Summer Days.........

It's the height of summer here - gloriously sunny days and the garden producing copiously. I've just had an intensive week of string music playing at our annual summer string camp by the sea at Ulverstone...........a very busy week - takes a few days to recover properly! But what a blast! I found I'd been placed in the "top" orchestra, which I was a bit apprehensive about, but luckily, I found most of the music quite manageable..........I think they eased back a little on the difficulty compared to last year. Learned heaps.
I did manage to get a bit of my own work done while I was there: I finished this small doll, complete with a little horn (appropriately) 

I also got this new head sculpted - it now needs drying off so that I can do the refining work, before I make a few decisions about how to complete it.

And finally, I made a Sukeshi doll for my violin teacher - it's her birthday tomorrow. Happy birthday, Margaret!

So, it's into the studio for me tomorrow and nose back to the grindstone!

Is Winter Ending..........?

We have had serious amounts of rain this past month, after a dry start to winter. Now there is water lying where I have never seen it before, cascading off hills, flowing over roads, flooding creeks, drains and streams. But hopefully, we can soon say goodbye to all this wet - I can't help feeling this is winter's last hurrah. Or am I being too optimistic? Will have to wait and see.
Here is my paddock:

Meanwhile, I'm spending quiet hours by the fire sewing, painting and making music by turns. Not much work in the garden until things dry out a bit. Here's a new little girl, as yet un-named.

And here she is with her "sister", Millie.

I'm hoping things are dry enough for me to start planting things like potatoes and peas in the next week or two......fingers crossed!

It's quite difficult to take a selfie whilst playing the violin!

String Camp 2013

I'm leaving for String Camp today - a whole week of music-making and NO cooking!

But, before I go......here's how the doll I am working on is coming along. She's coming to string camp to hopefully have some clothes made.

Musical Kitty?

I was playing my violin a little while ago as one is wont to do on a Sunday morning................I turned around and look who had taken up residence in my violin case and appeared to be listening intently to what I was playing!

There is a bit of a story behind this kitten - my grand-daughter was staying at a friend's house one night a few weeks ago. On their way to the school bus stop next morning they found two tiny, abandonned kittens in the middle of the road. Of course they had to rescue them! One went to live with the friend, the other now seems to have adopted us as his new family. He can't have been more than four weeks old when she found him and very skinny and starving. He took to solid food very well, but of course, got a dose of the runs before his little tummy adjusted. He's growing so fast and is a feisty, playful little cat. I wonder if he knows how lucky he is, that a soft-hearted fifteen year old found him? I think he probably does!

What A Blast!

Well, I have landed back in reality with a thump after a fabulous week of music-making. It's hard to pick a highlight of the week, but the Cajun and Scottish fiddlers were fantastic. Playing in a chamber group was a new and wonderful experience, as was playing in an orchestra with ages from around seven to eighty. It was also wonderful to behold teenaged boys and girls getting so much positive experience from playing the violin - suddenly they were in a millieu where what they do is not "nerdy" but normal - I think many of them went away with great memories.

Here are a few pics...........from top to bottom: Tout-le-monde (sans moi!); double bassists - check out 9 y.o. Monty with his mini-sized bass; early morning swimmers; my chamber group; Colin, the Scottish fiddler.

Off to String Camp

Well, my bags are packed and I'm almost ready to head off in the morning for a week of intensive music making at LYCO's annual string camp. I will be "camp mother" to a cabin full of 14 - 16 year old girls..........might be interesting?

I'm really a wind player so in order to not feel like a fish out of water and at least be able to participate a bit, I've been learning to play the violin since November. Surprised myself how much I enjoy it. Wish someone had put one of these into my hands when I was six!

The camp is at the beach near Ulverstone - a great setting - and the weather looks set fair, so I think it is going to be a fabulous week.

Adios, amigos! I won't be posting until next week.

New Dolls

As Christmas gets scarily close and so much yet to do before then, here are a couple of dolls I have recently finished. They are both Izannah Walker inspired dolls (Charlotte is the larger of the two and Arabella is the little one) and I will be offering them for sale in my Etsy store as soon as I get their underwear finished! The little mouse is "Naughty Mortie Sneaks A Peep" - a little piece I made for an ornament swap on ADO. I'm still working hard getting commission work done.......... Oh yes, I've also just taken up the violin. Had two lessons. Loving it!