Hoo knows?

After making their first appearance in public "owls with personalities' are now available online. (Click on the Etsy link on the right there). Well at least Emerson and Mabel are.
Emerson loves to hang out in the non-fiction section of the library whilst Mabel prefers the kitchen.
It was Miss R who wanted to do the personalities, she wrote them and assisted in the propping.
okay - so time for Dudley to sleep now.... do rats snore?

Around the World, well...

So sometimes it's about them. Today was 'Open Day' at our local public school, the theme was: travel the world. The Redhead kids transported me to Spain and Mexico. The classrooms were all decorated with their handmade efforts - including the mosaic pots. The children had also dressed up and prepared food. (Well maybe the parents had). While in Spain I went for a chocolate something or other after checking it wasn't a chocolate coated anchovy... Master Redhead is seated at the drum kit and did a 'lovely' drum roll to conclude 'Shake, rattle and roll". Miss R was seen running from band to perform in the dance group.
Aaaah what a proud parent moment.

Be Zine!

Hello! welcome back - hope you all had a great week. Just wanted to catch up. So Dudley went out - to the Sydney Zine Fair, Dudley's second zine fair - but the first time with all the other bits and pieces.
I thought i might have nightmares about getting the day wrong, but no worries it was fantastic. Thanks to everybody that stopped by - and for those that couldn't make it stay tuned as the Etsy shop will now be updated... in the next few days.
The MCA was a wonderful location, views of the harbour and a great buzz in the room. I loved looking at everyone's amazing talents. The pics here just show a small snippet of the vibe..
Hhhm. now I can get back to my other projects...

Dudley in public

So will I feel like Wonder Woman this week? You know if i spin around really fast I just may be wearing shiny red hot pants? uh nuh, more like having another identity perhaps but with comfortable underwear?
My point is, I'll be thinking of Sunday 25th! areerrrrrgh! Dudley goes out in public at the zine fair. If you can get to the MCA, Circular Quay, Sydney - pop in and say hi... all our personalities have their fingers crossed.

Dudley goes out

Hello, just a quick hi and how are you before I dash off to try and relax for Sunday night... Yesterday Miss R and I popped out to check out the Hope St Markets at its' new premises at Paddington Town Hall. So is this Sydney does Melbourne? The buzzy vibe began on the footpath .. trailed up the stairs and dah dah! cool groovy stuff and tunes. It was great to see handmade all under the same high ceiling. For me the highlight was seeing the Strutt Sisters, I love their work - I did gush, dither and then purchase this gorgeous necklace. Aaaaah.
(They are working on a new website - but are well know for their collage constructions in aluminium and wood.)
Then 'cos we were in the neighbourhood we had a quick lap round Paddington Markets, there it is reliable - but always good to see - one of my favourites being this delightful cushion cover from feed the dog.

Mother's Day weekend

Hello! I hope you all had a great week and weekend. We began ours with some 'thrifting'/bargain hunting. The kids have been doing this before they could walk so nothing new there. We got the tip off that op shops are good for soccer boots ... and woohoo! yes they were: score! Miss R now has something to wear to Friday sport. While there I also picked up these lovelies; 2 little dishes and 'one of those wooden trays', nice one.
Then Mster R and I went to check out 'Ironman', we both could fully appreciate the M rating and there were some moments where eye covering was a good idea. But I did enjoy the Marvel-comic-ness of it all.

Sunday morning. Everyone asleep, I await no longer and get up.
Mster R enters bathroom: 'So er will you be like er going back to bed?"
Me: " No, don't think so - how about you set up the table?"
Mster R: 'Do I do your juice, or your coffee? But I was going to get the paper."
Me: "How about you do the coffee and the paper? Go carefully - but in 5 minutes would be great"
I enter the kitchen. Miss R is busy measuring my porridge. Mster R returns: "ARGH! I think I stuffed it! I think I got the wrong paper! ARGH!!"
Me: "So is anyone going to give me a cuddle and wish me Happy Mother's Day?"
Chorus: "OH! yeah.. oh um ...Happy Mother's Day!"

So I did have a tasty breakfast served, lovely.
But hey! I just remembered I was promised a massage in the package..Hmm.

ps. Oh then while visiting my mother I took 'project in a bag'. Which is actually not navel fluff but a "Sooty the Cat" head mobile phone charm. Very fiddly, but perhaps quite cute. ..
So remind me, why do I do this again?

Sk8-er girl, well not quite...

So how cool is this? I couldn't resist Etsy's front page when I saw it, mainly cos I'm a sucker for greeen generally. But then, well it's helping the environment - it's recycled, it's supporting handmade, it's gorgeous!
It's a "Deck Dot", a necklace with 5 little dots that can easily flip around. One side of the dots shows the graphics from the skateboard deck (greens with white) and the other sides show the inner layers of the skateboard (a deep blue/black colour with a smidge of yellow). Made by husband/wife team: 2ReVert, who 'love spending time together and are crazy in love with the earth and keeping things out of the balefills, landfills, and incinerators.' Go see!

What a hoot

After yesterday's draining events I decided it best to stay in. The boys were out on the harbour at a cubs water activity day.. So Miss Redhead and I had all the desks to ourselves. (We had been thinking about a 70's fair at The Rocks, so instead we listened to Shuggie Otis at home, viewed some vintage stuff on Etsy - then got to work).
We had made these owls last weekend from clay and let them dry. I love colour and playing with combinations so i loved making little mood swatches... easy with paint cards. Miss R did ask me if she could stop for an eating break after 2 hours...
What was great was the realisation that here was my daughter doing/sharing this with me! I didn't have to worry about 'fixing them up later' or anything (not that it would've mattered - but just the whole trust/partnership aspect) ... I really was amazed at the whole experience...

naturally they do have names and will be available for adoption soon.. the YY's thing is not an sms message but something my mother wrote in my first autograph book about thirty years ago.

Dudley goes out

Hello, thanks for making it back once more. Busy week usual stuff - but was looking forward to 'SPECIAL SATURDAY'. Which meant: family coming over from New Zealand wanting to spend DAY with kids, while we went out! What to do? markets, luxurious long lunch, gallery, coffee + cake. We set off.
30 minutes after leaving home Mr R turns into a driveway. Hits massive concrete block. Knocks hole in sump. Oil flows rapidly over driveway. He feel sick. I am in shock as my dream day drains away. Call mechanic, he quotes a lot. Call tow truck driver, he takes ages. I call my mum.
I walk down very long road to hire car place - I take a vote as to whether i should still have lunch, and with Mr R. It's 50-50. I pick him up, we get sawdust to soak up massive oil spill. We make it to restaurant nearly an hour late. We immediately have a glass of 'something'; We enjoy outside idyllic spot with comfy cushions. We don't linger but do a quick meander through markets and cool shops in Newtown.. still have to sort out car/cash situation - but i guess 'stuff happens' and in the scheme of things, not a disaster.