It’s January & It’s Summer!

Posted on January 9, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

It’s January, it’s hot, it’s Summer! We didn’t have one last year. She must have unilaterally decided to give my part of the country a miss, I believe it wasn’t personal, she just had other places she would rather be. So there has been unbounded joy in this little corner of the world – long hot days followed by long warm dusks. It is just now getting dark about 9.30 pm, light by 5.30 am. And my word, you should see my garden! It’s a jungle out there folks, no room to sit and sizzle in the hot sun, it’s been taken over by tomatoes and salady stuff and petunias and lobelia and sweet-peas – let’s not forget the sweet-peas!

I was getting worried about the lack of fruit on the tomatoes when voila, up these popped overnight. If you can’t see them, biggify the photo – they are there I promise. So proud! 🙂

Siddy and I water every evening, well I water and Siddy bustles and bumbles about through the undergrowth, rather reminiscent of a rare black and white wombat – eventually popping up all muddy and wet and happy and puppy-ish again. [This one’s especially for Jill.]

This is his ‘Whaddya want mumma?’ face, because I whistled him and he stopped what he was busily bumbling about with and rushed up to me.

As a complete aside, a few days ago we celebrated Siddy’s ninth month birthday. He has stopped visibly growing, thank heavens. He is much calmer now, he loves his mumma very much, adores Orlando and his aunty YD is his most favourite person in the whole world – but should he meet you, you would immediately become his next favourite person in the whole world. Siddy’s joy and enthusiasm for life and people remains unabated. It is just tempered with slightly better manners these days.

Getting a scenic shot in my small garden is impossible – so here is a little montage

This tiny garden, organic and companion planted, growing mostly in buckets and tubs is in good looking condition – but something has been eating my peas!

I’m picking them this evening, ready or not!

***********************************************

My ‘rhythm of life’ – that thing some of you refer to as routine – has suddenly disengaged. It erupted! I knew it would. I signed on for a year long art course last October. I’d been waiting since mid-May for the signing date to arrive because I knew I needed and wanted to focus on developing myself as an artist. I don’t usually refer to myself as ‘an artist’ – I say I ‘muck abart with mixed media’ or ‘I paint’. Some folks have thought that means I’m a house painter – [which makes me smile because I spent years decorating my homes with paint, now I do it with mostly fabric] and start to ask me which paint is best for this or that problem – or even offer me a job!

Anyway – having taken that little meander off subject, let us return …… the art course has started. It started for me on January 2nd, with a bang I might add. Immediately I fell behind as I had, coincidentally, been asked to act as an honorary ‘colour advisory consultant person’ and I was a bit caught up in that process.

But I got my act together and set about creating this

Beacon of Light – Pauline King

If you follow my progress with mixed media you will see a huge improvement in the way the paint has been applied especially to the face – I learned so much in just the first lesson!

In case I have piqued your interest, the course is called Life Book 2015 and clicking on that will take you there. You’re welcome! 🙂

I was so pleased with the result of this first exercise that I set myself the task of doing an older more Contented Crafter version – here she is underway, but with a LOT of work still to be done. What do you think?

and the eyes, with which I am particularly pleased

*************************************

If you have noticed me missing from your blog, or missing with my usual long and opinionated ramblings in your comment section all the above is the reason why. Suddenly there is not enough hours in the day. I wasn’t so busy when I was still a working girl! [Ooow, did that sound wrong?] I’m still doing my best to read everyone’s posts – I always feel that if you took the time to write and proof-read and insert photos and anything else you do on each of your wonderful posts, the least I can do is participate fully! I just can’t fit it all in at the moment – But, like Arnie, I will be back!

And I nearly forgot – there’s also these, that sometime get a look in during the long warm evenings – but progress is slow

Life is warm, it is busy, it is very happy. Life is good! I hope you are enjoying all your busy moments too.

This is my 150th post and I just recently went past 350 followers. Most don’t read, but to those who do, who come by regularly and leave your endearing messages of support and cheer, thank you, thank you, thank you. You warm my heart, encourage me in all kinds of crazy directions and inspire me daily.

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

Farewell and Welcome

Posted on December 31, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

I say farewell to 2014 a tad reluctantly – it has been such a lovely year, with so many wonderful events and meetings and good changes and opportunities to learn more about myself, about the world and about other friends. But it just flew by in a flash – was it the same for you?

My friend Alys over at Gardening Nirvana chooses a word for herself every year. Her latest post reviews the word for 2014 and reveals her new word for 2015. This all made me aware that, without knowing it I had a word for 2014……….

‘Settle’ it turned out, was my word of the year.

2014 was the year I decided to settle where I was. This was quite a momentous internal shift for me to make and it was certainly a new and quite liberating experience. It was also something that grew and deepened as the year progressed until I find myself now, on the last day of the year quite astounded by the changes it has wrought both within me and around me.

For starters it meant giving up on my dream of a cottage by the sea and of owning my own home again. It meant giving up on being dissatisfied with the way things are and existing in a camping situation. It meant I freed myself of waiting for a mythical future to arrive and allowed me to begin living in the present moment. It also meant I stopped all blaming, hurting, wanting and regretting. I gave up on the lot. And in a flash of blessed intuition decided [that is a very important word!] decided to become truly contented.

This all happened very early in the year and I pretty much spent the rest of it turning my very small home into a place that not only worked for me as a house, but one that also felt like the one I would create by the sea. If the sea-side cottage wouldn’t come to me, I would live as if it had anyway.

Literally and figuratively I gave away everything that I was holding on to. I was happy to think that the miscellaneous items that had been stuffed into boxes, bags and cupboards would find new homes with others who needed it now, would love it now and use it now. It’s a win-win situation! I discovered that by ridding myself of unused stuff my home grew bigger. I kid you not – my home has turned from a small, over filled packed nest into a cute, airy space that makes people smile. As my home grew bigger, I grew lighter. Not physically so much [alas!] but certainly within myself – a new lightness of being slowly unfurled and a new level of contentment deep within myself was born.

The last two months were dedicated to making my art space really work for me – I was tired of trying to work in a space that often ended up being about 30 sq centimetres surrounded by piles of supplies. I was constantly losing bits I had made, bits I needed for something I was making and tools. Now I have three work benches, most of which is space available to work on. Fabulousness!!

The alert viewer may even have a glimpse of something finally being created here and bound eventually for Tasmania ….But folks – lookit all the creative space and the pretty tiny garden gets to peek in too.

Everything in my home is current. It is here because it is beautiful and useful. There are a few ‘just because’ items that have been gifted, mostly from my dear blogging friends. But they too are beautiful and bring me much happiness.

In May I adopted a puppy and in September I retired. Both events are memories that make me smile and laugh! Siddy is the happiest pup in the entire world – you can’t help but smile when you see him. He goes about constantly with his big puppy smile on, looking up at you, dancing in time with your steps, keen and eager to be there, to do the good thing and if possible a treat or two would be absolutely wonderful………. maybe, just maybe, might you agree?

Retirement is something old folks do. My pal Robin just wrote about Rod Stewart and Tom Selleck turning 70. I don’t see age when I look at these two men. I see wit and humour mixed with maturity which makes them really appealing. I think we Boomers are playing a huge trick on the world – we don’t know how to become ‘old’. I think we know how to wisen up a bit, slow down a tad and we are learning to enjoy every day.

It’s true that age is just a state of mind.

Orlando and I ‘settled’. We made a home, we opened it up to a new friend and we all [learned to] live together happily ever after….. We even made a very small garden.

I companion planted and my tomatoes and peas have zero bugs. My broccoli alas did not make it, but an abundance of herbs and salad greens have been happily eaten on a daily basis. I am picking sweet scented sweet peas every day.

The work of settling is now done. So maybe, it now occurs to me, maybe it is the exact right time to say goodbye to 2014. Funny how things work out 🙂

2015 will be the year of ‘Create’ and ‘Breathe’.

‘Create’ because back in August I decided to sign up for ‘Life Book 2015‘ and dedicate the year to learning more about my chosen path of mixed media. It starts tomorrow!

‘Breathe’ because that is my word when I feel myself wanting to control situations. I want to go with the flow – see what happens, be okay with whatever happens. Live in the moment and strive always to see the bigger picture.

And, as always my New Year Blessing remains

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

The rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again

May God hold you in the palm of his hand

~From an Ancient Celtic Blessing

Thanks for coming by today and throughout the past year. I hope you will continue to visit and chat next year. I love that you do!

Siddy Gets Happy Mail

Posted on December 11, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

This was hand delivered by our smiling Postie this morning

‘Ooooh! Look Siddy,” I cooed, pulling him off the happy Postie whom he was trying to lick to death, ‘you’ve got mail!”

I knew what was in it as our friend Claire had said she was sending something to Siddy especially for Christmas. Orlando waited patiently for the opening, not at all miffed that the gift was not for him.

Once opened the package revealed this rather cute wee Christmas doggie bag

and inside, rather more than I was expecting 🙂 I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the pretty pink star bunting before somewhere in Claire’s blog, I liked it very much and had no clue it was destined for me. I am a very happy Contented Crafter, this gorgeous star bunting made from the most deliciously soft yarn will end up in the revamped art room eventually – you will see it again!

Siddy and his gift

Oooooh! Siddy’s Christmas flower, made from some magical thing that makes petals – and packed full of colourful, tiny bells for stamens [apologies for the blurry shot- sigh!]

And Siddy wearing his Christmas flower which, alas, due to his extreme hirsuteness is difficult to see, but can be heard – he tinkles like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and is quite pleased with himself!

Siddy and I send a big hug to our friend Claire of MollieandClaire who made this lovely package and sent it off whilst coping with an awful water event in her house. If you like crochet and knitting and such like pop over – have a look at the waistcoat she is making her dad for Christmas – it is pretty fabulous!!

Thank you Claire – this is the most lovely and thoughtful gift and has begun our Christmas season most happily!

**********************

The same happy postie also bought another package with her – it contains this huge ‘Tree of Life’ wall hanging. I thought it might go in my new, revamped art room – but it is too fabulous and is going into my living room on my ‘faux wall’ – I shall find something else for the art room!

The art room is coming along extremely slowly due to a million interruptions, all of the most welcome kind – like assisting YD in her move to a new and exciting chapter of her life and old friends coming to stay and all the other stuff that takes up time at this wonderful season of the year. Tomorrow is curtain making day!!

Thanks for coming by today, I’m so happy that you did! 🙂

The Dangler of International Happiness

Posted on November 18, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

Some time ago – maybe three or four months back the lovely Fran at The Road to Serendipity had one of her sparkling good ideas and decided that I needed to have – and I quote ‘A Dangler of International Happiness’. It was an off-the-cuff, spur of the moment, random act of kindness that half delighted and half terrified me.

To this end she invited all her readers who wished to, to send me something I could create said ‘Dangler’ with. I was supposed to also invite any of my readers who wished to, to also participate but I had a momentary meltdown in confidence and decided not to do that. At that time I was the recipient of what seemed like an overwhelming amount of gifts from far and near and I felt asking for more was just plain greedy! Silly I know, but there we have it!

Several of our mutual blogging friends committed to send something and over the ensuing weeks little packets arrived in my letter box. Some came with beautiful little notes and messages,

some with longer letters and little notes on envelopes. All were equally welcomed and treasured.

The gifts sat on a tray in my art room, a vastly different array of items, from tiny glass beads to big wooden beads, threads of broken jewelry, ribbons, glass hearts, buttons, crochet flowers, palm frond spirals, lengths of ribbon, hearts with names on and a guitar pic. All mixed in with my collection of broken sun catchers and glass hearts, flowers and chandelier chains. There is such a huge variety of items I was quite bedazzled by them and I had no idea where to begin.

I wanted to incorporate the smaller notes into the dangler and I needed to think about how that might happen. That took a while!

I also needed to decide on shape – was it to be one long thread or several long threads? One morning I stumbled upon an unused plastic embroidery hoop which was the perfect size and the shape dilemma was solved.

Still all the bits sat in the tray, overflowed really. Siddy ate one of the little notes and later, another. I moved the tray and got on with my painting. October ended.

November arrived. I signed up for FBF Goalfest again! So this is the month when I am finishing – well starting and finishing – my ‘Dangler of International Happiness’ which nine dear friends have contributed to. and whose contributions continued to be sitting in a pile in the designated tray waiting to be allotted their place on the plastic hoop.

I wrapped the hoop with ribbon. I divided the hoop roughly into three and in each third hung a palm frond spiral from Christi and Keith and all Fran’s beads threaded onto one drop of wire. I added three of Linne’s hand died ribbons and topped the dangler with Kym’s three gold leaves. The dangler was up and almost balanced.

That turned out to be the hardest part. The rest was a joy of playing, threading, joining, adding and hanging.

Alys had sent three little hearts with names on. I wanted to ensure her handwriting stayed safe so I laminated them

Doing that also made me realise I could laminate all the precious little extras – well, the ones Siddy hadn’t eaten that is. Alys’ hearts also inspired me to make a heart for each participant in the dangler and include them as part of the finished piece.

Here it is

I am totally in love with it and now have a constant reminder of some of my friends from around the globe.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank you to dear Fran, whose idea it was and to Stevie-boy for the splash of bright colour from his guitar pic. Do you notice how I played it up with matching beads? What do you think? I wrote out the message you left me in a comment somewhere about the key and included it behind said key – you can see it in one of the photos.

Thank you Dr. Snail for the crochet flowers that help balance the circle and weight it at the bottom. The two gorgeous antique buttons are not hung, I couldn’t get them to hang straight so I am saving them for another project – I love them!

Thank you to Linne for the pretty ribbons of just the right colours that divide the circle and make little bows at the top with Kym’s gold leaves and the necklace that hangs entire within.

Thank you to Kym for the pretty gold leaves that also divide the circle perfectly and look so nice at the top of the dangler.

Thank you Wendy for the wonderful assortment of jewellery pieces that you can see add sparkle and depth all around the dangler.

Thank you Christi and Keith, your ‘invention’ of palm frond spirals makes me smile. You made them and sent them all the way from Hawaii and they were still first to arrive in the letter box! Your happy, waving cartoon figures, drawn so wonderfully onto the mail packet, are now laminated and hanging on the dangler.

Thank you Alys for the beautiful and thoughtful and care filled hearts and beads and pictures with accompanying notes. I’m so sorry Siddy ate two of the papers, though I don’t think he is – he had a wonderful time with them. I managed to save the ‘Joy’ piece and it is laminated and hanging.

********************************

I wish you could see it. It glitters and sparkles and shifts shape. It sighs softly. I think I want to add some bells in and hang it in a window so the breeze will make it sing.

I am totally in love with the idea of sending small bits of designated things to other bloggers and then seeing what they come up with – it is such a challenge, such a gift and just another way of making this lovely community of ours more vibrant and supportive.

Is there something you would like to make that we can contribute to? For example Jan at The Snail of Happiness made a blanket with squares from all around the world.

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did! 🙂

A Painting for Alys

Posted on November 4, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

October was a make it or break it month for me creatively. I was way behind with so many projects – even my garden remained semi planted as I spent time doing things other than what I really wanted to do.

I started a painting way back in April. At the time it was to be the first in a series of ‘Soul Portraits’, gifts for friends featuring my take on the preciousness of them, their lives, their gifts, their creativity. Of course, I bit off more than I could chew and my first feeble attempts were unsatisfactory and I happily left the work sitting for days – then weeks – while I ~~prevari~~ wondered about what to do next…….

What happened next pretty much brought life as I knew it to a complete standstill – if you read my blog regularly you know what it was. Next I adopted a puppy!

Puppy put a stop to all serious creative play for four months. When he got big enough and well mannered enough for me to set to work again I didn’t know where to start. All through September I tried to start. I never really got any where – I saw 2014 passing before my creative eyes with nothing more than some crochet throws and knitted bunnies and a few less than perfect bookmarks to show for it. I felt like I had forgotten how to paint.

I’d ‘work’ on the painting on my desk. Put a bit of colour on it, collage some papers, write some words and paint over them again. I sketched out the layout, started the face and stopped again. I wasn’t sure how to do what I wanted to do and I was thinking about it too much. I walked the dog. I went out and about. I read. I gardened a bit more. I avoided the art room.

I missed sending away the completed painting in June, which had been my first deadline, in July, my second deadline. I missed sending it to celebrate my birthday, and then I missed Alys’ birthday too. The painting was moving from room to room, being placed where I could see it and figure out where to go next. It lived in my bedroom for a few weeks, the last thing I saw before sleep and the first thing I saw on waking. Still nothing.

Alys sent me some stamps. These were special stamps. They had belonged to her late father, an avid collector and Alys had decided to share them with those of her blogging community who would like some. They were precious to her, she was sending a little of her beloved father out into the world. I had said, send me some and I shall incorporate them into a painting for you.

I knew what I wanted to do with them, but starting was also scary. There were only so many stamps, if I mucked up there was no going back. I sorted the stamps into colours and pasted them onto the brittle with age album paper they had come on. I took a deep breath and embossed the pages. I cut out shapes using three different punches and left it all sitting in a pile on the desk while I prevaricated some more.

October arrived and so did the dear girls, El and M, over at Fat Bottomed Fifties with their October Goalfest Challenge. They wrote a blog post which pretty much said ‘Come on Pauline, quit mucking around and get on with it. You’ve got til the end of the month.’

I signed on and immediately came up with more reasons why I couldn’t ‘get on with it’. Then El said ‘Let’s help each other out here’ Well thank god for my pal El is all I can say. Now there can be no more mucking about. I have a job now, I have to support her while she gets her bike roadworthy and then gets herself on it and cycling twenty miles without ruining her butt bones if possible. I looked it up because I knew I had the wrong words in my head. ‘Saddle soreness’ is a much nicer way of saying it than my chosen phrase and the ‘ischial tuberosities’ are apparently the bones that suffer 🙂 Who knew!! ….. Any how I felt that El’s goal was a way bigger challenge than me just mucking about with a paintbrush, paints and papers and gel mediums and various glues for heavens sake!

There’s nothing like giving me some responsibility. I suddenly become very competent and capable and ‘can-do!’ Nothing is a problem that cannot be overcome. Prevaricate? Me? Good heavens no! I’m Ms In-charge-and-on-to-it. Here, let me show you how it’s done. I’ll cheer you on and get on with my little project too – Let’s get there together, follow me!. Ready? Here we go – charge!!

Geez. El works full time in a high stress career and writes two blogs. She’s going to bike twenty miles. I’m retired and have to finish a painting. There’s a bit of pride involved here – if she cannot complete her challenge El has a very good reason why. I do not.

Once committed I started work. I had ideas, I saw shapes and colours – I knew who and what I was trying to represent in this fairy tale painting. But it was slow. I collaged a fairy. I painted a face. I made flowers out of the stamps. I stuck everything down and painted over it all. I worked and reworked. It began to come together. I left it for a couple of days and then came back and reworked some more. I loaded colour on and took it off again. I changed and altered and worked around and up and down…….

Paintings always go through an ugly stage – well mine do any way. The trick is to keep working at it. Nurse it through, make that one small sweep of colour that will lift it, right the wrong, pull it together. I kept waiting for that to happen.

While I worked I thought a lot about my friend Alys and her big heart. I thought of all she is and who she is and how she is and her big heart and her hurts and her losses and her big heart. I thought of her cats and her garden and her boys and her husband and her home and her sister and her work and her library and how her heart encompasses it all and spreads out through her whole community. Through her friends and family, through her professional life, through her blog and out into the world.

I thought and then I stopped thinking and finally – finally, I made this with my hands and my heart, for Alys

It’s an original mixed media work on 300gsm art paper, A4 size. It is heavily textured and contains the stamps Alys sent me from her fathers collection as well as some of the paper they were mounted on. It requires framing and is titled ‘The Wonderland of Alys’.

I hope you like it. It is winging it’s way to California as you read this.

I also hope you my dear friends and readers and lovely new followers will wander over to visit with the most delightful El and M on their great blog and let’s see a big surge in goal-fest readiness for November! I’ll be in, come join us.

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

Summer Spotlight: Pauline King

Posted on September 6, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

I guest posted on the lovely Jill Weatherholt’s blog and thought I’d share it with my dear friends over here 🙂

Hanging Out For Spring

Posted on August 28, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

Days run one into the other. I busy myself in the kitchen with my bubbling jars and bottles of ferments; my micro-greens, pots of porridge and mashed veggies for the puppy and some for me too. I trip over the little puppy that waddles about on the floor at my feet, waiting for any tid-bits that may inadvertently fall his way. I walk the puppy, play with the puppy, spend hours just watching the puppy attacking life with unmitigated joy. I cuddle the cat and mollify the cat. I confide to the cat that the puppy will soon enough slow down, calm down and become less joyful about life. I don’t really believe this, but it helps Orlando cope. I think about the garden I am going to make, but do little more than prepare compost for the soil and dig it in. I clean up and cart back out to the garden the compost the puppy has gleefully dug up and brought inside. I am often invited by the puppy to check out his potty area which he has just used thereby justifying a treat for being a ‘clever boy’. I fixed up the bedroom I didn’t really like and made it a little more acceptable to me – you may remember this horrid wall paper that I am stuck with. I don’t see it any more as the pretty colours on the duvet take my eye instead.

I hung some sturdier privacy curtains in my front window that also just happen to be very pretty and filter the morning sun in a lovely way.

These photos are especially for Alys who asked to see them. They are calico with a cut embroidery design through them and a deep crochet cotton hem finished with beads.

My approaching birthday has intruded into my life again this year. I struggle for about two months ahead of the date, it is the body and buried memories and emotions recalling a traumatic beginning. I published a post about it last year, but don’t feel inclined to write the second chapter just yet. I am used to these annual blues now, and cope quite well I think – but this year I definitely lost my creative ability. I struggled with my commitments and had no desire to push through and just get on with painting something – anything.

So, I spent little time in my art room – but enough to make a few bookmarks and finish three organisers for my Etsy Store. I have planned a painting – got a few bits ready for it, but haven’t actually started it yet. My daily cards went out the window ages back and I am happy to concede defeat on that one!

Here are the organisers

Here are some of the bookmarks – they are destined for a Little Free Library in California.

I made a lazy susan for my washi tapes and glues and purchased, at a considerable discount of 60%, a long longed for laminating machine – which made me make the bookmarks 🙂

I have spent hours filling in forms and organising copies and finding a JP to witness it all for me. I am about to retire. I can claim my pension and cash in my KiwiSaver. I am going to buy a car. I have been without a car for over a year, reliant on my daughters generosity and on-line shopping. I want to go to the sea with my puppy and take drives into the countryside. I need to get out a bit more – I have cabin fever.

I am hanging out for Spring. Not that it has been a hard winter – it hasn’t. The icy antarctic blasts were irregular and interspersed with surprisingly balmy days. Daffodils are out already, some trees are flowering and some are budding. I’m hanging out for September to start because then I step out of my pre-birthday blues and return to my usual self. My girls and I will spend a week together and kick start my new year off in fine fashion. I’m looking forward to that – I’m ready for it!

To celebrate my milestone birthday, in conjunction with my anonymous friend, I am offering another giveaway. Just some postcard sized prints of some paintings this time – but great for giving away, writing notes on or using as book marks 🙂

If you leave a comment, you get your name in the coffee cup. Closing date is September 6th. Please leave a comment – I love to know what you think.

We went off for our usual walk this morning, prior to publishing this post. Siddy came home with a little something that he found along the way and this is what I caught on camera [and I have to say that my rug is not that dirty – it just is not very photogenic!]

Yes, he found a baby’s dummy – pacifier to you foreign types – and what’s more he knows how to use it!

Orlando came to have a look

and puppy offered to share

Orlando pretended not to be interested and puppy waited

He who waits is often rewarded for his patience

You saw it here folks – it’s the nose bump and the first time I’ve managed to [almost] catch it on camera. I’m a happy and contented mumma!!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

Creating Bunnies – A Work In Progress

Posted on July 23, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

It’s been a busy week. We had one of our favourite visitors who needed to be loved to bits especially because she always leaves a little treat 🙂 There were many walks to be taken. We went to the dog park and the beach. We made new friends and met up with some old ones too. We did training. And despite all this busyness and exercise, Siddy keeps right on growing. He now weighs over 4 kg. He is becoming a ‘big boy’. We’ve been concentrating on trying to convince puppy that jumping, biting, licking and whining at every one who enters the house is not a good idea. Cries of “No, stop, cease, desist!” just weren’t working so we were forced to listen to the training experts and do the whole tuck hands away and ignore procedure. It worked remarkably well and Siddy has learnt to wait mostly patiently for whatever attention or activity is about to be offered. Life is slowly gaining some order I thought to myself smugly. Then Siddy surprised himself – and me most of all – when he discovered he could jump onto the lounge chairs. Once he was on a chair, things that once were safe became decidedly at risk

Orlando is cool with it all though. He has his trusty right hook and knows how to use it! Wap, wap wap!! We have head butts and nose touches and even a little leaning in for a nuzzle first thing in the morning. Puppy has lowered his energy and is calm and quiet [mostly] around the cat.

In the evenings I have been busy learning how to make knitted bunnies for a project I am working on. [Teaser: The project is a very long overdue secret gift for two blogger friends!] As this particular creative process wasn’t anywhere on my radar until it was suggested, my crocheted mandala is still on the back-burner – well off the stove altogether if I am honest – as Siddy found the beginning rounds I had made and disappeared with them under the sofa, where I eventually discovered them chewed to a felted, matted mess.

The suggestion and pattern link was sent to me by my new friend Gallivanta at Silkannthreades I got the germ of a good idea and another great blog to follow 🙂 Heaven! First I made this bunny as per the recipe

So cute huh? You just knit a square, run a few stitches and voila a bunny 🙂 But way too big for what I have in mind. I wondered if a crochet bunny would do it – so I made this one

Sorry about the very poor shot – Suffice to say it didn’t work. The crochet left too many gaps and the bunny was still too big – and anyway this is what happened to him

Next I made two much smaller bunnies and finally arrived where I wanted to be – Meet the little Hug Bunnies

I haven’t made pom-poms for many years, but it’s a bit like riding a bike and a happy hour was spent making bunny tails.

And finally, the second successful set – even smaller:

I’m quite pleased with them, they look really cute and are completely unsuitable for anything else except looking cute!

So that is step one of the project completed, the next bits should be quite straight forward. Stay tuned.

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did! 🙂

When opposites collide

Posted on July 6, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

I’m putting this post up for you all my dearly beloved readers for two reasons: Reason one, the post is partly about us here at the Contented Crafter and amused me greatly 🙂 Reason the second: If you haven’t ever come across the mighty narf77 and her side-kicks the highly talented whittler and quietly long-suffering husband Stevie-boy, Earl the ADHD dog of unknown parentage and Beziel, the older, longer-suffering first dog of Serendipity Farm, then you are missing out! Fran’s weekly posts of life at Serendipity Farm in Tasmania are filled with their random exploits, her philosophical musings and a good dash of wicked humour and general hilarity – this post is no exception. Enjoy 🙂

theroadtoserendipity

Hi all,

This blog post is late. It is late because we have been studying hard all day and only just realised that I had to post my blog post today! EEK! The images of Sir Stevie-boy and Ms narf taken in homage to Ms Pauline, Mr Orlando and Sir Siddy are the result of very tired students who are three sheets to the wind as they haven’t had their dinner yet but have certainly not missed out on some wine…here’s hoping Ms Pauline is amused rather than mortified ;). On to the actual post…

We all have this “thing” where we look at other people’s lives or what they do and we add a little touch of fairy dust and “POOF!” that other person’s life is suddenly SO much better than our own. That old saying “you can’t truly know a man till you walk a mile in his…

View original post 2,509 more words

A Short History of Siddy and Some Other Things

Posted on June 6, 2014 by thecontentedcrafter

There was life BS and now there is life AS.

There exists a photo taken the day before I met Siddy for the first time in which I am lolling back on my chair with a large, sleepy cat purring and wuffling softly on my lap. My YD was checking out her old camera prior to passing it on to me as she had just purchased her lovely posh new one. Despite this being her old and now not good enough camera, it goes better than mine ever did. She took a photo and shot a short video on a day that we did not then know was the last day of life BS.

I’m not going to show you the photo or the video as neither is the least bit flattering and I still have a modicum of vanity about my appearance! Suffice to say I don’t loll well!!

I shall forever treasure that shot however for it records life BS and that may well be the last time I loll any where or indeed have a large and heavy Maine Coon purring and wuffling contentedly in my lap!

Yesterday Orlando stayed inside for the first time – though never in the lounge – at least on the kitchen counter or [poutingly] in his window or in my work room. Every time he moved Siddy bounced joyfully towards him and we all went back to square one.

Orlando decided his window seat was the only place he could be

You would have to be pretty insensitive if you do not recognise that this is not a place he is staying because he wants to, but a place he must be because he is a put-upon cat and has nowhere else left to go – this is all that is left to him!!!!

It is very sad! But then this afternoon there suddenly appeared to be this option too – which has a slight irony to it………

I spent an hour this morning re-housing containers of embellishing items and various photos from the top of the tall dresser in my work room and laying a sheepskin rug there instead. After much coaxing I got Orlando to look at it and even to step onto it – but it wouldn’t do as the puppy was bouncing around on the floor whining that he was missing out on something and Orlando felt the need to exit the building again.

It is a week today since I first met my little black and white ball of fluff and went ‘sqeeeeee!’ The ‘sqeeee’ hasn’t stopped – he is totally gorgeous and when he turns those bright black eyes on me I just melt all over again. I am sad about my big boy though, as I hate to see him so discombobulated and tense. I really thought his natural tendency to zen out would see him through, aided by loads of extra attention and reassurance and all those good things – but now I wonder if he is just being bloody minded!

Despite all this tension in our normally content household I have begun a painting:

I hadn’t painted anything except organiser covers since February – I hadn’t even used my lovely new pencils that I purchased in Wellington at the end of March – I was worried I had forgotten how to draw and paint…….. But no, she’s got potential and I just have to become enlightened about what to do with her next.

And I have managed to finish this gorgeous thing as well, working away in the few quiet moments I get in the evenings – though I may decide to put another white double-row of scallops around the edge to finish off my finishing off 🙂

Its rather large, coming in at 1.30 m [approx 50″ for you imperialists] and it is a square, despite the camera making it look like a rectangle. It is texture rich, reversible, and weighty. If I ever get my bedroom done up the way I would like to, this will look fantastic on my bed!

In the meantime I have to keep it safe from puppy love….

“Are you really, really sure you don’t want me to pull it? Tug it? Shake it? …. I can you know, it’s no trouble at all….. You don’t? Unbelievable!! What on earth is it for then?”

If you want to have a go [and I don’t mean ‘a go’ in a Sddy kind of way – I mean in a relaxed and crocheting kind of way] at this gorgeous Bavarian Rug for yourself check out Dani’s tutorial. I am just going to keep right on making things using this stitch – I love it to pieces!!

Siddy went to make friends with the folk at our Veterinary Practice on Tuesday. He was very happy to be there and went from person to person most amiably – I was happy to have a break quite honestly. He had put on 800 grams in 8 days. That’s 100 grams a day – in no time at all he will be a giant! His big sister YD dropped in to see him after her shift last night and said she thought his tail was longer and thicker. I hadn’t noticed, but this morning on really looking, I think that is where the 800g has gone! I also wonder how much weight he would put on if he ever sat still………

As I have never given you the full details – and some of you want to know I’m sure 🙂 here is the background and story of how Sid-Arthur arrived in our lives.

Siddy is short for Sid-Arthur. Sid-Arthur is a play on ‘Siddhartha’ the prince who became the Buddha. The name came about because the first time we met the wildly energetic ball of fluff, I was allowed to hold him and he settled and became still and quiet in my arms and the pet shop owner observed that ‘he looks just like a little Buddha….’

Siddy’s mother is a Maltese Terrier X Shih Tzu, variously known as a Matzu, Maltzu or a Mitzu. Dad is a Lhasa Apso. All I know is there’s an awful lot of terrier in this boy!

Both the Shih-Tzu and the Lhasa Apso began life as Temple Dogs and are named after Lions, who are revered for their courage and large hearts. Both these traits are easily seen in my little fellow. Being just a babe he is courageous to the point of fool-hardiness, but time and experience will temper that. His large heart is seen in his unabated joy and enthusiasm for EVERYTHING!

Sometimes I just stand and watch pure joy in action. I thought I was good at living in the moment – I discover I still have much to learn!! Courage is seen when he lines his tiny body up to get down steps or in the past two days, off the chair. He jumps. All four legs work at it, the front two go up and out and the back two propel him high into the air and he sails bravely forth with more speed and height than is really required and lands, increasingly gracefully, on the spot he set his eyes upon. It is impressive, it is courageous, it is funny!

Siddy was born on Friday April 4th 2014. I found him on Friday 30th May when he was exactly 8 weeks old. He came to live with me the next day. The moment my daughter knew he was coming home with me was a moment I missed.

I had met him and cuddled him and returned him to his pen with his two brothers. We walked off with the pet shop owner to look at equipment that might be required if I was going to commit to a puppy. Still deep in conversation we returned to the front of the cage where YD observed the pup stop still in the midst of his playful brothers and with a look of pure joy launch himself happily towards me, his eyes fixed on my face.

I thought he was the most gorgeous bundle of energy I had ever seen – but I was intent on getting an older, female dog – and I preferred a Bichon or Bichon-Shih-Tzu X; the ‘Teddy Bear’ dog, or a Labradoodle or a Spoodle. I thought a girl and the more mature energy would be easier for me and Orlando to cope with.

Three weeks previously I had had an odd experience regarding an older Bichon girl who had been picked up by the pound. I had made inquiries and been told she was not suitable for re-homing. Three days later I found out the Dog Rescue people had taken her. I made contact, saying I was interested, but heard nothing back. Ten days later I discovered a message in my facebook message box which had somehow got buried beneath others and had been there for a week, advising me the dog would be re-homed and asking if I was interested in applying formally. Of course I had responded immediately, but it was too late – she had found her forever home.

I was puzzled – this was the perfect scenario for us, why had it not happened? Obviously she was not meant for us – but she had fit my order perfectly!

I wrestled all night long with committing to a puppy – a huge undertaking, no matter how cute he was! Full commitment came when I was delivered a waking picture in my mind of a little black and white puppy all alone in a pet shop cage after his two brothers had gone to their forever homes and his intended forever home had said no.

I was In! YD told me he was already In! and she saw the whole thing as being Inevitable! And so Sid-Arthur came home.

My postcard prints of ‘Choose Joy’ finally arrived today. Time to get those organisers made for those of you who are waiting – and then into the Etsy Store too!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!