MY NEW DIRECTION

Whilst in NZ Kate introduced me to the art of making models using the Gypsona Plaster of Paris over some sort of structure, wire, squished paper, foil and tape of some sort, the. Working in the same manner as happens with papier mâché. I've been getting myself into my work corner, in the cold laundry, whenever I can find a few moments. Really good fun until suddenly I'm coooold! Not having realised earlier as I was so absorbed in what I was doing.

This is for my artist friend and no, this isn't a model of her as she is in real life!

The paintbrush is made from a match and a snippet of our golden retriever's hair, he had very kindly offered to help in any way he could!

This is the beginning of a blue wren for one of my June birthday friends.

And a long legged something?! 

It is very exciting to find this new direction, to have ideas flowing in and through my mind after having felt stuck for so long.

HOME AGAIN

A long day yesterday, 12 hours door to door, and very happy to be home! However the pangs of leaving the family are pretty large! But, there will be a next time and I did have a very happy husband waiting for me at the airport...he didn't quite give me the welcome that Bear, our golden retriever gave me....he literally, the dog I mean, didn't stop spinning around, kicking his back legs up in a skip every time he completed a circle, throwing his soft toy up in the air, talking his talk, for at least ten or fifteen minutes all the time with his eyes glowing with love!! So funny! 

We didn't leave the house much as we were deeply involved in using the plaster of Paris bandages, following different paths with it. Too many great books, yummy meals and lots of chatting!

Kate's butterfly and her caravan...of course a caravan!

Not great photos but Kate will have better ones on her blog I'm sure. Don't you love Hugo's mouse house... Strangely his parents don't want the mouse house to live in their house, to have mice residing with them permanently just isn't on!

Archie with his sustainable art project, beautifully presented in the box he had made, maybe with a bit of help, I'm not sure. I'm so impressed with this work, so interesting to see what he was able to do.

No homecoming would be complete without a wander around the garden...

The first daphne, the delicate snow drops and a mushroom gleaming in the grass! 

So good to be home, good to be with family here just wishing we were all in the same country!

MY NZ HOLIDAY

Once again time is flying, bundled up with my family here, embedded as they say in all the everyday happenings that normally I only hear about. I don't need entertaining or to be taken to interesting places, just being here is more than enough.

I look out onto this from my bed each morning, very easy to sit in bed with my cups of tea and watch the sky light up through the last of the Autumn leaves, birds flitting and chatting a few feet from me.

I've been wanting, needing a new direction with creating, feeling very stuck and uninspired. And...suddenly I'm off in that new direction! So exciting! Kate had discovered the Gypsona plaster of Paris bandage crafting. Using it as you do with papier mâché. Building a structure, and then covering with sloppy pieces of the plaster bandage.

Kate has been making an amazing caravan, I'll leave that to her to blog about...it is beautiful...of course!

The rather spooky hand cast behind belongs to Archie, photo bombing! 

This poor old duck hasn't been quite finished, her pipe cleaner arms are to be covered. And she is rather knock kneed poor thing!

We've been using Gypsona bandage, bought from the chemist, I do wonder whether they are wondering about the boys, whether they have many broken bones that the parents are hiding from the medical world?!

Archie had a 'mental health' day on Friday spending a  quietly happy morning alongside his aunt, mother and grandmother who were all occupied with various projects and now today we'll have another special time with my extra family so lots of special times. Hugo had his time with the Gypsona yesterday, making a mouse house!

We did have a library trip just after I arrived to top up all the books Kate already had waiting for me. So many good books with a surprising one for me the best so far...Jodi Piccoult's Leaving Time. Quite different to her other books with a very surprising twist at the end. I think I could have spent my entire time here reading but one needs to talk, eat, (delicious meals!) create,  nap and of course, sleep so all these activities do rather distract me from reading!

And there are persimmons...I love them, eating, looking, appreciating the beautiful colour! 

Home on Thursday which of course will be lovely too, but oh, I do so hate saying goodbye!