Tasmanian Sandstone

If stone masons can do this, why do quilters complain that set-in seams or curves are difficult?

More Sandstone

This is the old church on the grounds of Port Arthur in Tasmania. All the wood has rotted away over the years, just leaving the sandstone structure ... no roof, no doors, no fittings, nothing but sandstone.

Nature's Colour Choices

I want to show the Quilt Police this flower when they start to tell which colours go together and which ones don't.

5 Things

I've been tagged, so here goes ...


5 things in my fridge:
1. Cranberry juice
2. Leftover toppings from the pizza John made Friday night for supper
3. Milk, real milk, not the stuff from the box in the cupboard
4. Broccoli
5. Beer

5 things in my wardrobe:
1. Wallabies rugby gear & SportsEars in anticipation of the first game of the season
2. Flannel jammies
3. Two pairs of Crocs & too many pairs of Bierkinstocks
4. Empty hangers waiting for someone to do the laundry and ironing
5. Trackies for after work

5 things in my car:
1. Extra wire hangers to take back to the dry cleaner
2. Picnic quilt
3. Empty bag of lollies now filled with all the empty wrappers
4. iPod holder that sits in the drink holder
5. Empty water bottle

5 things in my handbag:
1. Two watches that need new batteries
2. Three sets of keys (car, house, work)
3. Visual diary and pen
4. Umbrella -- I live in hope for rain
5. Bag of safety pins

5 things in my desk:
1. Cricket ball signed by Adam Gilchrist
2. Venus de Milo-esque clay statue done by HRH
3. Couple of quilt magazines
4. Bunch of financial stuff in anticipation of company taxes due at the end of June
5. Somewhere, a letter that tells me when and where I have to drop off my quilts for the Sydney Quilt Show

Anyone else game for having a go? Tag ... you're it!

After the Rain

While the drought is really tough in regional and rural Australia, we do notice it gardens in the city. This blossom was looking pretty much past it until we had some good rain yesterday -- not enough but the most for quite some months. Unfortunately, the sunshine was back again today, and while it was a beautiful & mild winter day in Sydney, a bit more rain would suit me down to the ground.

Next Beading Update

This one is due in two weeks (give or take a day) so I've decided it's time to get cracking.

Have added more beading to the bottom half (it used to look like this and then this) and add some more to the little bead supernova at the top.

Pohutukawa

This is a flower from the Pohutukawa or New Zealand Christmas Tree. It aways reminds me of the Australian bottlebrush, but with attitude.

Sandstone at Manly Cove

Old is Better

Some more shots of my dream Shack in Paradise. I saw a commercial on TV for some miracle product that would return old, weathered wood to its former pristine state. Sometimes, I think that old is better.

Another Lichen Collage

Lichen Collages

From the side of the boat shed on Dove Lake. Now, this is good collage!

Boat Shed on Dove Lake, Tasmania

This time, the mist doesn't hide all of Cradle Mountain. And here is my prefered Shack in Paradise.

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Cradle Mountain was hiding behind the mist on the right, above Dove Lake. The little grey spot next to the lake is a very old boat shed ... the ultimate waterfront property. If you had to have a shack in the middle of Paradise, this would be the one I'd have.

Touch Me

This is the cover of a book challenge I am doing with a group of fellow art quilters. Each person sets their theme and makes the book cover. Then the rest of the quilters, in turn, makes a page to go into the book.

My theme is "Touch Me" and this piece is a collage of wool and silk tops, threads and yarns. Everyone I showed this piece to touched and stroked it ... hence the theme of my book.

Fern Shadows

Beading Update

I have been busy beading one of my entries for the Sydney Quilt Show. It has gone from this to this ...
The white string isn't beading ... it's where the next lot of beads are supposed to go. It won't work out that way ... they'll go the way that they want to ... but the string shows The Plan.

One problem is that the beads keep sinking down into the faux felt made up of wool tops, silk tops and extra threads I added to the mix. Here is a closeup shot of the beading in the top half.

I've noticed that the more beads I add, the better it looks. So I guess I'll keep beading away until it looks 'beaded'.

Sandstone Wall

I could publish an entire web site of the sandstone wall photos I have taken around Australia. This one is near Salamanca Place in Hobart, Tasmania.

Out on the Veranda

Infrastructure

Years of weather show on this bridge pylon.

Just Hanging Around

Quality Time

This one sat in the cupboard before I finally decided to finish it. Every so often, I take it out and add something else to in. Not sure when it will ever really be finished.

Calm

Seeing Spots

I am fascinated by the way the light acts as it shines through this window.

Yellow Poles

Jackson Pollack, eat your heart out!

Big Bad Banskia Men

These are the seed pods that inspired May Gibbs' characters The Big Bad Banksia Men in the book Cuddlepot and Snugglepie.

Guess Who Got a New Camera Lens?

One Has to Start Somewhere

I found this in my newly recovered iPhotos folder. It is one of the very first art quilts that I ever made on purpose. It is crying out to be saved but how? I might have to accept that this one is past resuscitation.

Fiji Sunset

Old Hinge

I recently upgraded iPhoto and had to re-import my old folder of photos. This one turned up in the new folder so I must have taken it although I wish I knew when or where it was taken. I like the heads of the nails.

More Eucalyptus Bark

Balloon over Lake Burley Griffin

Sometimes it's worth getting up on a cold and rainy morning in Canberra.

Eucalyptus Tree Bark