Man! Finally finished the Doyle wall! All done in paint by hand... no pounces, (which are pieces of paper with the lettering all copied from an overhead projector).. nope, all marked up by hand from a 10% drawing. Can you tell I'm happy about that?

Speaking of happy. Man! Yesterday was the best day I ever had! I can't get over it. And I spent all day on a roof! So don't ask me why it was so good. It just was.

It's the roof at our bach. I took plenty of 'before' shots, but no 'after' shots, coz it was late and I had to shoot off. I hope to get it done by winter but who knows. At least I got all the rusty bits done and painted over, and I plan to do the rest a section at a time, coz I can only make it up there on Thursdays basically.

Today's work.

It occurred to me 3 coats and 3 hours later that I could have done this part in vinyl in a fraction of the time, but oh well, I'm practicing a skill that not everyone learns these days, and plus, I think it will last longer in the long run.

Sewing late at night, but grateful for every bit of income that comes in. A friend gave me three jackets of take up, and I'm trying to do a really good job... coz they look really flash!!

She also wants me to reupholster a couch for her. I told her I couldn't afford the nightclass fees and shes offered to pay for my nightclasses. So that's cool. I imagine it will come off the price of upholstering her couch, but fair enough! So looks like my work is going to be very varied, which is cool. I like variety! 

And tomorrow I'm going to be trying to finish that big wall, before the bad weather sets in. Yup, still not finished yet! My van back door handle broke and in the end I had to get a new part in because my van is getting too old to get second hand parts. Poor thing! I'm going to need a new one eventually, but how? I'm really gonna have to trust God with that one!

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And we're still hanging onto summer here in NZ. Starting to get a bit chillier though...

The Lord's Provision

So.... apparently I have "stepped out in faith". I never realised that. I just thought that I'd learnt a truth. That God is my provider, that He's spent the last 6 months providing for my needs when we had nothing, and that's all the proof I'll need that He'll continue to do it. I didn't see it as a big "leap of faith".

But anyway, I had a prophecy given to me (my neighbour has the coolest spiritual gift ever), that because I had stepped out in faith, God would respond and bring in heaps more work. And, well, since I cancelled my benefit 4 weeks ago the work has steadily trickled in. And it is a bit miraculous because

1. I have not been advertising

2. My website is currently down

3. I have had next to no sign jobs in the last 6 months

Cool, huh?

Gift of a Maori cloak for the new principal at our daughter's school. (They asked me to signwrite the words. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of that)

And a tshirt I made Catherine's aunty from one of her old ones and screen printed a little Samoan design onto it.

And I've always been convinced that God healed me of Schitzophrenia in 2008, but I'm still on the medication, so it's not really much of a testimoney is it? ("It's the meds keeping you sane, not God!!!").
So I'm slowly coming off them. From 7.5 mls down to 5 now, and slowly down. And if you think it's risky,1. I'm going off them slowly for that reason and 2. When you know youre well, well, you just know. 7 years on the same meds and still as sick as hell. God comes into my li fe and BAM! I never felt like this during that time. Meds make some difference but they don't heal you. So time to put my money where my mouth is... I'll let you know how it goes. (Another 6 months and I'll be off them completely).

...really high!

So I sent Linda a text saying "send me that picture of me up REALLY high!"... and then I got this. Geeze, it doesn't look high at all! But I was moaning and groaning the whole time... it just seems so much higher when youre up there!!

Anyway, slow progress on this wall, but getting there. Infact Ive finished the logo in the area you can see there and Im onto marking the last line of text... Yay!

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And I've been back at Mum's for about a week now... and it's been ok! Being away at the flat must have been really good for me and taught me alot. I've put alot of boundaries in place I think, including my work life. My (old) next door neighbour has the spiritual gift of prophecy ( if you believe in that, which I do) and prophesied my business would do really well since I was taking a step of faith and flat out cancelling my benifet... and so far so good. I gave this quote for a van and pretty much tripled my usual price, and guess what? they still came back! Was not expecting that really.

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And YAAAAAY! again! someone shouted me tickets to go see this guy. Daniel Walker author of God in a Brothel. I bought this for myself for christmas. Hes a kiwi guy who runs an organisation that rescues sex slaves out of brothels in Asia ( and the US too). There are 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today. More today than when slavery was abolished, and most of them are in the sex industry. 

His website is NVADER . Donate if you can... and pray!

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And I'm working away at another dancing dress for Catherine. I'm tempted to post the preliminary attempts but I better not. I'll wait till I've done the draft pattern (and shown the teacher, coz it's all really serious you know).

Almost done one side of the Irish dancing studio that Catherine attends. Was alot more enjoyable with my friend Linda helping me out!

And goodbye flat sweet flat! We are moving out on the 10th of Feb! Temporarily back to mums, then onto the waiting list for a state house which will be waaaay cheaper rent. We had a great time! We survived on $20 a week groceries for 6 months... yet I recon we still ate well! We made friends with the neighbours and had alot of fun! But the best thing about moving out (don't get me wrong, I would have LOVED to have stayed), is that with the stricter benifit laws I decided Im going to cancel my benifit, I'll finally be off the dole. OMG I hate being on the dole. But my expenses were too high. But being in the flat forced me to cut them right down and now I've learnt to live on peanuts I think I can live off what I earn. Well I hope so. I 'm just excited to find out anyhow... which isn't usually like me but I just feel like this is gonna be a good year... it has been so far!

now... not so busy!

So on Sunday I was preparing for the busiest week ever, wondering how I would get it all done before Christmas. 

Now... not so much!

I had this wall to paint and signwrite for my daughters dancing studio. My friend, Linda, graciously offered to help me with, which I really appreciated, coz it was a whole lot more enjoyable having someone to help out.

As you can see, we painted it, but the teachers decided that some of the boards need patching and nailing down before signwriting it... so now it's not an urgent, before-christmas deadline.

Yay! (it's sweltering hot and I get head aches in the sun)

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Job 2. I had to do a creative project for this years church Christmas Experience. I was worried it was a bit too rough, but it'll be one of many projects so it may be ok. (That bottom rip will be cut off).

I find the flustered mum and the naughty/crying kids funny, and I just realised I get my sense of humour from all the Giles cartoon books I read as a kid.

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And this is Catherine on Saturday dancing at the end of year School competition

Shed grown out of her dress a bit, but it  was alright... and she ended coming out 3rd in the beginners section! which I was not expecting at all!! Maybe I should give her some credit sometimes.

PS> Me and Catherine have designed her next years dress already! I'd put the sketches up but I don't want to give too much away... or maybe I will later on. We'll see.

Christmas is upon us, and I won't bore you with pictures of my christmas tree. I will however show you how I imbued our little flat with the spirit of Christmas cheer.

  I have christian neighbors so I'm sure they won't mind. Had something a bit more classy in my mind, but with an hour to spare, this is what you get.

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And I write lists and lists and lists for things. I have a perpetual to-do list I keep adding to. (The Love Faith Hope stickers have been on it since last Christmas) and another thing on the list for at least a year has been to recover the inners of my pillows.

To gross you out, here are the remnants of before...

they actually look worse in real life.

And last night, since we are going to bed on time now, Friday night has became stay-up-late and do fun stuff night. For me fun is making stuff, so I spontaneously did something from 'the list' that's been waiting quite a while.

Now we have yummy white pillow inners that cost no more than $3 to recover.

Church sign...

...finished today!

So now that it's official on facebook I can say my best friend, Teresa... is having a baby! That's a billion times more exciting than I can express.

It was also her birthday yesterday, and I made her these! Little onsies!

I love this pattern and I love the fact that I can make custome coloured onsies instead of the usual blue, pink or yellow kind in stores.

Pattern can be found here.

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Here's my sign I've been working on...

Getting there!

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And finally getting back into the garden again! So I can turn this

into this!

A sign.... and our dumb Government

Still chugging away at my sign but in typical Auckland fashion, although its summer and was sweltering yesterday, I had to come inside because of rain. And now that I'm sitting down to blog, I see it's sunny again!

Well, here's what I managed yesterday...

Here's what I managed this morning before the rain shower...

more to come!

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And on a darker note. Here's what came in the mail yesterday

Yes. A referendum from our Government asking us if we support them selling 49% of our national assets.

We all know what's going to happen people.

It's going to be at least 80% against and they'll do it anyway.

Prove me wrong but voting them out doesnt do much coz whoever we get thinks they know better than us and does whatever they want. Theyll do this one for sure before we have a chance to vote them out anyway.

Blogging break!

No, not a break FROM blogging. A break from my work while I sit down and blog. Lazy bum I know.

Phew! Marked out some lettering on some boards for our church's Christmas Experience. 

In 5 minutes or so I'll be painting it in.

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And in regards to the industrial sewing course I'm thinking about taking, I did ring my uncle and he's prompting to be a bit cautious about spending the last of my savings on a course in an industry which may not have a job at the end of it.

So he's counciled me to do some research.

I've rung one company, and emailed another. Here is part of one email I got:

 I only hire very experienced and fast industrial sewing machinists and the standard hourly wage rate paid to these clever people is only the minimum wage of $13.75, not because I don’t value their skills (believe me, I do!) but because the industry (i.e. my customers, the designers, & ultimately their customers who can buy cheaper imported clothing) isn’t prepared to build higher wage rates into their costs.

So my uncle was right to be cautious but I am going to continue looking into it.

What if I die....

I've been having these thoughts lately. Like what if I die, and one of three people who occasionally read my blog and that actually know me in real life too, spread the URL to my blog on the day of my funeral...and every body I know reads what an insecure, self-absorbed bragging idiot I actually was!

And have I shared things too personal? Should I go back and delete all the cringe worthy posts? I really have been using this blog to vent.(in the past).. coz nobody really knows who I am... except as I said... about 3 people who actually do and could spread it around!!

Yet again....

Ok, so I love making bags. Here they are in my etsy shop. And I officially quit my signwriting business on the 31st of July.... Well that was untill I sat down with my old Bible Study teacher to nut out my budget, and he gently told me I was dreaming. At least do it part time to get a bit of money trickling in, he said. So on I go with my business, yet again.

Maybe I can find a way to make it work. Like set some clear boundaries. Like ring before you come, else you might find me in my nighty dammit! (yes, it has happened).

And maybe turn down the work I can't handle. Just say "I don't do that". Come on Janet... You can do it.SAY NO!

And lastly, maybe don't think I have to jump when they say jump.

Can I do it? I don't know. But I may have to.

of course!

Slowly transitioning from one job to another... just signwriting a car... and then on to the fun stuff... tyedying fabric! It's still pretty hit and miss and the moment. I never really know hows its going to come out. Might dye another pattern on top when it's done, which I do sometimes.

And why didn't I think of this before... shelves! of course!!

How ever did I manage to fit all my stuff in before? Well, lets just say it was one big mess.

Ok, I'm telling half truths... the rest of the garage is still one big mess. But I'm having a "blogging break" , and then back to that mess to get it into some kind of order

This time its for real, I promise

More bags in the shop and 2 more custom orders for friends at church

!

Which leads me to this...

I quit my signwriting business... for good this time, I promise!!

I've actually been telling people and Ill be changing my website soon.

Dont laugh... coz I know this is the third time I've quit!!! but this time I'm just going to go hard out with my bags and speak lots of postive words over my decision. 

PS. somebody actually bought one of my tatting shuttles today.. WOW!

I was so proud of myself for figuring out how to do mitered corners. Well, I googled it, and realised ... I have one of those!! I think it belonged to my grandfather. A miter box that is.

Anyway, I meticulously cut each corner, only to have a massive gap in one corner. Where did I go wrong??

The only thing I could think to fix it was to staple it and bog the gap! EEK! Terrible workmanship. But it's all going to be painted black and hopefully nobody will ever know!!

Ill put up a pic when it's done.  

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I also sponsor a couple of kids in Uganda, but havn't written to them in a couple of months. Catherine made a finger puppet and I thought it was so cool I copied and made one each for my sponsored kids.

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I was also asked to paint up an old dolls house for the sunday school room. I rushed the painting a bit and its REALLY rough. I was just kicking myself when the stripes bled... but it's going to a church and I know they will just lavish praise on me, so it's all good.