Friday, May 22, 2009

Wendy Addison's special book


Sometime last year I ordered a very special book that Wendy Addison was making 400 limited editions. Yesterday my book arrived mine was issue 111 of 400. The title Theatre of Dreams gives you an idea of what was to follow. Amazing sketches of fairies and amazing illusions of Grandeur of the world of Theatre on craft colour cardstock. Lots of little hand touches making it very interactive. Above is the specially wrapped book just to me, love the craft colour tissue and mossy green ribbon tied in a bow with a round tag with a face image.

This is what I found inside, now isn't that just beautiful, thank you Wendy.... and just a peek inside....

For further information on Wendy Addison limited edition book look on her blog, you will be impressed!

Well that was a marathon of entries for me, I am amazed. Good news we finally have rain for the last 3 days and more coming, my garden just loves it. I cannot remember when we last had rain.

Little black petticoat



My boyfriend at the time now dear husband John, gave me a lovely boxed black lingerie set, with burgundy lace for my 19th birthday. (mmmh now that was a long time ago) It was quite risque to wear black underwear and I just loved it.

I was absolutely horrified when washing it in my mum's electric washing machine with the roller wringers it jammed in the rollers, In a panic I tried to release the rollers but by the time they released I had a few tears. First thing what an idiot not hand washing ( I was only 19, think it was the first time I had used a washing machine). Second thing can you see my very rustic hand mending, I have learnt a lot since those days, but it is a special memory and I still have that petticoat, couldn't possibly fit into it now, I think the waist was 20 inches wide.We have had a class recently on covering cigar boxes and I made one as a memory box with said petticoat inside, will also do a letter about my memory of this, maybe one of my granddaughters may be interested.The top and sides of the box I painted white and used vaseline underneath in parts to give an old worn look. I painted some 300gm watercolour paper and an image of self wearing said petticoat, to the left a photo of John and I taken around that period. I stitched together some ribbons and lace to give it a feminine touch and a 7gypsy knob to open. Words from a song printed around edges in black pen.

Finally finished Teesha Moore journal


Yesterday after finishing the covers on Teesha Moore journal I stitched and bound my effort. This was so much fun and I still get to work on it further at my leisure.
This is the inside cover which comprises 2 10 x 8" canvas boards, I used a strong calico doubled for the spine. I painted all sides of my cover.This is a side view of the bound journal showing the old buttons that I thread onto the thread attaching the signatures to the spine. I also painted the spine.View of the side tie to keep journal closed, old button used and at the end of the ties I knotted two old bone beads that have wire inserted around the middle. the completed journal feels lovely to hold.
I do love Nick Bantock's stamps, they are so quirky. following are some more of the inside pages.
Couldn't resist a touch of New Zealand, added the lovely Pukeko bird.
A prompt from Sabrina Ward Harrison.... Following are some of the brighter colours I used, quite vibrant don't you think mmmh not to sure about this colour, think I will have to typed journalling on coloured paper. An evil leer here, and he's with the band?
These skeleton duck's where a real find, sorry can't remember what magazine I found them in.







Tuesday, May 19, 2009

More Teesha Moore Journal pages

I have finally finished my 16 double pages for the journal that Teesha has so kindly put on her blog.
With these pages I have moved into a much paler colour scheme, my favourite colours. I loved using the white pen to draw my embroidery patterns around the edges of the collages. I have included prompts from Sabrina Ward Harrison's book 'The true and the questions', very though provoking. I cut up a lot of my Romantic Home and Victoria magazines for my collages.
This photo above I tried Lisa Bebi
technique from Somerset Apprentic magazine that we got in a few weeks ago. We still have some in stock. I like this technique and the way it ties the image into the page.
Lavender!!!! well I did not want to place any boundaries on myself, so tried all the colours I could get my hand or should I say paint brush on. I will put the last of the pages up soon, this is a bit of a marathon of photo's. This is way too much fun!!!





Mothers Day

a bit late with this entry as Mothers Day was on the 10th, but I think of my Mother constantly even though she died about 15 years ago. I was blessed with a wonderful Mother, a wonderful seamstress who made us the most beautiful dresses, she was always on our side (misguided sometimes), she thought her 4 daughters could do no wrong. Happy Mothers Day Mum, I know you hear me.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Pain

Friday week ago I went into the day ward at Royal Perth Hospital for the infusion for my Pagets disease, felt like an impost er sitting up there with my feet up reading my book, while around me there was several very young adults and others having blood transfusions and dialysis. The infusion took 4 hours after which I headed back to work at the shop. What the infusion does is coat my bones to stop the calcium leaching away and weakening my bones. About 6 pm the pain started at differing parts of my body and rapidly increased to such an intensity that by 7 pm I had to stagger to bed other than my legs every other bone and it felt like my organs where in screaming agony, through the night I woke up moaning and just about crawled to the toilet. This lasted for around 24 hours by this stage leaving me weak and just wanting to sleep. Each day I have felt a bit better, still rather weak and by 3pm I start to flag. By next week I am hoping I will be fighting fit again.
I know that there are a lot of very sick people worse off than I am, but pain is individual and we all handle it differently, all I can say is I hope this procedure lasts a long long long time.
Really modern medicine is a marvel, how does this drug know to coat my bones, you would think that something that strong would not be able to be administered intravenously.
On a brighter note I have prepared another 8 double pages for my Teesha Moore book, it is so much fun, also quite relaxing.
cheers
onwards and upwards