Using the Studio.

The studio is officially opened. The boys and I trooped up this morning ready for action, the boys ready to paint their fireworks night (otherwise known as the best night of their lives) and me to make a picture for a very much loved pre-school teacher who we are preparing to say goodbye to. That's right, Hugo only has a few weeks left at pre-school... my baby.
Archie used acrylic on canvas to represent his bonfire and fireworks then coated the upper section with Mod Podge and glitter.

I also used acrylic but unfortunately am a long way from being finished. The window view is driving me crazy and am seriously thinking of reworking it. But I like the pears now so that is good. Unlike Archie, I did not use glitter.

Hugo used pencil and watercolours to create his masterpiece. He and I are holding hands at the bottom, looking through the dark night sky and up to the fireworks. He adored the evening and at one stage lay on his stomach across a picnic blanket, sucking his fingers and gazing into the fire as though all of the world's mysteries were being unravelled at once.

This is Archie's other triumph for the weekend. He discovered an old Norman recipe in one of his 'Terrible History's' books and decided he needed desperately to cook it. Apparently it was a huge success however, I couldn't try it because it contained gluten. Jonno loved it.

The knife is being stabbed into it because Archie read in the same book that they ate with their daggers.... great.
I hope you have had a lovely weekend, love Kate xxooxxooxx.

Sleeves and Studios.

First of all - knitting news. I'm now making my way through the first sleeve. The cardigan has turned out to be a bit shorter than I was expecting but who doesn't like showing off their belly button in Winter. Hopefully it will just look deliciously cropped... and not stolen from a six year old's wardrobe.
But on to more exciting things, finished things. Today I finally finished tackling my studio after having it languish well at the bottom of my list for months. I keep stealing up the stairs and find myself gazing upon it as though it were a newborn...

Although I can see from the photos that it doesn't look hugely exciting. Studios aren't meant to be neat with everything put away. They are supposed to be messy with projects and thoughts and colours. So I apologise that you can't see all of the cool stuff that has been sorted away into their various new homes. But rest assured that all of my wools, paints, papers, fabrics, tools, etc, etc, etc are very happy and cosy, learning what life is all about in an organised house.

These are new (to me anyway) drawers that have come from Jonno's parents house and used to make up part of his grandparent's kitchen. The three upright cupboards are for storing potatoes and pull our from the handles, making them perfect for recycling paper and fabric scraps.

One part of the bench top is missing and you can see into the cutlery drawers. The little bit of wood that is peeping out looks very much like rimu to me so at a very later date it may be worth investigating stripping it. For the moment however, it can remain dressed in its current coat of paint.

And an Archie drawing to make it really, really look like a place of unleashed creativity.

Have a lovely weekend, Love Kate xxooxxooxx.

My Creative Space.

Today my creative space is anywhere I can find a splash of colour and a bit of inspiration. Yesterday I had new (and mightier) lenses put into my glasses and since then I am astounded by the crisp lines that surround everyone and the depth of colour of EVERYTHING. I feel like I am on some sort of chemical high. Last night I was looking at a jar filled with buttons on the kitchen table. This jar has been sitting there for a week and I was astounded by it. The glass had a texture to it I had never noticed and the lustre of the buttons made me feel as though I was looking at a dutch masterpiece.

Aside from that it is all sewing for me at the moment, the sewing of costumes and of presents. I have a little Cath Kidston cowboy mug to pop into the stuff-collecting-bag made for one of Archie's friends and pictured in the top photo. I love that car fabric soooooo much it was a little hard to cut into.

For more creative spaces hop over to Kirsty's.

My Creative Space...

My creative space comes once again in lots of little moments; Buttons in a box.
A spider hanging it's web on the line to dry.
A tree knitting it's own web!!!

Labels reminding me to make stuff to then attach them to.

And Archie doing some fine garden planning. Note the gate to the side and bulbs planted in the corners.
I hope this week your house is teeming with creative spaces too.

For more, hop over to Kirsty's.

My Creative Space.

My creative space takes over the kitchen table...
The big blue couch...
Wait hang on, it shares the couch with Tinkerbell (she takes over most of that space)...
And then, any spare surface that wool can be tangled upon is covered in unformed, unthought of as yet, projects.
After that, there isn't much of the house left...
But that's okay, it's all insulation against the winter creeping towards us.

Oodles of creative spaces can be found over here.

P.S. The beer bottle tops won't be staying on the vest, I was just postioning where the buttons will go. Jonno thought they looked great.

My Creative Space.

This week I would love to be the person with the beautiful studio that you walk into and are immediately spellbound by all of the colours and fabrics and amazing storage ideas but it is just not my lot right now. Hopefully one day I will have that space but at the moment, most of my creativy is still relegated between the couch and the kitchen table. It isn't a bad situation by any means because the couch is big and comfy and the kitchen table is close to, well the kitchen and all of the food that lives there. The fire place also burns warmly when I am downstairs and you have got to be warm to create. Cold hearts don't produce much, but with a warm one, the universe is yours for the making.

At the moment I am crocheting a scarf for my niece (her party is tomorrow) and this has coincided with my current obsession with pompoms. Thank goodness she is only five. Well, better do a bit of stitching and tail tucking. Can't wait to see all of the wonderful creative spaces over at Kirsty's this week. xxooxx

My creative space...

This week, my creative space is to be found out and about on the farm. Our herd manager has broken his thumb and is off work for six weeks (ouch). As we are calving, Jonno is flat out so he has delegated big calf feeding to me. My job is to drive the big milk container out to the paddock and feed the calves who have graduated from the baby pens. Jonno very kindly went over the ropes with me again as it has been quite a while since the last time I drove a ute with hundreds of litres of milk into a paddock of glossy, frolicking calfies.

After they had their fill, Jonno and I sat quietly and listened to the milk sloshing around in their bellies as they ran about.

So yes, even though I am not creating much this week, I am still thinking creative thoughts as I stand about filling milk into calf feeders with a fire-hose. I guess my point is, we are our creative space and even if the physical space isn't there, the most important part, the thinking part, is always at work.

Oh, yes, the flower at the end was in my garden and I thought I had better include a bit of prettiness because we are such a visual bunch. Thanks Kirsty for letting us join in on your game and to see more players, visit here!

My creative space is a breeding ground...

I haven't played along with my creative space for a few weeks now and I feel as though I am missing out on all the fun. I am so looking forward to catching up with a few new 'old' friends. Speaking of friends, one of my favourite people in the entire world came for a cup of tea this morning and gave me a packet of origami paper. Needless to say, it was sudden mating season for cranes around here. Now the benches are littered with them and they have even begun to nest in my wool. Hugo is fascinated by origami and has been making curtains (from what I have observed, you fold the paper in half and then twist it a bit) and other interesting things so I guess you could say I am sharing my creative space with him.

For more creative spaces, pop over to Kirsty's.

My Creative Space

My creative space needs three things:

1. A cup of tea to lure the good ideas and flush the ridiculous.

2. Good light because without it we are just fumbling limbs in a yarn cobweb.

3. Good materials otherwise all that will be are creations of macaroni, string and odd socks (which is fine if you are five but I am not).

More creative spaces are to be found hanging out at Kirsty's.

And for a bit of excitement, I am having a giveaway so ENTER (if you dare).

Blackboard Stickers

I had so many questions about Hugo's blackboard stickers I thought I had better do a post on them. They were on sale (in New Zealand) in a shop called 'dog's breakfast trading company'. Looking at their label I have noticed they have an online store too. I think they are the bargain of the year, $9.95 down to $4.95, I also bought these pillowcases for $3.95 each. Don't you just love a good buy (and not the kind that leaves you feeling a little hollow later when you realise that sure the earmuffs were cheap but it just doesn't get that cold in the Bay of Plenty...). Later on this afternoon I will be announcing the giveaway so hover awkwardly but still enjoy your weekend.

My Creative Space...

When Archie was born over six years ago, an entire room was built and claimed for him, painted aqua blue and hung with curtains of Cath Kidston cowboys (and Ikea ticking to make Cath spread herself a little further - that doesn't sound so good does it...).

Before Hugo was born three years ago, we partitioned off some of our living area (there was room for it), put a cot in and hung some blankets over a wooden piece of dowel drilled in above the window. Hugo was no less loved or appreciated, there just didn't seem to be as much available time.
Now with a bit more time and sanity (thank you to Hugo's preschool), Hugo's room is becoming my creative space as I start to transform it into something a little less jail-like. His other walls are unpainted and with the gib-stopping, there is a faintly evocative of jail..

So with these new blackboard sticker we chose together this morning, we are on the way. Maybe tonight instead of a story, we could sit down with a paint chart and choose a colour for the other walls. Kind of a nice beginning for Hugo to have his own creative space.

I my creative space was becoming slightly monochromatic so felt I had better add some splashes of colour. We went to the wool shop this morning and I finally lashed out for this ball of wool I had been having lascivious thoughts over for quite some time. It is a cashmere/silk/merino blend and is slightly flecked like a well loved t-shirt.

The balls above are top ups for the hexagon blanket which suddenly seems to be charging ahead. Lots of love to everybody - Thursday and Friday are such lovely blog catch up days aren't they and a big thank you to Kirsty for letting us all run wild and being our creative mother hen.

More creative spaces are over here.

My Creative Space... night and day.

I feel so good. From the tips of my toes to my innermost cadbury creme egg soul I am tingling with the satisfaction that comes from tidying up my craft table. In fact, I tackled the whole upstairs room and turned it into some sort of grown-up haven that you imagine in your wildest dreams. When I ascend upstairs, I really am travelling upwards to the heavens. It is glorious.
I thought I had better include my night-time creative space too, the turquoise table that is providing the legs for my hexagon blanket. Each night as I sit down on the big, blue couch, I feel as though I am embarking on a giant and extremely tactile puzzle (except nicer than a puzzle because you know that one day it will leap up and enfold you in its warm embrace and let's face it, that is something a puzzle will never do).

For more creative spaces, disapperate (I don't have time to look up the official Harry Potter spelling) here.