Hard, Hot Day at Work

After a pretty warm and busy day back to work today I thought some LSP filled with tea might go down well, along with a couple of Mint Thins (the last two) and my new 2014 diary.
The forecast for Brisbane is looking pretty horrible the next couple of days, 37 and 40 Celsius.  Work does not have air conditioning, neither does home.  I will try to stick near a fan at work and at home.  But anyways, I'll live, it's just a bit hot, right?

Dead Beetle is Lovely

I just want to share this little beetle.  These are common in Brisbane at this time of the year although I cannot find their name anywhere.
This little dead fellow was found when I was walking home and is now having an eternal sleep in a little box.
I love beetles.  Alive ones are always better but I do appreciate and enjoy dead things.

Stamping

Stamps are something that it is hard not to love.  Whether it is a humble potato stamp, store bought stamp, someone else's hand carved handy work, or, best of all, your own hand carved stamp.

I learnt to carve stamps from Kay Watanabe as part of the Hands On Brisbane and truly love the technique and the results.

Today I spent a little time making some more wrap for orders using my own hand carved Your Organ Grinder Anatomy stamps.  I use my stamps to make wrap and tote bags, rather than selling the stamps I carve.

   

Brain Stamp

Chicken Skeleton Stamp

Microscopes and chickens and brains.  oh my!

Tote Bag

Microscope Wrapping Paper

The Walking Dead E-Course

Anyone else doing/done The Walking Dead E-Course on Canvas?

I've not had a chance to really sit down with the content so I have been waiting.  Today I had the urge so sat myself down and started to read.

I think this article is absolutely fascinating and so worth a read.

http://www.broadreachtraining.com/articles/armaslow.htm

On the main topic, though...

Thinking about Self-Actualisation, the idea of Abraham Maslow is also really interesting. When you pursue a creative enterprise you are often seen to be "living the dream."  The truth is the "dream" is a lot of hard work, stress, frustration and headaches!  Maslow studied people he believed to be self-actualised, but were they?Ghandi, Abe Lincoln, Einstein, Beethoven?  Do you think they felt they had achieved what they wanted? Two of those were assassinated and if they kept working would they have achieved more and how much more did they want to achieve.

Maslow says only 2% of the population self-actualise. So I wonder how many who self-actualise feel they have achieved what they wanted? Do they think they go there, or is it just us, looking at them, who think that?

Caterpillar Chrysalis

Last year a caterpillar did a lot of eating on our Desert Rose and I was wondering whether we'd get any more this year.  A few days later I spotted one, and then another, and this is the story so far...

                                                                Yummy Desert Rose!

                                                             First one starts the process.

Dangle Dangle.  It spent the afternoon like this.

Next day.

The second one decided there was just one good spot on the plant. I told the second one that it should not mess with the first one.  It did not listen.

Dangle dangle. 

No. 2 next to no. 1

A couple of days later. 

Pretty little things.

Devastated!  The first one came loose of the leaf and is hanging by thread and then I noticed a hole in it!  Someone ate the little butterfly.  The other one is still looking okay an I am waiting patiently for it to emerge. They are meant to be in the chrysalis for about 2 weeks...it has been almost 3.  So perhaps they are both lost?  I wonder if the recent stormy weather has been a factor. 

These are Common Crow butterfly Chrysalises and are common on Oleander.  My Nana used to have these on her Oleander.  I still scour the Oleander looking for them when I go over to her house.

I love seeing bugs on our plants.  This is why you have plants, to have these beautiful bugs.

Success?

You might already be reading Create and Thrive.  If you aren't I strongly recommend it if you have a handmade business.  This week Jess (blog owner) asked about success in this blog post. Lately I am all over the place with my handmade work, not necessasrily in creativity or creating, or what I am making, but more in how I am feeling about my business and my work in general.  Reading this blog is helping me, a little at a time, to get myself back togther.  This "success" question has really made me think and I am going to put together a little list of what success means to me.  

I Make Stuff

I really like to make things.  I spend most of my time hard at work making something.  I mostly make Anatomy-like this Skin hoop, but I also like to make cute things, quirky things, fun things, edible things and more.

Sometimes I post guides to how I have put something together.  You can find a few little instruction manuals to some of what I do over at Instructables.

Here is me http://www.instructables.com/member/organgrinder/  I even won a little prize for my Terrarium

Instructable.  Yay!

You can even find me teaching some workshops with Hands On Brisbane (in fact I coordinate this program).  But you will more than likely find me learning new crafts at Hands On Brisbane.  Learning new things is my favourite thing about this program.

Hands On Brisbane is held in Brisbane, Australia.Find info here http://www.bleedingheart.com.au/handsonbrisbane/

Our new program will launch quite soon.  We've got Screen Printing, Terrariums, Shrinky Dinks, Block Printing, Stamp Making and much much more.

Little Diorama

I whipped up this little diorama today from a Richard Scarry book and glue.  The little box is made by paper folding (origami) and the details are all cut out of the book.

It is always nice to spend a little time doing something that is not anatomy though I am now thinking about what I can do with anatomy and a little box.  I would really like to learn to work with watercolours and design some of my own little scenes.  This little box will take up home on my desk where I can see it daily and try to think about something I can do. Nature and science and anatomy inspired, of course ;)

Sticky Date Pudding

I love dates!  The fresh ones are one of the best things in life, but at about $3 for 7 or 8 of them I don't buy them much.  Packed dates often have a few dates that are not so good and can ruin the entire date experience. 

The perfect solution is to use the packed dates to make Sticky Date Pudding.  The recipe for this one was found on Pinterest, here http://pinterest.com/pin/297237644127016541/  Pinterest is a great recipe resource.

This pudding was accompanied by a Treacle sauce instead of the usual caramel.  The treacle sauce is 2 tbsp treacle in a saucepan, heating, add 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp butter and let those dissolve. Then add approx 2tbsp cream, stir through and warm.  Let everyone get their own sauce :)

THE BEST! 

What I did today.

Thursdays are my full day off work and I try to use them as effectively as I can to get work done for Your Organ Grinder.  These days I sit at my desk and watch my tiny little tv.  Today my viewing was "Cheese Slices,"  the tv series about cheese, and Escape From New York, the movie with Kurt Russel as Snake Plisskin and, of course, my regular viewing, Prisoner, the 80's aussie drama set in a womens prison.

During my work time I started adding anatomy to a HUGE bear I am working on for someone, sketched an archaeoptryx and worked on some hearts.

How do you spend your making days?

Feeding the Geese

My Partner and I have started taking chicken seed down to the pond near his place.  We have been feeding it to the geese who very quickly realised what the shaking container means.

Almost instantly a couple of them ate from our hands. The other ducks and birds in the area also come over for some seed, including my favourites, the wood ducks.

During the horrible weather last weekend, one of the geese was injured and has since disappeared.  Before that a duck (pet looking duck) was also hanging out in their group.  He has also disappeared.  So just the 3 geese now.

They are very funny when they hiss, bob their heads, and waggle their tails.  Anyone know what these displays are all about?

Chicken with a bad sinus?

 I've had a little trouble with my Chook, Lenny, recently.  Lenny came down with a very watery and mucousy eye. I took him to the vet the day after finding his watery eye and the vet diagnosed a respiratory infection.  A week later Lenny's eye had cleared up but around the eye had become puffy.  My vet did some research on the problem and came to the conclusion Len had a sinus infection and potentially an impacted sinus.  Len stayed on his antibiotics and despite my worries he was going to need surgery (or potentially to be euthanised), his vet gave him a fairly promising outlook today and thinks that things should return to normal but to be vigilant of the eye area and that this kind of problem will certainly recur. 

Happy days for Lenny I think!

Lenny and the ladies (Lola, in the front, and Snotty)

Me sitting with Lenny when he had to have his antibiotics.  He is having a little bit of a sleep.  

Creating an Ear Drum

My current project is making an Eardrum.  I first made an eardrum a few years ago as a custom order.  The process of creating the eardrum for that order was long and I was asked to re-make a lot of things as they weren't perfect.  As the first time was such a task I was never very keen to make another one, even though it has always been on the list.

This year I am tackling a lot of new projects and new ways of designing pieces so thought it was time to give the ear drum a second go.

The process is going well, though slowly, and much more relaxed than the original piece. I like all of the little parts to it, it is like building something.

Etching Brass

My partner and I were having a talk about possibilities of things to make from the drawings I had been doing.  My partner is an electronics maker and has experience with making circuit boards.  Making them involves a bit of etching with chemicals of the copper on the boards.  He suggest we make an one of my drawings into an etched brass "thingy."

First Step above:  Take the image and size it as well as give it thicker, solid lines and touch it up in general.

Second Step:  Put the drawing on some Brass, this is done with a laser printed and some transfer paper (for this kind of thing).

Third Step:  Apply some Green stuff that is an extra barrier on top of the scan.  This photo (above) is the back of the piece which is solid.

Fourth Step:  Make some Etching stuff up and then stand there for almost 2 hrs etching it.  Partner is currently working on a spray etcher to get the process down to 10-15 minuters for up to 50 pieces...

Ohhhh, its almost there!

And done! This photo shows the hand put inside its outer shape.

Voila! Brilliantly Awesome Hand!  Yeh-hes!  Polished up with Ajax!

I Like Packet Cake!

Yep! I do really like Packet Cake Mix. Now don't string me up too quickly. I am the first to admit that a lot of packet cake mix does taste a little bit like poison mixed with acid, flour and sugar. I usually just buy the 79c (of is it 69c) HomeBrand cake mix in the vanilla or buttercake. They are great to use as a base when you are doing something where it isn't just a cake. I used a Buttercake mix to make an apple crumb cake. I cooked my own apples and made my own crumb mix and even made custard (it was packet custard though, heck from scratch stovetop custard is poop!) Or Lemon Curd Butterfly Cakes. I made the curd from scratch (and tbh Lemon Butter tastes nicer) and whipped cream and cut out all those cakes.

I only have so much free time, and I like to make more fiddly recipes, so cake from scratch isnt worth the time when a packet mix is an okay stand in.



Two weeks ago Mum picked up two new Packet Mixes from Woolworths, Duncan Hines Brand. This Brand is American, with instructions in both English and Spanish.

She made the Chocolate ones (a crap load of cupcakes!) first. My gosh, these are the best chocolate cakes I have had! The most wonderful thing is how light they are. They were just stunningly light and airy and yet moist and delicious. Mum didn't put on icing and I wouldn't recommend it, icing would ruin them. If you like something with your cake just a dollop of fresh cream.

Today she did the vanilla, as pictured. This cake isnt as nice as the chocolate one but it is still amazingly light and airy yet moist.

In particularly like that the recipe calls for three eggs. From baking with Silkie Eggs I learned that adding extra yolk (silkie eggs are half the weight of regular chook eggs, but the yolk is almost as big, so in baking you'd use two eggs which would give you double yolk) gives a very moist cake.

Anyone else out there like a good Packet Cake Mix? And what are your favourite brands and types?

In Memory of Pinchy

Pinchy, my pigeon, died not too long ago.

We had Pinch for 7 years. Pinchy was found by my mum on the footpath when she was heading to school to pick up my sister. We dont know what happened to Pinchy to be lying there but it was suspected he may have been attacked by a hawk. Pinch never recovered the full abilities of his legs and wings and was disabled for the 7 years we had him.

Pinchy and I used to have afternoon naps on the couch. He really loved those naps and would get grumpy when I would wake him up to put him away. He sat beside me on the couch while I watched Prisoner and did my needlefelting and the dog would sometimes bring him her toys to show off.

As with most birds and most animals, Pinchy was more bonded with me than anyone else. Pinchy was a pretty good friend to have. Even if he did encourage me to nap for hours on the couch.

On Making Hearts.

The first time I made my old style of heart I was pretty happy with the result. I think the heart was the 2nd or 3rd Body Part I tried to make and the image I worked off was an easier one.

Hearts are one of those things where everyone seems to represent them differently and concentrate on different elements being important. Sometimes it the fat on the front you see first, sometimes its the valves, sometimes the whole heart is all about the veins and arteries feeding it.

I based my new heart design on a diagram that showed the veins and arteries, the chambers and to a lesser extent the valves (they are just kinda hinted at if you know where to look. This New Heart has only been twice and the first two are gifts for a cardiologist and heart surgeon. I hope they love them!

Cocoon Caterpillar Friends

I wish I knew what these caterpillars in these cocoons were. I know they are caterpillars who make a cocoon and carry it about with themselves, but I'd like to know their name and what their story is. Why they are carrying around these cocoony caravans?

These caterpillar are pretty tiny, about 1-2mm width each, and the cocoons are 1-1.5cms long with holes at each end (easy to change your direction). They hang out in the downstairs bathroom and come out mostly at night. The night I took this photo there were 6 of them visible. I always move them out of the way of the foot traffic but I'm sure they just hump along back to wherever they were.

I'm Baaaack.

It certainly has been a L O N G time since I wrote on this blog, heck, the last time was June 6 2010! I have decided to start using it again this year, and for my first new post, a competition! YAY!

The prize is the Sebastian Ghastly Brooch, and the Umbrella Necklace shown in the photo. Who can resist Sebastian Ghastly, this guy is super awesome, look at him preen his footsy. The Umbrella is drawn by me on calico and fixed to felt with a ribbon loop to attach the charm to the nacklace.

To win these just leave a comment. I will randomly choose the winner on Feb 1.

This competition is open to everyone worldwide!

Win Some Alice!

Want to win these Alice in Wonderland Goodies? The set includes a bag tag and a keyfold.

This is the last of this Alice Fabric I have, and its now up for grabs for one of you lucky duckies!

To go into the draw all you have to do is become a fan on Facebook (or as it is now a LIKER on facebook) and then comment on this blog post using the comments below. In your comment tell me your favourite moment from Alice In Wonderland, either the book or any of the movies!

So ....
Step A/ become a fan of my facebook page which can be found here http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=185113639339#!/pages/Simmone-Grinder-The-Little-Orchard-and-Your-Organ-Grinder/185113639339

Step B/Post a comment below telling me your favourite moment from Alice in Wonderland, either the book or the movies.

I LOVE in the Tim Burton film when the Cheshire Cat mashes his claws into the Hatters hat. In the book its probably Humpty Dumpty or the goat in the train car.

Competition closes on June 30. Open to Aussies and International.

Thanks Cool Cats!