On my summer holiday in Paekakariki, I bought a pad of pieces of cardboard and decided to make them into ‘Happy New Years’ postcards. I wanted to ‘free up my hand’ after a long spell not doing anything much visual. (They didn’t photograph very well because they are shiny with paint and glue and glitter, … Continue reading Freeing up my hand with a postcard project
After a couple of creatively dry years where I have only been writing in my journals and sticking the occasional thing in…I have re-found my zeal for art-journaling. Yup. I make rough-and-ready bad art in my journals. It is so soothing and therapeutic and fun to me. It’s more about process than product. I started … Continue reading shameless 2014: proud maker of bad art
Recently I saw THIS NECKLACE on etsy and fell in love. I’m going through a bit of a love affair with Dandelion. It’s a mysterious yet common plant – it has manifold healing properties. It is rich in history and symbolism. You can eat all parts of it. You can’t ever kill it off your … Continue reading a wish for you, a wish for me
I’ve spent so little time in my studio this year that I’ve been jokingly calling it “the cave of forgotten craft”. What with the new day-job and the intensity of the yoga-instructor training I’m doing, plus my general feeling of knackeredness which I’ve written about lately…the time and inclination to make stuff kind of ebbed … Continue reading the creativity muscle
I recently had a bunch of friends over on a Saturday night. I invited them post-dinner and made dessert in the form of cupcakes. I hadn’t made cupcakes for a long time, so it was fun to spend an afternoon listening to National Radio and baking…then fiddling with icing and decorating them! Ridiculous, mindless and … Continue reading a cupcake supper for friends
It’s the school holidays and we recently had some friends over for morining tea, so W and I made a double mixture of doughnuts. We have a doughnut maker. I’m not one for space-taking, one-use appliances so imagine my horror when Fraser came home from a Briscoes sale with THIS – a silly pink thing … Continue reading A School Holidays Morning Tea
I’m writing two books at the moment (I think I’ve mentioned this before…), my second poetry collection and a book about my journals from 2000-2012. I’m turning 40 this year, the way I journal has kind of changed lately and I want to capture what my journals meant to me and did for me during … Continue reading the journal project
I knitted another neck thing – this one is super-bulky handspun wool that smells just ilke a sheep…that lovely lanolin whiff: When winter draws in ….throw colour at it! (and woolen socks. Nothing like them for keeping your feet warm.) There are so many people head to toe in black on the streets right now. … Continue reading throw colour
In early autumn, when our apple tree was fruiting, I read an article about making apple vinegar. I had a go, and it was the easiest preserve I ever made! You fill large jar/s (sterilised, as per preserving) with apple cores and peelings. Obviously it is easy to do this when apples are abundant and … Continue reading the easiest preserve I ever made
A couple of fabric collages I made. (Photos are a little blurry – I think my ancient camera is starting to fail me.) I’m not sure if that is the right term – I’ve seen similar things called ‘mini-quilts’ but that seems a little absurd to me…unless they are quilts for dolls or mice. Continue reading collage with fabric
Helen Lehndorf 