There is a New Cat ..button coming

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A new cat is coming soon....sitting tall the image stares back at me as I write.... the cat is in paper form....sitting stately & quitely...

We are waiting for the post to arrive today !!!!

Reorders of new and other things I do already are coming in ....from another part of Australia.

and 

my card labels are also arriving.

Being a cool day I have scant excuse not to paint what is on back order & what has arrived in yesterday.

***

I have these signs which have meaning to me..in the summer ...especially.

Pondering last 2 days about our country's electricity problems and how in Melbourne on 2 extremely hot days the power went off for hrs..

Our Premiere has been discussing some good tactics or is at least aware of the problems...

Specific power supply companies failed..... so I am thinking

Not only do we need to ask if changing companies for our electricity that price is not the only issue we should be asking... we also need to ask ???? WILL we be guaranteed supply of power in critical hot & cold times ???

& 

If not what compensation package do they have in place for us if this happens...

No not any private insurance we take out ...because a service has failed to provide in our country renown for heat in summer.....cold in winter....

Otherwise we go elsewhere....companies who are prepared to support what they stand for.

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The other issue is the costs incurred when a company  installs new power poles, wires & will I add smart metres  being added to the consumer ...

This is a business cost, not a consumer cost of maintaining a core business ....

Sorry this has been going on for years & always annoys the heck out of me....

As I progress in age I look ahead & then to today & then I cast my eye back...

I sometimes thing we have not been innovative enough... not  a lot has happened.

When power was run by our Butter factory on summer teatimes

Whack the power would go out ( usage was overloaded & it was 1950's  )

The kerosene hurricane lamp would be with the salt & pepper on the table 

& 

we had light

New Buttons Day

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Oh wow what a wonderful cool day....

Such BLISS after that dreadful LONG HEATWAVE....

I may start to be normal again if I have a couple of days of this

The 4.5cm cute cute critter buttons have arrived & have been painted

I had 5 Bunnies out on the paint table 

So each got a different coloured dress 

These retail at $4.50 each + P&H 

Kittys...Buttons in pale pink & blue 

As well as De Bears in bright pink & pale blue clothes....& the De Koala bear in pale pink & there is a lime green one too...

This set is a mix....De Deer in tan & with a red body...holly up to his neck & red berries too. Quite a character...with his twiggy sort of antlers

The dogs Riding the Bus now have their cut away bit modified & are still happy riding the freeways ...they remind me today of being in the family van going to the beach...

The Squat house has had a new lick of paint & now takes on the European old house looks which I do love....

The Bunny well  I needed an extra number to fill the collage !

Tags ..stained & stamped

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There I was before lunch flicking through a Where Women Create magazine & I see some stained tags & I thought Oh I haven't done this in ages...

Turn around & I see the glass jar of boring, white price tags...

Aha.....cold tea in the teapot..add a teaspoon of coffee.....jug to pour mix in 

Grab 2 older used frames & outdoors I go. 

Dunk the tags in the jug & lay them out on the frames to dry....

Didn't take long in this heat.

Later I decided to get some stamps out & ....

I do what I love to do.......

 Into the cupboard to drag out 2 more plastic containers of stamps

 The jar is overflowing now.....

 THE END

One Inspiring Lady & come over to my Paint Table

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Oh this heat !!!!

__________________________________________________________________

THIS INSPIRING LADY 

Before I go rattling on about my painted things.

On Friday I had a wonderful surprise call from Colleen.... who  recalls the days of Colleen's Cottage in Croydon ????

I used to order first cow shapes when I could never find any when doing the markets in Canberra ...
& I bought many shapes & books there after 
& 
Colleen & I became friends.

***

Colleen rang to tell me much exciting news, she was through her treatment & had decided to set up a 

Cancer  Support Group in Finley where she now resides...

That successfully off the ground she decides the group needs to generate an income & is now embarking on a
 hand made & hand grown shop co op  in Finley  ... 
she is gathering committee people 
& looking for funding....
 I believe this will go to Crowd Funding also....

An article in the Southern Riverina Newspaper also happened..

Create'n'Grow
___________

I have been collecting & painting a large box of buttons as a donation & hoping this will bring in some much needed funds too. 

More importantly she has embraced this connection and given many in the area a place to meet & a place to listen to speakers .

I am in awe of the inspiration and excitement of Colleen 

Well done Mrs Bender  !!!

***

I cannot give back in that big way but as I spoke to Colleen taking down words as she spoke & I was also drawing a little brooch thing to do for the group....

Need to clean the drawing up yet ....

******

Now come over to my paint table

From my paint table.....

Some modified, resized all arrived in & are now painted !!!

Just ones of each design ..or maybe 2 in different colours.

Scattered on the spray trays are the larger sized buttons & they are 4cm 0r maybe 4.5cm

Kitty, Bear & side Bear & that very drunk looking reindeer ( love his quirky look )

I am wondering now where is the painted Bunny Rabbit Buttons are???

Better check my supply box 

I do have more of the kitty & bunny brooches in ....

So much for only doing a few at a time...

I decided I'd do a bigger batch, so more are coming in soon

These dogs are still on the bus...doing one of those city free laps...taking in the sights of whatever city they are in....Paris ? Rome ? London...or Melbourne....

Bunny Love has arrived in with the larger version... for me to experiment with...

  And the English brown bunny facing each other...

It was a fun day with Lisa & Jacinta

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No Pictures of the day Lisa called by...

Facebook at Lil Blokes may have a picture

Lisa is one part of Max & Louise Pattern Company

Love this bubbly woman....

I had a super day.....

We always have conversations on our working businesses in very different design parts of the one industry.

Celebrate achievements, dreams . ptrocesses.....hurdles & whatever else strolls past the radar.

I find these styles of conversations so valuable in the stimulating of a different part of the creativity process & it is where we can talk openly of our journeys in the industry.

I am awaiting the release of Max & Louise Quilt Book by Quiltmania

I have ordered mine yesterday from Can do books in Melbourne

Or 

Internationals go to Quiltmania website to order

^^^^^^^^

After a lunch at the local hotel...

We drove in convoy to View Street to L'il Blokes Design quilt shop 

Where Lisa & Jacinta had a marvelleous hour I think, loading fabric after fabric bolt & bundle on the counter...laughing and talking with Lyn the L"il Blokes designer

The 3 vanished behind the back store room

&

It was a wonderful sight...

Creative people in a huddle in someone's studio

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

When Lisa was at my little spot....

She lined up all the different Christmas tree buttons & was happily making a Christmas Tree Farm

Before I put the buttons back into a big box....

I lined them back in same order in a frame

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 Remove the trees & Line up the stockings

This is layout before adding a stitch... things to keep in my mind & to inspire Theodora Cleave customers what looks great ! 

Now it is just reds

 2 stockings & a heart.... breaks up the layout in a different way

 Blues

EASTER PARADE

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Easter Parade.... bunnies hopping along the country road, a basket laden with gorgeous wrapped Easter eggs...

Stopping at houses with gardens ....

placing a gleaming silver foil coloured egg under a little daisy... 

for a little child to discover...

****

I knew when I wrote Easter Parade it evoked a distant memory...& I could not place the scene in my memory...

It was the Easter Parade in Bendigo...

As a child my Mum would travel with me on the train from Cohuna to stay with her parents in Bendigo  & we'd go to the Easter Parade with Mum's sister & children I guess.

I recall the buzz...

As I do when I recall the Easter colouring in books .... saving the papers from the easter egg.....

searching in the garden for eggs .....

Just like I wrote about the Christmas stocking raffle ...

These memories are so magical & stay with us....nice things that bed down in the long term memory

&

It is what I draw on now

****

Take a rabbit button

that is all you need in the button zone...

felt now...how amazing is this stuff...

Cut out an egg shape...in say a base pale colour or off white..

I'd cut strips of felt to make a pattern on the egg..

wiggly lines..zigzag lines ( use ric rac also ) pinked lines with the scissors...

Stitch to egg

I like the idea of random french knots 

Add flowers again embroider a few basic flowers or elaborate  ..

If perhaps you want to use as a tag, cut 2 eggs & stitch together after decorating the front of the egg..

I did all this work after my breakfast today so hence why I can babble on what to make ...

These will get to the web site in the next day or so....

Wearables

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These are a few critters I will make up as wearables now & then....

Each is one only in colour & tid bits  

The upsized buttons will be in shortly in same images

I let my bright spirit go free here....happy folk

These wearable Pins are not suitable for children...just for grown ups  

who want a bit more fun on their shirt or later a jumper /jacket

Retailing at $7 & P&H

Days of Heat Roll on ...

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I have been painting Christmas Buttons which fly off to France today....

This happens each year, I paint Christmas quite a bit after the event...

So making the new Christmas design releases have some merit !

The Flying deers are out of stock & new stock will come in after the weather cools as the machines have a flue to the outside world & always a fire risk & then the wood warps..

The small herd I had fly to France today .... 

I do have 3 single blue flying deers ....they have a Scandinavian  feel & when I get a surplus of these deers in I want to try an off white one....it may look wonderful or terrible LOL

The deers are great in little frames & also do wonders climbing up a stocking

Or on buntings

The Merry buttons I had another purpose for these but found they are rather handy decor pieces...

The small scenes one can make with them & a couple of the modified Snowman buttons are a cheery look

Bunnies

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BUNNIES.....

I had painted some chocolate bunnies as I was doing an order of some bunnies....

I had the frames waiting to capture the layouts & paint if I needed anymore...

( It's called playtime ! )

The English Bunny at 45mm will be flipped in a coming order of goodies ..

So you will have a happy pair to stitch with ... add things etc

The French rabbit is in this first picture too 

Sitting quietly...

I love the French Rabbits.... they say Fun to me

Bunny Love has been hopping back each year & they can also be found with little jackets on...or plain lovely yummy chocolate !

In the coming orders with the English rabbits will be a bit larger size Bunny Love as well...

New Designs

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New Designs today...

I was not sure of this tree....

even when I had painted 2 in different colours I thought ???

Try it in the frame....

I am thrilled with these results

The cat is also new & so is this dog....

This is also a new squatter's house ... which I love 

  

What was it I achieved yesterday ?

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This was it yesterday LOL

My star deers 7cm have been cut in reverse ..so I have a set now !

I wanted them for a different project I had done in pencil..

Which is still on the table..with other deers & santas & bits...

These sets of deers & star or deers & heart retail on the website $18.00

****

I thought a set of red & a set of blue.

Frames are great as will be the stockings, gift bags, boxes, tags, hanging hearts... 

you know anywhere they sit happily 

****

Tomorrow more new designs are due in & it will be a time I get overwhelmed & excited at once LOL

I draw & send off to the best renovator of my stuff I know & then I clear the design on paper conversion & wait for the items to have the first cut.  I rarely tinker with stuff after that...except if a line is too fine when converted into wood.

*****

The frames are same as the ones in the fabric painting post...they really are a great size for smalls & great price.
As Karen mentioned yesterday the simplicity of putting things in frames..
It often does not need elaborate stitching, but you can add loads more & it'd be just as gorgeous.

I have loved that simple that's enough thing..which I am sure is A part of my personality & B practiced when I did the 5 years ( training ) at markets... when I sold lots I needed to get a lot done in the month... so I learnt quickly to not fuss too much, & the price point was  also part of it.
So do I love simplicity YES... but I often work in detail ????
I love bright strong colours but rarely work in that ???
On my pinterest Under ART JOURNELING you will see many saved brightly coloured strong lined paintings... I love that.
One of my brothers is an abstract artist & often paints in bright colours...he has that ability to place in that pop of colour...love those works.

Now our power is due off now for a couple of hrs... I think maybe we are getting brighter street lights...wait & see it is.
Lunching with my delightful 90 yr old neighbour at the pub today.She is a gem