My Gummy Babe and a Story

Dear sweet Harvey has had a big week, On Saturday he went to the vet, the first time THE VET was to touch him, and was vaccinated among other things, boy was THAT an experience.
I planned carefully, put some catnip in his carrier, took Archer with us and arranged to go in just before usual hours so he could avoid crowds.
Oh the best laid plans of mice and men...
My lovely vet gave him a sedative to make checking his ears and teeth easier, and said, 'I will be back in ten minutes, he will be out to it then'.
Ten minutes later the vet walks in,
I scoop Harvey out and hold him loosely,
The door opens...
Out the door...through the now crowded waiting room...past reception...through the cages and kennels, then the operating theater... back through the waiting room....up the stairs....through the staff room...and the store room...into the office. All the while I am saying, 'please don't chase him' and " I am SOOOO sorry' about 50 times each. Eventually he jumps onto Jim's chair and sits waiting for me to scoop him up and take him back down the stairs.
We treated his ears on Saturday and he has been Mr Smoochy all week. His reward, I took him back today to have all but a handful of his teeth out. And again, the vet visit has made him really appreciate home and his Mum, it should, do you see that sludge in the background? Chicken breast, poached and blended with organic rolled oats and little sea salt.
It's hard to describe how much I love this little fellow, and the journey he has taken me on. I have grown as a person because I have him, because I have had to earn his trust.

Necklaces and Steampunk?

These two necklaces were a lot of fun to put together, lovely old pocket watch and clock pieces with copper chain. I am told this makes them 'steampunk' I did some research and I am not sure I agree... but steampunk is fashionable and I rarely manage to be fashionable so I guess I will accept the label as a compliment.

The top and bottom necklaces are for swaps, the one in the middle a commission from a good friend.

This bottom necklace combines a delicate antique doll and shoe button with sturdy copper and a focal lava bead. There are other contrasts, the egg shaped bead and the calcified, umm.. poop.. from the ocean. There seems to be a focus in our art world at the moment on the symbology of eggs, this farm girl remembers where they come from... And holds that thought with the potential and new beginnings promised. The realistic logical side of my brain playing with the arty dream weaving side. Does it work? I hope so.

Tinkering to make trinkets...

I have not made a junk pin for a while but enjoyed pulling together bits and pieces for this one, an antique shoe button, watch part, two resin bezels, scraps of chain, an old seed pod and more.

The two pairs of steampunk earrings I made last weekend sold quickly (as Harvey mentioned) so I made another pair while the bits and pieces were on my desk. I have a couple of necklaces to show you when they arrive at their destinations and these were the left overs just calling to be tinkered with.

Both of these items are listed for sale on my Etsy.

Harvey Here for a Chat

Mum's busy today, she has to clean and make some more earrings - you should have seen the smile on her face when both the pairs she made last weekend sold. I don't like the cleaning much, lots of strange noises and that roaring monster that finds me every time I hide.
I have been here just over six months now and there is lots to tell you.
I LOVE my Archer most of all, if he has been away even for his afternoon walk, I forget I am shy and run straight up for a smooch. I really really like television, I wish it could be on all day, I do like watching it even if I am the only one in the room. I like the heater, we all do. Here I am with Archer and you can see Phantom's Paws in the bottom of the picture.
I like it when Mum talks to me and when she gives me little pieces of cheese or yoghurt off her finger.
I do not like it when new people come, and I don't like it when things change. I really, really don't like having drops on my neck or in my ear.
I HATE peas.
I am thinking about going outside, I have been looking at the cat door for a while now, it worries Mum, but she wants me to be happy. I haven't made up my mind yet ... I think I will go look for Archer ...

This and That.

I seem to be drifting at the moment art wise, I have some tough decisions to make with work and some personal challenges and while art is my respite I just can't seem to focus long enough to complete a large project. This week yielded a couple more pairs of earrings, I like these the contrast between the mechanics of the watch and their delicate structure. I am can make my own ear wires now so am using up the sterling silver ones I bought last year. These will be for sale on my Etsy very soon.

It was time to boost my card stash too. The top ones feature lots of 'little bits' off my desk mounted on inchies, then on backgrounds made from the skeleton leaves I collected below the lemon tree. I then coated the whole lot in my beloved shellac.

I don't remember who the little boy on the chair is by, but the other stamps here are Lost Aussie by the very talented Marie.

The wind is blowing and rain hitting two sides of the house, I can hear the trees and it all seems to mirror life at the moment -and yet I am enjoying the storm outside.

Wire Wrapping Excess

I set off to make a few pieces of jewellery for friends this weekend, and just kept going. The zips have reappeared, I have wrapped quartz, fabric, lace, glass, string, thread and more. It was so soothing matching colours then simply wrapping wire around each piece, I like the feel of all the different textures beneath my fingers combined with the supple copper as it runs through my fingers. All of the pieces here are now for sale at my Etsy store. I will show you the others when they have arrived at their new homes.

The beautiful skeleton leaves I photographed these on were collected from below the lemon tree this morning; the snails and slugs were enjoying stripping them clean just for me. I think these ones (the leaves, not the snails) will become the background for some journals.

I hope all the West Australians have enjoyed this long weekend.

A touch of green

Winter has arrived here in the South West of Australia, gale force winds and bucketing rain have alternated with just enough fine weather to get washing dry and little dogs exercised. There's a little whimsy in both of these journal covers and the green was a bit of a change for me.

Amid the storms and unpredictable weather one spider was very busy, and I am glad. What a joy it was to see the rain drops on this web by my mail box.