Goodbye to 2012.....

So funny how at the beginning of this year I made the statement about *blogging more frequently* - yet on looking back – I rarely blogged at all!..how pathetic is that!..lol

This year certainly has been a mixed bag.  I’ve been elated what with sales on Etsy and through word of mouth – and my humble thanks to all who have supported me throughout the year too!

  I farewelled *The Snow Queen* ensemble -which winged it's way to the US...*sigh* I loved that set!..ah well!..I must stop becoming so attached to pieces I make!...

My beautiful Gizmo - taken only wks before that awful day.  Always in my ♥

But -  behind the elation has been heart ache as well.    The loss of my beloved pet in May completely knocked me and had me in a deep depression for quite a while, and still affects me even now – but is starting to become more of the fondness of memories rather than the woes of hom not being here.   Ohh! Don’t get me wrong – I do have bad days of being a complete sap and having teary’s over it!..he was just a beautiful creature!   xxx 

World tragedies of recent times have also been so sad and sickening – it really makes me wonder about the human race at times…   We really are such a violent bunch!...

But as we all know – not everything is perfect or calm – or serene or peaceful.  We have to make our own *happy place* and be kind to ourselves first and foremost so that we are able to extend the same to others in our lives..    And no!..don’t read any religious sentiment into it ok…it’s just some of my philosophical prattling coming out. ;)  

I’m looking forward to 2013 – I have heaps of plans in the works…and am very hopeful they will reach fruition, but there are several that are absolute MUST DO’S  as well.

The first one being – I MUST!! Employ myself properly!  By that I mean – I must be diligent in working for X amount of hours each day and X amount of days each week…and!..not to let myself off so easily!   And a huge one in ensuring that things motor along is to allow myself some relax time too.   Away from the studio – away from the pc…just go and spend more time at galleries – the beach – window shopping.      Oh I’ll utilise that time too for ideas!    WT!??...see! I can’t leave the *creating* and ideas behind – not even for a second!...such a sad case aren’t I!..lol

The other absolutely MUST DO! Is to sort through my studio – again!  (it’s a never ending battle I’m sure of it!)    But I do intend to *detash* quite a lot.    I’m also going to extend that in to cleaning out my wardrobe too…  Ebay here we come!!..lol 

So what are your plans for 2013???   What exciting things are on the agenda…do share!...

Aside from all this – I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and festive season – and that whatever you do for the New Year – please make sure it is a safe one.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in 2013!

..and remember!.....Smile! It’s Free! ;)

 Happy creating!!......

OMG! IT'S HERE!! - GANESHA - TRAVELLING BRACELET

Ooooh! I'm like a kid at Christmas at the moment!.. I can't contain my excitement being picked to receive one of Sigi Wynne-Evans' beautiful *Travelling Bracelets*

When Marcia De Coster contacted me over a week ago asking if I wished to receive one of these amazing bracelets - well naturally I said yes!!

The concept Sigi derived for these is fantastic!..and I lament with her that it came about during a time of convalescence - having gone through the same thing - but on my 40th birthday some 16yrs ago - some present!!..uggh!

Ah well - things happen when we are laid up for a period of time...we either go stark raving mad - go through a huge metamorphose - or we reflect on what was and what can be..either way it can be a great healing time.

Hence the complete title of this concept...........

*The Amazing Traveling Bracelets of Positive Energy & Good Karma*

So!!...to bring this up to speed!...Marcia let me know that the bracelet was on it's way!!...  OH YAY!!

I anticipated that it may arrive late last week - then a sudden sinking feeling hit me!...
Oh No!!  I was looking after my grandson at my daughters some 120kms away from Wednesday night until Friday night!!- and gulp!...my son isn't the best one to *keep an eye out* for something if you tell him days before hand!!..

Oh YIKES!!...pleeeeaaaase don't let it arrive during that time!! I thought - and thankfully it didn't!

When I got back from shopping today - there - at the front door was a package!!(insert huge jumping for joy - giggling and all sorts of things here!)...well I just couldn't contain my excitement and wonder if my neighbours were ready to dial the funny farm what with the loud squeals coming from me!!..lol

I took the package inside - mind you I just dumped the shopping in the kitchen and didn't give it another thought!...something far more important was in my hot little mitts...so putting the shopping away was not a priority!

Running to the studio - I carefully opened the package and low and behold!...a small box and a booklet were inside!.

The Book & the Box!...oh! what lays inside that little box!!???..

Without further ado - I grabbed the box and opened it!....

omg!..Omg!.OMG!!! - HOW GORGEOUS!!... Just the presentation of the box is wonderful!

Ohh! how beautiful the presentation is!..wow!

Ok...get a grip Suzi!...it's just a box!...I kept telling myself - then my creative self jumped in and said  "No!..it's not just a box!..it's a vessel for a wondrous unbeknown  artefact!"

Needless to say my creative self won over!!...hahahaha!

And TA-DA!!....Here it is folks!!  GANESHA - the 11th of 12 Travelling Bracelets!

It is just gobsmackingly beautiful!!!!!   WOW!!!

*GANESHA* - The 11th Travelling Bracelet

So far Ganesha has travelled from California in the USA - and now will reside with me in sunny *cough* (yeh right!) - Pakenham - Melbourne Australia for a week.   I will show it my home state as much as is possible - but alas - I'm not sure about a pic of me wearing it!!...see my wrists are so skinny - it slips off!!..lol

I will blog again about it's adventures during that week - then I must select someone wanting to participate in this wonderful adventure....so!...if that's you - simply click here follow the directions in joining up to be a recipient...and you're on your way!    If you are already on the list - send ya vibes out folks!!...I will be selecting someone 3 days before it has to depart from here so I know it's going to the right person, and also to let Sigi know who it will be going to.

So leave comment below if you are interested and I'll look for your name on Sigi's list..or if you are already on the list - brilliant!

I'd love to send this to New Zealand - especially to someone in Christchurch...personally I think that would be an amazing adventure for this bracelet to take.  :)

Oh!!....and you don't have to be a beader to receive one!..you just have to be willing to take part in the venture and willing to document it..

C'mon Ganesha!!...let's go visiting!  :)

Till next - remember - Smile! - it's FREE!

STUFF!!..or the accumulation thereof...Warts & All!

STUFF!!!...yes it's all the things that we accumulate over the years - and before we know it - it's either taking us over or we just throw our hands up in the air wondering where to start to do a massive clean up and get rid of some of it....well that's usually the plan huh...but yep!...even that goes totally awry at times!

Which is what I'm going through right now!

You see for me 12yrs ago I didn't have ZIP!  Unfortunately after meeting a very unscrupulous character - to cut an extremely long story short - he fleeced me and my son for nearly everything we had - and *sigh* suffice to say tis a reason I am extremely wary of people and their intentions...

Oh damn!...and I thought therapy had worked!!..lol

Ok - cut to the chase - come forward 12yrs - and well - my accumulation in regards to my craft has gone through the roof!

I've been saying for weeks now about to doing yet again - another mass clean-up of my studio - which by-the-way - looked quite ok some 4mths back...here's a pic to prove it...

OMG!!...clean!!   ....but not for long!! *sigh*

Well put it this way...this gleaming almost tidy studio didn't last long at all! 

Through sheer unadulterated CBF frames of mind - tidying up after I made something went to the dogs.   Add to that having one very active, hurricane-on-legs 19mth old grandson who is into everything! come and stay, saw numerous things that could be "thrown, broken, shaken, piffed, tossed, trampled-on" etc removed from his reach and yep!...you got it - the safest place for them was in my studio!!

So the *dumping ground* got larger and larger...and in this past week every time I look around yet more *STUFF!!* seems to be multiplying at a rapid rate of knots...'xcuse the pun!.  *grin*

Well - today was *D-day* - meaning *De-stash Day*.....HA!!! yeh right!   Or so I thought it would be *D-day* - until I started going through things and I realised that I have stuff sitting in here that I haven't touch nor used in almost 10yrs!!


Hmmm!..I come from a family whereby *hoarding* has happened and I rued the day when I too could be slapped into the same category - but when it comes to shoes - clothes and things within my studio....OMG!!   I'm a hoarder!  

Actually - think I'll stick with what was said to me some years ago - I accumulate things because so much was *stolen* from me that I feel the need to replace it to feel ok....oh K-rap!..even that sounds bad!!...LOL

All this has got me to thinking, do we get things because we actually need them or because we just want to say we *own* them?   You know - does our *STUFF* very much become almost like a status symbol and define us?..and that if we don't *have it* we feel we aren't able to join in conversations about said *STUFF* ???


Or are we just kidding ourselves by having all this *STUFF*  - and giving ourselves a false sense of reality in the vain hope and probability that *some day it will come in handy*!!???

So am I alone on this - or do you too suffer the same or a similar type of fate??  By all means please leaves comments, would love to know how this affects others.

Other than that and till next time...remember....keep smiling - it's FREE!

cheers

Farewell my beautiful boy..... :(

Well I know I just put a blog about a necklace I completed last week....but I haven't blogged in ages for several reasons, one sheer slackness, two - other things in life constantly throwing curve balls at me and the last and most important...I have had one very sick kitty-cat...and sadly on Wednesday I had to say goodbye to my beautiful beloved - faithful friend of the past 14yrs...my Gizmo .... :( :( :(

To say I'm shattered and my heart is breaking is an understatement..  
Anyone who met my beloved Gizmo - or *Schmo* as he was affectionately called, were amazed at his mannerisms - and nature.

He would almost have conversations with you - seriously!...you could talk to him and he'd meow back, and you'd say something else and again he'd do several meows back at you...very talkative....but there was more.   He would come into my studio and jump up on the chair and *prop* himself there...

This is an old photo - but this is how he "sat" in the chair...it was so adorable to see... :)

And at night...he'd come trotting into the studio and sit and wait till I was ready for bed...if I wasn't ready - he'd simply sit there patiently waiting.   Then he'd follow me in to the bedroom - wait till I was actually in the bed...then jump up - nuzzle his way under the covers for a good night cuddle...then curl up on top of the covers right beside me for the night... 
 
During the day if he couldn't get into the chair for whatever the reason - he'd simply find somewhere right near me to curl up...like directly under my feet near my desk....

He really was a character...but such a lovable one...he never bit or scratched - and would just lay there to have belly rubs...ohh and you always knew when a storm was coming...he hated thunder and heavy rain,  and would go hide under the doona on the bed.......yes - the *lump* towards the end of the bed in the photo below is Gizmo...lol

  He really was my shadow... :(

Even though I still have my beautiful girls - Tigga (on the left) and Piggy (who is Tigga's mum)....sadly they don't have the same demeanor as Gizmo had, but still have their own little character traits...and they are still part of my fur family and very much cherished... ♥♥

They too are missing their "buddy"...even though there were "altercations" on odd occasions...they are pining too...  Since Wednesday - I can find both of them curled up here in my studio on the cushions I used to have on my chair and alternate that Gizzy would sleep on.....the girls have slept on them when ever they are in here...  :(














He loved the new couch - and this is one of the rare photos I have of the 3 of them together so close to each other...  Giz would just plonk himself where ever he saw fit too....

...or he'd just lounge in it... :) ♥♥

..oooh my heart truly is feeling very empty!....till we met again my beautiful boy on the Rainbow Bridge... ♥♥♥ xoxoxo

*AVALON*

I finished this piece last week and was stuck on what to call it.   So I put it on the SRAJD group on facebook saying that I was stuck for a name, and a few people kept saying how regal it was...

After some thought and a sudden flash of King Arthur's time....I thought of *Lady Guinevere*....so proceeded to give the piece the name..BUT!!

....there's always a *but* huh..    Hmmm - another name I thought of was also from the legends of King Arthur - and that was the place everything happened....*Avalon*

...which also reminds me of Brian Ferry's 80's (or was that 70's??) classic of the same name...."Avalon"...

Needless to say - I was still stuck!....so I created a survey on my facebook fan page (and botched that up to!...*sigh*)  ...and waited to see how the numbers went....BUT!....see!!..there's a *but!* again!!

It was a draw!!!  *smacks head on desk!*....soooooo! - back to trying to decide.

Ok...next thing....both names went into a box.....along with several other pieces of paper...just to make it interesting!.lol...  :)

....And the Winner is!!!!...........drum roll!!....

   *AVALON*.....!!! 


Anyway - hope you like it....and remember.....

Creating is Limitless.....until next time..