meld together beautifully. The atmosphere in the gallery was full of energy, lots of natural light and for a very cold day, to us Aussies anyway, toasty warm from the heating. The exhibition is on for the whole of June which is wonderful. I was thrilled to see two red dots on two of my paintings even before the exhibition was officially open.

The 4G, Jacky, me, Dot, and Patsy

The delightful actress Beverley Dunn officially opening the exhibition.

What a thrill to see two red dots on my paintings.

My paintings, the framed ones are my pastel paintings.

Some of my jewellery, Patsy's fabulous painted tiles, in frames, in the window and Dot's stunning cushions and stitched birds.

Patsy's gorgeous work on the far wall, Jacky's amazing lino prints on the right wall and some more of my jewellery on the glass table.

A view down the gallery.

Dot's amazing framed textiles on the right wall.

Dot in front of her delightful treasures.

Jacky with her gorgeous printed birds

and Patsy with her fabulous textiles and tiles. Patsy also has some wonderful bags and repurposed coats in the exhibition.

The outside of the gallery. They have magnificent gardens but it was too wet to go for a wander.

If you're visiting Warragul in the next month and would like to drop by, the exhibition is at the Lillico Glass Studio Gallery, Lillico Road Warragul.

A special thank you to Cathy, the Gallery owner and her lovely sister. Paul, Jacky's husband for helping us put it all together. Beverley Dunn for opening it for us. Leah for helping out on the Friday and for very generously providing us with a beautiful lunch, the rest of us didn't think about food. Jen for her delicious afternoon tea and Lee for waitressing. Des, Patsy's husband, for being the bar man, my DH for taking all of the photos and a huge thank you to all of the lovely people who ventured out on such a miserable day to make it such a success.

A special big thank you to Patsy, Jacky and Dot, three amazing, inspiring artists.

Exhibition details

I can't believe how quickly our exhibition has crept up on us, it's only a week and a half away. I've been so busy making jewellery. I still have some paintings to finish, nothing like leaving it until the last minute.

I've also been making the exhibition invitation. We'd love to see you there if you can make it.

Here are just some of the things I've been working on.

Drilling and wiring beach glass.

Etching metals with my hand made stamps.

Drilling and soldering china.

Cutting spoon handles, making beads and more yoyos with old tin centres.

My desk top where the jewellery happens, always a mess but I get there in the end.

Caught in action - DH snapped this looking down into part of my studio. He says he refuses to come down unless he's wearing a hard hat.

I also held an Altered Book workshop a couple of weeks ago, I haven't posted on my blog since then, very slack of me. Eight lovely students created some fabulous new books from old ones, with gorgeous pages to sketch, journal, write poetry or just leave as is.

Thanks for visiting, I hope to not take so long for my next post.

I'd better get painting.