took on a challenge
& set the clock for early (er) starts
got a lot less sleep
& drank more coffee than I should
just ducked in for a shoe brush
& bought more kitchenalia
carted a lot of stuff in for a studio class
& realised just how unprepared I was
made sure I got to the oppy
& bought a great new to me belt
continued to snack on cheese
& added almonds to the mix
met Kate after school
& enjoyed our house guest
we spent lots of time out
& a fair bit of time in
made sure we had supplies
& made pretty drinks

This is my final entry into the Canon Island challenge. The theme for the final round is “My Land”. No worries for me there…it’s all about the map.

I was born on Map 45 of the Melway. I grew up in a Californian Bungalow on the map. I played in the street with my most excellent neighbours (9 kids between 3 houses). I went to Primary school on the map and made my first friends on the map. I rode my bike around the map and later spent a lot of time on the 42 & 72 trams.

I fell in love with a boy who lived on the map. He broke my heart at a party on the map and then won it back (also on the map). A few years later he proposed and we were married on the map.

I don’t need Map 45 of the Melway…I know it like the back of my hand…it’s my land.

I had originally cut out a lot of little clip art bits and pieces to make a little township within the street directory – I had grand Rob Ryan type plans. But, it became clear that less was more in this case. Map 45 is home.

I used positioning spray to attach the printout to the page and then cut around the shape and cut out the windows and doors.

I love the pic I’ve ended up with. If you love it too maybe you could do me one more favour and vote right here.

PS: It seems I won the Eye Land round so I think that means I’ll be back later in the week with another camera to iveawaygay (courtesy of Canon) to say thanks for your votes.

when I used to post weirdy blurry up close and personal shots of what I was working on? Maybe you need a refresher?

Well, I had a sudden urge to share my creative space this week.

Fingers crossed it all goes to plan.

You can find other creative spaces right here.

strapped the knee
& kept on running
thought lots about books
& escape & empathy
trialled the cherry cake
& gave it the thumbs up
rediscovered a childhood addiction
& shared it with my girl
gave away a camera
& confused the crowd
took copious notes
& made plans about “old”
thought lots about light
& direction & quality
took a few clicks
& got prepared for this week
went out to Bunnings
& assembled a “kit”
baked the palette cherry cake
& slathered it in chocolate to make it ripe
frocked up with some mates
& attended the wedding
scraped a few more pennies together
& a couple of pineapples too

Ok, so maybe the pig latin thing was a little over the top.

A few people completely didn’t get it & for that I apologise.

Here’s the deal…

I was the winner of challenge 3 of the Canon Island competition. The win was for the picture that I took of the pavlova. Canon are giving the winner of each round a camera to pass on to their voting community to say thanks to you all for getting behind me.

The winner of the camera is…

*FLASH…CLICK…CLICK…CLICK*

Brooke

Please email me with your address Brooke & I’ll shoot the camera in the mail to you.

I want to make it clear that I haven’t received anything for winning the Dessert Round. There are two remaining rounds. The Eye Land round which is currently being voted for and the final challenge which is titled My Land. The winner of each of these rounds will receive IXUS cameras to iveawaygay to their community. So…if you would like another opportunity to win you can vote for my Eye Land pic here.

Sorry for speaking pig latin at you & I promise if I win again I’ll speak in plain english (except for the word iveawaygay – we don’t want randos winning YOUR prize)!

Oday ouyay owknay owhay otay eadray igpay atinlay?

Ifway ouyay oday ouyay ightmay inway isthay iveawaygay!

Eavelay emay away igpay atinlay ommentcay otay ebay inway ethay
unningray. It’sway away amegay ofway illskay on’tday ouyay
owknay?

Ustjay igbay iantgay oochessmay otay ouyay ifway ouyay otedvay
orfay ymay avpay otophay. Ifway ou’dyay ikelay anotherway
ancechay otay inway ouyay ancay otevay orfay ymay eyeway andlay
icpay andway ifway Iway inway Anoncay endssay anotherway
ameracay ourway ayway – oorayhay.

^^ That’s to stop the bots.

As the winner of round 3 ‘dessert island’, Canon have given me a brand new IXUS camera to pass to one of you lucky readers to say thanks for voting/getting behind me in the Canon Island challenge.

Thanks a bunch you guys!

soaked up the last few holi days
& watched trash with the big girl
named all the uniforms
& packed the kids off to school
worked a bit on the slow burn
& a bit on a quick fix
took myself to the op shop
& bought pretty things
tried to tame the wild curls
& admitted defeat
ate fruit, yoghurt & muesli
& topped it with nuts
shopped & chopped & arranged
& clicked the eye pic
set up the remote
& managed to photo myself
went back to school
& had a person folio thought
shared a meal with my school mates
& remembered good times
had the girl cousins over
& laughed at their play
inched a little closer to my goal
& noticed I still have a long way to go.

I think he might like my contribution to Challenge 4 of the Canon Island competition.

I have to thank my dear mate Tarn for loaning me the eyeballs. The kids are completely freaked out by them … I, on the other hand absolutely love them. I really want to keep the peepers T … just so good.

I’m just about the lowest maintenance person there is … makeup reserved for special events only & always applied for a “barely there” effect. I have never worn eyeshadow of colour or false eyelashes. So, I had a great time fashioning my palm tree out of false eyelashes & crushing the eyeshadow & hacking into another set of falsies & smattering those around too. I felt like Jamie Oliver letting the eyelash choppings fall “from a height” into my eye land.

Anyway, enough of my blathering on – you could vote if you’ve got facebook – you might win yourself a canon camera. That’s not bad for a click & a couple of words is it? Voting goes on over here.

… from a piece of vintage crochet
… without doing any damage to the original piece!

You probably won’t remember, but some time ago I fashioned a sweet little shrug which people got pretty excited about. I said at the time that it was total fakery & that made me look much cleverer than I really am.

I haven’t found any of the square tablecloths at the op shop for the longest time & then a few weeks ago I got lucky (& found four in one store).

Obviously someone’s gran has spent countless hours on the hook working up the table cloths & I think it’s a crying shame to leave them languishing in the op shop. This little how to is totally non destructive as we are utilising the holes made by the original crochet pattern. So, at any time I can snip the line of chain & use the cloth as … wait for it … a cloth!

Please note…this garment is sized “one size fits some”. You’ll need to trial the shrug as it depends on the size of the original cloth etc.

took the boy for his checkup
& said goodbye to his specs!
drove down the road
& had melbourne’s best brew
sent the boys off to the tennis
& spent the night on the lounge
thought lots about being a wife
& what that really means
wondered about another time & place
& if in fact the grass was greener
cross stitched the monograms
& sent them out to the crew
drank lemon, lime & bitters
& taught the little guy to make them
went to the market
& bought lots of fresh & green
spent time in the kitchen
& prepared for a new school year
went out for japanese
& had a great time
watched the little guy & his mates
& caught up with the school crew
climbed the 1000 steps with the boy
& allowed myself to be pushed by my pride
saved an orphaned possum
& pottered around at Camby market