7th May 2008
Well, the new desk was a complete debacle. We took down my old, grey, albatross of a desk, stacked it all in the shed, unpacked and constructed the new desk only to find that it wobbled uncontrollably, and unfortunately it was nothing to do with the assembly. We took it all apart again, packed it all up and sent it back to the manufacturer. So I have cleaned off my craft table, shoved it over to the other side of the room and it is now my computer desk. The good ol’ Ingo from IKEA - nice and cheap and solid as a rock… mostly… comparatively. Here’s my On My Desk photo for this week. A record of the most minimal my desk will ever manage to be. Crafting will have to wait until I get to IKEA and get yet another Ingo table… I love the Ingo, it’s like your basic pair of denim jeans. Goes with everything. Wear it anywhere. Dependable. And it can even be quite pretty if you dress it up.
So as you can see, life is pretty dull around here at the moment. Sick children means a lot of interior desk shots and not much else. I went out and visited Christina in her new house today, which was a nice change of scenery and inspiring as always. I even took my camera but didn’t remember to take any snaps to sparkle things up around here. I love Christina and Paul’s house, no matter where they are living. They are more settled and set up in three weeks than we are in three years. Very impressive.
23rd April 2008
On my desk on a Wednesday happens so fast! Here’s what I have managed to squeeze in amongst all the detritus today… this is the next stencil I am going to cut. Thank you to everyone who helped out with stencil material suggestions and resources yesterday and today. Every time a comment came in I would say “Wow! Another good idea!”. For others who are contemplating doing some stenciling, the use of spray adhesive when placing the stencil is especially good advice. It’s a tip that a very kind and helpful woman in the art supply shop gave me on weekend and without it I would have been lost and yesterday’s use of tracing paper would have been frustrating if not impossible. For the next stencil I have decided to try Karena’s method which is to treat manilla envelope paper (although I used Kraft envelope paper which I hope is the same thing) with linseed oil (check her comment from 23rd April at 12.44pm for more details — and see a sample here). You can see there’s quite a lot of detail in my design so her words “cut as smooth as butter” was hard to resist. I had both envelopes and refined linseed oil on hand so I am waiting for a coat of oil to dry over night. Thank you Karena!
9th April 2008
On my desk today is a little pile of Japanese fabrics from Patchwork on Central Park — the strawberries are very, very cute. That’s also a bit of Rosa’s ribbon draped casually across it. Under that is a Moleskine dedicated to “ideas for my online store”. Under that is a canvas for a painting I am going to start working on today. Under that is my folder of patterns which needs to go back on the shelf.
To the right, sitting on my sketch books, is a little removable thumb drive which contains my NOVEL. In moments of enthusiasm I am writing a modern Chick-Lit tale of love, loss and umm.. bad writing, mostly. I started it last September and haven’t written very much since. However, I have just finished reading Melanie La’Brooy’s Serendipity which was quite fun, and was inspired to read Room with a View again, so now I am contemplating tackling chapter two, in which my heroine (and her two children) move to the mountains. The hero is a rugged, forest dwelling type. The bad guy is a washed-up television writer with stone washed jeans and nicotine stained fingers (of course). Her mother, who is gorgeous and bohemian (and looks like Miriam Margolyes), is a botanical artist (I might have to pick your brains some time Prue!), and her father, a retired country doctor, (who looks like Bill Nighy) is a pessimistic old bastard who has lost his joie de vie, and plants seeds of doubt as he has nothing better to do. I think he might be healed through vegetable gardening. That could work.
27th March 2008
We’re in the middle of school holidays so blogging time is pretty limited… sleep ins, Horton hears a Who, fairy crafts and mad playdough sessions are in abundance.
I have also completely lost track of time so here’s On My Desk… on a Wednesday a day late.
Back row L-R: Mark Ryden print, cushion waiting to be stitched up to go on Amelia’s bed, vintage doll’s face found on ebay some years ago, ukulele cuteness, a new doll pattern I I’m working on but the proportions are all wrong! It looks a little South Park.
Front row L-R: Suitcase full of buttons, folder full of patterns, moleskines full of doodles.
19th March 2008
On my desk on a Wednesday has rolled around quickly again.
Cute huh? Amelia did this in an art class for toddlers back in the day. While the finished product is lovely I don’t condone the practice — It was one of those classes where the lovely teacher sat at the head of the table and said “Ok now everyone take a sticker and stick it on the face, and there’s an eye! Now take another sticker and stick it on the other side of the face and there’s the other eye! Now let’s all add some wool for hair!” Etc. Craft by numbers really. Amelia can take complete credit for the colour choices though — love the red hair with the jaunty maroon feather. We lasted in that class another two sessions then I decided it was not for us and we stayed at home and made messes with glue on our own time. Amelia still, to this day, will occasionally ask “when can we go back to the art class mum? I loved that class!” — so there you go. Perhaps we should have stuck it out.
I am over this sick thing. Both girls slept through the night last night and that is a rare feat indeed but unfortunately I woke myself up coughing and hacking around 3 and so it was completely wasted. I’m off to the doctor’s this evening so perhaps that will put an end to all this complaining on my blog. Tomorrow I promise something joyful!
12th March 2008
Here’s a little break away from my usual “On my desk… on a Wednesday” post. It’s dire. I need to do something about my studio. PRONTO. Yesterday I wrote an email to Pip telling her that it looks as though a Craft Bomb has gone off in here and I’m not exaggerating. I’m posting these photos to embarrass myself into action. I am truly ashamed. Nichola’s been cleaning out her craft room but I see that her before shot actually looks like something I aspire to as my after shot (sob!)! This studio is such a great room with such great potential. I have been looking at beautiful studios about the place and I need to get to it as it’s getting to the point where there is no room (nor motivation) to work in here.
Have a look… here are my “before” shots:
Can you even see my sewing machine in there?
Oh look - there it is.
And how about Phil’s side of the room? Well, he’s getting hemmed in by my mess .
He’s a wonderfully patient and understanding man.
So hopefully sometime soon it will look totally “Atelier de Filles” - really! Wish me luck!
5th March 2008
Arghhh! I am having one of those days. Everything I touch seems to turn to poo.
This is my desk (for On my desk… on a Wednesday). I am in the middle of doing some gocco prints and it’s not going so well. The little spring which helps hold the lamp unit in to the gocco has gone, and all my inks look splodgey. Originals have been fusing to the screens and I am feeling like gocco and me were not meant to be.
This is my floor, where I did most of my printing yesterday (note splodgey ink). Today my neck, legs and arms feel as though I have been having a major work out so this afternoon I have moved it all to my desk. Lara makes it all look so easy… sigh.
27th February 2008
Ink! And brushes!
I am not sure what I am going to turn this in to — gocco print? Embroidery? I am still playing with it. It’s meant to be Lily in our garden, hence the pumpkin leaves, cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. I haven’t drawn the possum-massacred capsicum bushes nor the forgot-to-be-watered herb pots… nor the weeds! That will be an entirely different embroidery or gocco print.
Kirsty started this little meme and just as I was wondering what I should post today, this came along. It’s nice that it’s happening on a Wednesday as I have some time to do some work on Wednesdays so can do a kind of WIP thing.
Truth be told, This isn’t actually my desk. This is the kitchen table but it was my desk for today so it kind of counts. My desk is below — and as you can see it’s got too dark to take any more photographs so that will have to do for this week.
