Lifou is magical...

Santal Bay, Lifou

We've just come back from Lifou in New Caledonia and it was amazing. The colour of the water around the island, which ranged from bright aqua to deep turquoise, was absolutely stunning (my camera couldn't quite capture these vibrant hues). And there were butterflies everywhere... they were in the air all around you. It was like something out of a dream. 

 Butterfly at Easo, Lifou

The morning began with snorkelling in Jinek Bay. The coral was still in great condition despite the increase in tourism that Lifou has experienced in recent years. The local people have been very conscientious about looking after their marine environment, which is why we each needed to purchase a pass to enter the water. After that, we visited Our Lady of Lourdes chapel at the top of the hill. Butterflies filled the skies and I took some video footage of this entrancing phenomenon. Back in the village, we ate fresh papaya and mango before heading off to see the Saint Francois Xavier village church.

 Easo village church, Lifou

Next to the church, we happened upon a sign that described a visit to a fresh water pool in a cave for $10. We weren't sure what to expect as we descended a steep, rocky path bulging with buttress roots. At the bottom of the path, it was slippery and dark. I hadn't prepared and was wearing Havaiana thongs--it was a bit touch and go and I had to take it easy.

 Path to Cave at Easo, Lifou

There was a cave at the very bottom and other tourists were jumping into the deep, dark pool of water so we decided to give it a go. It was very invigorating and brought back childhood memories of jumping into freshwater pools in Australia. When it got a bit crowded down there, we walked back to Santal Bay and snorkelled near the wharf where we swam with a turtle for a while as it ate seaweed and intermittently came up for breaths of air. It was a fascinating sight to behold.

 Jinek Bay, Lifou

It was such a magical day. Time has not passed so slowly for me in years and it was all a bit surreal, like some kind of spiritual awakening. There is so much beauty in this world and we really need to nurture and protect it.

Blogging again...

 Luna Park entrance during the 'Vivid' light festival, June 2015

Sydney Harbour Bridge from my favourite street in North Sydney, June 2015

The Luna Park ferris wheel under a full moon, June 2015

It's been a while since I've had time to post due to various health reasons. I'm missing 'Green Gifts' but have not been able to get back into as yet. I still have some stock sitting around and will list it online soon. As for my handmade items, I will probably have to wait and see. I'm still recovering from an unfortunate wrist injury last year, made worse by a poorly performed surgical procedure. I was far too trusting and, as one colleague warned me, "Make sure you're completely comfortable with the surgeon before you let him cut into you." I wasn't completely confident at all--he was so busy and belittled me when I had questions, making me feel like it was inappropriate and unnecessary. But, he told me that he knew what he was doing and that this was my chance, before the bone healed incorrectly, to avoid early arthritis of the wrist. However, the bone had already healed...

Well, to cut a long story short, he did more damage than the original injury and the pain was extreme for at least 2 months. I still have difficulty using my left hand nearly 10 months after what was a relatively minor injury in its initial stages. Never trust a surgeon who won't let you discuss the procedure! He may not have adequate knowledge to actually help your situation. Don't let him bluff you with technical words and over-confidence! It's too late for me as I now have nerve damage and painful joints to contend with every day. I'll just have to find a way to carry on somehow despite the time and money I've lost due to the surgeries, endless appointments and the inability to find a job.

On a bright note, I've had the chance to go to the city of Sydney and see the sites of late. I had a fantastic day the NSW Art Gallery and saw some of the Vivid light festival. It's such a wonderful city and I aim to live in the heart of it one day! There are so many more opportunities in all areas of life when you live in the city, despite the congestion and noise. There are wonderful things to see and do and I would relish in it. I'd always find ways to go to the city when I was young. I remember one particular day--I took a day off from school ('jigged') and went to the city to see a movie and window shop. Did I go with my friends? No. I simply hopped on the train from Kogarah and made a day of it. The feeling of freedom in a relatively safe city was amazing. I relived this a little at the start of this year. The summer weather was glorious and there was so much to do around the harbour :)

Utopian World

 Sandwich Shop, Montmartre, Paris

Tablecloth Shop, Rue de Rennes, Paris

 Le Petit Mâchon, Rue Saint Honoré, Paris

 Picking out beads for a handmade necklace or two, 
Marche aux Puces de Saint-Ouen 

My father always told me that I live in Utopia--this was a criticism of me--he desperately wanted me to exit my dream world. I never fully understood what he meant. I do now. I like to be immersed in beauty, art and creative pursuits. However, this was never encouraged. I eventually found myself within the four walls of a classroom. Kids are lovely but the environment isn't. It's very stifling and repetitive and menial. And, oh, the mundanity of conning kids into learning who aren't really interested...

I find myself dreaming about holidaying in Europe again. It's this kind of escapism that really irked my father. I always resort to it when I'm frustrated. I'm back in the classroom teaching again this term--that'll do it! You just feel trapped by the constant marking, assessing and rousing on kids. And, at this school, there is a bit more of that than usual. Am I motivated by the paycheck? No. But, I had to get back into it or I would have had to sign up for a 5-year reaccreditation process. No thanks. Already spent 6 years at uni taking the profession as seriously as a person could take it, and another decade teaching thereafter...

Please enjoy my small selection of photos taken in Paris last year. Thanks to my Uncle and Aunty, who invited us to their 40th Wedding Anniversary celebration in Holland, the trip came into being.

Back from holidays!

Photos of French macarons I purchased in Paris

I've finally returned from being overseas to celebrate the 40th Wedding Anniversary of my Uncle and Aunt, alongside other relatives. It was a wonderful time and, in many ways, has fulfilled a lifelong dream to return to Holland, as well as visit Paris for the first time. 

I'm gradually getting back into the swing of things. Returning to doing my market stall began immediately and my online stores will be back up and running soon. Due to so many other commitments at present, I won't be doing my hobby business as 'full-ball' as I was. Making handmade, unique items gives me great joy, but it is also very time-consuming. I need to take some time out to complete home renovations, so will be aiming to merely cover costs in the near future (item materials, online store fees, PayPal charges, etc.).

Paris was a wonderful whirlwind of colour and design. I bought some lovely French papers and a few other gorgeous items which inspired me. I've already made a few greeting cards and look forward to creating more. Stay-tuned for piccies that will be posted on this blog. 

Photography, a great passion of mine, although I remain a novice, is something I experimented with further in Holland and Paris with my rudimentary digital camera. I managed to take a few unique shots, which will soon be made into photographic cards for my market stall. At $2.50 each, I hope they are well-received by my regular customers as well as visitors to the Blue Mountains.

At my market stall, I am trying to increase my range of handmade cards, so please pop in to check them out. Although I put a lot of effort into my handcrafted fashion jewellery items, cardmaking is what keeps the creativity flowing. Looking forward to seeing you soon :)

It's been a while...

Dry embossed, inked & hand cut lion motif adhered to folded A5 card

Thought I'd better add a post to let you know that I'm still here, busily making creative things. If you have seen something you would like to purchase in one of my online stores, or at my market stall, please feel free to contact me with your order enquiry. You can email me at the address listed on this site, via facebook, or via the contact form in my online store: http://greengifts.bigcartel.com/contact

It's been a very busy year and, at the start (I must confess), I allowed myself to be bogged down by mindless eBay enquiries. Although it is excellent that eBay has such an open messaging system, it does encourage empty, time-wasting enquiries. I was spending up to 2 hours per day responding to these messages, only for majority of them to lead to nothing.

I soon tired of this and closed my store temporarily. Of late, I have been putting a lot more effort into my market stall here in the Blue Mountains. This has been so much more rewarding, and I have been selling a record number of handmade cards, which absolutely thrills me to bits! A card is like a mini artwork to me--anything is possible, and I like to think that every recipient feels a little bit of joy when receiving one.

With my eBay store closed at present, I actually feel quite relieved. I'm now receiving genuine enquiries through this site and my other online store. It has also been wonderful to receive ongoing orders from regular customers and via word-of-mouth. These are the customers I really appreciate--they like my products & prices, and respect the time that goes into making everything. Some eBay members think it's acceptable to send up to 50 emails over a simple order. It isn't! (even 10 messages is too many!) I am getting better at filtering out this kind of buyer, so I have more time to spend on alternative orders :)

Thanks to all of my previous and current customers for your ongoing support & communication :)

It's been so busy!

Chervonne and Thomas Ah Kuoi,

100% Recycled "Thank You" Cards,

'Wishing Well' Advice Cards

Well, I'm not quite sure what has happened to this year! I started an online store earlier in the year and certainly never expected it to grow as quickly as it has :) A couple of weeks ago I had to 'shut shop' completely for a time--it was just too hectic! My sister's wedding was approaching and I was a bridesmaid :) I also made some 'Wishing Well' advice cards for the Bride & Groom. I was so pleased to see that many people took the opportunity to write on these cards throughout the night. They are an alternative to a guest book and are very versatile--no waiting in a queue or for the book to be passed around. Just grab a groovy coloured pen and go for it! I haven't heard back from my sister yet, as she has been on her honeymoon, but I will be interested to hear about some of the wonderful messages received by the newlyweds.

I opened my store again after one week, and the orders just came rolling in once again! It hasn't stopped since. I'm now starting to get some larger orders, which is ideal, as it's easier to do things in bulk and package one parcel, than many small orders.

Although my online store is not very creative at this point (lots of bulk stationery items), I'm hoping to inject a bit more vibrancy into it in the New Year. One aspect of my store that has been very encouraging, is the opportunity I have had to sell environmentally-friendly paper products. They haven't exactly taken off, but there is a small percentage of people out there who wish to consciously support sustainable paper production in Australia. I am describing my cards which are made out of 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. They also come with matching envelopes--all made in Australia, unlike many 'kraft' paper products, which (in worst case scenarios) can be made overseas from old-growth forests!

Well, gotta go for now--so many orders to complete, and I don't think I can get away with asking my husband to man my market stall yet again this weekend!

So Busy!

It's been such a busy week, and blogging probably doesn't help my cause, but I've been pretty excited by all the things I have been doing--new photographic cards, preparation for a cardmaking workshop I'm running and trying to get ready for upcoming markets. Thought I'd post a few of my recent hand drawn cards, as it's such a cathartic pastime.
 

I ♥ lady beetles!

Whether you call them ladybirds (British), ladybugs (US) or lady beetles (scientific, as they're not technically bugs, and definitely not birds), they're just so cute! I'm not normally a great fan of beetles--I seem to have some sort of aversion to Christmas beetles and other larger winged beetles but lady beetles are adorable. Have you ever just been standing around and a lady beetle softly lands on you? This happened to me recently whilst I was at the markets. It was a moment of pure joy and then a rather assertive customer wanted my attention, so I had to forget about the lady beetle crawling on my arm.

My sister, very thoughtfully, gave me the handmade, recycled skeleton leaf paper which features on this card. The paper was a little pale and pasty, so I carefully dyed it to a vibrant green (♥ the colour green too, as you might have guessed!). The rest of the design just came together and I still have some more skeleton leaf paper left to make another card!

Materials: Wooden lady beetles, skeleton leaf paper, pattern paper, Stampin' Up! rub-on; This card is hand: cut, dyed, glued, drawn and embellished.