another French movie: Delicacy

One of the things we wanted this blog to be about was seeing the connections in what we're doing in our 'separate' lives. So I wanted to post this after reading your movie review Soph.

Last Saturday I went to see Delicacy with two friends from college in Leichardt. It was one of those fun times where you decide you want to go, then check the times and you have just enough time to get there. Well, almost enough time. The movie had just started and the cinema was quite full by the time we got in. So we had to sit in the second row, but even that couldn't spoil this lovely film.

It's a beautiful story about unlikely love, told in the quirky French way. The filming is beautiful, and the music was great too. I bought the soundtrack the next day! They used an album by Emilie Simon, a French singer for most of the soundtrack.

I cried quite a few times, because it was sad, but also because it was beautiful. Sorry for my lack of adjectives. Did I mention it was a beautiful movie? Go watch it!

Oh yeah, and Audrey Tatou is in it, so what more could you want?

Inspiration from the strangest places

I've been meaning to write about these drawings/paintings for ages, sorry. Seeing your pen drawings Bek, reminded me of them. 


Back in February I had to refresh my First Aid course on a Saturday, which I was not happy about. It's always a pretty boring day, trying to take in lots of information. But there was a silver lining: they had amazing walls in the lunch room! 


They were blotchy watercolour trees with line drawings of other trees, with stylised birds, insects and flowers. Such a fun addition to the space. So I took a few photos on my phone.


The next week I had fun copying them. I drew the birds and flowers with pen. I just did some blotchy watercolour shapes, rather than trying to do trees. The proportions didn't seem to work.




Then I cut out the line drawings and stuck them onto some colour blothes and onto a card.

 The  card on the right is  based  on  Luke 12:7, 'How much more valuable are you than the birds'. The understatement makes me smile: "more precious than a bird"
Hopefully it's recipient understood my humour.


These photos also show my amazing window seat. They don't do justice to the view, but gives you a little idea of where I sit each morning to pray, read the Bible and prepare for the day.

xE

#3. where the magic happens

My last post for today is just a little look at my new creative space.

We've had a bit of a rearrangement in the house, and I now have a corner in the living room dedicated to my creative endeavors. My housemates are extremely thoughtful & accommodating of my crafty hoarding.

I am loving it (as you can see from my previous post, I'm already making good use of it). It's great too because it means I can spread out & use the dining table (rarely used for its intended purpose). It still needs a bit of sorting & cleaning up, but that's all part of the fun for me!

#2. artworks for the noncommittal

These words have stood out in my mind since I read them a few weeks ago in Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening. 

"O my soul, set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set thine heart upon Him who abides forever faithful to thee." 

They are based on those wonderful words from Jesus' own mouth in Matthew 6:19-21.

What better way to remember them, to meditate on them & commit them to heart & mind than by making them into an artwork?

I absolutely love my black, textured tape puncher thing from Dymo. And I love doilies. I also had the frame sitting around with nothing to put in it. But unwilling to fully commit to sticking the doily & letters together with no option of backing out, I decided to try and make an artwork, without fully committing to the sticking process.

Bluetac. 

It's wonderful for the artist/creator who is unwilling to commit. I used Bluetac to stick down a sheet of brown kraft paper. I then used a small piece of double sided tape to hold the centre of the doily. And then I used Bluetac again to stick the words to the doily. After that the pressure of the glass did all the rest. It holds together so nicely & no one would be any the wiser had I not just told you.

I love it. I am so happy with the finished product & even more so knowing that the doily is not lost forever, trapped under those gorgeous typed black & white strips. Although, now that I see it, I don't think I'll ever really have the desire to take it apart.

(But at least I know the option is there).

This is it in its new home; a lovely little corner of our living room, just above the record player. 

#1. tying the knot: an invitation

I have three things to post today.

The first is a little peek at the invite to Pete & my engagement party. These came together in a very short space of time with the help of Soph & our good God.
My perfectionist side was beginning to stress because I wanted something pretty, creative & well...perfect. But my rational & calm side (which, yes, does exist) was aware of time & monetary constraints, and the fact that it didn't have to be something spectacular.


I stumbled across this photo on Pinterest (my latest obsession & source of creative inspiration) and God immediately flagged it in my mind. Why not make a photo just like this the actual invite?! So this became the basis for the invites. We collected together a few pretty bits & pieces, typed up the details, arranged all the different elements, and our resident photographer, Sophie Newmarch, snapped a few shots.

It ended up being so simple. Yet so effective & much easier than producing a hundred+ copies of something creative yet fiddly.

Within a couple days they were printed, with an enlarged version of the details attached to the back using my beloved twine & ready to deliver. Pete & I have since done a few drive-by deliveries around Wollongong & Sydney.

I am so thankful to God that this didn't turn into the stressful situation I could have so easily made it! He is so good - even in these small things.

Journalling

Here is my FIRST POST! I thought I'd show you some recent pages from my journal. As you know I am using pictures as well as writing this year. It makes me happy. The process is interesting as thoughts, feelings and images interact in sometimes unexpected ways!

Moroccan Chicken & Vegetable Soup

I made my first soup today. And also made up my own little recipe for it, so I thought I'd share it with you all here.

Soph was sick with flu/cold type symptoms, so I thought a nice chicken & vegetable soup would be best. I just used whatever was in the fridge, plus gave it a little exotic twist.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 skinless chicken breasts, chopped into small 'cubes'
3 cups boiling water
1 chicken stock cube
2 medium sized carrots, sliced thinly
2 small-medium potatoes, chopped into small 'cubes'
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
salt & cracked pepper
mixed herbs
Masterfoods Moroccan seasoning

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan and fry onion & garlic. Add chicken & cook. When chicken is cooked through, season with a generous sprinkle of Moroccan seasoning.

2. Add chicken stock cube & 2 cups of boiling water; bring to boil.

3. Add carrot & potato, allow to boil for 5 minutes.

4. Add mushrooms & additional cup of water; boil for a further 5 minutes.

5. Season with salt & pepper to taste, add mixed herbs, and a further sprinkle of Moroccan seasoning.

6. When potato is cooked til soft, take the soup off the boil.

7. Serve & enjoy!

We enjoyed ours with some spinach & feta scrolls from Baker's Delight, but some warm, crusty bread would go perfectly!
You could also use a variety of other vegetables such as zucchini or celery.

It was fun making something that I'd never tried before, and also adapting a very simple recipe I found on the internet to give it a tasty twist & use what I had in the fridge.

Movie Night: Midnight in Paris

  
        
            Midnight in Paris is an enchanting Woody Allen movie exploring the awakening of inspiration and finding a way to express oneself creatively. With outstanding performances by all, the captivating characters and plot development raises a lot of questions for those of us who may be of the artistic persuasion.  



           It is definitely worth a watch, to stimulate the creative flow and contemplate some philosophical notions of our society’s obsessive nostalgia. It was exciting for me to note some of the illustrious artists and writers who made an appearance, with concepts from my art history education pouring forth.  

         Another element I enjoyed was the focus on French culture and it's evolution through these Golden Eras, also picking up the snippets of beautiful Francais which I love and have been meaning to get back into. Oh, how I would love to just move to Paris and be an artist, exploring and learning from the Greats. 

      A beautiful film, you must see it!

Craft Corner Makeover

Well the "before" shot isn't that interesting, but the other day I decided to make my desk, i.e. sewing/craft corner a little more interesting and space-efficient. My dad had just given me this beautiful old box and I thought it would be perfect for a bit of storage space.

So I cleaned it up, bought a hammer! and some nails and screws. The interesting panels on the inside proved perfect for these nails and screws, and with a bit of ribbon and fabric tape, it was looking just a little pretty. Add in a glass jar glued to the base, almost anything can be stored in this bad boy.

I then went on to beautify a drawer I was already using on my desk as another surface ontop, resting on its side. It was a little dark, so I painted the inside white with a tester tube of paint, the perfect amount. Again with a bit of ribbon and lace, anything can look cute. I am yet to decide what further function this drawer will have, it currently just holds photoframes and tins of buttons and such...

The Final Ensemble, it's so useful to have everything at arms reach, especially my clay bear, Cliff.