Here comes the bride

I’m still here!  Life has just been busy lately, and I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel…. I hope!

Popping in to share with you a wedding gown painting I was commissioned to do ~ it’s a gift for the bride-to-be.

Isn’t the dress style gorgeous?  Love, love, love that green sash and bow at the waist!

…and that cute little lace bolero {some brides are smart thinkers!}

The customer loves it, and hopefully her bride friend will love it, too!

*Update*

I’ve just added a custom listing to my Etsy shop if anyone is after a gown painting of their own! You can find it by clicking HERE.

See you again soon,

Natasha xo

Once Upon A Dream

I’ve had a little secret that I’ve been keeping from you….. 

You see, I’ve had some inside information on something so wonderful, for a while now….

and I haven’t told you, because it’s so awesome, that every fine detail is being imagined & worked on…..and nothing has been said until word from above has come, that it’s time to let you in on some details…

and you know, creative wonderful things take time….

So what is it, I hear you ask?

The amazing, talented, Queen of Frou Frou Beauty, {yes, you guessed it: the gorgeous Jennifer Hayslip} has announced her “Save The Date” for a most magical, wonderful, beautiful event that she will host in October 2011, in stunning Asheville, North Carolina!

 

 

And do you know what’s even more exciting about it for me?

I’m flying half way across the world from “Down Under” to be one of the very lucky people chosen as an instructor at the event!

There is a fantastic line up of amazing talented artists and bloggers whose teaching company I will be in….see for yourself…

Andrea Singarella

Dee Foust

Karla Nathan

Lori Oles

I can’t wait until next year!  Be sure to check out Jenn’s blog {www.sweeteyecandycreations.typepad.com} for updates, and for registration in February 2011.

I hope you can join us, I can tell you, from the plans and ideas swirling around at the moment, this is going to be one seriously wonderful experience!

{Here’s a button if you’d like to snag it, and link it to http://www.sweeteyecandycreations.typepad.com }

I really hope I get to see you there!!!

Natasha xo

oops!

…well it’s been a while!  Didn’t realise I’d be gone from my blog for so long.

I’ve been busy clearing things from home on eBay here,

and sorting through tens of thousands of beads,

and still organising the craft room…

and welcoming 7 new members to our family {I’ll introduce you soon}

so I’ll be a while yet.

In the meantime, thought I’d share with you the flowers we’ve had in our window the past few weeks, all flowers that have grown in our garden, and all of which I grew from cuttings!  No fancy stuff, just simple pretty flowers that bloom and bloom and bloom.

Gotta love that!

 

 

 

Oh and before you go… if you haven’t got your hands on a copy of this beautiful new magazine, go get one here!

I’m fortunate enough to have a how-to in there, among a whole lot of gorgeous how-to’s, articles, and beautiful images.

Ciao for now,

Natasha xo

field of flowers

We got away for a couple of days over the holidays, down to the beach for the first time since Easter.

I love this time of year down there.  Flowers pop up everywhere, almost assaulting your senses!

There’s one particular little paddock near my parents’ house, that I haven’t seen in bloom for years and years.  The last time I saw it like this, was the first time I had ever seen it this way.  That was probably 20 years ago, when I was a teenager, and my grandma was alive.

She was so full of energy – like crazy energy – climbing trees like a monkey to prune branches in her late 60s!

She had such a green thumb…. and she, Mum and I picked armfuls and armfuls of flowers in this little field.  Nanny also pulled some out with roots/bulbs & dirt, and brought them home to plant.  Today, at home {we bought her house}, I noticed they were growing in my garden, and remembered her fondly.

So here is a tour of what we call “Nanny’s Garden”…

the little paddock full of flowers that are too beautiful to call weeds…

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, I’m loving taking pics with my new camera lens that my friend Heather recommended to me.  Loving playing with the depth of field…. and loving putting vintage actions over the pictures in Photoshop {which I am learning, very slowly, to use}

{For those who are interested, the lens is Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, and I love it!}

the goat whisperer

One day recently over the Spring school holidays, we visited a place called Cooper’s Settlement, at Bundoora Park.

Lots of wonderful animals everywhere, along with pony and tractor rides. 

The little guy’s favourite part was the animal feeding and holding!

Of course, one of the highlights for me was getting up close to the roaming parading male peacocks.  Just LOVE their colours and feathers.

G-Force all the way here – guinnea pigs galore!

In the “Rabbit Barn”, I was fortunate enough to have been bitten by a bunny! MAN they HURT!!!

All around the farm there were large signs that were HAND PAINTED – absolutely fantastic!

We even spotted a white kangaroo, which I’ve never seen before.

And our coat of arms, Kangaroos and Emus

The tin man below was made of recycled materials – the yellow brick road of plastic lids, and the greenery beside it (that has faded to blue) was green beer cans.

The animal nursery was wonderful. When we arrived the bottles had all been handed out to kids and we missed out on that part.

But we decided to hang around and pat the babies anyway.  And as it turns out, that is the best time to be there.  The animals are content, and the crowds of people disappear.

The next pictures chronicle the little guy’s baby goat experiences.  Absolute highlight of the day!  They are SUCH characters, even as babies.

Love the expression on his face here – he’s freaked out by the rooster you don’t see in the photo – it was moulting and hovering around him…

And while he was cuddling with one baby goat, another got behind him and wanted in on the action – climbing all over his head!

We started calling him “The GOAT Whisperer”.  LOL!

The baby goat just curled up in his lap and fell asleep, like a little puppy dog.  He was there at least half an hour like this!

But the face turned….. “why the weird face?”

“He PEED ON ME!!!!”

So the little peeing goat came to me for cuddles :)

And snuggles….which I loved!

{excuse the washed out  face – I was pretty ill that day, ugh!}

Tomorrow… before the Grand Final… or during it if you hate football!