Old books .

I admit our family have a large collection 

of books. ...many of which I find on sale or

in secondhand / thrift shops.

I especially appreciate the fine artistry and attention to detail

in bookbinding techniques

of this era.

 

 

 

But the finding of this book has a story to tell .

 

Being a Shackleton enthusiast,

I could not believe my luck one day when I

was wandering the aisles of Reverse Truck Garbage

 here in Ringwood. 

Perusing the scraps of timber piled up in a dark corner

I noticed an old book laying on top of the pile.

Out of interest , I picked it up, curious as to what it was.

To my surprise, I had stumbled across the popular edition

of Shackletons' account of his first trans-antarctic expedition.

Dated very early 1900's and with lots of black and white photos.

Complete with a map, outlining the route

his crew took.....I bought this book for $1!

 

Another Shackleton book I have is the

Aurora Australis,

which was the first book to be printed in the antarctic.

During the dark months spent in the south,

Shackletons crew needed to occupy themselves,

so compiled this wonderful book, printed in cramped conditions

in sub zero temperatures this was no mean feat....

 

 

On close inspection one can observe the obvious variations

in printing caused by the unreliable conditions effecting

the inks on the printing press. Adds such alot of character

                                     to the pages featuring  George Marstons beautiful illustrations.

Just some of my books that I love to read.

 

 

 It's cold outside so I've been going on

 a photo spree today.

Buttons. 

White and cream crockery.

Just some of the things I look out for 

when shopping at charity stores.

I once found a small jar full of white buttons of all shapes

and sizes, and when asking the lady behind the counter if

I could buy the entire jar, she looked at me as if I were odd.

I didn't reveal to her how fine they look as decoration.

I'm still looking for

vintage buttons...

and of course, cream porcelain to display the collection on.

I added a couple of Ishka swing tags ,

i rather like the designs on certain retail store tags-

they are works of art in their own right.

Even my daughters little plastic white cat sneaked

in the display somehow!

Beautiful.

Time to light a candle indoors.

The flame brings spirit into the home,

while I sit and have a morning tea break in 

my cosy corner.......

then it's time to take more photos.

 

Mrs Tiggywinkle sits on my mantelpiece with a wooden

jigsaw puzzle dated 1979. Mrs Tiggywinkle is handmade by

myself and I have made a few other characters from the

Tales of Beatrix Potter....

she is one of my favorite children's book

illustrators.

Her main achievemnet I believe is 

The Tailor Of Gloucester.

 

Such a cold autumn day out today,

took some quick photos from the backyard

of our majestic gum tree, and then it was back inside....

my clothes damp from the rain but enjoying it just the same.

'My Home' in autumn

First days of autumn here in Melbourne.
The light is beginning to change from the harsh and bright
of summer
to the golden and soft of autumn.
It is a wonderful time of year.
And I've been busy as ever, creating art for friends and family.
Today I have posted just one of my artworks,
a request from a friend to 'colorize' a simple black and white
copy of australian artist Thea Proctor's - The Rose', which featured as
a cover design for 'The Home' magazine circa 1920.
It was delightful to bring this dull black and white copy to life
with color, and Mr Napper was thrilled with the results.