Category Archives: photography

Crafting glimpses

Posted on by

1

Crafting glimpses

A gallery of crafting moments from my WA visit

centred on wool craft

I got my sister started on her felting journey

it was delightful to share some of my skills

we made her baby a playmat and some funny mutant animals

like the wombat sheep

inspired by the book

A Felt Farm

I made Cedar a playmat with roads on it for this wheel obsessed boy

a success and great for travelling

meanwhile other children getting soapy

and happy making colored balls

{a great place to start wet felting for yourself and kids}

and having nests made for small toys

on lemons this time

children weaving on braiding discs

and needle felting dolls and butterflies

and little fingers doing fine embroidery

and turning it into pincushions

and little animals cut out of fabric and made into 3d toys

and more

and sewing and having a sister for guidance and support just like when we where younger

and more

and knitting like crazy and discovering the ease and fun and singing

with the windy wool thing {umbrella swift and winder}

which takes your big skein and makes wonderful neat balls

I honestly could not figure out how Godmother wound such neat balls by hand!

der…

and this moment which cracks me up because i am so happy with this funny gadget

and have a vine wrapped around my head and giant mongolian slippers on

and I’ve just been singing with my four year old niece while she winds the winder

and looks up at me with fun in her eyes

thankyou mama for bringing me up in a crafty home

now i can make my own crafty home

**

Glimpses of Outdoors

Posted on by

2

Glimpses of Outdoors

a gallery of outdoor moments from my visit to my family  in Western Australia

outside I love

the wind

and how I almost fly

I am enlivened and refreshed

by breeze from distant seas

rustling leaves and whispering trees

or thrashing branches and lashing stances

outside the space surrenders me

and my smalls are free

running flopping

stomping rolling

watching witnessing

finding

hiding

grace of equine gallops

echoed in shorter limbs

husky love song of long grass

shimmering godly sunsets

moon rise so graceful and silent

birdsong twittering or raucous

all makes me quieter within in wonder

attentive I am to

sky song

star song

goose song

garden song

planting song

digging song

children song

flower song

harvest song

my song

earth song

calling beckoning drawing out into

the springtime song

a great cacophony of lifes vital forces emerging

infectious energy and creativity

cousins make fairy homes in the grevillea

while plants stretch new leaves at the sun

and buds open to the breeze

glimpses of indoors

Posted on by

2

This gallery contains 54 photos.

Glimpses Of Indoors a gallery of moments from my month with my extended family in Western Australia a chapter of time many shared moments centered around the hearth and the heart centered around all the activities which have their place … Continue reading →

all in one day

Posted on by

2

our last day on the farm or was it days?

entailed lots of outdoorsey horsey time

and lots of quiet knitting sitting with my mama

{see how fancy she knits}

i said to her

“when I grow up I might knit fancy socks too…”

she replied in the vein of

“when do you know you are grown up?”

“when i knit fancy socks of course”

on the winding deck on the eastern house side you can chase the sun all morning long… and maybe have a spontaneous yoga session…

after babies sleep we went to a friends stables and Lily got to groom, ride and feed a placid freckled nana horse…

I got distracted by the divine golden blooming wattles… mmmm… i wish i was a beethen after lunch off down the field to see aunty’s horsies

we all sat about and watched her give her horse Bowen and then work with another naughty pony which did not want to be caught

photographed cute baby instead of horses

no big trees to climb here yet, so miss monkey goes up other obstacles…

they are growing though… i remember a certain cold day with a very little Lily,

hands cold in the earth and mud planting some of the sheoaks and melaleuca ‘s at the bottom of this little forest

and now a date with the long oatey grass and my little ones

i was captivated by the sound of the wind in the long grass, i felt very still amidst the sea of green, the scent of sweet oats,                                                 children’s giggles and calls and falls,

memories of making grass houses just like this with my best friend of childhood, rolling about flattening rooms, making oaty meals, looking at the sky and feeling hidden and safe

i was trully enraptured by grasses again, this was the golden glow of my day, here simply laying in the grass, a truly happy simple moment to savour

it certainly sweetened me amidst all the weeping and longing of leaving…

then i managed to convince Lily to shoot me

in my newly hemmed more complicated than it could have been pocketed mama cheerful springtime skirt

really digging the clash of blue prints and red boots…

what do you wear on the farm?

goodbye to this part of our travels

filled with sweetness and mama love and family closeness

thankyou all of you who enrich my life and cradle me in the family nest, help me, encourage me, tease me, put up with me, hug me and love me

Brig Amity

Posted on by

0

We have left the farm to make a few outings in the last month, honest!

We had some errands to run in Albany last week, so we amused ourselves by visiting the Brig Amity

ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

a beautiful replica ship on the foreshore to be explored

astounding craftmanship

huge timbers and clever carving

one of  the symbolic beginnings of settlement in WA 1826

one of the symbolic end to traditional life of the indigenous people in WA

on one hand I was utterly captivated by the beauty of craftsmanship on this incredible vessel

the wonder that it {the original Amity} sailed from Canada originally

the wonder it held a farmyard of animals and 120 passengers/crew

the wonder of tiny cramped spaces and curved sides

where people shorter back then?

the delight of happy exploring children

and skippers

on my other hand was the mourning of  an incredible landscape and culture

changed so quickly

what was the sacred story of this bay or these great granite boulders

who harvested shellfish on this shore

who sheltered in the scrub there on windy days like today

who made the fish traps and brought back the bounty

who carried the fire

it’s still so fresh here in Australia as in many other places in the world

We came in out of the wind and my ponderings

and warmed ourselves with hot milk in a sweet cafe which is in the very modern world of

14 Peel Place

ImageImage

Windy day Toddler Bonnet

Posted on by

8

The Windy Day Bonnet is born…

Well I did it! Yes I really did.. see evidence below…

I adapted this gorgeous bonnet for Cedar from another simple pattern to fit my boys noggin snuggly and embellished the designwork for my own interest, challenge and enjoyment.

You would not believe how hard it has been to find a pattern for this two year old in a bonnet style! who says children over one year don’t need cosy bonnets anymore… so now there are at least two bigger bonnet patterns out there! if you know of any more please share with me as I love this style, they stay on better at this busy age.

look at this lovely big boy… i mean lovely bonnet…

we rummaged for a long time through my mama’s button tin looking for just the right button. Important business for this fellow and me. While my heart swelled and stretched with the dual joy of having made something from these stumpy fingers of beauty and use, and the joy of quiet buttoning with my boy just as I did with the same buttons as a little one…

i am capturing all these glimpses of time here in my heart and storing them to replay in my mind as time zooms in front of me and my tears well up and I start packing my bags again to leave the nest of my beautiful family…

in the end he put aside the fabric covered vintage buttons, the carved bone, the plastic orange elephant, the sparkle encrusted jewel, the leather square, the big red retro and chose the plainest little white plastic button.

“now i’m ready to go out into this southwest wind and play mama…”

anyway, I now need a test knitter or two, game enough to knit up my pattern The Windy Day Toddler Bonnet and give me feedback before it goes up on Ravelry!

it’s easy, honest!

I used 4mm knitting sticks and about 70g of Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted {aus 10ply} in Tealing Blue. You can use whatever you like of course…

the pattern used to look like this…

{I did go to art college for three years to be able to make it look so, well, artistic…}

please contact me if you are willing… {it is beautifully legible and sensical now!! and downloads as a neat pdf file…}

In celebration of my achievement I bid you good night!

and in celebration of yours, whatever they may be!

Good night *

ps thankyou littlelom for models cutest toadstool singlet and cord whale trousers…

Port Douglas Markets and more musing s…

Posted on by

8

Port Douglas Markets and more musings…

ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage, ImageImage

Image

Image

We have been away for three weeks now on the West Coast.

I’ve just been editing photographs from our last weeks in Far North Queensland.

those beautiful waterways! the warmth and fresh fruit! being outdoors…

Image

i mean really, look at me in swimmers and being painted by a little angel with river ochre!

less than a month ago!

In my bones until next time…

It’s hard to fathom Jesse will be playing his last set for the year at the Port Douglas markets today.

followed by a sunset dinner by the sea probably.

We are in such different realities at the moment, when usually we travel life together.

I’m only just starting to miss my companion and dear friend…

i’ve been wrapped up in the joy and busy-ness of family time and the enjoyment of space from the relating ship,

which is still happening, but I’ve passed half way of the trip and I think my soul is

preparing to travel East again and thoughts are coming in about my friends and family there.

It makes me aware just how difficult it is to simply be present!

Without anticipating the next chapter of life, or even the next moment of life.

How much of my day am i just trully being in the moment?

I know I relish it when I notice i have come in for a time, and feel the richness of the moment.

it’s not that often, when I really reflect on it! neither is it always comfortable moments mind!

I’m practicing though.

When I go through a phase of doing a daily practice of meditation or yoga or somesuch I notice

my awareness is more centred for the rest of the day.

I tend to put good excuses or futurisms on why I’m not in regular practice of some time of

stillness and centering.

Like, when I have a house I will set up a space or when I’m not so tired or when I wake up tomorrow or when I am enlightened or when I grow up….

{my sisters say I was such a procrastinator as a child}

How about right now?

How about you?

What do you tell yourself, which stops you from doing some helpful practice of meditation, stretching, exercise, centering, movement or so on?

or what do you tell yourself which gets you going with it again?

well that was not what I’d been planning to write about! but reading back I enjoy the surprise of it!

I had been wanting to belatedly post these photos of some of the beautiful produce and handmade crafts from the

Port Douglas Markets!

I think I’ll put them at the top of the page now…

Enjoy your spring/autumn equinox

are you celebrating it in any way?

it happens to also be Uncle D’s birthday so we had

decadent gluten free chocolate cake with cream after breakfast…

Peace

it’s the wildflowe…

Posted on by

3

it’s the wildflowers

in full festival

Image

it’s the flowers

in every glance a hint of colour to be investigated

Image

it’s the flowers

tiny, subtle, gracious, intricate

it’s the flowers

beckoning me across the road and into the woods

Image

it’s the flowers

delaying me and making little ones impatient with mama as they spring on to new finds

(and me impatient with them for pulling me away, yes must go alone sometimes…)

it’s the flowers

invisibe to a casual eye

revealed with attention

unveiled with presence and patience

delighting all of us with their own groupings and gatherings

what do flowers communicate?

and here and here another another

it’s the flowers

which distract Cedar from falling asleep on walks of that intent

it’s the flowers

the bold red/orange/burgundy pea his favorite and each bush gestured and acknowledged

it’s the flowers

immaculate petalled orchids the queens

puffy pompom wattles

spreading cheerful red leschenaultia and running postman

tall sunshine billy buttons

minute pink fairies

countless silky blues orchids

spider orchids

purple pansy orchids

red beaks

dampiera

dryandras

tiny delicate fringed lily twiner

bright abundant cowslips

tall breezy jug orchids in mint candy striped shirts

at least five variations on the donkey orchid

black eyed pinks

and a myriad more I cannot name but love no less

it’s the flowers

the carpet of which trails our eyes through the open woodland

it’s the flowers

which bring me here in spring

it’s the flowers

whose essence and healing I soak up

it’s the flowers

the discovery of rarities a thrill each one thrillier that the last

it’s the flowers

in rain or wind or warm

beckoning a beautiful bouquet

in amongst the silver brown hued timber

it’s the flowers

enlivening and uplifting me

it’s the flowers

stretching my smile eyes and mind

it’s the flowers.

it is.

A Denmark Day

Posted on by

1

Mama and I and the little ones spent a happy day browsing and completing errands in the Coastal Forest town of Denmark

After visiting the two op shops and finding some great embroidered linens and pastel Johnson Bro bread plates we had a tasty lunch at

while Nanna went for acupuncture Cedar Lily and I where playful in the riverside park. A pretty cool playground, some stately old Marri and Karri trees…

I had one of those moments again. one of those precious ones where my heart pauses and I am then flooded with sentiment as I watch my little ones in their innocence and fun and kindness and I give an enormous breath of gratitude to the gift they are in my life, and the beauty and clarity of sunlight and the cool scent in the air almost overwhelms me with the richness of nature and my place in it.

try and imagine how old this Marri tree is… All it has witnessed… the slow pulsating rhythm of being a tree… go and find one and sit or lay under it or climb into her arms and soak up some arboreal wisdom…

Yes Cedar is out and about in his pyjama jumper… he loves it as much as I do… It’s from Engel via Cambridge baby

oh how i love the scent of rivers,

growing up an inland girl the novelty of bounteous water is yet to fade…

the myriad of light refractions on waters surface amuse me endlessly, the green shade and becooled air which stirs about draping leaves becalms me

and refreshes me and i am enchanted in my thoughts as i move us up to the colourful delight of wool heaven!

I was getting distracted from choosing yarn for a bold project I am about to undertake of making Lily a short sleeved cardigan for the coming seasons from an Elizabeth Zimmerman patern resized to vaguely fit an eight! phew. I think I’m abit out of depth but looking forward to the challenge.

I chose an heirloom silk touch Merino, Alpaca, Silk blend and Lily chose a sweet sky blue tint.

Lily had been quietly amusing herself, when I appeared to check with what she was amused I saw…

You know those beautiful enticing rows of neat embroidery threads in every good crafting shop? well…

Mothers panic try to be calm…

“honey what are you up to?”

thinking…oh god We are going to be kicked out, no worse I will have to painfully sort these all out into colour batches and rehang them. oh crikey

“Hi mama, these where all in a jumbly mess, some kids been playing with them probably so I took them all off and I’m sorting them out!”

“ah OK good one that’s really thoughtful of you”

luckily shop lady overheard and pipes up gratefully that it’s OK and thanks to Lily

phew… phew… phew…

Cedar had been happily driving his new tractor and trailor around which we had just found beautifully made at the Denmark arts centre…

after this we perused the Butter Factory Studios and Alpaca Centre

I am in love with Alpace fibre once again and tried to convince my mum to buy an exhorbitantly priced Alpaca coat to no avail… yet…

I found Cedar a sweet duffel coat by Oobi instead and some fantastic local ceramics.

The end

everyone tired and hungry and wants to go home now

goodbye Denmark til next time