inkberryblue

Simple offerings from me this week.

When my life is complex,
as it is right now,
I cherish the peacefulness and quietness of my garden:






mementos that remind me of joyful times:


(This necklace of freshwater pearls and turquoise beads was made especially for me by a lovely and incredibly hard working jeweller in Hoi An, Vietnam)


...and I love the way that working with my hands gives me space for simplicity and solitude after a day full of noise and demands:



(The pattern's called Dot's Little Ditty Bag. I made it out of cotton and adorned it with a five petalled rose from Crochet Bouquet.)

What's bringing peace into your world?

It will come as no surprise, I am sure, for me to tell you that I adore things that have been handmade. Time, effort, creativity and love go into individually crafted work. I get so much pleasure from surrounding myself with handmade homewares and I really enjoy wearing unique pieces of clothing and jewellery...so I've been doing a little shopping over at Etsy and I thought I'd show you what I've bought, along with some of the things I've been making.

I purchased some lovely earrings from Renee at cocoapod botanical jewellery :





They are bright yet delicate. I'm so happy with them!


I had a ring custom made by Teri Lee Jewelry too:






I was thrilled when it arrived (and relieved that it fitted.)
I love the symbolism of the lotus:
the idea that, just as the lotus plant can produce exquisite flowers when growing in the dirtiest water, I can transform the most negative of thoughts and feelings into wisdom and beauty.
The ring's a gentle reminder for me to be positive.


And, as for the things that I've been making things myself,
I've been wearing a bezel set ring that I constructed last year at Fremantle Arts Centre:





I used sterling silver and a beach pebble from Tweed Heads that my wonderful tutor, Claire Townsend, supplied. (One of the little boys I work with thinks that the stone might be magic ~ inspired by the Deltora Quest books he's been reading~ which tickles my imagination too.)

I also made a set of wine glass charms for my dad's birthday
so that we don't get our wine glasses mixed up at big family dinners anymore.
Here are some of them:



If you'd like to make some there's a good tutorial here.


I've been working on my sunburst granny blanket too:



and I've started to make a cardigan from a pattern in September 2009's edition of Yarn Magazine:



I don't know if I like the way it's working up, the pattern uses a really soft, squishy bamboo and I'm crocheting with cotton, but I'm going to perservere with it for a little while longer...and, if it doesn't work out, I'm going to use the yarn for another Chevron Lace Cardigan.

I'd love to know what you're making!

Blessings.
x

I'm working full time again.
After six months of leave
filled with art lessons,
time with family and friends,
resting,
cooking,
travelling
and general fabulousness
I'm back to dead lines, routines and responsibility.
Truthfully, I could happily take another six months off right now
...but really it's not so bad. I'm refreshed and it's lovely to be working with small children again. I've missed the sweetness of little kids!
I have some lovely memories too.
Looking at this drawing has brought back some of the feelings of peace and well being I experienced when I was out in the bush:


I drew this from a photograph I took when I went walking in my beautiful childhood home, the Darling Ranges. It reminds me of all the drawing classes I took too and how I love being in a studio. (Studios always make me feel close to my darling grandad, who was an artist.) I'm planning on hanging it outside my bedroom so that I can see it from my front door and from my bed.

I love looking at the photographs I took in Vietnam as well.






These were taken at a magical place called Halong Bay,
where I stayed overnight on the water in a luxurious little boat,
drank good French wine and kayaked through the rocky outcrops at dusk.
Heavenly recollections!


I'm also enjoying being relatively free of clutter. I doggedly sorted out all my resources at work and at home when I was on leave. My spare room has gone from this:



to this:



Just looking at those neat stacks of labelled boxes makes me feel happy
and when I've put up some more bookshelves up there will be even less in there.


I've consoled myself, too, by buying myself some treats from Etsy.
I haven't photographed them all yet but I can show you this gorgeous pillowslip which I purchased from Beata at rosehip, after I read about her work on Lindamade:




It arrived, all prettily packaged, from Canada:




and,
I think,
fits into my bedroom beautifully:




Beata, by the way, has a free pattern for some truly beautiful crochet flower pillows on her blog.

And,
of course,
when all my work is done for the day, I've been crocheting.
I've started to make a blanket using Priscilla Hewitt's Sunburst Granny Square.



I'm planning on edging it in an oatmeal colour or white, like Fantasy Landscape's. It's going to be a great portable project and a good way to use up left over balls of wool.



I have to get back to paperwork now and then iron clothes for work.
Ho hum
...but I'm so glad I've managed to squeeze a bit of blogging in!

I'd love to know what's bringing joy into your world, too.

Blessings.
x

I'd like to wish you all a belated happy new year
or,
as some of my family on the Scottish side still say,
a guid new year tae yin an' aw!
Even though this is very belated, I'd also like to express my gratitude to everyone who has visited inkberryblue in 2009. My connection with you all genuinely inspires me. Thank you.

You may have noticed that I haven't been here much of late. It's not that I haven't wanted to be...but I've been spending most of my time valiantly clearing out my (incredibly) cluttered craft room in the hope that I'll get it organised before I go back to work in a fortnight's time.
I think I'm going to make it.

I have been knitting!!!
Inspired by a fellow Raveler Angeluna's beautiful work I've been making a Fascinate wrap using Noro silk sock yarn. I'm loving it! (By the way, you'll only be able to view Angeluna's projects if you're a member of Ravelry. I think that Ravelry is the best resource for knitting and crochet on the net and if you haven't already joined you should!)





I love the way the colours in the Noro unfold as I work
...and it's an easy pattern for a beginner knitter like me.




And now,
as promised in my last post,
here are more photographs from beautiful Vietnam:


Embroidered Screen, Dalat, Vietnam.
These flowers were stitched onto sheer material ~ the embroidery worked, painstakingly and with great skill, so that there is no wrong side to the fabric.


Man Sheltering from the Rain, Hoi An, Vietnam.


Young Woman and Little Boy, Hoi An, Vietnam.


Marble Buddha, Hoi An, Vietnam.


Mauve Waterlily, Hoi An, Vietnam.


Silk Lanterns, Lantern Street, Hoi An.

Hoi An is a magical place. The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming, the city is old and very beautiful (it's a World Heritage site) and there are many businesses which custom make clothes, shoes and jewellery ~ I had some beautiful dresses made out of Thai silk. I would looooove to go back!


Carnivorous Plant, Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam.
I found the Cuc Phuong jungle to be enchanting. Our night trek was especially wonderful ~ bushy tailed gliding squirrels peered down at us from impossibly tall trees, fairylight~like fireflies followed us into deep darkness...


Forest Giant, Cuc Phong National Park, Vietnam.

Cuc Phong is also home to the Endangered Primate Rescue Center which is doing much needed conservation work with lorises, macaques, langurs and gibbons.



Jungle Vines, Cu Chi, Vietnam.


Pink Waterlilies, Hoa Lu, Vietnam.




Tomb of Tu Duc, Hue, Vietnam.



White Waterlily (and wee moth), Hue, Vietnam.



Vietnamese Coffee, Hue, Vietnam.
Vietnamese coffee is drip filtered and mixed with condensed milk ~ the sweetness of the milk counters the coffee's bitterness. Actually, I don't usually drink coffee but this was delicious! I treated myself to this cup, from a roadside stall, after an exhilarating, hair~raising motorbike ride through wet countryside.


DIY spring rolls in Hue, Vietnam.
We rolled garden fresh zucchini and lettuce, piquantly dressed carrot and cabbage, fragrant baked fish, satayed pork and beef, and savoury omelette into rice paper, dunked it in a variety of mouth watering sauces and washed it all down with Saigon beer.
Absolute.
Heaven.

Vietnamese food really is sensational. In between decluttering, I've managed to make a few dishes that I learnt in the cooking classes I went to and I'd love to share them here
but,
as this post seems to be taking on epic proportions,
I'll leave that for another time!
Until then, here are links to chef Luke Nguyen's television series and gastronomy blog, which both convey the fabulousness of the cuisine.

Blessings to you.
x

...which means hello in Vietnamese!
(You pronounce it sin jow.)
I came back from South East Asia three weeks ago
(it's taken me a little while to settle back in)
and I'm happy to report that I enjoyed Malaysia,
and would really like to spend more time there,
and that I looooooved Vietnam!!!
Vietnam has beautiful, welcoming people,
a picturesque countryside,
divine food and a fascinating history.
Here are some of my many, many, many photographs:
(...and I'll load more onto Flickr as I edit them.)



Batik, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia



Mosaic detail, Islamic Arts Museum, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia




National Monument, Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia





Exquisite needlework, Dalat, Vietnam
There was lovely embroidery for sale throughout the country. I saw a lot of women crocheting in their market stalls too.



Figurine of Quan Yin, Nguyen Nga Centre for Children with Special Needs, Quy Nhon City, Vietnam
The Nguyen Nga Center is also a sheltered workshop for adults. I met some of the young men and women who live there and they were absolutely charming! They produced really beautiful weaving and jewellery too.



Small boy from the Koho Minority, Chicken Village, Central Highlands, Vietnam
This dear, playful little fellow followed us all through the village, alternately showing us karate moves and growling like a tiger.



Bride and groom, Dalat, Vietnam
They were so happy!



Dog, on the road to Quy Nhon, Vietnam
Did someone say lunch?




Chinese temple, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
(This shot was taken by my fabulous guide Ling)




Mosquito nets and early morning light, Mekong Delta, Vietnam



Early morning, Mekong Delta
I loved the Delta and its soft light, quietness and tranquility...




Mountain waterfall, outside of Dalat, Vietnam




Sunset, Quy Nhon City, Vietnam



Lamp light, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam




Lunch, Saigon Cooking Class, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
This was first course ~ Mustard Leaf Rolls with Crunchy Vegetables and Shrimps.
Mmmmmmmmmm


I know that I've been really fortunate to have had this experience.
I am really glad that I chose to travel, for part of the way at least, with Intrepid Travel and I feel so lucky to have met the people who took the tour with me. Caroline, Sonia, Anne, Donald, Sue, Sharon, Hong, Loy...thank you!!!!!!!

Of course,
I took some crafty work with me.
I finished off my Sweet Lorraine scarf just before I joined the Intrepid tour:




Such a good pattern ~ Sweet Lorraine was easy to memorise, quick to make and had a border that worked up as I crocheted. It kept me lovely and warm too.

In case you're wondering, I've started to watermark my photos to try and stop people from using my pictures (and profiting from them) without my permission. Sadly, I've come across a few sites who've helped themselves to my images and haven't removed them even though I've written to them and asked them to. If anyone would like a tutorial on how to put watermarks into your shots (I have a PC and use Photoshop Elements) just let me know.

And now I am off to catch up on some long overdue blog reading and commenting.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I hope yours is a merry one!
Blessings.
x