Michaelmas Thoughts

Posted on September 29, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

I quite like September 29th. It is Michaelmas and comes hard on the heels of the equinox. Here in the Southern Hemisphere it coincides with Spring and all the renewal that she brings to us.

It is my favourite time of the year.

Traditionally Michaelmas always arrives and I have a bright idea – this year I thought it was letting me down – but then it arrived bang on time!

Previous to its arrival, I had said ‘I must write a blog post, but there seems to be nothing new to write about …..’ my ever helpful youngest daughter looked me squarely in the eye and said “You’ve already written a post about procrastination, maybe you could revisit that…….”

She’s right of course.

I have light catcher orders to fulfill. But I’m waiting on ‘parts’ to arrive……….

I have knitting and crocheting projects to finish ……….. Oh-oh, no excuse there…..

But I am working away at this

bit by bit, row by row – it is crocheted all in one piece from the top down

which is a new experience for me.

It’s actually a pretty pink, but I took this shot in the dim early morning light……

It should be finished by now!

I am blaming my dear friend Alys, who sent me some fabulous Pitt Pens for my birthday – horribly expensive here, I never had more than three or four and used them sparingly and with great afore-thought!

Do you notice the striking lid of the box? Alys made that 🙂

And then my daughter who gave me one of those grown up colouring in books ……..

Which has led to hours of happy, meditative idleness……..

But, it’s such fun!!

As an absolute aside, and apropos of absolutely nothing, I thought to share this bit of news – As I’ve been colouring, I’ve also been moisturising:

This long cold harsh winter has played havoc with my skin – I feel like I’ve added new layers of sag and wrinkles and dryness to my once elastic and pliable skin. [No tittering in the back stalls please!] Then I purchased some Rose and Almond Dry Skin Cream from Wendy at Tumble Downs. Fantastic stuff! I could write an advertisement for it, but I won’t. I just thought I’d mention that I got it and love it and no, she isn’t paying, bribing or back-handing me in any way for this mention.

A mere glance at my moist and glowing skin would have you convinced – has anyone else tried it?

An order for mittens from Lisa for her brother sent me scurrying back to my wool stash.

Mittens for a man.

Manly colours.

Manly style – no flowers or frills huh?

So I played around and came up with these –

[Staying with the La Boheme theme]

‘Rodolfo’s Hand Warmers’

One pair will make it into the shop, the other two have a home to go to.

I particularly like the optional button detail.

What do you think?

But back to the Michaelmas Inspiration!

Michael is the Archangel of ‘doing the good’ – good deeds in the community is the leitmotif for young children – right actions across all spheres of life is the challenge for adults.

I like that concept.

So as I gathered together the above rambling list of bits and pieces that I have actually been achieving, despite believing I was DOING NOTHING – the bane of any choleric’s life – and I realised it was Michaelmas Eve here and still I had not had my inspirational moment to lead me onwards and upwards!!

…. No sooner had I had that thought when…..

…some very good news arrived…..

My door was knocked upon by a real estate agent who had come to tell me my challengingly unsavoury, alcoholic neighbour was selling his flat and leaving the area.

Oh, halloo, hallay!!

And then, hard on the heels of that good news, in the middle of the night, I had a brainwave about my tiny courtyard garden.

I’ve decided to go minimal this year.

I went maximal last year and the plant life was so prolific there was nowhere left for me to sit and soak up the rays.

The work will be hard, I have to remove three – four metres of built up soil [I use that word, soil, advisedly – despite my best efforts it remains mostly sour and solid dirt piled on top of concrete.]

I will replant the thriving plants into tubs, baskets and whatever else I can lay my hands on and scatter them artistically about the perimeter

after I have painted the fence a bright and cheerful colour.

I shall take before and after shots for your eddification and possible enjoyment.

Wish me luck.

I have some orders to make up before I get stuck into that project!

If you have any bright ideas to contribute – thoughts or experiences to share

Please do!

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

September Update

Posted on September 18, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

Well, I’ve managed to let another twenty odd days slip by without a post. So much for good intentions!

We’ve said ‘Farewell’ to YD’s beloved Stanley

No longer the beautiful chap pictured above just 18 months ago, time had taken it’s toll quickly as it does with our pets. In such a short time Stan became aged and worn out and emaciated – it was time to let him go. It was a hard decision for YD to make and I am so proud of her that she was able to hold him and tend him in his final moments.

Two days later I celebrated my birthday with a five day pyjama party with my daughters. We don’t often get to spend time altogether, just us and this five day hiatus seems to have become an annual event. I love it!

Every winter I go through the same old routine of wishing for something I don’t have. It’s all got to do with independence and stability and even while I know what causes it, it is difficult and challenging to endure the dissatisfaction that rises up with the results of the choices I have made in my life. While in the throes of these unresolved emotions from the past I forget that I am taken care of and have a perfectly habitable home to live in and that I am loved and cared for far more than I have any right to expect.

Then September arrives and the fog lifts as mysteriously as it arrives. When I was young I used to struggle with depression over this time, now I just get somewhat vaguely dissatisfied with what is. It dissipates really quickly. My birthday marks the return of contentment and I can settle into another nine months of perfect happiness. Isn’t life strange!

Any how, once we get to September the urge to nest where I am becomes strong again and I usually have a big move around and clean up and refocus.

Yes, that is the rear end of Siddy lying in his new favourite position where he can keep an eye on the street and growl softly at all passers by. Orlando’s cushion is unoccupied as he is currently sitting in the tiny courtyard garden getting some vitamin D.

As part of my resurrection this year I made the double wall art you see here

I painted the edges of some old unsuccessful canvases, pasted a panel of wallpaper down the centre of them and collaged cut out parts of the wallpaper to one side. The other side is taped with some fancy tape and stippled randomly with a leaf template and some matching paint. It’s quite effective and hides to a great degree the tired interior of this rented flat.

Orlando, who thought the canvas was a splendid new seat, has left his mark permanently beneath one hanging……. After this photo was taken the cat was evicted and another thick coat of white paint was applied and left to dry ……………

I returned some time later to find this

………….. footprints marked his progress over the canvas and the kitchen counter tops and the cooker top and the window sill …………….

So as you can see I have not been entirely idle – it does want to be Spring after all, even though old Father Winter keeps doubling back for a last roar. I’ve started planting my flower garden at the front door.

For those of you who know us well, you know we live in a tiny house with an even tinier out-door space. Last year the tiny courtyard garden had all the press – the even tinier front door garden has never existed before and this is the start of it

As you can see there is not a drop of soil to be seen so everything will be growing in tubs, planters and pots. Most of what is laid out here ready for planting comes from the local garden centre including the planted up and ‘trellised’ jasmine. I love jasmine – I think you can never have enough of the beautifully scented stuff. I am proud to say the ‘trellis’ is entirely the result of my ingenuity fiddling about with a $10 assortment of plasticised tomato stakes. Hopefully it will stay stable as the Jasmine winds her way up it!

Yesterday the temperature was 21 C we went for our morning walk and Siddy checked out the daffodils that now cover the bank between the park and the petanque club.

And I’m so thrilled – I’ve had some orders for light catchers. The next few days are going to be focused on bead creations.

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

A Touch of Spring

Posted on August 30, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

The days are noticeably lengthening, the air is light and warm and there is the soft scent of new mown grass on the air. Blossoms adorn the edges of branches that have been bare for too long – yellow flowers bob up and down the grassy hillock where Siddy runs on his daily walk. He sniffs them warily, licks one bright head ‘hello’ and moves on. The daffodil blooms on. I skirt the still muddy areas of the park. Ground laid bare by days of rain and frosts and ice and happy dogs turning it all to sludge. Gone is the heavy padded jacket, the woolly hat, the scarf wrapped about three times for maximum warmth, the array of colourful Mimi mittens that have adorned my hands on our morning walks. Gone the thick boots made for water protection, slip proof [mostly] and warmth.

I walk lightly – hatless, scarfless, gloveless. Siddy looks up at me and smiles and we walk on both of us enjoying the warm still air, the golden light, the scents of spring.

Spring enters into my work room too. My rediscovered love of working with beads evident everywhere. Light catchers sparkle en masse in front of the window. This is a wee peek at ‘The Purple Bohemian’ a new one destined for my shop, it’s really pretty!

Beads scattered over the work table catch and reflect sparkles of sun light.

I play with the idea of beaded bracelets – trying things out, working out how to arrange sizes, shapes and colours pleasingly; how to start and how best to finish things off. I don’t know why I’m doing this. Perhaps this first touch of spring makes me want to have some pretty beads to wear.

I’ve read a few books this winter. Not many, I don’t read as much as I used to – I don’t know why. Again, for unknown reasons, I steered clear of philosophical or spiritual content and read only what I had been given.

I read a surprising amount of first novels

‘Wise Men’ by Stuart Nadler, his first novel. The story kept me interested and I appreciated the writer’s ability to have his protagonist have an incidental real life while keeping us enthralled with the mysterious pull of times past.

‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel. The Georgia Flu has wiped out 99% of the population and in this horribly realistic view of life twenty years after the event the author invites us to consider the place of fame, of theatre, of relationships, that reach through time and events and touch and sustain our lives.

‘The Miniaturist’ by Jessie Burton. A first novel. I struggled with this book – I kept reading a little more every night and in the end read it to finish it. It is an odd tale, atmospheric yet cold. Maybe not such a good thing in a novel. Did you read it and feel differently?

‘The Paris Architect’ by Charles Balfoure. Another first novel. I generally don’t like reading about war and man’s inhumanity to man, but this novel grabbed my interest. I loved how the story revealed the architect’s evolution from cool disdain to caring about the fate of others and how in times of desperation, we find those we need to find.

‘Bits of a Boyhood’ by Bruce Goodman. An on-line book found here Written with integrity and honesty and not a little humour Bruce reveals what it was like growing up in New Zealand in the 1950’s. I laughed and sometimes cried my way through this first part of Bruce’s autobiography. I’m waiting for the next installment!

A man of fine education and not a little talent, Bruce blogs at Weave A Web if you want to read one of his [mostly] bizarre or odd little stories every day.

Finally – Siddy waiting for his fans.

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

A Postal Woopsie & A Winner

Posted on August 13, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

Thank you all so very much for the many and most helpful comments on the new shop window – I spent the ensuing days making changes as fast as I could and I think the perusing and information gathering is much better as a result. There are still a few additions and changes to be made, but nothing major.

I even made a sale which thrilled me no end – even though there ensued a most embarrassing postal misadventure as a result…… Do you want the whole story?

I was super busy and trapped at home waiting for the super-fast broadband installation scoping man to arrive – and surprise, surprise he didn’t…… [that’s a whole other post!]

I had a pile of mittens still waiting to get to the post office, the raspberry and yellow light catchers to get off to their new homes and a mounting sense of frustration that I was going to miss the post again……

Enter Stage R the most amenable and helpful Youngest Daughter, Official Photographer and newbie blogger, Danella Joy. Already stressed to the max with the health of her aged and ailing cat, an upcoming week away and what to do if dear cat’s demise and week away collide and needing to get to her night shift on time after a vet consultation, she still volunteered to visit the post office along the way and get my parcels sent off.

All but one of the packages were wrapped and addressed. One, a set of three mittens and a card from the last giveaway, needed it’s own postal envelope and the address to be written on said envelope.

Hastily I tore off the small pad page that had some addresses written on it, ripped off the unneeded address, threw everything into a handy tote bag and off she raced.

I didn’t realise that the small pad page had an address written both sides, both perfectly framed within the torn off seam.

You know what happened don’t you

Two days later DJ remembered to give me the pile of postal receipts and the card she had not seen in the bag that needed to go with the mittens until it was too late and as she handed over the torn pad page with the address on she froze, turned it over and asked “Where were the mittens going?”

Yes indeedy! Two beautifully written addresses – take your pick. There was a 50/50 chance I guess that the wrong one would be right side up when she scrabbled in the bag to find it and send the mittens away across the ocean. At least they ended up in the right country!

Now I have to get poor Jem to readdress and resend a package she should never have gotten and reimburse that as an added, extra postal cost….. sigh! And Jenny, dear, patient Jenny, you will get your mittens sometime soon 🙂

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

But now, to happier times.

And what could be happier than a giveaway I hear you cry……….

The names were all written out on strips of carefully cut paper

Piled into my favourite drink dispenser

shaken

stirred

scattered

‘Can we go yet?’

and – chosen!

I’m exhausted says Orlando – these are all winners!

Congratulations Kerry from Love Those ‘Hands At Home’

Which one do you want?

The pink or the blue?

Thank you to everyone who took part – we love giveaways here in Contented Land

and there is sure to be another soon.

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

A Gift, A Shop and A Give-Away

Posted on August 2, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

I’m feeling particularly pleased with myself. I made a new Light Catcher; my first one in hues of yellow. It is so pretty, like a little ray of sunshine. And it’s a gift and is just awaiting the final touches before being sent away to the recipient.

(The yellow colour in the background is more accurate than the subdued colour in the circles – yellow is hard to photograph apparently.)

Click twice to biggify

And, still on the subject of feeling particularly pleased with myself, I made a new page for my blog, it’s there sitting on the black bar beneath the heading picture, can you see it?

It’s called ‘The Contented Crafter’s Gift Shop’ and it lists all my creative work in the various formats that are available for sale or on commission. I know several of you have been asking and waiting and – well – here it is at last with apologies for the delay.

The shop page also has links to two other sites where some friends sell their particularly fine wares. Just in case you are looking and need inspiration……. I had this idea of a global support network that may or may not have merit. This is its small beginning.

Now if you wouldn’t mind, and if you have the time [I know how busy you are!] I would so appreciate you taking a few moments to look and to comment with your feedback – particularly about layout, quality of photos etc; about ease of understanding the different headings or not, anything that needs fine tuning, anything that does or doesn’t appeal, make sense or offends or delights you I would really like to know about. What do you think about linking to other sites? Would you look? Did you look?

As a thank you, your name will go in the draw* for a Single Strand Light-Catcher. The winner can choose one of these:

The blue single strand light-catcher is made with large blue *chrysacolla rounds interspersed with graded blue glass square beads from which hangs a 40 mm AAA crystal sphere. Smaller crystals and beads hang randomly from the silver chain along with a few charms. Catcher measures approx 50 cm long.

*’Chrysacolla purifies the environment and can work to eliminate negativity within a person. It imparts an energy conducive to stabilising the environment and rebuilding relationships’. Love Is In The Earth~A Kaleidoscope of Crystals

The pink light-catcher is a 40 mm AAA faceted crystal sphere hanging from a run of acrylic heart beads and very pretty white ceramic beads painted with pink flowers. A variety of clear and coloured beads,faceted crystals and charms makes up the remainder of the main and subsidiary chains. This catcher measures approx 60 cm long.

*the draw: is conducted randomly with the aid of my favourite coffee cup, strips of paper with names written on them, a vigorous shaking procedure followed by a tipping motion and the randomly placed paw of one Orlando King, the worlds best marmalade cat. [Siddy isn’t allowed to take part, in the practise run, he ate the pieces of paper.]

The draw will take place New Zealand time: 5pm Wednesday 12th August 2015

Any comments placed after that time will not be eligible for the giveaway.

In advance, let me thank you for your interest, for your support and for your feedback. it is as valued as you are!

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

Three Days – Three Quotes: Day 4

Posted on July 21, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

Yes, you read it right – I couldn’t resist – I tried really, really hard to resist – but, I. Could. Not. Stop. Myself.

Here it is following on from the wisdom of Buddha, from Winnie-the-Pooh, via AA Milne and from the writings of Dr Martin Luther King

This is not my work – I found this photo online somewhere and have no clue who made it or when. If you know who did please leave a note so I can add credit.

So this wraps up for real my contribution to making the world a more thoughtful place via the contemplation of favourite quotes, I hope you enjoyed them all 🙂

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

~~Three~~ Four Valiant Bloggers have put their hands tentatively in the air to carry the ‘Three Days, Three Quotes Challenge’ forward. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for our intrepid volunteers:

Alys at Gardening Nirvana

Linne at A Random Harvest

Claire at Mollie and Claire – already posting her first quote!

And this I’m betting will be something a little different I dare you to take a look:

Bruce at Weave A Web – coming up now or soon!

Please support these wonderful gals and Bruce and drop by their blogs. Thank you 🙂

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

Three Days – Three Quotes: Day 3

Posted on July 20, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

My old pal Apple over on Apple Pie and Napalm who sometimes writes really great posts about country music, had a slight melt down, took to partaking in something called ‘A Quote a Day for Three Days’ and fool-heartedly ~~chucked me under the~~ handed the banner on to me……..

According to Ms Napalm there are ‘Easy peasy instructions. One quote post per day for three days. For each post, include three fellow bloggers to pass the challenge to.’

I considered it a small miracle that I would be able to organise myself enough to get together three quotes. but I managed it. Then I decided wouldn’t it be nice to present the quotes using either Danella Joy’s photos or my own paintings….. See this is why getting posts together is such time consuming work for me!!

Like so many of my friends here in the world of blogging I’m not given much to following rules and I’m hoping some of you might just like to keep the thing alive by posting a quote on your own blog and you can nominate or not – according to how you feel about rules. Let me know if you pick up the banner 🙂

This is what I think about ‘Quotes’: Quotes can be read and not understood. Quotes can be read and not seen. For a quote to have meaning, I must attempt to live it.

Alys at Gardening Nirvana

Linne at A Random Harvest

Claire at Mollie and Claire

And this I’m betting will be something a little different I dare you to take a look:

Bruce at Weave A Web

Please support these wonderful gals and Bruce and drop by their blogs. Thank you 🙂

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

Three Days – Three Quotes: Day 2

Posted on July 19, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

If you read the previous post you might want to skip the prelude and go straight to the quote…………….

According to Ms Napalm there are ‘Easy peasy instructions. One quote post per day for three days. For each post, include three fellow bloggers to pass the challenge to.’

This is what I think about ‘Quotes’: Quotes can be read and not understood. Quotes can be read and not seen. For a quote to have meaning, I must attempt to live it.

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

Three Days – Three Quotes: Day 1

Posted on July 18, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

According to Ms Napalm there are ‘Easy peasy instructions. One quote post per day for three days. For each post, include three fellow bloggers to pass the challenge to.’

This is what I think about ‘Quotes’: Quotes can be read and not understood. Quotes can be read and not seen. For a quote to have meaning, I must attempt to live it.

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

Creating a Light Catcher

Posted on July 12, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

When I showed off some of my latest light catchers in the last post there was a small amount of interest in seeing how I made them. Not having a video camera capable of recording the process I did my best with my point and shoot and, with a bit of help from our Official Photographer when I ran out of hands, there now exists an as-good-as-it can-get photographic record of the process.

So, here we go:

First I rifle through my stash and gather together a pile of beads in my chosen colour. I was feeling ‘green’

I look for interesting shapes, a variety of shades and include glass, semi-precious gemstones, crystal, acrylic and facets wherever possible. I like using gemstones for their power and meaning, facets for their bling factor, shapes for interest and texture and crystals of course are the major source of light refraction. Acrylic beads are also very handy for keeping the weight down – these things can get heavy! I may, or may not, use all of my selection. It just depends.

I choose the hanging chain, recently I have discovered a particularly nice one which I am hoping to use in all future catchers. You can see it lying across the top left of the first photo. You can click on the photos twice to biggify – get the close up view for real!

Tools:

These four pliers are my go to essentials. The most recently added in is the one on the right, a split ring opener. Prior to that I used the pokey tool [official designation] seen at the top right and my finger nails. My left forefinger is covered with scars from puncture wounds – a proper tool was sought and finally found. My life has changed 🙂

Beading wire [I prefer ‘Tiger’s Tail] and quick dry adhesive to help secure the wire ends. Excuse the blurry photos – I find it a real challenge to snap photos while in the creative process – it is often an afterthought and is done on the fly ……….

Here we have the first length begun, I chose a pretty gold speckled green glass twist interspersed with small polished agate rounds

And the second string started, these beads are all acrylic and used for shape and texture. The wire is threaded through the crystal ball and up through the beads. It is pulled through a split ring, wrapped around itself two or three times and then threaded back down through as many beads as possible. These are tiny beads, so it can’t go too far down. Where the wire is poking out and at the top, fast drying adhesive is added to help secure wire and beads together. When the glue is dry I snip off the excess wire and attach the length of chain. If the glue doesn’t catch, or is peeled off, the wire can slip out and the whole thing will eventually collapse – it has happened and I try hard to ensure it won’t happen again!

Next I set about making half a dozen or so tiny little dangly bits. This is a selection of faceted glass or crystal beads for bling factor. I use long eye pins and snip them down as necessary. I make two different sets, three in each.

Split rings are added to both ends

I chose glass pearl balls and faceted hearts to hang at the bottom of three of the mini-danglers The hearts, due to their thickness, have to be hung using chandelier bow ties. These things are the bane of my light-catcher-creative life! They slip out of place whenever the catcher is moved and while I know where and how to put them back in place, the new owner may not. The only alternative I have is to use a large connecting split ring which looks ungainly – so I prefer not to go that route. If you have an alternate suggestion please, I would be so grateful should you care to share it.

Tiny crystal hearts are are attached onto the other mini-danglers and then the two strands are attached to a heavy brass ring.

I thought I had finished and left the catcher hanging above my work table for the night.

Early the next morning I wandered into the room and started to play some more. Before I knew it, there was another strand, a new hanging option and a few baubles added – and never a camera to hand! Here’s what I ended up with:

I found the three ring gold acrylic hanger on-line somewhere and bought ten of them, not realising they were so very – um, gold – I need to spray paint them silver but need warmer weather to do that. It’s hard to see in the photo but there are now two faceted crystal balls and one large faceted crystal pear hanging from the bottom of three strands of beads and chain and assorted baubles. The pear especially doesn’t photograph willingly, but is a beautiful thrower of rainbows! Also no charms have been added yet – I add them especially for the person who will own the catcher.