Sunday 28 August 2016

My new home...



If you wondering where I've been - I have migrated to my new platform...
You can now find me HERE.
The transition went better than I imagined and I've been learning as I go.
I hope you will continue to journey with me there.
I'm so grateful to blogger for getting me where I needed to be and for being very much part of my journey.  I love blogging and I have loved this space to bits.
I will keep this blog up for now, until I know how to move forward.


Tuesday 9 August 2016

the winds of change....

So it's been on my mind for a while to give up my blogger and migrate to a new cleaner platform.... Partly because I have had so many things going on this year... From my name change to my Camera Craft journey and my TeaBagGirls journey, amongst other things.  I've been feeling frustrated by some of the limitations of blogger.

It was during putting my class together (which I ran privately on blogger until it was ready to go live) that I realised there are much better options out there.  With a bit of nudging and prompting from my sweetest friend and with a bit of help from another friend of mine who does web development - it's come together nicely.  I don't think I had the courage to face it alone.

Grateful to you both - thank you.

I think by this weekend my new website / platform should be up and running.  It's easier on the eyes, far less cluttered.  It's simple.  And I can so do simple right now.  Transition is never easy but sometimes it's necessary.  I so get that.

Please bear with me as I migrate to my new platform.
See you on the other side as I figure out new ways to continue sharing my journey.

Friday 5 August 2016

Sneak Peak...

I had the privilege of getting a sneak peak into my classroom on Ivy's classroom platform yesterday and I'm over the moon and blown away.  I'm excited, nervous, humbled and emotional all at the same time.  I had no idea when I started 365faces this year on teabags... that I would be doing this class.   I thought I would fly under the radar and quietly continue my 365faces journey this year.  I had no idea that my journey with my teabags would take me here and I am seriously moved by it.


As for me, now that my class is up and ready for Monday... where does this leave me with my teabags... well my 365face journey continues and I am hoping to drop off my next 40 for framing on Monday.  I haven't had a gap to leave the house let alone get to my framers.  I have a bit of admin around catching up sharing my journey there too, plus another big step is to lock down my exhibition venue and set a date for early next year together with getting my little coffee table book made up... I see the printers in the next week or two.  I know my journey with my teabags is far from over.  This was just a huge milestone in between it all. 

I'm here and still continue to show up for these sweet little ladies on the sweetest little canvases.

Can't wait for Monday - see you all in class.

a little breathing gap...



I have had a gentle few days... catching my breath.
Catching up with life, washing, admin and getting to walk a bit.

We have had a few beautiful days, weather wise and it feels like spring has made an early appearance.  It will be short lived, this I do know.  But the sunny days have felt beautiful even though it has been icy cold and getting out and walking has been glorious.

I'm not complaining.

Tuesday 26 July 2016

Round two... TinyBagsofLove


My little teabag class is reopening for registration again today for a second class.

If you missed signing up the first time, here is another chance.
I've been working full on to get my material finished on time and I'm almost ready.

I am getting so excited... see you in class.

Sunday 24 July 2016

Making beauty in TinyBagsofLove Class...

I am so excited to share this beautiful activity with you in class.
Making beauty this week has been so precious for me.
Other things too - as much as there creative portraiture in the class...

There will also be beautiful things to make too.


Back to life as we know it...


So after a glorious hike up the mountain for Digz and Kitty last weekend...
We have hit the week running, back to school and usual routine, extra murals and heavy training schedules. And back on the racing circuit for Corks and Sas.  Loved seeing these girls riding together again.  It was wet, cold and muddy but after both of their Europe travels - they did fine on their bikes.    As for school - Corks has 2 months left of her whole school career.  She received her first set of exam schedule this week.  The next two months will be full on for all of us.

As for poor Riley - the cold and wet days = deep in my gown cuddles.

Saturday 23 July 2016

Beautifully tough, stretching, deep and enlarging July...


July has been big and stretching and deeply enlarging.

So don't get me wrong - as much as it was all of this, it's been beautiful too.  Expanding your life, your heart and your understanding is always beautiful and always yields good fruits, even though it's often at times, painful.

Beautifully painful, beautifully stretching.

Besides some changes of me working at home more and learning and growing so much in this place, we also sent our baby overseas by herself... (by herself, I mean with 97 other students but without us).  I know she was in the safety of her group and an organised tour, which did give me a measure of assurance that was oddly comforting.  Watching your girls do something that makes them so ridiculously happy is a gift beyond gifts.

We still continue to unpack beautiful stories.

Her entry and exit into Europe was via Turkey respectively.
They missed the airport bombing by a few days and the military unrest too.

She coped well overseas.  She problem solved, budgeted during her travels, made good choices and completely fell in love with Europe, especially Italy, like I knew she would.  We really couldn't be prouder of our beautiful girl.  What better way to taste a bit of independence than in Europe in the safety of an organised tour with some of your best friends.

I know her heart expanded.  Her mind truly blown.

When she got home - she unpacked, we washed mountains of clothes and she slept and slept and slept.  And then she repacked and headed out to the airport again for the next leg of her trip - which was a cycling training camp and to ride the South African Cross Country champs (for experience).


All I can say is that this leg of her travels was some of the toughest moments we have experienced in releasing her.  She was out of her comfort zones.  Being hosted out of town, with people she hardly knew... was humbling on every level.  She flew alone, got picked up and delivered and navigated her week with strangers...  wow that felt harder than sending her across the world.


She had the hardest race of her life.

  Lining up at SA Champs knowing she was out of her depths and riding at a level beyond her capabilities, without her dad... heart-wrenching.  She had to dig deep to keep her emotions in check and her fear in place... us too.  I had to allow others to comfort her in her time of need.  That wasn't easy because everything in me wanted to hop on that plane.   It was deep attrition for her and deep attrition for me, each in our own ways.

The most astounding thing is that she didn't give up even though she wanted to... the desire to pull off  after each lap was greater than the next.  She cried through parts of the course and cried privately with me on the phone.  True grit.

Saying goodbye to her new friends was hard on her.  Being in a place of suffering together cemented new friendships and she made some beautifully deep connections.  As deep and as hard as her week was for her, she loved it and wouldn't change it.  I know that together with Europe, this has changed her a lot and what she went through in 3 weeks most people don't get to do in 3 years.

We are hugely proud of her, proud of us.



We all expanded this July each in our own ways and it will go down in our books as one of the defining moments in our family... you know, the one we might all refer to...

" remember that time... when Corks travelled the world,
crossed the country and came home a different young lady".

Sunday 10 July 2016

teabags teabags teabags....


Prepping boxes and boxes of teabags for my little class.
Taking out the tealeaves takes the longest part.
But now I have beautiful little canvases ready and waiting...

They are precious, delicate and soft.

My little class is coming together.
 It's a huge amount of work and it takes time to edit, load up and pull together.
But can I just say how much I'm loving it and can't wait to be with you in class.

Friday 8 July 2016

And we have touch down...


Omgoodness she's home...

I have her for the weekend and then she's off again.
But right now I will take what I can get... And I get the whole weekend.

She's had an incredible adventure.  I can't wait to hear all about it...
See all about it... and know all about it.

Today I get to hold her in my arms and let her linger a little longer.

Sweetest girl with the biggest smile and joy overflowing...
 Welcome {home}.

Tuesday 5 July 2016

Exciting news...


I am delighted to announce that I am a surprise mini-guest contributor in Let's Face it 2016.
Kara asked me to be a mini guest in December/January and I've had to keep it a secret for the longest time.  I get asked all the time how I paint my faces... so you will be getting a glimpse of how I do that.  I have been doing practice runs so I feel ready to share with you.  Hope you will join in.

I will be sharing my own personal techniques and methods in September 2016.

This class is currently open and can be joined at any time.  The cost is $125 for 50 weeks worth of content with a huge variety of contributors.  Pretty excited to be part of this wonderful group.


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Finding the printwork in my pieces...


I am in love with printwork patterns at the moment.
And loving experimenting on how I can use them in my work.
I tried different things on the background of this piece but I wasn't loving it.
Still being inspired by those beautiful roses... so decided to continue that into the background.
Her beadwork was completely different yesterday - but loving the delicateness of it here today.

All in all a happy day #inmystudio

Now I'm heading to gym to get my heart pumping.
Hips unlocked.  Head cleared.  I have a big afternoon of editing, filming ahead of me.

#InMyStudio... finishing pieces.


I really love her, love where she ended and the process of how I eventually got to this point.
I haven't shared an #evolutionofapainting for ages.

So here goes...

I started this piece before I left for my parent's farm.
I filmed the whole process as a testing ground for a class I'm going to be part of later.
I knew I loved her but I wasn't wowed by her at all.  She was lacking something, well actually a lot.   I think part of her flatness was mirroring my own flatness at the time.


When I was watching my lesson I noticed I had lost something around her head.
I knew when I got home I wanted to expand on that.  So last night before I climbed into bed, I added bigger hair and more color.  I was immediately in love.  I loved adding more layers of paint.

I started playing with my Superimpose app and added these printed flowers I found while researching.  I'm being quite inspired by printed patterns at the moment (like Matisse).

I knew I loved this much more.
I bolted out of bed this morning, knowing exactly how to finish her and I'm more than stoked.
She consolidated nicely for me.  Yay - my second finished piece for the Auction in October.

#OperationFinishingPieces underway.

Monday 4 July 2016

Finally finished... I think, I hope.


I wasn't sure how I was going to finish her.

We have evolved and journeyed together, the past few weeks.
In this piece the only thing I knew I loved and that wasn't changing was her eye and her face.
Digz and Corks had also given me strict instructions to not touch anything on her face.
So I obeyed.  I love that they tell me what to do... but more so, I love that I actually listen.

The beads around her head disappeared on the one side, then the other.
I wasn't planning on doing a hand either - but then last night I kind of knew I had to do it.
And I'm kind of besotted with it.

We are off to my framing ladies tomorrow to finish her off nicely.
She's for an auction for later this year.  My first piece is finished for auction.
Pretty stoked about that.  I'm off to bed now though - good night folks.
Tomorrow - I will work on naming her.

Sunday 3 July 2016

Missing her...


Missing her like crazy!
We survived the first week and we have 2 weeks to go....

She's truly having the best time.
I didn't think it was possible for this happy girl to get any happier... 
But I was wrong!  Her joy is off the charts! 

So thrilled for her! 

Saturday 2 July 2016

Poetry in Motion...

When I'm travel, I always carry Misty's book Unfurling with me.  And I've been reading her section on Poetry.  It's not something I've ever been great at but I would love to stretch myself.  So while Kitty was having her hair cut yesterday - I took Misty's exercise on page 115.

A list of jumbled words - reordered and this is what I came up with... 


Forgive me as I find my way but like all new skills - it requires daily practice.
I am going to keep a notebook close on hand while I have long hours in the car.
I look forward to eventually finding my own words.

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Nostalgic

a sweet walk down memory lane...

I have some very distinct memories from my toddler years and working through some of those memories with images and hearing stories was so wonderfully nostalgic.   There weren't many images of me as a baby because they couldn't get film stock at the time.
Living in Middle Africa wasn't an easy time. That makes me terribly sad.

I would have loved my girls to see that.
It is a moment in time gone and lost to the world forever.
That kind of breaks my heart a little.  I'm so grateful for the ones I did find.

 

I always knew my Momma was beautiful but finding these images of her has given me a new appreciation and love for her. She made all her own clothes and ours, worked and had 4 babies.  She was stunning and stylish and trendy. The image of her with the baby with the Purdy cut was with my baby brother...  after 4 babies to look so incredible and stylish... I'm blown away.

She has always been remarkable woman to me but now I know, she's always been that way.

What a legacy so share with my girls.

Here Kitty Kitty...


So on the farm one of the pregnant sheep died during the night.
It was horrible to see her pregnant belly but no life left there.  No one said farm life is easy.
My dad loaded her up and we headed down to the sanctuary across the road.
Nothing goes to waste.  This sheep will feed these guys for the week.

I have never stood so close to a Lion before.  The big guy was literally yawning in my face.
The roar is something special... the earth literally vibrates.

The babies were particularly amazing.  So soft and desperate for cuddles.
So playful too.  It's incredible how that will change for them in the coming year.