... on a day like this?

It's a stinker today, and I believe it's going to be much worse tomorrow: 41 degrees centigrade is predicted for where we live. It's a good day to stay inside in an air-conditioned sanctuary, which is how I'm feeling about our house at the moment. With all the blinds down to keep the sun out I can hardly tell that outside it's blowing a horrible hot wind that's travelled all the way across the baking heart of Australia to shrivel us here in Brisbane. I am so thankful we have air conditioning. This is the first summer I've ever had it, and for the first time I'm feeling like summer isn't only about survival. Previously, summer has been a sloth-time for me. I'm one of those people who just wilts in the heat, and when you add humidity to the mix I become a non-functioning Miss Irritable who lethargically counts down the days until the end of March. The end of March is the end of summer for me, as I reckon something that my grandmother Mard once said is pretty spot-on: "March can go out with a bang!"

Today, March seems quite some ways off, but that's okay! In here it's cool and peaceful and I'm feeling creatively energised and in the mood to get on with preparations for my next BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market, which is on Friday 14th December. I've got a batch of special red christmas-edition speckled egg brooches on the go.

I'm using 'Napthol Red' as the basecoat - isn't that the most poisonous-sounding pigment? (a quick Google... it IS poisonous!) A strange optical illusion came about as soon as I applied the white speckles. The basecoat alone is a warm red which might almost be described as a very very VERY dark orange in a certain light. Post-speckles it appears to be a dark musk pink. When I apply the polyurethane it'll change again. Exciting times!

... on brooches. Lots of brooches!

Hello again! I'm back from all the places I went. I've got lots to tell you, but just right at this minute I'm in a bit of a whirlwind of preparation for my very-first-ever handmade market stall. I knew it was going to be a bit of a stretch, arriving home and then having one week to get everything together (including making most of the things... stock levels were very low!) but if I didn't jump in and do it now, then suddenly it'll be next year and I STILL won't have done a market!

So, the market is this Friday evening (26th October), and it's the BrisStyle Brisbane Indie Twilight Market, which is held several times a year in King George Square. I'll have half a table in the co-op section, and most likely I'll be lurking somewhat behind a branch adorned with hanging bird's egg decorations, if I can find an appropriate one in the garden tomorrow.

I've been making a big batch of my plaster bird's egg brooches, so there'll be plenty to choose from on the night.

These wee brooches have now been thoroughly on-the-road tested, and passed. They've stood up to being dropped, being rained on, being caught by the shoulder-strap of my luggage, being spilt on with tomato sauce and being flung against a wall (completely by accident... I cast my jacket down on a hotel bed and it overshot) and perhaps the greatest test - they survived rolling around in the bottom of my handbag for some weeks!

So, do stop by and say hello if you're in town on Friday night. Afterwards, when the dust has settled (the plaster dust! Oh dear, that was bad, wasn't it) I'll do a couple of posts about some exciting adventures I've had over the past few weeks. Cheerio!

... on plaster brooches... no.

Last weekend I decided that it was time to start accessorising, and made a couple of brooches out of my plaster asterisk collection.

During the week I tried to wear one and it was so heavy it... er... made the front of my shirt look very unappealing. So these won't be for sale, and will have to be For Big Winter Coat Use only!

Nonetheless, hoorah!