Saturday: knitting and printing and a movie with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra

Not real knitting: no actual needles (or lengths of wire) were touched during the course of the day, but I found this at work in a book called Monsieur Rat to add to the list of children's books with knitting in them:

And later in the evening I spotted a basket of wool and needles in the fabulously excellent Mary and Max at ANU Film Group:

But I get ahead of myself. Between the working bit of the day and the movie bit of the day was the opening of Ampersand Duck's wonderful studio space just up the road at ANCA. I didn't take any photos during the actual opening but here are a series of a lesson on how to dampen paper:

Mad and crazy

Busy, that is*...

Although, thankfully (as long as I don't linger too long on the penal rates I'm missing out on) I'm not working this Sunday as planned so am escaping the ability to announce next weekend that I've just worked 13 days straight.

Last night I went to see Quantum Leap Select Option. Which, of course, was excellent. As usual. I was still a little distracted by the costumes but this year I found myself more entranced by the Bearcage Productions videos that accompanied the pieces.

Today at work I made two people cry within my first hour. (I'm not really an ogre, promise), helped solve the mystery of the duck-napper and discovered Chick, the most beautiful font in the world:
(Well this week, anyway)

At lunchtime I headed the call of the Beyond Q, the local secondhand book dealer (when the going gets tough, the tough go book shopping) and came back with this:(How could I not?)

And tonight I went here: And saw this (and lots of other moving things): (mmmmm... round things!) (*I should just accept this as normal, shouldn't I?)

My creative (shared) space

In the classroom this evening:Clockwise from top left: my workbox, my KeepCup (which Taph introduced me to, I bought as early Christmas presents for my friends and constantly try to convert everyone I come in contact with about. Consider yourself raved at), water bottle, random cone of rather nice wool I found in the materials box you can see in the background and needed to play with immediately to help me think*, and visual diary number 4**.

(*I, of course, didn't have any knitting needles with me so improvised with some electrical wire I also found in the box. Which turned out to be pretty much spot on in terms of size: and a possible solution to the knitting on planes conundrum?) (**Now full of sketches and images of circular things, zoetropes, Jezze's mutoscope and sushi trains...)

My creative (shared) space

Sometimes I love having a budget

Because it leads to days like today.

I received two very exciting bits of information yesterday: an email from Canberra Theatre telling me that bookings were open for Avenue Q
(even better, at a discounted rate)

And the weekend's Kmart catalogue (finally) arrived in my mail box informing me that Flight of the Conchords series 2 was instore on July 27th.

Since none of my friends seemed interested in Avenue Q (possibly it was my hasty description: "It's like Sesame Street with drugs and porn!") and since I've been stashing $8 a week into my Theatre subscription account, I could book right away. Especially handy as today I was working not more than 30 seconds away from the Canberra Theatre ticket office.

As for Flight of the Conchords being available yesterday? Kmart was dreaming. No one had it (including Kmart) and they were all quoting a delivery date of tomorrow. I did my best (ironic) Veruca Salt impersonation at one of Canberra's few remaining local CD stores and lo and behold I had a copy in my hot little hands just after 5pm tonight.

Guess what I plan to spend the rest of the evening doing?

Drawing out some ideas...

At class last night we had to create ten minute pieces encapsulating each of the words on our list. We did the first word then regrouped to discuss the results before going on to the next one, which was a very interesting and valuable experience. It was intriguing to see the similarities and differences in our approaches and choices of colour. (I think the tutor mentioned paint but Classmate Chris and I rebelled and used a variety of media instead.)

Apprehension:Regret:Empathy:

Delirium:

Malevolence: Monotony: and Zeal:

Zeal

mo•not•o•ny

Malevolence

Delirium

How could I resist?

Black and white spotty scissors? Especially when I've just broken a pair of boring black ones...

How I spent my morning...

Creating this:this:

and this:

(our homework assignment said to chose two of the words that appeal to us and create collages but I couldn't decide until I'd seen the end results. I'm such a mature age student...)

Visiting the library to collect a copy of this to read and this to listen to.

Giggling at this.

Fluffy feet and fashion on Friday

This was the scene at morning tea yesterday at work:

(from left: Events, IT, Reception, EA)

Don't panic, it's not that they take the whole "Casual Friday" thing a bit too far, it was Stress Down Day which meant half the staff were not only wearing large fluffy things on their feet, they were also clad in PJs, dressing gowns or variations thereof. I, of course, completely forgot as I'm only there one day a week.

The only thing to do after such an event is to take oneself off to see Coco avant Chanel in the evening...

Today's post in bought to you by the letters A,R,E,D,M, Z and W

A: Apprehension
R: Regret
E: Empathy
D: Delirium
M: Malevolence and Monotony
Z: Zeal

All words from my Design brief. My homework is to source images which represent these words, create a collage for each then create several small drawings from the collages using a variety of media that fully explore the visual meanings of the words. It's very tempting to "forget" to pay my course fees and just drop out of the course at this stage...

E and M are also for Excel Magic: which I created today in Day Three of my new contract. Rather than just supplying what was asked of me I suggested there may be a better way to pull out the information in the long term. Then I had to find that way and implement it with the help of people that actually knew what to do.

W: is for the Wine which followed. Fine New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: two varieties. I think I'm going to like working here!

All class

What I'm obsessed with at the moment:

Well known New Zealand Musicians who, when sent an email asking for the lyrics to one of their songs, reply with them overnight. How nice is that?!

Icarus, Richard Pearce and The Angel of the North:(photo by Dave W Clarke)

Gotta love getting a new brief...

Nothing much to report today

The Craft ACT internship is puttering along. I took more product photos including these bangles, one of which kept finding its way onto my wrist during the day...I sold stuff (not to me). I wrapped parcels.
I looked after the place all by myself over lunchtime. I tidied up. I talked to people who came in. I thought about ideas for last night's design brief.

And then it was time to go home. Where I plan to have a very quiet night indeed in readiness for another 12 hour day of learning new things tomorrow.

Beginnings

Today was:

* The start of a new contract. I knew I was in the right place when

1. I had a conversation about Pugin churches with a colleague (knowledge I picked up during my first ever Sydney Design tour with Krispin K way back in 2003)

2. I got to start reading something called The Burra Charter which is all about heritage conservation. I giggled when I got to the bit which described repairing the Hills Hoist at Rose Seidler House and tried to remember if Div's mini version had a Hills Hoist to repair...

* The first night of semester two at Design Fundamentals class. I have a big scary brief to wrestle with for the next few weeks and a big scary tuition bill to pay.

And the winner is...

*annina*, who makes the most fabulous modern mini scenes then takes great photos of them: check out her FLICKR photos here and blog here.

(Can you email me your address,*annina*?)

Been busy...

Working (as always.) End of Financial year stuff. Housework stuff. TSS stuff. You know, the usual.

Going out to listen to these guys playing Rage Against the Machine as you've (probably) never heard it before:

While also trying to consume Torchwood: Children of Earth in one bite

when I should really be applying for jobs.

A pretty typical weekend around here, really...

Giveaway time

I recently bought a copy of this book, full of enthusiasm to make a return to miniature rugmaking: Got it home and realised I already owned a copy of it (does that happen to you too?)

Rather than carting it off to the local second hand book shop I thought I'd see if any of my readers wanted it.

If you'd like me to send it to you, leave a comment and I'll pick a winner on Sunday...

Ewe made my day

Thanks to The Lark who brought back memories of The Dog Show. Sheep dog trials were prime time viewing in New Zealand in the 80s...

Just the basics

A lunch date in Kingston today gave me a good excuse to check out the inner south op shops for a change. Where I stocked up on some basics:

Black jeans: $5, Vinnies Narrabundah
White T shirt: $3.50, Salvos Fyshwick
96 pocket CD case (to keep my backup discs in): $3, Vinnies Narrabundah
2 stainless steel mixing bowls with measurements on the side: $5 (3 litre) and $3 (1.5 litre), Salvos Fyshwick

While I was at Fyshwick I bumped into Ken who tells me the opening of the new Mitchell store has been pushed back to late September/ early October at the stage.

A day in my life: July 2009

6:20am: Is that sound of the leaf blower at Dickson shops? Is it morning ALREADY? So starts the usual morning routine: up, turn on computer, toilet, feed cat, make tea.

6:30am: Check emails. Re list eBay stock. Drink tea.

7:00am: Print resume. More re listing. Turn on music.

7:30am: Make and eat breakfast. Finish eBay re listing. Start sorting out TSS end of year accounts.

8:00am: Shower. Dress. Put away clean dishes from yesterday.

8:30am: Walk across to the money machine to pick up cash and the Post Office to collect the mail then on to the bus stop to catch the bus into town.

9:00am: Job interview over coffee for a one month contract.

9:30am: Discover I have a spare half hour before I'm due at Craft ACT. I've already had a coffee. So I end up at Flip Side's sale bins and stagger out with 6 new to me CDs for a total of $41 and the happy knowledge that I don't have to wait til I get home to listen to them... 10am: Craft ACT. Meet with the Executive Director to discuss my priorities for the day. Start photographing new shop stock for our Face book page.

10:30am: Staff meeting to plan for next month's Bingo Extravaganza. Followed by more photo-taking.

11:00am: Contact Volunteering ACT to find out about the grants they are awarding to help cover volunteers' travel costs. Return to the photo-taking.

12:00 noon: Back in the shop. Sign up a new member. Start photo shopping the images I took earlier in the morning:

12:30pm: Lunchtime. I thought I was having lunch with one of the Curators from my CMAG exhibition but it turns out to be just a coffee.

1:00pm: So I head over to the food court in the mall to pick up lunch and start the search for the perfect pastry brush.

1:30pm: Back in the Craft ACT shop, I'm loading images to the Craft ACT Face book page.

2:00pm: And photo shopping.

3:00pm: And rearranging the stockroom in a more logical fashion.

4:00pm: Before chatting to a customer who asks me, after we discuss the mini wheelie bin necklaces, if I saw the dolls house exhibition last year. We talk about my collection and the plans Craft ACT has for an mini exhibition in the Crucible space next year. More intriguingly, she asks if I'd be interested in exhibiting my dolls houses in The Rocks...

4:30pm: The stockroom is as close as it's going to get to sorted this week. I admire some lovely new bracelets that have arrived which are crying out to come home with me. I meet with the Executive Director to recap the day before closing up for the night.

5:00pm: Home time. I stop in at the IGA in the bus interchange as I spot a display of my favorite Indian ready meals at a price comparable to what I'd get them for at the Indian shop in Belconnen. Palak Paneer for dinner, methinks...

5:15pm: Waiting for the 5:21pm #39 bus...

5:26pm: Which never turns up...

5:36pm: Finally on my way home!

5:45pm: Arrive home. Pour wine. Feed the cat. Turn on computer and make snack.

6:00pm: Check emails while eating snack and drinking wine.

6:10pm: Phone call from a friend.

6:50pm: Download photos from the day and photo shop them.

7:00pm: Write blog post (making up my plans for the rest of the evening on the fly.)

7:30pm: Make and eat dinner.

8:00pm: Watch an episode of The Muppet Show season 2 before retiring to bed with a library book.

9:00pm: Lights out.

Soundtrack for the day:

Radio groove volume 1
Back to mine: Röyksopp
Bare essentials volume 2
Goldenhorse: Reporter
Salmonella Dub: Salmonella Dub
Simple Minds: Graffiti soul
Rhombus: Onwards
Ralph Myerz& the Jack Herren Band: A special album
Eddi Reader: Eddi Reader

Blue (and pink and red and black and white) poles

I had to go back in daylight, didn't I?

To see more photos (mine included) check out FLICKR.

Second hand Show and Tell

It was wonderful to have time yesterday to do one of my favorite op shop loops.

First stop was Salvos Mitchell where I picked up a book and a paper making kit for $5 total (just what I need: another hobby. But for under $5 I figured it could sit in the craft cupboard until inspiration struck. And if that never happened I could donate it to the Community Arts tent at The National Folk Festival next year)
Salvos Belconnen provided me with three CDs for $4 each: Hoodoo Gurus' Ampology (especially pleased with this one as I don't have any Hoodoo Gurus on CD and this is a very comprehensive double best of collection), Norah Jones' Come away with me and The Whitlams' Torch the moon (another double CD which contained a cover version of my favorite Icehouse track)

Keeping to the music theme, at my next stop ( Y's Buys Belconnen) I picked up some recorder tuition books for $1 each. This week I rediscovered a recorder I picked up second hand ages ago and had the sudden urge to do something with it. So I'm planning to reteach myself to read music, a skill I last used about twenty five years ago. I surprised myself last night by discovered I can play Depeche Mode's Just can't get enough by ear...

And at Vinnies Belconnen I found this.... err... thingy for $3: No idea what it is but since it looked like it could be a spinny weavy type thingy I bought it on the off chance that it could be useful for Taph. Any ideas what it might be?

Still...

Today: a sleep in. A morning op shopping (treasures to be revealed tomorrow). I took myself out for brunch by the lake in Belconnen then home for some lounging on the sofa, some magazine reading and some gentle crafting.

Bliss...

"Weakened staff"

The locker I've been using for my current two week casual role is marked "Weekend staff".

I've been wanting to change the spelling for days especially as I near the end of a 26 day stint working with only three days off. Which I spent doing TSS and private end of month and end of financial year accounts.

Let's just say I have new respect for the staff on cruise ships...

Tomorrow marks the start of a three day weekend followed by a very quiet week work-wise. I'm so looking forward to it, even though a large part of it will involve putting the flat back to rights and catching up on washing and other mundane tasks. There will surely be some crafting as well as my latest Swap-Bot Black and White Swap closes on Wednesday (feel like joining in?).

(W)rapt

I wonder if anyone's keeping a list of knitting spotted in children's books?

If so, they can add The Perfect Prince to the list...

Oh happy day!

I spent the day wearing a lovely warm snuggly 100% cashmere black jumper. Gifted to me by the ever thoughtful Taph who undertook some opshopping by proxy for me and picked it up for a whopping $3.50 from Salvos (with her half price card).

I took my boot with the busted zip and my bag with the busted buckle over to Jhay the Cobbler aka He Who resurrects things from the Dead. The price of resurrection? $27.50.

Miss Daisy went in for a service. Which cost $156.20. Much nicer than last time.

Discussions were held at Craft ACT about a potential little exhibition in the Crucible space next year: (she says all mysterious-like...)

And I got paid for last month's contract. Hurrah!

Obviously global warming is worse than I thought:

(Is it just me that finds it ironic that there's an Australian Grown symbol directly below a large picture of cherries flown in from the USA?)

Playing in the Garden

The National Gallery Sculpture Garden, that is. I couldn't deliver my completed Knitta Please contribution without a little photo shoot, could I?Turns out I was just in time to attend the artist talk by Magda Sayeg, Knitta Please founder and yarn-bomber. Perfect timing and a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Cook from the Cupboard round up

With today being one of only two days I've had off in the past 20 days, I finally found time to do my end of month accounts for June. Here's my spending breakdown as I usually sort it (rent isn't included):

Medical, dental and hair: $12.84
Fuel, repairs and transport: $150.06
Car rego and insurance: $67.99
Food and alcohol: $292.63
Clothing, accessories, dry cleaning and tailoring: $103.86
Flat (furniture and accessories): $0.00
Holidays and travel: $0.00
Books, stationery and postage: $273.41
Gifts: $0.00
Entertainment and hobbies (including internet): $124.95
Gas, power, phone and mobile: $60.31
Other: $179.24

TOTAL FOR JUNE 2009: $1,265.29

Which, not surprisingly, is more than I spent during my 2008 Fiscal Fast ($579.88) and my 2007 Fiscal Fast ($642.21). Here's a breakdown of the difference:

Stocking up on sale items ($383.02):

Wine: $22.00
Bus tickets: $110.00
Socks $38.30
Knickers: $20.92
Pantihose: $44.64
2 year Madison subscription: $119.90
Cat food: $23.90
Glue sticks and erasers: $3.36

Unnecessary items that made me happy ($264.77):

Books: $39.85
Daisy doll items:$60.00
Quantum Leap ticket: $20.00
Ticket to colleague's improv night: $5.00
Pencil case: $8.39
Camera: $42.73
Op shopping haul: $30.50
Magazines: $52.30
Glass of bubbles at the theatre: $6.00

Unnecessary food bought because I was too disorganised to bring anything from home or was out with friends ($80.05)

Postage that could have waited til July: $12.25

TOTAL SPENT ON EXTRAS: $740.09

How may I help you?

I seemed to spend a large amount of today behind a counter asking the above question. Firstly to Library patrons who wanted to know the answers to such questions as:

"I read a book a couple of years ago and I've forgotten the title and the author but it was like Miss Marples except set in ancient Egypt. Can you find it for me?" (I did. Even I was impressed)

"There was an Australian violin maker who studied with Jeffrey and Sons. Can you give me some information about him?" (You've come to the right person. Did I mention my mother is a violin teacher?)

"I want to buy a copy of this book for my son's birthday. Do you have it?" (To which I wanted to reply "Do you not understand the concept of a Library?" but held my tongue)

And, most importantly of all:

"Is there an internet computer available?"

This evening I was behind another counter at Craft ACT for our opening. But this time it was me doing the asking: "What can I get you to drink?"

I spent some money today

And I'm not telling you what I bought!

Mwahahahaha...