@samanthadennisonartist

 

Albany has no commercial gallery. So to have my paintings on display and for sale at the Albany Visitor Centre is a Very Good Thing. They went up yesterday. Hooray!

 

 

To celebrate this step towards my dream life as a professional artist, I have decided to change a few things.



One of these changes is to my instagram name - a clarification and declaration - to @samanthadennisonartist.

 

Labelling myself as an Artist does not come easily. For many, many years I have been a Teacher, and I still am, with the work I do as the Education Facilitator to a group of determined young mummies one day a week. But with painting taking up more of my creative time, and with my painting now in a public arena, it seems a good idea to make it more official.

 

I am a Teacher. I am also an Artist.

 

My family tell me it was always so.

 

Life is good.

Scary, too.

 

xxx

 

 

Thanks, Robert, for the saying.

I'm choosing not to change my blog name yet, but I will be changing a couple of other things about it soon.

I have also changed my Facebook address to coincide: facebook.com/samanthadennisonartist

I like to knit, too. Obviously.

These last two weeks - November 24

 

 

1. I finished some Christmas presents - two knitted boy beanies, and three crocheted cotton washcloths inspired by onecraftymumma's dishcloth swap;
2. We had visits from three cheeky frogs who found themselves in a supposed Shangrila, aka our girls' toilet. So ensued the 'frog check' routine, which soon lost its charm, especially at 3am. 
3. I finished another painting, "Mistaken Island";
4. Miss M's soccer wind-up was held on a magic day at Frenchman's Bay - heaps and heaps of kids of different ages, all playing together and helping each other in the water - truly awesome.
5. I finally got a much needed haircut;
6. The blue tutu-ed twins experienced their first ever concert week of dance extravaganza rehearsals and performances - all 3 and 1/2 hours of it - with great energy, excitement and success (not to mention relief on Mummy's part), and;
7. I had two of my paintings accepted for display and sale at the Albany Visitor Centre. Yay!

Busy, busy. As ever.

Life is good. Hope all is well with you.

xxx

Meghan Dress

I'm getting closer in my 'perfect-summer-dress-for-me' search - I have finished my first Meghan Dress - yay!

Designed by Sis Boom, the pattern has been around for a while. It is, as many have reviewed, easy to follow and easy to sew. I even lined mine, a technique I haven't tried before.

I also seem to be getting closer to the 'perfect-fabric-for-me', but once again, I have selected a fabric print with too much tonal contrast, when I should really work with more of a solid.

Even so, I'll sew this pattern again, for sure!

xx

The Staple Dress

I'm searching for the perfect-for-me-summer-dress pattern because it is time to let my ever favourite Schoolhouse Tunic go! (or maybe just until the weather cools down again....)

I looked at the Washi Dress pattern, and even downloaded it, but decided The Staple Dress is more my style.

I made it, I shirred it - shirring for the first time ever using the assistance of the excellent online tutorial from Made by Rae (who designed the Washi Dress that I didn't end up making- oops!) - and now I have a new dress for summer! Hooray!!

And is it the perfect-for-me-summer-dress? 

 

I don't think so, but I'll have a better idea after I make it again with a purpose bought fabric rather than grabbing any old fabric I happened to have in my rather limited stash at the time.

With that, my search continues, but as I already have another pattern traced and ready to cut, hopefully it may not be too long before I get there!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

xx

 

P.S. Don't you just love Ken in the bottom corner of the dress photo? He's such a schmoozer!! Can you just make out the other dolly on his right side? Ha!!

This month





 

This month.....

• included two weeks of school holidays,
• we went on a family holiday and stayed at a divine cottage in Nornalup for three nights (thank you, Aunty Jan!)
• the girls all had their first fishing expedition - it didn't last long but it put smiles on their faces!
• we visited quite a few artists who were showing their work as part of the Southern Art Trail (it was awesome!!) These paintings are by Serena MacLauchlan at Hotchin Gallery.
• I got a crocheting bug - three cowls later.....
• I managed to finish another little oil seascape painting - yay!
• my love affair with the Schoolhouse Tunic entered its seventh episode, this time with a gorgeous purple linen,
• my football team did NOT win the Grand Final, but I still love them!!!
• Miss M started to learn how to use the sewing machine - she has yet to earn her learner's permit (which means she can use the machine without me having to constantly supervise), but she is almost there,
• I experienced my first ever blogger/insta-meet - I bumped into Kate from 2littlebanshees while we both happened to be browsing the fabric racks at Albany Spotty at the same time.
• we celebrated Miss M's birthday with a BIG party and the most decadent ice-cream cake of all time!! Happy Birthday, my girl!!
• I have (obviously) had a break from my blog.

And it is good to be back.

 xx



Saving the (Birth)day!!

My twin girls had their birthday last week, and as usual, in the lead up to the Big Day, we talked about the Birthday Cake/s they would like me to make for them. 

 

I thought I was so clever.

 

"Girls, this year for your birthday, you can share one decorated theme cake or you can have an easy cake each." (FYI, an Easy Cake = coloured icing with Smarties and Freckles on top, my supposedly failsafe, go-to method for cake decorating)

 

"Easy cakes, Mummy!!" they shouted.

 

 See? Easy!

 

 

Until Miss J, on seeing her baked, circular and cooling-on-the-rack cake, burst into tears.

 

"But Mummy, my cake is meant to have straight edges."

 

What??

 

"And where is the beach and water going to go? I had a dream about my cake. And what about the boat?"

 

Er... what boat, my darling?

 

"Izzy's!!!!!"

 

Er... who is Izzy?

 

 

 

Izzy, it turns out, is the girl character in Miss J and E's current favourite licensed animated series which includes automated sailing ships, a captain with a hook, and a cheeky flying boy in green clothes who helps to save the day.

 

Quick! Grab the DVD cover, copy it twice, cut out, laminate, trim, and stick into icing on cakes between some Smarties. Phew!!

 

And of course, in the midst of all the birthday party craziness, the only photo I managed to take was one after everyone had left. Not an Izzy to be seen anymore, but I remember what the cakes looked like.

 



 

In fact, I'm thinking I will never, ever forget.

Do you have a favourite cake decorating moment? Or technique?
Do you have any stress/time saving ideas for kids' parties? Successful and not so successful ideas (like mine!) are most welcome - I have another party to organise in three weeks and I could do with all help I can get!!

Have a great week!

 xx

Building

 

 

My honey is happy. He has built himself a wall.

 

This has solved a number of problems.

 

First, the new wall replaces the old retaining wall that just wasn't retaining much at all. Second, G has saved us some serious money by doing it himself. And third, but most importantly, it means he can now plant the vegie patch he has been planning.

 

He has missed his garden. He has missed growing his own food, working in an organic manner. He has missed pottering about in the patch, getting up early or staying out late into the evening.

 

Now that he has his new vegie patch to plan, plant and prosper, he is a very happy lad.

 

 

Do you need to have projects to keep you happy?

What project are you working on right now?

 

Happy, happy Spring, everyone!

 

 

xx