A new work in the bathroom collection

I love to decorate with lots of little things.  Thank goodness I live in a small space and not in a giant warehouse, as I would feel completely intimidated by big empty walls.  This is my bathroom.  I find washing and brushing my teeth really boring, so it's important to have special things to look at while going about the daily routine.  Other than my very first painted mirror, I have a little oil painting from Bali that was a gift from lovely Serena, framed postcards from India and Oxford, and a poster by illustrator Ping Zhu.  But my newest and coolest addition is this beautiful painted bat by my friend Sandra Winkworth (AKA Swinkie).  She recently visited from Sydney in order to take part in a fantastic bird themed exhibition at 69 Smith Street Gallery in Collingwood.  Her bird prints and drawings are very delicate and beautiful.

Progress, at home and in the studio

 I decided to make another scarf after spreading out my yarn stash on the kitchen table the other night.  Seeing my yarn all at once lifted my mood!

Work in progress on wood.  Not sure whether I like it, but I will show it here when it's finished.

Assorted new things in the shop

 I have made up a new A4 page of stickers, something I have been wanting to do for a while.  It took a surprisingly long time to get together!

 A new ancient mask mirror, which is actually the other half of the face that I painted on the first one.

And a redhead girl hanger!  A cousin to Mrs. J's hanger below, and the very first hanger for my etsy shop.  (The others are available from Craft Victoria.)

This week

 Some spring-like scarves for Craft Victoria.

 A special redhead hanger for Mrs.J.

 A sweet donkey from another old National Geographic.

 And pictures of food everywhere in the studio.  Speaking of food, last night I attended a cooking class with Tony Chiodo at the South Melbourne Market.  It was so much fun that I later dreamt that I was an in-house food critic at Vue de Monde.  (Yes indeed, dreams are strange things, as why would Vue de Monde or indeed any restaurant require an in-house food critic?!)  When I woke up I quite seriously considered how I could get a job in the food industry, but I know that in real life I am not nearly as canny as I am in my sleep.  Anyone need a dishwasher?

Get Love: an i-pad cover

I have made an i-pad cover, a little cousin to the laptop cover that I made in July.  I really enjoyed making the striped effect in the letters.  

This is kind of how I explained the idea then:

Like most people these days, I spend a lot of time on the internet. Recently I realised why: I'm looking for love. I'm not necessarily talking match.com, but the sort of love you get when someone answers your e-mail, comments on your facebook photos, follows your blog, or clicks your item into their etsy favourites. We all need love, and that's what this little i-pad cover is about.

 And it's in the shop.

Special order mirrors

 Mirrors for a special order above, and in progress below.

Take one National Geographic

Above: Queen Salote of Tonga (1900-1965).  I would love to sit this next to a fancy portrait of Queen Elizabeth II!

Above: "Riding a king size board, the 325-pound Taufa'ahau surfs the Pacific combers.  The monarch also delights in fishing and scuba diving."

 Above: Mobile, Alabama: "Resplendent in satin, Mattie L. Jones arrives at the coronation ball of the Colored Carnival Association."

 Above: the crowning of the Shah of Iran in the Amjadieh Stadium in Tehran.

 Above: Hello!  Observing a sheep auction in Oban, Scotland.

Above: an advertisement for the Admiral remote control, showing The Cortez Model, the "biggest picture in color TV" at 23 inches.

 Above: a Massey-Ferguson tractor advertisement.

I love my collection of National Geographics, all purchased from the Cheltenham Op Shop many years ago.  All of the photos here are from the March 1968 issue.  Great cover, too.