Crocheted Tree

and it's finished!!! finally...   an estimated 50 hours of paper mache and crochet. 

The Crochet Mission

sorry for the lack of blogging - don't you hate it when life gets in the way of doing fun things like blogging?  Been going hard crocheting The Tree as it is now known at our house.  The 'Bloody Tree'  apparently better make us some money (probably not but don't tell Him that) and i have been crocheting up a storm to get it done by Friday for a friend to drop at the Left Bank Gallery in Greymouth for the members exhibition next week, along with my 'Forks Forest' painting as of course it would be a shame not to exhibit them together!!  It's looking great, will post pics when it's finished !!     Tash

Birthday Bunting

My friend Ed from Okarito made me this beautiful bunting from Japanese papers for my birthday last week, so I came home and put them up straight away!

Tree Sculpture

Well it's not a floor-to-ceiling sculpture like I would like, but it's a start!
All ready for painting and then crocheting.  I am going to try to crochet polka dots and stripes in the same colours as my 'Forks Forest' painting, kind of making a 3D version of it really. 
Watch this space to see how I'm going.....!!!  and wish me luck... 
Tash

A Flower Gift

I knitted and crocheted this last night for a lovely lady who looked after the kids the other night, while I got to go have a boogie across the road at our annual Guy 'Forks' party.  I think I will have to now make some bouquets of them!

The Forks Forest

My newest painting, finished last week.
The Forks Forest, Acrylic on canvas, October 2011 41cm x 40cm

Crocheted Headband

The Mother-in-Law taught me how to crochet properly the other night (not just flowers!) so to celebrate i made this headband out of some left over homespun type wool.  I love it.  Have been wearing it every day. Will have to make another one a different colour so i don't get bored with it i think. 

It's been SO long that i have wanted to learn to crochet and i'm so excited, i want to crochet EVERYTHING.  I'm thinking trees.  Large trees. Maybe a punga, although that is a bit 'done'.   Cabbage tree?.  I have the Members' exhibition coming up in December, and the theme is 'The year of the forest'......would be perfect.  If i didn't have children to look after and bookings all Nov and Dec it might happen.  Might talk to my sculpturess friend who is an expert on making frames for large objects!

Birthday Cake Competition

well, we are back from the (other) coast, and yes i did end up watching rugby!  i had a great time opp shopping and hunting for fabric, was so much fun.  I even managed to knit the husband a grey felted merino hat for his birthday on my circular needles (how i love them!). 

The Mother-in-Law is now here visiting, and we had a Cake Competition for C's birthday earlier in the week.  This was my carrot cake.  He got six cakes (!) and we all voted on them for Presentation (C's mum won); Taste, and Overall X Factor.  Sadly my beloved carrot cake didn't win.  Thinking  of making it an annual affair.  Best to get my cake decorating skills perfected. 

oops Forgot to Blog

Oops.  It's been 10 days since my last blog (really?) and i forgot..  told you it was purely on-a-role thing.  How to master routine baffleks me..
Well Rugby World Cup is now here in Franz, only during the week (as it's between games apparently).  I don't watch rugby.  Used to. Used to even play it (dare i say!)  Luckily The Husband doesn't watch it either. 
But the kids and I are off to my homeland of South Canterbury tomorow, where no doubt, in my attempt to get away from the rugby mad flag wearing and bearing campervans and tourists, i will end up hearing about the rugby, trying to ignore the rugby and inevitably watching the rugby.  Hmmmm.
Have been craving some sort of cityness, and this is as good as it's gonna get til the end of summer now, so i will be making the most of it by opp shopping til i drop, buying more felt and wool and zips and the like, taking the kids swimming and storytime at the library, and just things that people must do in a city.  I have joined the Art Gallery in Greymouth, so i will be doing some designs for a painting for the upcoming members exhibition in December. 
Ka kite ano, Tash

For the Button-aholics....

This was my project yesterday as The Man was off sick from work, and could therefore entertain child no 1. 
I had recently bought all of these buttons and more on TradeMe, and then cursed myself for spending so much money on buttons....  but they are all really beautiful and make great focal points on purses, so i'm hoping i will make my money back!!
Getting warmer here now and feeling like i need to get outside a bit more.  Husband is thinking i am turning into a reclusive old nana sewing, knitting and baking all day with the kids and not seeing anyone else as our car is broken.  Nearest shop 15 mins drive away.  Neighbours all at work (all 4 houses of them).  Hmmmmm.... maybe he's right but i'm actually quite happy in my Nana Reclusiveness...

Crochet Hook Purse

A crochet hook 'purse' made with all my special fabrics.  This I made awhile ago for motivational purposes (see earlier blog 'life to do list'....  )

This was a pattern from a book called 'Sew Darn Cute' by Jenny Ryan.

It really does have some cute things in it!

Some more crafties..

More for the shop at Glacier Hot Pools.
Getting ready for the summer season and wondering how I will get any fun making-stuff done as the bookings look good for the holiday house, which is great. 

New Purse

A new knitted merino purse to go in the shop at Glacier Hot Pools....  think i might make some more!

A Taste of Spring

Here is a (rather old and a bit sad looking) daffadil that the wee madam R gave me a few days ago.  I think there is actually another little yellow pansy floating in the glass too, also given by R!  And some homemade lemon curd I made with our free-range chookie eggs.... the colour of my egg yolks are a beautiful darge orange that's why the lemon curd is so buttery yellow!! Yum... as you can see it's nearly gone.  Here is the recipe below ...

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

3 Large eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbspn finely shredded lemon zest
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
4 Tbspns (55 gm) unsalted butter at room temp.

Method

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended.  Cook, stirring constantly until mixture becomes thick (like sourcream) approx 10 min.
Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove lumps.  Cut butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted.  Add lemon zest and let cool.  The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. 
Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refridgerate for up to a week.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Make lots of pikelets straight away and get into it!!

Inspiring Kids Books

These are a couple of books that No. 1 child has been given over the years, and are my favourites... the colours and illustrations are amazing but also equally important is the content ... i'll ellaborate further on....

Here Comes Frankie by Tim Hopgood

This book is truly beautiful and unique - it's about a boy called Frankie, who wants to play the trumpet; how colours give certain smells; the higher the note, the brighter the colour etc.  The illustrations start off in pastels...

and become brighter the louder the wee boy Frankie plays his trumpet....

so that the street ends up looking like this!! 



Cork on the Ocean by Mark Sommerset; illustrated by Rowan

This is awesome, and i love kids books that rhyme - makes it SO much more enjoyable for you when you have to read it every night for two months.  Unfortunately i didn't get to with this one - why do children always pick the most terrible books to get an addiction to?
ANYWAY....

"Don't be afraid," murmured the maid,

"Be happy the sea isn't flat,

For what is a high, without a low,

Where's the adventure in that?"

"I like how you think but what if I sink!

I really could do with a ride,"

And soon they were three chasing the sea

Racing along on the tide.



"I may be afloat but I am no boat,

A cork on the ocean I am

And this is a friend called Flutter by me,

A butterfly looking for land."

"Well my lucky star, how lucky you are!

To land I am heading today.

So flutter on board my butterfly friend,

I'll carry you safely away."

More Brooches

Some new brooches.....

My Life To Do List (presently)

1  LEARN TO CROCHET
Well I can safely say I can crochet a flower... that's about the extent of it thus far though. 

2  LEARN HARMONICA
So my Bob Dylan covers will sound cooler.  And to educate and inhance my childrens music ability of course.

3  START A CRAFT CLUB
As naff as it sounds, I can actually say I have done this last month.  There is only three of us and even then it's tricky to co-ordinate around life.  More their lives than mine.....

4  JOIN A BAND
Yet to do. Shy and I don't practice enough.  Too busy writing nonsense blogs.

5  GROW SPROUTS
Pretty self-explanatory.  Worried i will forget to water them and rinse them and all that which comes with growing sprouts.

6  BE A BETTER MOTHER
Would probably happen if i didn't do all the stuff i do, plus all the above and below.... hmmm...

7  DO A SMALL BUISNESS COURSE
So when i finish being a stay-at-home Mum i don't have to work for the man in a shop counter selling crap to tourists...

8/  WRITE A BOOK
Not sure what on.  The ramblings of an ex-art-school-mother-kayak-guide-half-trained-graphic-designer who wants to be a rock-star-craft-artist-painter perhaps? No? I'm open to ideas

9  WORK OUT HOW TO INCLUDE ART AND MUSIC in my life as a daily occurence instead of sporadic bursts resulting in burn-out, grumpiness in my failures and long periods of prohibition...

10/  BLOG MORE
!?  Cause it's actually quite fun and addictive and is great when i only have the kids to talk to all day (or a few days when hubby is away)

A Wee Treat

This was something I found on Trademe that I couldn't pass up, I love it so much.! (if one can really love a clock?)  for some reason I couldn't get it to import the picture the right way around.... Husband didn't seem too impressed as it "has flowers on it" .  I think the West Coast is having an influence on the new-age hippy boy I once knew!

A Birthday Dog

A knitted Labrador for my good friend Mel's birthday a while back... cept i'm not very good at following patterns and the head is knitted on backwards. hmmmmm......   might have to get one of the older ladies in Okarito to help me! lol

Knitted Letters

A knitted R for number 1 child's room...  am experimenting with knitted i-cord letters, and i think it might be a winner....  a start on my dream to becoming a knitting sculptress...

Tiger painting

This painting has been in the making for the past year, only just dug it out of my attic studio and finished it recently.  It now hangs above my tiger-loving daughters bed

post baby craft mission

Since having number two child I have had a burst of craftiness, or could be more like Oh-My-God-I'm-Never-Going-To-Have-Time-To-Make-Anything-Ever-Again-ness.... Figure i can sleep when i'm dead... although i did HAVE to have a quick nap today which was amazing, thanks to my other half for entertaining number one child!

Now selling these brooches at Okarito Nature Tours.  See their blog here at kotukuatokarito.blogspot.com.

Brooches

One of seven latest brooches, this one's my favourite!  Although already sold to my friend Gemma...