I was supposed to be tidying THE CAVE; there were big plans including packing plastic crates with product I hadn't touched for months, even years. A cup of tea break and a browse through the blog of my friends, the girls at Destination Art, put paid to that. These are my vintage twinchie contributions.
The last month has flown by, I have had fun etching various items and included a few pieces on this story bracelet.
I am still knitting scarves full of lace, ribbon, beads and pearls - and wearing them too as the cold weather settles around us.
Mr Phantom went missing for a day and a half, and returned with a 'mashed' shoulder and concussion, but seems to be on the mend now.
Archer continues his love affair with Harvey and enjoys keeping warm with Charles or Phantom if they are near by.
I continue to teach, to tutor and to nurture as best I can. Life continues; mostly it is good, very good.
I spent a relaxing Saturday at a Paverpol workshop recently and Rachel is the result. A wispy woman with room for three rib cages, two stomachs and a womb or two.
I truly have no idea how I did not notice her long torso until I got home! None-the-less I am happy with her final form and my very first effort at this form of fabric sculpture.
Gallery 500 provided a warm and relaxing atmosphere for this class, and a totally blissful day out.
Charles does wonder why I am not taking pictures of him.
A Thankful Heart available on Etsy
Another scarf, this one a Pink Girl's Dream for a good friend's birthday. Lace, chiffon and flannel are threaded though a soft wool acrylic blend. I am not a 'pink girl', but the end result is solf and romantic so hopefully it will be well received.
Sweet boy sitting with me as I photograph the bracelets, not so sweet to smell at the moment so I predict a bath coming up very soon. 
A little frog, a seahorse or two, ribbons, sari silk, wool, beads and me; the ingredients for this scarf, winging its way to a new home now.
Are you enjoying rivers of life?
Oh and a confession, I wore it once, just because ....
This beautiful antique steel cut button was rusty and a bit bent when I purchased it, but some sanding and a light application of the hammer left it just right for this 'enchanted night' necklace. Vintage Japanese cotton pearls and hand made hematite beads combine with a modern chandelier drop. 
I am back knitting and sewing for now, so who knows what will appear next, it is nice to never be bored.
Have you had your all-bran today? No, no not that type of fibre the one you wear, touch, stitch and even knit. Last week I was lucky enough to have my friend Dawn visit, a week of talking, creating, eating and even a little exercise followed. 
We ate picky platters of cheese, olives, cucumber and crackers, and ate only as we felt hungry, with very odd meal times.
The fur and purr babies delighted in Dawn’s attention and Charles, dear boy, even slept with our friend, loving her as I do. 
Thank you so much for all the encouragement after my last post. 
I have thought and prayed as I painted and stitched these little kitties, gained perspective and found peace, much as I do with my own purries - all without having to feed them non-stop! If only they were warm and snuffled in their sleep. 
This Easter has been a quiet one so far, sleep, reading, poochie and purr cuddles and chocolate - why does it feel so good to bite into a hollow egg?
What a week, constant hot flushes had me sure menopause had snuck up and grabbed me a tad early, but no, apparently stress has the same effect. What stress? You might ask.
The stress that comes to a teacher when she cares, perhaps too much and even after all these years retains her idealism, the stress that comes when you don't want any child to hurt and you see it happen. A hard week.
Help came in the form of moments at my desk putting this little lady together, in the time I spent photographing her in Autumn sunshine, and in wearing her to work one day. 
Help came in the form of this beautiful art work from Gaye: the colours; the quote; the stillness; just what I needed.
Help came from friends and family, from cuddling the most beautiful woofy face in the world, and help came from above. Thank you Jesus. May the next week be one of peace and wisdom.
Scene
Archer, with his dear friend Pipepee, hogging the couch and blissfully happy. They wear matching pearl collars (Archer's is blue) and influence each other to get up to all sorts of mischief.
Hester's Yard
I have so enjoyed my little vege garden this summer, and keep forgetting to take pictures of ripe vegetables, this little capsicum will eventually be red and sweet, if the marigold does its job and keeps the insects away.
The tomatoes are sweet and full of flavour, these lovely round ones, cherry Roma's and full size Roma all gathered in one dense patch.
The dappled light on the lemon tree epitomises summer, the scents, the drinks and an age old sense of security. Summer feels safe, as the warmth wraps around me and the light touches all corners of my space. Bliss.
Not art, not a fruit, and a little bit grubby, but something, or rather someone, that I like to pick often, a quick cuddle, a loud purr and a snuggle hug then he is asking if there is more food. darling Phantom.
Congratulations to Linda on being closest with the list of items. The serrated strip was from my roll of cling film. The "washer" was actually the metal circle from an old bra strap. Linda please send me your address and post-it preference.
Can you imagine my joy when I found this amazing old wooden box full of rusty nails at my local tip-shop? A real holiday treat, and I am so proud of my friends for hiding their complete horror at my purchase choice.
And finally one of the joys of life is my darling nephew, we've spent hours playing with pegs (Archer was not so keen on that one - the dear boy had Archers ears pegged all over), drinking imaginary cups of tea, tickling and laughing. Joy.
It is lovely to have time to create and nothing I “have to” make. This necklace has been in my head for months, an old wall hook; rusted and left, some washers, sari silk, an owl in resin, a bullet casing (thanks to one of my students for that), vintage beads and carved cinnabar all combined with copper, brass and steel. 
I couldn't resist wandering around the garden and taking pictures of this piece in different lights, on different backgrounds, it has been so, so long since I made a feature piece of jewellery such as this.
I always enjoy the contrast between strong and delicate, old and new, salvaged and made. I think this one is for me.
The old water tank, above had been put out for roadside collection, I rang my brother and convinced him I needed it; is to become my herb garden, a job for next week.
I have cleaned up my garden a lot this past week and been amazed by the number of nests tucked in bushes, obviously my purr-babies don’t scare the birds away. This nest really made me smile, authentic twigs, insects, and leaves on the outside and green acrylic filler on the inside – another contrast.
The magnetic post it-note holders were an eye opener. I was attempting to make something using found objects for a possible class and bemoaned my attempts. Until I realised the only objects designed for art were the Collection images I have had for many years, and five split pins.
All of the other items are salvaged and re-purposed. I will send one of these pieces (your choice) to the first person to identify all the non-paper elements. Good Luck!
