a few good things

feeling a lot like the kitten on the right.
there's a gal in chicago called gigi.
not only does she have a wonderful name and the warmth and enthusiasm to sink a ship but she also runs a great little blog called roadsidescholar.

i recently did a mini interview for her. it was such fun. and i love how she really considers the flow of words and images on a page. i'm very pleased to be part of her global "gatherings".

and i also now have a low-key presence in trunkt after initially being rejected, boo hoo, that was a hard one to swallow, but like a hyperactive terrier who just won't let go of a thing, i persisted and suddenly entry has been granted. not quite Access All Areas but hey, i'm in. and i know i should be elated or grateful or something but strangely it's an anti-climax.

in this same incredible week that i had recently, irene from bloesem asked if she could feature some of my cushions and of course i said yes please but i'm not sure what has happened there, maybe the sheep have fallen down a black hole. and even if it never happens at least i was asked and for a moment it made me feel bright and shiny. for a moment.

tara from dudley redhead should be feeling bright and shiny because i'm so in love with her Sooty the Supercat print, now in my hot little hands after a direct exchange rendezvous, in the dark of the night, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

variations on a theme

can't bare the sight of that clint eastwood anymore.
just a brief posting with a couple of "new" cushions and ...
WALL PANELS. that's what i'm calling them. here are three wonky looking ones, that aren't all that wonky in real life.



these are flat panels of textured cotton/linen upholstery fabric with overlocked edges.
they can be displayed on a wall with these magnet/tape thingeys that someone told me about and i'm yet to get my hands on OR they can be framed OR they can be lined and hung as you would a wall hanging.
photos of all of the above methods will be coming soon.
also, a couple more cushions that follow previous themes.



and a really big thankyou to all the retailers who swooped on my stall yesterday and depleted nearly all my entire stock of cushions before i could even finish my bacon and egg roll.
still recovering from the shock.
more really new stuff soon.

the clint eastwood award

yikes, i've been tagged!
and you know what .. it didn't hurt a bit.
actually, it tickled. and i would love to get you back, you TWO taggers, but that's not how this works. oh no.
this is how the You Make My Day Award works:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make your day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Tell the award winners that they've won by commenting on their blogs.

two of my fave artists, linda from yellow monday and kylie from mizu designs , zapped me with this award, because they're just the sweetest.
clint eastwood immediately came to mind.

now, linda and kylie, as you're the only two who probably read this blog regularly, my 5 blog links are really for you.
it's also not much of a secret that i don't read that many blogs, so i find this award something of a challenge.
which is why i'm going to change it a bit.
rather than you MAKE my day, i'm listing the 5 blogs that MADE my day.
subtle but important difference for the very slack and inconsistent blog reader that i am.

in the last few days i've been madly cruising blogs. these are the 5 that MADE my day...

up all night again - kirsty hall's "the diary project" is a truly gorgeous concept from a very talented UK artist. exquisite daily drawings on the back of envelops.
the paper forest - i've been obsessing about paper art of late, this gorgeous site is full of all things paper and is really big on great paper projects to make.
absolutely beautiful things - brisbane interior designer anna spiro's blog explodes with ooh la la, high-end eye candy. this is another world, other worlds.
bloesem - irene is a dutch woman living in malaysia and her blog has loads of really great designey things.
dudley redhead - okay, okay, i know she's been tagged before but i can't resist double dipping, tara's site makes me smile, i love her ideas and she has the cutest robots.

owing to a sudden production spurt after a gloriously lazy few weeks, pretty soon i'll be adding to my cushion gallery.
i really must find the time to learn how to use Flickr properly, i think that's going to be the best place for a gallery of photos.

snip, snip, fold

the stunning things that artists do with paper.

zoe jay veness, a sydney gal i know through teaching exploits, has been folding paper into exquisite jewellery for years. these are some of her latest pieces done for an exhibition in adelaide.


melbourne artist emma van leest snips beautifully intricate and ornate paper scenes.

the utterly spectacular cut paper sculptures from US artist mia pearlman defy belief. really worth checking out her website.


boys cut paper too. i recently came upon a brisbane architect student who makes pop-up paper skylines of various cities around the world.

away

to have lived in Brisbane for 20 years, as i did, and NOT to have travelled the short distance to the gorgeous Stradbroke Island is quite unbelievable to anyone who knows Brisbane.

"What, you've never been to Straddie??!!" shock. horror.
don't ask me how many times i've heard this over the years.

well, finally, last week, i put an end to my shame.
and i'm still reeling. just can't get the wild beauty of this stunning sand island out of my head.




my friends have just bought an old backpackers hostel on the island and have turned it into flats. they live downstairs and rent out the four flats above. my timing was brilliant because i got to stay in one of the vacant flats with a balcony and private courtyard.



it was a 5 minute walk through subtropical bush to divine, secluded little beaches.
i have to confess, a real holiday for me just has to include a beach. and rock pools. and superb bushland and walking tracks. and good friends and food. sleep. books. just the right amount of alcohol. swims and more swims.
absolute heaven.

and now, on a very humid sydney afternoon i'm trying to adjust to the real world and work.

just to get me in the mood, i'd love to share the work of English textile artist Maxine Sutton whose extraordinary screenprinted and embroidered works i discovered recently.