Christmas Craft

Sorry I've been MIA for sooo long. I have had a busy couple of weeks and unfortunately my little blog has suffered.
So it's time to catch up (FYI: if you don't like rambling blondes then get the hell out of here, I won't judge you!).

ok. To say I loveeeee Christmas is a pathetic understatement. 'Less is more' is my decorating mantra, except when it comes to Christmas. In fact, I get butterflies when I see Christmas trees in stores in late September, I get giddy at the sight of twinkling lights and don't get me started when I hear christmas carols.
Christmas is such a special time, a time to celebrate with family, a time for giving and most especially, a time to give thanks to God and reflect on Jesus' birth and life.

I've begun my Christmas preparations early this year again. I have given two 'christmas decorating' talks, hosted a wreath workshop and have another 3 workshops lined up for this coming week.
I had the first workshop last friday and it was so much fun, here is a pic of two of my girls with their  Advent wreaths.

Pop back later this week and I will post a whole tutorial on how to make them!

Two more wreaths I made as demonstrations for the talks I gave:

(my fav!)

Last weekend the kids begged to put the tree up but I held off for fear of my hubby thinking I'd gone completely mad, so we made a recycled timber tree for our garden instead. Two actually.

Buz and I made this one out of off cuts we had from our reno. We didn't even use paint, all the timber was this colour, Cool huh! 

Can't wait to put it into the ground and drape twinkling white lights on it!

and Jimmy made this one, inspired bya tree in the latest House & Garden mag.

But this weekend the kids won the battle. I tried desperately to convince them otherwise (wink wink).

Michael Buble sang to us as we hung the decorations, set up the nativity and tangled (and untangled) the lights.

I love whilst the three biggies fought for the top branch and their favourite decoration, Bear was content with a 12 month old candy cane he found in the box! puke. 

By the time Dec 25th comes around we usually find Joseph up in the rafters doing some carpentry and a sheep or two on the roof. Mary has been known to wear the crib as a sun hat....but hey, he is only two, he'll get the message eventually. 

Buzzy also made this tiny paper tree:

...and Jimmy this very welcoming sign! (any tips on tactful removal?)  

I keep chanting my mantra "less is more" but it never sticks at Christmas.

(remember to come back for the wreath tutorial tomorrow)

With love

Liv xo

                                                                           

Imagination is a beautiful thing.

(My imagination!)

The other night I was reading Lucy a book she had borrowed from the school library, 'Good Night Fairies' by Kathleen Hague.

The words and illustrations were beautiful and thought provoking, and as I caught her smiling out of the corner of my eye, I thought of my own childhood, the dreams, the wonderment.

When I paint, particularly more recently as my style has evolved, I use my imagination a lot. I try and downplay adult reason (only when I'm painting!) and embrace the playful imagination of a child. 

Lately I have been enjoying painting whimsical maps of life's journey, both mine and others.

I have just finished a commission for a lovely young couple and when I asked them to give me some motifs, ideas, even details about themselves without giving away their whole story, one thing they said was 'a red boat'.

As I painted this canvas these past few weeks so many stories and events have evolved in my head around everything they said, but particularly the little red boat: what it signifies, where it now rests, what it is called, how big it really is, is it a ship? a tug boat? a bath toy? who it belongs to, who fell out of it? did he propose to her in a red boat? is it a family heirloom? who knows....but I do know that my imagination ran wild.

Imagination actualises what reality can't provide, and without it life would be very boring don't you think?

With Love,

Liv xo

PAINTING GIVE AWAY

 

Lets just say my style is a little left of centre and I don't mind the odd thrift piece or ten, nor the odd upside down cane bed head with bangles and fedoras dripping from it...even an entire bedroom with a plethora of canvases, paint palettes, paint tubes, brushes, boxes, bubble wrap....etc (just to set the scene!)
A few nights ago as I lay in bed I couldn't help but notice the shear amount of artwork building up around us (space is an issue, so whilst I save to fund the studio which so far only has brick piers, one end of our bedroom has doubled as my art space), which led to this conversation:
Me: (smirk) "I hope you like artistic sanctuaries Honey"
Paul: "what do you mean?"
Me: "Well, the last time mum came in here she commented that THE bedroom has to be a sanctuary, she obviously thinks our space needs a bit of a romantic overhaul."
Paul: (Silence for a while) "She's not wrong, it's like the bloody Guggenheim depot in here....and with the bed head and the bangles, hats and paint....I would say it's......it's not.....it's ummmm.......well it's like.....ever heard of 'The Twits' ?"

Yep....every single photo was taken in our sanctuary bedroom. The whole damn lot. 

But swings and roundabouts I say, he also has his fair share of The Twits in him, check out his corner!

These take up the other half of the sanctuary room, and only one pair are mine, the tall sexy caramel pair closest to the camera. Ooooo yeahhh. I love these babies, haven't taken them off in two years (except for the photo!) 

So after that whopping intro, I've finally decided to get my act together and set up an etsy store. 

This room needs sanctuary status. 

So if you like my art and want to win yourself my first ever Give Away, sign up to my blog (up there in the top RHS) and a winner will be drawn next week. 

Perhaps comment on this post and tell me how I could turn this "Guggenheim depot" into a sanctuary and the best answer will be chosen by mum, the knower of sanctuaries. Then pop over to my Etsy Store and buy an artwork for your hubby (wink wink, yourself) for Father's Day, that way they can move from one sanctuary to another.

Here is my GIVE AWAY prize:

35.5 x 35.5 x 4 cm

I will post it to you next Tuesday. A little bit of fluro love might brighten up a corner of your sanctuary?!  

 

        

(eww...those cream walls are ghastly, they'll be the first thing to change when I clean out the depot) 

Thanks for the "sanctuary" advice in advance

Liv (the knower of depots) xoxo

A magic morning.

Not a bad way to start the day hey!

I sat having my morning cuppa and watched these beautiful clouds roll in at about 6:30am, it was spectacular.

There is so much inspiration in natural beauty but sadly technology is moving so fast and we with it, that sometimes we forget to: STOP. ENJOY. WATCH. LISTEN. SMELL. TOUCH

.....that's what I plan on doing this weekend.

(a snippet)

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for popping by this week.

With Love

Liv xo

Back to the grind!

It's been a few days and I feel I have to touch base with you, but to be honest, there isn't much to tell.
After a sunny sunday filled with 5 loads of washing and a visit from Uncle Nick and Ez, our wonderful winter holiday came to a grinding holt. On monday we gave our lives over to the education board and the steering wheel for another 10 weeks, my only consolation is that I have my treash home for 1 more day without the little people (well 2 anyway).

So today its tuesday and hubby has decided to take Lulu to the movies for a daddy/daughter date whilst I get my paintings all wrapped up for Cairns. I mentioned it was "cheap tuesday", and suggested he could say she was a fully grown baby and get into a 'babes in arms session'. He replied "how about I take you to the movies tonight. I'll carry you to the counter all frocked up in a sexy number say to the Greater Union Staff that i'm cashing in on 'Babes in Arms' twice today!
Sorry, another silly joke, but he made me laugh.
He is so lucky he married me b/c I don't think anyone else would laugh at his stupidity.

Anyway the movies isn't happening, we are off to the footy instead. An English team has come out to play our school, but after all the English victories lately i'm not holding my breath.

My day in images:

           I lined Bear up with some balsa and tacks so I could get some work done. Hours of fun.

                                                 
                                                      I hung a few at the local cafe.

                                                    And a sent two in the truck.

And then it all got too much for one little Bear.

Hopefully something more magically mundane to tell you in the days to come.

With Love

Liv xo

Best Dad in the world.

A massive thank you to the best dad in the world.
This man is the most generous man you'll ever meet. I mean it! He'll do anything you ask.
A few weeks ago dad had a fight with the chainsaw and came off second best, but with deadlines to meet, yesterday in the freezing cold, he framed 8 paintings for me. One is off to an art show, two are off to The Rabbit and The Rose Gallery in Cairns, and the rest to your lounge room?!?!?!?! (contact me)

and just to gross you out, Dad's finger:

yucko.

With Love  

Liv xo