Somnambulist

The Very Slow Doll Maker

This one has been on the go for a very long time! I blame teaching full time and whilst I know that is a significant factor - time management, procrastination and lack of organisation also feature highly. A common enough pattern of behaviour but one I am yet to master.
Anyway this one is paper clay over cloth - my first attempt and clothes made from my very own dyed material, silk and wool. Lovely backdrop! The light box having fallen victim to previous stated patterns of behaviour. Tee hee!!
Oh and not even finished!

Unwrapping

The unwrapping this morning revealed a delight of colour!

Afternoon Play

Loving the long weekend. Enough of a break to unshackle my mind from the 23 other minds that are my usual concern.
Today, however I have played!
The bag of treasures ready to be dyed that have been sitting for some months were hauled out.




The fire was started and stoked, a pot set upon to boil.




Leaves were gathered and some railway treasures, our farm luckily has an old rail track next door.
Cloth was bundled.




And placed to stew and wait!




The waiting will be my undoing, I can manage the next morning but no more as yet.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A walk in the paddock

   Today was lovely, I went for a walk through the paddocks.

Sometimes Bloke brings me treasures!

When he is out and about in the paddocks!

We are often lucky enough to play host to a small flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.

And here is a treasure of a different sort. 

A wee bag that India Flint taught us how to make at the workshop in Nelson.

It is Japanese and translates to 'horn bag'.

This one is made from a tiny scrap of stiff silk dipped in a left over pot with iron in it.  

Very rustic but I had to convince myself I was still able to make it.  So confusedly complex in its simplicity I had to unpick the one I made at the workshop to figure it out - made my head hurt.

Setting foot on my birth land

I have run out of my 'this times last week' already! Back full swing in the tumult of small lives - classroom style. 

But I did take a whim as far as it would go, perusing the blog of India Flint (as I often do and recommend) and finding a workshop in WA - alas was full.  I spied one also in Nelson New Zealand and all I could think was - Why not!  

And not many cons followed not even from bloke.  

Why not indeed - so less than one week later I found myself in the beautiful Lud Valley, Nelson New Zealand.

I say 'follow your whim see where it will go'.

For I had a marvelous and magical five days (and some more), filled with the utmost of self indulgence (because I feel that is what I'm all about this year).  Which really is simply just doing what I want to do - duh!

And met many magnificent women at the lovely home of Judy Keylock and family, ate magnificent lunches and sighed and dyed.

India Flint tending the cauldrons.

Beautiful, strong and purposeful hands.

A pot of eucalyptus.

Unfurling treasures.

Stay tuned for I shall reflect some more.