my new facebook pic

Another Craft Revolution last Saturday

... I've packaged all my decals and put the price up to $10ea. I also made a laminated booklet of my wall decals.

As an aside, I painted over a few scratches on the side of my van, but when I took the masking paper off , it left a big greyish rectangle on the side of my van and I panicked and grabbed the spray can and tried to cover it and the paint sagged and ran. It's the same thing as when I dying my eyebrows before I've plucked them... half an hour later I'm looking like a circus clown and I panic and rush to the mirror and frantically pluck or wax with a racing heart. If I just slowed down and didn't PANIC, I could have even eyebrows and a good paint job on my car!

PS. It looks ok in the twighlight... i guess it doesn't look any worse now than when it had a big strip of vinyl covering the scratch . Just need to learn to take my time...

Skills!

I was awake till 1 in the morning thinking about painting my Datsun last night. I just get like that with my projects sometime. I am just in the process of touching up the paint on my van... and kinda honing my skills for the real thing, my Datsun. As you can see, I wasn't making a good impression as a signwriter with the manky look of my van... so take alook what I did.
I wanted to be a panelbeater when I was at school. And even now I actually find it REALLY fun!
I'm doing the other side today. Actually I'm just waiting for the rust remover to kick in as I write this.

oh yeah, and I just found out that my local paint specialist can fill a custom colour and put it in a spray can for you!! I can't tell you how cool I find that...

Chaka Zulu!

I've been reading old literature again. I know it's not good for me but I can't help myself. The book is "Marie by H Rider Haggard". I've read most of his books, my favourite being Nada the Lilly about the infamous Zulu Warriour King, Chaka Zulu, full of witch doctors, wild savages and wolves howling at the moon.
This book is slightly more tame, but I've drunk it in like water all the same. The heroe is Allan Quartermaine, a young man with luck on his side, an uncanny ability to shoot straight and a man of his word. (I love this stuff!!)
I'm just about to find out what has happened to his wife, whom he left on the day of his wedding to trek out and make an agreement with the Zulu King, Dingaan, who subsequently slaughters the group leaving only Alan alive.
What a story!

I went to the bach again today, stopped the car to take a photo and I'd left my camera on the table. Poo.

Still practicing... and those sqiggles are when I found my pinstriping brush I've never been shown how to use... I've since had a peruse of the internet and seen some great tutorials!

Maraetai

I got to drive out to Maraetai again today to see a client. So on my way home I randomed jumped out of my car and took some photos because it was originally my aim to show how beautiful ol' NZ is. Unfortunately I suck at taking photos, so the last one I included was Maraetai beach found off the internet...

Let me just add, wherever you are in New Zealand, you are never more than

a 20 min drive from the beach. And if you ever come to New Zealand you'll be asked about a billion times "so... what do you think of our country?", don't know why we're so interested... but I know its the first question I ask. Think of something really original and you'll be loved. In fact, if an tourist said "The most unusual thing is that I've never been asked so many times what I think of a country" it would just tickle me pink with laughter. It would be sooo kiwi.

I'd tell everyone.

PS. HERE is a link to my blog post for the next Craft Revolution.

Winter here in Kiwi Land...

and forcast of rain for another week... Good thing I LOVE the rain! Rain on a tin roof is the best sound ever!

Here's some whimsical photos of our mucky old shed...

and yes, the momentum continued... and I've been practicing every day.

Dolly Patterns

oh silly me. This has been on the Dolly Donations blog for two days and I didn't think to link to it.

http://dollydonations.blogspot.com/2010/08/free-easy-beginners-sewing-doll-clothes.html

My dolly patterns have been featured!

Has the momentum begun?

A quick trip to the bach, lovely and cold... but lovely. Just popped up while Catherine was at school and thought... why don't I do this more often?

and since I don't feel like a legitimate signwriter coz I don't practice, I finally pinned a piece of paper to the wall, and practiced!

Now to keep doing it EVERY day...(she says confidently)

A typical New Zealand dairy

These are in every suburb all over New Zealand. They sell milk, newspapers, phone cards and most important when you are a kid.... LOLLIES. I've always had reoccuring dreams, and I used to have this dream alot where I was in a dairy buying all the lollies and chocolate I could lay my hands on... and to be honest, I was still having that dream at 24 years of age!!

A typical New Zealand street

we need a new fence

I asked Mum if we could get one.

She said yes.