a little bit more of the cloth doll symposium

 I really didnt take a lot of photos, and in some they have not come out well. but here are a few more. Leaving, elenor peace bailey (epb0, Jandee and Barbara Willis stiking a pose, the others had gone before we thought to get our cameras out.
The doll the Newcastle dollies made for Gloria, wouldlove to do one of these.
The view we had every morning at breakfast, often there were surfers and we hoped for a whale but didnt see one.
A brush turkey, they had a nest mound near where we walked for breakfast but it was very dark so hard to take photos, I did see the pair scratching into the mound one morning, they lay their eggs in the mound and the heat generated helps to hatch the eggs, so they open it u and close it constantly to make sure the temperature is correct.
I didnt manage to take a photo of the water dragons who were by the pool, I only saw them one day they were quite large and looked a bit like an iguana. I had to look them up on the internet as I hadnt heard of them before.
Having come home to much colder and wetter weathert I am now aching again!! Grrrr.

Dolls in the attic retreat at Coffs Harbour

 I am home tired but enthused. I got home on Tuesday evening after a long day of flying and airports and then yesterday it was Adelaide again and hair cuts.
To day I am unpacking and slowly trying to sort out things.
I came home with a selection of unfinished dolls, which is what I expected, I was slow and got tired and our apartment was a long way from the breakfast and class areas, secluded, a little dark but comfortable.
Here is its photo, we backed onto the creek.
The view of the beach and ocean from the dining area, I didnt manage to actually get onto the beach as there was water to paddle through first and my knee wasnt quite up to that.
Having said that I walked a lot, but did need my stick.
Next photo is of Jaslyn and I dressed up for the "pink" banquet, Jaslyn shared our apartment, is lucky to be so thin and able to wear outrageous things, like a tutu, but not as outrageous as Jandee who was from Hawaii and an absolute hoot, so lucky to meet her as she was great fun, I think I tend to be rather dull these days!
Finally my almost finished paper doll done in Betts Vidals class, I will add more embellishments as I find time.
So tired I am not sure what I will get done but my suitcase is emptied and I will gather some not quite finished dolls and put them together over the next few days, possibly weeks!
More photos to come tomorrow.

Fun dollies

 These photos go with the post that doesnt have any photos.
Top is Lily.
 Next is Amanda.
Last is Laura with her lizard.
 .

Having fun

 More little dolls.
The photos for this post are below, sometimes I have trouble getting the photos with the post whenthere are a lot of people on the net in my area. This is Lily, she always wanted to be called Tiger Lily but then found that tigers have stripes and she likes spots.
The next one is Amanda who had been invited to a safari party but after dressing decided that her hair just wasnt going to be right, so she stayed home.
Finally here is Laura who was walking down the street with her pet lizard and couldnt work out why every one was looking at her.
Blowing a gale and very wet, a day to stay in and play.

From sun to floods

 Yesterday John didn suggest we went in to walk first and then do the shopping, as we got back to the car the clouds were looking very threatening, such a contrast to the start of our walk.
It then rained and blew all day and most of the night, over 30 mm of rain to 9 am
(We are an official rain recording station).
By about 4.30pm John and I went down to see what the back Valley creek looked like, I love it when it floods, it was getting a bit dark for good photos but you get the idea, the bridge over on the side road wasnt coping well and there was water all over the road to the neighbours.
I think part of the trouble is that we havent had enough high creeks in the last few years to scour out the creek bed.
Here is my week in embroideries.
Fog on the bare trees in the orchard, a flat tyre on Saturday. Sunday hills blossoms out. Monday, no more stick after a visit to the physio.
Tuesday, and most of the week, making cloth dolls, not many flowers in the garden to pick on Wednesday but I did find some arum lillies, my mother always said I shouldnt bring them into the house as she classed them as funeral flowers, now I see they use them for weddings.
Thursday I had an optometrist visit, no new glassed yet but a cataract is deepening, perhaps next year I will have to have it operated on.
Friday was shopping and rain. so that is actually more than a week, now to find another piece of fabric for the next week or so.
I am having fun with this, but now I have to keep it up!!

I have been busy

 It has not been terribly good weather for doing much outside and John has been busy with tax so no outings.
Penny from Tanglewood Threads blog ( sorry Penny I cant get my link thing to work) in Nova Scotia has a lovely idea for doing a year long embroidery diary and in talking to her about it I mentioned that I was a cloth doll maker and going on this retreat next week and she asked did I know of Margi Hennen who was a friend of hers, One of my first dolls was made from a pattern I made up using one of her dolls for inspiration, back I think around 1997 and I still have that doll, must take its photo, any way I looked at Margi's site and loved what I saw, I drew up these small dolls as prototypes and they are so much fun. I really think I like to make these rather primitive fun dolls as against the dolls I will be making next week, sorry the photo isnt the best. the older I get the less easy it is to make small fingers etc.
so in the middle is Una who was invited to a party but had nothing to wear so had herself tattooed all over.
On the left is Megs who thought she looked rather it and a bit but isnt sure about the h and bag now, when she bought it she thought it would be wonderful but now worries it is a bit big and furry.
On the right is Pansy who would really rather be blending in in her garden than having to go shopping.
I do hope Margi Hennan doesnt mind.
Then the bit of embroidery, this is a practice run for the real thing and I did have fun trying out some stitches and doing a doll shape for the comission I have been asked to do I know this is a bit of a mess the real thing looks better and I will put that up when week one is finished..
So that is my few days, grass is growing, magpies are caroling and birds are racing around with twigs in their beaks, starting to nest.

Open Studio visit

Yesterday we went to visit the open studio of Silvio Apponyi in the Adelaide hills.
A glorious drive in the hills, sun out, blue skies, green paddocks and lots of almond blossom out.
I enjoyed the visit to the studio as Silvio explained to me how he does his various art works, as well as a wonderful carver of wood and stone he is also a great lost wax bronze artist and as a side line does lino cuts and wood cuts!
He is in the photo with John, in his shed and all around were the rocks, tools, wood and various other wonderful things to be found in the surrounds of some one who does 'all of that'. I would love to own a piece but such stuff doesnt come cheaply, and nor it should.
We came home to Victor for a late lunch and then decided it had been a long day.
Double click to enlarge the photos.

The best laid plans

 This morning we set off early and in high hopes to go to an open studio in the hills when....
a flat tyre, by the layby at Cut Hill.
I took photos of the wall and the other side of the wall and the wattle blossom (and the ute).
Finally the RAA came to fix it, just as well as John would never have got under there to do it all.
So we headed back into Victor to get another tyre and 2 1/2 hours later we came home for lunch and a rest.
Perhaps tomorrow?

On my walk down to the road

It is cold this morning but I managed a walk down to the road, and a little way along the road as well.
I saw the big aloe flowering, a pile of cut wood, sand left after the creek had flooded over the neioghbours fence, and my neighbours violets flowering well.
One of the pony stallions interrupted eating his breakfast, a lovely shaggy gum who is losing its bark, a bright pink daisy bush that so far hasnt had to contend with a frost and the winter buddlea whoe nectar is giving sustanence to bees and honey eating birds and finally my lemon tree in all its glory.
I cant believe this lemon, for years I tried to grow one and the soil and frosts defeated me, finally I found one on a suitable stock and it has done amazingly well.
I am starting on a new stitching journey, I think, I will explain another day.
for those who dont read my drawing blog, the orphan foal is so far doing well. The photo of the mare and foal on my previous post, suddenly about 18 hours after foaling the mare was found dead, no struggle, possibly a heart attack, the foal thank goodness is big and strong and is taking to being hand reared well, but there is a long way to go and poor Sarah is having to feed her every 2 hours for the next 2 weeks. Then a long time of feeds but at least after 2 weeks we should be able to get her onto a bucket and not so many feeds per day.

First foal of the season

 Not a good photo as I tried walking in my rubber boots and it was not easy! so this was taken from quite a long way away. A very sweet bay Welsh Mountain filly born last night. It rained for most of the night too. but she seems strong and is drinking and roaring around the paddock.
On my way back inside I saw this late rose, Lamarque which I love, it smells of citrus. you can see it has been quite wet and the petals are marked but it was such a lovely thing to see on this winters day.

Yesterday we saw whales

 To day is wet cold and windy, a good day to stay inside, although we did go in to get papers and pick up some lovely beef pies from ,y posh pie lady.
The weather wasnt as bad then, now it is horrid.
Yesteray was cold and windy but clear.
We went to Bashams Beach and saw several whales, mothers and calves but they were not terribly close in and the sea was a bit rough, this was the best photo on my little camera, a mother and calf with a flipper raised up.
These are southern right whales who have been coming back in increasing numbers to calve and mate.
Over 50 years a go when John and I were first married it was extremely rare to see them, although I do remember a dead one washed ashore, now they are a tourist attraction.
his nice little carving was by the viewing platform and I then did a short walk along the bike track towards this lovely old stone building. That is not a wall infront but a long stone trough.
Today is a day to try and finish my little big foot women,  by the fire.

A commission

 These havent scanned very well but you get the idea. I made them in 2008, where does the time go?
Any way I was asked the other day to make another 4 for the person who bought them and I have been busy getting together all the things I need and the faces and hands and feet made.
I had totally forgotten how I made them so it has been a learning curve, has some of my brain gone while under the anaesthetic? I hope not.
I found needle felting on my machine a bit interesting as my right knee doesnt bend quite as it should, which is also why I havent sewn up my body for the doll retreat at Coffs harbor, which is not far away now, scary how the weeks have wizzed by and I feel I have very little to show for it.
Poor John has gone down with a cold and is feeling miserable, so I have had to get back to washing and cooking and cleaning! Do you think he did it on purpose?