spring

What's Cooking installation

Another lovely festival and craft/creativity session at the Redcliffe botanical gardens "Whats cooking" event...thanks so very, very much to all who came along, you all truly make me happy. 

Such amazing childrens' art-check out this great recycled felt leaf, so cute!

Aside from the happiness of being with such wonderful clever and creative children and adults this event brings me joy because I adore yarn bombing or 'dressing up' the gardens before the event. It's such fun!

Pink the galah was probably the most popular part of the display, he was modelled after the lovely galah family which lives in a large tree near our home.

 I was also touched by how much the children responded to the fungi covered log.

I tried to slip in a little information here and there and I hope some of the kids will be telling their friends about how fungi can be all sorts of colours -they can even be blue! 

 I have been taking lots of photos for my conservation course work assignments, I need to gather images of weeds and native plants. So many weeds out there, I wish it was a little harder to find them! Anyway, of course I notice other things too while spending time outdoors. And it's such a healthy thing to be outdoors observing nature. 

Isn't this a lovely butterfly? And can you find the tawny frog mouths in this picture? There are three tucked up in the tree...

 happy crafting especially in the great outdoors!

Today has been such a goody I just have to share!

I met up with a friend for a walk along the beach early this morning. We had a great laugh and got some good exercise(even if we were overtaken by the hard-core walkers.)

At the end of our trail we discovered a beautifully constructed fairy like village made of collected beach treasures. It was entirely made of flowers, little leaves, shells and twigs...and was so detailed with fences and pathways, trees and beach huts...thanks to the unknown maker for bringing some wonder to our day...

After such a lovely start to the day I headed into Northey street to help with the winter solstice preparations-weaving bamboo into big paper lantern baskets for children to carry in the parade to the main bonfire. It was so relaxing and fun weaving them. We dried them by hanging them in a tree-don't they already look so pretty? I can't imagine how beautiful they will be once they are painted and lit on the night! Bring on the 25th June!

After this it was back to my normal routine, but luckilly I always enjoy the regular O.T appointment one of my kids has after school, the therapist is so sweet, it's like catching up with a dear friend.

By the time we arrived home it was getting dark and cold...and look what was in my mail box!

Beautiful hand knitted socks-a completely out of the blue gift! They fit me perfectly and feature beautiful flowers on the toes and heels. They brightened and warmed me up and are the most super wonderful gift ever. I didn't need any extra reasons because she's such a gem but I am reminded of how much I really love and am loved by my sis-in-law Sam tonight-thank you dear one!!

I have got warm fuzzies fizzing all over the place tonight after such a special day, I hope some blow your way!

xKate

easter break!

hey there and happy holidays!!

I am so content to be home this easter, I have a week off work and going to class-yeeehaa!

It's been raining ALL day(typical school holiday weather!), but as my son requested a day at home for art that suited us all great!

We made lots of marble roller coaster constructions (you know those plastic tube things which connect together multiple ways?), painted, wrote stories and looked out the windows at the heavy rain!

It won't be all play this Easter though; I have some work to do though- got to get my permaculture design plan started.

To get the ball rolling I have been enjoying some dreaming, some observing, some positive visualisations-luckilly we just had a field trip to some amazing houses and farms up at Crystal waters so I have lots of inspiration! That's where all these amazing houses in the piccys were-aren't they wonderful?

The measuring and drafting process of the design will be a little less fun for me but its good to challenge yourself(isn't it?!)

Anyway I will break it up by getting my ol' hook out and making some more free form work...it was so satisfying making this scarf up as I went along. I also have a dragon toy to repair, a long overdue secret project to finish and post and some newly swapped fabrics to play with!

Pretty cool easter plans, huh? What about you? Hope you have some great things lined up and happy easter!

xKate

pulling out the coats

Gosh I LOVE this time of year. I am overjoyed when I can pull on my beanies and gloves and am having a total love affair with making crochet gloves at the moment. I always struggle the first time round with any new pattern, but once I have succeeded, I love repeating the pattern; tweaking, refining.

Lately the process of refinement is all focused on fingerless gloves-thumb holes have been altered, wrists lengthened, widened, stitched added-that's the beauty of making hand made things isn't it-making it exactly right for the individual? It is inspiring to have such gorgeous hand spun yarns to work with too, this last one is another much cherished skein from Village life regular Fauve Fibres.

And speaking of customised hand made items the lovely Chantal Vincent is making a special stamp for me with a robin on it. She sent a little work in progress image of it through- it's so brilliant, sweet and cute!

I can't wait to use it, I thought a lot about how to create eco friendly tags. This seemed the best option because once I have the stamp any paper or fabric can be utilised!

Anyway, I will wait to show you the finished product, but in the meanwhile here's a lovely flower our permaculture class saw while visiting properties at Crystal waters the other day....

And check out truly gorgeous artist Chrissy Foremans blog this week as she has posted up an interview with me! I ramble as per usual but her blog is well worth a visit-she has the most stunning bright and uplifting images and ethos-you might remember I interviewed her here?

happy reading,

xKate

more frogs

More frogs. This is for better or worse somehow becoming a frog blog.

Ah well, sometimes life is hectic and stressful but looking for frogs is relaxing and fun! Plus these kind of everyday observances of nature inspires everything creative for me...

so enough words-here's todays friends

...can you spot this one, his colours a giveaway!

This one was up high, notice his little feet curling under the leaf...awww.

And another cute one, showing off his or her lovely green skin by sitting on a Rosella bushes red branch.

and lastly this little one was hiding behind a wooden Buddha plaque...sorry froggy, but I found you!

xKate

little friends..

Don't these two look adorable? They must be little friends.

x kate

small world

Northey street city farm is a beautiful place to be studying permaculture...all the little things...

Join me there on Sunday if you'd like-8-12 at Village life market. I will have my own dash robin goodies and am excited to be sharing a stall with Lynne who makes beautiful jewellery using recycled silver and Australian made glass beads.

From 10-11 a.m this Sunday at the main stage on the farm grounds some folks may also wish to join me in creating a new informal group-'Village life wrap with love crochet/knitting circle'...we'll be making squares to go off to this organisation...

xKate

Bribie island day trip

Hello! Went to Bribie Island, just north of Brisbane today, for a bit of beach and a bit of forest.

My favourite painter , Ian Fairweather, lived on Bribie island, and the local museum has a small feature wall about him as he lived out there. He chose to live very simply, in a small cottage/shack in the forest. This image comes from the Ian Fairweather project site, and shows him in his house/studio painting.

The forest on Bribie is pretty special, I can see why he was so inspired and felt so attached to the place.

'I came like water and like the wind I go' Omar Khayyam.

The beaches, especially Red Beach, are pretty special too. I have a confession to make though-despite living in the so-called sunshine state- I am no summer person. I am sure this is frustrating to people enduring those bleak European winters...I am sure because I have been told off by many over the years for my lack of 'Aussie beach life appreciation'

By the time I have gathered all the togs, towels, hats, sun cream, etc and gotten us to the beach I am generally irritable-sweaty, hot and bothered, then it is so glare-y and the sand sticks to my suncream, which washes off my skin in about .5 seconds in the water ensuring sunburn will occur, then my (by this stage) totally annoying kids jump all over me and splash water in my eyes and; oh, I could go on but I am sure you get the picture! I'd rather take photos, read a book but there's never much shade...winter, please come now!

Anyway, whiney-ness aside-I loved the shapes of these deeply embedded driftwood tree trunks-just looking at them conjures so many different ideas and forms...

The Casuarina trees which sprawl all over the sand are lovely trees too...apparently the name comes from the Malay word for the cassowary bird, Kasuari, because of the similarities between the trees slender drooping foliage and Cassowary feathers. I wouldn't know, I haven't been north past Townsville and I think they only live much further up into Queensland, maybe the Daintree? In any case I think I'd tend to give a bird like that a wide berth so I will take their word for it!

And I better go and get dinner into my not so annoying anymore kids,

xKate

February is the new January.

Hello, I am currently enjoying one of those exciting periods when I am feeling very, very inspired! I have some delicious new fauve fibres yarn to play with so I have begun making some completely made up as I go along shawls. My sewing machine is seeing some action too, my works been aided by the lovely books I am borrowing from my local libraries. One I particularly like is 'sew green' Its a fantastic resource for crafters who love using Vintage and recycled materials in their work. It's helping me see lots of things in a whole new/old light. My worn out flowery bed sheets are now my new pyjamas.

They are cotton and so soft and I couldn't part with the funky 60's flower power pattern!

And here's my puss cat Tripitaka getting very cozy with my new op shop scores-two cute crocheted lap blankets, half felted together from years of use.

These two blankets are going to become large floor cushions. Once I get them made I plan to use them both at home and to bring along for the story time sessions in the children's garden at Village life market at Northey street. I reckon they will bring a touch of nanna style comfort to the proceedings!

However much crafting fun I am having I can't ignore what's going on around me...is February trying to compete with January in the dramatic weather stakes? 'Floods? Pfft, I can do better than that, howza about a cyclone...or 2' says Feb.

Fortunately there is quite a bit of advance warning and information and hopefully all the people making safe their friends, pets, families and neighbours are feeling like they are preparing and not panicking.

Queensland is big, actually scratch that, Australia is big, and Brisbane is a loooong way from this area, so down here we are safe as can be.

But I do wish people the world over very well and hope we all keep doing all we can to help...however please don't forget to cover yourselves properly, if I see one more person wading through contaminated water and mud wearing thongs I am going to scream!

Besides who wouldn't want to wear this seasons must have fashion shoe...

Wishing you calm, deep joy and lots more, from here,

to where ever you are,

xKate

Floods and the bay

Hello,

This is the waterfront of the Moreton bay, near my house.

This was taken before the recent floods.

And these are after.

A tank and large pontoons.

Garden soil, plants and trees.

The high tide.

It's wonderful some areas are being cleaned but from here the view is not so good-the job is enormous and we need to help and be helped with it.

To register to help locally go here.

To support local craft workers and donate to the flood appeal go to my etsy store here

and BrisStyles handmade ark appeal.

On Saturday we managed with some wonderful volunteers to perform a miracle mammoth clean up at Northey street community farm. On Sunday we held a combined organic and village life markets in the Northey Street farm carpark.

Gumnut hill stationery, Luvya doll, Fauve fibres and my own dash robin stall raised funds for the flood appeal reaching a total donation of over $200.

For those of you who visited us and are helping in any way to contribute to the flood appeals and clean up efforts all that you are doing is being deeply appreciated.

Best wishes to all,

X Kate

hello world

Hello, I thought I'd share a picture of the toy I mentioned a post or two back that my neighbours son chose...he was made with beautiful wool from my treasured stash of

fauve fibre.

I feel like having a bit of a chat about the environment. I hope people who enjoy my craft also enjoy reading about other interests, if not simply skip it! :o)

Flooding has always been part of a cycle here and is getting more extreme due to global warming and it's effects. And I am noticing a lack of news coverage or discussion about the fact that while we are in a flood period now, we have just come out of droughts. It is my view these extremes need to be accepted and their effects and causes looked into further.

There are lots of things we can do to tackle some of these effects locally, if we know how.

We can plant trees along river banks, much like this beautiful re vegetation plantation which my dad worked on in his home town.

We can buy recycled paper products instead of consuming products created from the destruction of forests. There are beautiful recycled products available now including

Gumnut hill stationery products. I love this collection!

Anyway, there is just so much we can do and be involved with and it is my wish we would as a society take a little initiative in nurturing our home here on earth and the creatures we share it with.

Happily these rains provide nutrients and vegetation to vast areas of land, so lots of little creatures will soon be having boom times in a brilliant habitat, which after the dry years is a lovely thing.

Of course the animals who are suffering from displacement in the short term need a hand and you can find out more and donate via reputable organisations such as wildlife Queensland.

The frogs are already revelling in the conditions and these are a couple I found in my yard...

Don't you want to give them a little kiss?

xkate