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24 JulyMore scarves.... These were fun to make from go to wo....Our holiday visit to Savers was very fruitful. I got some interesting jumpers there and cut them up to make these... Lumina Gallery took a few bangles of mine a couple of weeks ago - very exciting - and now I hope they might take some of these... I had my first day off as part of my part time load today and it was really fun - visiting and catching up with friends - it's going to be my special day - I don't want to fill it with chores or busyness if I can help it. I would kind of like to try this 'portrait every day for 100 days' that I found on YouTube, and remembered that I used to do Self Portrait Challenge - maybe I will again...
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Jo -
No comments 07 JulyJust words
I thought these hols I would try and post every day....HUH! The only time I can get ON the computer is when P isn't here and then I come up against troubles and he isn't here to help. New computer - new problems.... So I can't post a piccie today as much as I'd like to - but I can point you to a couple of websites that profile amazing craftspeople I met at Rose St Market on the weekend. I've been meaning to buy a KLEI pendant for so long and finally did. It's a lovely blue and white single pendant - you prob have to scroll down a lot to find it.... and I bought an exquisite felt brooch from Brid Bird - you can see some of her stuff at this etsy site - but I think the felt ones are quite new. Mine is imbued with the energy of Euan McGregor! She's a lovely, lively Irish girl with a story to tell!!!! Actually try her Blogspot which has some pics of the felt brooches....
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Jo -
No comments 03 JulyDolly no 1 - made! So out of the messy pile of fabric we had yesterday - a dolly was born - Blossom (sitting next to older dolly Mia on the left). There's a few more variations to come! Oh! I forgot to say that this is the Miss Buttons pattern from Sew Your Own.
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Jo -
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Jo -
No comments 01 JulyHolidays are about kids and craft... Second day in (school holidays) - I am called to Centre Rd on an errand and pass beautiful patchwork shop called Amitie.... Find their $1 fabric bin and come home with a stash "to make dolls with Nim"... sample above... Also find Amy Butler pattern for skirt...*there are also FREE PATTERNS on her website. ...Next stop Spotlight 20% off sale - dress fabrics are a write off (queue too long!) so I buy furnishing fabric for my skirt.... Holidays day 1 - am feeling all enthusiastic and exhuberant so present boring dinner - dhal and rice like this, light a candle, and pretend we are out for dinner. (rice sandcastles only take a second and the kids love it)  Holidays - Day 1 - Decide to buy family games to play. Look for a good website that reviews family games and only find this one that is OK - (figure there's a market out there for this kind of thing) We end up buying Boggle for Nim which she's getting the hang of and 'Piranha Panic' for Romy which is a bit of fun - a game of chance and a little strategy.
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Jo -
1 comment 17 MayMay's a busy month...
Wow - it has been busy - a birthday, anniversary, MOther's Day AND a 20 year reunion...all fun! And I've been madly knitting these bangles to try and sell them at a market/shop...
 Here's the blue bubble scarf - I still want to make a longer one...  It's been a lousy Melbourne day outside - about 12C - and Nim and I got her Japanese dolls with paraphenalia into these display boxes this morning. She's pretty happy with how they look - yey! (My ploy to have less 'junk' on her dresser!) 
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Jo -
2 comments 06 MayBubble scarf - for Tanya
For Tanya and anyone else who wants to know about the bubble scarf - I cast on 45 stitches and worked in st st until the ball of wool was finished (25g ball). Use about 24 nuts for each end and secure them with a little rubber band (tiny ones that I use for my daughter's plaits). Pop it all in a laundry bag and let it go through the washing machine's hot/cold cycle. Let it dry before removing the nuts. Good luck and enjoy.... I've just finished one in blue that I'll show when it's felted...
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Jo -
No comments 20 AprilBeautiful day, exciting sculpture... Visiting McClelland Gallery on a beautiful day to view the sculpture garden is always a winner - with me and the kids and extended family (thanks Ray & Danni). Both of the kids said 'boring' when I mentioned art/sculpture. But as soon as we got there - they ran down the grassy slopes, past the lake to find each new surprise hidden amongst the bush.  I know that this one by Anne Ross was probably one of Nim's favourites.  And there was something about this one by Shelly Kelly that I really liked. Such unusual materials for this setting and the juxtaposition of her image of nature with the one reflected in the top part was really interesting.  Finally, Nim managed to attract these grey 'butterflies' to her and was pretty excited about that... a very family friendly day...
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Jo -
2 comments 05 AprilGumnut girls Thank you Eveline for leading the way making these gumnut girls (and supplying the gumnuts!). Nim and I had a great time putting them together... I must say the creative stuff has mainly been in my head these holidays, but I feel the seeds have been sown for something big to start happening soon... I keep meeting inspiring people (mostly women who run a business solo - often hard...) and being encouraged by lovely old friends... Keep you posted!...
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Jo -
No comments 17 MarchBubble scarf As I browse through so many beautiful blogs from the Northern hemisphere and see pictures of snow and lots of completed craft projects....I wonder how long this March heat is going to last, and when will that nice cosy Autumn weather start so that I can knit and craft in coolness.... I did manage to finish this scarf over the summer break and finally found macadamia nuts in shells to do the felting! (Because they are purple and round - no prizes for guessing what Paul likened them to....)
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Jo -
3 comments 14 MarchMy new favourite website Check out Huset for all the lovely Scandinavian things in the world. Somehow I was lead onto that by Odd Molly - very quirky Swedish fashion. Yes....I should be doing something else... (but isn't that the most fabulous bike basket you've ever seen?)
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Jo -
No comments 27 FebruaryCardi I was really happy when I finally got around to giving this old Laura Ashley cardi the 'treatment' - I didn't wear it before - but I do now... with the addition of some fabric patches and a few cute buttons.... My inspiration was this beautiful piece by Knitted & Knotted available at Anthropologie (lucky if you live in the US!)
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Jo -
1 comment 20 FebruaryMy boy... I had a lot of fun playing with a digital SLR camera on the weekend (not mine)... it just feels more like a REAL camera. Paul seems not convinced that it is any better than our compact digital.... but look at this shot. Doesn't it look 'different'?
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Jo -
2 comments 09 FebruaryKuler and colour....
I am doing a lot of work for school at the moment (and not liking having to do so much..) but I am trying to find fun in each thing I do... I HAD to finally buy the fantastic book 'Colour' by Victoria Finlay because I want to tell the Vis. Comm. girls why a HB pencil is called that.... And then good old Paul told me about a fun Adobe website where you can play with colour combinations called Kuler. You don't have to be a designer to have fun with this.... you might want to try colour schemes for your house, or the next jumper you're knitting... fab fun!
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Jo -
No comments 30 JanuaryFeeling connected...
It must be synchronicity when you keep getting the same message from lots of different sources... From my co-counselling buddies, from school, from books about optimism and happiness I keep hearing the message -
things go better when we feel connected. More and more I find my life is about forming relationships - when the computer isn't working, starting a new job - at the core of everything - is 'relationship'. So... I get really excited when someone has left a comment here... I know that I'm not just talking to myself.... thanks Helen!
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Jo -
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Books -
The Time Traveler's Wife I only ever put a book up here if it is exceptional - one that stands apart from all the books read over the years - The Time Traveler's Wife is one of those books. Moments are captured with exquisite observation and references to bands such as The Pixies and Violent Femmes evoke a time many of us have just experienced. It's a poignant love story; and a strange concept made REAL. Thanks Collee for such a great gift. READ IT.
Music -
So Frenchy, So Chic It's not often I hear a song on the radio (Triple R) and want to pull the car over and dance on the side of the road. When I heard 'Ta Douleur' by Camille I didn't actually do that...but I did rush out and buy "So Frenchy, So Chic" which is the unofficial soundtrack to this year's French Film Festival. Put your beret on, buy a baguette and pretend you're there...
Nimue's drawings always make me smile.
Film -SpanglishI havent seen a film I've liked this much for ages. Advertised as a romantic comedy - it was so much more for me. The characters were brilliantly played by people I didn't expect to like such as Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni. I felt the relationships were real and explored on different levels - husband, wife, mother, daughter etc. I cried at the end when the daughter admitted to wanting to be like her mum. Books -
Ish Since having children I have become obsessed with beautiful kid's books. This one spoke to me in the shop. This one must be dedicated to all those creative souls who had their hearts crushed by a harsh critic. For my own daughter Nimue I hoped it would hold a message of not being so hard on herself. What a beauty for all the poets and artists and dreamers - adults and children alike.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time If the reviews hadn't got me - then the front cover surely did. I loved that this book took my head into new perspectives on life. I cried when the boy Christopher explained how his parents had to show him affection by putting their hand up, that he didn't want to be touched! I once taught a girl with Asperger's Syndrome and it made me understand so much more about her. I wish I was as good at maths as this character....
My friend C recommended this trilogy as a great follow-up for those of us who enjoyed Harry Potter. More intellectual and philosophical than Harry Potter, the first book really captured my imagination with it's witches, gyptians and armoured bears! This is one to get you through a long, cold winter. |
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© Jo Roszkowski 2004 |