Macrame - When A Knot's Not Just A Knot

Oh my, when I saw the macrame icons constructed by Russian artist Vladimir Denshchikov I drooled. Go do a google search for more of his work. 

Well darlings 'macrame' has certainly come a long way from the pot plant holders and owl hangings of the 70s hasn't it! I did a search on etsy.com and was amazed to have thousands of items come up. Lots of jewellery of course but many other items I didn't expect. Aren't they lovely? They've inspired me to, well, go get knotted!
 

Macrame top from Atelier Kliko  Barefoot Sandals from Art of Goddess 

 

Wallhanging from Slow Down Productions 

   

Pattern book from Grammys Yarn Garden  

Cat Mask from Ma Machavaya 

Make your own curtain with instructions from here.

ps. I'll spare you all the reasons why I haven't posted for so long. Life as a human being just gets in the way. But for right here, right now, everything is perfect.

What's hiding in your attic?

Yes I know it’s been ages. I do my best but life is very full and very exciting. It's those 'dares' you see! No more! Today I'll do a little 'sharing' instead. I’ve discovered a great store on Etsy – Papa’s Vintage Photo Box. Jane uses photographs taken by her Papa in the 50s and early 60s as the basis for her artworks. She enhances the old images, sometimes adding new graphics, sometimes adding color, but never taking away from the atmosphere of her Papa’s original vintage photos. You can take a nostalgic journey through time and place as you wander through her store with more images waiting to be uploaded.

 

I know many of you are heading into spring in your part of the world; here we’re nearly in autumn. As the first chilly evenings set in I find myself thinking of hibernation, cosiness and comfort. So, in the absence of an open fireplace of my own (airconditioning just doesn’t have the ambience does it) this little gif appealed.

 

And for some other soothing sounds (maybe for snuggling up in bed) here are a couple of videos with sound.
If I don't visit here again before Easter, I wish you a very happy one!
 

Dare 3: dare to be the person you dream of being

 

Okay, first off, yes I had a birthday last week, and it was so lovely that I've decided to keep the celebration going for the rest of the year! Friends have been warned to have cake ready. Pretty good idea eh...we'll see how it goes.... Birthdays remind me that time is passing, and I'd better get my butt into gear if I want to accomplish certain things and be the person I wish to be.

 

 

Licence Plate Clock by Platesttrends

(I have to be honest; I'm skipping some sections of the book we've been following - those sections that cover not procrastinating, those that cover career goals. Being the person you dream of being seems more important to me than achieving 'things'.)

When thinking of qualities I'd like to display, I've always found it useful to ask myself questions like, 'How will I be remembered?'.

Clock Corset from VW Corsets

So here are a few of the qualities I'd like to develop or enhance -  you'll know yourself what qualities you desire.

• Be able to let go of long held perceptions of myself and gain the freedom to try more new things every day.
• Become more patient and more forgiving of myself (this is a difficult one for many of us) and others.
• Not be afraid to share my laughter and positive vibes with the world without worrying about other's perceptions.
• Be eager to experience new things, making life sparkle with unanticipated experiences.

Assemblage Clock by The Urban Recyclery

 

Sometimes I need gentle reminders to keep me on track and birthdays are the perfect time to reflect.

Dare 2: dare you to learn something new every day

Watercolor, from The Dusty Caravan, inspired by Tom Waits
 

Okay, here's the speel from the second part of Kogan's book of dares for ecstatic living....Everytime you learn something, you rejuvenate yourself and add another dimension to your life. Don’t worry about how what you learn fits into your life; if something interests you, learn about it, invest some time in it, and color your life with what you learn from it. Learning is not just an occasional activity but a way of life, an attitude that keeps our eyes, ears, brains, and heart open to as many new experiences and ideas as possible.  Here are some of Kogan’s suggestions (am sure you can add plenty to the list).

• Read one magazine or newspaper article every day from sections that you usually skip.
• Sign up for a daily learning email. For example, check out www.wordsmith.org, where you can sign up to get a daily email with a new word and its definition.
• Take a different way home and check out new and unfamiliar places along the way.
• Whip up a recipe you've never tried to cook before.
• Learn a skill you've always wished you had...plenty of suggestions here!

Now the pics with this post give a clue to what I'm trying to learn...yes the guitar...nothing fancy, just the basic chords.  I think tho that I have a mental block about 'practise' that goes back to piano lessons in childhood. The guitar sits on a chair and seems to taunt me as I walk past 'practise! practise! you'll never learn unless you practise for at least an hour every day' and of course that all seems too hard so I don't do it.  So, here I am after two weeks and I can only play two chords if I'm looking at the instruction sheet. Never mind, suppose as long as I keep at it, by the end of the year I'll have to have progressed won't I?

1. bruce gray1 2. nataliya platova 3. nora karen 4. hesslerk

Back to where we came from...

1. The Life and Times Photograph by Jamie Bollenbacher of JKB Fine Photography 2. Sea of Bedclothes Photograph from Ooh Pretty Shiny 3. Draped in Red Painting by ArtBG 4. Sculpture from Theatron Italian Art 5. Gold Dawn Oil Painting from Art of Eric Chapman 6. Rainy Day Painting by Larisa Berezova of Art From Russia Store 7. The Two Brothers, Timekeeper Series Assemblage/sculptures by Sandi McAslan Fairies 8. Mixed Media Photograph from Violet Dart

Artdecadence

Does your Mum enjoy playing? For just a few dollars you could get her some new toys!

top to bottom 1. How to make a 3 tier platter from My ERoom 2. Let Mum make her own articulated beast from Benconservato 3. Whip up some burlap thank you bunting from Hermia’s Wishes 4. Print off a Keep Calm and Stay Classy print from Wild Geese Digital 5. For a chuckle, let Mum construct some moustaches from The Sweet Paperie 6. Encourage her dreams but letting her run off the print Do What You Long To Do by Artdecadence 7. Let her make a bunch of pendants via Dew Supplies and you could receive one for your next birthday!