I haven't had anything to say for months. Everything has been quiet, not much art happening and the garden is going into dormancy with Winter approaching. Rodney installed a combustion wood heater in our lounge room last weekend and we've been enjoying the comfort and warmth. One of the nice things I look forward to over Winter is using the original, still functioning woodstove in our kitchen. It is a big perk of living in the country to have wood fires, made easy by having ready access to collecting wood from the properties of local farmer friends. Winter is a whole lot less daunting and dreary gazing into the flickering flame and clutching a steaming mug of milo in front of the crackling embers. Very primal....
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JT2aI67CTANDTmn5m8PCdh9oiyECjY0LP9pXv1ih08Fyc213dpfnZ2cgKgYKQ5VgBlABO1L84m81OZhPKB7zDncaJwYJlm0Dhra8oJGqdoMVlT3xElfiXrNh9-c-aw5pan-CwrGwJqU/s640/combustion+heater+2013.jpg) |
the newly installed wood combustion heater in our lounge room
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On the floor to the right thats Oscar, our fur baby, doing what dogs have done around the fires of their human companions since the beginning of time - snugging in as close as possible without singeing his fur!
One of my few creative projects recently was to make this charming dress for a 7 year old child. Just a few houses down our street lives the very accomplished artist Charlotte Drake-Brockman and our granddaughters are only a year apart in ages. I offered her a gorgeous dress my granddaughter had grown out of but it also didn't fit the other child.....but Charlotte loved it so much I got talked into making something similar.....
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The patchwork bodice with hand beaded detailing |
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The whole dress with stencilling on the skirt |
Rodney and I are looking forward to taking our annual holiday at the end of this month. We are off to Brisbane to attend "
Textile and Art Academy" at Indoorpilly. I'm very excited to be taking a 5 day nuno felting workshop with textile artist Catherine O'Leary. I have long admired this ladys fabulous creations and know I'll be coming home fired up with lots of inspiration!