On being a bogan

is it wrong that I don't even know what time the Royal wedding is on today?

Or that had not many of you folks blogging about it, it would have totally escaped my attention and I would have missed it?

Or that even now knowing it my plans for this evening remain unchanged- watching my boys against Carlton?

On that front, I realise it's been a while since I've blogged about footy.

I'm sure you're all wondering how I'm travelling with a new coach and without my beloved Kirky ;)

Well I'm liking the new style of their play more open and pretty to look at.

I'm slowly adjusting to the no Kirky factor, and still feeling the same love for my boys, even with all the new faces. My new favourites are Jude Bolton ( in one commentators view "plays like Tarzan looks like Jane) , Kieran Jack and Jesse White.

I'm quite into the footy this year, and I even went to the first game of the season, which was heaps of fun.

Especially since my team wasn't playing, so I didn't have all the emotion turmoil.Or as much, because I ended up so passionately supporting the Tiges that I was quite devastated when the lost.

I'm feeling more and more fond of Richmond I have to say, possibly due to the fact that a dear friend is a loyal supporter. And Richmond supporters seem like a general nice bunch, who heroically stay through to end of every match even though well they're not the best at winning.

and as for the footy tipping, it's up and running again, and I'm starting off in fine form.

17 points behind the 2 lowest person in our comp, and last week scored my all time low score of 3.

Anyway I better go, as i'm sure most of you have completely tuned out or fallen asleep.

have a great night whatever you do! xo

My creative space

In my creative space this week it's been a little bit confusing and I've had the strange feeling I'm seeing double.

We have currently have situation Two Bruces in the house and on the couch , and I can tell you it's been quite a tense time for all of us.

there's been the inevitable identity crisis on both Bruce's fronts and all sorts of chest puffing and niggling for whose the top Bruce.

luckily Donut and Enid have stepped in to keep the peace.

the truth is I don't usually like to have two of the same bear under one roof, it generally causes comparisons and one of them with self esteem issues ( with the exception of Posswonks as there are never too many Posswonk's and they all get along great ) but Bruce is part of an order for a new shop Fine and Sunny, so I had no choice.

I'm looking forward to getting the Fine and Sunny gang off so some sort of order can be restored around here.

also looking forward to popping over here to see what everyone's been up to over the last couple of weeks.

Today

I'm not one of those people that ever wins things, like raffles, giveaways, competitions etc.

I'm lucky in so many other ways but not on that front. To be honest it doesn't bother me , it's just a fact something that well whenever I enter a giveaway or something not to get too excited about winning.

Until there was this giveaway on Silkie Sue. To be honest i had to read the giveaway a few times, just to make sure it was true. Sam was giving away 3 vintage bears, and you know there's no "thing" ( if you can really call them a thing) I love more really than a wonky old ted. I couldn't believe Sam's generosity.

So of course I had to enter, how could I not? And at one point when I found myself drifting off into dreams of giving one of these wonklings a home, i had to remind myself " Hold on there Jess, you know your luck with giveaways " ( I hope you can tell where this is heading...)

But then a couple of days later and I get an email, and yes me had had the incredible luck to win one of them , a chap named Old Bear!!!!!!!

Old Bear arrived today, and he is just gorgeous, although I think his other name might be Gerald. He's settling in very well, and I think he and the Noodle are becoming firm friends already.

thank you so very much Sam, for your incredible generosity.

I promise I will give Gerald the best home ever.

Oh dear

was cleaning my house today when I came upon this little guy.

Not even slightly easter related

A couple of months ago, I planted some lettuce seeds after feeling envious all of the home produce going around in blogland, ignoring the fact that so far I have yet been able to grow very little in my garden due to the tiny amount of sun it gets each day.

Every time for the last little bit i was out in my garden i would check hopefully to see any sign of my lettuces peeping up. I was greeted instead by the my bulbs beginning their slow and steady journey toward spring.

I planted these bulbs years ago and when I moved put them in pots so they could come with me.

One of the things i love about them, is i forget every year which pot has which flower, and even which pots have bulbs, so there is lovely element of surprise.

( the 2nd pic is some beginnings of bulbs next to me completely savaged cabbage- please don't talk to me about my cabbages, or white cabbage moths or snails) xo

So far

there's been some bunny and egg dyeing action ( we need practise on the egg dyeing front)

Can you spot the mutant egg?

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend c

what it's all about

Today I received the most gorgeous surprise package in the mail.

From Greta and Jennie.

I honestly don't need to say much because I know you will know and get it.

THis has honestly made my day , I actually think my week really.

Isn't Greta's drawing incredible? she's quite the artist- and I think if I want to get a second tat I now have a design. She has totally captured Crosby too.

( if that's Ok with you Greta)

and Jennie of course picked the most perfect card for me.

and if that wasn't enough a sweet purse too.

thank you so much Greta and Jennie, this was totally unnecessary but totally appreciated.

xo

HAPPY EASTER !

the secret lives of bears

I swear I didn't post them like this, I woke up this morning and this is how they were.

( wilbur and gus)

Malcolm ( in the middle)

The next bear of Martin's I want to make for our colab, I want to make in mohair. Not only do I think the bear will work well but I think it's important to show the different mediums I work in in the exhibition.

But before I started on that bear, I made another bear this bear, Malcolm to see if the idea in my head actually worked when it was realised. ( who will not be part of the colab)

I'm happy to say I think it will ( it's soo nice when that happens)

I have long wanted to do a mohair guy with muzzle, but always put it off for other things I wanted to or need to make. One of my favourite bear makers Hisa Kato, makes a lot of "muzzle" bears which have always appealed to me and inspired me a great deal.

A great thing about this colab/exhibition is it gives me an excuse and doesn't allow me to put it off anymore. the muzzle is inset, so instead of having 3 head pieces you end up with 6, if that makes sense. I have found it interesting as his pattern was basically my pattern for Doug with his muzzle chopped off ( only on paper) but how the addition of the muzzle gives his head a different shape.

A much more flat shape and profile more akin to my pancake bears.

So we have Malcolm, who like fishing and ham sandwiches. Who also has a terrible habit of biting his nails ( claws) so hence the lack of them.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.x

laced up

As you may or may not know I'm a huge fan of old houses. I love going for walks round the streets looking at all the different houses.

Lately i've been thinking alot about the lace on victorian cottages and houses. and noticing it more.While I've always loved it, I've suddenly become more curious about it and drawn to it.

One of the things I love about it is it's like the houses are these old ladies with their petticoats peaking out below their skirts.

I love too how it serves no other purpose other than to be decorative and pretty.

How many different styles there are

from the simple

to the very elaborate.

And now the colour can change the look and feel of it.

My favourite colour I think is cream, but I really like any lace that's gone a bit rusty and weather worn,

I wonder too about the houses that don't have lace did they ever have it? Sometimes it's perfectly obvious why they don't like this place that's been moderfied in the 50's.

But with these two did they ever have it? was it a stylistic decision to leave it off or was it because they couldn't afford it.

Was money a factor in deciding what style people chose or was it purely taste?

the funny thing is I don't mind not knowing the answers, I could just look at it all day.

Hope you are having a dreamy wondery Saturday xo

A sneak peak

Late last year old pal, amazing artist and curator of Outre Gallery Gemma Jones asked me whether I would be interested in a doing a collaboration with Martin Harris, an artist who Outre represents.

And of course I said yes ( almost before I even saw Martin's amazing paintings).

And then very much so after I saw Martin's work. Gem was right in feeling our stuff would work well together, being similiar yet very different.

Not only are the paintings amazing in the own right, one thing you should know about them is they are often smaller then they appear on the web. So they are tiny little amazing detailed paintings, using mostly gouache and watercolour. I don't quite know how he does it.

And Martin is a completely lovely and easy to work with guy.

So they date is set for our colab: Feb 2012, and the idea is we will be doing a mixture of our own work and interpretations of each others work.

(Can you recognise the Elephant in this piece?)

So from now on you are going to see me from time to time working on stuff that's a bit different to my own style.

And I thought I'd share with you this guys, which is my first version of one of Martin's Panda.

Igor

I named Igor after the little rather wonky gosling in Fly Away home one of my favourite films that a friend recommended to me. The little gosling struggles a bit more than the others, is always a bit behind them, sort of like the runt.

I think Igor the bear is a bit the same. He is the wonkiest mohair bear i've done to date, his eyes are completely lopsided I'm not sure you can see so well in the photos. His ears are two different sizes too, a pattern for each of them.

the wonkiness is totally intential, Igor is inspired or based off my own old steiff wonky Ferdy.

( him with Ferdy above)

Igor is a slow moving, quiet little bear. Not much of a talker ( maybe due to lack of mouth stitching) more of an observer. He's the sort of bear that finds the rabbit tail in the field and the four leaf clover in the grass.
Igor also has one of the worlds largest collections of pet rocks, all named Roger.

Here is he with a few of them ( the inside Rogers)

Hope you have a great Monday!