Miso - Tchusse

, originally uploaded by miso,.

Today I helped Miso set up some of this exhibition. It was really inspiring and a privelege to be surrounded by such beautiful work, and the space was looking amazing already.

Tchusse opens on December 3rd ( 6.30pm- 9pm) at Gorker Gallery and is on to the 20th of December.

For the full details click here. and here. It's Not one that should be missed.

Just a minute in November

November has flown by so quickly, I can't believe it's almost December. It's kind of freaking me out. November has been a fairly quiet yet busy month for me if that makes sense, just putting my nose down, trying to stock up on bears before Xmas.

Listening: This month I've been totally loving Laura Cantrell's Not the Trembling Kind. I hadn't known about her before, but she apears on that Score LP, and I loved her song on it, so looked into her a bit more.

Also loving Lou Barlow's ( of Dinosaur Jnr) new solo LP Goodnight Unknown, and Blizten Trapper's Black River Killer.

Watching: Bones season 4 ( i love that show) and right now I'm watching Private Practice season 2.

Making: November has been the month of ami bears and rabbits too!! I've made quite a few new guys to join the family,(which have been posted so many times, I'm sure no one wants to see them again,)and I'm still so much enjoying experimenting and playing around.

Eating: PEACHES!! Oh I love them, and am so excited that they are back in season, they are my favourite fruit of all time ( and one of my favourite foods!) I also think the asparagus has been particulary good this year, and my love of Wombok continues, especially good in Miso soup or Pho, or just with some ketchup manis.

Looking forward to : I have to say I'm SUPER DOOPER EXCITED about all the fabulous OS bands and artists coming out, including the Decemberist which means one thing Colin Meloy, and you know how I feel about him, Neko Case, Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear and M Craft to name a few.

A big thanks to Jen for hosting just a minute each month. Head over here to see what she and other peoples November has been like.

Happy song

This song always makes me Happy.

Happy 3 years Pip.xx

My creative space

A big thanks to all your lovely and encouraging comments about the new bear I was making last week ( now finished and called Kermit) it really means a lot.

Today beginnings of another Wombok ( wombok wombok). Unfortunately I've been a little stupid and forgotten some of the pattern I made up for him ( why don't I write these things down!) and the first one is at Mikes, so i'm having to do the whole which arm is better scenario again.

Also some makings from the week on the top of the couch- including the fore mentioned Kermit and Pearl the shy bunny. (and Colin too the big guy but he's been around for a while.)

For creative spaces pop over to Kirsty's .

Ewa I Walla

image from here
I'm really a bit in love with the gyspy like clothes of Ewa I Walla. Although unfortunatley they don't have any stockist here. To find about more about them and see more of their beautiful clothes you can visit their website.

Thrifty finds

Haven't been to the Oppy in a while, had a bit of luck today.

I got a sweet eyelet blouse and nannaish short cardy ( i know there is another word but I can't think of it.)
Cookie Monster money banksweet little egg cup.

a rather drunk looking Hippo for my garden ( what every garden needs)

and Peter Rabbit pillow ( cute for displaying with bears I think

a little Pearl

Pearl is a shy little rabbit. She likes pressing flowers and collecting stickers. Her favourite food is strawberry ice cream.
I made her from an alpaca yarn so she is rather soft.
Pearl can be found hanging out with Possum and Kermit in my store.

My place and yours: My collection

I love the theme Kate chose for this weeks version of Pip's meme. thank you Both so much!

I love collecting stuff, perhaps a bit too much as to border on being a little bit of a problem, and there are always verge of starting a new collection ( or wanting too) One of my favourite things to collect is just "bits" if you know what I mean, useless little things to put on your mantle. Some of my other collections include beer glasses, old toys, salt and pepper shakers and weird garden ornaments.

But when thinking about my most favourite thing to collect and my biggest collection, I guess a lot of you know what I going to say : Bears. Most of the time old bears

And bear related things, including bear teatowels,

bear mugs

bear plates, teapots, childrens books, tea cosies, bear quilts, you get the picture. Basically anything with bears on it that takes me fancy. Many kind and lovely people have helped and given me things for my collection.It's a bit of sickness really, but I can't help it, I just love them.
My rules for collecting bears, are the pretty much have to old ( although not always) and wonky, well loved, and slightly wrong ( in the right way ) if that makes it sense. But number one rule is my heart, if it goes quaaaaaaa then I know yep, if I can I will take him home.

In some ways what i love about them most, is there little personalities and souls, there are more of a living ( to me anyway) collection or a second family.

Too see more collections pop over here.

Introducing Kermit

This is Kermit ( the bear) Kermit is a keen scrabble player and a dab hand at line dancing too.

He also loves porridge.

He is not the most confident little bear, ( his self esteem isn't the best) and he is searching for that soul mate who will make him feel complete ( and happily line dance the night away)

( this photo makes me giggle)

I've been selected!!?!

Ok I'm a bit excited, ok very excited, and I don't mean to show off but this pic I took in San Francisco has been selected for final selection phase for the ninth edition of Schmap San Francisco guide. Woohoo, Ok well I not well and truly "in" but it was a total shock and surprise when I went on flickr and there was this message I had been shortlisted. ME?

My Creative space

Sort of the same, sort of different over here. I'm working on another ami bear, but in a different style using the head the other way, going for a big nose and ears, and smaller eyes. He's inspired a bit by some pics I've seen from Japan. I've been really enjoying playing around and experimenting a bit more with my ami guys in the last little bit, so I hope he works out.

Thanks so much to Kirsty, our host, for having us each week. For more creative spaces go here.

Bugs In a Blanket

I'm totally in love with this amazing children's book Bugs in a Blanket by Beatrice Alemagna.

Not only are all the illustrations done in the most beautiful needle felting with fabric accents, but the story and message is gorgeous too.

To learn more about Beatrice Alemagna, and see more of her amazing work including other books and posters check out her website.

Some things on the weekend.

On Saturday I headed out to the MTC garage sale, which was amazing. Unfortunately by the time I got there 11ish ( bloody trams) and waited in a long line, a lot of things had been bought, but neverless it was far beyond what I had imagined. Room after room of stuff. ( apparently when they opened at 9am 1500 people were waiting.) The amount of stuff, clothes, bags, fabric, furniture, shoes was incredible and any thrifters delight and the prices were below what I had expected. I managed to score 3 lovely nighties, a wool skirt, heaps of mens hankies, and an old green filing cabinet.

On Sunday we went to a family occasion to welcome a new baby into the world, my cousin Kate's third baby.

Do you remember another of my cousins had a baby very prematurely in May? Well he's doing great, he's been home for a couple of months now. And I was lucky enough to have a snuggle. It was nice to see all my Australian family again, after catching up with all the US side of family.

I also finished off a little rabbit and Scooter too.

I hope you had a nice weekend.

MTC Garage Sale

The MTC ( Melbourne Theatre Company) are moving and having a mammoth garage sale tomorrow November 14th. They'll be costumes, props, furniture, bags, hats, old computers, tech equipment, theatre backdrops and pretend food. Could be good for a giggle. For more details look here

'THE MASSIVE MTC GARAGE SALE
Date: Saturday 14 November
Time: 9am to 3pm*
Location: MTC Headquarters - 129 Ferrars Street, Southbank

Gold coin entry
Sausage-sizzle on site

*2pm onwards: Bargain basement - everything must go - make us an offer.'

My creative space

My creative space has also been my bed this week ( is that gross?) As it's been too hot in my room, but all sleeping components have been tidied away.

Same old story over here, it's just ami season. ( do you ever get bored ?Sometimes I worry it's always the same thing over here, but it's meant to real and this is what I do...) At the moment I'm been building a little hug of bears to take to Mike's and today I'm working on a Scooter to complete the little gang, and a grey bunny for this wonderful girl.

Thanks so much to Kirsty for hosting My creative space each week. For more creative spaces check out her beautiful site.

two newies from the week Wombok and Numnat.

What's hot and what's not.

Today I've decided to play along with Loobylu Hot and Not meme. I've been wanting to do it for a while, but the time has alluded me. So here's my first go.

WHAT'S HOT

Ok the weather, literally is hot and we all know it, and feel it and it's scary because it's only November here.

Friends

Turtle- my cat loves the heat and sits in the hottest room upstairs right in the sun for hours.

Coke or Diet Coke - ice cold straight from the fridge. I'm a huge fan of coke at all times, but it does taste particularly good in summer doesn't it?

Laura Cantrell's Not the Trembling Kind- I'm really loving this CD at the moment, the lyrics are great and have a punch, and the tunes are quite catchy.

Wombok- not the bear I made but the vegetable. I'm totally in love with wombok, have only just discovered that it is the yummy vegie you often get in asian restaurants, it's so swet and light and oh so good, lovely in pho, great in stir fry, lovely steamed I won't go on.

Fuzzy yarn- I'm totally hooked to any sort of yarn with fluff or fuzz, and love the effect the different one I bough have.


WHAT'S NOT

Thong feet- because of the sudden heat wave it's come to that time of year where I have to break in my thongs again. And my feet aren't dealing too well, I have 3 substantial blisters on each foot.

Turtle my cat wanting to sit on me- I find this hard very hard, because it's so hot, and usually I love her sitting on my lap, but at the moment she is just too damn hot, and if she's sitting on me, I am so much hotter. But I feel mean pushing her off, and she feels a bit rejected. What do I do?

The hot weather- I'm not the biggest fan of the heat, I don't deal to well. I've been trying to not let it bother me, taking a sort of "zen" approach to be at one with the heat and just except it which was working for a time, but then yesterday I am just over it, over my house being a little oven, the warm water from my taps, travelling on hot unairconditioned trams etc.

Unpicking fuzzy yarn.

For more hot and not look here.

Eye spy: A gadget

images from here.
I chose a Woddles, a waffle maker that makes penguin shaped Waffles, which I don't have but is on my permanent wish list. I'm not the most pratical person, I don't even have a grater or a fry pan in my kitchen, or a mixer, or more than 1 cutting board and yet I want one of these more, and think of getting one before these more logical pratical things. Go figure.

But it's so goddam cute!!

I'm playing along with Cindy's Eye Spy this week, and the theme choosen by Kellie ( thank you Kellie) was a gadget. Thanks so much for having me Cindy.

Little Blue Bear

I made this little guy over the weekend. His name is Numbat, ( i seem to be on a native australian animal name kick) and he was inspired by a beautiufl amigurumi book I saw in Kinokuniya Bookstore. ( my favourite bookshop)

He's a little different for me, I don't usually make unbear coloured bears and more primitive.

He's of a simple nature too, enjoys just bumbling along, and pondering things.

My place and yours: My Secret Weapon

I struggled a bit with this one, not because I have don't have one, but I sort of have a few. I totally agree with this gorgeous girl about music and my old bears, ( the antique ones not the ones I make) also are huge inspiration, comfort and source of joy for me. They old eyes are filled with such wisdom and love, and they never fail to make me feel squidgy in the tummy.

But when I can down to it my secret weapon is my Mum. I love my mum, and she is one very special and amazing lady. She is always there for me, has gotten through some really hard times in my life, stuck up for me, encouraged me, respected me and always made me feel loved and special. I feel I can tell her almost everything. We have a lot in common, and have a great time together. She gets me. I actually don't know what I would do without her. I also feel incredibly lucky because mum and are so close, she is a great friend as well as one super mum. When we were travelling together in the US and living on top of one another, we had only 1 niggle, and it was minor. I think that speaks for itself. And in the end of the day, nothing is better than a Mummy hug.

A big thanks to My Bricole for choosing this weeks theme, and Pip for hosting My Place and Yours. For more Secret Weapons look here.