Inspired...

If I need a push-along with a project, inspiration is so easily accessed...there are wonderful books, magazines and a whole universe of on-line material in which to immerse oneself. It's immersion therapy - one wallows in a collection of colours and patterns and images, in the ways that others have collected and remixed, and after basking in this extraordinary collage, I find I can't wait to get back to my own work and let my own creative energy go crazy on whatever it is I'm doing.

Pinterest is full of visual feats - I can revisit my own pin boards or have a look at others or get a bit of pinning action...

• felticious

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• illustrious

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• fibrication

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• apron love

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And there are all the fabulous blogs out there to be read as well: like blissful Pink Friday; the chic carnets parisiens and the quirky All the luck in the world just for starters.

The library of crafting books out there is growing daily. State of Craft by Victoria Woodcock is a recent favourite...in fact anything that is a like a visual/literary craft compilation I find to be fascinating: Craft Activism by Joan Tapper and Gayl Zucker; and Handmade Nation by Faythe Devine and Courtney Heimerl.

And there are some lovely mags for sale as well...I really find the new-ish  Mollie Makes from England super-inspirational, the ads as much as the stories  at times, and it reflects the sans-frontiers cachet that stalks craft. Sunday is the perfect day for a bit of craft-immersion!  Enjoy your days, and weeks ahead!

Exhibitionist!

Gallery Frit, Imbil.

I have a mini-exhibition at Gallery Frit, Imbil, running through April. The curator and owner, Christina, has established Frit in Yabba Road, which makes me think Flintstones, but the local waterway is the Yabba, and this is main street Imbil, with the gallery housed in an elegant old Queenslander. My work is cheek by jowl with some other lovely and eclectic pieces and it's an absolute buzz to give my work this new home for the next few weeks. This is pop-up wimcee - because I am not attending markets at the moment I've basically provided my market stall for the show - everything from paintings to cushions, feather head-dresses to children's quilted jackets, and one monkey soft sculpture...

Imbil is simple to get to - head north from Brisbane, turn left at Eumundi, turn right at Kenilworth, and then take the turn-off left to Imbil and the Borumba Dam from the Kenilworth-Gympie road. Easy-peasy.

 

Not for me though. I decided to be clever and follow my nose, and the nose chose a round-about trip via the Mooloolah Valley, up the Razorback to Montville, back-track to Maleny, and finally down the steep descents to Kenilworth and the Mary Valley. It was a beautiful morning and I loved every minute of the lush hinterland countryside en route, but I was about an hour and a half late for my appointment with Christina as a result and unable to really enjoy the surroundings as much as they deserved.




With mention though of the Blackall range, of Maleny and Montville and Mapleton, of Kenilworth and Kilcoy and Cooroy, you'll appreciate that this is all utterly picturesque country, from lofty views to towering rainforest to lush pasture. Parts have suffered from flood in recent times so are also looking for support and to grow their tourist industry. If you're up for a country ramble in this glorious autumn weather we've been gifted lately do take a drive, and if you have the opportunity stop in at Gallery Frit too. It's open 9-3, Wednesday-Sunday. You can't miss it - right next to the only petrol bowsers in town!

Have happy weeks!