Paper love... six ways.

and of course .. my personal favourite ... 

A few facts ... a few tips ... and a quick catch up...

FACTS

I love paper. I love all kinds of paper.... however the heart races for delicate tissue thin writing paper (and if there's a water mark within it.... swoon) anything handmade, linen finish card stock and of course - as is evidenced in this post... pages from just about any vintage reference book I can find. 

There are an abundant number of abandoned books filling the shelves of thrift stores world wide. This fact simultaneously saddens and excites me. The digital era brings with it great convenience and many an environmentalist would argue the decrease of forestry pillaging, yet it also leads to the orphaning of thousands of truly stunning encyclopedia sets and reference books.

There are innumerable ways to recycle these exquisite pages and I'm on a mission to try them all. 

(Aside - Pinterest has been most helpful in my achievement of this frivolous goal)

Christmas is around the corner... I won't give you a minor cardiac episode with an accurate day count, however I will add that little compares to the pleasure of knowing your festive plots and plans are progressing along at a stress free pace.... she says smugly whilst scribbling a foreboding list longer than her arm.

TIPS

You need very few tools to transform paper into handmade loveliness. I find double sided tape, fancy edged scissors and stamps are the only "luxury purchases" required to go from basic cut and paste to... hmmmm ... how can I humbly state this... unique brilliance?? Might I add that all the brilliance lies in the delightful typography, alluring illustrations (think Websters pictorial peoples) and yellowing ageing of these parchment treasures.

Handmade is just hands down (see what I did there) a superior touch when it comes to gift giving. 

(even if the gift is store bought, the effort put into personalising ones wrapping rarely goes unnoticed)

You need not be a crafty bod to have a bit of fun with paper and you don't even have to tear out the pages (sacrilege I hear many of you scream) since the magic of scanning and/or photocopying allows you to duplicate as many of those captivating medical journal images (a gory personal favourite of mine) as you please. 

For those of you who do not have any thrifted books on hand fear not - The Graphics Fairy  is a modern day super heroine whose efforts to share vintage images in convenient down-loadable clip art form truly renders her Nobel peace prize worthy. Her website is a cornucopia of visual pleasure and well worth a visit. Obsessed with foxes and rabbits peoples ??? 

I cannot even bear to part with the corners and scraps of the paper I'm using so as you can see I sew them together (the music paper bunting) and/or turn them into mini cake flags. I'm always trying to come up with new ideas so if you can think of any other uses for these leftover bits do let me know.

I made the Monopoly money bunting for my son's room  - a token of visual abundance for all his lofty plans and dreams. Usually I turn vintage children's story books into bunting (and gift it to new mums for their nurseries and kiddies for their rooms & cubbies) yet I have found that just about any paper treasure can be turned into bunting and as for shape/size, uniformity etc ... well they're all silly rules that must be abandoned.

Even if the word "craft" has you running a mile I still think adding a personal touch to gifts and cards goes a long way to making someones day. Hand made cards are especially sacred and too easy when all you've really done is "steal" a page from an old dictionary and hand stamped the message - quick but completely unique.

CATCHING UP

Again thank you for your lovely comments and emails on my last post. I am still pretty inactive however it's only ten more sleeps and I'll have an operation that will put and end to all of this nonsense.

I am enthusiastic, optimistic and ever so grateful. Not only for the kindness and care of loved ones but also for the ability to distract myself by making and creating... twas very cathartic! 

We are back to school and Young Prince will be tackling exams pretty soon. He's at that bold and brassy age where he doggedly believes that study is for the birds and I'm trying (unsuccessfully I might add) to school him in the benefits of regular revision. Hmmm.... we shall see.

My hero of a Hubby made THIS and THIS yesterday (adapted with lemons) so I have no reason to complain about being couch bound with a couple of magazines, a pooch and a new period drama to enjoy. 

We have grandiose veggie plot and garden plans which will swing into action AS SOON as I am able to wield an axe and dig a hole. I. CANNOT. WAIT. In the meantime I swoon whilst looking at these.

How has your weekend been peoples? Have you been crafting lately? What about Christmas? (I know, I know... too early some might say) but have you begun preparations? Stocking stuffers, gift purchases, jam making? (a dream I have yet to tackle) Are you excited about summer days at the beach or are you stoking fires and donning socks? Are you out and about on a jaunt or home bound with cosier activities at hand? Do you have teenagers emptying the fridge and filling the washing machine or are yours of the littler persuasion... nappies, teething, racing around in dress-ups?? Will you be vacationing soon or will your festive season be a local one with family and friends? 

Do tell. 

♥♥♥ 

PS - The chicks are doing really well. Roz is still fiercely protective but hopefully we'll be able to move them into the bigger run soon so that the other gals can get used to them. 

A Jaunt....and the truth.

Frustrated and moody, irritable and challenged. I'd rather be honest than tell blogging fibs and post about a cosy existence that does not (at least for now) exist. 

Health issues are still lingering and even though there is most certainly "light at the end of the proverbial tunnel" I am forced to dig deep for patience and optimism. Hubby decided a day out and about might help lift the spirits and I'm happy to report that although we only managed a "half-day" adventure ....

... it was exactly what I needed.

It's no coincidence that I chose black & white to capture the day... I think when you feel a little disconnected it affects most of your choices and there was something strangely comforting about viewing images that reflected the way I'm feeling ... the way I'm seeing... the way I'm thinking.

We went to Fremantle and sat on the main street eating a tapas style lunch in the brilliance of a Perth Spring day. The atmosphere was upbeat and touristy ... as it almost always is in Freo. Oktoberfest had begun and so there were a number of events being held up and down the main stretch. (I think it's pretty tacky celebrating a very NON-Australian tradition here but I suppose local business would argue that any gimmick pulls in a crowd) 

I'm not really forcing a smile... by this stage I was truly grateful to be venturing away from the couch and soaking in some much needed Vitamin D. What this photo does not reveal is the hideousness of the busker hired to entertain with what can only be described as really bad "german folk music" with blurred cultural interventions (Shuduppayaface??? - have you heard of this song? ... Oh Dear) 

Still it's nearly impossible not to feel burdens lighten when everyone around you is basking in the first real Spring weather we've had all year and before long I found myself perking up & feeling truly grateful. I have the most amazing Husband who tends to my every need (no small feat when you consider the frightening unpredictability of a hormonal female whose stubborn attitude has yet to be defeated) I have a son who has championed me through some of the worst of this "crisis" and I have a family, friends (and you dear fellow bloggers) who have helped me tremendously. 

“In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have left such intuitive, kind and caring comments and I want you to know that EACH and EVERY one of them has touched me deeply. Just the fact that you take the time to fill in that "annoying spam decoder" thingy is a compliment in it's own right! I sit with Kleenex reading them to my Hubby who smiles, hugs me and tells me "I deserve your well wishes" ....

.... again THANK YOU. I am going in for am operation at the end of this month. The only reason I choose not to detail the specifics of my health issues is simply because we are all so very individual in our needs, bodies and medical experiences. What may have been a cause for alarm with me would not blip on anothers radar and what may be easy for me may be challenging for someone else. I have learnt of the health challenges of a few fellow bloggers (some privately and others publicly - some in great detail and some vague) and I feel that the essence of each story always brings about the same moral...

... gratitude, love, hope, friendship... these are what count. End of story. Period. Fact.

Hubby and I pondered all of these truths over our chocolate treats ... we savoured each delicious bite and reflected on the fact that even when life presents a stumbling block we are blessed to have human hands who reach out and lift you up, cheer you on and celebrate your victories with you.

Yes... a jaunt with a loved one, a few rays of sunshine and some chocolate ...was far better than ANY of the Doctors orders. 

We are smack bang in the middle of school vacation here and I'm blessed to have my Young Prince with me ... most days ...

(teenage social calendars... methinks the President of America aint this busy!!) 

...and I hope to enjoy a walk in the park with him later today. These casual dates often lead to deeper things as we chat, laugh and ponder life's very important issues - although can anyone really ever say which cross species would make for the best super hero powers??? 

On another note I'd like to introduce you to the two newest members of our family....

Welcome to Fay & Cassandra - a spritely Welsummer and a plucky Rhode Island Red. 

We ventured with friends on the weekend to help them choose a new feathered family... 

(they recently lost ALL six of their gals to a Fox frenzy!) 

...and ended up with two of our own. As you do. 

Method in our madness though. 

Our dear sweet Roz became broody three days ago and so last night we snuck 

these two darlings beneath her while she slept ...

(we've done this before with great success)

... and woke early this morning to find them following her dutifully and nestling as though 

she'd been there Mum all along. Oh how I love chickens!

Updates to follow I promise.

I've had a few people ask about their names and (although it may seem cheesy) we have chosen to name all our chickens after female characters in the American sitcom Frasier. It was a show that provided emotional/comic relief in a time when we were nursing a loved one through Cancer so we have fond memories attached. So far there has been Roz, Daphne (RIP) Lillith and Maris... and now Fay and Cassandra. We have at least twenty more names to choose from too... my favourite being Mrs Moon.

Well peoples... I wish I could say I have a day of marathon running, cartwheel turning and dancing ahead but alas I am forced to choose from activities of the slightly more docile nature. Today will consist of reading, light tidying, crafting & creating and checking on two little chicks at regular intervals. 

I promise though that my next post will not contain a stitch of self pity and I will make a concerted effort to include colour filled images of creative ventures, cute animals ... and so forth ... and so forth.

For now though... a sincere thank you for indulging me in my woes and pondering life through a colour  drained lens. In truth I think it adds to the poetic irony of the day... ♥♥♥

Wishing you bundles of fun for the week ahead!

I'm going to put the kettle on now - steep a delicious brew and catch up on all your adventures... 

...which I'm sure will be even more tonic for my soul. 

Aaaah... I feel better already :-) 

Slowing Down...

Gosh... what to write about when it feels like life is taking off without you?

What to say when you've been unwell, in pain and couch/bedbound?

(nothing serious and I will recover but boy oh boy!)

Well I realised that one of the nicest things to do is to read about the adventures of other 

people who are having a ball, facing new adventures and possibly even trying to overcome

greater obstacles than my own... yep that helped.

Taking photos is also a favourite past time of mine and it isn't too hard to find 

beauty in some of the simplest things in life ... when you keep your eyes peeled.

I've been staying at Mums (she's a born nurse) and her green fingers have inspired me immensely

She told me that this Cyclamen was pure white but she had been pouring a little bit of diluted beetroot

juice (when rinsing out her cup) on it and low and behold it changed colour. It was a small amount too so it had me wondering what other plants might react this way? I know Hydrangeas can be altered depending on what type of soil but I'd never heard of beetroot juice working? 

I mean yes - we've all seen cut flowers dyed with food colouring but beetroot juice?

Hmmm... Ideas, ideas. 

As I mentioned before, Mum has green fingers for sure - and green toes too I expect.

Her garden deserves a post all of it's own but but I had to share this one. 

I love this statue and in the pot he guards Mum has Maiden Hair fern growing alongside 

Geranium and Colocasia ... all in the same pot... seriously???

It's been a very wet September here in Perth. Whilst we are grateful since our dams

are low (and our farmers desperately need the water) I know it's been strange to have 

fires lit and woollens on so late in the year. The majority of people in Perth get pretty crabby when the 

weather turns grey. You can sense the longing for sunshine and beaches and barbecues.

Hubby and I love the wet weather and we never get the Winter Blues 

(dare I say it but we in fact get the Summer Sads!)

So we've been capitalising on the cosy factor and watching an illegal amount of 

Escape To The Country, Country Home Restoration and Grand Designs... as you do.

Pooch doesn't mind though... he just loves a lap.

So there's my post all about nothing.

Well to be fair I titled it "slowing down" since that's all you can 

do when life throws you a curveball and rest is required.

I think my next post will be about all the stunning things I've discovered on

Pinterest... my other favourite couch activity.

I hope you are having a great day peoples?

It's a public holiday here today so we are taking our 15 year old son to

the train station where he'll be embarking on a day at the Royal Show with 

friends... some who are girls!!... (I think that means way more to me than him)

We have something yummy on the menu to look forward to though:

Homemade Gnocchi with a Butternut Pumpkin Sauce. Yum.

One more thing.... the first image is that of a gift given to me by my Hubby.

He felt I needed cheering up and treated me to this stunning fragrance.

It's officially now my favourite.

Thank you again babe.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Breaking the rules... all of them.

The Blue Window - Matisse

How many times have you told yourself "Well I guess that's how it's done" only to 

find out that in fact there are so many other ways to "get it done"

Anna Zborowska - Amedeo Modigliani

How many times have you felt like standing up in front of the crowd and yelling

"You're all WRONG!!"

The Park - Gustav Klimt

How many times have you stumbled upon a brilliant idea and then

sabotaged it within seconds ... usually by just ignoring it and not acting upon it

The Olive Trees - Vincent Van Gogh

Have you ever found yourself defending your viewpoint and then 

realising "Hang on! This a VIEWPOINT... how can I be wrong??"

Church at Murnau - Wassily Kandinsky

What about those days when you begin creating and the world just melts away...

....minutes turn to hours and you forget to eat your lunch....

... the light dims outside but your eyes are adjusting so you don't notice...

Road near L'Estaque - Georges Braque

.... then someone walks in and turns a light on and you realise that time

has stood still for you and that, for even just a few moments... you had melted into

the canvas of life and fused with all the other beautiful colours...

Illumined Pleasures - Salvador Dali

... but the dishes are dirty, but that idea has had it's day, but there's no time, 

but I don't have the money, but... but... but.....

La Goulue at the Moulin - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

In times of crisis they say we humans either fight or fly

I happen to think that some of the greatest art comes from these moments of crisis...

I still use brushes - Arman Pierre Fernandez

... and then what we see on the canvas, in the photo, within the statue...

Untitled 1980  - Cindy Sherman

.. is a symbol of flying or fighting...

Rocks Upon The Beach Upon the Rocks - Lawrence Weiner

I make so many mistakes when i'm creating and very often

when I look back on my previous works I realise I was my harshest

critic. Art has no boundaries people. Therefore it has to include the mistakes.

Repository - George Brecht

The greats knew... KNOW... this. 

An innate sense of what it is to express you're authentic itself

without caution nor concern for what the observer may say or do...

Self Playing Violin - Laurie Anderson

... a desperate drive to make, build, paint, sculpt, write, sew, 

speak, film, play... breathe the art that needs to be seen...

Elizabeth - Chuck Close

... that's the purest form of magic I have ever seen...

Colorado Springs, Colorado - Robert Adams

FACT: The greats broke the rules...

ALL of them.

Untitled - Urs Fischer 

My trip to the state gallery to see a guest exhibition

"Van Gogh, Dali and Beyond - The world reimagined"

had me in utter, speechless awe. 

Exquisitely curated and thoughtfully assigned it presented

works by well known and lesser known artists who all shared

a valuable common thread. The fine gossamer line of rebellion.

The "in your face" flip of the middle finger.

The careful, shy and deliberate thumbing of the nose.

The disdain for the norm.

The rules learnt, then shunned, then broken.

Peoples I cannot begin to sum up this exhibition and as for the photos taken

with my camera... well they are just token.

I will however, leave you with a note on the third last image.

The portrait by a man called Chuck Close.

A man who suffers from Prosopagnosia

Also known as Face Blindness.

Yes... you read correctly... a portrait artist who struggles to recognise

faces (and remember them even when he does) decided to paint portraits. 

A man who, at one point, threw away all his 

tools in order to force himself to undertake artistic challenges

he knew he had no facility for.

And ... wait for it... 

A man who in 1988 suffered a seizure which left him paralysed

from the neck down.

A man who now paints with his brush taped to his wrist.

*******

Today peoples let's all try something new...

....let's honour the greats...

Those who walked the walk before us, faced the 

ridicule and then turned around and taught us all a valuable lesson...

Break the rules... all of them.

Restless....

I woke up this morning around quarter to five...

... the wind was howling and the rain pelting down so hard 

that I was sure my chickens would be floating around in their run

(can chickens swim???))

I had to get up and move

The storm rendered me grateful for a gas hob

Here in the hills we lose power during storms regularly

Tree branches (and often trees themselves) crash to the ground

... taking power lines down with graceful ease

Then heroes - volunteering heroes - come out from the safety

of their homes to assist in the clean up that ensues

This would be one of those stormy days for sure

I wondered where Spring had disappeared to

Why was she so shy this year?

We need the rain and I'm a Winter loving gal

Yet ... today I felt...

 I would like to see the sunshine at least once....

♥♥♥