Clapping the Loudest

It's nearly 2013, and I might not see you 'til then, so

here's the frippery I am clapping the loudest about in 2012.

The workers at the chalkface.

And their stellar efforts.

And how they dream their own dreams.

Well done, A+++.

The Embroiderers' Guild and its associations.

Listening to Jenny Adin-Christie.

Her hands embroidered Princess Kate's wedding gown!

Along with the team from Valentino and the London School of Needlework.

Here's lovely Jenny.

 

The lovely G and her generosity.

Boxes of divine lace and tulle.

 

The fabulous Tricia Smout and her Artist-in-Residency at Brisbane's Botanical Gardens.

The Mt Coot-tha Orchid Species Society, too.

Mr Fascinata's heirloom tomato crops.

The appearance of Karl's Brisbane specific ocean coloured Chanel flap,

and a sequined jacked at one of Flora's dinner parties.

A Chanel scarf gift for the hostess, too.

And my ten year old Princess Mary Vogue got the attention it deserved.

 

 

My e-friendship with the lovely, Bea.

And new obsession with German glitter,

from Paulette at PaperNosh.

 

House models, E.L

and J.

My fringe.

And natural hair colour.

That has saved me a fortune.

To spend!

Thank you, Jean Brown.

Attendance at Boot Camp, back a while, but diligent when enrolled.

The diamante Puma got me through.

 

Regular walking and the artificial turf.

Do it, you won't be sorry.

For those Spambots, that honestly write the loveliest comments,

'Your writing is wonderful. I have learnt so much.'

'Can I share this with my Twitter group?'

This is vital information and so well-produced.'

Thank you, Spam, you make my day.

Clapping too, for all those bods who knocked themselves out

for the Arts in 2012.

 

You know who you are.

Clapping for friends who you catch up with where you once were, without effort.

For looking forward to something, always.

Being hopeful.

Have a sweet New Year's Eve.

Whatever you do, noisy or nothing.

All works.

Don't forget to clap the loudest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



dAY jOB

Here's a crop of the window drawings I did for Montrachet restaurant.

I themed around peops packed up and leaving for holidays.

Snuck in a Chanel handbag for wishful thinking.

Even got a bit of glitter in on the shoreline.

I'll show you the work in-situ, soon.

Remember back a while when I started fashioning Floras for the Camellia Society?

Well, next week I have an important interview to show off Flora's frippery.

And I am excited.

Might be rubbing shoulders with Stephen Jones' fashionable tonsure frippery and

those of similar ilk.

A who's is who of tonsure frippery.

I'll let you know how I go.

At this stage, anything-could-happen. But, please cross your fingers and toes.

As fabulous as Flora is, she won't be giving up her day job anytime soon.

Here's some of the ideas and inspirations I conjured up for the Society.

 

 

 

 

I'll take creations of beads and lace.

The wool and lurex camellia.

Hello, Kitty....

 

 

Wish me luck.

Stay creative.

 

 

 

 



Festive Wind-up

Can you believe on Christmas Eve my friend Starr, gifted me a working drawing of

'Girl in Paris'...aka..'Flora in Paris'?

Neither could I!

Appropriately I managed to sculpt my hair into a stylish side-bun, fitting for such a soiree.

I felt pretty proud of it, because frankly, you never know which way a self-made hairstyle is going to go.

Starr also gave one of the attendees a spectacular painting of Brisbane's Story Bridge.

Which she obsessively loves to paint.

He had to unwrap it on the wall.

Mr Fascinata received one of lovely Haidee's

decorated festive fruit cakes, starred with black royal icing.

Too nice to cut. I adore the polka dot and star range.

At first he thought Starr had re-gifted, 'til I explained that

Haidee had done a gorgeous range of the baked and iced goodies.

Starr does a very good tree.

She's a highly organised Liberian, not to be confused

with Librarian.

She knocked herself out with the beverages and canapes.

One of the guests gave her this Mme Coco cremant from the Burgundy region in France

I wanted to steal it.

Isn't it nice when peops give a hostess a gift?

Here's her 70s style prawn cocktails in unbreakable glasses.

 

Here's more of Haidee's dotty and starred cakes!

Fu was also on the guest list.

And unwrapped a couple of thoughtful gifts.

 

Christmas day was equally as fabulous.

I frocked up in a $20 pure cotton Indian caftan.

To be honest, I love it.

I tricked it up further with a $5 Tom Binns look-a-like necklace.

Here's the third tree, my friend J's.

And for the third year in a row I crafted a Yuletide log.

 

I made J that flora wreath a million years ago. I was chuffed to see she still

trots it out. Good on her.

There was a bit of this going on.

I love that pewter pineapple, pretty apt for us Queenslanders.

Symbolising friendliness and warmth.

Don't be shocked, but I repeating the caftan for the last Christmas 'do, tomorrow.

 

 

Not sure if I told you how one of the workers gifted me with her Palestinian style embroidery,

created from unravelled woollen items.

She designed it from her mind's eye.

To be honest, I was astonished.

I can't wait to make it into a clutch purse with some sort of embellished trim.

Sometimes during the crafting sessions we used to talk about the civil war in Syria.

I can thank the Palestinian embroidery for giving me this awareness.

 I can't stop thinking about the government air-strike on the busy the bakery in central Syria, Christmas Eve.

And that loss of life.

Stay lucky and grateful.