Christmas at Our Place - a time for...

No - this was not Christmas at our place. This is our grandson at the beautiful lights at Hunter Valley Gardens. Much to our grandchildren's dismay, we have one string of lights on a tree in our garden, but we make up with lots of fun and festivities.
Christmas for us starts on the Sunday before Christmas Day with the annual Simmons Family Party - a time for....

catching up with cousins

sharing stories with the in-laws

preparing too much delicious food

presents from Santa Simmons

and of course, the annual family photo ...

Christmas Day was with our wonderful family at our place - a time for ...

excitement - Santa came and filled the stockings

brotherly hugs and festive costumes

opening presents .... a family affair

some need help .... from other family members

others didn't - they managed all by themselves.

great gifts - a budding drummer - I love my new socks - thanks Santa!

serious playing with new toys - did you say 'read the instructions'?

eating festive food - gingerbread and Christmas mince pies -yum!

and peace, happiness and sweet dreams.

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Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

Wednesday's Child /2

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Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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