A few More

I have paint over my hands & some more of these boxes & canvases to show for it

Not sure I can go back now LOL !!!

I have tried a design theme with sewing stuff....birds...the donkey..oh & the cup of tea ..

I am also working on some layouts ....so we'll see what progresses...

Copyright is Barb Smith 

www.theodoracleave.com

Tried the cats....

Experimenting is half the game !

The cats came out for a try late yesterday and it works...quite well...I think
*****
I also counted the sets of 40mm hens left in stock  5 sets left..I think I put them on special on the web
( the smaller version is coming to stay but this larger one....is having a spell in the top paddock )
The small rooster is also going along with the large chook..so a larger rooster will remain & the small one is marked down & I have quite a few of these...
Great time to grab some for little stitching projects or adding to a quilt....felt thingys maybe..
***

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And this year comes to a close....
Tomorrow ... another day & year ticks over...
.........
Barb 

Rabbits, Bunnies, Lapins

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 It began with I will see how this will work...

&

Has grown into something else !!!

Which I love 

One Running Rabbit, 

the Bunny Love, 

Bebe Bunny, 

French Rabbit 

& 

the Rabbit family

Have been let out to play !!

What started on a mache box...or 2 became a little canvas frame...became some fabric..

I am wondering if this can be done for a workshop later on....

I think some could....

interested ????

I am rather keen to do some in boxes or on a piece of fabric for sale ....

Lots of people cannot come to my workshops .....

Do not take these images anywhere from here thanks    Barb .....

I love the effect that painting does... but it is my default medium always..

I have tried some linen mix & linen spot fabric & it is rather lovely...

For stitching it could be some off white french knots ...pale blue stitching or a choc brown back stitch ....I will go & work on a button story or something ....??????

Buttons have returned to collection

Here are some buttons returned to the collection

*****

The cottage house was the very first house button I had 11 years ago...

I love it painted in blues & beige, however I know many want it with a red roof & white walls so there is both !

A Paris topiary tree...

Flowers for You basket of flowers is back

Millie kitty is in pastels with spots !

The chooks have shrunk...the other size will be phased out

2 more birdhouses have come back... the birds need more homes !

The small bird with heart cut out has flown in again..

Cleave angel is now a lovely 7cm tall angel in red or off white dress....

The street of houses has been repainted for the French one...

They are on the website....

Not all days was I dozing..but it was hard not too...nearly drove myself crazy LOL

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Different Christmas look

This is a little away from my normal posts of all things Christmas..

Christmas morning I was preparing some salads for lunch..

Always taken with what might look a good photo..

So here it is ...!  LOL

As I was writing the above I thought, it is now time I start to think about what is to come in the year ahead...

Sometimes it starts with what I don't want....& that is the easy bit..

Turning it into that what am I wanting..what will I do..etc etc

I love the process..

For me it is kind of like washing the fresh food....

pristine...

then to add it to a plate etc....

to nourish .... to fuel us...& to be visually pleasing.

The table is ready now...

The other small table had 2 nearly bare trees...

So some painting was quickly done 

&

I have been decorating after lunch instead of starting to prepare the food....

for tomorrow...

The wire tree I found recently looked okay with wood ornaments but I did have this green berry stuff...

so popped them in

& I like the look.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to 

ALL. !!!

Love Barb xxxx

www.theodoracleave.com

 The metal tree is quite a good tree to decorate...

I have stranded some big gingerbread & Pere Noel

&

Mixed things up a bit this time...

Now I have started  the creative trigger has been tripped & i just want to play amongst this stuff..

Put I need to do things in the oven...

& 

prepare  a bed..

Gosh everything else is done..LOL

Except I need to get into the garden for some sage & rosemary for a vase & for the oven gear..

A little more santa time

A small tree... which is getting a bit worse for wear now....

I have taken it to many displays.

&

they get tired after a while.

It holds my decorations just so well

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 Cloth small flannel santas in the wreath & balancing on the tree..

Holly

I wanted to try this simple decoration ....

Rather thrilled that it works so quickly..

The vellum paper I had collected in Spotlight recently...

the dye cutter I have from stampit up

& 

the stamps I found last week at Riot

Hole punch that is part of the desk requirements

it works really well & can be used as tags .....tie some coloured twine  ....

Decorate the tree..without a stamp looks as good....

they would also be great on bob bons...

Add a button to them ...

For Dee & the girls

Another little tree is taking it's place on the corner cabinet....

Filled with my painted designs this time ...

&

I have been into a box of store Christmas things

Found the green trees..

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 and the Rustic santa from the Woodcutter's Daughter design days

My friend Dee likes to see what is happening with decorating....
it's a long stride from the gum tree twig in bucket..with some tinsel & paper chains & maybe a fold out bell....
But the excitement we thought back then of Santa flying through the night & coming down our chimney with presents is never quite matched now...
But we try...

A Tree that shines

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The tree shines with all the blingy stuff...

It is magnified in the mirror.

This lot I do like really over crowded....

This Book The Gift of Kindness

Oh this tugs at my heart strings...

The kindness of the creator of this special kind of animal rescuers is amazing & it comes with the message on animal care practices...

The discarded animals are given the gift of kindness in the stories told.

I was in Lancefield & Romsey today & nipped into a little gift shop in Romsey for last minute gift shopping.

This book took me back to it more than once & it won over a bottle of relish..

it is heart warming to know such kind caring & loving people are here...

This farm is near where I was ....little did I know until I came home & was reading stories with tears being wiped away ...my eyes brim now as I write....it is so beautiful in the truth of loving.

The royalities of the book go to the mission..how wonderful of penguin publishing ..

I see on the website the van with some of the animals will be at 

Lancefield Farmers Market this weekend 20th December 2014.

You can buy the book online at the website ....

  

www.edgarsmission.org.au

It is a hard call for words

The siege tragedy that unfolded in the centre of Sydney yesterday morning and ended in deaths of innocents & trauma for the other hostages in the Lindt Chocolate cafe....this morning

is so difficult to contemplate ... 

it alters one's perspective in many ways....

*

Anger in a society is never a solution, anger with in the home is never a solution.

Competitiveness at the expense of another person as a collective is a disgrace ........

We are bombarded by it on media at all levels, even called entertainment now, political parties expose so much bad behaviour also & multi national companies call it doing business 

& all of that seeps into the behaviour of each of us at a small level...and alters our culture..

Add a dose of extreme fear....

*

Now we can change things right at the bottom...

By being kinder to each person..

No I don't mean the over abundance of hugging..

but hug of course but with sincerity...

*

Being mindful of the other person... not acting out something to score a point...

Turn off the dreaded phones when you are with company & talk to the person in front of you...

*

Just little small things.... we need our gifts that care for each of the people in our lives....

and if that cannot be, walk away....don't stick about for a little sugar  hit of revenge..

*

Let's clean up our society as this morning's events 

leave many many traumatised 

& they need a loving nation to cling to...to believe in

 so we help them by helping each other...smile, say hello to a person you pass by in the street...

Barb

A Little Decorating has Begun !!!!!

I have begun to decorate...

This is just one small table...

which 

I tried to be restrained...

Many things come in to my decorating...

some mine... some other folks ....

You see I love Christmas.

Check out the Flea52 on my sidebar...this house is always  treat each year... 

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Still painting

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copyright Barb Smith

I have not long put down the paint brush for today...

It is critical to paint as much as I can each day..

I think we will be edging very close to overseas closing off

Some of these are destined for a shop in France

&

some are Melbourne...

 Birds..that are not on the website at the moment

but a special request...

Rather fun to paint them now...

 As I was painting the red & white simple birds I figured out they are 12 years old....

they came with the felt stuff & crows..

Remember anyone they were packaged in a cube box...

with a white corrugated heart tied on the box & one button stuck to the heart ???

  Now this below was the other day...

I had picked up 3 new stamps at Riot for a song of a price..

So in the evening I was circling looking for something to try the stamps on...

Calico bag was handy & looks just so fun

 Add a little red paint for the holly berries 

&

some silver bling...

& 

we are away !!!

Now I must rest my back is aching...

Art Gallery Bendigo

Yesterday I met a school friend for lunch at the Bendigo Art Gallery Cafe....nice atmosphere there & looking out down into the park below....

We walk thru the gallery to arrive at the cafe....

There is an amazing huge art work in the gallery that was commissioned by a bank some years ago.

It is enormous...enamel & gold leaf on hessian or something as exotic....it shines, the colours ....the abstract seasons of the year.........I am drawn to it for the colour & the niave drawings....

It takes me back to Cheri when she traded as Cute as a Button in USA & was a folk artist & later began to quilt the magic borders she had on her work......

Anyway...after lunch  we then strolled over the road to the antique shops & this is a book binding shop window that I first saw as I drove up the street one day recently....it is so effective ....

The other shop shines with lights & glitter & beautifully decorated....

Later we pottered about at my place for a couple more hours...

In the evening I had a Christmas do to be at ..right next door...

Today... no play LOL 

bright & happy buttons

I finished these 2 trays late this afternoon...

Doesn't look much ..now I look at it !

However the santas to paint are detailed..so are the puddings & angels....

I went to move the trays before & I thought they look so colourful & happy..

It's called show & Tell  LOL

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copyright Barbara Smith

The deers....

So here we have a little herd of deer happening now !

I did the middle size for the recent event....

4cm ish....

These are in a set or as individuals & also in tan as well..

I have a giveaway  going through the newsletter....

It is a $50 gift of buttons & decos ....

I wonder now why I never thought of doing this before.

Thanks to all who have entered thus far....got you all despite that email error ...

So what would I do with 3 deers ???

Oh sorry no idea !!!!

I best say something about holidays...

I'll be having a nice break in mid January....

How lovely that sounds LOL

In that time I will be going to trade with Max & Lousie & Mrs Martin's at her Summer school..

www.theodoracleave.com

copyright Barbara Smith

Some Christmas Spirit

No not the sort of Christmas spirit you drink from a glass

Just the ordinary buzz one can get from

decorating...

or making things to decorate...

The white tree I found as a kit, glued the slats to the stems, let it dry & white washed quickly with acrylic paint ..

for these sort of painting jobs ..

if you don't have a brush, just use a sponge from the kitchen & wipe paint on..

My snowman & santa are simple designs of mine in felt..

and

the hand painted wood decorations 

I painted to decorate this wire Tilda tree...

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I have had this simple stocking design kicking around for a few moves now

Using the wool felts of today...it has stability..but is soft.

Add a cuff on the top.... use scalloped or pinking shears for edges..

sew some of my reindeer on the cuff....

If you do a small size use the smallest deer button... 

mid size deer for not as big 

& 

the the BIG deer for  big stocking

The length of the stocking can look a bit bare..

add a little circle, oval..square in the  length of stocking

sew on in felt

a

circle

or a square

or 

an oblong.

Do a scene with 2 winter trees & a small deer.

How simple is that !! 

Creative ..they were amazing

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Some of the works from the workshop at the weekend.....

Thank you all for being in the creative spirit....

Thanks Karen for letting me come to play again....

When I do these workshops what I love is the individual creative production...

It all began with a simple tag..or 5 or was that 10 ????

a frame...

a mache box..

a round cylinder..

a few paints... a brush...

table full of stamps...

stencils 

spray mist style inks...

washi tapes...

dye cutters...

fabric in linen & cotton weave...

buttons...

twines...

????

as the day progressed ....I watched with interest....

as the individual creations began to take shape...

It's a technique ....

that can be applied to many mediums....

it was at the very beginning out of the comfort zone of many...

but

it is fun to know one can explore now....

dip a toe in another pond...

Sorry it is what I have been doing with my life for the last 13 years...

but

I still get nervous...but more times I am excited... as I set off to explore something

Thank you all for joining in the creative spirit  !!!!!!


UPDATE
Read Shez's post today where she tells her wonderful story
&
she has more lovely photos from the workshop.
See http://shez-enjoyinglife.blogspot.com/

Creating snapshots of the workshop

Snapshots of the creativity....at the workshop on Saturday

Check out Farmgate Creations & Kiwikids & Enjoying Life blogs on my side bar for some really great photos from the workshop...

Makes me laugh with pleasure just to be reminded of the dizzy day..

Thanks again everyone...

Thanks Karen as always a really great working day xxxx

www.theodoracleave.com