First custom order

I've been somewhat excited for Trev and his ever diversifying woodwork. Just lately,through our combined Etsy shop, hhtp://www.lainenbois.etsy.com a custom order has come through requesting three handturned 'large' wooden buttons.
I had every faith in my husband's creative abilities and with a little positive urging on,this is the result.

I can't wait to find out what the customer plans on doing with them.......

Fresh garden goodness

Growing happily in the veggie patch right now is my New Zealznd spinach. This is the first crop of this particular variety,grown from seed. I have been delighted with the result! The crop is very productive and dark green leaves grow to a very good,large size. I'll definately plant this variety again. (Makes a delicious spinach quiche for lunch, if you're interested!)

Something with a fresh green touch in my shop this month will be this Peruvian garden bracelet. Definately fresh and very Spring like I think.

Spring!!

At last. We've been blessed with a taste of Spring! After our long and cold winter, the sun has shined down on us and the air has warmed beautifully. These conditions may not last of course living here in Melbourne,but I'll just take it all in my stride and enjoy it whenever I can.

Mother Nature knows it's Spring, well and truly! Just look what welcomes me each day:
In keeping with this amethyst colour scheme,a newly listed choker, available in my Etsy store, www.gojjell.etsy.com

Precious silver work.

I'm quite excited by this new medium. I have just completed a day course in which I learned how to use PMC. Precious Metal Clay. This has definately opened up a new direction for my jewellery creations.
I have come to know some really talented silversmiths through Etsy and just to realize that now I too can'play' with this precious metal in a different form,makes me very excited!
I have used a torch for the very first time!!
I have seen a small piece of clay like material transform into 99% silver right before my eyes!

My first humble steps in this new direction.....

Spring will soon be here......

Our winter has been a very long and cold one this year. I'm not complaining.I love rugging up on cold days and nights and it's glorious to see rain fall after our very long drought.
Nevertheless, there are signs in Nature particularly that Spring is really not that far away.
Take a look at these camellia beauties I found brightening up my winter garden.....

On a creative note, I think this pair of recently listed earrings somehow sum up what joy Spring can usher in after a long, cold Winter.

Harvest time!

After approx. eight weeks, my heirloom 'Easter Egg' radish are ready for eating!

I planted seeds directly into my veggie garden. They sprouted and were moving along quite nicely till Snowy (our furry darling boy)decided to use that particular patch of ground as his runway across the veggie patch! Several baby seedlings were uprooted or completely destroyed so I made a second planting.

Voila! After eight weeks, I have already picked and eaten a handful in salads and their taste was lovely! A little sweeter than 'normal' radish, but just as crisp and refreshing. There's still more to come......

New direction...pencil and ink!

After many years, or so it seems, I've returned to one of my many loves.
Drawing.Abstract drawing in fact using pencil and ink.

I've decided to do a series of drawings on one theme.....Rubber duckie.....in different complimentary colour combinations. They will be all original and only one made in each colourway.

Two are completed and will soon be listed in my etsy shop.Here is a taste of my very first in the series.....

Le canard Prusse (The Prussian Duck)

Daphne

More bloomin' delights!

Invigorating perfume in the depths of winter....

Walking out along my garden path earlier this week I was stopped in my tracks. A subtle, lemony and 'clean' smell reached my senses and I knew immediately the flowers had opened!

Daphne. Beautiful,ever inspiring and refreshing! I always have to bend down and inhale their magnificence! I'm going to enjot these beauties for many weeks to come.....

Also recently completed was this rose quartz necklace, soon to be listed in my etsy shop. A little charm to brighten one's wintry dreariness so to speak!

Winter....

Winter happenings cont'd

More delicious produce from the back veggie patch...

Fruit from the patch....

Despite the cold, grey and sometimes dreary days of Winter,there is much rejoicing and growth out in the back vegie patch.

My crimson flowering broad beans are doing just that and my little orange tree has produced its second crop of sweet oranges, full of yummy vit.C!!
My poor neglected mandarin tree out in the front courtyard has even ignored my lack of attention and still produced two delicious, tiny mandarins!

Roll on wintry days and lots of welcome rain!!

Venetian memories....

We holidayed in Venice a little while ago on the beautiful, tranquil island of Murano.

Murano....Murano glass.....beauty and talent!

I was fortunate enough to see firsthand a few venetian artists at work. A jewellery maker in particular fascinated and inspired me. Lucky me. I now own a beautiful, handcrafted necklace, each bead made by his talented hands!

Recently I purchased a few venetian glass beads too and here are the results so far. More beauties to come soon, I promise!

Fruit from my garden...

Well here they are.....the first fruits from my dear and tenderly loved pomegranite tree which I have carefully been growing by the front gate.
The fruit is gorgeously red and sweet and juicy! Just as pomegranites should be right?

A little note about this fruit saga.This tree has previously produced four other pomegranites.Mysteriosly, and somewhat frustratingly, each time I was about to pick the ripened fruit,someone (curious passer by??)would come along and actually CUT the fruit off for themselves! So you see, these 'twins' were really cherished and I'm so glad to have them all to myself!

Lightweight knitting

As well as busily knitting 'warmer' type garments for our coming winter, I have managed to knit this breezy sarong in a fabulous yarn.
If a sarong is not required, this versatile little number can be worn as a wrap or shawl on a mild summer's evening.
I'll be listing this item in my other etsy shop, www.lainenbois.com

Easter

I've been quite busy leading up to and during the Easter break. A very special time of the year I believe,with many opportunities to grow as a person, especially spiritually.

Every two years my local Parish involves iteslf with the re-enactment of the Easter Story, enabling every local primary school aged child to be part of this story and to 'experience' the real meaning of Easter. Volunteers act out the story,do readings,physically create the required settings like caves,fields, tomb etc, and provide a little nourishment for the children.
My little part involved making the Easter cookies for the children:



Cooking aside, I've also just listed my latest creation with fabric: fabric brooches.
I've thoroughly enjoyed designing and making these and plan to make more in different colour themes. Here is my first in the Noir and gris series:



More to come!

Wooden creations....

Trev and I have set up a second etsy shop in which handturned wooden creations made entirely by Trev and handknitted goodies made by moi can be found, admired and hopefully bought and treasured /worn.
Today I was pleasantly informed that our Blue Pathways pine clock,handturned by Trev and painted by me, was included in a delightful blog by author Amanda Fuller, called Calico and Co. This is an Australian and Indie handmade blog and the link is here:

http://calicoandco.blogspot.com/2010/02/etsy-expose-wood.html


In my jewellery store, I recently listed this Lady of the Night necklace. I love the rich tapestry of purple shades in this gorgeous glass opal feature.

Fleur and Petite Fleur earrings....

I love the mosaic- like effects of glass opals. Recently, I was able to get hold of very pretty amethyst and pink glass opals and these earrings just begged to be created!

Please meet Fleur:













And Petite Fleur:

I'm back from the COLD!!

After spending Christmas and the last four weeks in England and Ireland, I'm back home and trying to cope with the extreme difference in weather conditions!

Extremes like living and travelling in icy coldness and exquisite snowy magic, -7C to 4C then returning to bright sunny days with temperatures in the high 30'sC and 41C forecast for tomorrow!

Life's never dull that's for sure!

Here's a gorgeous piece of magic I saw looking out and across the valley in the Cotswold Mill I stayed in for four wonderful days.....

This pair of earrings I recently made remind me of cold icicles, dripping quietly on a cold winter's morn.....