COME ON IN...: 2015

PRE XMAS BLUE. ......

Well it's that time of year again. ...how dare it come around so quickly. I seem to be in a slump. We will be staying home for xmas, but Canberra family will be coming home. I have been slack in the blogging department, but have kept up reading all my favorites. My hubbie has not been in the best of health so we take things easy at the moment. It has started to get extremely hot here - so taking it easy , indoors with the air conditioner on, is just the ticket....so I have popped in to wish all who read my blog a great festive season and a very merry Xmas.....

MOSAIC FRENZY . ..

I love hunting in the op-shops for treasures to include in mosaics...

One cup cut in 2, makes for an interesting experiment. The 3D effect is different and intriguing. I had fun with these little projects...

Should have dangled a tea bag in this half....

The other half makes an interesting vase....

This is a larger project, and took about 3 days of me moving and cutting glass into a satisfying design until I was happy.

Then the fun begins, and sometimes the layout changes during the glueing process.

I was determined to use black grout for this piece as I was sorry I hadn't used black on the one below.

This is a picture explanation of my doings lately..LOL

NIGHT TIME WALK ABOUT..

WELL the weather here is loaded with ups and downs....last week required the air conditioner to be serviced and run at full speed...this week!!! Would you believe it was turn on the central heating....

But this evening I was amazed to see this rich red sundown...had to take some pics...a red sunset predicts a hot day to follow??? We will wait and see....

Trees in the park are in full leaf....

AND GUESS WHAT IS COMING ? ....

YEP! the countdown has begun...

ORANGE SCULPTURES. ..

Every year our Town holds a "Festival of the Gardens ". Bus loads of tourists come from far and wide to do garden tours, winery tours etc. A great advantage to the town's accommodation, shops, wine cellars, clubs, eateries etc.

Several years back local volunteer groups along with service clubs like Rotary and Lions members joined forces and together with local orange farmers, donating the products to make these spectacular sculptures.

They call for volunteers to load the oranges onto wire cage like structures. They are held in place with large elastic bands.

Very effective shapes this year...

And more pop up in the medium strip...

This year the weather has been "just right"....eat your porridge and enjoy the sites....

RV SUE AND CREW. ...BIRTHDAY WISHES

ANNOUNCEMENT....................RV SUE & CREW will be celebrating a special occasion. ......

Can u believe it's that time again ??

YEP! Sue is having a special day..

Sue & crews blog was my 1st introduction into the blogging world. I ended up reading her blog from the very beginning. Then became game enough to leave comments from Australia. ..always answered, which thrilled me no end.

I still read every one of the crew's blogs - and now Sue has so manny comments it is hard to get a leg in...LOL So to speak

I have since started my own blog...but am spasmodic in keeping it up, it doesn't deture me from reading & commenting on other blogs. ...

BUT this is about Sue and the countless joy she gives us all...

SO lets raise our glasses, and wish a very happy birthday to SUE......XXXX

VILLAGE HAPPENINGS. ...

From early this morning (Saturday) I could hear a machinery sound.....being the country, I didn't think it was unusual....BUT ...it continued on all through the day....curiosity got the better of me, so I went down to the back gate and thought I would take a walk around the village to see what was making the noise.....I had thought someone was putting in a concrete driveway and was having it formed up....OH! NO! as soon as I closed the gate and walked to the park (directly behind our house), there was the noise monster....ripping up all the orange trees....what a shock.

OMG! the landscape will be forever altered

And the big dozzer was ripping and pushing up all the orange trees.....there are about 50 acres of oranges in this plot......

Home I raced to gather up my camera....well really my tablet....and I had to take these pics. A part of me is very sad....they have been there ever since we shifted to the village, 48 years ago. I must confess a lot has changed around us throughout those years, BUT NOT THE ORANGE TREEES.... OH! NO!!!!!
The trees will stay in piles for sometime while they die and dry out, waste away, and eventually be burnt....creating more pollution and sadness....

Click below to see, I loved the view and often bloged about it.....

HOW IT USED TO LOOK... AND:

HERE AS WELL..

Now the speculation will begin:- what are they going to do with the land??? - divide into housing blocks?, plant something else? etc etc.....I'm sure I will hear more on the village grapevine. Speaking to Hubby, his reasoning is, too expensive to keep, water, labour/picking/maintance, price of oranges not so good....throwing good money after bad. Pull them out.

SO SAD........

BEEN AWHILE...

Well you can probably see by my pic's that I have been working on mosaic projects. ...it is warming up a little here ( not fast enough for me ).

I seem to have the think, organise go for it syndrome at the moment. It's like enjoying a good book - turn the pages, enjoying every morsel of the story: then BAM!!!.... it's over, and you can't wait to start the next one, hence my flat strap mosacing:- maybe I should go back to reading .....

The above one is in readiness for grouting. Mirrors taped up (blood on the tape)... the blood a proven example of blood, sweat & tears encountered building a mosaic. Although I must confess I haven't had tears as yet (nearly, when I used the wrong grout colour - but salvaged it by painting over the grout )
Below is the finished project : I am happy with this , as I have been working at glass cutting, and incorporating with tiles....

After completing big projects I put together a small one - finished cutting and glueing.

NEXT STEP:-
Down to the back shed for grouting

SEE YA,.....

KIWI AT TELSTRA....

I have been contacted by a pleasant Kiwi (New Zealand ) female, gum chewing Telstra operator (phone & internet carriers-Australia ) re: Internet Broadband connection. During the course of our interaction .....two phone calls....we had a lot of laughs along with information...so this is for you "Kiwi brisbane girl"...

This is me giving her a hard time...re: gum chewing - teeth & jaw destruction...

This is how she works...lots of people...ringing lots more people....and at least she was in Australia. ..Gotta love that

SO fair dinkum ...see ya!!!!!

GLASS PLUS MOSAICS...

So excited to receive some lead light glass in the mail. I have been trying to perfect glass cutting to incorporate into my mosaic projects. The company are fantastic. Completely professional in their dealings, and the range of colours and glass types is extensive. When it arrives the packaging is so safe, I'm sure they never have breakages through the mail.

So I cant wait to begin.........this is tiles and glass....The start...

And this is the finished project. The lucky lady is one of my long time friends...we grew up on neighboring farms and fought all the time on the school bus. But we matured and have been friends ever since maturity....LOL So I gifted her my efforts and it will travel to Darwin with her to live. Her Mum is still in town and she flies down frequently to visit. She was delighted.

Another of my efforts......

And lastly for the day - Celebrations are in order again, as my views have reached 10,000...
A big thank you to all who click into my page to have a peek even though I have been slack on posting, (glass cutting taking up my concentration)....much appreciated.

APPRENTICE AT WORK...

Daughter home for a few days for a visit, and of course had to have a go at mosaic. I think after all the pics I have sent her, she was keen to try her hand.

SO HERE WE GO......

After lots of research decided on a Ying yang

Quick instructions on tile cutting.....

Boarder in place and outline coming together after more "mental hopscotch " deciding colours...

As she is going back to Canberra on Saturday, it was nose to grindstone - worked to 11 pm finishing up - had to move inside as it is absolutely freezing

All grouted and cleaned up - ready to take home - I reckon she has achieved a lovely first attempt mosaic. ....maybe another mosaic-aholic in the making...LOL

SNEAK REVEAL....

My latest...I am happy with this...and now want to learn how to make more beautiful mirror surrounds.

Lots of shuffle here and there of the pieces. ..yes/no decision, making up my mind if i feel happy with it is part of the experience and enjoyment of mosaicing. ..they say you get in the zone...

So after the "mental hopscotch" as I call it comes the grouting......
Which I dislike intensely, but as it is part of the process I must carry on - ideally I would love a friend who loves playing mud pies (little bit like grouting) and I could design & the mud person could grout....not happening...I'm sure.

Final result ....

Next project being decided.....

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ANTICS. ..

Canberra Grandson has been busy with his mates making a YouTube video.....They have named it Classic shots and I have put a link further down the page (I hope it works - like him I am constantly learning stuff about the internet and blog links etc...)

They grow up so fast - above in his uniform when he 1st started High School....and now he is in Year 10 - has a part time job at McDonalds...plays sports and generally has become a teenager overnight........Below is how fast he has grown....taller and taller...

This is the link to their video - have a peek at how Aussie kids fill in their time during holiday time....keeps them off the streets and their minds busy - figuring out the go-pro stuff an loading it onto the net.....

CLASSIC SHOTS VIDEO.......CLICK BELOW

YOUNG MINDS AND BODIES AT PLAY....

Classic shots in video is about basketball
Below is another sport he plays...could also be Classic shots..