Deliverance: Fine Little Porcelain, Necklace + Print

Some happy postal treats have been arriving on my lucky doorstep...

Porcelain from Elisabeth at Fine Little Day (my saucers with the cups).

A Tin Tin thank you necklace from Katherine (the printer ink recipient).

A gorgeous Superb Blue Wren print from Kristina and Jason of Inaluxe 

(lucky giveaway).

I've also been working away at new blankets and cushions... in fact I've 

become a woman obsessed. I have a picture in my mind of my shop filled

with strong graphic crochet designs happily waiting for the right person/buyer

to come along :) Ha! Yes, dreams and fantasies. Anyway, this is an update 

photo for the harlequin blanket...

Thank you to Elisabeth, Katherine, Kristina and Jason for my lucky goodies!

Inspiration: Guy de Cointet

I've been thinking a lot about patterning lately and continue to be fascinated 

by abstract forms. So, no surprises that the work of Frenchman, Guy de Cointet, 

has piqued my interest and had me turning my head from side to side in an 

effort to decipher his amazing work.

Recognised as one of the leading figures of Conceptual Art, De Cointet is said to 

compose his pieces as visual codes, which I think you can see in the pieces below.

To me, there's a sense of communication just beyond my comprehension in his 

works, like some elusive word game, so I wasn't surprised to read that Surrealist 

novelist Raymond Roussel is one of De Cointet's formative influences.

Anyway, it's their abstract patterning that really interests me. Does this make your 

eyes *pop* too and have you noticed how often it is the simple abstract forms that 

really pack a punch? 

And while I'm at it I just want to show you a hand-printed piece that I keep above my 

desk... I love it so much. Steffen from 3 Girls and a Goat created it as wrapping paper 

for her products. Isn't it wonderful? Also, you can just see one of Elisabeth's fabulous
abstract cutting boards. And even though he's not abstract I do love darling little
Arthur there too, created by Jess :)

Rainy weekend

... oh it was so lovely! Driving up the mountains and going through the rainforest 

was just beautiful.

Do you remember previous posts of this view? This time we were living in a cloud :)

There was a lot of crocheting by the fire... 

I've started on a new design (even though the last one isn't finished!) 

Yes, I've gone diamond-crazy these days and the latest design is a classic 

harlequin pattern...

Love the rain :) Hope you had a lovely long weekend too!

Favourite feelings

We had a wonderful parcel arrive in the mail yesterday... it was full of feelings :)

Have you seen Mitsy's collection of 99 Feelings? My girls and I love them.

We love them so much we have a 'Feelings Fund' and when we have enough 

pennies in the pot we buy a new one :) This is our collection so far.

This time I chose Adventurous (the one that looks like Tin Tin!) because 

I've been charting new territory (for me) in setting up a new identity with 

Paravent... My Big Girl chose Confused because, well you have to know 

her to get that joke ;) ... and my Little One chose Super because she's

totally into the comic book subculture and that's just her 'thing' :)

Mitsy is so lovely she also included two pendant necklaces for my girls

and she picked their personalities so well!

She also included so many ceramic goodies we were totally overwhelmed.

(There was chocolate too but that disappeared very quickly...!)

There are so many fabulous feelings it really is so hard to choose.

This one is my absolute favourite, but I'm waiting until I feel that way ;)

You can see the whole collection at the Art Mind Etsy Store.

Thank you so much Mitsy! We love them :)


p.s. we're off to the mountains for the long weekend... see you Tuesday!

Creative Space: Pin Cushion + blanket update

Playing along with Kirsty's My Creative Space meme today. 

Pop over to Kidspot to join in or see other spaces.

I've made a pin cushion. It's my very first and in honour of an old 

friend who has taken up sewing (and doing some cracker pieces too!).

Happy birthday Anita! and yah to having sewing friends too! :)

Isometric blanket update... I've been diligently diamonding and I would 

estimate I'm about 75% finished. The blanket has been ravelled.

I'm dreaming of a fluorescent orange border on this one but do you think I 

can find fluoro yarn anywhere? I would have thought it'd be so easy!

Let me know if you've seen any in your neck of the woods?

(every time I write an expression like that these days I giggle to imagine what 

the auto-translator would make of it! Obviously I'm reading a lot of foreign 

language blogs lately! :))

Hope you've had a wonderful week.

Etsy Favourite

I love coming across something new and exciting on Etsy. 

My newest find is NiHaMa's gorgeous crochet teething toys for babies.

Aren't they just lovely? The quality of the crochet is wonderful, helped 

along by fabulous photos of course.

Such a simple stunning gift for a newborn, don't you think?

NiHaMa *** Etsy *** Blog *** Facebook pages.

Ink Giveaway

My printer died the other week and I had to get a new one... 

Unfortunately, I couldn't get one which uses the same ink cartridges 

(of which I have many!) It infuriates me that they do this... but there you have it, 

I had no choice. But my loss could be your gain... I hope :)

If anyone can use these cartridges I'm happy to post them to you.

They are all Canon Pixma Series... two size 5 PGBK (black), 

two size 8 BK (black), two size 8 C (cyan), two size 8 Y (yellow), 

two size 8 M (magenta), one size 8 PC (photo cyan) and 

one size 8 PM (photo magenta).

I'm so hoping someone can use them! 


UPDATE: the ink has a happy home now - thanks Katherine! :)