Teapots and tables!

Today I have been ignoring my coin purses and have been finishing off my tea sets.  I still have to draw the black and white checks and stripes on the blue teapot, but the lemon one is finished.  It has a delicate suggestion of lace with a pretty pale yellow background.  The blue teapot will be bright and bold like the red one.  I am also painting a teapot and sugar bowl along the Wild Flower theme.

Today I was able to buy some paint in exactly the colour I needed for the legs of the Wild Flower table.  I went to my local hardware and bought a 'tester pot' of a Dulux colour.  I didn't want to paint the legs with my Jo Sonja paints as I would have to mix the colour several times and there would be no chance that I would get the ratios the same each time.  Using interior house paint is a very economical option.  Think of the possibilities - they come in a myriad of shades and colours!!  I love this colour on my table.. its called Raspberry Rush :)

Showed Toffee one of my owl cut-outs.... he was not impressed!

Coin purses

Just a very quick update .... look!  Aren't I a good little productive artist  today!!  Spent all afternoon sewing all these little coin or key purses.   To tell the truth, I'm sick of them now!  I will paint this evening and tomorrow will sew all the buttons and snaps onto the purses.

I have another market coming up this weekend... Morayfield Handmade Expo, so am just planning what I will take to that.  I have a few new pieces and some unfinished pieces.  I hope to have the tea set and the Wild Flower table ready to go :)

Change of pace today...

Painting a sign for my market stall!  I tried to design something that reflects the style of my 'shop'... bright, fun, casual and colourful!

I am having a lovely time making lots of little coin purses.  I love mixing colour and pattern!  When I have completed these, I want to design bigger purses... possibly with bows on them.

The owl hangers are going well.  So far I have made some laser prints and cut out some ply wood shapes for them.  It's very hard to do this with a 'jigsaw'.  I wish I had a band saw...

Little Owl

Finished the painting on this project tonight.  My plan now is to make prints of the owl and block mount them onto wood, making decorative hangers.  

He's a little bit cute! :)

A Little Owl

I have been blocking in my flying owl today.

I love to paint eyes... if they look ok I know the whole painting will be successful.

Not sure where I'm going with this.... I want him to look mystical, as if he has swooped out of a fairytale.  But I'd better wait til the paint dries before I continue!!  I have a habit of leaning into any wet paint and getting it everywhere!  

The Show Must Go On...

Went to the doctor today and received the disappointing news that I probably have carpal tunnel syndrome!  I must try to look after my hands or I will end up in hospital!  The wrist brace helps a lot... hand feels better already :)

In spite of hand difficulties, I finished the Wild Flower Table and I think it looks fine with my Spotted Tea Set!

Began a new project... a Celtic Owl hanger.

Love the Wild Flowers!

I have been having a lovely time painting my Wild Flower table.... the top section is now complete!

Wild Flower Table

Today I have enjoyed painting my Wild Flower table!  I am painting intuitively, letting the creative energy flow, without really knowing what I'm going to do next :)

Cup of tea?

 I think I have been a bit lazy today... didn't work as much as I should have.  However, I did find a nice little jug to paint to match my teapot and sugar bowl.  Have finished the black graphic and now just need to paint on the red!

I also began painting a small table.  I'm usually pretty bold when I start painting... I can visualize what the finished piece will look like, but sometimes I wonder if I should do a rough one in my sketchbook first!  The trouble is I often change my mind half way through.  This piece will be quite floral... I think!

Cup of tea?

This evening I have been painting a teapot and sugar bowl.  Not quite finished, but I think they are looking very 'Miss M'!!

Studio Spring Clean

Every now and again I have a big overhaul in my studio.  Twenty or more years of collecting art supplies means I have a lot of equipment and materials to organize.   My latest attempt at logical organization follows the idea of creating a 'work station' for my main activities.  I'm very pleased with the desk pictured below.  It will be my jewellery making area.  I think I will put some brackets up on the window frame and make the shelf more stable.  Hopefully I will have all my supplies at my fingertips when I am working!

I am still developing my storage area.  This desk will be for mould-making and casting.  I'd like to mount some of my bigger tools, like hammer, drill, screwdrivers etc, on the wall.

Oh, and this is the mess waiting for me to clean up tomorrow!!!  This table will be part of my sewing area :)

Up to the Mountain...

Today I visited the Polish Place Restaurant in Mt Tamborine, south west of Brisbane.  I enjoyed a delicious lunch of pierogi and admired the wonderful interior of the restaurant, as well as the tremendous, panoramic views from the top of the mountain!

Below is a sculpture outside a 'fairy' shop!  Wonderful 'Froudesque' type work!!

Some more hungry visitors to the restaurant!  Rainbow lorikeets :)

A colourful day!

Market day at the Handmade Expo!  All set up and waiting for business!

My friend Jenny shared the stall today.  Her gorgeous fabric art can be seen to the left of picture.

Table setting

More of Jenny's work... frog journals and birds and butterflies!

I made some new tags for my jewellery.  

Me (on right) and Jenny... two shop girls!!  It was a good day and I can't wait to get back into the studio and paint some more!

Busy day today!

 Finally finished my chequered pumpkin!

Made some prints from some of my big paintings, ready to be made into greeting cards.

And began installing a wonderfully practical storage system for my studio!  I think there are a lot of lessons to be learnt by examining the storage and organization techniques in industrial spaces.  Or even home workshops and garages.  I have so many tools and supplies and am forever losing things.  I need a place for everything and everything in its place!!