While the kids are away.....

Mum will play.

With the end of school holidays comes the beginning of new adventures on the home front. It's time once more to spend my 5 hours wisely between drop off and pick up.

The sound of silence is blissful and I once more have space to think, create and do.

Don't get me wrong, having the wee ones around is fab. But it most definitely is not an environment I can selfishly withdraw in to my study.
So I end up having two weeks of my brain going in to overload storing ideas, so that come schools return I can quickly roll out lots of new ideas.

I tend to become somewhat autistic when creating. I don't notice the weather, the time or my hunger levels.... I just sit and let creativity take over. So it's an activity best done alone so no-one feels neglected, left out or hungry....whilst I disappear into my own.

Yesterday I begun, with getting out the clay.

I felt like I was back in primary school, rolling coils and squashing balls. I had heaps of polymer clay bought ages ago just waiting for time to sit and play.

Lots of exploring shapes and color. I quite adore the look of hand sculpted beads with their organic form. No two can be the same.

I decided to work on simple designs for some jewellery, something you could wear with anything.

First I formed shapes, made impressions and baked.

Then I drilled, sanded and grouped.


Next was a bit of gluing and wire bending to create a sea of colorful of clay creations.


Such fun.

I'll be back on Wednesday to show you some felted rings I've been working on too.

Day two of loot....

More loot,glorious loot to show and tell.

Today's stash is more of my finds at the fabulous Sisters Market in Brunswick. I'm a sucker for anything bright and a little bit different, so when I spotted these fabulous bangles I was straight on over to squeeze my fat wrist in and pray they fit.

I love, love, love bangles, but have a big wrists, which are in perfect proportion to my big everything else, sooo they never fit. I'm sure the poor stall holders see me comin' and think, don't even try girlfriend. But I do, every time! Never give up hope.
I think that surely there are sellers and makers out there just like me, who model they're products on themselves, and if they have big wrists I'm in luck.

Well this time I was in luck. They are papier mache bangles, in fun vibrant shades to liven up all the winter outfits coming out of the wardrobe of late.

Next is this fab brooch by 'kids with crayons', in spotty pinks and reds with an illustration done by one of the sellers kids on it. I have used some of kierah' s pics in my journals, gift cards and jewellery, and just love the way kids pics have such innocence and playfulness about them.

Lastly some more ponytail elastics for Kierah by 'miss piggy tales'. I couldn't go past these echidna's on such a bright blue, and retro looking apples.

Back tomorrow for day 3 of loot with some lovely work by a local photographer.
...............and day 4, I finally get to show you my stash from Thornbury Market on the weekend.