Could we start a Llama farm?

My Skermunkel necklaces
(the oval one I've had for about 4 months & wear all the time!)

We have had such a busy time as, on top of everything else, we are trying to source a new place to live...the options are so vast that it is not making the decision very easy.

We went to the design indaba yesterday. It was fantastic. We ended up being there for 7 or so hours.

I bought 2 necklaces from Skermunkel (liked 2 & could not choose - a heart with a ship & a cape sparrow)...a handbag like my sister in laws one that I absolutely love-hers is red-i found i blue one...and Geoff bought me a fantastic felt hat which has started a new train of options including obtaining land and a flock(?) of llama!

31 days to go. Who knows what might happen. Just trust it will work out for the best.

Wedding Gift

These cups are my first attempt at working with porcelain! I've been working with a clay called Fenix for the past 3 months but I wanted to make a very special, fine porcelian wedding gift for Gill & Vincent's wedding on Saturday past: Porcelain cups with knitted & felted mug-cozies!

I made the cups at home...had them bisque fired at CPS...got them back...decorated them with a black underglaze pencil...got them into a friend's glaze firing (matt glaze)...I can hardly believe I managed to finish these on time!


Decorations:

I wrote snips of poems by ee cummings:

"Tomorrow is our permanent address"

"I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)"

"Love is more thicker than forget"

"Nothing except the impossible shall occur"

As well as a little illustration of the relative words...and some leafy twigs.

The cozies are knitted from 100% merino solids & lightly felted (I didn't make handles as I wanted to rather knit cozies)

This is how I packaged them:

The styrofoam container was wrapped in black and white polka dot tissue paper...tied with a thick black satin ribbon. It was a great way to finish this project :)

The House That Jack Built

We slept with the doors and windows wide open when we were in Stillbay. It is such a relief to not have to worry about anything happening. Earlier today, Geoff was at his shop and had hidden his wallet...but it somehow disappeared anyhow. People say that this happens all the time. As if that makes anything better. Its inexcusable. Its an outrage - any type of abuse on another human being.

Theft is such a cruel type of emotional abuse - one looses something that you treasure (in this case, a very special soft leather wallet chosen out of hundreds & the only awesome thing I found on my trip 2 years ago to Hong Kong) to someone who will most proabably take what they want and ditch the special item in a bin somewhere.

I am feeling so angry. Makes me feel like moving to Stillbay (or an abandoned island - will suit my diet!!) as soon as possible.

View from Kitchen/Lounge

Jack and Me'shell's house is a Cape Dutch / Greek Mansion / French style place where spaces are large and decor is simple. The views are spectacular & the lack of traffic noise is a dream.

We stayed in one of the flats at the bottom of their house (kitchen/lounge, bedroom, bathroom) & I managed to get a fair amount of work done in the kitchen/lounge area. Complete peace.

Kitchen/Lounge

Stuck

So we finally set off in George direction - about 3 hours later than we wanted to...only to have a burst water pipe. Why life throws things like this in multitude...kicking you in is down...I just dont know.

Geoff had to run down to a river at the side of the road (just after SrLowry's Pass) 3 times to fetch more water to stop the car overheating.....

We managed to get to Grabouw and found a plumbing / hardware shop that was open till 6pm. Thank goodness as it was just before 5pm... we managed to Macgyver the broken part with bits of pipe and clamps...Unfortunately it had to keep getting fixed.

We finally arrived in Stillbay at around 12.30pm. Exhausted.

Another Lake Trip

Yesterday Geoff decided that we should go to the 'Coca Cola' dam at the top of Redhill mountain...an easy half hour walk each way (which in actual fact turned out to be a 50 minute walk each way!)... We collected Robyn and her dogs - Flash & Zorro - in Kommetjie & set off.
It was such a beautiful day - not too hot - and the walk was really amazing! It was a bit chilly at the lake (wind & clouds) so we mostly threw sticks for the dogs & lazed about next to the water... It feels so good to have got out and about & done some excersise!

The other exciting thing that happened this weekend is that on Friday night, we had dinner at my sister's place & I had two huge treats:

1. T'Neal played her guitar and sang for us

2. I felt Grace kick for the first time (unborn baby 22weeks in my sister's womb!)...and it wasn't a girly kick either!