Over the past nine months, life has been very hectic and hence the lack of blogs and feltmaking. I have however, been able to make just a few little vessels, very simple, and a handbag or two, plus a pair of slippers. Not much when you consider that I was very productive in that area a while ago. But that is what happens when one gets caught up with working and finding new adventures to go on.
Recently, the passing of a very special person occurred. I admired her very much and was getting to know her as much as I could. But time would not allow that, and the cancer that she had was taking hold in such a way that it would not leave her. I will miss her, as I know that other special people will also. Rest in Peace, Irene.
A couple of trips overseas came and went again in the time that has elapsed since I recorded a blog last. I have now seen New Zealand in all the seasons. One thing that I can say about that country is that it is so GREEN.
Also since the last time, I have had to invest in a new computer. My old faithful bit the dust just over 6 weeks ago and I am still getting used to this one. I have a lot of things on the old one that I have yet to extract onto a new hard disk drive, but not being too technical about these matters, I have not been able to access them yet. Photos, letters, addresses, movies and music are all lost to me in the meantime.
Time will heal that though, as I am determined to do it.
In the meantime, because the winter is coming in, I need to have some inspiration to do more feltmaking. Time to browse my books and magazines, methinks.
Until next time
Keep on felting
Julie
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Friday, July 16, 2010
Hello All
Each time I want to post to my blog, I go through a mad panic and search for my password, which I have to confess, I forget. Eventually I find it, and then I forget the content of the blog which I had in my mind to publicise. Oh well, they say that age is related to this type of thing happening, but it has been happening to me forever....perhaps I was born old.
Looking around in my garden in the middle of winter, I find that a lot of my bulbs have begun to flower. This is not meant to happen just yet.....they will be finished by the time spring is here, and I did not want that. I will have to go out and buy more bulb to plant just so that I can have a spring display. Mind you, some of the native species in the garden are flowering also. It may just be that we have had some mild weather in between all the cold days and nights, and the rain has not been as prevelant as it should have been at this time of the year. It just seems that one remembers the cold cold nights more than the reasonable ones. I don't seem to be able to tolerate the cold any more now, like I used to be able to. I just have to remember that a lot of people in the world have to endure a lot worse than I do in their winters. At least we do not have sub zero temperatures any more than once or twice during a winter, where I live.
Making more felt.......completed a handbag, but still needs a little more embellishment before I am satisfied. I made another large piece of felt, maybe I will cut it up and stitch it into something else. That also needs embellishment.
My workroom space seems a lot smaller......it does get crowded in there. Maybe I should start to re-organise it, cut down on things that I have not used for a long time, and stop buying more wool until I use up what I have. But, that is telling me not to breath, almost. I will have withdrawal symptoms.
I have yet to start on my FeltUnited piece.......just have not got the inspiration yet as to what form it will take. Have to mull that one over for a few more days.
Regards
Jaruleeli
(Julie)
Each time I want to post to my blog, I go through a mad panic and search for my password, which I have to confess, I forget. Eventually I find it, and then I forget the content of the blog which I had in my mind to publicise. Oh well, they say that age is related to this type of thing happening, but it has been happening to me forever....perhaps I was born old.
Looking around in my garden in the middle of winter, I find that a lot of my bulbs have begun to flower. This is not meant to happen just yet.....they will be finished by the time spring is here, and I did not want that. I will have to go out and buy more bulb to plant just so that I can have a spring display. Mind you, some of the native species in the garden are flowering also. It may just be that we have had some mild weather in between all the cold days and nights, and the rain has not been as prevelant as it should have been at this time of the year. It just seems that one remembers the cold cold nights more than the reasonable ones. I don't seem to be able to tolerate the cold any more now, like I used to be able to. I just have to remember that a lot of people in the world have to endure a lot worse than I do in their winters. At least we do not have sub zero temperatures any more than once or twice during a winter, where I live.
Making more felt.......completed a handbag, but still needs a little more embellishment before I am satisfied. I made another large piece of felt, maybe I will cut it up and stitch it into something else. That also needs embellishment.
My workroom space seems a lot smaller......it does get crowded in there. Maybe I should start to re-organise it, cut down on things that I have not used for a long time, and stop buying more wool until I use up what I have. But, that is telling me not to breath, almost. I will have withdrawal symptoms.
I have yet to start on my FeltUnited piece.......just have not got the inspiration yet as to what form it will take. Have to mull that one over for a few more days.
Regards
Jaruleeli
(Julie)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Cold Winter Nights
Hello Fellow Bloggers
These cold winter nights seem to keep me awake. Too cold for sleeping, too cold for Feltmaking, although I have been trying both of those tonight.
Before I went to bed, I got into the Studio Craft Room and worked on two scarves, before I quit because of the cold in there. I am not sure that it is at all safe to have a heater in there with all of the fabric and wool around. It is rather crowded in there at the moment, because it also has an extra item of furniture in there - my Cornish Reed Organ - which I would like to sell. Does not seem there is anyone out there that needs one of them, so it has to live in there now and not out in the garage, where it was, as there is no room in the little unit that I live in. Such a shame......it is the most beautiful piece of antique furniture too.
I created a couple of scarves, but as yet, they are not ready for the camera, so that will have to wait for the next post.......Not at all sure that I like them this time, but they may grow on me. I can always give them away as gifts.
The photos on this page are of a couple of vessels that I made. Not being a very good photographer of still life, with a whole lot more to learn about photography, I hope you can appreciate them. I have a lot more in my head which are hoping to find their way out and in tangible form, so tomorrow I plan to put aside the scarves and start on some more vessels. Once I have a heap, it may be off to the markets to see what happens.
And now, because it is the early hours of the cold cold morning, I am going to try once more to get some sleep.
Goodnight
from Western Australia
Julie
Julie
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Gorgeous blog owners
I often look at other blogs....those of other feltmakers and fibre artists, and wonder how I could emulate them. I seem to be working all the time now, and that does not leave a whole lot of time for Feltmaking.
I did, however, attend a meeting of a local Feltmaking Group that I belong to in the South West, and upon seeing all the lovely felt made by these people, I have resolved to do more myself. It is the weather for it, and with the Autumn and the coming Winter, it makes me feel as though I am more enthusiastic about it all. I have lots of ideas brimming and swimming around in my overloaded brain, that I do not know where to start. Perhaps I should get down to tin tacks and write down a plan of action. Then I could go ahead and manage the time well and not procrastinate.
I have several wall hangings felted and ready for me to do the machine embroidery on them. Perhaps that is where I should start. But, I love the making of the felt more than the machine work. Finishing a piece has never been a stong point of mine, so perhaps I should turn over a new leaf, and just get them done.
In the meantime, I have a project in mind. A pair of nice warm boots for each my brother and my very good close friend, who has also requested a pair. That means two pairs so I will have to source some stronger wool for the projects, as all I have is mainly Merino.
Well, off to do some designing........................
Cheers
Jaruleeli
I did, however, attend a meeting of a local Feltmaking Group that I belong to in the South West, and upon seeing all the lovely felt made by these people, I have resolved to do more myself. It is the weather for it, and with the Autumn and the coming Winter, it makes me feel as though I am more enthusiastic about it all. I have lots of ideas brimming and swimming around in my overloaded brain, that I do not know where to start. Perhaps I should get down to tin tacks and write down a plan of action. Then I could go ahead and manage the time well and not procrastinate.
I have several wall hangings felted and ready for me to do the machine embroidery on them. Perhaps that is where I should start. But, I love the making of the felt more than the machine work. Finishing a piece has never been a stong point of mine, so perhaps I should turn over a new leaf, and just get them done.
In the meantime, I have a project in mind. A pair of nice warm boots for each my brother and my very good close friend, who has also requested a pair. That means two pairs so I will have to source some stronger wool for the projects, as all I have is mainly Merino.
Well, off to do some designing........................
Cheers
Jaruleeli
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Autumn is here! Favourite time of the year.
Autumn is indeed a favourite time of the year for me. Besides it bringing in the cooler weather at night, allowing it to be easier to sleep, it can be really pleasant during the day, with the warmth still around. We see colours in the garden that are not there in the Spring or Summer, and it is very pleasant to be able to do the planting in the garden to accommodate the Spring.
The cooler time of the year means that it is more conjusive to making a bit of felt too, that is, if one has time. I am a working girls now, so time is hard to come by.
Bunbury Felters in Bunbury, which is only 50kms from Busselton, my home town, is hosting the Southern Hemisphere Feltmaker's Convergence in 2011. I am very excited about the prospect. Right now, we are in the process of calling for Tutors etc. The convergence usually lasts a week and it will be held during School holidays. I am really excited about it being so close. Now I can go, but I will have to make my application very very soon, to ensure a place.
I have decided that because I have plenty of notice this time, I will participate in the FeltUnited project for the year. Colour themes are Yellow/green/blue. Just have to remember to get something nice planned. Blue is not a colour that I used in anything a lot, so it will be hard for me to imagine something with it.
Time to put this post to bed and get on with other things.
The cooler time of the year means that it is more conjusive to making a bit of felt too, that is, if one has time. I am a working girls now, so time is hard to come by.
Bunbury Felters in Bunbury, which is only 50kms from Busselton, my home town, is hosting the Southern Hemisphere Feltmaker's Convergence in 2011. I am very excited about the prospect. Right now, we are in the process of calling for Tutors etc. The convergence usually lasts a week and it will be held during School holidays. I am really excited about it being so close. Now I can go, but I will have to make my application very very soon, to ensure a place.
I have decided that because I have plenty of notice this time, I will participate in the FeltUnited project for the year. Colour themes are Yellow/green/blue. Just have to remember to get something nice planned. Blue is not a colour that I used in anything a lot, so it will be hard for me to imagine something with it.
Time to put this post to bed and get on with other things.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
For several years, I have been carting around with me, a rather large suitcase full of photos that were taken of me, my family and the endless trips overseas that I have taken. One trip that I went on to Europe, I did not have a digital camera, but a conventional camera, and I shot over sixteen rolls of film. These photos were then developed and for some reason or another, I never did get to catalogue them or even mark them. So, I have decided that I must do it, and soon. I was astute enough, I think to write a notebook and keep it with the photos all numbered in the packets, so that I could distinguish them again one day.
My daughter helped me sort them out, and we did have a jolly time throwing out the blurred photos, the photos that just did not come out right, and also have a section of photos for reprinting, as she cannot do without some of them herself.
The question that I ask myself is this.....do I want to cart around this suitcase full of albums, or should I just scan them, catalogue them and put them all on disk and get rid of all the hard copies. That way, I would save a lot of room. Or should I keep them all, get some nicer albums for them and continue to shove them into whatever space I can find for them.
Different parts of my life are well documented, whilst others are not. I am at a loss as to why there are gaps. Perhaps it is just because we get too busy to document our lives with visual records at different times. But we have the memories, be they good or not so good.
Over the past few years, all my photos were taken by digital camera, and then stored on disks, so I am thinking that I should really change to having them all with the space saving devices. It certainly would cut down on the clutter.
I have even found in my hard copies of photos, a lot of documenting of earlier felting days and other events when I was first learning about the art. People in these photos I remember and I have not seen for years, and looking at them brings back happy thoughts of the times and fellowship that we all shared at the Retreats attended, and even of smaller demonstrations and shows.
Previously I was a full time worker, but now I have secured a much easier and less demanding part time job, which will keep me happy because it will allow me the time that I need to persue all the many other interests in my daily life. I can now attack my Feltmaking once more, with a fervour that I have not been able to when working and travelling to that workplace for the total of a twelve hour stint per day. When coupled with time out to relax and time for sleeping, plus all the other necessary demands on time, one did not have much time at all for the passion. But all that has changed now, and it can now be attained once more.
My daughter helped me sort them out, and we did have a jolly time throwing out the blurred photos, the photos that just did not come out right, and also have a section of photos for reprinting, as she cannot do without some of them herself.
The question that I ask myself is this.....do I want to cart around this suitcase full of albums, or should I just scan them, catalogue them and put them all on disk and get rid of all the hard copies. That way, I would save a lot of room. Or should I keep them all, get some nicer albums for them and continue to shove them into whatever space I can find for them.
Different parts of my life are well documented, whilst others are not. I am at a loss as to why there are gaps. Perhaps it is just because we get too busy to document our lives with visual records at different times. But we have the memories, be they good or not so good.
Over the past few years, all my photos were taken by digital camera, and then stored on disks, so I am thinking that I should really change to having them all with the space saving devices. It certainly would cut down on the clutter.
I have even found in my hard copies of photos, a lot of documenting of earlier felting days and other events when I was first learning about the art. People in these photos I remember and I have not seen for years, and looking at them brings back happy thoughts of the times and fellowship that we all shared at the Retreats attended, and even of smaller demonstrations and shows.
Previously I was a full time worker, but now I have secured a much easier and less demanding part time job, which will keep me happy because it will allow me the time that I need to persue all the many other interests in my daily life. I can now attack my Feltmaking once more, with a fervour that I have not been able to when working and travelling to that workplace for the total of a twelve hour stint per day. When coupled with time out to relax and time for sleeping, plus all the other necessary demands on time, one did not have much time at all for the passion. But all that has changed now, and it can now be attained once more.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Moving on!
As the title suggests, moving on has been a priority in my life of late.
First of all, with the economic downturn in the country, it has meant that my late employer had to make some cut backs, and unfortunately, myself and several others bore the brunt of it. Retrenchment is such an ugly word. But it has bought about changes in my life that are not all bad.
For years I have hated living in the metropolitan area, and even though it was in the southern suburbs of Perth, it was still too busy, too noisy, and very limiting for me. Certain concessions had to be considered and although I would have liked to have had a lot more time to think about it, a decision was made, and I am now relocated back to my old home town of Busselton, where there are a lot of advantages to be enjoyed.
Theadvantage is that I get to enjoy the clean air and a lot of physical pleasures that an outside life without all the smog and pollution that a city provides, can offer me.....such as riding my pushbike everywhere (especially when it is not raining and cold), walking downtown every day without fear of being mugged, and in general, enjoying the beautiful coastline that Busselton has to offer.
The third advantage is that I get to see my family more, because they also live down here, apart from my parents, that is, and that in itself is the only disadvantage. But due to the wonders of modern technology, I can keep in touch very regularly.
I have the advantage of being able to get to and indulge my passion for feltmaking. Just as soon as I sort out the studio, and find the necessary items that I will require to do just that. I left that project for the last on the agenda, because of the fact that I wanted to take my time over it and get the studio in an order that I would be happy with.
So to that end, I say to the world, and myself....."Bring it on".
First of all, with the economic downturn in the country, it has meant that my late employer had to make some cut backs, and unfortunately, myself and several others bore the brunt of it. Retrenchment is such an ugly word. But it has bought about changes in my life that are not all bad.
For years I have hated living in the metropolitan area, and even though it was in the southern suburbs of Perth, it was still too busy, too noisy, and very limiting for me. Certain concessions had to be considered and although I would have liked to have had a lot more time to think about it, a decision was made, and I am now relocated back to my old home town of Busselton, where there are a lot of advantages to be enjoyed.
Theadvantage is that I get to enjoy the clean air and a lot of physical pleasures that an outside life without all the smog and pollution that a city provides, can offer me.....such as riding my pushbike everywhere (especially when it is not raining and cold), walking downtown every day without fear of being mugged, and in general, enjoying the beautiful coastline that Busselton has to offer.
The third advantage is that I get to see my family more, because they also live down here, apart from my parents, that is, and that in itself is the only disadvantage. But due to the wonders of modern technology, I can keep in touch very regularly.
I have the advantage of being able to get to and indulge my passion for feltmaking. Just as soon as I sort out the studio, and find the necessary items that I will require to do just that. I left that project for the last on the agenda, because of the fact that I wanted to take my time over it and get the studio in an order that I would be happy with.
So to that end, I say to the world, and myself....."Bring it on".
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