15 December 2011


One frosty morning....



a little girl equipped with icing sugar, flour, ginger
spices and all things nice......


set out to create the most beautiful gingerbread house.


Inside it was warm and cosy



while the snow outside
gently fell....




and when the morning sun  peeped up over the frosty mountains,
the little girl wished she was tiny.....  small enough to enter the gingerbread house.



We decided to have another go at making a gingerbread house this year.
After our last attempt which was a failure, I did some research on the net
for a 'vegan' gingerbread house recipe , and found one that proved to be 
a success. Do not want to eat it, just yet......


17 October 2011

....and among the flotsam, I found Dickens.......








... a beautiful old book by my favorite author 'Charles Dickens'
- David Copperfield....found for a song at my local thrift shop.
I have plans to crochet a rug made from these old fabric remnants,
sheets and doona covers, my inspiration coming from the latest Jeanne D'Arc Living Magazine,
sent from Angela Osment  at Simple Things Small Joys....
she wraps the magazine so beautifully in paper and ribbon,
each time I receive it  is like a special present arriving.


8 October 2011

Whale spotting on the Mornington Peninsula












School hols at the moment, so, we all went for a hike with our cousins
along the Mornington Peninsula from  Cape Schanck Lighthouse  to Elephant Rock - 
a two and a half hour walk return.  
I had learn't that it is migrating season for the whales at this time of the year ,
but I wasn't expecting to see any . ...that is until our little observant cousin, 
to my children, spotted a mother whale and her calf in the cove below, 
swimming alongside each other, the signature water spout observed every 
so often on close observation.  This was undoubtedly the highlight of our day.  
Our guess is that is was a humpback, but we can't be sure. 
What an incredible day, and so fortunate to see a whale and her calf , swimming playfully without a care, 
 in the deep blue waters of the Bass Strait. 






8 August 2011

Cupcakes and tea











My daughter Camille and I enjoyed ourselves yesterday
making cupcakes...the type designed to help you lose weight??? (or maybe not)
We pulled out out all the little bits and pieces we would require ,
just stuff we have collected, fabric oddments, old lace, yellowing paper, beads.....
there is no limit to the imagination. Problem is, whenever I see these 
tasty looking  imitations of the real thing, I feel like cooking
and indulging in  the real thing. They look so pretty sitting on my dresser though.
Must remember to put them out of sight when my little nieces next visit!

5 July 2011

A much overlooked but essential topic in these modern times.

Please take an eco calculator test    my friends. This is just one of many that can be found on the net and are readily available to take if you so choose.
My personal footprint is 1.53 planets, on this particular site,and that is still high for my liking even tho' I 'm doing all the rights things I possibly can.
A

8 June 2011

I've caught the knitting bug.....










I admit, I've had the knitting bug of late...it must be that time of year.
I find nothing more pleasant than cosying up on the lounge, with the heater
going while hearing my needles clicking away. I finished my scarf in soft grey mohair,
worked in feather and fan pattern, and also this cardigan that was once a jumper.
Made of the softest lambswool, it is so warm but light to wear. But I don't like
jumpers...I find them restrictive. And it would be a shame to see this one go. So,
I cut the jumper in half at the front to where it meets the buttons, and applied a lace trim
to cover the edges, repeating this on the cuffs also. Once a rarely worn item,
is now worn almost everyday, and is one of my favorites. Doesn't hurt to think beyond
the obvious, imagine and re-invent. Keys to successful recycling.
I so like hand knitted garments. They are so opposite of what can easily bought
made  by some impersonal machine. A hand knit garment, is one made out of love and care
- you can almost smell it . A properly made garment , made of the best quality wools
will last a life time so, although it may take some time to knit, it is time worth spending.

23 May 2011





A little bit of magic to keep the home hearth burning.
We have a very old garage, where I set up this little tableau.
I love the inside of this small forgotten building....all rustic , old brick walls
and exposed beams. Spiders galore, happily residing under the roof.
I like it that way. Infact , I feel guilt when I clean the cobwebs from
inside the main house. When I think of  the harmless little spiders that have
carefully constructed their homes within
our own home. Let them be I say, never mind what the visitors think.
So, I put my little handmade matchbox home in the spiderly garage,
and lit a candle in honour of  'the home'.....big and small.
It will come in good use each time we light the fire this winter.



13 April 2011

The joy of making hand made paper



















My daughter and I , in creative mood, took advantage of a sweet sunny autumn day
fossicked around in the studio for my mould and deckle
in the intention to make hand made paper.
Pulp at the ready, we filled our vat with plenty of water, adding a cup or two
of pulp, with the addition of geranium petals and grass clippings.
Paper then hung on the line while still wet, softly blowing in the breeze,
didn't take long to dry in the warm sun. I love the finished paper's fragile, tactile qualities
- perfect for some japanese book binding and various other decorative projects.
Paper is so versatile, here displayed on my paper mache small table.....







Hope I have inspired you to take up this satisying craft....
it's worth having a go.

Andrea




1 March 2011

A blessing for the home.




.......found trinkets, a plastic ballerina,
an old key, glass bead, string, silver thread and crumpled tea stained paper,
hapazardly bound together. 
With love ....
and blessings for...
the home.

8 February 2011

Safety Beach, Rosebud, Victoria


Colorful and vibrant beach huts along the shoreline.



Trio of Silver Gulls......



Southern view of Safety Beach looking towards the opening to Port Phillip Bay.



 Northern aspect , Mount Martha in the distance.

 Today I wanted to show you some photographs 
taken during the summer holidays at Safety Beach here in Victoria.
Safety Beach is located in the Port Phillip Bay area , on the easterly
coast, and is a wonderful calm beach, with access to walk out far, without
it getting too deep. As you can see , on the day , it was quite deserted
you could almost be the only person on earth.
Abundant in wildlife, we swam amongst little schools of fish, crustaceans and
the odd sea star, one of which was about the length of our feet.
Not so pleasant was the close encounter with a large jelly, of which species
I was uncertain, and not willing to get close enough to find out. 
A sting from it, would have finished our day there and then.
There were the typical Silver Gulls hoping for a scrap of food,
and even a wary Southern Petrel was seen at a distance- floating calmly on
the tide but keep a watchful eye on me, the observer.
The Southern Petrel is a large bird,
similar in appearance to the albatross and migrates from the antarctic to warmer
australian southern waters.
So , we spent a few hours here, slowly taking our time, taking in the views,
swimming, collecting shells and sea glass......
and what a great day out we had.
We are grateful to our children's uncle who kindly drove us 
to this location, for without his generosity of spirit, trips 
such as these would not be possible for us.







Finally, I've heard so much about this magazine on various blogs,
that I thought I would treat myself to an issue of Jean D'Arc Living Magazine.
It arrived in the post , beautifully packaged in tissue paper and string.
A pleasant morning was spent , outside, in the shade,
perusing the pages of this unique magazine. 
I was impressed to discover the paper is all recycled
and it seems too, the inks are used sparingly as the photographs
are of a soft , faded quality. Quite different to the many garish, glossy
commercial lifestyle magazines so readily available these days.
Still dreaming of the coast....
sigh.
A