Out With the Old

I guess we all have sagas about a particular appliance or piece of furniture.  This fridge has been around for a long long long time, and even though it hasn't really worked properly for at least 10 years I've hung onto it.  We lent it to DIY friends when we lived overseas and he modified one of the shelves.  It was a perfect size in Canberra but became too small for the heat of Brisbane.  It played second fiddle for a while then had to step back into first place when we moved, as the nice big new shiny one didn't fit the space.   It became Bronte's major art piece when she decided that she would rather paint it than the microwave we bought for the purpose.  In case you are wondering, she never did take it into school as a show and tell...

Over the years I've cleared Antarctica-sized icefloes from the bottom of the fridge part where all the water pools - but no more!  Today it will be taken away, and while it will be wonderful to have a working fridge again, I will miss it and the memories it sparks...

Surprise - 3

This little watercolour captures so much in a few lines - I can just imagine her saying "L'chaim!"

Play Day

I had a great day with fellow artists yesterday learning new techniques - but first, I found out my gas soldering iron was a bust - sigh!  and my blowtorch ran out of gas way too quickly - double sigh!!  Still, some metal did get torched -

and some lutradur did get melted,

 and I did learn about other techniques - which I am keen to try on my own pieces.

Sorting

I have nothing against things - they anchor us to this world and our memories and experiences - but when I start to feel overwhelmed, it's time to let go.  So a purge/clear/sort mentality has been at work here for a while, and part of that blitz has been getting things out of boxes in cupboards.  This stitchery was finished in 2008 and it was time to figure out how to make it up into a quilt.  I really, really, really, wanted to use fabric in my stash, but honestly couldn't decide on anything.  I turned up at Spotlight when they had 30% off fabrics this week - good timing eh?  I found two fabrics that I was happy with, but even as I was driving home, I was having second thoughts - 

 then I tried a third border...still not sure

 

of course, I then found something I had all along - more subtle rather than bright - but it works well I think. 

So I needn't have made that trip after all!!

Siamese Computers and Black Biscuits

I bought a new laptop and am using work down time to transfer everything from old to new - thanks to a handy dandy transfer cable...

There is still much tweaking needed though, and I got distracted with Picasa, and hence - boo hoo!!  BLACK biscuits, that were supposed to be  light and airy and snowy white with powdered sugar - sigh.

I am consoling myself by nibbling on the dough that is left - don't have the heart to try another batch today....

The Anti-Bottle

How cool is this?  Flat

Full

More here.

Christmas Day 2011

Wild weather on the Gold Coast

didn't deter me from a drive there to watch the sun rise.  And the weather did not put off the swimmers and the surfers...

I couldn't get a shot of the actual sunrise, because it was overcast - oh yes, and because the beach was not oriented to the east - oops!  But we did have a nice BBQ breakfast

and saw some intrepid runners decked out in festive headgear

I'm A.... What?

I saw this sign and thought - What's a "Gine"?

Then summoned the little energy I had left from shopping and re-focused...Oh, I get it....

Keeping Up My Fluids

I made sure to keep up my fluid intake in the heat yesterday - some of this

and some of that

Not the Usual 12 Days...

Trees

Mark One - not quite right - gorgeous background fabric but too dark

Mark Two - yep, I think I'm happy with it

(D)extended

One stretched out cat...

Surprise - 2

Nothing beats a creative gift -

 Each stack of stars has been quilted individually...

Surprise - 1

This was a lovely, thoughtful surprise the other day -

 I like the back, too...

Weird

I just had a funny experience.
I did a google search to find different ways of displaying my fabric  postcards - they are currently in a nice bowl, but I'm looking at new options.
As I was working my way through the images that google came up with - surprise! - there was my bowl!
I did put that image on my blog some time back, so google found the image and presented it back to me...circle of laugh?  (re)cycle of life? Something like that...

This and That

Take some of these

 cut off these

 use this

 to make this

 to decorate this

I have a few more to do....

Move Over, YMCA....

Glitter Update

Went a bit fancy and put three pears in martini glasses...I like it!

Books

Well, I've had "Our Ms Books" running for a while now - 2+ years?  And I just don't get around to writing reviews often enough.  As you can see - last post was August 22.

I do want to keep a record of what I'm reading, though.  So I've started a new page on this blog.  I've caught up all my reading since August...I THINK it's all my reading!...and will start a new one for each month next year.  A few jotted notes and thoughts - and I think that will do it for me.

PS - you ARE allowed to peek - if you want!! Or just have a look under "Pages" on the right hand side...

Always Someone There to Help

Never fear - if you're not quite sure what to do, just chat to these guys at Irish Murphy's pub in town...

DVD Catchup

Amazing stories of backyard passata making, epic bread baking and all the good things that come from good produce and love for tradition.  I was particularly taken with the family feast where they pour the polenta (and the ragu with a dozen different meats) out onto a large table and everyone grabs a spoon and starts eating from the edge!

I missed this on TV and I'm kind of glad I did - it started a bit slowly for me, and the weekly commitment would have been a bit much.  But having all the episodes right there, I could keep going, and I got caught up in the characters and the story.  Maggie Smith is just stunning, and of course the life depicted and the Abbey - well, it does draw you in.

This is my 3rd viewing and it's still as funny as it ever was.  Dreams within nightmares of a film shoot going anything but smoothly.  Egos bigger than the room, technical difficulties, rotten milk and unrequited passions - it's all there and just wonderful.

I used to like this show on TV - this is the first series and Kevin isn't quite as arrogant as he later becomes.  I just couldn't bring myself to finish watching - more stories of things going wrong, and all the pressures of building...

I think Miranda is one of the funniest people on TV.  She is fresh and honest and has the best piece to camera bits and eye brow raises ever.  Very very good.

Wow - well worth watching.  "Officially" only about 40% true (to which of course one responds - which 40%?), this is an eye opening account of the incredible success of facebook/Mark Zuckerberg.  Can it only have been 2004 when it started?  Great performances and very interesting.

Glitter Pears

Had to try this...probably not a permanent option, as the pears underneath are real - but I'm happy with the result...

Rocky Trip

This year I've had some wonderful trips through work - I love flying and seeing new places.  My last work trip for the year was to Rocky - only a one-dayer unfortunately.
I love take off - the slight tilt backwards and the lift as you lose contact with the ground - and if you're sitting near the wing like I was, and you watch the wheels fold away, you know it's for real - you're flyng....

Framed Cross Stitch

It's been a year since I finished a big cross stitch project, so decided it was time to have it framed as a present for Mum.  I was very pleased with the finished product done by the Framing Corner at Toowong.  They do a lot of work for Peppermint Stitches (a shop in Toowong that specialises in cross stitch as well as quilting fabric).
It's hard to take a good photo - here are a couple

It's not as yellow as the first picture and not as pale as the second...the frame complements it nicely.  But as I was taking the shot - uh-oh - something I didn't want to see -

It had to go back to get the glass recut.

Meanwhile, Dex thinks the wrapping is a great toy to get his claws stuck into!

Kangaroo Point

As you're heading towards the Story Bridge, on the left is a lovely park that sits atop the cliffs.  When it opened a year or so ago, people complained about the lack of shade, but the other evening it was lovely.  More pics here.
Wonderful views

And art work of course.  The following refers to what I captured in the photos below -
Seven Versions of the Sun is an art piece integrated into seven arbours via seven highly polished screens laser-cut to create motifs of the sun. The art pieces are created to cast shadows on the landscape, illuminated by the sunlight flooding through the negative space, projecting motifs of the sun inside the cast shadow. Forming a visual connection to the trajectory of the sun, the motifs are there to trigger people’s awareness of seasons, following the position of the earth’s rotational axis.

I walked through the park to get to  St Mary's Anglican Church where there was a carol service along with a performance of A Ceremony of Carols by Britten.  I have never heard it live and it was amazing.