Keeping a journal is good for your health.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. - Sally Berger

January 2006 Archive

Creating on Canvas
Sunday 29 January 2006
Wow, what a marvelous weekend workshop! I just completed "Canvas Works" with the fabulous Janine Mitchell of Alphabetique in Canterbury (Melbourne, Victoria Australia). Janine is one of Australia's top calligraphic artists and a superb teacher. This class focused on design, layout and techniques for applying paints and other mediums to canvas. Of course, we were encouraged to add text to our pieces. I'm no calligrapher, but I bravely left my alphabet stamps, the stencils and Dynamo labeller in the box I'd brought from home and I HAND-LETTERED all my samples and projects. I learnt heaps from Janine and - bonus - she showered us with excellent handouts. (Thanks, Coralee, for putting me there!)

Here's a detail of the painting I completed in class. Click here to see it in full in a separate window.

Canvases are SO CHEAP these days. If you are artistically inclined but have never worked on canvas - don't be intimidated! Get a canvas and slop on some paint without delay. That pristine canvas will appear less threatening once you've made your mark.

Celebrating Creatively
Tuesday 25 January 2006
Five years ago, when I turned 40, I organised a BLOODY FANTASTIC party. Much to my husband's chagrin, no men were invited. I had about 40 female friends and in the party invitation I asked them to just bring a single bead as a gift. After the party, most of the beads were strung onto this great necklace (a few were just too big for it, sadly, so were left for other projects).

I also organised entertainment - I hired a psychic for the night and my guests could make appointments for short readings. AND I hired a belly dancer who did a short performance and taught us all a few moves. Needless to say, it was a memorable evening and my friends still rave about it five years later.

We organise fun activities for kids' parties - why stop when we are adults?!

Last night's celebration of my 45th birthday was more low key. Bosom buddy Robyn and the bodacious Jacinta joined me for Thai takeaway, and Robyn's superb cocktails. (We had a red theme for our cocktails.) I also introduced the gals to the joys of polymer clay and we made art doll brooches, same as I taught the Melbourne Polymer Clay Group a couple of weeks ago.

Middle Age and Booty Shakin'
Tuesday 24 January 2006
Forty-five years old today! 'Strikes me as an auspicious day for starting a blog. Best buddies Roby and Robyn gifted me - Roby with a negligee and Robyn with a gift certificate for a free pole dancing/strip tease lesson. WHAT are these wacky women trying to tell me? (I'd like to think they are saying Stacey -you've still got it!" but perhaps they are actually hinting that I need urgent help.) Yes, looks like I'm off to pole divas next month. Thanks Rob and Rob.

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