I know cleaning is a form of procrastination (as is blogging) but I’m pretty pleased to have a surface in the house where I can get to work…and there is work to do!
So clean you could draw on it
Things to make and do
5
May 10
In search of lost time
Did I know something when I posted that sketchy last entry? The sidewise, frowny look? I’ve lost more than a month out of my life since then.
Late Feb/early March, I was busy with life-y things, and then, so busy with life-y things I got sideswiped by a flu-y thing, and then KO’d by a viral thing that took advantage of the flu-y thing to set up house in my knees, ankles and finger joints. This makes it hard to do pretty much anything I should or would like to do, from driving to knitting. Conveeeeenient!
I admit, that first day off work was pretty nice. Despite a roaring sore throat et al., I enjoyed having total control of the television and indulged in endless episodes of 30 Rock, endless cups of tea, and a day to myself at home.
But that was in early April. And guess what? I’m still home. And I’ve watched every episode of 30 Rock and several other shows, not to mention read pretty much the entire Internet (or at least the crafty bits). And to quote something I uncovered online during my convalescence: Blow this virus hence to hell! Had enough of it.
The enforced downtime has not been a total loss, however. I’ve been doing some very gentle cutty/pasty artwork, and finally found a tiny canvas stretcher for this ‘yarn drawing’, done in healthier days. Just looking at the sweet, tiny little stitches made me feel quite a bit better, actually.
Sampler sample
5
Jul 09
In another world
Couldn’t resist one more post, and then back to blog break. I’m on holiday in Southern California, and recently visited Encinitas, home of Tony Hawk, more skateboarders than you could shake a stick (ha) at, and a really laid-back place all-round.
Here’s my Encinitas ride:
Encinitas ride
And here’s my ride at the yarn shop:
My ride at the yarn shop
Life’s good.
28
Apr 09
Strangely silent
I should write something, shouldn’t I? But strangely, for maybe the first time in my life, I find myself with nothing to say. I’ve been…
making badges and cupcakes with the kids…
Sorry, cupcakes all gone
buying alphabet stamps (and if anybody sees any good sets around, pls don’t hesitate to let me know!)…
alphabet soup is yum
taking photos with my Diana (more as soon as the photo shop gets the scanning right)…
hey diana, i've really got to learn to take a tip from you
drinking morning coffee from my local caffeine dealer (what a blessing to have them set up shop right across the street from the kids’ school!)
going to the Melbourne aquarium to see the penguins, forgetting to bring a good camera but perhaps enjoying myself more because of it…
penguins!
enjoying lots of tea…
too much tea, must drink
cooking more (un petit cookbook projet might perhaps be on the burner, oui), and…
spending too much time on Facebook.
(Ah, the truth will out.)
12
Feb 09
The death of Craft
I was unsurprised to receive an email this morning from O’Reilly publications announcing that the current issue of CRAFT magazine is the last print edition.
The magazine’s ‘team’ cites the usual issues to do with production costs and an advertising downturn. But I see another side to it: CRAFT mag, over several issues, has become an hommage to the US-centric cult of craft rather than a proponent of actual craftsmanship.
The current issue’s cover features ‘ultimate party hostess and crafter’ Amy Sedaris (who?) wearing a rictus grin and dressed up like June Cleaver on crack her prom night. Inside, she shows us over a two-page pictorial spread how to make an ugly cake out of a box mix. Seriously? I am already really good at making ugly cakes. The editor assures us this is funny, but it doesn’t translate. It’s all kind of mind-boggling in its weird stupidity.
I can’t help thinking that those pages would have been better off allocated to the same issue’s feature on the rather more complex and lovely craft of bookbinding. But the fact that they’re not clearly illustrates the difference between the cult of craft and craftsmanship (and also, that humor is easily lost in the gap between them).
I’ve always been torn between the idea that it’s good for everyone to try their hand at making things, and the fact that applauding any effort at handmade actually devalues good craftsmanship.
I recognise that there are good reasons for making things besides aiming for perfection, but I’m not a cheerleader. Not all craft is good craftsmanship. I mean, there’s a reason some handmade items get relegated to the op shop while others go to live in the museum. And there’s a reason some magazines live while others…go digital.
2
Feb 09
Can’t stand the heat? Get it out of the kitchen
Now that I’m relatively acclimatised to the extended heatwave we’ve been having, I can see one of the positives of this weather: my family eats healthier.
To help keep the kitchen cool, I tend to prepare food that’s fresh and lightly cooked food or, better yet, raw. (Also, and more about this in a minute, local.) And, to avoid multiple trips to the market in the heat, very little goes to waste.
As I was finishing my early-morning shopping at the local fruit & veg shop last week, a delivery of freshly baked crusty bread arrived. Even in the heat, the smell of fresh bread is powerful. I bought two loaves. We ate one at dinner that night, and the other quickly mummified on our counter in the next day. (Between the heat and preservative-free recipe, the bread didn’t stand a chance.)
But dry, hard bread is great for bread salad. Saw off the crust (and, if space permits, freeze the bits for awesome croutons when soup weather comes), hack the bread into smallish chunks, and then toss with squashy tomatoes, ripped-up basil, and a few glugs of olive oil plus one of white balsamic vinegar. Salt & pepper, then toss roughly with your hands, and set aside until dinner. Or do a Nigella and tuck in straight away.
Now, about the locally grown angle. I was able to make today’s bread salad using mostly ingredients from within 20 km (15 miles or so) of my home. All the rest (including the oil, vinegar and even the wheat from the bread) make it under the 100-mile mark.
South Australia is an amazing place for eating well and eating local—and I was extremely pleased to see the national newspaper acknowledge this in an article on the weekend: ‘Apart from the south of France and parts of Italy, South Australia is unique in the range of produce available within a relatively short distance.’
In spite of the heat, I do feel lucky to live here. Now, if only we could get Queensland to share the water and stop growing cotton with it.
13
Jan 09
Phew!
It is hot, dry and blustery today—42°C/107°F, with the scent of bushfire on the air. It is making me nutsy. (Chlorine overload from a long day at the pool probably isn’t helping.)
Fortunately my craft group is having an impromptu meeting this evening for still-life drawing, complete with chilled wine. Normally we meet in the shed but tonight it’s indoors. Mmm, sketching, booze and aircon.
11
Dec 08
Art’s afire at Christmastime
So, anyone still Christmas shopping? (C’mon, who’s so organised that they’ve already finished?)
I’ve been making more things than buying this year, and I had a great day at the Goodwood Christmas Market recently — made lots and sold pretty well, and I have a few things to show for it!
I’m dabbling with two online shopfronts, one at Made It, based in Australia, and one at ArtFire, based in the US. (And if my sister could please avert her eyes to another part of this blog now, that might be beneficial come Xmas day… la la la…)
Made It shopfront
ArtFire shopfront
Both have pros and cons, so I would love some feedback from readers on the two sites! Please let me know what you think (of my stuff and of the two online settings) even if you’re only window shopping. It’s helpful to know what people find appealing!
Anyone who’d like to post some feedback in the comments here will get a little thank you in the post. Just comment before mid-next week sometime and email your mailing address to me—barb at littleredhen c0m au (please type out that email with the correct symbols, and don’t paste it)—and I will pop it in the mail (And isn’t it extra nice to get parcels this time of year?)
17
Oct 08
Make way for Ms Doody
Oh, enough of the cynical mumblings, hey? Time for a bit of sunshine. The Marvellous Ms Doody’s Extraordinary Array of Affordable Art is opening its doors in North Adelaide early next month. It’s an exhibit featuring a colourful assortment of cheer and good fun in the form of paintings, drawings, soft toys and other handmade goodies. I’m contributing and very happy to be in such good company. Countdown to the exhibit here.
20
Aug 08
Altered frames
Hi there to visitors from Sticks & String! I have long been a fan of David’s podcasting style (and I have a soft spot for physicists anyway, being married to one) so it was truly my pleasure to be one of David’s interviewees at the Bendigo Sheep & Wool Show a few weeks back.
I imagine it took him a while to whip that particular Q&A into shape—my brain tends to go a bit extra squirrely at the sight of a camera or microphone pointed my way (fortunately it doesn’t happen very often!). But with Sticks & String, you know you’re in good hands, whether you’re a listener or an interviewee, so I was able to listen back without worry.
I’m actually painting today. I love wooden furniture, but there’s something very special about painted wood. There was quite a bit of painted stuff dotted around the house I grew up in, and thinking of it, I finally painted up a few plain little frames from Ikea.
(O Ikea, how I missed you when I moved overseas! But since you have come to Adelaide, my supply of cheap, plentiful wooden things for decorating is undiminished.)
I had a few colour schemes in mind, and a rough picture in my head of a simple graphic. So, yesterday I painted the frames, and today I cut a little flower stamp and applied some design. Much nicer than plain, doncha think? Next step is to rub them with beeswax to deepen the colours and bring out the grain.
Altered frames
