safely in Hamilton

I arrived in Auckland yesterday morning - it was pouring cats and dogs  - I did a bit of exploring and found a few interesting things and then I drove to Hamilton - off and on rain all the way - I shall try to put some in my suitcase to take home. Today I set up at the show and borrowed a sewing machine and then discovered that someone in Perth at the show must have 'borrowed' my Bernina low shank so can't use my flower stitcher yet but one is being couriered up tonight. In the meantime I have been making bowls using silk cocoons and microwave in my unit. Very successful so there will still be plenty to do tomorrow. Caught up with a few friends but forgot the camera - shall take some pics tomorrow

Leaving Ian in charge

Yes - I am off to New Zealand again tonight - for the Craft show in Hamilton so if you are going to it do come and see the Textile Tantrums and me playing away. Not that I have packed anything as yet - we discovered the plane schedule has changed and it leaves later - just as well for me. Ian is in charge and will probably have a good week if he has time.

Jacinta - link on left in links - has a super tutorial on embossing velvet - she says it all so  much better than I do. I think the big round Illuminations stamp is one of her favourites.

When we were in Okarito Ian walked up to the trig station and took some great shots - this is looking back down - you can't see me - I was indoors making felt.

This is Donovan's Store - the oldest wooden building on the West Coast I do believe. It is now used for performances I think.

Meant to say that the other night we went to Clarkes in North Beach with Val and Jim. highly recommend - a fabulous restaurant. And b.y.o which helps. Great food, great ambience, great staff even though it was out somewhere where our car doesn't go often. We got a bit lost getting there but made it back safely.

If I can mange it, I shall try to blog while I am away - I wll be back next Monday. Keep Ian busy while I am gone

a beautiful Sunday in Perth

Glorious day today - we have mostly been working and finally got the newsletter out. But first - welcome to September - note to self - try harder next month.

I have been playing with a new discharge gel I received just before we went to NZ - only just found time. I don't usually play with discharge paste and bleaches these days because I don't like the fumes and stuff but this one is non-toxic and has a citron smell. I have a piece of fabric - I think it came from Kiwi Quilts but I couldn't swear to that - anyway I stamped with the gel and when it was dry, simply ironed it. The bottom one - I sprayed some Glitz Spritz in Silhouette Silver over the top - the mica sure sparkles.

Next ones are playing on Tissutex which had been dyed black. I was spraying it through a stencil but ended up a bit heavy handed - the top is the stencil - the bottom the negative. Then to hurry it up I zapped it with my heat gun and managed to start a fire - there is a juicy hole up towards the top. Silly me - I put it out with the bottom of a plastic paint jar! (Just as well the health and safety person wasn't on site) But I rather like the effect. I had previously fed that piece of Tissutex through an embossing folder so you may be able to see some of the texture.

This one is the same black Tissutex but it has rusting powder applied when I was experimenting so here I used the gel through a stencil.

Again, I was experimenting on a piece of Tissutex previously sprayed with Moonshadow Mists and Starburst Sprays and at some stage foils as well. Good effect and I shall be playing further before too long. The gel comes in a jar or a spray bottle - they will be on the web before too long - Ian has a little backlog at present.

Some more photos from the West Coast  - this is Lake Mapourika at a perfect time of the evening. Mapourika was the daughter of Karito after whom Okarito must be named.

and a couple more. This lake is on the way to Franz Joseph from Okarito - there are quite a number of lakes along the coast highway.

Late last night we went to Grant's and watched the Wallabies/Springbox game. nothing like leaving the excitement to the last dying seconds of the game.

a wee bit of fame

Do go visit Romance Bandits

Barbara Monajem has written a book titled 'Tastes of Love and Evil" and she tells me she was inspired by my garments which  were in Quilting Arts #9. I am so flattered and even more so to be mentioned along with Elizabeth 1. I adore the Elizabethan period and have immersed myself in the history and music and literature of that period for a long time - and been inspired by the costumes in my work so I am incredibly honoured that I could inspire someone. Thanks Barbara and I will just have to get hold of your book.


This was the first art to wear garment I made - loads of silk paper making and twin needling and working on Romeo. These days she lives in the elements guarding my studio.


We woke this morning to the news of the earthquake in Christchurch. So lucky that noone has been killed. We only flew out on Wednesday. We have been waiting for many years for a big earthquake but always thought it would be in Wellington not Christchurch. You just never know.

busy busy thursday

Like I thought, we have been busy today catching up - well almost. loads of parcels to be collected and sorted - and mail to wade through and orders to work our way through. Here is one of the pages of my little holiday Okarito book. and below is another. Who knows when I will get to finish the rest!

 Okarito, among other things, is the home of the rare brown kiwi - if we go back next year we might be able to go on a nightly tour to see if we can spot one.

Cedar Cottage where we stayed - everything we could ask for apart from the monstrosity in front of it which we did not photograph. The place with the helicopter shed underneath..... As you can see the day Ian took this was absolutely beautiful.

Okarito lagoon with the snow capped mountains in the background. Bit of heaven on earth.

Many parcels today including the latest Embellish - issue 3 - they will go out tomorrow - looks a great issue but I haven't done more than flick through - mostly to read my article on rusting powder...

 The QA Giifts magazine - all ready to post tomorrow - I think there are 2 issues over so if you want one you will need to be quick.

And - the fabulous new book from Gwen Hedley - Drawn to Stitch - I have been waiting for this and it is fabulous -I did sneak a read of part over lunch.

Now I had better go and do something about the washing which I put into the machine this morning - I expect it won't dry in there. Then we are off to dinner with Val and Jim.

home again home again jiggety jig

We arrrived back tonight after a good long flight from Christchurch to Auckland and then Auckland to Perth. Landed with a couple of other planes so it was slow going through customs etc. We made our way back to the east coast on Tuesday, over the Lewis Pass, stopping at Hamner for a swim in the hot pools. Well worth it - cold and raining but once you sit in the pools - well. The pools are different temperatures - we started at 38degrees then I moved off to one at 37degrees but Ian popped into the one at 44degrees - looked like a boiled lobster.

Had a lovely meal out last night and today a beautiful flight up to Auckland over the Southern Alps - more snow had fallen over night - this is not a bad photo from my i-phone. Ian took lots of great pics with his camera including Mt Egmont - sometimes when you fly up or down NZ it is beautiful and others cloudy - today we got lucky.

We will be busy tomorrow - lots of magazines arriving and a number of parcels to be redelivered. Not to mention a heap of orders - I worked hard while we were away to keep up with the emails so it isn't as daunting as it might be.

But off to eat something tonight and in the morning see how the garden is going. Have to say we had a wonderful week mostly in Okarito.

relaxing time

We are having a wonderful relaxing time at Okarito - it rained most of Saturday but was beautiful and sunny on Sunday - Monday morning geting to be time to go it is another lovely day.  I couldn't resist another photo of the shed on the jetty - I have photographed it each time we have been here and yesterday I bought a postcard of it as well. It sits on the edge of the lagoon.

We have been on some walks through the bush

lots of ferns

deep in the blurry forest

I didn't see any dotterels on thebeach but I did find a shell or two

and lots of stones

Ian brandishing his lovely new camera pictures from which I will post when we get back home. We went to Franz Joseph for dinner last night since we had run out of food - a good spot for a good restaurant opportunity for an aspiring chef - he or she isn't there yet.

A cabbage tree beside the lagoon

I have a bit of dry felting and stitching so not totally unproductive. That velvet will shrivel up when wet felted.

Today we are off to Reefton. Hope you have enjoyed my pics. Have some better ones soon......

West Coast and Okarito

This is the view we saw when driving from Christchurch to the coast - the snow capped mountains waiting for us but not as much snow as I thought there would be which is good really as Ian wasn't excited at any prospect of driving through snow. The car rental people told us that if you hire and plan to drive to Queenstown you must have chains. Nice sunny day driving on the east coast side of the mountains - the Southern Alps in case you wonder and haven't ever been to beautiful NZ.

All that rich farming land. Next day Ian met a guy on the beach in Okarito who had arrived same time as us in a helicopter - his farmer mate from Ashburton's helicopter- twenty minute flight across the alps. As I say - rich farming country.

 At Arthur's Pass, we stopped for coffee and this friendly Kea was sitting outside - I expect they do well - they are very cheeky.

A little further down the road we stopped to look back at the Otira viaduct which is pretty spectacular and I posted pictures lasy November when we went over it. I was going to get out to take a photo but these cheeky Keas were busy hopping over the car and this one settled himself on the mirror- obviously very used to tourists and travellers.

The view on the each in the morning when I went for my walk. Now Ian has a new camera I have been allocated the old one - the beach was deserted except for us

 Lots of driftwood everywhere - a real West Coast beach. We don't need to collect any for our fire - the wood shed is full with both chopped wood and kindling. Don't even need to chop it.

Looking back towards the snow capped mountains which you can barely see- the light was very bright-my glasses which are those changing ones were as black as could be and very fast.

Looking to the sea - not as visible as it really was - there were some very big waves crashing in - varying shades of grey all around me.

And all the wonderful stones everywhere but no - I really can't take them all home with me. Magical.

Lots of rain later when we went off to Whataroa so we didn't go for a bush walk. However it is the coast and it will rain - right now on Sat morning the sun is out again so time to be off and explore.

We have arrived at Okarito

Had a great flight over - Ian seemed to manage to sleep   allthe way- got into Auckland at 5.20am and then flew to Christchurch - you go through as an international flyer and do your customs stuff in ChCh. Then we picked up our car, went shopping and drove over. The weather in Canterbury was good and sunny but it starting raining and closed in once we hit the mountains.Not as much snow as I expected but it was a lovely drive. Shopped some more in Hokitika - perishables - and got here about 5.30. Now the fire is lit, the cds are playing, the wine is poured and the local cheeses are being tasted. What more could you ask for? I am settling in with PD James. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Piccies tomorrow especially the kea or two we came across.

Such excitement - Okarito here we come

I wrote in the newsletter that we were having a sneaky break during August - well - this evening we are off to New Zealand - flying to Auckland and then to Christchurch - pick up a car and off to Okarito via the Otira Gorge. Stopping in Ilam to do our grocery shopping and in Hokitika for the remainder. Okarito is on the West Coast of the South Island and we are looking forward to relaxing and reading and walking and maybe a boat trip and visit the glaciers or whatever. I have my pile of stuff of course so hoping to do drawing, playing, stitching and some felting. We have hired a bach so no local restaurants this week. I shall have to cook every night.....

Isn't the beach glorious - and looking at the weather at present I think it will be wet and cold maybe. Who knows? But we will have a log fire to keep us warm.

Okarito is the home of the white heron - we may be a wee bit early and I know we are a wee bit early for whitebait as the West Coast has different dates from the rest of New Zealand. But you never know what you will find.

Lots of snow I expect.

Okarito from the sea - not sure what computer access we will have but if we do I will post to my blog. When we leave we will go up through Reefton and catch up with Max - go out for dinner but not to Dawsons ever again.

 Then we will drive back over the Lewis Pass through Hamner for a swim in the hot pools - there are springs here - very famous - in the 'olden' days the wealthy used to go up from Christchurch - Ian likes the very hot pool - me - no.

and back to Christchurch. Then we are going out to dinner to Saggio di Vino

finally we fly back home via Auckland - back in action next Thursday 2nd September. Kia Ora

studio today? - HA

How could I have imagined that I would get into the studio today - not only did several people order loads more Angelina which meant a lot of packaging - again - but the latest Cloth Paper Scissors arrived - I knew it was due and hoped it wouldn't arrive tomorrow so thankful for that. All dispatched - I think there might be one copy left - I shall have a quick read of it tonight.

Whilst we are still having a few dramas with the kangaroo paws and may lose some - they are mostly all starting to come into flower. But as well as that the grevilleas are statring to look rather beautiful as well. The birds love them.

I have decided to make you hang in suspense until tomorrow to tell you our excitement. Too busy and off to tidy and sort first.