Le Scrunch

from this - to this - in about 2 minutes - I am playing - the detail is not so clear but trust me - it has scrunched into a wonderful texture with Starburst Sprays for extra Black Orchid colouring.


and this is another little one - they are all worked on cotton gauze

Nahm and Nahm Thai

In London we went to Nahm and tonight we are off to Nahm Thai to tell them all about it. This soup was divine.

Autumn Colours

Bruce has been out taking some wonderful photos in Maruyama Park in Sapporo -
Autumn Colours

do go check them out. As you can see, I was especially taken with this one - I can see all manner of ideas flowing out. I love Autumn (and Spring but Autumn most of all). In Perth we mostly have Summer and off-Summer and we really miss the changing of the colours etc.

Bruce and Kazuko tell me that the little hangings are wishes which people leave at shrines. The clear is is a message from someone who has lost his girlfriend. I think I could work on this concept very well (not the losing of the girlfriend)

We got home on Saturday afternoon and straight into work. It has been very hot and dry while we were away and thank goodness for Patricia watering our garden - I was in fear of seeing an area of wipe out. We have started cleaning up out the back in readiness for a barbecue tonight.

Loads of orders to keep us out of mischief and also loads of new stuff which Ian has started adding to the website catalogue. I have been popping into the studio working on the next booklet. I must admit that I didn't do any stitching while we were away - I didn't take any needles and only discovered this in Paris where I couldn't find any. my fingers have been itching.

day six in Paris

On our last day in Paris, we decided to take the train from Gare Saint Lazare station (the one Monet painted many times) to Vernon so we could go visit Monet's Garden in Giverny. We were there in 1992 - same time of the year. It would be magnificent to be there when the garden is at its best but then you would be body to body so perhaps not - there were quite enough people around. We loved it though.

Monet's house
lucky Dale on one of the bridges in the water lily garden. We asked a girl to take our pic together but I think she just pushe dthe button a few times and nothing actually happened.
on another bridge.
And finally, this is the cafe where we had our petit dejeuner each morning - he even shook our hand on the last morning - cafe, orange juice and croissants - and soccer on the tv. Our apartment is just to the right up 3 flights of stairs.

off we go again

Here we are at Heathrow getting ready for the long flight back to Perth. We didn't get our upgrade to Singapore but Ian is in a bit of heaven as we are flying on an A380 (eat your heart out Ken) which he thinks is second prize - me? Well - a plane is a plane. We are at the front of economy and do have rows 1a and 1b from Singapore to Perth so we will fly the last 5 hours in a bit of luxury.

We came back to London on Tuesday and spent time running arouns doing business shopping and visiting the V and A - definitely have to come back next year as the Medieval and Renaissance room is still not completed. And we had lunch at Nahm which was delightful and a great end to our holiday (working or not). Caught up with Annette and Terry and Susan who is over from NZ for a couple of weeks.

Soon be back home - Grant is down for the weekend and it will be good to catch up with him - then back to work - the orders are flowing in and we will be as fast as we can. Lots of new goodies to go up on the web in the coming week.

finally - it was lovely to catch up with so many of you in UK - JP - I will post a link to the apartment when I get home and do all call by to read day 6 in Paris - I haven't quite finished - there is Monday's adventure to go!

Day five in Paris

On Sunday we spent loads of time at the Pompadou Centre - it was packed with people all the time. Here is the escalotor going up.





And looking out at fabulous Paris.




we found the perfect table for Bruce and Kazuko and all those many bikes of theirs.
fire emergency and I loved the bucket.
after a spot of lunch at a place we went to several years back (sorry about the underline - can't get rid of it)- we wandered down to near the Notre Dame where there were all sorts of activities going on - the roads were closed to cars



We managed to miss the Musee d'Orsay again but we visited the gardens at the Palais Royle - a little gem to be found.





and the Metro entrance just nearby.
At night we went to a concert at Saint Chapelle - same group as last year but different performers - Les Archets de Paris - and the same music but magical.

To finish the night off we ate at at Moroccan restaurant nearby our apartment - very very busy and very good - coucous and Marrakesh red wine. Good memories.

day four in Paris

Today we went to the Marches aux Puces but didn't find a lot other than loads and loads of clothes and a few little goodies including some old printing blocks.

When we came back we thought we would visit the Pompidou Centre but the queues were enormous so decided to wander back instead and try tomorrow.




Coming down rue des Archives I found this fascinating shop - Archives de la Presse and these were in windows - popped in to browse.

a street scape just near us
at night we visited Des Gars dans la Cuisine - a great restaurant. We were lucky to get in and only because a couple hadn't turned and then of course, Murphy prevailed and they arrived but the owners did some magical movement and squeezed them in. We had a fabulous meal - eating doesn't seem to start until about 9.30pm - this is when most of Perth has closed down.

Indeed, my new red shoes haven't got the wonderful bottoms of last year's but the sole looks like piles of twigs and I have done a few rubbings so plenty of potential there.

day three in Paris

Good sleep ins and a relaxing start to each day. Our dejeuner today was Croque Monseur and Soupe l'onion (sic)at Les Arts et Metiers which is just across the road from the Arts et Metiers school or conservatory but definitely this wonderful church below our lunch.



After our long walk ( we have been doing lots of long walks), we went to the Opera to see Le Palais Garnier and wandered around inside. The auditorium was in use for rehearsal so we could only peep in the windows but what a fabulous building. Looking out onto the view below.
The Grand Foyer - so magnificently decorated and the staircases alone are worth seeing.

Today's lovely roses- the colours are to dye for


and of course, guess who got new red shoes? I managed to find the shop I got last year's shoes from and just happened to find a pair waiting for me. Good walking ones this, tested last night when we visited another great little restaurant. Lovely waiter very patient with our French......

day two in Paris

Yesterday we walked for miles so it was just as well I had been in training before we left Perth. We walked long the Bassin de Villette up to the Parc de la Villette to take the 2 and half hour trip down the Canal st Martin to the Musee d'Orsay. It was leisurely mostly because of the locks but most interesting and our host told us lots of history. Then we walked back. No photos because we forgot to put the camera chip back in. we finished with a very nice meal just down the way in our street and slept like logs resting our tired pins.

Thanks Verobirdie for telling me about the Chou Romanesco - I have kept that photo. Off to explore some more today after our relaxing petit dejeuner at our corner - cafe creme (it's too hard to do reasonably weak long black), fresh orange juice, bagutte and croissant.

Instead I have some pics of the pommy bag winners - there were a few people who got it wrong but we had to be fair.

This is Anne


Here Pat and Mags - lovely to see them both





Here is Sue -
and again - some of the Dodgers and Pat who is an honorary dodger
And Viv who just got there in time coming all the way from Whitby- lovely to meet you at last Viv
and here is Ros on day 2 with a lot of research to get SLAM finally
then somehow I missed Pauline (more dodger) and I think this is Amanda and somehow we forgot to photograph Barbara and Eileen but it was lovely to see you and I hope you all have fun with your pommy bags. Because of my dreadful cold I was frantically still stitching the last little pics on the morning of day 2 - I had planned to finish everything on the plane.
The weather is great and I can hear live music somewhere outside so off we go - maybe this is shoe day? Who knows.....

day one in Paris

here we are in lovely Paris - we are staying in Le Marais in an apartment - a very lively area with lots of interesting things happening. Loads of cafes of course - this is where we had breakfast - as you can see the weather is superb. plenty of florists - I bought a tiny bag of 3 roses - where the gap is - a little more expensive than in Perth so it will be photo only from now on
couldn't resist these - all the ducks and chooks came with heads, some tucked under their wings and one sad one fallen low.
We went to Place des Vosages - Paris's oldest square - perfectly symmetrical.


here is me in front of Louis X111 but I cannot work out how to turn me aound...





and to show the symmetry but only if you turn your head and not to mention the door just down our street - rue charlot - I am looking at few patterns, holey moleys....


this very interesting vegetable was with the cauliflowers but I am not sure - great though. Last night we went to a very lively restaurant - Robert and Louise - where they cook the steaks over an open fire - pretty packed and we shared our table with a young couple from LA but her is an aussie and she Korean so it was a multi-cultural mix.

Off for more adventures today - no shoes but I do have a nice new watch.