Pam Holland Designs and Productions

Covered in Koala.

It's been just one of those days.

Husband Keith mowed the lawn today and the painter who was working nearby tells me he lost his glasses twice during the process.

I looked up to see him wandering around the garden.... he had lost them again.

In the past Keith has chewed 5 pairs of glasses with the lawn mower.....!!!!

So we set about looking for this pair and I admit to mumbling a lot...

After lunch, he begins the mowing again..... 10 minutes later... he brings me this.

pair no 6. and by they way they are prescrition glasses.....!!!! OI !!!

I shared on facebook that we had a young visitor yesterday... a young male Koala.

He was  sitting in the fork of the tree about 7 foot up. I kept the dogs inside and after an hour decided to let them out.

About 10 minutes later the painter came into the studio, he was quite breathless.

It seems the Koala went down on the ground to go to another tree.... dog Lionel got too close.. the Koala jumped on his back and the painter had to use his foot to free poor Lionel who was completely covered in Koala...He had scratches on his tummy and a puncture on his foot. It wasn't serious, but it could have been.

I rang the vet, she burst out laughing, she had never seen a dog attacked by a koala.... poor Lionel.

During the afternoon, Grand daughter Savannah was playing with her craft box (she's 3 years old) so the scissors in her box are not sharp and are like pinking shears...

Suddenly we heard this terrible yelping... The painter ran in once again..... Lionel steals anything on the floor, he helped himself to the scissors and got them wedged in his teeth...

Gees Louise.

 Just before dinner, all was quiet and then another commotion... Lionel had found a blue tongue Lizard and bought it into the studio....He was about  18 inches long and very angry... hissing and sharing his blue tongue....

To date he is somewhere still in the studio under the fabric stash...

It's a beautiful morning.

recycling.

What a day and it's only half way through.

Had a great meeting with my book designer.... it's soooooo exciting.

Then we bought a car (well ordered it).

Now you can have one built  for you... bright red, cream leather seats, wood paneling ... a sun roof... it has all the bells and whistles...you just press a button to dial.... "Ring Keith" and it rings your phone..... wooow.

I bought more bright knitting needles... some old books and vintage playing cards....

Recently, the price ticket on the garment I purchased was an old playing card with the price stuck on the front...

I thought it was wonderful...

So,

I bought some old cards today for 25 cents, printed my name etc on card, stuck it to the back of the card and then laminated them and added ribbon...

I will give them to the people who are on the tour bus in Ireland with me.

Cost, about 50 cents for 50 cards.!!! but a lot of work.

I'm Tasmanian, and these vintage cards are perfect.

 

Color, Color, Color.

I wasn't able to work much yesterday, but I did a few other interesting things...

I spent time with 3 groups of Grandies and I while I was waiting for Tilly to finish school (to go to the next event,) I did the op shops...

I found wonderful vintage knitting needles.... (I only want old colored ones)

Great colors.

 

My parcel arrived from Cherrywood.... OOOOOOh sooooo delicious.

MMMMMMMM

THEN, I unpacked the dinner set I designed in Mexico......

Wooooow.....

This is a large platter over 2 feet across... great for family functions.

This is the saucer I designed..... mmmm bright.!!!!

Small coffee cups for middle eastern coffee.

Blog on the copyright issue.

There has been a great deal of discussion on this subject.

Of course it is very relevant to my Teaching and designing peers. No one is safe in this situation, but I find it hard to work my way through the various blogs and stories, so this is the last I have to say on the topic.

 

However, I think you might find this blog interesting.

 

http://www.stashbooksblog.com/

 

 

New Books.

Working, working and trying to be very disciplined and not get side tracked.

I ordered some new books to add to my library yesterday.... They take about a week to come so it's like getting Christmas presents as they arrive one by one.

 

I devour my books with a passion and they give me a great source of pleasure and interests.

OK, I'm sad to say, they are less than half price by purchasing them online and are delivered free from England.

It would cost me $15 to drive to town to purchase just one of the books...  some of these are not stocked here in Australia.

I guess that's the way it is these days....

Tested out a new car yesterday..... Nup, we need to re-think, it was fancy and had all the bells and whistles... but not as good as the car I drive now.....!!!!

 

 

 

The rise of the Creative Class.

It was a wonderful weekend, I caught up on a lot of work, completed a big assignment, visited with family and friends and attended an Design/art Market.

 

Image shot for my assignment.

Think about Art,

Think about design,

Innovation, talent and an ability to market.

It was all there, even the guys were impressed.

I realized that I need to market my art much more.... so I'm going to make cards, print more fabric with my illustrations on.

 

I bought this little gem for Lily. A recycled sweater... decorated.....!!!  love it. I think Tilly and I need to work on some for her too.

These were purchased from Textile Allsorts.

She had some interesting textile art for sale too.

I purchased some scrap fabric packs to do "something with"

Whoops.... I'm going to add this piece and a label I pinched from another garment to these pants.

And these are my new luggage tags and passport cover.!!! how neat.

As I walked around the venue, there wasn't a decorated tissue box or even any thick heavy pottery in sight.

The vendors are young, they sell on Etsy and many work from home, The jewelry is fresh and innovative, the fabric is just wonderful.

The husbands went in one direction and enjoyed the 'new' vintage swimsuits and those who modeled them... they also loved the Frida Khalo lanterns, but friend Jan and I loved the finer goods presented. !!!

Its creativity at its best and in a way it a new movement.... or is it just revisited.?

 

"Creativity is the highest of education. Education is the spearhead of economic growth. It is then no wonder that the Creative Class is leading the economic charge and boom".

The Rise of the Creative Class

by Roy Posner
(for Growth Online)

 

 

One more week and this quilt will be finished...!!

I'm finishing a quilt that should have been completed 3 months ago...

But a break from the Bayeux has been good and I'm quilting to the max.

This is an interesting quilt... it's darn big and has been in part a collaboration... I'm quilting the heck out of it and adding a huge amount of extras in the way of applique over the piecing and the notebook quilts.

I've actually learned a lot as I've worked on it... and now I'm "quilting over the quilting" and applique. Should I call it "double quilting"

Considering that the  stitching  is really  intense in the first place... using a fine thread to achieve a sketched effect has been  challenging because it is going through so many layers. The effect I wanted was to free the heaviness of the machine applique and create a lighter effect....

So in the wee hours of the morning, I got it done. I'm not allowed to show you the whole quilt...but those of you coming to Ireland will see it.

But this is what I was working on this morning.

 

I used a 60/8 sharp needle and the bottom line poly thread in the top and bobbin to get the fine effect.

I've used lots of different threads and needles in this project... it's been fun...

I've experimented a lot with threads, tension and different needles and I've written it down for future use. The reason, I'm pleased I did this is that I had another beginning Tutor tell me that my methods and use of fine needles didn't work...

"If you use a fine needle the thread breaks all the time".

I didn't argue with her.

You know we don't all have the answers, there are so many variables, type of machine, threads, needles, tension. Everything needs to be taken into consideration. So in writing down what works for your machine is an insurance that you get it just right in the first place.

I wonder if anyone recognizes this image of the woman in my applique.?

 

 

What was it.

12.30 am, the alarm went off.... it's piercing and lights flash all over the house.

I jumped out of bed and raced out to the studio....

All was quiet.

 

The security company rang.... I never remember the password.!!!

Then back to bed... suddenly, the dogs were barking...  They rarely bark, so back out to the studio....

Nothing.

Back to bed and more barking dogs....

This time I slept downstairs and had all the lights on outside... Lionel, kept running back and forth in an agitated state.... looking at the studio.

In the mean time, my husband slept through the lot while I dealt with a possible intruder....!!

It could have been a person, a possum or a Koala.

I slept on the chair downstairs all night. !! fun.

Wrapping with Textiles.

Textiles surround us and recently on facebook I found this photo.... I love it.

I'd love to do that to the trees at my house... but I can imagine the children...

"Mum, you've lost it"

Well I found this exhibition....  

This is the URL           http://cottonglobalthreads.com/exhibit/aboubakar-fofana

 

 

and you might like to listen to his interview it's very interesting.