~ Vanessa Restall - Bags and Racewear ~

Yet another of our talented mums at school is Vanessa Restall.  Vanessa lives a long way from most people ... Wernadinga Station, in far, far north West Queensland.  All in a day's work for Vanessa is the usual - looking after a family, house, garden, schoolroom and then finds time to make these lovely bags.  I've never done 'bag making' and not really interested  -  so much easier to just marvel at someone else's skills and admire their work...

Vanessa's makes everything from tote bags to very feminine pieces and fascinators that would be gorgeous with an outfit for the races.

Happy Browsing!  ( ... and I have Vanessa's contact details if anyone would like to see more!)

 

  

 

  

 

  

   

 

 

  

 

 

  

~ find something beautiful every day ~

~ Karen Price - Jewellery Creations ~

I was lucky enough to exhibit my goodies the other day in Mt Isa at our school seminar and was in very good company.  We've found there are some mums who love to craft in their 'spare' time (of which there is little out here) and are very good at it.

As long as I've known Karen Price (of Mimong Station, Julia Creek), she has been making lovely jewellery.  Her pieces vary from being pretty bracelets to bold and statement pieces.  She sells her jewellery through various stores and her pieces are very popular at Western Race meetings as well as with the mums at school.

Enjoy browsing through her pieces and if you'd like to contact Karen, please let me know and I can pass on her details for you .

Rose bracelet

Pink and lime button necklace

Freshwater pearls with shilling and silver beads

Jelly Beads Necklace

Black and white button necklace

 

Keishi freshwater with shilling and heart

Lime foils with white pearls

Multi-coloured button necklace

Multi-coloured double strand freshwater

Triple strand freshwater - pink, yellow, lime and clear quartz

Karen's new creation

~  find something beautiful every day ~

~ Inspired By Green ~

My new treasury ...  click on the words below the picture of the ViNtAGe LaB BeAKeRs to take you there!

Fields of Green - New Treasury by dkshopgirl

fabulous finds

It feels like forever since I've done a post on favourite finds! 


Here's some lovely pieces to pop on your wish list - Happy Humpday :-)

Paris Bois Violette Shop - art illustration - shellsherree

 

 

 

 

 

Huge Blue Floral Heat with Silver Heart Chain - marikaking

 

Vintage Rotary Dial Telephone in Dark Brown - NeverTooOld

Vintage Uncle Sam 3 Coin Register Bank - bluesandbranches

10 Vintage French Tart Tins - simplyfrenchvintage

 

11 x 14 Sunday Sundae - WhatICanSee

Summer Evening, 8 x 10 fine art print - AVeryStory

 

Sweet Eyelet Trim - can't wait for this to arrive!  - MrWalker

Oh My So Shabby Chic Vintage White Scroll Metal Frame - mysparrowsnest

 

~ find something beautiful every day ~

Mosaic Chair Project

On the way back from Mt Isa the other day, I finally managed to stop and have a good look at the mosaic chair, that the local Julia Creek Arts Council ladies (including yours truly) all contributed towards making under the professional guidance of the lovely and amazing mosaic artist Claudia Williams.

We started the project in mid 2010 and it was finished in May this year.  Our extended wet season and everyone's busy schedules delayed finishing the chair, but the result is fantastic.  My only regret is that I couldn't get to town on the last few workshops to help (mostly due to ill children and our road being impassable due to the wet weather).

The design was inspired by the "Flinders Poppy" - a wildflower that grows in our Shire in the toughest conditions.

The long and not so 'winding' road home...

The Finished Chair - now taking pride of place in Peter Dawes Park, Julia Creek.

Flinders Poppies growing roadside, north of Julia Creek

Mothers Day

Have spent the last few days packing, finishing office work and making 'to do' lists in readiness for our big trip to Mt Isa.

We're off to the annual Home Tutor Seminar organized by our school.  We're just one of the families living in the Australian outback who home school.  All our kids will get to spend 3 days with their friends (that they hardly ever see) and teachers doing school and fun activities.  The rest of us (mums, home tutors and governesses) spend our the days attending organized workshops which usually result in great ideas on how to 'educate your children' and hopefully squeeze in a bit of socialising too. 

After the sports day on Friday, we all start the long drive home tired, but so glad we did it (for the kids). 

... So ... before we go ... it's Mother's Day on Sunday and we don't really make a big deal of it, but I'm expecting/hoping our 4 fab children will draw me some masterpieces to hang on my office wall, or a bunch of flowers from our garden. 

.. and a few more lovely finds below to enjoy Mothers Day with a cuppa .... 

Lilac Blossom Still Life with Tea Rose China Teacup - lilydove

Belle Jardin Skirt - AllThingsPretty

Soldered Pendant with Vintage Chinese Stamp - Jaybird10

Large Vintage Garden Trug - ethanollie

Tiny Victorian Cottage - via

New York Times Home and Garden 

... the perfect getaway  ... exquisite !!!

Just in time ...

I just noticed this morning - one of my patches of bromiliads have started flowering!  This doesn't happen very often and I was so excited that I just had to share it with you!

... perfect timing  ... now I can be assured of a bunch of flowers on Mothers Day  ...