Off We Go

Apart from my shoes (still deciding) our bags are packed and we shall soon be off. We have managed an upgrade to Singapore but sadly not through to London although I have managed to get us seats right at the front of economy. We will try a last time at the airport - you just never know and my observations of the AFL grand final are that he who does the most pushing and shoving gets the results. last big mail-out has gone so the slate is clear for when we return. Of course I will be answering emails while we are away and posting here - probably not during the show as internet is pretty hopeless in Muswell Hill but certainly in Madrid - with or without any new shoes.....

This is one of the waterlilies just bursting into lots of leaves and coming through the water surface.

and here it is again reflecting the eucalyptus trees in the back garden.

ps if you are a 2010 Holey Moley person, pop over to the Holey Moley blog and see whose names were drawn out of the bowl for the final giveaway - your goodies are on their way to you. The Holey Moley Club will be back in 2011.

FOUND!

I have found my shoe - even though I had rolled the bed out and about a few times it was hidden underneath - i have had so many emails and I know you will all be relieved for me - ha ha! I was going to have to take my green shoes with me. I have a pair exactly the same and I could have  taken 1 red and 1 green. That would have casued interest. Yes, Hortense, I do have green shoes as well. However, now that that dilemma is over, the biggest decision is which shoes can I take? Don't tell me the most comfortable ones either. And how many pairs can I take? Serious questions for me to ponder while I do the last few orders for tomorrow morning. Ian is on the roof as we 'speak' cleaning the gutters. We have been working like trojans today - but we have got all the orders out bar 3 and two big bumps of wool to Jacinta. first thing tomorrow morning. Haven't even got the suitcases up yet.

In the middle of all my activities and whilst gathering my collection of 'stuff' to take on holiday with me, I knocked up this little object. What is it you may well ask - well you will have to wait until November to find out. I just need to add some beads tonight.

Bruce has won his first bike race in Sapporo - well done Bruce! If you want to go visit his blog - see left - he has a number of little videos and you can even see Kazuko crossing the line in her race.

One more sleep to go - oh no - the sheets are on the line - better go get them in before it gets dark. Remember there will be no daylight saving in this dark ages state.....

two more sleeps

Two more sleeps to go and I have lost one of my red shoes -  my favourite pair - I have turned the bedroom upside down to no avail. This is not my excuse for looking for a new pair in Madrid but then who knows...

We have been flat out today - it seems everyone wants a Versa-Tool so we processed all the orders and they are all packaged and ready to post tomorrow. We hope you all enjoy them. We will be posting up to Tuesday morning ( because I have an order which is to go on Tuesday)

My studio is as tidy as it is going to get - haven't found many surprises but I have gathered all my stuff in this new colour range. 

Off for a bbq - Ian has been busy all afternoon putting in reticulation.

And where are we going?

Well if you subscribe to our newsletter you will already know - we are off to Madrid after Ally Pally - going to Paris for the day on the train and then taking the overnight train from Paris to Madrid and staying for a week. One of the things I have said we are going to do is to see some Flamenco dancing. Apart from a little drive in and out of San Sebastian, we haven't been to Spain before - it will be pretty exciting stuff. We have booked an apartment near the centre and of course, being foodies, will be looking for tapas etc.

I have got all the workshop materials and kits together so I can tick that box. I made my tags into a little book  - love these new colours and I think I might take them to Madrid with me. I think my Okarito phase will be sideshovelled for a while so I have gathered all the parts and put them in a big box for when we get back - I have one more page to create for my little book but it will keep.

Then, because I was working with grungepaper, I made a little book cover and a flower for the cover. Grungepaper is very flexible and easy to colour and stitch. I hope my workshop participants enjoy the workshop and don't get too messy.

On to the next job awaiting me.

Welcome to October

Welcome to October - this is the month we go to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace in London - the bestest show ever - just 4 more sleeps with loads to do before we hop on the plane. I just love this show - not only do I get to catch up with friends and customers but I get to see the most fabulous exhibitions and of course be on the lookout for anything new and exciting. This is the 11th year we have been exhibitors at this show - and to think we were only going to go to have  a look. Thanks to Lyn we took a stand and now wouldn't miss it for the world. We take lots of wonderful goodies from down under and I spend a lot of time looking for new and exciting things to take with us. This year Ian will be on the plane very relaxed knowing that our on ahead boxes are safely under Wayne's care in Brighton having a holiday while they wait for us to arrive on Wednesday morning.

We are very excited with the response to the Creative Versa Tool so far and many of the orders have gone to our fabulous newsletter readers who got the special early... I have written my part of the newsletter and if it doesn't go our tonight it will tomorrow. We will be posting out orders up to lunchtime on Tuesday so no drama until then. Right now Ian is putting in new reticulation and fixing sprinklers because we anticipate that it probably won't rain while we are away so we have timers and things to hopefully keep things wet. Tomorrow we will be working part of the time in the garden and Ian - not me - will be on the roof cleaning out those gutters (just in case) - the downside of lovely trees are the many leaves but worth it.

We have had 3 new Shiva Stiks and new Starburst Sprays - amazingly in lime, orange and grape/purple. Plenty of stock of the Shivas but the Moonglows won't be here until we get back when I do my next order.

These are the 3 new Shivas over a rubbing plate on Tissutex which has been dyed black. Bit yummy

The new Starburst Sprays - I have been putting together the kits for my Magical Moonglow workshop at Ally Pally and I embossed a lot of tags - these are to make a little book - I will show it again when I have finished it tomorrow - these colours are a bit yummy too.

Then to add to the excitement of the day, this new book from Ruth Lee arrived today - so full of exciting ideas which I know I haven't time to try out but since I am taking my Couronne stick with me (I will have plenty to sell as well) I should be able to play on the plane maybe. it's not on the web but it is for sale - $39.95 I think. good inspirational books with new ideas are hard to come by these days.

ps - lots of people have been emailing and asking where we are going this year after Ally Pally - tell you tomorrow.....

little play, little more work

I have been trying out some of the tips which come with the Versa Tool - this is using the Transfer Point - I printed an image in black and white through the laser printer and transferred it to a grotty piece of calico I had lying around. Then I sprayed it with Moonshadow mist and Starburst Spray - pleased with the result - obviously a lot more things to play with.

The latest Quilting Arts #47 arrived this afternoon - we have processed about half and they will go out tomorrow. It is lovely to see an article by Kathy Kerstetter - thanks for the acknowledgement Kathy! This is her Dandelion - beautiful work. I have such wonderful students.

When I was in Hamilton I went to the Artspost exhibition and enjoyed seeing Leanne's work - naturally my camera spat the dummy but Leanne has sent me a picture. She tells me they are off to Minerva in Wellington next.

I am sorry you are going to have to turn your head on the side to see these - they came to me upright and i imported them in upright but blogger has truend them around. If I can sort them I will change it!

Tonight we are off to the ACO concert - should be good of course.

our fabulous new Versa tools

Such excitement - a phone call to say the tools would be delivered between 12 and 1 and so they were - had to get mine out first to test - imagine if they didn't work?? Anyway - it is fabulous and I feel rather done in for the past so many years. Here is mine on the kitchen bench on its stand - it heats up so fast and is so quick to slice through kunin felt. It has lots of tips but this is the fine one for the stuff I love to do. I shall explore another tip or two tomorrow - it has one for stencils, for cuttting, embossing and more.

I stitched a few rows on some black kunin felt - and lay it on an old cake tin - I usually use my marble worktop or a sheet of glass but I was in the kitchen and Ian was not keen that I might crack the tiles..... as if I would.

Then I ran the tip down the side of the stitch and into the holes just like slicing through butter - for anyone who hasn't tried this - I am using rayon thread - never use polyester or it will disappear and you will be cross.

I made a few slits on a piece of kunin felt and threaded one of the stitched rows through it - bit blurry sorry.
We sent out loads today and have more to send tomorrow  - I am afraid we spend time admiring it and time slipped by. Plus we had quite a few other big parcels arrive as well and with my new tidy kitchen regime I cleared everything up pretty fast. All the rest will go out tomorrow. BUT - I did send out most of the Product of the Month's - a little early but I am trying to be organised before we go away and there is always plenty to do. Newsletter to write for instance, a couple of pockets to sew and some flowers to work on.

This is last hight's bbq - pink snapper, red pepper salad, and a rocket and avocado salad and champagne to celebrate something for sure. Tonight we are off to Borolo up the road in celebration of this wonderful shipment of stuff. The Walnut Hollow people are to be congratulated for producing such a fabulous tool and I am only sorry we didn't do it earlier.

another public holiday today

I can't remember what it is for but we have another public holiday but we have just worked on anyway. Ian has been sorting out the reticulation with a timer for while we are away and loaded the Createx Versa Tool onto the website. Of course it didn't come today because contrary to what anyone else says, delivery people don't on public holidays because they are having a day off too. The flame plant is still looking very good - there are 4 of them and they are all starting to flower very nicely. The kangaroo paws still alive are looking glorious and when we come back we will have to close our eyes and replant all the ones which died. The bottlebrush is also out in flower and starting to look super - the birds love our garden. We have started tidying up the back garden as well.

Max is in Reefton hospital and Barb sent us this photo of him today - he looks better than when we saw him. It's difficult when you are far away. I think Barbara needs to change the date on her camera.....

I have been playing a little more with the new discharge gel which I hope Ian will get onto the web this week.This is on a hand dyed fabric which I got from Kirri at Tuilis Fabrics - the purple colours in the dye show through so it is quite interesting. The gel is easy to use - non toxic and once it is dry you just iron it. Then I washed these two pieces of fabric. The fern is a stamp, the leaves a Stylish Stencil - I applied the gel kind of right to the edge. I will add some colour back in. you can also get the gel in colours but I haven't decided whether I will bring them in or not as yet.

Last night we went to a fabulous movie - BOY - lots of things to think about but so refreshing and realistic. Recommend it to anyone.

Here is my Versa Tool in its case - ooh - do hope they arrive tomorrow - there are lots of people waiting for them - and trust me - we do have a lot coming in the shipment. Very exciting. And having a case means that I won't lose parts - right now I have lost a bag of samples.

a wedding

Yesterday we went to Cara and Vernon's wedding - a lovely day in all ways. Found a new pair of red shoes waiting to be worn and they lasted all afternoon and night which is a good sign especially when it looked like we might have to walk home after the reception.

Here is the swizzy side of them - I am still trying to work out what blogger is actually doing to my pics. Very comfy they are.

Here is Ian all scrubbed up waiting for the taxi to go to the reception.

The lovely Cara and Vernon - a bit dark I know but not bad taken indoors with an i-phone. We have known Cara since she was born in Tokoroa.

and here is her proud Ma who kept telling me she had made the wedding cake but I know better.

Saturday morning eye candy

Amazingly, the kitchen is still almost pristine and staying that way. Just the pile of stuff on top of the microwave and we won't know ourselves. In fact when I got up this morning, the kitchen looked too wide a space. Shows how long that big container has been there. I found all sorts of interesting things in it now happily dispersed into new places. You are correct, Jacinta, about Royal Shiraz being so lovely - the slushies look like you could smother yourself in the colours. This colour theme was inspired by our trip under the river in Shanghai - all flashing lights and totally mesmerising. I just had to create thread with these colours.

Some of the many flimsies I cut and rolled this morning - I am still trying to work out what is happening with my pics from i-phone to computer - I have been photographing them with the camera upside down so they arrive at the computer somewhat the way I think they should but then when I load them onto blogger they change again. Fascinating to say the least.

Jacinta has gone to Queensland for a well-earned holiday after a week of dyeing like crazy for us and for Rae - if you are going to Geelong Forum, do go and see Rae and what lovely stuff she will have and of course if you are coming to Ally Pally in almost 2 weeks time, do come and see what lovely stuff we will have. About to book an apartment for our week's holiday after London. Wonder where we are going this year?

Friday eye candy

 Here is the White Heron we saw in Okarito - they must have just started arriving as the season starts a little later so this was a bonus on our walk one beautiful day

 Then the wonderful rough beach - I expect it has been very rough lately with  he mega storms.

Actually our kitchen is pretty eye candy today. I managed to finish the Ally Pally boxes a day early and Ian got them off to the carriers yesterday and they are probably almost in UK right now and off to Brighton for a little holiday before they go to London. So I have used today to clean up the large container in the kitchen where I have been heaping stuff for ages and ages. Amazing what I found. Lots of bunny yarn which Jacinta dyes and sends my way - now it is all wound. $3 a hank. I am having trouble with my i-phone pics - I send them to the computer - they arrive on their side - I turn them round and copy them etc but today blogger turned them back again. Too hard - you will have to put your head on an angle....

 Then I finally cut all the hand dyed silk gauze whihc Rae has been sending me and I have been stuffing into the big container. Veyr impressive. I also cut up loads of hand dyed tissue silk but it's not quite done yet. And I packaged all the silk, slushies and wool which Jacinta has sent this week. Flimsies are outside drying but they are tomorrow morning's little task. Ian is most impressed and has been rushing around with the vacuum cleaner. Still more to do over the weekend but by Monday the kitchen will be totally uncluttered with business stuff - might be the first time for a long long time. Let's keep it that way.

This is the Cape Flame - on its side - in our garden. We have 4 of them and they are rather beautiful. Australia makes up for its vastness with very strong colours. Our beautiful kangaroo paws are not well and will all have to be replanted but this will be when we are back so we can water them.

Last night was glorious - it's that time of the year - and we had a bbq in our garden and will do the same tonight - different food. This weekend will be clean up garden and off to Cara and Vernon's wedding. A full on weekend which will include cleaning up the studio as well and getting  creative.

The Creative Versa tool is in Peth and has been all week - Customs must be checking each one - we will have them next week - lots of people are waiting for it - obviously a special price and a special extra treat for our customers.

i-phone flowers

Well you may ask what these are. These are what your husband brings you when your i-phone dies and has to go to terminal hospital and you sulk. Geraldton wax at the bottom, red roses and silver dollar eucalyptus. Very lovely. And yes my i-phone has now become a brand new i-phone except that I have lost 300 photos and now have 5000 people in my contacts - last time I manually deleted but I forgot to push whatever button I needed to push to prevent it happening again. Other than that I am happy again but with lovely flowers.

I am nearly done with the packing for Ally Pally although it will take me two more days because I have cutting and rolling and packaging and stuff to go for the last boxes. Here are the silk stacks I have stacked together - they look beautiful all together. Just need to tie the labels on.

Here is my Okarito book - just a couple more pages to make and then I shall bind it all together. The velvet is looking lovely and wrinkly - I am pleased with the progress - it will soon be finished..The trouble with this new phone is that it takes the pics okay but by the time they arrive at my computer they have turned on their side.

I have been in thought and discussion for 2011 challenge and will start putting it together before I write the newsletter. if you want to know more just sign up for our newsletter. It is going to be exciting I think, with lots of possible variations. This year's challenge - Textile Tantrums, is going to be featured in NZ Threads and in Down Under Textiles. Deborah tells me DUT#3 is at the printers and I know she must be working on #4 because that is where the Tantrums will be and where I will have an article which I have yet to write.....

Back to work - time to write all the labels for the stacks.

a little trip down south

Yesterday I went down to Banksia Springs in Dwellingup to the Designing Women retreat. The weather was glorious.  Jaslyn has been trying to persuade me to go for quite a few years (I don't belong to many textile groups not because I don't necessarily want to but because I am often away and couldn't do justice as a member. We only went for one night but I really enjoyed it - today everyone was dyeing in eucalyptus leaves - it is a long time since I did any natural dyeing and I am motivated to do some more. I used to dye a lot with lichen when I was spinning my own wool in NZ. So I might try my hand the week after next.

I haven't been to Dwellingup before - it is about one and half hours south of Perth on the middle road - lovely spot and Banksia Springs has a couple of cottage and this sort of conference spot. A great place for a workshop. If I ran a residential workshop this would be an excellent place for it. And great food. I even had a chance to do a little more dry felting, stitching and wet felting my little Okarito book. It should be finished soon.

Grant is down for the weekend so it is good to see him. Tomorrow I expect to be busy packing up more boxes for London.

just where does the time go?

I arrived back on Monday and suddenly it is Thursday night - amazing. On Monday I decided to drive back to Auckland through the Waikato - it took me ages to actually get out of Hamilton and 5 people with bad advice before I got the right road. Amazing. I drove up through Morrinsville - as you can see it is nice and green. I tried hard to bring some rain back with me but all to no avail. They have had a lot of rain and we have had little.

these are the cows - laid back, healthy and stress free - all that green grass.

Lots of beautiful magnolia tulip trees around - my mother used to have one in her garden and I love them. Haven't seen any in Perth. I had a good flight back apart from the charming child who kicked the back of my chair for 5 out of the 7 hours. Fortunately we ended up at Cantina which made up for it - so a lovely meal before I went and a lovely meal when I returned. Not sure about what I ate in between apart from the asparagus rolls and club sandwiches. Ian's not sure what he ate either while I was away....

Since I got back time seems to have flown by - the boxes for London have to go next Friday so that will keep me out of mischief and I have lots of ideas to follow through as soon as I get a moment. on Tuesday night we went to a Musica Viva concert - Trinity College choir and they were magnificent.