Julia Rothman

While sipping on cuppas, I've been spending some time here. I'm really enjoying the works of Julia Rothman and her other design space Also, in collaboration with Volvovski & Lamothe. Such a fun & quirky web design, you must check it out.

In the kitchen.

my creative space...

*Something wrapped.

*Thinking about my next landscape cushion. Skyscrapers, buildings etc...that's it for now!

More Creative Spaces here.

stamping away...

I want to wrap something.
I want some interesting tissue paper.

I can't find any.
So I'm making my own...

using some very cool stamps found at a garage sale.

Taking too long.

Who was I kidding? Thinking I could whip up a tote in 1.5hrs. Sure, I probably could have but my perfectionism and attention to detail always gets in the way. So, what was meant to be a simple tote with pretty fabric, no lining, no nothin' else...ended up being quite detailed for a project I started at 9pm and wanted to finish that evening, to be wrapped and given as a gift for a beautiful friend the next day.

That day, I worked. I didn't get to bed till 2am! Brain frazzled and voice gone (some may say that's a good thing) that morning. Time wasn't on my side...I was interrupted by a button hole that wouldn't sew (so I googled the error message), linen that wouldn't press, interfacing that needed a hot iron for longer than it was necessary, and other silly mistakes one makes at that time of the night. Or is it just me that always seems to have at least one thing stuff up? "Oh sh** I've just realised..." seems to be a given sentence when I sew, followed by DD in the background saying, "here we go...". All up it probably took 3hrs to complete...why on earth do such simple projects like this one take me so long to finish?!

I had so much fun making though, kiddies were asleep, fire was roaring with a cuppa on the go. I'm itching to make another...but I'm still catching up on sleep.

my creative space...

A project completed. Landscape cushion inspired by this illustration...

from this book.

Originally I wanted the cushion to have a relaxed floppy feel, one you can toss wherever...a style that would fit in with the relaxed machine stitch and a fray finish. However, because of the layered applique it ended up rather stiff in some place and some what loose and thin in others, so I was left with this inconsistency in texture and feel that I didn't like so much.

So I decided to thicken the entire cushion front with a layer of fusible interfacing. It has given the cushion a finish which acts more as a placement/decorative pillow rather than one that can be thrown about and used to bits (not saying it can't be used) it's just not as comfy and loose as I had planned it to be. I do think it turned out rather cute though.

I will sit back and reflect on how I will make my next landscape cushion. I think: bigger, softer, zipped and more raveled fibres.

Something else - working on a new blog celebrating 'Mums'. I've been sitting on this idea for a while now, not knowing where I was going with it. It will take sometime getting it going as I want to tell my story of Her Red Apple.

Grab a warm cuppa and head over to Kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

May - Week No.1

It has been a busy week for the first week of May...

Observing these little creatures. There are swarms of dragonflies everywhere at the moment. I took about 10 photos of this fella and he didn't move an inch.
My beautiful and generous grandfather passed away May 3rd. I will miss his wonderful deep laugh.The big delight observing shapes at the park grounds. "Look mum it's a love heart."
Realising our little delight is not so little anymore...
My birthday May 5th. My gorgeous man took me out for brunch. The Corner Shop cafe in Yarraville - it was so delicious.
Missed my mum terribly on Mothers Day. Her Farrah Fawcett days...
Sorted through some of mum's shoes, she lived in heals...not short ones either.
Completed a project - hurray. More photos soon.

A visit from Mum...

image source: soul mentoring

I dreamt of my mother last night. I didn't see her face...all I saw was a pure white cloud in the form of a being, but the energy I felt was indescribable. It felt so real. She wrapped her arms around me loosely and with the most intense motherly love and powerful but gentle force, she lifted me off the ground and I floated with her. I was so overwhelmed and kept repeating the word "mum" in a deep and heartfelt voice. It must have lasted 4 seconds, and then suddenly a flash of numbers appeared , maybe 7 or 8 times very quickly...there were single, double and three digit numbers - I just wish I could remember which numbers they were, I only remember seeing numbers 6 and 2.

We weren't alone, I could feel there were others around but I don't know who. I'm hoping it was my grandfather (mum's dad) who passed away yesterday afternoon of a heart attack. His primary cancer was of the bile duct, rare. Diagnosed in the same month as mum October 2009, and died 62 days later (and yes, working this out just now has given me the goose bumps as these are the only 2 numbers I remembered in my dream...my gosh...coincidence?). Probably.

Mum was with me last night. Whether it was in dream or in spirit, she was with me and I woke up the next morning with the most energy I've had since her death, but there's an emptiness that I know will never go away.