better late than never?...

well now, here we are mid Jan and I haven't even posted 2012's reflections, and yet there is much to be thankful for! So, better late than never, thought I would share a few thoughts.

micah jack's brilliant portraits of mr man and I (4y10months)

in 2012....I was 

::~ Grateful, so very much, for family, and special times had, the birth of 2 celebrated and much loved nieces joining our family, making us 24 in number...a hefty team to face the world with.

::~Thinking, a lot of time spent re-evaluating things, a change of church family for us- which has being a blessing and also an upheaval. 

::~Creating, not a lot of creativity occurred when compared to previous years, but working has indeed swallowed the lion share of my days...however, knitting, sewing, crocheting, have all played their various parts.

::~Growth, in our children, in ourselves and in our relationship...stretching and changing sometimes have tears and hurts...relationships have been pulled and kneaded into a different shape, with a better result, despite initial qualms and fears.  Watching the physical growth of the kiddos is always amazing no?  Each of them is alot closer to being as tall as me, and the eldest is now taller..eek!
::~Change, this year I have undergone a journey of transformation...losing 47kgs of myself along the way - RELIEF is the biggest thing I feel, followed by WEEHEE, new clothes in a much smaller size YUS!  Lots of running around with the kids -easily now.  More to drop off along the year, but a massive chunk gone, phew...my heart says thankyou to myself!
::~Challenge, on so many fronts - but the one in mind, is running! I am officially a runner!  Yup, I slowly slumph along, but I'm doing it - YAY...once again the heart says -thankyou -to myself.
::~Explore, I have a yearn to explore our magnificent country...and have had the opportunity to a wee bit, visiting Waikauwa Bay most recently, and stopping off up the Coromandel along the way - `tis a feast for your eyes...such beauty...I so hope that 2013 is a year to explore.
::~Looking forward to, an awesome year, truly I pray it will be so! Welcome 2013, we gonna love each other!

ta-da!

the finished zinc etching is up and and the wall - YAY. Was such a lovely process to go through - and depsite its many flaws - this wee piece of art represents so many things to me - so on the wall it goes (for a little while anyways).

oh, and those sweet babes - they're all mine, a whole lot of deliciousness goin on there - all pics were taken when each of them were 14 weeks old.....such wonderful treasures.

zinc etching

On a thursday night, myself and 2 girlfriends have been sneaking out of our houses (BEFORE the kids are in bed even!), to go buy lollies just for us!, and then go a learn how to zinc etch....its quite a fun process, and given the acid, schlacking,soft ground, hard ground, turps and meths in the room I always come away faintly light headed....I have to be honest, its been cool, we use the art room at the local high school and I find myslef wondering if I'm sitting on my biggest girls art stool - I've really enjoyed this uninterrupted time to draw and hum to myself...chat with other mums and grandmas let out at night!....the grand finalle` with be printed this week after a few bummer prints...but here is a wee look thus far.

1st - you select your final drawing, then you softground/hardground your zinc plate after filing down the edges....then you use a sharp pointy object to scrath out your picture...into acid to etch the picute into the zinc plate, clean up your plate (like a million times with various stinky things), and viola` you are ready to print....its so fun!

mosaic doves

the man, for my happy birthday last year, very cleverly (not at all due to the LARGE, UNSUBTLE hints), got for me, a day with a local artist who has created the most amazing of gardens, all in mosaics....truly I can't tell you how cool it is, there are mosaic walls, doors, floors, tables, bird houses, garden oranments, bathrooms sets, gumboots, a 15 foot croc with huge jaws for kids to hop in, snails, ladybugs and sooooooo much more.....its an awesome place to take your kids for half a day....anyho getting to the point! She also holds 'A day with Jude' classes, and you guessed it - thats what the clever man got for me....I have only had the chance recently to go and spend time with her, learning about the way she creates her amazing artworks....and this is the one she kindly walked me through.......it hugely heavy (due to the tile and grout) and I don't know where we will put it, but its not a bad effort ( and mirror always makes things look flasher than they are!).........so now I;m on a mission; watch out all you rocks in the garden and anything standing still...you will be mosaic'ed on!!!