Saturday, March 29, 2014

Meandering week

The French Rabbit in French inks on divine cloth Italian paper...
little pen around the body...
he is ready for Easter & no don't put him on pinterest
he hates it there..just leave him here as he has easter duties.
( if you are puzzled by this request, I have a response in the comments on this page)
It has been an interesting week ..
I seem to have been meandering in a different way...
Monday evening 2 dinner guests ...
which was a stretch for me of late but totally enjoyable.
Wednesday I dropped a neighbour off for an appointment
Thursday  was a busy one & kind of bizarre one at different stages of the day.
Car service first....
In that process the service quote caused a little flutter when I was paying.
Then the spare key I had given is now no where to be found......
The car dealers, my car or in front of mail centre PO...
????????????
I meet up with a school friend for lunch & the art gallery's latest exhibition.
We go down to the theatre cafe which is always decked out with a French ambience.
I select the soup after querying if this was gluten free & stating I may have problems breathing if it is not ...
The lady rings back to kitchen  yes all ok
So my soup arrives & a pepper it with the finely ground pepper..no bread on plate...blessing.
I have what amounts to a teaspoon, while I wait for my friend's order to arrive.
not so long after this little spoonful I feel the airways constrict.
I say to my friend "there is wheat in this "
So I leave it... & sit waiting for the constriction to kind of stop & then the funny mild body shock that follows.
I always remain calm through this which if I have far too much wheat could be a spectacular drop dead off chair event.....I have no idea & do not wish to go that far.
Anyway I mention it to the waiter because I was more concerned if other people were having wheat free when it is not so.
The lady appears & goes to great length to tell me definitely no gluten etc....laden with cream & thick... I thought could have been a rogue spoon or flour in the air in the kitchen No no no I am a silly woman.
I was appalled at her defensive nature ..I let her go on & on & said well this sort of thing doesn't happen unless wheat /gluten is somewhere ...
Looking back I wonder if the pepper cellar was a mixed bulked up lot with some wheat in that ...

Anyway here I am  LOL

The art gallery exhibition from London was wonderful & I need to see it again...a big amount of paintings.

When I get home & collect the post I read my cr card statement  & see that Asic have charged me twice for the renewal of my name.  I phone & hang around, nearly flipped when the voice message explained the delays could be up to an hour..an HOUR !!!
It wasn't, so ask re this duplication as the website was a bit tricky to manouvre...
No only one payment on here. Ring the bank
I do & bank person is so lovely..which bank too !  She gets to action right away & half way through it she says hang on a credit has been put through yesterday... so we wasted the bank's time but all solved..just not told.

I chase up lost car key to no advantage unless I come out there & match key with any left over...
But I am going to the
Provincial decor Living  VIP night starts at 5pm.
I have some laminating to be done at photocopying shop on way.
That experience was lovely ...I made my planned purchased   chair which was on special anyway...
If I had bought at regular price it is 20% off and because I was early i got a sample bag
It was a really great sample bag of a big flat wooden spoon, whisk, jar of pantry labels & a tea towel
That was a wonderful feeling !

I worked on & off through all this, some of the time at night packaging until midnight.
Today i also discovered Early settlers store....oh wow I have come out with a long I WANT list .

Monday, March 24, 2014

On my walk yesterday

www.theodoracleave.com
I quote from one of my colleagues in her email to me on the weekend.....
& it gave me reflection that this is it all in the bundle...
be it one tiny button or a detailed santa decoration
Sweet Bronwyn thank you !

"what makes your designs so unique, 
you tend to get a personal touch 
when you have a 
"Theodora Cleave" button. 
The
designer and painter is you. 

Each button has love." 

Sunday morning 
a stroll around the old buildings in Bendigo with my camera
A cool morning & so lovely looking at the architecture & the finesse of these divine old buildings.
Some have so much going on.
This building is a small facade & this is only one piece, 
the centre piece of the building.
The balance of this style of designing is amazing..
It is ornate, but it is enough...
there is plenty 
the more I looked the more detail I saw... 
but the balance was also in the casual glimpse of the building.

Some of the weekend gathering of ambiance that stays with me...
one day a Farmer's Market 
the next day
exquisite buildings..
a little planting out in the garden
&
I did some work as well with the 
brush & paints
   

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Lancefield Farmers Market today

I decided to take a drive to Lancefield  to visit the Farmers Market & collect some atmosphere...
It was a slightly chilly morning there, but that had not deterred the s farmers etc & the shoppers.
Goat's meat & Goat's cheese...
organic Free range eggs
bakery breads x 2
vegetables galore  & so so cheap...$3.00 for huge bunches




Thursday, March 20, 2014

WORKSHOP ...at Mrs Martins Quilt Shop

Done the decision making for the workshop....
what I will show you how to play ...
and what will be supplied in the initial kit 
what will be able to be purchased or brought along ....
this is such fun & it is evolving all the time !!!

You will find a day creating like this will just fire up your INSPIRATION...
maybe give you some boldness to try more new things...
I adore this technique & you will really enjoy it.
You will also learn to balance the work & also you can experiment a bit with different colours

It is proposed to be held in a hall, Ringwood area...
So accessible ...
we will know the date in a week....or so.. 
on a weekend.
So you could plan a weekend in Melbourne ....one day workshop another ????

contact
to place your name down

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Website back HURRAY !!!!

A little wee fabric purchase on Friday...
Some gorgeous Japanese fabric & check out the tiny rabbit on one piece..cute 

Well the DNS server must have had some hiccup with website transmission..
I was slightly perplexed as my website is very continuous...
thanks Pappa shop

I woke early to check & because I could not go back to sleep.
Imagine my joy when I keyed in & there it was...

I was a bit wary as my cousin on north coast of Qld lost her home phone as one company switched it's lot over to another big phone provider & a lot got lost in the translation.
She was without phone for days... she was exhausted trying to get to the bottom of the problem...
How well I knew how that felt....
Anyway HAPPY as now 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Website is playing up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.theodoracleave.com is at the moment not connecting.....
so if it persists over night I will deal with it in the morning....
Just so you know ......
Thought a picture is needed..
This is one of Jo's hand dyed felt pieces that I purchased at Mrs Martin's booth at the weekend.
And I met Jo 



Stitch'n'Patch display


When I went to Melbourne for the weekend's activities...
I went on Friday so had good time to spend in Stitch'n'Patch
and
Doreen has done wonderful displays of my work again.
It for me was great to view as usually I see all these things from raw to bags & into posting boxes.
Travels with Millie's Quilt backs a fabulous display as you walk into the shop.
Doreen had a fab idea of joining 2 sized decorations to hang down in 2nd picture frame.  
www.theodoracleave.com
Theodora Cleave copyright 2014

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Monbulk Quilt Show yesterday

The Monbulk Quilt Show was wonderful yesterday..
here are some scenes from the traders stalls & the quilts on display. 
www.theodoracleave.com
This was my stall.... 
set up ready to begin... 
then 
set up...!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Practise

copyright Barbara Smith

Do you realise ...??? that seeing my work like this is rare....
So wander up to Monbulk on Saturday... 
there are other creative folk who will also be there...& Karen tells me plants & Bronwyn's mother's lavender products from her lavender farm....and many shops are also joining in the day with discounts & ???? we will have to see.

I am spending today packing the gear for travelling this weekend....
Working quite well & if I sound a bit surprised I am !
Every so often I delve into another plastic storage box & become distracted..
Would take me half the time if I stayed FOCUSED ....
But
It is more fun this way...
Now I would like the chef to wander into my kitchen & create..
That isn't happening ..so I will do domestic things for a little while & return to buttons later.


Sunday, March 9, 2014

Just About Ready

Before I rattle on 
Lesley has let me know of a Quilt Applique Group have an exhibition in Castlemaine 15th & 16th March 
Corless's shop Threadbears is in Castlemaine & is open on weekends... 2 reasons to visit..


After you have visited the Monbulk Quilt Show 
on Saturday 15th March.. 9.30am - 3pm


Which brings me to....where I'll be next Saturday
I am finalising the display gear & ??? things for this ..
Occasionally I go off on some harebrain idea or need to do other things...
but today is ear marked for this .....and maybe some design work that needs inking in...
Perhaps I'll just play at this.
*****
copyright Barbara Smith

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Once upon a Time... there went Millie the Cat & Zac the Donkey

TRAVELS WITH MILLIE was created into a lovely quilt in memory of 2 English Quilting cats...
Tara & Harry..
who have wandered off into the sunset of life 
and their memories live on..

A wonderful customer in Surrey UK... 
(you see cat people find each other across the globe)
....had stitched Travels with Millie with some versions to make it applicable to her friend & the cats who made sure quilts were made just so...
Harry was adept at choosing the thread colour for a quilt
Tara was quality control for machining pieces together as she snuggled on the sewing table watching fabric whizz through the machine.
There is a story for Zac the donkey as well coming from this one lovely email...
I was asked permission if Zac the Donkey pattern could be made up to sell in the

RSPCA equine centre which cares for horses, ponies and of course donkeys. The centre was once a privately owned donkey sanctuary owned by a wonderful eccentric couple (a Mr and Mrs Lockwood) with connections to the film industry"
(I googled The Lockwoods & Mrs was a Silver screen film actress.)
"As well as the horses and ponies the centre still cares for up to 
30 donkeys and during the spring and summer months the centre is open to the public 2 days a week so they can come and visit them. We have a small shop and sell new goods and crafts and my job there is to look after this shop. 
So the favour I wish to ask is, please could I use your Zac the cloth donkey pattern to make some donkeys I could sell at the shop as part of our crafts section"

I was so thrilled to be asked to help in a small way to the donkeys...
This is always ok for charity & for small personal gain.... permission for any commercial activity is required from me  For Charity / personal small gain it is a proviso that I am acknowledgeed as the designer on each item that it is a Theodora Cleave /Barb Smith design
Don't forget Zac the real Aussie donkey has his own facebook page & shares life now with Basil the sheep...

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Getting prepared for Monbulk Quilt Display

I have been slowly painting & then popping things here & there...
Always my pondering comes back to the buttons..
so many varieties...
How do I let several people poke about in the same space without feeling kind of left out.??? 
One problem I have is I don't like kind of static displays where it is simple to have neat & tidy stapled bags....but that does nothing for my creative side...so I kind of rebel against that concept...
**** 
Still do not have that answer....
But we'll sort it out ..
****
I have just got in a fantastic large stencil from www.blakeandtaylor.com.au 
Paris Flea Market..
which I quickly utilised here & there including a display board..
Then the hunt was on for the 123 stencil...I saw it the night before going through some baskets of things... interesting things...
Now smothered these board I need to get the display of my work to sit comfortably in this scene....
I find the brooches..where did I put that glue.. they lay on the table waiting to be glued up....while I stroll off to see if there are anymore brooches...in my look I do need that twine & oh those bags...what am I doing to those now ???
Out of all that 2 displays are sorted !!!!
I will have to put it all aside soon...
to get orders painted....
I love it..it is my passion...

copyright Barbara Smith
www.theodoracleave.com

Monday, March 3, 2014

Bebe French Lapins

copyright Barbara Smith 2014
Bebe French Lapins came bouncing from the post box today
Eager to be painted ...
See on www.theodoracleave.com
pink, blue, white, tan & grey Bebe Lapins ...
They are just 25mm high ...
The bird became a Robin with cutout twigs in It's mouth..
These are the 2 designs also featured on the thread winders...
ow you can sew them onto a stitchery or a tiny set of frames for a child's room...
He doubles as the Easter Bunny.




Saturday, March 1, 2014

AUTUMN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Barbara Smith Copyright

I was mucking about with collage thing......
The picture is a small one so it will blur if enlarged anymore....
You will see some of my latest wood painted objects 
A few little embroidery pieces... felt applique...Travels with Millie laid out ready to sew the samples into one place..a little quilt !
An angel with hair.... some of you may recall doing this in a class or a Gathering many years ago now..
The Day in Paris wearables are still I guess playing about in les rue of Paris...

You see today is dull & now only begun to rain & it is out Ist Day of AUTUMN...
It's a magic day..
I have been painting some order pieces & some stock for the Quilt Show in  Monbulk on 15th March 2013
which is for raising funds for the Monbulk Fire Brigade.

We had a day to honour the fire fighters yesterday buying red balloons & attaching to our letter boxes or fences....
Honour them we do....they kept so many of us safe ... 
I am disturbed with the coal mine belonging to electricity company in Morwell still burning & belching that black coal cloud over the town & pastures...
It is totally surreal...

This brings me to 2 articles I have seen in Canberra Times last few days one on a solar bank for areas...& the wind farms.... brings it home to us more now that this coal burning episode continues ..
How I wish it was solar & wind... guess that isn't costed yet LOL