The GIVEAWAY!

Did you have spooky fun last night? We did. And I discovered that a red bicycle reflector light set on flashing mode looks good inside a jack-o-lantern! Hot diggity!

More fun has been had of late making knitted things and now that I've started... I can't stop! It's probably pretty spooky seeing these first wretched attempts, especially for you veteran knitters out there, but it seems fitting seeing as it's Halloween and all.


I can now knit things from the shoulders up.

The GIVEAWAY...

It's the 1st of the month so it's GIVEAWAY time! If you like cute things or know someone who does, fire me a wee comment and be into win! The cute thing to be got this month is a limited edition print called "Bear Hug." Hope you like it and good luck!


Bear Hug - Limited Edition Print

GIVEAWAY DRAW: 15th November

Happy November!

It's happening again.

With the holiday season nearly upon us my thoughts are turning to my family and my lovely home in the South Pacific. It's quite an interesting place, that New Zealand a.k.a Aotearoa, meaning "land of the long white cloud," and for quite some time it's interestingness was a bit of a secret.

Since parting from supercontinent Gondwanaland 80 million years ago, it steered away from other landmasses (wheeee!) and well out into the Pacific, beginning the longest period of isolation of any non-polar landmass on earth. This remoteness allowed evolution on land to take an eccentric course. Plants, animals and ecosystems developed that are so distinctive, New Zealand is like an island ‘Ark’ – it has a high percentage of native species that are found nowhere else. By comparison, Great Britain, which separated from continental Europe only 10,000 years ago, has only two endemic species – one animal and one plant.

Birdland - limited edition print

So, who was hanging out on the ark all those many years ago? Well, because of the timing of the split (dinosaur time), New Zealand evolved pretty much without any mammals. Apart from some lizards and insects it was basically one big non-stop bird party. Without predators birds flourished - when there's no one around to eat you or your babies you can nest on the ground and heck, you don't even really need wings! Most notable is the evolution of the flightless bird which became our beloved national bird, the Kiwi.*

Birdland's a picture I created when I was thinking how lovely the forest must have sounded all those many years ago...

I might just be making it downunder for the holidays this year! Yeehaaa! I'm curious, have you started your holiday shopping and/or holiday making/re-gifting yet?? Would getting a gift for free start the ball rolling for you? Of course it would! Enjoy the beautifully written, sensitive reviews at Wishing Willow and win at the same time!

PSSSSST! It's my work getting the spa treatment over at Wishing Willow today!!!

* It never ceases to amuse me that the United States got the Bald Eagle and we have the small, brown, flightless, half-blind, nocturnal Kiwi as our national bird!

For more information about the prehistory on NZ see this page. Oh yeah!

GIVEAWAY - The Draw!

We have a name! And the name is GENEVIÈVE BRODEUR! Congratulations Geneviève, some weird hair coming your way... Thank you to all for your participation. I visited each blog (for those that had them) and had a delectable little nosey. So many different lives and passions and voices and yet a common thread running through: the desire to connect and share with others.

I'm getting into this giveaway vibe - another in November.


And on the topic of giveaways... more giveaways! This time over at the Pikaland illustration blog. My work, along with a tonne of work by people way more talented than me, is winable or failing that, buyable from Amy, the hardworking blogger gal of Pikaland. Have a look, lot's of pretties.



Magic Blossom Bears - Limited Edition Print (LARGE)

What can I say? People like pink for little girls. I guess we feel more comfortable when we can instantly identify someone's gender. Been to a big chain toy store lately? They are so helpful. Head for the excruciating neon pink aisle to the left if you are after something for your sweet wee girl. Head for the miniature military-industrial complex to the right for your tough little guy. Thank you and have a nice day.

Hmmmm...

After a bunch of requests, I'm going to be making a series of Larger prints for ye olde Etsy shoppe. The poorly shot image below (it was cold and I didn't want to hang around outside!) shows the regular size and the new large size for comparison.


Bear Hug Green - Limited Edition Print (LARGE)


I Run to you - Limited Edition Print (LARGE)

Fireball. Some photographic goodness from Maine Momma

My, time flies when you are doing exciting things like sorting through all your... crap! The house I live in is being purged. I'm not fond of clutter and yet it comes, gently, quietly like drifts of sand or dust or something and you're like, "how the hell did it get this bad?!" And so, I haven't been very good at posting for the last couple of weeks, how could I when on top of all the decluttering there have been so many great blogs to check out? It has been fun times reading all your comments from the GIVEAWAY below, it's always a delight to check out the stuff you get up to through your blogs.

I feel honoured to have received some bloggy awards since I started a-bloggin' from Mayamade, Little Bird and Fancy Picnic. If by some strange twist of fate you are unfamiliar with these rocking ladies go take a peek; they all make very different things, they are all creative wonders!


Mayamade goodness


Littlebird goodness


Fancy picnic goodness

Instead of passing on these awards to others, I'd like to say "thanks" to all the creative people I have been lucky enough to make virtual aquaintance with since I started to blog; you've been supportive, genuine and inspiring. So, on the topic of women and creativity I'd like to share this short trailer for your benefit and inspiration. It comes via, you guessed it, another fantastic, creative women's blog (Maine Momma)*, I look forward to seeing the whole documentary when it comes our way. It is being released in the states this month.

Curtains...



*You need to definitely, definitely check out Maine Momma's Flickr photostream, it's beautiful.