A visit to the Dump Shop

I went all the way out to the dump shop today to practice macro photography.  For this assignment, apparently we can hand in anything, except close ups of flowers and bugs - under threat of severe projectile vomiting by our lecturer. (She says it how it is).  So.....no chance of flowers at the dump.   Anyway it wasn't a big deal to go out there because the dump shop is an ok place anyway, dust aside.  Great place to get bits and pieces like old record album covers and sheet music for collage. I remember when I was about thirteen I desperately wanted a Beatles LP, and my nanna bought me 'Acker Bilk and The Tijuana Brass' - playing Beatles music......was she for real? 

I was quite looking forward to having my own little nerdy photo session, but when I got there I realised I had left my camera on the kitchen bench.
So I bought a book instead.  

Preparing my next Travel Journal

I'm going away again shortly and I thought I'd spend a couple of hours preparing a little travel journal so I wouldn't be faced with that yukky 'blank page syndrome' which sometimes happens when I take a sparkly new white journal away with me.  This one I've made just with scraps that were lying round the house.  It's a lot easier to jot things down onto scraps - with a new white page I always think I need to do something spectacular....which just doesn't happen! 

I decided on a 5" x 6" format because I can easily slip my 4" x 6" photos in afterward without too much drama.  Also because the pages will fit easily into a zip-lock sandwich bag which I can throw into my handbag with a pen for 'journaling on the run'.  Then I can quickly whip a page out to document that unforgettable moment in time - ha ha!

Envelopes cut to be used as pockets.  I like all the odd sizes.  I've put a bit of washi tape over anything confidential or any torn edges for a bit of reinforcement.  The three little white cards at the top are just leftover index cards that I've attached a tag to.  

The clear windows are great because you can see through to the contents.  (I have a lot of Westpac ones!)

Any bits of paper that are not big enough for pages I like to fold in half and use to secure photos, brochures, tickets or whatever.

Prepared pages.  Some pieces of paper I've sewn together to ensure they end up being 5" x 6" and some I've just cut from brown craft paper or larger envelopes and decorated a bit to hide anything confidential (hence the doylie). I've also torn the page from a small calendar and folded the edge over to fit.

All the bits and pieces ready to go....

....along with the rest of my supplies.  The little paint set is one I'm going to try out next trip.  They're only $3 from Spotlight, so it won't matter if anything happens to it.  (Not like one of my good ones which I protect with my life......like a real nerd).  

And it all fits into a little 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" zippered pouch which someone gave me with a few sample wrinkle creams in it (how rude).

When I get home  and get my photos developed, I'll decide whether I want to bind it with the zutter 'bind-it-all' like this Coral Bay journal or......

....with a 'two-hole punch' and two metal rings as I've done with this little Christmas journal.  (See how the envelopes can be used as pockets?  I think that's pretty clever, I didn't invent that idea unfortunately!)  

Now I just have to pack the important stuff....like clothes.

Green Smoothie in the Thermomix

Sunday morning.  Time to get healthy.  

My super healthy green smoothie had a few 'crunchy bits' in it this morning.   Honestly, it was just dreadful, completely undrinkable.  I couldn't figure it out.  Finally I decided that the new container of Super Greens I bought from the health food shop was to blame.  Brand new container this morning too....."Hmmph....that's what you get for supporting a local business" I thought to myself.  Well I'm going to sort this out.  I'll take it back first thing Monday. Off I went to the wheelie bin to find my receipt, which took quite a bit of doing (I also salvaged a cool pair of shoes I was going to throw out).  While I was packing up the smoothie with it's crumpled receipt, it occurred to me that maybe I had inadvertently 'thermomixed' the little white plastic thingy that keeps the powder fresh, and that's what all the crunchy bits were?  Oh how embarrassing.  But on further investigation, the little white thingy was still in the container.  Oh well....just a thought.

Before I take the powder back, might as well make one more smoothie out of it.  After all, the rest of the powder looked quite alright.  Go figure.  Besides I decided I needed the super greens since I had worked myself into such a frenzy looking for that one little receipt.  So into the Thermomix went a banana, a peeled mandarin, handful of strawberries, (oh yummy) green powder, egg.....then I realised.......OMG......where is the plastic tablespoon I measured the honey with???????  

The last time I saw it, it was resting on the blade of the thermo to drain off the honey.......  

What an amazing machine, it can make a smoothie out of ANYTHING.  

Raggy Quilt

Recently a couple of friends and I got together to make a 'raggy quilt' for another friend who is expecting her first babe.  None of us had ever made a raggy quilt before, but after receiving expert instructions from a girlfriend who has made several (yes you read that right),  we were a full bottle on how to go about it.  


Nobody told us we'd all end up with RSI from snipping the seams.  I thought I had sore muscles when I was thrown out of my kayak (three times....yep....THREE) in choppy water recently......but that was nothing compared to this. Sore butt muscles generally mean the 'pole vault stance' when going to the loo, but a raggy quilt means not even being able to hold onto the toilet paper!

She loved it so it was worth the pain.

Not sure about the 'Triple Tartlets' name though.  We have the 'Jam Tarts' in Geraldton and now also the 'Arty Tarts' in Northampton.  Might have to rethink our name.  

Donna Downey Workshops

I've been away....again!  Have been down in Perth with a friend doing a couple of workshops tutored by Donna Downey.  What an absolute blast!  I'm still on a high and can't believe I finally got to meet her.

Before we even got started we all got a bit of a spiel on the difference between craft and fine art.....her work is classed as fine art apparently.  I have a LOT of difficulty with the constant discussions other people have with this topic and the differentiation between the two.  I doesn't matter to me.  As artists, we have an opportunity to make a statement....just do what you do and make a statement if you want to......or not......for goodness sakes!

The workshops were very hands on and even more full on, and I finally got to learn about and experiment with pan pastels which I've been wanting to do for what seems like forever.

We were each supplied with a journal for experimentation and to document the 40 various techniques Donna led us through.

A blurry shot (what's new) of my partially finished pan pastel canvas.

How embarrassing is the apron?  But I'll probably never wash it again because the guru Donna has touched it.