christmas home decorations

really had trouble getting into the mood of christmas this year, it has been such a busy year and when you decorate the shop as well its hard to be creative at home as well. this is some of my home decorated for christmas.

feather tree and 2 silver trees from the shop in window in lounge with presents below.collection of ornamental trees I have collected over the last 5 years plus candle holders on top of television cabinet.many of these baubles I have collected in Sydney a few at a time, they are victorian reproduction heavy glass, I just love them all the pearl ones, vintage mirror, clear glass to name a few. Just as well that I bought them when I found them as they dissappeared from the shops after several years. This collection looks lovely with the outside light shining through them.I love this chipped mantle peice and display my small collection of mantle clocks the one on the top left Phillipa bought me back from france and the one on the bottom right Paddy bought me as well as those lovely old metal stencils mmmh wonder where they where used.

german belsnickles in their felted coats on the bookshelf.small hall stand just inside the front door is a favourite for decorating, I love to thread the strands of golden amber beads across the top and then nestle lovely little birds and butterflies in amongst them just like branches, now I dont know what happened to the colour but photo appears to have gone black and white.and the front door with one of the rosettes we made in the shop nestled into a green wreath just to wish you all a merry christmas.

well it looks as if the gremlins have got into my computor and changed all my photo's to black and white, they look ok though dont you think!

Christmas parties

This week to thank our lovely girls for their loyalty and friendship we put on a Christmas party to thank them all. I managed to take photo's of the night class girls but was to busy talking to remember to take the morning class girls photo's.

Monika, Cheryl and Donna all waiting to the others to arrive.

We will be closing the shop Saturday 2 oclock and re open on Tuesday 6th January 2009 for a well earned break. Not going away anywhere, but this year we are having Christmas dinner at near by Whiteman Park, which we have paid for a covered area to eat at, plenty of room for all the kids to play, Joannes giving all the kids water pistols so I'd better get the biggest one I can find, they'll all be out to get me, there is also a paddling pool if it is hot (I pray not), tennis courts and lots of bike trails, it will be fun.

I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas season and my best wishes for 2009, I am looking forward to the new year with anticipation, we have some wonderful plans coming up.

London Court dressed for Christmas

I really haven't had time to take photo's of Perth city dressed up for Christmas. The opportunity arose when we had half an hour to spare after setting up our stall for Perth Upmarket. Down Hay Street Mall is the lovely Tudor London Court, it was a few hours before the city shops opened so not many people around, a good photo opportunity.

This lovely elderly couple out to do their shopping early or just sight seeing, can you see them holding hands, it just made me think of my long gone Mum and Dad.

Perth Upmarket day

Well its all over, was a lot of work leading up to the fair but it was all well worth it. Its not only the sales but its the wonderful people you meet and new contacts for the shop. This time we had an extra 2 hours and it was not so crowded. Sometimes when a fair is so crowded, people become frustrated because they cannot see what is on the stalls, there also seems to be a lot of pushing. It did not feel that there was as many people but that could be the longer hours, but sales where good so was all worthwhile. Above is the wonderful Perth Town Hall in the centre of the city. upstairs where we had our stall. Can you see that beautiful ceiling. The lovely Annie with her beautiful handmade wares. Sorry photo a bit blurred Beautiful handmade glazed ceramics, such beautiful colours Amazing colourful shoes, not handmade but designed by this lovely lady.

And lastly our stall, we where one of the first to finish setting up this time, which takes the pressure of. View from the stage end of the hall, Joanne heading out.This is my one purchase, lovely handwashed french linen napkins. Are they not divine!

Perth Upmarket

Tomorrow, Sunday 14th we are participating in a new artisans market at Perth Town Hall. We have been preparing for weeks, making handmade products as per criteria of the organiser of Perth Upmarket which is very refreshing to be getting back to making products. This is the 2nd event the first being in September which was a huge success, crowds of shoppers blocking all the aisle's. The Perth Town Hall is a beautiful old building which has recently been refurbished the street entrance now used as a gallery and the beautiful upstairs restored to its original style. Both upstairs and downstairs are used for the Upmarket and we are upstairs which makes us feel very privileged. Following are some of the products we have made for the market, we are really excited to be doing this. Packs of stamped gift tags and twine to wrap. Memo stick it notes. More tags held with wood peg. Fridge magnet pegs. Large rosette for a new baby boy. For a baby girls first christmas.These large rosettes where fun to make, we made small ones to go on the gift as well.

The rosette on these are about the size of a large dinner plate.The canvas's here have borrowed relations, an album I was given when I was in France, so they are all unknown french children.

Vintage buttons, buckles, optical lens and a pewter twig used on these canvas's. I will take my camera and share the view inside the market.

classes in shop

The girls who come regularly come to our classes have been very creative lately making Christmas items, decorations and for gifts.

Christmas glass balls with silver nest and eggs inside nest, have you any idea how difficult it is to put things inside these glass balls and glue them in place, a real challenge as the girls will tell you, moving things around with bamboo sticks until one is happy with placement, can you see the little bird hovering over the nest. Top is decorated with pretty ribbon and decorative buttons. The buttons where kind of heavy so was difficult to get ball to sit up straight.

Above is Mandy Herrings decoration, see the feather.

These are the samples I made for the canvas class, a lot of the girls decided to make more of these as Christmas gifts. The one on the left is my little family, Kirsty and Raymon on top and Joanne nestled in a tin with mica on top. On the right is my sisters and I as little children. I have used pewter twigs tied on with torn ribbon and hung little dangly things of crystals and vintage beads. Vintage buttons are also used on the roofs of the homes.

Baby kookaburra's

I know, Jo's off sick and I should be painting canvas's, but just out the back of the shop we have been most fortunate in experiencing the first week of 3 baby kookaburra's, ok so what some of you may say, but for us kiwi's they are what australia is all about. I first saw one in a large gum tree a little way away, branches got in the way to take a good photo. Saturday while I was teaching a workshop they had come down into the jacaranda tree right there next to the fence and I was lucky to get some close up photo's.

Bit blurry but you can see how beautiful it is, they have kept us entertained all week as they practised their manic laugh, started off like a baby cooing. Well there you go I hope you enjoy them like we do.