Inspiration for me

my bedroom/come studio, previously where I held classes. Can you possibly imagine that I taught classes in this room, up to 6 students, of course the bed was not in there then, the walls had stock hanging from below the wall shelves and where i have the trestles now was rows of paper racks and shelving for stock. Looking back I find it hard to visualize. now it is where I sleep (my husband was very sick and so we sleep in separate rooms so we can both sleep better) and sometimes create (although I do most of this at the shop now) and sometimes when I cannot sleep I will write frantically in my journals until I can get over whatever is worrying me at the time. I would recommend journal art for anyone who suffers from anxiety or panic attacks, helps me to calm down and start thinking positively again.

I like to have my little treasures all around me, old photo's, vintage sewing machine draws full of treasures, floozy doll waiting to be messed up, she's just begging for some tattoo's, bits and peices I gather around me. One of my embroidered sculpted santa's whose oh so soft mohair beard I like to stroke back down when the open doors and windows have created a soft breeze which fluffs it up.

window for good light, shelving for collections of journals waiting for me to take a first step and attack those lovely white pristine pages, waiting until I feel the time is right for this or that wonderful journal I bought in Perth or Cortona, but there is no hurry. Old books waiting to be altered or pulled apart when the time is right. then there are christmas decorations not put away from last christmas but still there for me to enjoy. objects broken waiting to be fixed.a beautiful rose just sitting there for me to feast on the subtle shades of apricot and in the depths, touches of gold. the perfume brings back memories of loved ones who taught me to appreciate all the senses, and the scent of the rose always brings my mum and dad close to me.

this beautiful silk shirt is the softest shade of gold which hasn't photographed true to colour, given to me by my beautiful sister who shares with me the love of things vintage. by stretching out my hand while lying in bed, I caress the soft lustrous feel of the silk and while letting the fabric run through my fingers the colours shift with the light creating a visual feast for my tired eyes before I go to sleep. sometimes I think of cutting up this wonderful garment but these thoughts are only fleeting, as if I was to perform this act of sacrilege I would no longer enjoy my visual pastime. can you see the beautiful deep apricot bow attached to the satin covered coat hanger complimenting the lovely dusky gold of the silk and then on the top a wonderful vintage lace collar in the flat shades of aged cotton. these are vintage vignettes that stir my imagination for a vintage collage book in memory of a much loved mother gone...

this gorgeous coffee coloured hat with its deep mushroom pink satin ribbon and edging of soft pink tuille around the brim I bought at a vintage clothing fair in sydney last year when I spent a wonderful week for a special sisters birthday. the fair was a visual feast, lots of vintage clothing going at very reasonable prices, it was lovely to see a lot of the customers of all ages wearing these stylish dresses from past romantic era's. there was also a very impressive fashion parade as well. Under the hat hangs a little dress and slip I made for my first granddaughter samara my only attempt at making vintage style clothing, but all my 5 grandaughters wore it at least once to have photo's taken. when I had my three children I came from a time when we made all their clothing as well as my own, so I wasnt in any hurry to embrace making them for my grandchildren as well, I love them one and all, but choose not to go there.

finally this little boys smock I bought at a fair here in perth for a very small sum. not sure of the fabric, it is very white and drapes nicely. someone has taken the trouble to smock below the rounded collar, a nice contrast to the other peices hanging in my bedroom. I like to surround myself with lovely items and most items I love are from a gentler age that have lasted over time with someones thoughtfullness to treasure and preserve them. this now enables me to enjoy them for many years to come and I think my lovely daughters or granddaughters will continue to treasure them for me. can you visualise some ghostly figure floating around in these wonderful garments, gentle souls....

I love my bedroom' indeed I love my home, its nothing grand but it is where I feel safe, surrounded by things I love, a gentleman of a husband who has always allowed me free rein in decorating our home' who puts up with garlands of flowers across the bedhead in the bed he sleeps in and is not bothered by it at all. my bedroom walls still have the hole marks that are reminders of the hanging racks that hung there chock a block full of stock, one day we will fill them with polyfiller and paint the shelves and walls a restfull white, but not just yet, i want to enjoy the shabbiness of things not completed for a while yet.