A Note from the Hunter

Greetings from the Hunter Valley........

Since the last post I've had a few small adventures. Last week I visited Material Obsession's new shop at Drummoyne. http://www.materialobsession.typepad.com/  I had been eager to visit and it certainly didn't disappoint.............. As ever Kathy & the girls from Material Obsession have styled & decorated the shop beautifully. It is a glorious riot of colour & creativity - delicious fabrics, patterns, cottons, a range of rugs designed by Kaffe Fassett (I may indulge myself & buy one!!), and many other embellishments. Some small puchases were made to add to my treasure trove of fabrics & other items I plan to "DO" something with one day!! The purchases included a couple of pieces from the Domestic Diva range by Emily Taylor & some perle cotton to add to my extensive stash.................

A spin off to my visit to MO was a visit to Birkenhead Point for the very first time. Yes I know many commited shoppers out there will wonder why .........but there it is!

Currently I am in the Hunter Valley staying with my lovely sister Trish at her delightful abode in Stanley Close......  During the visit I've been busy preparing my new home for my move to the Hunter - this week I'm looking forward  to wardrobes being fitted out and the installation of new blinds. Today I indulged myself with the purchase of a glorious bespoke chair from Freedom - the chair is called Threadneedle. Covered in very colourful patchwork fabric it's just "sew" hot that I couldn't resist. Isn't it beautiful.......

Tomorrow its back to the mundane tasks of grass mowing & gardening (mostly removing weeds)!!
Finally dear reader, please keep your fingers crossed as I may have a buyer for my Sydney apartment - how exciting!! I'll keep you updated as events emerge.......................

Until the next installment,  K

A Creative Interlude......

Greetings from Sydney on a glorious autumn afternoon! In recent days I've been busy preparing my lovely Sydney unit for sale. Have been attending all the usual tasks you do in order to attract the best price - cleaning cupboards, windows & blinds; reading the real estate section in the newspapers & on the web; and of course meeting real estate agents to discuss the sale process etc!!!  Today I've given myself some brief respite and turned to my trusty sewing machine and my embroidery cottons!

Some time ago I purchased this gorgeous hand printed embroidery panel from the very creative ladies at Prints Charming and have set about embellishing it myself! This is the progress so far......

The panel is nearly finished but I think I'll add a little more embellishment before I turn it into a lovely small cushion to grace my new home...............

Just indulge me a moment longer as I share with you photos of the bookends I made when I attended the Wonderful Workshops in Jaipur, India in January. http://www.wonderfulworkshops.org/  A wonderfully creative range of workshops are offered & I did the "Sparkling Surfaces". I titled the bookends "Sydney Harbour meets the Pink City" - Jaipur is known as the pink city. Made to my own design they are embellished using glass beads, coloured & mirrored glass, and of course the trusty glitter which fills in the gaps (could read mistakes!!) - the glitter also adds that final touch of "sparkle". The materials are set into a resin base. The bookends were a gift for my dear sister Bernadette who enjoys reading & is using them to embellish her library of books.

Enough news from the creative interlude......... Until the next post, K

Cruising the Highway......

And so my journey continues.........having lived in Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane & other places during the years of my working life (currently Sydney), for this next stage of my life I have decided to make my home in the lovely Hunter Valley of NSW.  To this end, in recent months I've been cruising up & down the freeway which links Sydney to the Hunter.........where I found this lovely little duplex/semi-detached cottage. Located about a 2hr drive north of Sydney it is close to Newcastle & the wonderful Hunter Valley vineyards! I took possession of the cottage on 10th February and have set about the delightful task of making it my own! Following is a photo of my new home & also one from the local rural area..........

Next task is selling my home in Sydney..............  In recent days I've been in the Hunter but I'm back home in Sydney now - creative projects & other adventures are on hold for the time being as I apply myself to task of preparing my unit for sale!!!

Until the the next blog all good wishes, K