Last Week...

My fabric paper "piece" mounted on mat board
from Beryl Taylor's Fabric Paper Workshop

I have now been back three days and I cannot believe how quickly those three days have gone!! I had great intentions of doing a recount of my week yesterday but it took too long to sort through my week's photos and there was serious competition from Zach for the computer. I thought this was going to be my 100th post (significant only in that the number sounds big!!) but I had a draft post that I hadn't ever deleted so I have another day/post to go.

So to tell you about my week - it was a fantastic mix of socializing, buying, eating and learning with big chunks of inspiration, fun, laughter and new friends! In other words - a perfect week. I loved the Craft & Quilt Fair (the quilts on display were incredible and I was totally won over by two felted ones in particular) - possibly I appreciated the Fair more than many Perth-ites would as I am very restricted in the craft/art goods I can buy here without using the internet and it is such a different experience to see things and touch things before buying them!

I went on both the Saturday and the Sunday and my purchases included the pretty selection above plus a whole pile of stamping/paper arts "stuff" that was seriously discounted on a couple of stalls - you cannot argue with 60% off. I also bought the Janome Xpression (embellisher machine) because Dale and Jaslyn wouldn't give me one good reason not to! I have been wanting one for about 18 months and the Janome is so reasonably priced (even before the show special) that even an embellishing beginner such as me can't really do without it!! When I grow up I guess I'll need a Baby Lock.

Highlights of a social nature were meeting Jaslyn "properly", catching up with Dale & Ian (The Thread Studio) and Jo and Jacky (Artistic Journey), having coffee and good chat with Kim Jones and also a quick chat with Jen Jones and Julie van Oosten (who has some great new chipboard products).

I stayed with my wonderful friend Jude, her partner Pete (and of course, Rosie - the dog!) for the week in her fabulous new house and it was just so nice to have the time together. Here is a photo of us (minus Rosie) at dinner on the Friday evening (at a lovely Thai restaurant - name has been forgotten already unfortunately).

I had a lovely dinner with my son Josh and niece Jasmine on the Saturday evening at Chutney Mary's in Subi - here is a quick shot of Josh in his college room before dinner, and yes I know that Josh will hate this one but I only took two and the other one is blurry. Unfortunately I forgot to get a photo at dinner (Jasmine's boots would have been worth photographing by themselves!).


Joseph was in Perth for a meeting on Monday so afterwards we visited his second son Jacob, his wife Melanie and the beautiful (of course!) grand-daughter Skye. It was an exceedingly wet day and I got drenched trying to get a parking ticket in Perth while I waited for Joseph. I didn't end up with any decent shots of Mel, Jake & Skye all together so these are all of Skye with us. The hardest thing about living in Kalgoorlie is being so far from family.

Skye combing my hair - a picture of concentration!

Tuesday to Thursday was spent doing three very inspiring and informative workshops with Beryl Taylor (whose website is now operational). I bought Beryl's book when it first came out - one of the few times I have bought a book sight-unseen direct from the publisher - because I had loved her artwork in magazine articles. Needless to say the book didn't disappoint and it has been a fantastic and very well-used resource. It was even better, of course, to have the opportunity to learn direct from Beryl - she is a very friendly, relaxed and sharing person and her art is incredible. She bought heaps of her pieces to the workshops so we could really look at them in detail. I did three of the four workshops and the first two had only small numbers so it was a terrific opportunity to have "personal" tutoring! I got to share with and meet some great women at the workshops (special thanks to Jaslyn - hi!!) and a particular highlight was Annie coming down at short notice from Kalgoorlie for the Wednesday workshop. That was a lot of driving for one workshop but it was great to be able to enjoy the day together. Thanks too for transporting my Xpression home for me - it would have been a pain on the train. These photos were all taken at the Thursday workshop and show only a portion of the room and participants.

Dale telling me not to take pictures of her taking pictures!

The Embellishments Workshop (maybe not a lot produced, but a lot learnt!)

Various fabric paper pieces made at the workshops (better in real life!)
- these incorporate various papers, wall papers, organza, dryer sheets,
tyvek, foil, spackle, paints, dyes, stamping etc

Wednesday night I had dinner at the Left Bank with my lovely sister Kathryn and her partner Roger. (And Kathryn I did take a wrong turn on the way home and toured a bit more of Fremantle than I had intended on my way back to Jude's!!) As always, Kathryn, it was so special to have time with you - just wish we weren't living so far apart.

Friday was extremely wet and cold in Perth and I spent the morning and early afternoon, before catching the train home, with my dear friends Jen and Suellen (seen here in Dome before we got drenched moving cars and changing locations). The train ride home seemed much longer than the ride down just a week before (it really was the same though - around 7 hours). It was a lovely week and I am so glad I have another week of holidays to follow through on all the inspiration.