This and that

 

Saturday was spent in the DEP studio-gallery-shop. As well as attending to customers I set and printed a postcard regarding the importance of seeing and holding on to fragments of beauty in dark times. The words we by John O'Donuhue. I used a 24pt script type - the lowercase is quite small - took a bit of time to compose. You might be able to pick up a typo that I didn't pick up until I had finished printing and cleaned up and put the type away.

Today I managed to finish the last of the leaf tea caddy spoons and leaf teaspoons. The metal working gloves on the bench have just about seen their day.

I also cut up and annealed about 30 largish copper blanks for a future project; and cut and sanded 3 hardwood cubes for another future project. Both those projects will be revealed at a later date. Turned out to be a full weekend.

Functional pieces

 

I sell quite a few of my functional items (ladles, leaf spoons, leaf pate knives, leaf tea caddy spoons) through one of our local shops - Maleny Additions. Apparently they have had a bit of demand for my bits and pieces recently and asked me to replace stock - so that is what happened today - production. 

I quite like the photo above showing a stash of leaf tea caddy spoons after the first couple of stages of production. I like how they are nestled together.

My aim is to make at least: 7 leaf tea caddy spoons; 7 leaf teaspoons; and 7 leaf pate knives. The process photos below show I made quite a bit of progress.

But  I only got the 7 pate knives finished.

More work to be done on Sunday.

After gentle rain

 

We had a little gentle rain overnight - enough to water the new bushes and ground covers we have planted over the past month. The gardenia above, planted just over a month ago, flowered for the first time overnight - beauty and droplets combined.

Bees were not deterred by the droplets and so found tiny blossoms that were sheltering under the grevillea.

The wind and rain had resulted in many blue quandong fruit on the path and under the tree.

Many other blossoms on my walk this morning held onto their rain droplets- including Fiona's new favourite purple flowered ground cover and heath myrtle.

And a couple of Graham's orchids including the thick 'wall' of dancing lady blossoms.

Thanks, press play etc

 

A very big thank-you to the heap of folk who took the time to visit us at Deckled Edge Press yesterday for our open studio. Also a very big thank you to the folk who sent messages of support via FB.

People had a bit of fun playing on a few of the presses including with a wood question mark on the galley press; and had the opportunity to see a range of our work; and also bought our work. 

It was great to see familiar faces and a few new ones; and good have the chance to show the studio and workspace off to some who had not seen it.

A few photos associated with the presses and press play. Chases locked up for printing; a bit of colour; and a few of the prints.

Though we are a bit physically tired today - we are also energised by the fact that we can share art with people who get our art - we are thankful that we have such folk in our lives.

Setting up for the open studio tomorrow (21 Nov)

 

In the main today was given over to tidying things away and setting up for our open studio tomorrow. The photo above shows part of the set-up. You can see that posters are an addition to our stock with a lovely small exhibition of some framed pieces in time for the open studio.

 No only will there be many gorgeous things on offer but everything will be 10% off; and if people want they can try their hand at printing a word card, a book mark, wood type printing and embossing printing - all good fun.

A few more photos of the set-up

Some product - lots of earrings and pendants including tiny book earrings and book pendants.

And also artists' books as well.

And of course salad servers and ladles

The doors open at 10am - looking forward to seeing folk there.

A Scottish weather walk and other fragments

 

We woke to quite an overcast morning - rain yesterday afternoon and a bit more during the night. It certainly looked like it was going to be a raincoat type of walk - felt a bit like being in Armadale at the cottage.

The weather lifted a bit by the end of the walk and seemed to allow the bees to get active as you can see from the photos at the beginning - they love the large magnolia flowers. 

The early part of the walk had droplets as reminders of the rain.

I love the purple carpets of Jacaranda blossom on the road and cars under the trees.

Yesterday afternoon before the rain we had a swarm of butterflies passing through - some could not resist the temptation of stopping to have a meal on the Lavender bush below the deck.

And it can't be iPhoneograpy on Wednesday without sharing one of Graham's orchids when they are blossoming. Magic tiny white orchid.

Our tiny veggie garden likes the rain and warmth - tomatoes are beginning to form.