solstice sky

Because of the cavalcade of crafting posts (more to come), I’ve been thinking quite a lot about my habit of buying craft supplies for projects and letting them sit and sit and sit, untouched and unloved. The project never making it outside my head – and often supplies eventually discarded**.

For a very long time my default was to castigate myself for this (my awfully toxic inner critic lives for such moments) – evidence of all sorts of bad personal attributes.

After a good deal of inner work I understand that much of my resistance is due to fear – that perfectionism and fixed mindset is a constant battle.

This week I had a quite a breakthrough. I think mainly because I have had all the projects posts on my mind. I realised the genuine belief I have in my Future Self and her abilities when I make these plans and acquire these things. And how much faith and trust I have that Future Self will be happy, have fun and enjoy them. Absolutely not that she’ll feel guilty and terrible about herself!

So in 2023 I’m going to try to remember Past Self’s lovely intentions and not let her down.

♥

** I acknowledge that there is a view in some circles that collecting craft supplies is a completely different hobby to the doing of the crafting.

The instructor was right – after you do a random weaving class, you really do notice palm inflorescence absolutely everywhere. I spotted this excellent specimen on the way home from the station last week.

I am not sure I would necessarily have paid too much attention before the class. I certainly would not have thought about the neighbourhood as absolutely teeming with freebie craft supplies.

There are surprisingly many more mature palms around here than you’d expect. There must have been a big trend at some point in the distant past.

♥

I was pretty excited this evening to discover a previously unknown to me very nifty feature on my camera roll.

It began when I opened a photo of my wee pomegranate tree taken in the midst of repotting.

I must have scrolled down a bit more than usual because I was confronted with and option to Look up – Plant >.

There was nothing for it but to press the button (I am one of those “oooh, what does this thing do?” people).

And *boom* … it will return an identification!

Yes magical phone, it is a pomegranate! Though how it managed to survive and thrive in such a small amount of soil is a mystery – what a trooper! He’s in a much more suitable pot now.

Sometimes the identification is a bit off, but it is even doing well with some native Australian plants snapped on our recent hike.

I know what I’ll be occupying myself with over the next few days.

The final class for the year was Random Weave Scuplture – another spontaneous selection from Sydney Community College.

This was a really wonderful class – great instructor, lovely group of women – and sitting quietly weaving together was so restful and nourishing.

Our weaving material was palm inflorescence from cocos and (I think) bangalow palms. We needed to keep everything wet and pliable by soaking or wrapping in a wet towel. Otherwise it was really quite simple – in and out and in and out.

I’ve learned that I am quite challenged by randomness!

On with the (many!) process pix …

BASKET #1

The bones of the basket – a slice of cocos palm inflorescence.

♥

Step 1: tie at the top to make an approximate baskety shape.

♥

Step 2: make a ring of stability (which I keep thinking of as ring of confidence) about 2/3 of the way up with the cocos.

The cocos is a little stronger, so works better for structure.

♥

Step 3: Randomly weave with cocos and bangalow.

♥

Step 4: and weave

♥

Step 5+: weave, weave, weave

♥

Class baskets! Mine is in there somewhere

♥

Finished product!

While the instructor was explaining a process, I was fiddling with the cast-off tough spine of another non-palm plant (I have absolutely no memory of what it was other than something grassy) and unintentionally made a loop shape.

I was persuaded to incorporate that into the basket which I think was a good choice.

Now I need to work out how to get a hanging plant in there!

♥

BASKET #2

We started on our second baskets but everyone quickly ran out of time, so we took supplies home to finish up.

This is what I arrived home with.

After about 3 hours sitting on the garage floor, listening to an audiobook and weaving, weaving, weaving and weaving some more. This is much more densely woven than my first effort as I was keen to use all the materials.

action shot

♥

Would I do more random weaving? Maybe! It was definitely a challenge for me to work with an imperfect shape and not be able to bend it to my will.

I definitely want to have a crack at some more basketry – perhaps something a little more precise and less random next time.

When we bought a giant new bed in (maybe**) late 2019, I kept the wee feets from the old bed because I adored the shape and surely I could find a project for them?

… much time passed …

In May this year I was wandering the hardware store, saw the very same legs alongside those metal brackety things that you screw legs into and *boom* – flash of inspiration. As it turned out, I already had most of the supplies I needed, save for a top. I just needed to see everything out of my own context to realise the possibilities. This is why I love wandering around the hardware store.

After wandering and thinking a bit more I picked up a 20cm circle of mdf (as I search for a link I learn this is a teapot stand^^) and off I went.

I realised that if I wanted this to work, I would need to bust out the dremel and shorten the bolts at the top of the legs! After owning it for 15 years, I resolved to finally face my fears! As an aside, I’d really like to overcome this “buy stuff and be scared to use it” which happens way too often.

♥

Supplies!

You can see what I mean about the bolts – way too long to sit a top on.

♥

Dremel to the rescue!

It worked a treat, but was slightly scary. Many Sparks! Occasional shattering of the cutting wheel! You can see some of the shattered remnants scattered around on the left image.

♥

Not pictured. Priming and spray painting the teapot stand.

From memory, I stuck the metal feet holders on with the ever-useful sugru. Weighted under cookbooks for about 24 hours.

♥

Fin. So cute – looks like a wee creature.

♥

I’m mulling ideas around in my head for something with many more feet. And a second use of the dremel!

♥

** honestly, I have no idea and I’m attempting perfectionless, not historically accurate blogging (though it pains me to do so). Defnintely pre-pandemic though.

^^ oddly niche

I’m coming up to 3 weeks on the very-small-dose thyroid pills and already I feel a little more energetic and slightly less foggy. Of course, this improvement could be the placebo effect – but I care not if it is. I’d chew on old towels for a good outcome at this point.

highly advanced medicine and vitamin tracker

Upon investigation, I was surprised to learn (thanks InformationSuperhighway) just how many symptoms of a sluggish thyroid are things I have; viz:
+ dry, itchy, alligator skin
+ unhappy innards, poor digestion
+ ridgey, peely nails
+ fatigue, low energy
+ brain fog, memory issues, trouble concentrating
+ weight gain
+ puffy face
+ increased cholesterol
+ cold hands and feet
+ slow heart rate
+ hairless arms and legs

What a list! Seen together in this way it’s little wonder I feel meh (and itchy).

I’m hopeful by the end of January I’ll begin to feel a little more normal.

gorgeous bitey darling monster

And just like that the month of blogging experiment is complete!

It actually felt much longer than a month and I kind of enjoyed the discipline of writing every day. Future Me will be pleased she did this!

I’m planning to continue on to the end of December and then reassess. I’m keen to capture the remaining crafts projects from this year – I’m still astonished that I did so much this year, it really felt like I did very little. And to dish the dirt (meagre as it is) on the SML Reckoning that saw Bobs-my-boss depart.

After that, who can know? What I do know that if I don’t make an appointment with myself to show up, I’m more than likely to not.

hopefully more of this is my short term future!

Six more working days for me until 16 days of not-work (16 days including weekends, which I’m totally counting because it makes it seem longer).

I have very few plans for the break. I’d probably benefit from having a broad idea of things to do, but not in any sort of prescriptive achieving-type way. I’d like to get out and about a bit more and also to nap. I think I’ve forgotten how to do both and this really must be remedied.

And as The Universe is my witness I will complete the round up of my 2022 crafting adventures!

I’ll often browse the Sydney Community College website for potentially interesting things to try out. In February, I decided to check out a candle-making class.

The class was run by the couple from arcandles who are absolutely delightful and fun. It was a really vibey, joyful way to spend a Saturday morning.

Before we started, we learned quite a lot about the hazards and risks of candle making: Melting wax could blow up on you! Paraffin candles are the devil’s work (oops)! Do not re-use glass candle vessels for new candles – they could explode!

After being suitably terrified, we chose our dyes and scents (for me: coffee and probably coffee, or maybe it was vanilla – something foodish and cosy anyway), learned about proportions and ratios, and off we went!

The process was about as simple as you’d expect – melt wax, pour into vessel – try to avoid letting things explode on you.

♥

My candles waiting to set

♥

The class candles waiting to set

♥

My finished items in a giant photo – in addition to the two candles, we made wax melts and rolled a small beeswax candle

My candles went all milk-shakey after a few months (heat and humidity), which I think looks quite cool.

I should probably burn them, but just lately I’ve developed a kind of aversion for strongly scented candles, so they are just sitting around looking pastelly and pretty.

My brand new scent aversion recently extended to some candles in beautiful pottery vessels from Provider Store. I’d burned about half of them, but finally removed the all the wax so I could use the vessels as cups.

I do still love candles though – especially as a kind of ritual thing: for morning pages (!), for meditation (when I actually do it) and when I do a tarot card pull. But henceforth it’s unscented beeswax all the way!

In other candle-related happenings – one of the favourite things I welcomed into ThePalaceOfLove in 2021 was a Flint rechargable candle lighter. It looks absolutely lovely and works a treat! I totally recommend!

tiny hippy station

And because I am unable to resist this stuff, of course I bought a candle kit from the class – so there are likely some unscented soy candles in my future too!

Found this on my camera roll amongst all those craft pix – taken last year and briefly forgotten.

From Patricia Wentworth: Miss Silver #4 –
Danger Point (1941)

Text:
… laughing at him. She was as little and light as a child, with dark tossed curls and a vivid, wilful face. All her colouring was brown, but the quick blood gave brilliance to lip and cheek. Her teeth were as white as hazel nuts. She came round the net tossing her racket and laughing. ‘Pouf! I can always beat you!’ She pursed her lips and blew him a kiss. “And for why?” …

Now perhaps you’re thinking the point is that her teeth were less than dazzling – a kind of light-brown? This is where you’d be wrong because in the very next paragraph … “they had, in fact, the same grandmother, and the same very white teeth.”

So. Many. Questions.