I have finally been painting again.

In my spare evenings I plop down on the table and paint. I decided to paint on corrugated cardboard; because its free, because its not as hard on my paintbrushes as canvas is, because you get to paint on random sizes and because its on free stuff I don’t need to be precious about it. This is my finished one. I have another almost finished. Its quite fun painting on bumpy card.

I went to spend a lovely lunch time with Gretchen and her kiddies the other day, saw some of my prints on the wall. That was nice to see. Buy them here.

Hope you all had a lovely Sunday and have a great week ahead. Love the little hands in the above photo and the bits here and there.

With all the people subscribing to the wee newsletter and comments for the free prints I have been looking at my rather large collection of photos a little more than usual of late. I found these pretty shots from back in my film days and just love how the colours seemed to come out “looking” old (taken in 2007). I might go out with the film camera again in a couple of weekends. See what shows up. I do adore pictures in bush with walking tracks, I guess thats why I love my tramping so much!

On another note I have been listening to alot of podcasts lately and reading the occasional blog post, plus whatever help/info docs etsy send out. I am becoming more and more impressed with the amazing talent and dedication people have. All i have done is put up a few products to see what happens, this took quite awhile and I started to think.. how could this actually work financially? Crunching numbers writing down ideas, trying to FOCUS on one or two instead of becoming bogged down by the possibilities. I’m telling you, it messes with your brain! So to the people out there developing those beautiful products, worked your butts off to make it happen enabling yourselves to generate that income… full props to you! Your friggin amazing.

My competition for some free prints is still going so sign up to the newsletter here or comment on the post and you will
“be in…. to win” (sorry, i apologise)

Last weekend I went walking with the better half  and some friends to the Carrington Hut in Arthurs past. Pretty much 4 hours up a river valley and back again. Organised as a social trip, pancakes were eaten, other walks were explored and I am finally admitting my four hundred dollar boots were a really bad, expensive decision as I hobble around with yet another Achilles injury. Wrong size and shape…  walking on a river bed will make any boot thats not quite right, become completely obvious! My camera bag also came apart, just before a river crossing! Phew! Just in time to leave in a safe place whilst water was navigated. This batch of photos have all sorts of wacky effects. Why? Why not, one has to at least TRY these things. All in all I had a great time!

More in Flickr

TAKE NOTE: Giveaway still going on, comment on the post where i have it all explained, or sign up for the newsletter and you are in the draw to win some prints! FREEEEEE. I have a few there (thanks me lovelies), but would love some more.

Sheep, cows, big machines, chickens, alpacas and whatever else the rural community needs to show, sell or eat.. Yup we have our “show” this weekend. I spent most of my time looking at the sheep, getting caught by sheep that were herded to the show grounds and trying to get an alpaca to like me.. I like alpacas, their yarn is so lovely and soft to spin.

One day I will have a little farm with sheep, alpacas, chickens and maybe a jersey cow or a horse…

The food tent was YUMMO, went in the tent with ice creams. We very quickly saw that it was necessary to finish the ice creams and eat other foods, so we halted our progress and finished off the ice cream as fast as one can eat something that cold. Then drank and ate all the samples we could find, I left the tent feeling quite full and a little bit tipsy!

Lots of photos on flickr! Oh and big thank you’s to those who have brought prints off me thus far! Its very exciting, wasn’t quite expecting such a lovely supportive response! Yay you guys!

The talking about this is over! As you can tell by the little buttons on the home page. I now have two little shops. One using Etsy (for all you foreigners!) and one for my New Zealand compatriots using Felt.

I brain stormed how best to go about selling these prints, or at least getting you all to even notice, the idea of a sale was pretty obvious. Everyone loves a bargain (or is that just me?). So grab one of my lovely prints for just $5 each. I have all sorts – for all sorts in there, so treat yourself or they would make a great Christmas gift. I even made them into a size you can easily buy a frame for.

I have all sorts of schemes afoot, so sign up to the blog, or my facebook page and you will be kept in the loop.

On Sunday it was the going solo one year anniversary! I just want everyone to know, i never missed a rent payment (never borrowed to cover that either) BUT i was supported hugely in other ways by friends and family.. esp. Esther and Kylie! Thanks guys!

To celebrate the anniversary we had pancakes for lunch and I met a parakeet. This was on the shoulder of a “potential” flatmate that unfortunately is not moving in. But the parakeet sat on my shoulder peering into my sunglasses, chirping “hello” and “how are ya” whistling and making lots of parroty noise.. cats not remotely interested… thankfully, mind you with that beak I wouldn’t be either!

Soooo, off on holiday next for a month, some time in San Fran, New York, New England (camping) and then to annoy my big bro in Michigan. I have many good intentions to write and post. Wish everyone a good month.. and leave you with some images of potential prints I will be selling when I get back!

Well it might not be “officially” spring yet, but the flowers are sure fooled. The unusually warmer weather means more flowers, more walks, more bike rides and less pollution from chimneys! Pretty happy all round really.

Another thing thats got me all excited is my new printer. I fired it up end of week last week and have been busy printing off possible prints to sell. I have all sorts of tentative plans so mostly going to try lots of different shops, ways of marketing and just go from there. I will be selling more than photo prints too. I hope to start selling prints of paintings and illustrations also. There is even the possibility of combo-ing with a friend at lyttleton markets.. maybe.

The last few weekends i have been attending a weaving course at the arts center. I got to borrow a four shaft loom and generally had a good time playing with different weaves and learning to read the patterns. After being a little disappointed with how i didn’t enjoy using a rigid heddle loom that much through another course i did last year, i was happily surprised that i enjoyed this one so much… we did a “sampler” playing with different patterns to create different effects. Here is a little closeup of the unwashed slightly wrinkly piece:

I hope everyone has a good week! My guy is coming back for good tonight, he has been working overseas for the last year or so. I have been getting him back for one week every two weeks, but its still not the same. So excited about him coming home for good… so we will be hectic getting ready for our USA holiday in the coming days, followed by coming back home from the US and setting out to move in together and starting to build a house. So grown up! Ha ha.. anyways, here are some more spring photos, heres wishing everyone a fabulous week!

This time last year I put together a website for a local charity auction a friend of mine was running, to raise money for the champion center in Christchurch. The Champion Center is a fantastic early intervention service for families with children who have developmental delays. I know people who use the Champion Center and they all rave about how supportive they are. Last years auction was such a success the ladies and gentleman are doing it again, I have just uploaded the latest images for auction in 2009. Take a look at the site, there are some divine images. If you’re in Christchurch and are in need of some images for your walls, or just feel like a fun night out, perhaps its time to get yourself a ticket? Not only do you get a beautiful image, framed and ready to go, but your money has gone to a fantastic cause.

For the few days I was in Murchison I ferreted away on some work in the quiet and the warm. I also took screeds of photos and have included the piccies I took of the chicks all grown up.

Quite happy with the garden photos on one day, the light was so delicious. O, how may times have I said I love autumn?



I also harvested the leftover Tomatillos mum could not fit in the freezer. Really quite keen on trying this recipe out.

Goodness me I am chuffed twice in the space of a week! I have been mentioned as the featured photographer for the month through another site (because of mychillybin) Endemic World, an online New Zealand design shop that is very cool (i’m not just saying that either…. it IS cool)! Here is the article, below is my little “cutting” for prosperity….

Blogs become bit of an online scrapbook, almost need to scan the one or two certificates I got at school. They never cease to amuse me now I am big and grown, I only ever got two that had any significance, one was when I was five, it was the art award (trophy and everything) I had a particular love for the “Art Table” full of boxes, and tape and pens… SOooo much fun. The other was a “top of the class” maths certificate in sixth form, I feel like that was more my poor tutors and parents achievement because I was bottom of the class in forth form, no certificate for that one…