Cherryskin

Almost 2009

2008-12-10T07:40:00.004-05:00

I made a calendar.

If you like the look of it, and would like one to hang on your wall all next year (or give it to someone you like), email me: magter[at]optusnet.com.au

14 cm x 29.7 cm $17 plus postage (Aussie dollars. A bargain if you live o/seas!).

For Pip

2008-10-01T20:45:00.001-05:00

Oooh, Aaah, Eeee!

2008-09-30T08:38:00.002-05:00

I'm being featured on Craft City Melbourne!

I am very excited and a little nervous.

There's even a pic of (some of) me.

I Done Made Soap

2008-09-19T06:38:00.002-05:00

The unsliced logs. Top is Indian Chai with cardamom (ground and whole), and all the chai'y essential oils (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and black pepper). It smells just like a warm creamy mug of its namesake -- mmmmmm! Bottom is coconut which is made using extra virgin coconut oil, and it smells very toasty and beachy.

Love both of these. I will be listing them in my Etsy store when they cure at the start of October.

Next in line is a mint-aniseed blend which is the freshest most energising scent I think I have ever smelled (can't wait to make it, and more so, use it), and the classic springtime scent of Lily-of-the-Valley. I am May-born, and that's my flower. Another divine scent. Yummy yum! I love soaping!

Illustration Friday: Clutter

2008-09-11T20:23:00.003-05:00

Not finished, but I've run out of time, and didn't want to fill the spaces with just anything. I guess it's cluttered enough to qualify.

Illustration Friday: Memories

2008-09-04T07:33:00.003-05:00

Because I wanted to avoid cheese, and didn't want Barbra Streisand's mug on the second page of my sketchbook. It's a bit cryptic.

Illustration Friday: Routine

2008-09-02T07:34:00.003-05:00

Too late to submit -- last week's topic, but wanted to draw this one.

The legs are too short! Ran out of room :-) The first pic in my brand new sketchbook.

Illustration Friday: Detach

2008-08-20T07:18:00.002-05:00

The exposure of the photo from which this was drawn made her head look detached from the rest of her.

Also, I love the Olympics. I get so excited every time it's on -- I am the opposite of a cynic (what's that? I could just look it up). I watch it as much as I can, I cheer, I shed tears occasionally.

I firmly believe that the Olympics should transcend politics and unite people in spite of, yet respecting, cultural, religious and personal differences.

I know that these Olympics are particularly tainted with political issues, and while I think it's crucial to address these issues (and loudly!) I really wish the western media would back off on the many gratuitous attacks against Chinese culture. All it will achieve is ill feeling, and we do, not, want, that, because it will piss off a billion people, and make dealing with the real issues that much harder.

2008-07-03T06:34:00.001-05:00

Supreme Court Rules Death Penalty Is 'Totally Badass'

Sayonara

2008-07-01T05:49:00.004-05:00

I'm taking a blog break. Not that this blog was ever a burden or even a commitment, but I feel the need to let it go at the moment.

Thanks for visiting, reading, commenting, and getting in touch, and see you round the traps. I think I will focus more on Flickr from now, so if you miss me (heh heh) come by.

Photo by marketamedkova.

Wot Blog?

2008-06-24T20:16:00.003-05:00

Here is something I carved yesterday and today. Have to say, I'm pretty happy with the result! Except for the little bit of bun I accidentally Speedballed off.

Its purpose in life is to decorate the front of Miss C's pink windcheater. She reminds me a lot of Little My. She often frowns and smiles at the same time, she's small, and she bites. Feisty!

Apple Charlotte

2008-06-12T07:22:00.004-05:00

Yum. In my top 3 fave cakes (along with Pavlova and Polish baked cheesecake). This is a recipe I got from mum, who has been making this since I remember.

Szarlotka
-----------
500 g plain flour
8 eggs
250 g butter, softened
300 mL (yeah...go figure) sugar
6 large Granny Smith apples, cored/peeled, quartered and sliced approx. 5 mm thick
Extra sugar (to taste) to sweeten apples
Cinnamon
-------

Layer apples, sprinkling each layer with sugar to taste, in a sieve. Cover and leave to drain over a bowl while you make rest of cake.

Bring a small pot of water to a simmer. Break eggs, separate yolks and carefully slide each yolk into simmering water (I do it off a tablespoon). Simmer until hard (but don't overdo it). Cool and press yolks through a sieve.

Chop butter into flour until resembles breadcrumbs. Add yolks and sugar, and combine with hands into a dough (add a little water if needed). Take a bit over half the dough and roll to fit a square oven dish/tin (about lasagne dish size).

Fill with apples (discard drained liquid). Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon.

Roll out rest of dough and cover apples, sealing the edges. (You can save any offcuts to make decoration/s for top of cake!)

Prick all over with a fork (I go in lines like a farmer's field).

Bake until golden brown in a 180 degree C oven (about an hour).

Serve (warm or cold) sprinkled with icing sugar and with cream (whipped or not).

Meet Me at Pip's!

2008-06-10T20:33:00.002-05:00

Hotty (hot tea)
Originally uploaded by Pink Thistle

Pip is having a lovely e-get-together so we can all introduce ourselves and meet each other! Nice!

Hope to see you there.

The Flickr Game

2008-06-06T08:29:00.002-05:00

1. María Magdalena Guatemala, 2. mash and gravy, 3. Cambridge mums: Mummy, I like those patterns!, 4. Two for the Road - Lilac and Iris, 5. Edward Norton, 6. Milk Street, 7. A perfectly ordinary beach in Finland a sunny day in May, 8. Lavender crème brûlée with fresh berries, 9. Mrs. Erika Bartos, graphic designer, children's book illustrator / Bartos Erika, művész, grafikus, gyerekkönyv-illusztrátor, 10. Snowmen family in TX, 11. don't worry be happy new year, 12. Top of Lavender Patchouli bar

Pip from Meet Me at Mikes got me into this. Fun!

This is how (in Pip's words...I think!):

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker and make a lovely mosaic to put on your blog or flickr! Simple pimple!

The questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favourite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favourite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favourite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favourite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

These...ahem...last few days!

2008-06-06T06:48:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I can't stick at something for one measly week. Never mind! It's been a busy week.

So here are a few pix from the last few days, taken mostly in the mornings.

Desktop, taken by MissM (red due to finger over flash) (my desk is an ex-door from the 40s, complete with handles, albeit one fallen out).

Made for lil' Isaac born on Monday. Used a thrifted felted jumper. There is a fine line between quaint and lame, and I can't decide on which side this guy falls. Not that it matters, as he's made with lotsa love.

I made this cut-out birthday card for James, then took a pic of it while holding it over the monitor with some gorgeous Koji Tomoto illos behind it.

Making butter bikkies.

And a cheesy 70s tune which apparently Asia is going nuts for, and makes me bop a bit in my chair.

This evening...

2008-06-01T07:43:00.002-05:00

Today I went straight from bed to work (where I was going to take a pic of the shelves of medications, or some ace measuring flasks, but forgot), then straight from work to a 1st b'day party, and straight from there to mum's for dinner, so the first time I had head-space to think was when both girls sacked out in the back seat, and I was driving home tonight in this soupy fog.
So here is this evening, not this morning, and taken with my not-very-good phone camera.

Excitement

2008-05-31T02:17:00.006-05:00

I have found so many amazing blogs lately. I feel scared clicking links within them pointing to new exciting inter-places, because it makes me feel like I am teetering on a precipice and about to fall into a bottomless canyon of exhilarating inspiration, and my children need me.

Here are a few beauties:

fine little day

emma adbage

kindra is here

hoping for happy accidents

lena corwin

And some nutty Polish experimental radio music via hoping for happy accidents.

This morning...

2008-05-31T00:47:00.002-05:00

This morning...

2008-05-30T08:03:00.004-05:00

It arrived!

Inspired

2008-05-28T20:49:00.004-05:00

Inspired by this, I have decided to make "A Week of Mornings" here, starting today. Join in if you like!

This morning...pollen.

Letterbox Joy

2008-05-28T08:28:00.007-05:00

These arrived in our letterbox today. From Pomadour24 at Etsy (check it out for more pix).

This one's ISBN978-4-579-11194-7 (oops forgot to crop)

This one's ISBN978-4-277-72252-0

This Past Fortnight

2008-05-26T05:43:00.002-05:00

Where did those two weeks go??

Here are some places they went:

Popped drawn-on balloon

Mothers' Day angel (awww! MissM chose it for me!)

Found on creek bank

Couple of cute cats

Our dog's 7th birthday torte

Manic post-dinner crayolathon

Ominous autumn afternoon sky

Birthday present (1 g of paracetamol...caught whatever is doing the rounds)

My dad's present for me! Yeehar! A serotonin molecule necklace. Testament to my geekiness. Found here

Before...

...After.

Illustration Friday: Electricity

2008-05-12T00:58:00.003-05:00

We all know this feeling.......right?

Free Softie Pattern: Calico Kitty

2008-05-06T21:46:00.003-05:00

Just print out to whichever size you like. For my calico kitty, I just fitted the pattern onto A4.

Have fun, and if you make one, let me know -- I'd love to see it!

My Vintage Australiana

2008-05-02T23:54:00.003-05:00

When I was six years old, my parents decided to come to Australia. They didn't tell me until we were at the airport. Not only was I uprooted from my idyllic peaceful childhood existence, but I didn't get to say goodbye to my friends, most of my toys, my room, my pet dog. This might sound very unfair, but we were living in Communist Poland where people had very little freedom and things were becoming very restless. To cut a very interesting story short, we got out HOURS before a "State of War" was declared and the borders were slammed closed. My parents had been too scared to tell me in case I mentioned it to anyone, or chances are they would have ended up in jail (or "disappeared").

We arrived in London and stayed six weeks over Christmas, during which time we applied for a visa to Australia, which was granted just days before we would have had to leave England back to Poland.

Thus we came to Australia.

My last memory of Poland was of sitting in the car at the airport, clutching a few coins in my hand and refusing to get out, and my parents pleading and threatening, themselves feeling on a knife-edge.

My first memory of Australia was the impression of a martian landscape. There had been a drought, and as the plane landed I peered out the window looking for kangaroos jumping over the dead red-brown landscape (mind you, we were landing at Melbourne Airport heh heh!).

Some other things I remember clearly of that time are the HEAT of that summer, the first huntsman I ever saw, and watching Playschool (Bonita, Noni and John sure sounded funny when they sung their guttoral la-la-la's compared to the flatter European "la" sound).

For the first couple of weeks we lived with some (distant) family friends who were very generous to share their house with us, then we found a house to rent in Springvale. This is a picture of me enjoying the summer at the Springvale house (the days before water restrictions! Remember?).

So that's my little piece of vintage Australiana. It means so much to me -- I'll never tire of declaring my deep love for this country and the incredibly rich mix of people who live here peacefully together.

Alphabet Joy

2008-04-29T19:13:00.003-05:00

I have a big smile on my face thanks to this...

Found on Drawn! via A Little Hut.

In primary school among my favourite books were "The Lettering Book" and "The Lettering Book Companion". I would flip slowly from page to page and for hours admire the different fonts and borders, waiting for (and imagining) the perfect opportunity to use them.

The more I explore the interweb, the more I realise (remember?) just how deep and strong my passion for graphic design runs, in particular, lettering and fonts.

The problem is, these days there are very few excuses for me to design anything. So I download billions of fonts. And I design lists which I print out and stick on my pinboard, and in December and January I very excitedly design the invitations for my daughters' birthday parties...but I want more.

I love my profession working as a pharmacist -- I find the intricate workings of the body and drugs inside it fascinating, and it's satisfying when I make a positive difference to someone's health, but there is this huge part of me which I feel is lying dormant. Maybe I want too much? We all have different interests and talents, and maybe we can't fulfill all of our drives? But more and more I feel dissatisfied. Maybe, as my wise mother has always said, things will follow their path and fall into place. I feel exciting things coming on.

2008-04-28T08:30:00.003-05:00

Meet Me At Mike's is hosting a week of Vintage Australiana, with Gemma Jones. I've jumped aboard as we have quite a few vintage Aussie kids' classics on our bookshelf. Here's the first:

Banjo Paterson's, "The Animals Noah Forgot." First published 1933, this print from 1983.

Illustration Friday: Primitive

2008-04-25T06:39:00.002-05:00

I remember from a very early age my mother telling me that when it comes to organisms/life, there is no such thing as simple. Even a single-cell organism is incredibly, miraculously, complex.

Although something may be primitive, its complexity should be something we marvel and puzzle at.

I might have a go at colouring this at some point using Photoshop.

Time for a Meme

2008-04-23T06:36:00.004-05:00

I discovered lovely Creature Comforts via lovely Decor8, and Ez has extended an open invitation to anyone to participate in the following meme. I consider myself tagged, and so can you if you like.

My Foundation: I only use tinted moisturiser from time to time. I think it's Cover Girl... yes, CG Smoothers -- it's great, but I haven't used any other so can't compare. Better than foundation, anyway (I hate that stuff).

My Mascara: I have Estee Lauder Lash XL and L'Oreal Longitude and I wish I didn't because Estee Lauder has sweatshop, toxic dumping and "antitrust" issues, L'Oreal has the evil N****e as a large stakeholder, and neither have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. I only ever use mascara for special occasions, anyway.

Day Cream: My own jojoba lotion.

My Beauty Product Brand: The stuff I make! Not blowing my own trumpet, but I like to know what's in it, and I use the simplest possible formulae, and to me it feels better than anything else I have used.

My Essential Beauty Product: My own jojoba lotion.

My Favorite Makeup Product: Bronzer. I use it very carefully and it just brings me back from the brink of deathly pale.

My Perfume: Calvin Klein Truth. I bought it duty-free on the way to our honeymoon, and every time I wear it it reminds me of floating dreamily around the Cook Islands.

Three Products (besides solar) to bring on a Deserted Island: This is so unlike me (practical) but I will say a packet of Redheads (matches), a Swiss army knife, and a satellite phone so I can call someone to come and pick me up after I have a walk, a swim, and a lie in the sun (does that count?).

Woman I admire for her beauty: Ingrid Bergman. I love those classic movie stars -- their beauty was natural and for most of them, lasting.

Woman with the Best Sense of Style: Oooh. This is a difficult one! Gwen Stefani comes to mind, but I don't know if she'd be "best". My sister-in-law is the most stylish woman I know.

My Ultimate Dream: To live on a few bushy acres overlooking the sea in a lovely old airy light-filled house, and neither of us having to work. I would spend my days playing with the girls, walking or riding bikes with S, reading, cooking, and crafting. Aaaah. Oh, and world peace.

How Do I Define Womanhood: Nurturing, intuitive, patient, strong, cunning.

My Favorite Fashion Publication: Maybe Russh, although I very rarely read fashion publications.

PHEW! Talk about shallow to deep and back to shallow!

Illustration Friday: Fail

2008-04-16T08:20:00.000-05:00

Some people will understand.

I Am Woman

2008-04-15T19:47:00.005-05:00

Why, especially when we're talking to kids, do we refer to adult males as "men" and adult females as "ladies"? Isn't it meant to be ladies and gentlemen, and women and men?

Very early on, I decided to even things out, and started referring to women as women, not ladies, when speaking with MissM. But the problem is, "Give the ticket to the woman" sounds sort of harsh and strange compared with, "Give the ticket to the lady" -- especially when we are directly communicating with the woman in question. Similarly, "Give the ticket to the gentleman" sounds silly and pooncy, unless the man is a sweet little fluffy-haired 92 year old.

THIS BOTHERS ME, a lot. What century are we in again? Why is the need to pussyfoot around women and talk straight to men SO ingrained still in our society?

I will continue to refer to women as women and not "oh-so-delicate-and-feeble-you-must-speak-gently-ladies" and hopefully one day it'll stop feeling aggressive, and start feeling quite fine.

I challenge you, especially the parents, to try it out. Or at least start to feel funny about calling women "ladies".

Rave On...

2008-04-06T05:24:00.009-05:00

Is it just me, or has the western world gone into a time warp back to the 50s?

I am gathering the evidence (and it's coming thick and fast):

- there's a baby boom going on
- there's more expectation to be picture-perfect -- hair, body, clothes, accessories, house, garden, car, etc.
- there's more expectation to get it ALL right: for women to keep the perfect house, be the perfect mother, and also do perfectly well at a job; for men to provide the perfect income to maintain this perfect lifestyle, and also be a perfect father; and even kids don't escape -- they have to scrub up perfectly in designer duds, sit patiently through genius-stimulating extra-curricular activities, and do perfectly well at their perfectly-performing private school.

What the hell is going on?? What happened to dagging around and having a good time, not worrying much about what you're wearing, just having fun with family and friends, like we used to in the 80s and even 90s?

Am I the only one who has noticed this weird s**t escalating at a seemingly exponential rate? Am I looking through the wrong end of the telescope (or kaleidoscope)?

Why do I sound like a whingey old woman at the tender age of 32?

Images from Retro Planet .

Linen pants for autumn/winter

2008-04-02T07:26:00.002-05:00

I made these for MissM. They are linen lined with lovely soft cotton jersey for warmth (I added the lining). From the lovely "Basics for Girls" (isbn 9784579111473). They are called "Easy Pants" and that is exactly what they are! I have never sewn pants before, and these were an absolute cinch. Now I am sewing more!

Therapy with Dr Seuss

2008-03-31T06:38:00.003-05:00

I took MissM to the movies for the first time ever yesterday. (Not counting babes-in-arms sessions before she knew what was going on.)

We saw Horton Hears a Who! and boy oh boy did I love it! I laughed, I cried, I recited (in her ear). The tears were streaming down my face, and I clung to that warm little body on my lap as the clover with the speck descended towards the Beezle-Nut oil! I nearly howled when they said the "no matter how small" line!

Aaah, I'm a sucker. It's great.

MissM was cool with it. Just her way.

Mo' 'broidery

2008-03-27T05:55:00.005-05:00

After farting around with Corel Draw and Photoshop I finally cracked it* and used the old-fashioned texta-in-hand method of drawing this chart for a Swedish Dala horse.

Then I farted around a bit in Photoshop to make this image, which is how it would look (roughly!) when embroidered on linen. (Oops, just realised I missed a bit of white around the head decoration...sorry.)

This is the original image from which I designed the chart.

Hope you like it!

*"it" being the shits.

Embroidery!

2008-03-25T08:07:00.003-05:00

I've put my hand up to take part in Floresita's Week of Embroidery over at Meet Me At Mike's. Here is my first offering. It is Polish embroidery, for embellishing shirts -- more specifically, the part of a shirt which goes over the shoulder (there's my sophisticated sewing terminology again) in a traditional Polish costume shirt (the part is called the "przyramek" in case you'd like to Google it!).

You could put it anywhere you like, though. Around the edge of a short sleeve, or along a neckline of a smocky type shirt, a skirt hem.... I envisage some very pretty Anthropologie-type pieces! I love the colours in it.

Yes, it is very full-on. But it is so pretty I really wanted to share it. No, I have not attempted it!

I promise my next offerings will be simpler.

Happy Easter to You

2008-03-22T04:47:00.004-05:00

Hope it's relaxing, fun, and filled with yummy food.

This is a picture of the traditional Polish Easter basket, which we duly took to church today to be blessed. It basically contains a piece of food from all the Polish food groups (i.e. meat, salt, bread) (doughnuts don't fit), coloured hard-boiled eggs, the "lamb of God" (in our case a vintage one we used since I was little), and some green sprigs (not sure what they symbolise, but in they go every year). I also put in a couple of salt-dough painted shapes we made yesterday.

The idea is that all of this represents your food supply for the rest of the year, and is thus blessed.

It's about tradition rather than religion for me.

Tomorrow we go on an egg hunt in the morning to find choccy eggs, and would usually have a big traditional brunch, but I am working, so we are having a big traditional dinner. Featured on the menu are: too many cold cuts to name, salted herrings, "zur" (a soup based on sourdough starter, smoked sausages, and loads of dill), vegetable salad (cubed cooked vegies and apple in a mayo based dressing), and usually bigos (meat, wild mushroom, and sauerkraut stew) but mum is gallivanting around Europe, so isn't here to make it.

We have baked Polish cheesecake and Babka for dessert -- can't wait!!!!!! I will take pix of the spread, and post them soon.

Happy Easter/holidays to all.

Happy Bloggiversary To Me

2008-03-21T07:52:00.003-05:00

One year since I started, and I have finished the front and half the back of that little angel top, which my daughter has most likely grown well out of! I became lost in stockinette wasteland.

This little blog of mine seems to have failed as a motivational tool for knitting, but I don't mind. It is serving its purpose of allowing me to share tiny bits and pieces of my creativeness, and making me feel a small part of the amazing lively on-(and off-)line craft movement -- this burgeoning wave of creating, sharing, inspiring, slowing down and looking around, communicating....

My life is certainly richer having been able to share in all the incredible people's blogs I have come across so far, so here's to them, me, and all of us taking part in all this good stuff.

Welcome to Eastcape!! (Or I'm On Etsy!!)

2008-03-14T08:22:00.004-05:00

I have finally bitten the bullet and started up my Etsy store!

Woohoo!

Head on over HERE and have a quick look!

Imbecile Friday

2008-03-07T07:33:00.003-05:00

I just can't help but share THIS with you (no, not the pic). Call me immature, call me what you will, but it made me laugh a lot.

My Lucky Day

2008-03-06T06:41:00.002-05:00

Today I narrowly avoided a car crash when someone pulled out of a parking spot as I was driving past, forcing me into the wrong side of the road, where there happened to be a gap in traffic.

I also found out little MissC's very large head is full of perfectly normal and healthy brains, not blocked fluids or a tumour. Thank you, powers that be.

Flickr photo credits: 1. Lucky You, 2. The Lucky Bar, 3. Lucky Cats, 4. Lucky

New soap

2008-03-04T18:40:00.003-05:00

Here it is ready to cut. It's a special order for a lovely fellow craft blogger. Earthy heady blend of patchouli, lavender, cedarwood and sandalwood. Now I have to think of a name!

I have decided to set up an Etsy shop to sell my handcrafted soaps, lotions, and bath goodies. I have had a few requests lately, and it's something I love making, so I thought I'd plunge in! Stay tuned...

Just another wee vent...

2008-03-04T06:16:00.003-05:00

Back to civilised society...

2008-02-25T05:20:00.003-05:00

...and I miss camping already. I always get the Cape C----- blues whenever I'm not there. Often when I am out walking and happen to notice the coolness of the breeze, or the warm colour of the afternoon sun I get a rush through my solar plexus (how unsoppy of me -- I should say heart) and wonder how the beach looks at that same time, 390 km away.

Aaaaaah!! I can't do this anymore! My mood has just totally broken!! Too busy lol'ing over THIS! Thanks, Michi Girl.

Here are some pix of some friends we made while camping, and I will wax lyrical about Cape C gain soon, with some more pix.

bandicoot

currawong

echidna

pigeon

kookaburra

duck

butterfly

Alice the "tweetle beetle"

Alice the dead octopus.

black cockatoos

cormorant

mouse

Spreading the love...

2008-02-14T06:06:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

I am off for a week to get down'n'dirty with this magnificent land -- camping on the coast, near Croajingolong NP. No power, only cold undrinkable running water, and flush toilets being the only luxury. Love it.

Rant

2008-02-08T08:29:00.001-05:00

I bloody hate it when people selling stuff on Ebay describe anything and everything as "Art Deco"!!!!! Aaaaaarrrrggghhhh!!!!

I bloody hate it when people spell "chaise longue" as "chaise lounge", "Wedgwood" as "Wedgewood" and "Bakelite" as "Bakerlite".

I'm sure someone reading this will bloody hate my wanky snobbishness, let alone my imperfect grammar.

Feel free to slap me about.

Illustration Friday: Blanket

2008-02-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

She needs one (although it seems she is quite happy regardless).

A hand-carved eraser stamp (Versa Color ink in Hyacinth and Indigo).

Next week I will use the colours pale mustard, lilac, ivory and black.

Beautiful Music

2008-02-05T05:53:00.000-05:00

I've been listening in bliss to Mattafix.

Here is the clip to "Living Darfur." Behold the angelic voice of Marlon Roudette (I thought it was a woman singing before I delved deeper).

And my favourite song at the moment -- can't get enough of "Got to Lose."

Illustration Friday: Tales & Legends

2008-01-29T07:02:00.000-05:00

So I promised to include a pair of red patent leather shoes in my IF illo this week. You can imagine my triumphant cackle when I read this week's theme -- I must've read their minds! Hans Christian Andersen's tale, "The Red Shoes" provides the inspiration. This tale used to creep me out as a child (as did most of his tales, much as I love/d them) and it still does. In my illo the shoes are becoming the world, sapping reality from the surroundings, and the girl herself.

Here is the tale.

And here is my illustration.

Next week I will include a self-carved rubber stamp in my illo.

Illustration Friday: Plain

2008-01-25T06:28:00.001-05:00

Illustration Friday: Plain
Originally uploaded by cherryskin

I have promised myself to recommence submitting illustrations to Illustration Friday.

This is for the topic, "Plain."

Drawn with a plain old Crayola (pretty sure it was "red violet"). From a photo on someone's blog -- I can't remember whose, so if this is your pic, let me know!

In next week's illustration I will incorporate a pair of red patent leather shoes, because I would love a pair, but don't think I would wear them.

My first completed project for 2008!

2008-01-11T06:47:00.000-05:00

This dress out of...

this book (ISBN 9784834725568).

This minus...

these equals...

this (much nicer).

I also increased the boob bits* because I knew bits designed for petite Japanese chests wouldn't come close to fitting my honky milk-jugs (and I was right).

Close-up of cross-over front.

Fabric from Spotlight.

Snaps (of me) courtesy of MissM (4yo).

*I have a PhD in sewing terminology, can you tell?

Oh Shins...

2008-01-04T06:41:00.000-05:00

...how I love listening to you.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T05:59:00.000-05:00

May it be filled with love, happiness, warmth, laughter, satisfaction, and peace.

Soap-a-rama

2007-12-28T07:27:00.001-05:00

Another text-light, pic-heavy post of the soaps I made a few weeks ago.

They all turned out lovely in the end, and the cranberry-fig one only ran into the sandalwood one a little, so most of the bars were fine.

I LOVE this (new) recipe! Lots of yummy shea butter -- feels great.

I should have brushed the soap crumbs away before I snapped the pics...

More Christmas Food!

2007-12-28T07:10:00.000-05:00

Poached salmon in aspic. Mum poaches it to tender perfection. Mmmmmmm-m.

Poppyseed cake ("Makowiec"), and gingerbread-chocolate cake.

Just the most delicious cheesecake I have tasted in DECADES!!!! From Europa cake shop on Acland Street, St. Kilda.

Barszcz Recipe

2007-12-27T01:07:00.000-05:00

Recipe for traditional Polish Barszcz, which is a peppery, clear beetroot soup based on vegetable stock (no meat, as per Polish Catholic tradition for Christmas Eve fare).

1 large or 2 small leeks, green ends trimmed.
2 large or 3-4 small carrots.
2 parsnips
1 small celeriac, peeled, OR half a bunch of celery, leaves cut off.
Few bay leaves.
1 or 2 heads of garlic, cut in half widthways (across the cloves)
small handful of whole black peppercorns
2 850 g tins of sliced beetroots
salt to taste

Throw all of the above in a large stock pot, and add 3-4 litres of water. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 45 minutes. Remove and discard all solids, and strain liquid through cheesecloth/clean teatowel. Add a small pat of butter to make lovely oily droplets floating on top. Serve with "Uszka" (mushroom dumplings) (making them is VERY time-consuming, so we buy them from more energetic Polish people in Melbourne).

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T04:08:00.000-05:00

With a tum full of yummy food I wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Holidays!

Me crochet!

2007-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am totally excited tonight!!!!

I have only ever crocheted a short chain and a couple of rows of single crochet, and tonight I made this!!

Following the video tutes on Nexstitch (as tipped by Meshell) and the Purl Bee's granny square tute.

I know -- it ain't nothin' much, but for me it is a Christmas miracle. I am seeing in real life a granny square crocheted by ME. Wow.

I'm back on the crafting radar.

(And if it wasn't after midnight, I'd be going through my lil' stash of Japanese craft mags, ready to take over the crocheting world!!)

Soapin'

2007-12-04T07:41:00.000-05:00

Made more soap tonight. On the menu were: lavender & patchouli, and tea-tree & blue cypress.

The last lot turned out a mess, albeit a lovely smelling one. One batch broke through the divider and ran into the other batch, then the cranberry fig batch developed a fatty layer on top, and both took daaaaaayyyyyys to firm up, blah blah blah... By some miracle they both turned out okay in the end. I didn't learn from my previous mistake and soaped them too cold again.

Tonight I turned up the heat, and they look much healthier (at this stage) compared to the last lot. Thank goodness. I even got excited and ran a purple swirl into the lavender batch.

Hopefully by tomorrow they will be firm enough to cut, then I will take snaps of the lot.

They are for a special Christmas order for a buddy who is sending them as gifts for relatives overseas.

Flashback cough cough Friday: Hippie Love

2007-11-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is the hippiest pic I could find in the albums I have (only one from the 70s).

There were plenty of wide-collar, huge flares pix, but not exactly hippie.

This leather-headbanded friend of mum's was the winner (L-R: me aged one, mum, mum's hippie friend).

And I still hate the smell of *cough cough* cigarette smoke. Thanks, mum.

P.S. My stupid soap from stupid Wednesday is still stupid soft. Hmph.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble....

2007-11-21T07:12:00.000-05:00

Made soap today! Yippee! The house is filled with the scents of sandalwood, vanilla, cranberry and fig...mmmm.

Pity my home-made divider failed and the sandalwood-vanilla batch swam into the cranberry-fig batch. *Wince* Will post pix soon. Meantime, enjoy the Corbis offerings.

Flashback Friday: Travel Bug

2007-11-16T06:08:00.001-05:00

This is (L-R) family friend (clinging to her dad's leg), family friend, cousin Sabrina, my brother Adam, and me, at the Dandenong ice-skating rink. We'd go on a Sunday after church (we used to go to church every Sunday back then....whoa) during winter. They'd play the latest hits on a crappy PA system so despite the fact it was at about 134 decibels, you'd barely hear what song it was supposed to be, but it certainly did make us skate faster! Then we'd take a breather in the middle and pretend to be figure skaters, executing clumsy spins, wobbly balances, and painful falls.

SO GOOD.

2007-11-14T01:23:00.000-05:00

If you had've asked me two months ago whether I thought the following was possible, I would have said, "No -- I bloody well wish!"

- Milk, bread, eggs, butter, juice, fruit and vegies delivered to my door.
- Said produce 100 % Australian owned and grown.
- Free delivery.
- Cheaper prices than at the supermarkets.
- Fresher than the supermarkets, and top quality.

Well, that is exactly the utopian dream our family is currently living, thanks to Aussie Farmers Direct. No I am not getting a commission for this, nor do I have any pecuniary or other interest in plugging Aussie Farmers Direct -- I just love it, and really wanted to share!

It's all super fresh and yummy-yum-yum, and as well as the things I have already mentioned, you can also have cream, cheese, Aussie coffee, and spring water delivered.

I could go on and on about the benefits of AFD, and I will!

MissM finds it super exciting to receive the deliveries, especially finding the fruit & veg box on our doorstep on Wednesday after kinder. It has even inspired her to eat some new fruit/veg, which as far as I am concerned is a miracle (she was excited about the mango today).

Likewise I am inspired to cook new stuff, because the box contains some things I do not usually buy (e.g. iceberg lettuce -- we rediscovered the pleasure of an old-school lettuce/tomato/cuke salad the other night, which went fabulously with a homemade lasagne).

Another benefit is that we are eating more good stuff and wasting less! My usual way was to go to the supermarket, buy the usual fruit/vegies, and occasionally buy a bunch of something or other which was either eaten or ended up evolving at the bottom of the fridge/fruitbowl. Now the choice is out of my hands, because the farmers' box contains a selection not made by me. Most of it happens to be stuff I usually buy (apples, bananas, capsicum, onion, etc) but the rest is stuff I would not usually buy, and I know that I have a week to find a way to use it before the next box of fruit/veg comes. To be honest, I thought it wouldn't work and that a lot more evolution would go on in the bottom of the fridge, but not so! I think it's because I know the next box is coming, and normally I just wait until I can bring myself to shoo out whatever it is crawling around the bottom of my fridge before I go and buy more. And now when I am contemplating what to have for lunch, I think of the fresh stuff first -- yay for me!!

I luv yaz, Aussie Farmers!

Flashback Friday: The whole family.

2007-11-09T17:50:00.000-05:00

This breaks the rules a little, as I believe we became citizens in 1986, but nevertheless, this is us becoming official Australians, because we became true Australians the moment we fell in love with this country, which was some time before the day in this photo.

Flashback Friday: (catch-up) toys, and my mum!

2007-11-03T06:11:00.001-05:00

This was my favourite doll. I named her "Nauczycielka" which is "Teacher" in Polish (que?!). I also remember that dog on the armchair -- it was super-soft, as it was covered with rabbit fur (noice...).

My favourite toy EVER is Floppy. My dad brought him over from a business trip to Finland in 1977. He knows all my secrets, fears, loves, heartbreaks, fury, regrets, sorrows, joys. He has soaked up about five times his body weight in my tears over time, and has also borne the brunt of my tempers and frustrations (then more tears of guilty regret). He came with me everywhere until about age......(OMG)....20. He's still around (laying around in MissC's room as I type, so I can't take a pic! I will do so tomorrow and add it to this post).

I don't remember this softie, but I sure like it now! Heh heh. Wish I still had this one. (I'm on the right.)This is my beautiful mum.

Resplendent in lurvely stirrup-pants (circa 1985).

Reach, shake, peg, reach, shake, peg, reach, shake, peg...

2007-11-03T05:23:00.000-05:00

Busy busy busy busy. Well, been on holidays for a week, so not that kind of busy, but the kind of busy that comes upon returning home from holidays. You know -- unpacking (eugh...shudder), thirty-four loads of washing, catching up on emails (yikes!), etc. Chuck a sick kid into the mix, and that makes me a busy little bee.

I can't believe I'm complaining after having spent the last week at a gorgeous holiday house in Sandy Point with lovely weather, animal visitors (rabbits, a fox, an echidna, a wonky-feathered magpie), lots of ice-cream, building sandcastles and running up and down dunes, cozy combustion-stove fires, and even time to flop on the couch and read (thanks, Mr.Cherryskin).

View east from Cape Liptrap (across to Wilson's Prom, which can be seen on the rhs horizon).

Ladybird on Cape Liptrap lighthouse door.

Playing with glow-sticks (taken by MissM).

One step forward, four steps back...

2007-10-20T06:52:00.001-05:00

...to using up my stash.

I made this ("Remake One-piece")

from this book (ISBN 9784579111473) for MissM.

After reading Pip's post today, I hot-footed it to Spotlight, and came away with these two lovely Japanese fabrics. (The second one -- a nice soft cotton -- was only $6.99/m!!!)

I was surprised and really excited to unearth quite a lot of Japanese fabrics!!! Not only the lovely spotty Cosmo Textiles ones, but I finally found the gorgeous mushroom canvases, and some beautiful paisley prints on textured cotton.

AND they have a wide range of Clover sewing accessories. I have already bought a tube turner, a small rotary cutter, an iron-on transfer pencil, fine quilting pins (ace!!), and today added two yo-yo makers.

On Wednesday I also finally managed to drag my butt to Patchwork on Central Park, where I bought these two rolls of fabrics...yummy!

Flashback Friday (on a Saturday): Pop's Spot

2007-10-20T06:40:00.000-05:00

Me and my Pop. My dad's dad. I was 13 months. I have always loved this photo -- shows a tenderness which I very sadly don't remember, but must be stored somewhere away in the depths of my heart.

I don't remember much of him because we left Poland when I was six (and they lived in another city, anyway, so we didn't see them often), but I do remember visiting their house and getting up at the crack of dawn as little kids are wont to do, and he, being an early riser, hanging out with me and making me breakfast and hot cocoa.

Good things

2007-10-12T07:04:00.000-05:00

Some good things which have been happening around here lately...

Calico birthday kitty. My own pattern, which I will post soon for anyone who'd like a bash at her.

Drowning in oceans of strawbs'n'cream.

Bubble constellation in a pot in the sink.

Lilac on the windowsill.

Flashback Friday: Homemade

2007-10-12T06:26:00.000-05:00

Christmas 1978. My mother dressed up as a homemade-and-not-very-convincing Santa, but I'll be damned if I wasn't fooled! Have a look at that joy!

We were in London that year, visiting my mum's sister and her English husband. They lived in a block of flats, and I remember making snowmen outside, and the exciting fact that my uncle worked in an ice-cream factory. I can still smell the frosty strawberry smell as I opened my favourite ice-creams.

The photo shows L-R: dad, me, mum/Santa, cousin Scott.

Flashback Friday (on a Sunday): My Crafty Nanna

2007-10-07T02:24:00.000-05:00

I don't know if my nannas were crafty. I know my great-grandma was crafty (see this post), I know my mum is crafty, and I know my dad's mum baked a mean meringue, and my mum's mum was state Bridge champion, but I can't really post about a crafty nanna.

So, instead I will dedicate this post to my dad's gorgeous mum, and another post this week to my mum's gorgeous mum.

My beautiful grandmother Irena.

My grandma's name was Irena. She birthed and raised four boys, and was a fantastic cook. She loved animals, and adopted any injured wild animals which came her way. In the pic below she is chatting to an adopted bird. Dad tells me this bird came to visit regularly long after it had healed and gone "home".

She was a great drawer, and had planned on studying fine arts, but then she met my grandfather, got married, and had her four boys, so that was the end of that!

Proudly holding her first son, my dad, sometime in 1947.

She met my grandfather in 1943 in German-occupied Poland, when they were both working for the German Weigel Institute, feeding lice. Mmmm-hmmm, yep. The lice would be placed in a little cage, which would be applied to your leg, and the lice sucked your blood, after which some kind of crazy processes were carried out to obtain typhoid antibodies from the lice. This was one way of avoiding being rounded up and sent to labour or concentration camps.

Walking with a friend, 1941.

My grandma died in 1991, aged 71, from Parkinson's disease. We had been in Australia since 1982, so I hadn't really known her, but I know of her lovely character, and I remember those meringues!

On the left, with her mother and sister.

A Stick in the Mud

2007-10-03T08:46:00.000-05:00

Horse racing is bad, hmkay?

Argument 1: Not it's not -- the horses love to run.

Counter 1: I'm sure they do, but I'm sure they'd much rather run just when they felt like it, not with some guy sitting on their back whipping their asses, and especially not on injured, strapped, steroid-injected joints.

Argument 2: Not it's not -- those horses are loved and are the best looked after horses in the world!

Counter 2: They are as well looked after as any material investment. But only as long as their material value holds out. If they don't win races, they're killed. That ain't love, folks.

Argument 3: No it's not -- it's great for the economy.

Counter 3: Our economy would be fine, just fine, without it.

Argument 4: No it's not -- going to the races is so much fun! I get to dress up and feel fancy, get a lil' drunk, have fun...

Counter 4: Can you do those things not at the expense of animals' wellbeing/life? Horses fall, break legs, and get shot while people are sipping (chugging) their champagne metres away. Please, how can this be justified? And they put screens around them if they have to shoot them. Why cover it up? Does someone feel uncomfortable about the fact that a big beautiful healthy animal is dying because they are there allowing this to happen?

There's no getting around the fact that horses do suffer for this industry, and this industry exists purely for humans' enjoyment. Nope -- I'd rather have fun somewhere else, thanks.

Besides, the "fanciness" of the races is a thin veneer. From what I have seen, most racegoers fall into the "trashy" category.

The Name Game

2007-09-29T08:01:00.000-05:00

I came across this on a couple of blogs, including One Little Acorn. A little bit of fun.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Alma Astina
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Peppermint Jaffa Cake
3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) MBe (I think this should be first two letters of last name, as in JLo)
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Lilac Dog
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Anna Warsaw
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Berma
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put "The")
The Yellow Milk
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Jerry Stefan
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy)
Truth Clinkers (my favourite!!)
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names )
Anna (dad has no middle name!)
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Diamond Dublin
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Summer Gardenia
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Cherry Jeansie
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Ham Sandwich Jacaranda (hmmmm -- I think I'd get kicked out of the commune)
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour")
The Sewing Sunshine Tour

Flashback Friday: Me and my pet.

2007-09-27T18:41:00.000-05:00

This is a pic of me and my dad with our first dog, Alma. She was my mum's, really -- apparently mum had read "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier and decided she must have a black cocker spaniel. So she got one (as was/is mum's way...).

I don't remember much of Alma except hiding behind my parents when we were walking in the door because Alma would jump all over me, and I was just a wee one.

In this picture we are at a place called "Szyglowek" which was a tiny village of a few farms, surrounded by 30 km deep pine forests. Mum and I used to spend Thurs-Sun there with mum's friend and her kids; the dads joining us on the weekend. We lived in a little 2-3 room cottage.

We'd spend our days mushroom picking (this is a pic of the mushrooms strung up and drying on the side of the cottage), playing in the sun, hanging out with the farmers watching them milk the cows and feed the pigs. I still remember the boiled potato smell of the pig swill, and carrying fresh milk in milk cans back to the cottage. The dads would fish and catch lobsters which we would then boil up for dinner.

Mum tells me the story of one day when I came running in excitedly with Maciek (the son of mum's friend, aged seven or eight -- I would have been five or six) telling them we'd found a bomb in the forest. We led them to where it was and sure enough, it was an old unexploded WW2 bomb lying on the forest floor!

Another time we'd had lunch and were playing outside, and mum called us in, but we were gone. They called and called but there was no sign of us, so they started frantically searching. They were terrified because not only was the village surrounded by deep forests, but there was a wide river running nearby, and the horrible possibilities of what could happen to their four-, five-, and seven-year-old children gripped their minds.

A few hours had passed. They had started going to each farm one by one, and just before dusk they found us -- we were happily watching the farmer's wife milk the cows in their barn.

Mum tells me I got 21 smacks then and there, and I think I might even remember it!

I have definite flashes of memories -- winding through bushy baby pine trees looking for mushrooms, the cottage near ours having its roof tarred, and standing in the doorway of the steamy little kitchen inhaling the sweet smell of the boiling lobsters -- but mostly it all seems like something out of a story book. I'm looking forward to sharing these stories with my girls.

As for poor Alma: when we escaped Poland, we heartbreakingly had to leave her behind. We left her with distant family, and found out later she had died from a neglected ear infection. I don't know what to feel about this -- guilt, anger, sadness. Just one tiny little price of non-democracy.

From my desk...

2007-09-27T06:48:00.000-05:00

Angela asked for it. Here are two pix -- totally unstaged -- of parts of my desk.

Dried mushroom picked by MissM, and lolly residue from a packet of Japanese lollies which I received in an order from Atelier Jade. They were yummy -- like little edible bath bombs. Time to clean my desk, eh?

Lamb rattle and a packet emptied of pipe-cleaners, which are on the bookshelf behind me waiting to be returned to the packet and the craft drawer.

Not much inspiration here, I'm afraid, unless you're a surrealist.

Sweet Escape

2007-09-27T06:17:00.000-05:00

Some Japanese sewing books/magazines which arrived today from YesAsia, and a tiny sample of the yumminess contained within.

Top to bottom: "Basics for Girls" (ISBN978-4-579-11147-3), tops; "Pochee" vol.3 (ISBN978-4-529-04432-5), overalls; "Wide Pants" (ISBN4-277-72236-9), pants; and "Pochee" vol.1 (ISBN4-529-04294-4), baby dress, patchworks.

Etsy Joy

2007-09-26T08:31:00.000-05:00

My first ever Etsy purchase -- silver necklace by Danielle Maveal (PreciousPups). I am in love with it!

My second ever Etsy purchase -- fabrics from Mwendas. I am also in love with them.

The Dress!

2007-09-25T23:02:00.000-05:00

I finally made myself sew the three buttons on it so it could be finished! Here it is. From Simplicity pattern 9784, using a thrifted business shirt.

Have been trying to decide whether it needs a lil' somethin' embroidered on the LHS front panel (e.g. a hedgehog or something to that effect), or a fabric flower using the same fabric, but I can't decide. Maybe I should leave it plain? What do you think?

First Ever Recipe Post -- Slightly Spicy Tuna Pasta

2007-09-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

Pip at Meet Me at Mike's asked what we're having for dinner tonight, so here is the recipe for not only what we are having for dinner tonight but our favourite ever dinner, and easy and healthy to boot.

The pic above is an "in the pot" shot, so forgive the inelegance.

Slightly Spicy Tuna Pasta (serves 4-6 adults; or 2 hungry adults, a 3.5yo, and an 8mo over two nights!)
--------------------------

1 large (or 2 small) red capsicum
1 onion
4-5 cloves garlic (or to taste -- we love garlic)
185 g Sirena tuna "with chilli in oil"
200 g Always Fresh kalamata pitted olives
400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
400 g tinned whole tomatoes
few bay leaves (or not)
Parmesan cheese on top

Open tuna tin, discard chillis (usually two perched on top), drain oil into a medium/large saucepan.

Chop onion, crush garlic, and in the saucepan containing the oil from the tuna, fry both on medium heat for a minute. Chop capsicum and add. Cook onion/garlic/capsicum for 5-10 minutes on med heat, or until they start to soften.

Pour in tins of tomatoes, tuna, drained olives, and bay leaves.

Leave the lot to simmer for however long you like (we usually go about 20-30 mins).

Serve with spaghetti or other pasta, sprinkled with (loads of freshly grated) parmesan (we love the Perfect Italiano extra sharp parmesan which is sweet and nutty).

Flashback Friday: What mum did to my hair

2007-09-21T03:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this is cheating, but I already used my best hair pic out of the two albums I have here!

This is me as a Squaw, wearing, inexplicably, an ancient-Egyptian-print skirt. I remember having a blast playing with that wig later. The long heavy hair I always dreamed of having and was doomed never to achieve.

Coincidences!

2007-09-18T20:05:00.000-05:00

Angela at Three Buttons recently posted about coincidences, and here is mine. Personally, I think it is more than a coincidence -- it's an interesting story, whatever you believe!

I was having a dream one night when I was about 16 -- I was in an emergency department of a hospital, and there was a young guy there who had been in an accident. His head was cracked like an egg, and he was wearing a baseball cap. I liked the cap, and stole it.

Then (in the dream) I was having a party at my dream apartment, and I heard a very loud, urgent, angry knocking. I knew it was the ghost of the guy whose cap I had stolen, coming back to claim it.

At that point I woke up. I lay in bed wondering whether to get up and check the door, because the knocking had been so loud in my dream I thought it must have been real knocking which woke me. I didn't get up in the end because I figured if it woke me at the far end of the house, it would definitely have woken my parents whose bedroom was right next to the front door. It was 3am, and I rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next morning we were in the car listening to the radio. The news came on and there was a report about a woman in Melbourne who had been bashed and raped overnight when she answered a knock at the door at 3am! Eeeeek! We lived in the outer 'burbs of Melbourne at the time, and the attack happened in the inner 'burbs.

Tagged! I'm it!

2007-09-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by Okie Okasan and Anna for the "Eight Facts/Habits" thingy. My first ever tag! Weehee.

Soooooo...

Here are the rules:

a. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.

b. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.

c. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people & posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they have been tagged & asking them to read your blog. (Like someone before me, I think I'm going to ignore this rule because I think almost everyone else has been tagged by now.)

-------------------------

1. I was born in Warsaw, Poland. We escaped Poland illegally (you were not allowed to leave!) but obtained a visa to Australia and entered here legally. It was January 1982. Australia is our home now and we all LOVE it -- LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! Beautiful country and a wonderful place for people from all around the world to live together in such peace. It's quite extraordinary (I choose to ignore the few idiots out of 22 million upon whom the media love to focus).

2. I once won a gold medal at the National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. I was one of a trio doing a routine. Our coach -- Ann-Maree Kerr -- represented Australia at the 1984 LA Olympics. I love the Olympics -- I totally get into it all when it's on (even hanging an Aussie flag in our window).

3. I like the taste of baby formula. Not that "gold" stuff with fish oils, though -- bleugh!!! (This is despite the fact that I am an agent of the Breastapo, and neither of my girls are allowed the stuff!)

4. I've been in the Moomba parade twice. Once on a boat on the Yarra with the Oarsome Foursome. Hee hee!

5. I am really messy. And I hate it.

6. I LOVE animals. I try to avoid killing them, with the exception of whitetail spiders, those big black cockroaches (native brown ones I leave), mosquitoes, and march flies. I don't believe animals were put on this earth to serve us, or in the idea of humans being on top of some kind of evolutionary ladder. I believe evolution is like a web, not a ladder. We're not on top. We're just another animal doing the best we can and largely succeeding, but not as well as some other animals -- ants for instance. Especially the ones in our bathroom. And I don't believe in sitting on a horse's back and whipping it till it runs faster than other horses whose backs are sat upon and whose flanks are whipped. But more about that later.

7. I find it extremely relaxing to be working quietly while the cleaners wipe the benches or mop the floors around me (I used to work a couple of evening shifts before I popped out MissC). Now that's just plain weird.

8. My favourite smell is that of woodsmoke on a fresh breeze.

Is that all just too random? (I sound like Ja'ime King!)

Look mummy, I made a woman! With eyes!

2007-09-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, so you have to have a good imagination, but nevertheless I am glad someone around here is creating (and finishing) things...

Happy star

Happy mountain

Happy field with hair

Topmost of my UFO's (um, this one is not by my 3yo) (although looking at the stitching you'd think it was! But I'm learning, learning...). About to become a FO very soon (as of tonight, only buttonholes and buttons to go). For my almost-8mo.

Flashback Friday: Say Cheese!

2007-09-14T08:37:00.000-05:00

This is the cheesiest 1985-and-earlier pic I could find in the two albums I nicked from mum's.

My brother and I with our dog, Soja (pronounced "soya" like the beans) in front of the playground dad built for us in our backyard (everything from total scratch in those days, none of this pre-designed, pre-measured, pre-assembled stuff -- he cut that tire out himself...after walking three miles through the snow in bare feet....etc).

We'd only just moved in (hence the rather bare yard).

Soja was the BEST dog ever!!! Playful, laid-back, obedient, sweet-natured....I miss her so much.

I struck the op-shop jackpot!

2007-09-12T05:59:00.000-05:00

All in one trip, all for less than $2 (for the lot!).

My favourite is the "Style 2610" (first pic, right-hand-side, the dress on the left). I bought it even though it's not my size -- I will have to figure out how to shrink it somehow -- it is divine!!!

Why Cherryskin?

2007-09-11T08:27:00.000-05:00

1. chocolate cupcakes, 2. cupcake with cherry on top #3, 3. with a cherry on top, 4. Cherries on top, 5. Cherry on top (detail), 6. Wet Cherry, 7. More Cherries than I've Ever Seen Before, 8. Cherry Life Starts~, 9. Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream, 10. Cherry vareniki, 11. cherry charms - 3-2006 002, 12. Cherries, 13. Cherries, 14. cherry wood, 15. Cherries #1, 16. Cherries, 17. cherry 4, 18. Cherry Blossoms - The Sequel, 19. Bowlful of Cherries, 20. Cherry Delight.........., 21. Girl with Cherries, ca. 1491–95, 22. cherries in washington, 23. CHERRY#3 さくらんぼ, 24. Cherry Blossom in March, 25. Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!), 26. First-Cherry, 27. Cherries, 28. Red Cherry Cherries Fruit, 29. Cherry Christmas!, 30. cherry blossams pale pink, 31. Cherry bowl, 32. 4th of July Cherry Pie - Not Burnt this time!, 33. 3 CHERRIES ARE LUCKY & WILD, 34. Cherry, 35. Cherries #2, 36. Cherries #3

All I have been posting lately are Flashback Fridays, so I thought I'd better come up with something or...... (insert terrifying scenario here).

I have been asked the inevitable question, "So, why Cherryskin?"

Well, I, uh, love cherries. They are my favourite fruit. I love their short season (love a fruit that plays hard to get). I love their taste, their juiciness, the way they burst when you bite into them. I love lying in the sun reading a book and eating cherries (this is something I make a point of doing during the few weeks they are available, just so I can reminisce throughout the rest of the cherryless year). I love the way they dangle (shrug). I love wearing pairs of them on my ears. I love their colours. I love the phrase, "Pretty please with a cherry on top!" I love the sound of the word cherry -- I like saying it. I have no doubt I would love cherry pie if I ever tasted it. I love Neil Diamond's song, "Cherry, Cherry." I love cherry trees and especially cherry blossoms. I even like glace cherries.

I tried for "cherry" but it was already taken.

Flashback Friday: Sunday Best

2007-09-07T07:52:00.000-05:00

Well, it's not really Sunday Best, and it's not really formal, but my mum made me and my cousin (yes, that is correct English) these dresses. She also made matching miniatures for our Barbies (clever mum) but sadly I don't have a pic of those, nor do I have the dresses.

I am in the pink.

Another Christmas shot! 1983.

Dad, Aunt (mum's sis), baby brother, and Mum (standing) in the background.

Flashback Friday: Music

2007-08-30T20:09:00.001-05:00

Must've been Christmas 1977, and I am being embraced by a proud-looking cousin Scott. Plenty of 70s goodness here. (Mum, why the boy clothes?)

Exciting Find!

2007-08-27T07:41:00.000-05:00

Check this out for quite a few gorgeous free patterns including softies, kids' clothing, and bags!!! So excited I had to share. Also, the magazine (Ottobre Design, whose website it is) has some lovely clothes patterns.

This is one of the softies: a donkey! Sweeeeeet!

P.S. It's Finnish, so you'll have to click the "In English" item on the left. Unless of course you understand Finnish.

Flashback Friday: T-Shirt

2007-08-24T06:12:00.000-05:00

What?! It's been a week already?

This barely qualifies for the theme, but you can just see a t-shirt I used to love with lattice, butterflies and flowers. There was a time when I hated that pic due to the haircut, but now I kinda like it again!

It was 1982, right when we came to Australia (January). I was six-and-a-half. There was a drought going on at the time, and I remember landing (looking for kangaroos as we neared the ground, and being disappointed!) and thinking it looked just like how I imagined Mars -- red, bare, alien. I also remember the heat of that summer (unlike anything I'd ever experienced), and seeing my first huntsman spider (I thought we must be on another planet -- freak spider planet), and watching Playschool for the first time (they said "la la la" very strangely, all guttural-like, not like our flat European L's).

How this land has embedded itself in my heart.

Flashback Friday: Group Photo

2007-08-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

I didn't want to post this pic because I look terrible in it (I'm the one pretty much in the centre -- below mushroom-boy -- wearing the freaky head-dress which makes me look like my head is huge, which it is not, and closing my eyes as I often do in photos), but I could not pass up this flashback gold. Check out the costumes!

This was at kinder in Poland, 1979.

I was terrified of the teacher standing to the right, looking away from the camera. I am a slow eater, and always must have been, because I remember her force-feeding me soup which I had been slow to finish. Also, at naptimes I remember lying there not at all tired, but we must have been told to close our eyes, because I would close whichever eye was on the side she was standing, and keep looking around with the other eye! She must have been a dragon. People who don't love kids should not work with them.

The boy on the bottom left, holding the red horse, choked on a piece of Lego. I have a memory of a teacher jamming her fingers down his throat to get it out. He survived. His name was Tommy Feather (no joke) (in Polish, though).

I love the cranky cowboy on the bottom right.

Introducing Nina

2007-08-16T08:29:00.000-05:00

Well, she's finished! My daughter will be sooooo happy to see her tomorrow morning! She's been busting to play with her, and nagging me to finish making her. Please excuse the crappy pix -- I could not wait until daytime!

Today (on the way home from dentist visit #2 which was far less stressful than yesterday's butchering session) we stopped at "Bustle & Bows" to buy some yarn for Nina's hair. What a ripper of a shop!! I love it! I used to stop in at Bustle & Bows in Malvern when we lived nearby but have not been to the Surrey Hills one (the only one now) and boy oh boy am I ever excited to have discovered it! (Can you tell?) The flosses! The fabrics! The TRIMS! Squeeee!! When I left my paper bag not only contained Nina's hair-to-be, but THIS...

...with which to finally make THIS...

...how sweeeeeeet is serendipity!!

But I digress. I love how Nina turned out! I didn't expect to be so competent at doll-making. I know to proper doll-makers Nina is probably majorly flawed, but damn she looks fine to me! And my girl seems to agree, which is what counts the most. Credit must be given to the very well-diagrammed (and probably well-written, too, but HAH! I wouldn't know!!) Doll Nina book (ISBN4-07-249886-6) which I bought from my favourite Ebay seller ever Pomadour24.

The only thing I am slightly disappointed with is her hair. I have not cut it short -- it turned out this length which is much shorter than Nina's hair in the book. Not that I mind how my Nina's hair looks, but I would have preferred longer pigtails I could plait. Maybe because the yarn I used is stretchy, so it bounced back to a shorter length once off the "loom". Never mind.

Happy 7-month birthday to my lil' girl. You're not getting anything, dear, except for lots of yummy warm milk every time you disturb my slumber in the dead of night.

My Poor Poor Baby!!!

2007-08-15T08:40:00.000-05:00

My 3yo girl had an accident at kinder today which resulted in a broken front tooth (at the root), which then had to be cranked out of her head by a dentist.

My poor poor baby is missing a front tooth! I'll never see that beautiful toothy smile again and I just wanna curl up and sob my heart out (plus I am totally drained from taking her to the dentist).

She was incredibly brave. She cried but sat still while the dentist did TERRIBLE things (he was as gentle as possible, but after a point he just needed to use force because it wouldn't come out easily).

My poor baby.

She was in great spirits tonight, so she's okay (better than her mama).

Tee Hee Hee

2007-08-12T06:47:00.000-05:00

Miss 3 singing today: "There was a farmer had a dog, and Bimbo was his name-oh! Fee-fi-N-G-O, fee-fi-N-G-O, fee-fi-N-G-O, and Bimbo was his name-oh!"

White Tea & Ginger (or... On a Blogging Roll)

2007-08-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

Here is a pic of the bath bikkies I made the other night, and the lotion I made this morning (because the last batch stuffed up -- a victim of experimentation -- on account of using a handheld milk-frother instead of the usual stick-blender). The yellowish bits in the bikkies are bits of grated cocoa butter.

Frifty Friday

2007-08-10T06:50:00.002-05:00

Went op-shopping today, and came home with:

A dinosaur puzzle, Lindy Chamberlain's autobiography (have been thinking about her lately thanks to our Uluru trip, and wondering about her side of the tragic story), two sewing patterns (check out the kids' one!!), two aprons (one very cute vintage "homemade" one with really funky pockets, and the other a tuck-shop lady smock-type apron which I have been after), a size 18 pure linen jacket (yeehar! heaps of linen), and all for $15.

Also an update on "Doll Nina" -- she's almost finished! Head's a bit square, but nothing that a bit of chocolate-brown mohair hair won't cover up. I'm very excited about her, and my 3yo loves her already. When she picks her up, she cradles her in the crook of her arm and nuzzles her -- awwwwwww!!! She must feel the love being sewn in.

Flashback Friday: Fancy Dress

2007-08-09T09:25:00.000-05:00

Despite the fact that I look like some kind of a midget in these photos*, I would have to have been at least three, because the headpiece is part of a costume I had worn to kinder. I had dressed up as "Spring" and I am guessing my head was a maypole (we were still in Poland), hence the ribbons. (Here I am not in the full costume, just the headpiece.)

I have no idea why these shots were taken. I forgot to ask mum, although I imagine it was probably a photographer friend, as my parents had many arty sort of friends. Mum tells me I wasn't shy in the least when the photographer took this series of shots, and strutted and posed as directed. Not surprising given the groovy boots!

* If Mr.Cherryskin reads this, I can hear him now: "You are a midget."

Bath Bikkies Bakin'!

2007-08-09T08:11:00.000-05:00

Tonight I made Bath Bikkies for a couple of buddies who recently celebrated their birthdays. They're like bath balls which fizz as well as fill the bath with bubbles, and are full of yummy cocoa butter. I scented them with White Tea & Ginger (by Brambleberry) which smells absolutely beautiful! Very fresh and sweet -- I can't stop sniffing my hands (which I used to shape the bikkies).

According to Brambleberry: "White Tea and Ginger (BBW type): - This fragrance has a delightful warm and comforting smell. With top notes of Bergamot, Lemon Peels and Green Daylilies, this fragrance is brought back to its roots with a base of Ginger, Nutmeg and Warm Musk. White floral notes, such as Hyacinth, Freesia and Peony complete the mix. This fragrance is unique in many ways and it is difficult to pick out individual notes when you smell the soothing blend."

Tomorrow I will make matching (in scent) jojoba lotion.

Off to design and print labels.

Barbie: Adore? Abhor? Ambivalent?

2007-08-09T06:29:00.000-05:00

I bought my first daughter her first Barbie as soon as she turned three. I would have bought her one earlier, but the box says "3+" and I am one of those overimaginative paranoid types.

When we were at the swimming pool a few weeks before her 3rd birthday she saw a girl playing with a Barbie in the water, and said, "Mummy, I want a woman like that, too!" I nearly drowned! Is Barbie really more "woman" than doll? I guess to a 3yo, she must be. Scary -- really truly scary. Not that it stopped me buying her one (uh, okay, two) (though it probably should have).

To be quite honest, I was really quite excited about it. I admit it -- I still LOVE Barbie!! I hate her anorexic alien "dis-figure" which (according to the experts) would not fit vital organs if she were real; I hate her freakishly thick (ever tried plaiting it?) freakishly-long hair; I hate her oversized eyes and manic smile, her tiny permanently-extended feet, and her upside-down boobs (they point UP for crying out loud).

But I still love her, and now so does my 3-and-a-half-year-old. At this stage she's just interested in shampooing her hair when she herself has a bath/shower, but I can't wait till she's interested in dressing her up -- then I can make use of the (possibly hundreds of) knitting/sewing/crochet patterns which I have been collecting (just check THIS out!). I have already made her a Barbie-bath-robe (using a purpose-bought face washer!) but she's not yet interested.

Am I instilling evil values into my 3yo? Oh God.

At least I draw the line at Bratz. Don't even get me started on those "dolls" modelled on porn stars/strippers with their drugged-eyes and silicone-trout-pouts.

Back on the Greenish-Greyish Periphery

2007-08-06T20:38:00.000-05:00

We are back from the Red Centre.

After four (so far) loads of washing, the house is starting to resemble its former self. Sadly, even with the contents of three suitcases strewn around, it's not too much different from its usual self. Flylady has her work cut out right here.

I had the idea of doing "Flashback Friday" catch-ups, especially as I just joined the ring, but decided I might just jump back in on Friday. Mainly because most of my pre-1985 pix are at my mum's!

Here are some pix from our holiday instead.

Uluru; just like the thousands of images I have seen of it over the last 25 years (since we came to Oz). Beautiful hazy behemoth rising from the surrounding flat desert. Little wonder it's such a sacred place for Indigenous Aussies.

Watarrka (Kings Canyon); another in a series of geological (and spiritual) wonders in Central Australia.

Kata Tjuta (The Olgas); Yep, the Red Centre is generous when it comes to geological (and spiritual) wonders.

Pretty flowers at the base of Walpa Gorge at Kata Tjuta.

More pretty desert flowers.

Whinge: our camera ("only" five-and-a-half years old) has stopped focusing properly, and also doesn't seem to adjust to the light properly. Hence, most of our pix from our trip are slightly, and extremely annoyingly, blurry. This may or may not be apparent in the above shots.

Tip: if travelling to the Red Centre with young kids, ensure all the clothes you take for them are in shades of rust, because that is what colour their clothes end up, and this cannot be washed out.

Cherryskin

Almost 2009

For Pip

Oooh, Aaah, Eeee!

I Done Made Soap

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Illustration Friday: Memories

Illustration Friday: Routine

Illustration Friday: Detach

Sayonara

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Apple Charlotte

Meet Me at Pip's!

The Flickr Game

These...ahem...last few days!

This evening...

Excitement

This morning...

This morning...

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This Past Fortnight

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Free Softie Pattern: Calico Kitty

My Vintage Australiana

Alphabet Joy

Illustration Friday: Primitive

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Illustration Friday: Fail

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Illustration Friday: Plain

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Me crochet!

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SO GOOD.

Flashback Friday: The whole family.

Flashback Friday: (catch-up) toys, and my mum!

Reach, shake, peg, reach, shake, peg, reach, shake, peg...

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Flashback Friday (on a Sunday): My Crafty Nanna

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Flashback cough cough Friday: Hippie Love